Production of Zinc-Doped Yttrium Ferrite Nanopowders by the Sol–Gel Method

Zinc-doped yttrium orthoferrite nanocrystals having the perovskite structure were prepared by coprecipitation of yttrium, zinc, and iron hydroxides. The limiting zinc doping level of the yttrium ferrite to yield a ZnFe₂O₄ spinel second phase was determined. The yttrium orthoferrite particle size was found to be a nonmonotone function of dopant concentration. The specific magnetization of yttrium ferrite nanocrystals increases with increasing zinc doping level from 0.242 A m²/kg (in undoped YFeO₃) to 1.327 A m²/kg (the ratio (1–x)YFeO₃: xZn (x = 0.4)) at Т = 300 K in 1250-kA/m field. A zinc ferrite impurity in samples enhances the ferromagnetism of the material.     

Catalytic Dehydration of α-Phenylethanol on the Surface of Aluminum Oxides

The relationship between the acid–base properties of commercial and test samples of aluminum oxides and their catalytic activity in the dehydration of -phenylethanol was studied. It was found that, in the dehydration of -phenylethanol, the conversion of the alcohol and the yield of styrene on a catalyst depend on the concentrations of both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites. A hypothetical mechanism of the dehydration with the participation of coordinatively unsaturated aluminum atoms and bridging oxygen ions on the alumina surface was proposed.     

Laser ablation synthesis of new phosphorus nitride clusters from α-P3N5 via Laser Desorption Ionization and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Phosphorus nitride clusters generated during Laser Desorption Ionization (LDI) and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) of solid P(3) N(5) were analyzed via Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (TOF MS). The LDI TOF mass spectra show the formation of series of clusters: P(m)N(n)(+) {(m=1; n=8-11), (m=4; n=3-4), (m=5; n=1-5), (m=6; n=1-3, 5-8), (m=2-7; n=1), (m=5-10; n=2), (m=4-6; n=3), (m=4,5; n=4), (m=5,6; n=5)}, and P(m)N(n)(-) (m=4,5; n=1). Using 3-hydroxypicolinic acid (HPA) as a matrix the P(m)N(n)(+) species (m=1-4, 6, 8) with a high nitrogen content (n=4, 5, 8, 10-12, 20) were identified. The formation of a N(6)(-) cluster was also detected using a C(60) matrix. Under various conditions singly charged P(m)(+) (m=2-7, 9, 13), P(m)(-) (m=3-11, 13, 15, 17), N(n)(+) (n=5, 9, 10, 12, 13), and N(n)(-) (n=6, 10-15) clusters were identified in the mass spectra. Such high nitrogen content clusters (up to N(15)(-)) generated by laser desorption from a solid material are described for the first time. The stoichiometry of the P(m)N(n) clusters was determined via isotopic envelope analysis and computer modelling. The composition of the clusters with respect to the crystalline structure of α-P(3)N(5) is discussed.     

Direct Determination of Aluminum in Archaeological Clays by Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Abstract

Instrumental techniques that allow the direct analysis of solids with little or no sample preparation are particularly important for the evaluation of samples that are difficult to analyze such as refractory or geological materials. Laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising technique for the direct, rapid analysis of elements in solid materials with minimal sample preparation. The main advantages over wet techniques are virtual nondestructiveness and analysis speed. The goal of this work is the direct determination of aluminum of archaeological pieces using laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy. The corresponding signals of metals were interpolated from calibration graphs of different salts of the metals. The matrix effects from the direct determination of these elements were thoroughly investigated. The potential of this technique for direct quantitative analysis of real archaeological materials (from Department of Ancient Science, University of Zaragoza) was evaluated, and the reproducibility of LIBS spectra from different archaeological samples was measured as a function of the number of laser shots. Finally, the results from LIBS are compared with those obtained by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.     

