Electrolytic Deposition of Hard Chromium Coatings from Electrolyte Based on Deep Eutectic Solvent

Deposition of chromium coatings from an electrolyte based on a deep eutectic solvent (new type of ionic fluids) was studied. The electrolyte used to deposit the coatings contained choline chloride, chromium(III) chloride, and addition of water. It was found that introduction of a certain amount of water makes it possible to raise the electrical conductivity and reduce the viscosity of the electrolyte to values acceptable for its practical application. The manner in which the electrolysis conditions affect the current efficiency for chromium deposition was determined. It was shown that uniform hard chromium coatings with good adhesion to the substrate can be deposited.     

Site-selective direct photochemical deposition of copper on glass substrates using TiO2 nanocrystals

Deposition of copper thin films was achieved by a photocatalytic reaction of site-selectively adsorbed TiO(2) nanocrystals for direct fabrication of copper circuit patterns on glass substrates. The nanocrystal monolayers absorbed on hydrophobic surface templates serve as an effective photocatalyst, producing metallic copper and formic acid via oxidation of methanol in solution. The formic acid generated has also been suggested to serve as an electron donor that accelerates copper deposition through a UV-mediated autocatalytic reaction, even after nanocrystals are embedded into the grown copper films. The thickness of the deposited copper films was easily controlled by varying the UV irradiation time, irradiation power, and initial concentration of methanol as a hole scavenger. The process presented herein provides an effective methodology for resist-free, direct metallization of insulating substrates.     

Determination of traces of metals in wines from Macedonia

A new method for the determination of chromium and manganese in wines using square-wave voltammetry was developed. For chromium, acrylic acid was chosen as supporting electrolyte and for manganese a mixture of NH₄OH and NH₄Cl. The experimental conditions (initial and final potential, frequency, pulse height, scan increment, scan rate and equilibrium and deposition time) were optimized. Chromium and manganese were determined in the Macedonian wines Krato?ija, Kavadarka, Ohridija and Smederevka. The results agreed well with those obtained by standard UV/VIS spectrophotometry. A statistical treatment of the experimental data was performed using STATGRAPH and MATHCAD software packages.     

Electrode processes occurring during the electrodeposition of chromium-carbon coatings from solutions of Cr(III) salts with carbamide and formic acid additions

The regularities and possible mechanisms of electrode processes occurring during the electrodeposition of the Cr-C alloy from an electrolyte based on Cr(III) sulfate with carbamide and formic acid as organic components were analyzed. The chromium electrodeposition was found to impose its kinetics on carbon inclusion in the alloy. The mechanism of carbon incorporation in the deposit was assumed to be the chemical interaction of the adsorbed organic particles with highly active chromium adatoms. During the stage discharge of Cr(III) ions to the metal, the rate of the limiting stage Cr(II) + 2e → Cr(0) increased when OH^? or F^? ions were included in the structure of the electrochemically active complex.     

Simultaneous Determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) by Differential Pulse Voltammetry Using Modified Screen‐Printed Carbon Electrodes in Array Mode

A new procedure for the speciation of chromium by means of differential pulse voltammetry using screen‐printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) has been proposed. Two different modified carbon working, a Ag/AgCl reference and a carbon counter screen‐printed electrodes have been connected in array mode for the simultaneous determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI). Mercury films or gold nanoparticles have been ground onto the SPCEs in order to improve their selectivity to each chromium species. The quantification of the peak currents observed at ?1.25 V in Hg‐SPCE and ?0.1 V in AuNPs‐SPCE were carried out. The method has been applied to the speciation of chromium in waste water from a tannery factory.     

电解液中的乙二胺四甲叉膦酸对甲酸在炭载Pd催化剂上电氧化性能的影响

利用X射线能量色散(EDS)谱、X射线衍射(XRD)谱、透射电子显微镜(TEM)和电化学等技术研究了在电解液中添加乙二胺四甲叉膦酸(EDTMP)对甲酸在Pd/C催化剂上电氧化性能的影响. 结果表明, 当EDTMP添加的浓度为0.5 mmol/L时, Pd/C催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化活性和稳定性最好. 这主要归结于吸附在Pd/C催化剂表面的EDTMP不但能通过基团效应降低CO的吸附量, 还能抑制Pd/C催化剂催化甲酸分解的速率, 从而减少了CO的毒化作用. 但当EDTMP的浓度大于0.5 mmol/L时, 吸附过多的EDTMP反而会占据Pd的活性位点, 降低催化作用.     

