The electrical resistivity of some uranium tellurides

Electrical resistivity of U₃Tein4, U₂Te₃ (cubic) and UTe₃ has been measured over temperature range 4.2–300 K. The two former compounds appear to be semimetallic conductors while the last one has semiconducting character. The results are discussed in the terms of available magnetic data.     

An efficient numerical scheme for precise time integration of a diffusion-dissolution/precipitation chemical system

A numerical scheme based on an operator splitting method and a dense output event location algorithm is proposed to integrate a diffusion-dissolution/precipitation chemical initial-boundary value problem with jumping nonlinearities. The numerical analysis of the scheme is carried out and it is proved to be of order 2 in time. This global order estimate is illustrated numerically on a test case.

     

EFFECT OF MOLYBDENUM PROMOTER ON THE Cu-Co BASED CATALYSTS

The synthesis of mixed alcohols (C1-C5) from syngas has been studied at 6. 0 MPa over modified Co/CuLaZr catalysts. The molybdenum addition enhanced greatly the activity and the selectivity to alcohols. The improvement of hydrogenation capacity of the system via a reversible spillover effect of hydrogen could explain this effect, together with a great capacity of CO insertion, illustrated by the effect of C2H4 addition as a probe to syngas. Under our experimental conditions, a mixed alcohol production of 147.1g/kg. cat/h containing a proportion of 33. 1% of higher alcohols (C2 OH) was obtained with a selectivity to ROH of 52. 8%.     

The practical synthesis of a novel and highly potent analogue of bryostatin

Macrocycle 1 is a new highly potent analogue of bryostatin 1, a promising anti-cancer agent currently in human clinical trials. In vitro, 1 displays picomolar affinity for PKC and exhibits over 100-fold greater potency than bryostatin 1 when tested against various human cancer cell lines. Macrocycle 1 can be generated in clinically required amounts by chemical synthesis in only 19 steps (LLS) and represents a new clinical lead for the treatment of cancer.     

Fracture and debonding of a thin film on a stiff substrate: analytical and numerical solutions of a one-dimensional variational model

We study multi-fissuration and debonding phenomena of a thin film bonded to a stiff substrate using the variational approach to fracture mechanics. We consider a reduced one-dimensional membrane model where the loading is introduced through uniform inelastic (e.g., thermal) strains in the film or imposed displacements of the substrate. Fracture phenomena are accounted for by adopting a Griffith model for debonding and transverse fracture. On the basis of energy minimization arguments, we recover the key qualitative properties of the experimental evidences, like the periodicity of transverse cracks and the peripheral debonding of each regular segment. Phase diagrams relate the maximum number of transverse cracks that may be created before debonding takes place, as a function of the material properties and the sample’s geometry. The theoretical results are illustrated with numerical simulations obtained through a finite element discretization and a regularized variational formulation of the Ambrosio–Tortorelli type, which is suited to further extensions in two-dimensional settings.     

The i.r. spectrum of curium-244

The spectrum of curium-244 has been observed on the high resolution Fourier-transform spectrometer at Laboratoire Aimé Cotton. An electrodeless lamp containing 50 μg of CmI₃ was run for 12 hr and 800,000 points were taken. A total of 1743 lines have been ascribed to curium and 87% of the lines have been assigned to transitions between known energy levels.     

Surface chemistry of polymers Adsorption and absorption of gases by polyvinylchloride

Nitrogen and carbon monoxide are physically adsorbed on polyvinylchloride between 78 and 86 K, without hysteresis. At higher temperatures, carbon dioxide (195 K), sulfur dioxide (273 and 293 K) and chloroethane (293 K) are strongly absorbed by the solid, with hysteresis. The possibility of trapping CO inside the solid indicates that PVC has an open structure at higher temperatures. The effect of heating on the polymer was also investigated.