Anodic behavior of gold in acid thiourea solutions: A cyclic voltammetry and quartz microgravimetry study

It is shown that at potentials E < 0.5 V (NHE) gold undergoes practically no dissolution in thiourea solutions containing no catalytically active species. The dissolution at a perceptible rate (> 100 μA cm^?2) starts at E ≥ 0.65 V, with the primary process being the oxidation of thiourea, which gives rise a current peak at E ? 1.0 V. The thiourea oxidation at E ≥ 1.1 produces the appearance of catalytically active species, which drastically accelerate the gold dissolution process in the potential region extending from a steady-state value to 0.6 V, where the current efficiency for gold approaches 100% and a peak emerges at E ? 0.55 V. The peak’s height is commensurate with the value of the limiting diffusion current associated with the ligand supply. The species in question make no discernible impact on the thiourea oxidation process. Formamidine disulfide, which forms during the anodic oxidation of thiourea or which is added in solution on purpose, exerts no noticeable catalytic influence on the anodic gold dissolution. The catalytically active species is presumably the S^2? ion, product of decomposition and deep oxidation of thiourea and formamidine disulfide. Indeed, adding sulfide ions in solution has a strong catalytic effect on the gold dissolution, whose character is identical to that of the effect exerted by products of anodic oxidation of thiourea at E ≥ 1.1 V μA cm^?2.     

Donnan effects in the steady-state diffusion of metal ions through charged thin films

The steady-state diffusion of metals ions through thin films with fixed charged groups was investigated using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) measurements. Copolymers of acrylamide and sodium acrylate cross-linked with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide were used as diffusive gels. The rate of diffusion of cadmium ions through the gels was measured by determining the mass of cadmium bound to a backing chelex resin after a known deployment time. Variation of the ionic strength as well as the fixed charge density and the thickness of the gel layer allowed evaluation of the impact of the Donnan partitioning and the diffusion layer in solution on the observed steady-state flux of ions through the layer. The results underscore that, as the Donnan partitioning increases, the impact of the diffusion layer in solution becomes more significant. At modest Donnan potentials, Donnan partitioning controls the net flux of metal ions, whereas at conditions of increasing Donnan potential, i.e., at decreasing ionic strength, the flux is increasingly limited by diffusion in solution. An analytical expression is developed to describe the influence of Donnan partitioning on the observed steady-state flux of metal ions.     

Conditions for the Formation of a Nonequilibrium Nonstoichiometric Layer on Pyrrhotite in Acid Solutions

Conditions for the formation of a nonequilibrium nonstoichiometric metal-deficient layer (NL) on natural pyrrhotites are studied, together with the NL electroreduction and the role NL plays in a nonoxidizing dissolution of pyrrhotite in solutions of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids. To estimate the NL weight, the charge connected with a cathodic peak at about –0.2 V (Ag/AgCl) is used. The peak reflects the irreversible reduction of NL with the formation of hydrogen sulfide, which is confirmed by SEM and XES data. Bulky NL forms in 0.5 M H₂SO₄at –0.1 to 0.0 V, where the nonoxidizing dissolution rate sharply alters, and at 0.5–1.1 V, where the pyrrhotite oxidation rate is high. The NL growth is controlled by solid-state diffusion, whereas nonoxidizing dissolution of iron is limited by diffusion at 20–30°C and a kinetic stage of dissolution of sulfur at higher temperatures.     

Quasi-reversible faradaic depolarization processes in the electrokinetics of the metal/solution interface

Bipolar faradaic depolarization of the metal/solution interface is quantitatively analyzed for the case where the solution is subject to lateral flow and contains a quasi-reversible redox couple. Transversal convective diffusion of the electroactive species and a position-dependent degree of reversibility of the interfacial electron-transfer (e.t.) reaction are among the primary features that govern depolarization. The spatial distributions of species concentrations and electric potential are numerically simulated. The system is characterized by nonlinear coupling between the transport (diffusion and flow) and the electric potential distribution under conditions of finite local currents. The resulting picture is that the reversibility of the e.t. reaction varies with position on the surface, with the highest reversibility downstream. This, in itself, generally leads to strongly asymmetric profiles of the faradaic current density along the surface. The impact on the electrokinetic properties of the interface is huge. For example, the steady-state streaming potential is depressed by the contribution from the bipolar faradaic process to the back current to an extent that varies from insignificant to complete, depending on the e.t. rate constant and concentrations of the electroactive species.     