Composition, Structure, and Corrosion–Electrochemical Properties of Chromium Coatings Deposited from Chromium(III) Electrolytes Containing Formic Acid and Its Derivatives

To study electrocatalytic properties of chromium, its deposits are obtained from Cr(III) electrolytes containing formic acid and its four derivatives (formaldehyde, methyl alcohol, formamide, dimethylformamide) and comprehensively examined. Amorphous structure of the deposits is established with an x-ray diffraction analysis. The valence state of chromium and major extrinsic elements is studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The carbon reduction degree and the organization of carbon particles in deep layers of the deposits (chainlike or graphite-like structures) is shown to depend on the nature of organic compounds added into the chromium-plating electrolyte. The corrosion–electrochemical behavior of the obtained deposits in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ is compared to that of polycrystalline chromium and deposits plated from sulfate–oxalate Cr(III) electrolytes.     

NH_4~+对甲酸在炭载Pd催化剂上氧化性能的影响

为了解HClO4、NH4ClO4和NaClO4电解液对炭载Pd(Pd/C)催化剂电极对甲酸氧化的电催化性能的影响,在用X射线衍射(XRD)谱、能量色散谱(EDS)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对Pd/C催化剂进行表征的基础上,采用电化学方法测量了Pd/C催化剂在不同电解液中对甲酸氧化的电催化性能.发现在不同电解液中,Pd/C催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化活性和稳定性按NH4ClO4NaClO4HClO4的次序降低.由于甲酸的存在,不同电解液的pH相差较小,因此,电解液的pH影响较小,而阳离子的影响较大.在NaClO4电解液中的性能优于在HClO4电解液中的性能是pH的影响.在NH4ClO4电解液中的性能优于在NaClO4电解液中是由于NH4+能降低CO在Pd/C催化剂电极上的吸附强度和吸附量,这一发现对提高直接甲酸燃料电池(DFAFC)的性能很有意义.     

Opposite trends in thermodynamic compatibility between copolyamide and chitosan in their binary blend

Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy of mixing in binary blends of chitosan with ter‐copolyamide 6/66/610 at ambient conditions have been determined over the entire concentration range using thermodynamic cycle based on dissolution of individual polymers and their blends of different composition in a common solvent – formic acid. Experimental procedure included stepwise equilibrium vapor sorption of glacial formic acid on the cast films and isothermal microcalorimetry of dissolution of these films in liquid glacial formic acid at 25 °C. Formic acid appeared to be a very good solvent for individual polymers and their blends. Flory‐Huggins interaction parameter determined from sorption isotherms was negative and varied from ?2.56 to ?1.79 depending upon blend composition. The enthalpies of dissolution of individual polymers and their blends were strongly exothermic and varied from ?200 to ?40 Joule/g. Independent thermodynamic cycles for Gibbs free energy and enthalpy remarkably revealed similar trends in concentration dependence of different thermodynamic functions of mixing between chitosan and copolyamide. At high chitosan content, the binary blend is characterized by large and negative values of Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of mixing that provide high polymer compatibility. On the contrary, at high copolyamide content the blends are incompatible and are characterized by positive values of enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy of mixing. Such complicated thermodynamic behavior is the result of the superposition of strong molecular interactions (H‐bonds) between polymers in the blend and isothermal fusion of copolyamide crystallites. Thermodynamic analysis correlates well with the data obtained by polarized microscopy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2603–2613, 2007     

磷钨酸对甲酸在碳载Pd催化剂上电氧化的促进作用

利用X射线能量色散(EDS)谱、X射线衍射(XRD)谱和电化学等技术研究了电解液中磷钨酸(PWA)对直接甲酸燃料电池(DFAFC)中甲酸在碳载Pd(Pd/C)催化剂上电氧化的促进作用. 研究结果发现, 因吸附的PWA能促进甲酸在Pd/C催化剂上的脱氢而加速了甲酸的电氧化. 这种促进作用与PWA的浓度有关, 当PWA的浓度低于0.15 mg/mL时, 该促进作用随PWA的浓度的增加而增加; 当PWA的浓度高于0.15 mg/mL时, 过多吸附的PWA会覆盖过多Pd/C催化剂的活性点而使其电催化性能随PWA的浓度增大而降低. 因此, 当电解液中PWA的浓度为0.15 mg/mL时, Pd/C催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化性能最好.     

Mechanistic study on the effect of PEG molecules in a trivalent chromium electrodeposition process

The mechanism of chromium metal deposition from a trivalent chromium bath containing formic acid and polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG) was studied on an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and a technique for measuring pH on the cathode surface. Reactions of PEG molecules with trivalent chromium ions and their influence on the plating process of trivalent chromium were investigated. EQCM studies at low trivalent chromium ion concentrations show that chromium electrodeposition occurs via the formation of an adsorption layer on the electrode surface, which is called a cathodic film. Cathodic films hinder the penetration of ions from bulk solution to the cathode surface. In the inner portion of the cathodic film and at the cathode surface, intermediate complexes were formed during the deposition process. ESI-MS revealed that the PEG molecules were stable in a trivalent chromium bath containing potassium formate. During electroplating, the PEG molecules decreased the reductive current of hydrogen compared with solutions without PEG; an effect that was also observed due to the pH on the electrode surface. PEG plays a decisive role in the formation of intermediate compounds during electrodeposition.     