Determination of Macrolide Antibiotics Using Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Followed by Surface-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

A novel method for the determination of macrolide antibiotics using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled to surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric detection was developed. Acetone and dichloromethane were used as the disperser solvent and extraction solvent, respectively. A mixture of extraction solvent and disperser solvent were rapidly injected into a 1.0 mL aqueous sample to form a cloudy solution. After the extraction, macrolide antibiotics were detected using surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI/MS) with colloidal silver as the matrix. Under optimum conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were 2, 3, 3, and 2 nM for erythromycin (ERY), spiramycin (SPI), tilmicosin (TILM), and tylosin (TYL), respectively. This developed method was successfully applied to the determination of macrolide antibiotics in human urine samples.     

Sorption–Desorption of Copper and Strontium Ions by the Soil. The Influence of Microorganisms on the State of Metals

Sorption of heavy metal (copper and strontium) ions by the meadow chernozem and grey forest soils differing in the content of organic substance was described using the Langmuir equation. The analysis of characteristic sorption coefficients demonstrated that copper possesses the enhanced affinity for the studied soil samples compared to strontium. Maximal values of the sorption of copper (0.085 mmol/g) and strontium (0.045 mmol/g) obtained for the colloidal fraction of meadow chernozem soil (particle diameter d < 1 m) are approximately 1.5 times larger than for the same fraction of grey forest soil; this ratio remains almost the same even when using the coarser fraction (d < 50 m). It was established that up to 90% of metal ions could be present in the soil in an immobile form. An increase in the concentration of heavy metal ions in the soil causes their redistribution between the components of absorbing soil complex and an increase in the fraction of metal in mobile forms (water-soluble, exchange, soluble in weakly acidic medium). Upon the microbiological treatment (bioleaching in the suspension variant) of the soils containing copper or strontium ions, the total content of metal, including its mobile forms, decreases by an order of magnitude.     

A study of the extraction of plutonium from planchets by Aridus–ICP–SFMS

Two extraction processes of plutonium (Pu) on planchets from alpha spectrometry (AS) have been evaluated by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry with a desolvator system (Aridus–ICP–SFMS). The samples were traced with known concentrations of ²³⁹Pu (1.2 × 10³ fg) and ²⁴²Pu (2 × 10³ fg) followed by an electrodeposition in planchets, according to the Hallstadius method. The processes of extraction were carried out with 50 mL of 0.36 mol L^?1 HNO₃ every 30 min up to 180 min in a glass beaker at 60 °C. The first process was on a hotplate and the second used an ultrasonic system. Finally, samples were evaporated to dryness, and resuspended in 10 mL of 0.72 mol L^?1 HNO₃ for evaluation. The results showed that at 120 min, a ~70 % recovery of ²³⁹Pu and a ~80 % recovery of ²⁴²Pu in both processes were obtained. The average recoveries of ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴²Pu at 180 min using the hotplate in plate were 93.4 ± 4.6 and 93.7 ± 4.2 % respectively, and with the ultrasonic system were 96.0 ± 4.3 and 98.2 ± 1.0 % respectively. In conclusion, both processes are suitable for Pu extraction, and Aridus–ICP–SFMS is an essential technique for the reassessments and quantification of Pu. In addition, procedural blanks spiked with 1 × 10² fg mL^?1 U were prepared for each process, in order to study the contribution of the ²³⁸U on the background signal at m/z = 239, which was 0.5 ± 0.2 cps, indicating that the contribution of ²³⁸U on the ²³⁹Pu signal was negligible. Furthermore, this methodology can be applied to sample planchets with environmental, food, biological and nuclear origin, and thereby to avoid repetitive analysis when Pu concentration determined by AS are under minimum detectable activities.     

Surface disclination cores in the B2 phase of bent-shaped molecules described by the Peierls–Nabarro model

The Peierls–Nabarro model, originally proposed to describe dislocation core in solids, is used to model core structures of 2π- and π-surface disclinations in the B₂ phase of bent-shaped molecules. Structures of disclination cores are determined by surface anchoring. Core parameters as core widths (and positions of two partial π-disclinations as parts comprising 2π-disclination) are estimated using surface anchoring energy. Disclination core widths are usually narrow for strong anchoring. In such a case they are barely observable; nevertheless, they can exist.     