Disentanglement and reptation during dissolution of rubbery polymers

The dissolution mechanism of rubbery polymers was analyzed by dividing the penetrant concentration field into three regimes that delineate three distinctly different transport processes. The solvent penetration into the rubbery polymer was assumed to be Fickian. The mode of mobility of the polymer chains was shown to undergo a change at a critical penetrant concentration expressed as a change in the diffusion coefficient of the polymer. It was assumed that beyond the critical penetrant concentration, reptation was the dominant mode of diffusion. Molecular arguments were invoked to derive expressions for the radius of gyration, the plateau modulus, and the reptation time, thus leading to an expression for the reptation diffusivity. The disentanglement rate was defined as the ratio between the radius of gyration of the polymer and the reptation time. Transport in the second penetrant concentration regime was modeled to occur in a diffusion boundary layer adjacent to the polymer-solvent interface, where a Smoluchowski type diffusion equation was obtained. The model equations were numerically solved using a fully implicit finite difference technique. The results of the simulation were analyzed to ascertain the effect of the polymer molecular weight and its diffusivity on the dissolution process. The results show that the dissolution can be either disentanglement or diffusion controlled depending on the polymer molecular weight and the thickness of the diffusion boundary layer. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

高聚物两相体系相行为的流变学研究──Ⅱ．嵌段高聚物微相溶合的研究

本文从流变学角度研究了三嵌段高聚物苯乙烯－丁二烯－苯乙烯（ＳＢＳ）中的微相转变，从相转变温度前后流变行为的变化，确定了相转变温度，其结果与小角Ｘ光散射的结果一致，在此基础上，研究了嵌段高聚物的微相溶合过程，发现相溶合过程可分为四个阶段，在第二，第四阶段，Ｇ’～ｅαｔ，’～ｅβｔ，矿是相溶合时间，α，β随相溶合温度及阶段不同而改变．以Ｄｉｃｋｉｅ模型为基础，考虑到分子运动及剪切条件下的流体力学相互作用，分析了各阶段的流变行为，初步说明了微相溶合过程中，流变行为时间依赖性的本质．     

The fractal theory of electrochemical diffusion noise: Correlations of the third and fourth order

Based on the Langevin linear stochastic equation, the correlations of the 3rd and 4th order for thermal fluctuations of the electrode potential are studied in an electrochemical ac circuit involving an electric double layer capacitance, a resistance of steady-state diffusion, and a Warburg impedance. The presence of the noisy Warburg impedance in the ac circuit makes the Langevin linear stochastic equation fractal. The analogy with the steady-state diffusion noise and with the noise of the barrierless-activationless slow discharge is used. Equations for bispectrum and trispectrum of electrode-potential activation are shown. It is demonstrated that the intensity of bispectrum and trispectrum is determined exclusively by the noise of the steady-state diffusion resistance if one of frequency arguments in the polyspectrum is zero. It is found that in an electrochemical ac circuit containing the noisy Warburg impedance, the asymptotics of establishment of equilibrium values of asymmetry and excess of electrode-potential fluctuations (thermalization) obeys the power law rather than the exponential law. Furthermore, the excess thermalization proceeds faster as compared with asymmetry thermalization. The performed theoretical analysis of correlations of the 3rd and 4th order of the fractal noise of electrochemical diffusion is of practical interest. For instance, the concepts of the fractal electrochemical noise can be used in the noise diagnostics of devices of electrochemical power engineering and in the noise methods for studying corrosion systems.     