Pulse gradient, large-volume injection, high-throughput ultra-performance liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometry bioanalysis for measurement of plasma amrubicin and its metabolite amrubicinol

In this communication, we report the development of a new ultra-performance liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS-MS) assay for measurement of amrubicin (an anthracycline anti-cancer agent) and its active metabolite, amrubicinol, in plasma. The enhanced electrospray ionization signal intensity of the analytes achieved by modifying the mobile phase with formic acid was associated with improvement in the lower limit of quantification. These favorable effects were electrolyte concentration-dependent. In order to maximize assay throughput, we used methanol protein precipitation to prepare the plasma samples, and simplified sample preparation by injecting 40 microL of the supernatant containing methanol at 87.5% (v/v) directly onto the UPLC column without any intermediary solvent evaporation step. The large-volume injection of highly organic supernatant sample increased matrix and elutropic effects, but these drawbacks were respectively overcome by using a 5mM formic acid-modified mobile phase and a new pulse gradient method. To our knowledge, this is the first report successfully using large-volume injection of strong organic samples with UPLC-MS-MS bioanalysis. The pulse gradient elution also resulted in band compression and enhanced the robustness of the chromatography. The promising new approach illustrated herein is extremely straightforward to optimize, and may be used for UPLC-MS-MS bioanalytical assay of other compounds.     

硅钨酸修饰碳载Pd催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化性能

用络合还原法合成了用作直接甲酸燃料电池(DFAFC)中阳极碳载Pd(Pd/C)催化剂, 并研究了电解液中的硅钨酸(SiWA)对甲酸在Pd/C催化剂电极上氧化的促进作用. 结果表明, SiWA不但能提高Pd/C催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化活性, 而且能增加电催化稳定性. 这种促进作用与SiWA浓度有关. 当SiWA浓度为0.40 g·L-1时, 促进作用最佳. 当SiWA浓度大于0.40 g·L-1时, 由于过多的SiWA吸附在Pd/C催化剂上而覆盖了部分Pd活性位点, 反而会降低促进作用. 另外, 由于SiWA在Pd/C催化剂上的吸附, 降低了CO的吸附量, 提高了Pd/C催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化稳定性, 也促进了甲酸通过直接途径氧化.     

Determination of manganese at ng ml levels in natural waters by differential pulse polarography

A procedure based on differential pulse polarography is described for the determination of manganese at ng/ml levels in fresh, estuarine and sea-water buffered at pH 9.5 with a citrate-borate solution that also serves as supporting electrolyte. The procedure is unaffected by the potentially interfering compounds most likely to occur in natural waters. Furthermore, iron (in ascorbate-borate buffer, pH 9.5) or chromium (in ascorbate-ammonia-ammonium-chloride buffer, pH 9.8) can be determined together with manganese. Some results for the concentration of manganese, iron and chromium in the River Arno are reported.     

Determination of traces of metals in wines from Macedonia

A new method for the determination of chromium and manganese in wines using square-wave voltammetry was developed. For chromium, acrylic acid was chosen as supporting electrolyte and for manganese a mixture of NH₄OH and NH₄Cl. The experimental conditions (initial and final potential, frequency, pulse height, scan increment, scan rate and equilibrium and deposition time) were optimized. Chromium and manganese were determined in the Macedonian wines Kratošija, Kavadarka, Ohridija and Smederevka. The results agreed well with those obtained by standard UV/VIS spectrophotometry. A statistical treatment of the experimental data was performed using STATGRAPH and MATHCAD software packages. Received: 13 February 1998 / Revised: 19 May 1998 / Accepted: 25 May 1998     

基于银离子与DNA相互作用的比率型电化学传感器用于银离子的检测

利用银离子(Ag⁺)可与DNA中胞嘧啶碱基(C)相互作用的性质, 构建了一种用于检测Ag⁺的比率型电化学传感器. 以铬金属有机骨架材料(Cr-MIL-101 NH₂)标记的单链DNA作为信号探针(Cr-MOFs-SP), 电解质溶液的二茂铁甲酸作为内部参考探针(Fc-RP), 在Ag⁺存在的情况下, 可以检测到Cr-MOFs的信号. 同时, 二茂铁甲酸的信号几乎保持稳定, 因此, Ag⁺浓度可以通过I_Cr-MOFs-SP/I_{Fc- RP}的比率响应进行监测. 所制备的比率型生物传感器可有效消除外界环境影响和避免电化学背景信号, 提高了检测的重现性、 准确性和灵敏度. 具有三维结构的DNA四面体纳米材料(NTH)可有效消除DNA的非特异性吸附. 同时, 所设计的DNA NTH增强了机械刚度, 可以增加Ag⁺的捕获量和信号物质的负载量, 进一步提高了检测灵敏度. 该比率型生物传感器对Ag⁺的检测具有良好的选择性、 较宽的线性范围(0.1~100 nmol/L)和较低的检出限(33 pmol/L). 将此传感器用于滇池水样中Ag⁺的含量测定, 回收率为96.8%~103.0%, 表明此传感器具有潜在的实际应用前景.     