Investigation of the recovery of selenomethionine from selenized yeast by two-dimensional LC–ICP MS

Determination of selenomethionine in selenized yeast by HPLC–ICP MS has been revisited with the focus on recovery of this amino acid during the proteolytic digestion and chromatography steps. Recovery of the extracted selenium from an anion-exchange column was 100% but selenomethionine quantified by the method of standard additions accounted only for 67% of the selenium injected. Analysis (by size-exclusion LC–ICP MS) of the eluate collected before and after the selenomethionine peak showed the presence of oxidized selenomethionine (ca. 3%) and selenomethionine likely to be unspecifically associated with the biological matrix continuum (ca. 11%). This finding was validated by two-dimensional LC–ICP MS using a different elution order, i.e. size-exclusion anion-exchange. The approach developed enabled demonstration that more than 80% of selenium in the selenized yeast is actually present in the form of selenomethionine and suggests that many results reported elsewhere for the concentration of this vital amino acid in selenized yeast may be negatively biased. The research also provided insight into speciation of selenium in the solid residue after proteolytic extraction but the additional amount of selenomethionine recovered was negligible (<1.5%).     

Charge Formation on the Surface of a Laminated Polyimide–Fluoroplastic Film by Direct-Current Discharge Treatment

The effect of a direct-current discharge on the tetrafluoroethylene–hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FP) layer of laminated polyimide–fluorocarbon polymer films (including the commercial film PMF-351) placed in the cathode fall was studied. The magnitude of the negative charge induced in the films was shown to be independent of the film thickness. A thermostimulated relaxation curve for the PMF-351 film exhibited two peaks, one at 484 K due to relaxation of the negative charge in the bulk of the FP layer and the other at 417 K characteristic of negative charge relaxation in the polyimide layer. The results are explained by detrapping of electrons by plasma UV radiation that is not absorbable by the FP layer.     

Host–Guest Complexation of Amphiphilic Molecules at the Air–Water Interface Prevents Oxidation by Hydroxyl Radicals and Singlet Oxygen

The oxidation of antioxidants by oxidizers imposes great challenges to both living organisms and the food industry. Here we show that the host–guest complexation of the carefully designed, positively charged, amphiphilic guanidinocalix[5]arene pentadodecyl ether (GC5A-12C) and negatively charged oleic acid (OA), a well-known cell membrane antioxidant, prevents the oxidation of the complex monolayers at the air–water interface from two potent oxidizers hydroxyl radicals (OH) and singlet delta oxygen (SDO). OH is generated from the gas phase and attacks from the top of the monolayer, while SDO is generated inside the monolayer and attacks amphiphiles from a lateral direction. Field-induced droplet ionization mass spectrometry results have demonstrated that the host–guest complexation achieves steric shielding and prevents both types of oxidation as a result of the tight and “sleeved in” physical arrangement, rather than the chemical reactivity, of the complexes.     

Preparation of Hydrophobic and Oleophilic Surface of 316 L Stainless Steel by Femtosecond Laser Irradiation in Water

An excellent hydrophobic and super-oleophilic surface on 316 L stainless steel was obtained by femtosecond laser irradiation in deionized water. Using lower laser fluence and scanning speed of femtosecond laser irradiation, a single stripe structure was fabricated and the corresponding contact angle to water and ethylene glycol was 127.2° and 19.6°, respectively. When laser fluence and scanning speeds increased, stripes, grooves, and holes structures were obtained on the surface and the corresponding water contact angles increased and ethylene glycol contact angles decreased, with a maximum water contact angle of 142.5° and minimum ethylene glycol contact angle of 6.4°.     