A study of the behaviour of solid-state membrane electrodes: Part III. A model for the response time

A model is proposed to explain the response time of solid-state membrane electrodes, in the range of potential—time curves corresponding to seconds or minutes. Several causes of slow response time are considered. In the range of milliseconds to seconds, diffusion seems to be the rate-determining factor, but for times exceeding about 10s, dissolution or crystallization and charge transfer at the membrane seem to be the predominant factors. A mathematical model is derived. The principle is applicable to any solid-state membrane electrode and takes into account the change in response time with changes in the nature or concentration of the test ion and in the surface electrochemical properties of the membrane.     

Laser Activated Voltammetry: Mass Transport,Surface Effects and Analytical Applications

The voltammetry of various well-characterized aqueous and nonaqueous electrochemical systems has been studied at platinum and gold disk electrodes under illumination from a 10 Hz pulsed Nd:YAG laser frequency doubled to operate at 532 nm. A simple Nernst diffusion layer model is established to quantify the slight enhancement in mass transport observed as a function of laser intensity in the thermoelastic region where light energy absorbed by the metal is insufficient to cause localized melting or vaporization but does lead to a partial thinning of the diffusion layer thickness through surface heating/vibration. This leads to sigmoidal shaped voltammograms whilst maintaining a clean, reproducible electrode surface. Above the ablation threshold, the minimum laser intensity required to cause electrode damage, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to probe the nature of the surface damage and its relationship to the laser intensity. The Nernst-diffusion model is verified by means of potential step chronoamperometric measurements in water and acetonitrile where good agreement with theory is seen for transport across a diffusion layer of a thickness corresponding to that inferred from steady-state voltammetry. Applications of the laser activation technique are illustrated by three systems found to be passivating in aqueous media; the two electron reduction of toluidine blue dye, iodide oxidation and the oxidation of ferrocyanide in the presence of the blood protein, fibrinogen. In all cases clean, reproducible and quantitative voltammetry is seen in contrast to that observed in the absence of laser activation, demonstrating the excellent surface-cleaning effects of LAV.     

Pulsed field gradient NMR study of phenol binding and exchange in dispersions of hollow polyelectrolyte capsules

The distribution and exchange dynamics of phenol molecules in colloidal dispersions of submicron hollow polymeric capsules is investigated by pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR). The capsules are prepared by layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayers on silica particles, followed by dissolution of the silica core. In capsule dispersion, (1)H PFG echo decays of phenol are single exponentials, implying fast exchange of phenol between a free site and a capsule-bound site. However, apparent diffusion coefficients extracted from the echo decays depend on the diffusion time, which is typically not the case for the fast exchange limit. We attribute this to a particular regime, where apparent diffusion coefficients are observed, which arise from the signal of free phenol only but are influenced by exchange with molecules bound to the capsule, which exhibit a very fast spin relaxation. Indeed, relaxation rates of phenol are strongly enhanced in the presence of capsules, indicating binding to the capsule wall rather than encapsulation in the interior. We present a quantitative analysis in terms of a combined diffusion-relaxation model, where exchange times can be determined from diffusion and spin relaxation experiments even in this particular regime, where the bound site acts as a relaxation sink. The result of the analysis yields exchange times between free phenol and phenol bound to the capsule wall, which are on the order of 30 ms and thus slower than the diffusion controlled limit. From bound and free fractions an adsorption isotherm of phenol to the capsule wall is extracted. The binding mechanism and the exchange mechanism are discussed. The introduction of the global analysis of diffusion as well as relaxation echo decays presented here is of large relevance for adsorption dynamics in colloidal systems or other systems, where the standard diffusion echo decay analysis is complicated by rapidly relaxing boundary conditions.     

