19F NMR study of the equilibria and dynamics of the Al3+/F- system

A careful reinvestigation by high-field 19F NMR (470 MHz) spectroscopy has been made of the Al3+/F- system in aqueous solution under carefully controlled conditions of pH, concentration, ionic strength (I), and temperature. The 19F NMR spectra show five distinct signals at 278 K and I = 0.6 M (TMACl) which have been attributed to the complexes AlFi(3-i)+(aq) with i < or = 5. There was no need to invoke AlFi(OH)j(3-i-j)+ mixed complexes in the model under our experimental conditions (pH < or = 6.5), nor was any evidence obtained for the formation of AlF6(3-)(aq) at very high ratios of F-/Al3+. The stepwise equilibrium constants obtained for the complexes by integration of the 19F signals are in good agreement with literature data given the differences in medium and temperature. In I = 0.6 M TMACl at 278 K and in I = 3 M KCl at 298 K the log Ki values are 6.42, 5.41, 3.99, 2.50, and 0.84 (for species i = 1-5) and 6.35, 5.25, and 4.11 (for species i = 1-3), respectively. Disappearance of the 19F NMR signals under certain conditions was shown to be due to precipitation. Certain 19F NMR signals exhibit temperature- and concentration-dependent exchange broadening. Detailed line shape analysis of the spectra and magnetization transfer measurements indicate that the kinetics are dominated by F- exchange rather than complex formation. The detected reactions and their rate constants are AlF2(2+) + *F- reversible AlF*F2+ + F- (k02 = (1.8 +/- 0.3) x 10(6) M-1 s-1), AlF3(0) + *F- reversible AlF2*F0 + F- (k03 = (3.9 +/- 0.9) x 10(6) M-1 s-1), and AlF3(0) + H*F reversible AlF2*F0 + HF (kH03 = (6.6 +/- 0.5) x 10(4) M-1 s-1). The rates of these exchange reactions increase markedly with increasing F- substitution. Thus, the reactions of AlF2+(aq) were too inert to be detected even on the T1 NMR time scale, while some of the reactions of AlF3(0)(aq) were fast, causing large line broadening. The ligand exchange appears to follow an associative interchange mechanism. The cis-trans isomerization of AlF2+(aq), consistent with octahedral geometry for that complex, is slowed sufficiently to be observed at temperatures around 270 K. Difference between the Al3+/F- system and the much studied Al3+/OH- system are briefly commented on.     

Simulation of the electronic and vibrational structure of hydrogenated amorphous silicon using cluster models

A set of simple models of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) consisting of hypothetical silane molecules with diamond or similar lattices was studied by the semiempirical AM1 method. Densities of states and infrared spectra were calculated for the silane molecules and similar molecules with dangling bonds disorder, and with boron or phosphorus substitution to simulate doping. Some examples are presented, and a comparison is made with experimental properties of a-Si:H. It is proposed to use these models in a study of the Staebler–Wronski photodegradation of a-Si:H and other aspects of amorphous silicon technology. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The inequivalence of apparent polarographic and potentiometric stability constants for cadmium(II) bromide and iodide systems

Investigations of the “classical” cadmium(II) bromide and iodide complex ion systems show conclusively that in the presence of moderately strong anion-induced adsorption, apparent polarographic stability constants are larger than those determined by other methods such as potentiometry. Such systems can exhibit seemingly normal d.c. polarographic behaviour, but adsorption is readily detected by a.c. methods. The authors therefore strongly recommend that in systems in which adsorption is detected, polarography should not be used to determine stability constants. Theoretical approaches to explain the observed phenomena are discussed and it is concluded that apparently differing approaches that have appeared in the literature are in fact equivalent.     

The ionic product of water in concentrated tetramethylammonium chloride solutions

The ionic product of water, pK(w) = - log[H(+)][OH(-)] has been determined in aqueous solutions of tetramethylammonium chloride over the concentration range of 0.1-5.5 M at 25 degrees C using high-precision glass electrode potentiometric titrations. pK(w) data relating to aqueous potassium and sodium chlorides at ionic strengths up to 5 M are markedly lower than the tetramethylammonium chloride results. These differences are almost certainly due to weak associations between potassium and (especially) sodium and hydroxide ions.     

Zdanovskii’s Rule and Isopiestic Measurements Applied to Synthetic Bayer Liquors

Isopiestic measurements of mixed electrolyte solutions involving sodium hydroxide and other components of Bayer liquors were performed at 50?°C and 100?°C. Most of the systems studied obey Zdanovskii’s rule exactly or very closely. However, those with sodium chloride as one of their components show deviations from Zdanovskii’s rule, which are well predicted by our thermodynamic modelling software based on Pitzer’s equations.     

Protonation and sodium ion-pairing of the sulfite ion in concentrated aqueous electrolyte solutions

A protocol has been developed for the reliable titration of aqueous sulfite solutions which minimizes photodecomposition effects. This procedure has been used to measure the protonation constants of the sulfite ion in aqueous solution by glass electrode potentiometry at 25.0‡C and ionic strengths (I) from 0.1 to 5.0M in NaCI media and atI = 1.0M in KC1 and Me₄NCl media. These measurements provided evidence of weak but significant ionpairing between SO2/3 -and Na⁺ with a formation constant of logK _Na = 0.431 in 1.0M Me₄NCl. This was in very good agreement with the value logK _Na = 0.410 measured directly by Na⁺ ion-selective electrode potentiometry. Evidence is also presented for an extremely weak association of K⁺ and SO ₂ ³ -with logK _k = 0.22 in 1.0M Me₄NCl.     

205T1-NMR and UV-Visible spectroscopic determination of the formation constants of aqueous thallium(I) hydroxo-complexes

The hydrolysis of T1(I) has been studied at 25°C using²⁰⁵T1-NMR spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometry in aqueous solutions with ionic strengths maintained by NaC10₄ at 2, 4, 6, and 8M. The formation constant and the spectral characteristics for the hydroxo complex, T10Hℴ have been determined. At high hydroxide ion concentrations there is clear evidence from the UV-Vis data for the formation of a T1(OH)₂-species. The spectrum and an estimated formation constant for this second hydroxo complex are also reported.     

An analytical folding potential for deformed nuclei

Concentrating on nucleon- andα-nucleus interactions the folding approach is applied to light deformed target nuclei. The analytically evaluated potentials depend onl. Forl=0, 2 and 4 the formulae for the elastic and inelastic interactions are given discussing also the effect of different forces and charge distributions on the formfactors.