Rapid Evaluation of the Bioremediation of Fuel Oil in Soil by Gas Chromatography–Laser Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Gas chromatography–laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-LI-TOFMS) was applied to the analysis of fuel oil in soil and soil treated by bioremediation. To demonstrate rapid and selective measurement, only filtered samples after extraction of fuel oil from soil were prepared. The required time for preparing three sample solutions from an oil-contaminated soil sample was only ca. 30?min. The degree of the decrease in the fuel oil in a soil sample by vaporization was confirmed by GC-LI-TOFMS, and after 7 days, the five peak areas arising from the constituents in fuel oil were decreased to between 39 and 79% of their original values. Next, the effect of bioremediation was confirmed by the addition of microbes (Rhodococcus sp. and Acinetobacter sp.). As a result, after 7 days, the five peak areas were decreased to between 61 and 81% of the values of the first decreases, after allowing for the effect of vaporization. This method showed sufficient selectivity, robustness, and rapidity for the measurement of oil-contaminated soil treated by bioremediation, which is essential for the evaluation of real environmental remediation.     

Analysis of the Products from the Oxidation of Geting Bituminous Coal by Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization–Mass Spectrometry

Geting bituminous coal was directly oxidized in aqueous sodium hypochlorite. The reaction mixture was sequentially extracted with ethyl ether and ethyl acetate. Both extracts were esterified with diazomethane to obtain methyl esterified products, which were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization or atmospheric pressure photoionization. A large number of low- and nonpolar products with relatively high molecular masses were determined using atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry. Toluene and a toluene/anisole mixture (vol/vol = 95:5) were added to the atmospheric pressure photoionization system as dopants. Toluene induced better ionization than the toluene/anisole mixture in both ion signal intensity and number of detected species. Most of the molecular associated compounds contained heteroatoms.     

Influence of TiO_2 Mineralizer on the Crystalline Structure of Cordierite Synthesized from Aluminum Slag

By adding small amount of TiO2, aluminum slag could be used to synthesize cor-dierite, α-Al2O3, TiO2 and dehydrated talc could generate solid solution to accelerate the solid-state reaction to form cordierite. The experimental results show that the content of cordierite increases with the increase of TiO2 added. 3.0% of TiO2 is determined to be the best amount, because all crystalline substances are converted into cordierite at this content. Philips X‘pert plus software analysis shows that when the content of TiO2 is from 0 to 1.0%, cordierite has the same hexagonal structure as the single crystal and the lattice parameters change slightly; when the content of TiO2 is from 1.0 to 2.0%, the cordierite still keeps hexagonal structure but the lattice parameters change greatly; when the content of TiO2 is from 2.0 to 3.5%, the cordierite is converted from hexagonal into rhombic and the lattice parameters change accordingly.     

Detection of Radical Adducts with Small Molecular Weights by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization with Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry

As an alternative method, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization with Fourier transform mass spectrometry （MALDI-FTMS） has been successfully used to detect and identify free radical adducts with small molecular weights of hydroxyl and 2-cyano-2-propyl radicals trapped with 5,5-dimethylpyrroline N-oxide （DMPO）. The detection and identification by MS/MS experiments using sustained offresonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation （SORI-CID） of [（DMPO＋·OH-·H）＋H^＋] （m/z 130.0868） and [DMPO＋2 ·CH（CH3）2CN＋H^＋] （m/z 250.1917） have demonstrated that MALDI-FTMS could be an effective method for detection and identification of free radical adducts. Other radical adducts have been also detected and identified. The approach of MALDI-FTMS is simple, fast, and sensitive which has potential for high-throughput analysis.     

Immobilization of Optically Active Olefins on the Silica Surface by Combined Hydrosilylation and Sol–gel Technology

By means of hydrosilylation reactions between functional olefins and triethoxysilane in the presence of Speier's catalyst and sol-gel transformations of the reaction products, a number of optically active and complexing alkenes (quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, cinchonidine, alprenolol, N-allylrhodanine and hemin) were immobilized on the surface of silica. The structures of the compounds formed and the nature of their bonding with the surface were studied by DRIFT and NMR spectroscopies. The concentrations of olefins anchored to the surface layer of the silica matrix were estimated by UV spectroscopy. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.