Test of the Epstein-Plesset model for gas microparticle dissolution in aqueous media: effect of surface tension and gas undersaturation in solution

The gas from a free air bubble will readily dissolve in water, driven by two main factors: the concentration (undersaturation) of dissolved gas in the aqueous solution and the surface tension of the gas bubble-water interface via a Laplace overpressure in the bubble that this creates. This paper experimentally and theoretically investigates each of these effects individually. To study the effects of surface tension, single- and double-chain surfactants were utilized to control and define interfacial conditions of the microbubble in saturated solution. To study the effect of undersaturation, solid distearoylphosphocholine lipid was utilized to coat the gas microparticle with, essentially, a wax monolayer and to achieve zero tension in the surface. The experimental work was performed using a micromanipulation technique that allows one to create and micromanipulate single air microparticles (5-50 microm radius range) in infinite dilution and to accurately record the size of the particle as it loses volume due to the dissolution process. The micropipet technique has shown to be an improvement over other previous attempts to measure dissolution time with a 3.2% average experimental error in gas microparticle dissolution time. An ability to study a gas microparticle in infinite dilution in an isotropic diffusion field is in line with the theoretical assumptions and conditions of the Epstein-Plesset model. The Epstein-Plesset model on average underpredicted the experimentally determined dissolution time by 8.6%, where the effect of surface tension was considered with a range of surface tensions from 72 down to 25 mN/m. The Epstein-Plesset model on average overpredicted the dissolution time by 8.2%, where the effect of undersaturation was considered for a microparticle with zero tension in the surface (zero Laplace pressure) and a range of gas saturations from 70% to 100%. Compared to previous attempts in the literature, this paper more appropriately and accurately tests the Epstein-Plesset model for the dissolution of a single microbubble and an air-filled microparticle in aqueous solution.     

Theoretical and experimental correlations of gas dissolution, diffusion, and thermodynamic properties in determination of gas permeability and selectivity in supported ionic liquid membranes

Supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) has the potential to be a new technological platform for gas/organic vapour separation because of the unique non-volatile nature and discriminating gas dissolution properties of room temperature ionic liquids (ILs). This work starts with an examination of gas dissolution and transport properties in bulk imidazulium cation based ionic liquids [C(n)mim][NTf2] (n=2.4, 6, 8.10) from simple gas H(2), N(2), to polar CO(2), and C(2)H(6), leading to a further analysis of how gas dissolution and diffusion are influenced by molecular specific gas-SILMs interactions, reflected by differences in gas dissolution enthalpy and entropy. These effects were elucidated again during gas permeation studies by examining how changes in these properties and molecular specific interactions work together to cause deviations from conventional solution-diffusion theory and their impact on some remarkably contrasting gas perm-selectivity performance. The experimental perm-selectivity for all tested gases showed varied and contrasting deviation from the solution-diffusion, depending on specific gas-IL combinations. It transpires permeation for simpler non-polar gases (H(2), N(2)) is diffusion controlled, but strong molecular specific gas-ILs interactions led to a different permeation and selectivity performance for C(2)H(6) and CO(2). With exothermic dissolution enthalpy and large order disruptive entropy, C(2)H(6) displayed the fastest permeation rate at increased gas phase pressure in spite of its smallest diffusivity among the tested gases. The C(2)H(6) gas molecules "peg" on the side alkyl chain on the imidazulium cation at low concentration, and are well dispersed in the ionic liquids phase at high concentration. On the other hand strong CO(2)-ILs affinity resulted in a more prolonged "residence time" for the gas molecule, typified by reversed CO(2)/N(2) selectivity and slowest CO(2) transport despite CO(2) possess the highest solubility and comparable diffusivity in the ionic liquids. The unique transport and dissolution behaviour of CO(2) are further exploited by examining the residing state of CO(2) molecules in the ionic liquid phase, which leads to a hypothesis of a condensing and holding capacity of ILs towards CO(2), which provide an explanation to slower CO(2) transport through the SILMs. The pressure related exponential increase in permeations rate is also analysed which suggests a typical concentration dependent diffusion rate at high gas concentration under increased gas feed pressure. Finally the strong influence of discriminating and molecular specific gas-ILs interactions on gas perm-selectivity performance points to future specific design of ionic liquids for targeted gas separations.     