Application of adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) for the analysis of trace metals in brine

Summary Routine analysis of brine for trace metals is important for safe and economical production in the alkali chloride electrolysis. As opposed to many spectroscopic techniques, trace metal determination by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) is shown to be performed directly in brine. With minimal sample preparation chromium(VI), iron(III), nickel(II), cobalt(II), titanum(IV), manganese(II), molybdenum(VI) and vanadium(V) can be determined within minutes. The influence of parameters such as pH-value, supporting electrolyte solution, concentration of complexing reagents and possible interferents are investigated for optimal experimental conditions. Minimum detection limits are less than 5 ng/g for all trace metals except 1 ng/g for chromium(VI), cobalt(II) and molybdenium(VI) for 40 s adsorption periods with precisions of better than 7%. AdSV with linear or differential pulse scan is discussed.     

Deposition of chromium species on Sr-doped LaMnO3 cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells

The system of chromia-forming alloy/Sr-doped LaMnO₃ (LSM) electrode/3 mol%Y₂O₃–ZrO₂ (TZ3Y) electrolyte has been investigated at 900°C in air under cathodic polarization conditions. Deposition of chromium species was found to occur preferentially at the TZ3Y electrolyte surface, forming a deposit ring around the edge of the LSM electrode coating. The width of the ring was about 60 μm for an LSM electrode polarized for about 50 h. Overpotential (η) increases with polarization time. In contrast to η, electrode interface resistance (R_E) measured under open circuit conditions decreases initially after passing the current and remains almost constant with polarization. The results indicate that the deposition process of chromium species may not be dominated by electrochemical reduction processes in competition with O₂ reduction at an early stage of polarization.     

Laser isotope separation and the multiphoton dissociation of formic acid using a pulsed HF laser

The focussed beam from a single line [P₂ (5)] of a pulsed HF laser has been used to stimulate the decomposition of formic acid. The yield (Y is the number of product molecules per pulse / formic acid pressure) of the non-condensable (77 K) products, hydrogen and CO, has been studied as a function of laser radiant energy (from 25-115 mJ) and pressure (from 0.4-2.7 kPa). The intensity dependence of Y suggests that each dissociating formic acid requires the equivalent of at least 6 HF P₂(5) photons (260 kJ/mole). For pressures above about 0.6 kPa, Y_H2 = (?0.6 ± 1.7) × 10¹² + (2.4 ± 1.0) × 10¹² P and Y_CO = (?0.5 ± 6.1) × 10¹³ × (8.7 ± 3.7) × 10¹³ P. The linear dependerrce of yields indicates that a collisionally assisted decomposition process is important at these pressures. The efficiency of the conversion of photon energy to reaction products at a pressure of 2.7 kPa is ? 7% for CO and ? 0.2% for hydrogen. Selective excitation of HCOOH in equimolar mixtures of HCOOH/HCOOD, at a total pressure of 0.6 kPa, has provided a physically separated product, hydrogen gas, which is isotopically enriched in H versus D 25 fold as compared to the formic acid mixture. The degree of enrichment decreases as the total pressure of the mixture is increased. A possible mechanism accounting for isotope enrichment and the collisionally assisted dissociation is outlined.     

A novel strategy to assemble colloidal gold nanoparticles at the water-air interface by the vapor of formic acid

We report a novel strategy on the controlled assembly of gold nanoparticles (NPs) at the air-water interface by designing a concentration gradient of electrolytes utilizing volatile weak acidic electrolytes. Films of close-packed Au NPs can be facilely obtained by exposing citrate-protected gold colloids to the vapor of formic acid for several hours in an airtight desiccator at room temperature. Both the higher interfacial concentration of formic acid and the buffer effect of citrate solution play the key roles in the assembly. They engender a gradient distribution of hydrogen ions such that to trigger the interfacial assembly of gold NPs while preventing the bulk colloid from aggregation and coagulation. Comparative investigations have also been performed either using other volatile electrolytes like weaker acetic acid and stronger hydrochloric acid or adding an electrolyte directly into the colloids. The as-prepared films of gold NPs can serve as good substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). This strategy has also been applied to the assembly of some other NPs like colloidal Pt at the air-water interface.