Couple axial gradients of potential and concentration in a cylindrical pore electrode: an impedance model

The impedance of a cylindrical pore electrode in the case where the potential gradient due to the electrolyte resistivity is coupled to the axial concentration gradient of reacting species has been calculated semi-analytically from the approximate solution reported previously for the steady-state concentration and current profiles in the pore. Complex plane impedance plots, computed by an iteration technique for the transmission line, indicate: (i) a quasi-semi-circular diffusion loop at low frequencies due to diffusion control; and (ii) a high frequency loop in which the frequency dispersion is strongly dependent on the electrode parameters (electrolyte resistivity, diffusion coefficient of the reacting species, pore depth, Tafel coefficient of the electrochemical reaction and overall current flowing through the pore).     

Interfacial properties of precipitate-based ion-selective electrodes : Rotating disk impedance measurements of the Ag2S/Ag (aqueous) interface

Three-electrode rotating disk impedance measurements were made from 31.6 kHz to 0.0178 Hz on Ag₂S/Ag⁺ (aqueous) and Ag₂S/Ag systems. Membranes were prepared from materials precipitated in excess of silver or sulfide ions, and stoichiometric mixtures. Impedances were analyzed, as a function of rotation rate and bathing activities, to isolate bulk conductivities, internal diffusion, surface kinetic and dissolution/crystallization impedances. High-frequency bulk resistivities, R_∞, varied by four with precipitation and pressing conditions. Resistivities were the same for solution and ohmic configurations for each preparation. For ohmic contacts, R_∞ and R(DC) were identical. Solution contact cells in 10^-1 M and 10^-2 M bathing silver ion solution gave identical frequency-dependent impedances which were independent of rotation rate. Thus, solution diffusional impedances and solution dependent surface kinetics were eliminated, and a finite Warburg, interior-Ag⁺-defect, diffusion impedance was indicated. Summation of bulk membrane and contact resistances, and this Warburg impedance served as a 'background' correction in analyzing dilute bathing solution interfacial impedances for surface effects. Corrected impedances in 10^-3 –10^-5 M AgNO₃ showed solution diffusional behaviour combined with surface kinetic and dissolution impedances. An iterative linear least-squares method resolved these quantities. The surface resistance suggests a potential-dependent rate constant; dissolution time constants were solution-independent and smaller than those for solution diffusion. Thus, dissolution can be a rate-limiting step in establishment of steady-state potentials.     

The anodic behavior of iodide at platinum in the presence of an iodine film under potentiostatic steady-state and hydrodynamic modulation conditions

The oxidation behavior of iodide on platinum covered by an iodine film was investigated using rotating ring-disk electrode under potentiostatic steady-state conditions at constant rotation speed and using hydrodynamic modulation techniques. The ring electrode response shows that there is no net accumulation of iodine species at the disk, and that the disk current is controlled by mass transport coupled to the equilibrium I⁻ +I₂(s) 6jI₃⁻. The steady-state film thickness depends on the flux of iodide at the film/solution interface. Iodide transport through the film probably occurs through a Grotthuss chain-transfer type mechanism, with a diffusion coefficient estimated to be 3×10⁻⁸ cm²/s. The modulation response for iodide oxidation is only about 15–20% of that predicted for convective-diffusion control, indicating that film relaxation processes are slower than the relaxation of the diffusion layer. The transient response to a step, change in rotation speed is the result of iodine film dissolution being limited by mass transfer of iodide ion to form triiodide at the iodine film/solution interface.     

Characterization of the anodic growth and dissolution of oxide films on valve metals

Chemical dissolution processes coupled to anodic oxide growth taking place by a “high-field” conduction mechanism, are considered. The equation for the steady-state current density obtained during potentiodynamic polarization measurements is derived and the effect of the oxide dissolution rate on the overall potentiodynamic behaviour by applying repetitive scans with either fixed or increasing anodic switching potentials is discussed. The procedure for obtaining the current dissolution as well as the parameters that characterize the high-field growth is discussed.     

On the unsteady-state species separation of a binary liquid mixture in a rectangular thermogravitational column

This paper investigates the unsteady-state species segregation of binary liquid mixtures in rectangular thermogravitational columns. The analysis leads to a procedure to obtain both molecular and thermal diffusion coefficients from transient separation measurements. Two models are presented: first, an ideal model where buoyancy only depends on temperature and second, a general model where buoyancy also varies with composition. Steady-state measurements are not required regardless of which model is chosen. As a result, the new procedure is faster than steady-state procedures. When either the molecular or thermal diffusion coefficient is known a priori, the other can be obtained without knowledge of fluid properties such as density, viscosity, thermal expansion, and compositional coefficients.     

Transient and steady-state permeation in poly(ethylene terephthlate) above and below the glass transition

Transient and steady-state permeation data are reported for CO₂ in semicrystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate) for temperatures ranging from 25 to 115°C over the pressure range from 1 to 20 atm. The pressure dependency of the time lag and permeability disappears completely above the glass transition of the polymer, and Fick's law with a concentration-independent diffusion coefficient applies. In the glassy state, a concentration-dependent diffusion coefficient is necessary to describe the data. The form of this concentration dependence is described well by the partial immobilization transport model that attributes a different mobility to each of the two populations of sorbed gas which exist in local equilibrium with each other in glassy polymers. The importance of reporting the pressure used in transport experiments involving glassy polymers is emphasized by comparing the difference in the activation energy of the apparent diffusivity calculated from the measured time lag at 1 and 20 atm. Also, the magnitude of the observed slope discontinuity at T_g in Arrhenius plots of these apparent diffusities is shown to be a function of the upstream pressure used in the experiment. The independently measured time lags are compared with the predicated values calculated from various transport models and found to be described best by the partial immobilization model.     

Influence of acridine hydrochloride on the dissolution of the Sn-In, Sn-Zn, and In-Zn alloys with low contents of the second component in chloride media

The influence of acridine hydrochloride on the selective and uniform dissolution of the Sn-In, Sn-Zn, and In-Zn alloys is studied as a function of its concentration, potential, and time. The additive affects kinetic parameters of the process, including partial rates of the components’ dissolution.     

Dissolution enhancement of quercetin through nanofabrication, complexation, and solid dispersion

The main aim of this study was to enhance the dissolution rate of a poorly water-soluble antioxidant drug, quercetin, by fabricating its nanoparticles, complexes and solid dispersions using evaporative precipitation of nanosuspension (EPN). We studied the influence of the type of antisolvent, drug concentration and solvent to antisolvent ratio on the quercetin particles formed during EPN. With water as antisolvent, the particles were big, irregular and flake type but with benzene or hexane as antisolvent, the particles were smaller and needle type. Smallest particles of 220 nm diameter were achieved with hexane as antisolvent, lowest drug concentration and highest solvent to antisolvent ratio. The relative dissolution values showed that the dissolution rate of the EPN prepared quercetin nanoparticles was much higher than that of the raw drug. Quercetin formed inclusion complexes with β-cyclodextrin, and solid dispersions with polyvinylpyrrolidone and pluronic F127, where quercetin was present in an amorphous form and/or was dispersed at a molecular level. The dissolution rate of quercetin in its complexes and solid dispersions improved significantly from the raw quercetin as indicated by the percent dissolution efficiency. It was interesting to note that at lower carrier concentration, the solid dispersions of quercetin with polyvinylpyrrolidone and pluronic F127 presented better dissolution than its complex with β-cyclodextrin but at higher carrier concentration, there was no significant difference in the dissolution behavior of the three formulations. Using Korsmeyer-Peppas model, diffusion was found to be the main release mechanism.