The vibrational state distributions in both products of the reaction: O(P) + NO2 → O2 + NO

A laser pulse-and-probe method has been used to determine the nascent vibrational populations in NO(v=0–4) and O₂(v=6–11) formed in the thermal reaction: O(³P) + NO₂ → O₂(v) + NO(v). A frequency-tripled Nd: YAG laser is used to photolyse NO₂, diluted tenfold in Ar, and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy in the NO A ²Σ⁺-X ²Π and O₂ B ³Σ⁻_u -X ³Σ⁻_g electronic band system is used both to follow the kinetics of individual vibrational states and to determine the nascent vibrational distributions. The majority of the NO product is formed in v = 0 and the average vibrational yield is ≈ 4.6%. The O₂ populations fall monotonically from v = 6 to 11 in a distribution close to what is expected on prior grounds. Based on a surprisal analysis, the average vibrational energy yield in O₂ is ≈ 26%. The nature of the reaction dynamics is discussed.     

Analytical applications of 3-acetyl-4-hydroxycoumarin—II Spectrophotometric determination of iron

3-Acetyl-4-hydroxycoumarin has been used for the spectrophotometric determination of iron^II. With iron^II this reagent forms an orange-red complex soluble in 50% (v/v) ethanol. The characteristics of the complex have been studied spectrophotometrically, and its molar composition determined. The complex obeys the Lambert-Beer law at 400 mμ within the concentration range 1.5–5.3 ppm of iron in the reaction mixture. The molar composition of iron^II-3-acetyl-4-hydroxy-coumarin shows that it contains iron and the coumarin in the molar ratio of 1:3. The limits of interference due to various cations and anions in the determination have been defined.     

Spectroscopy of C–H stretching vibrations of gas-phase cyclohexene

The fundamental and overtone spectra of the C–H stretching of cyclohexene in the gas phase have been measured using FTIR spectroscopy in the range 2800–11 500 cm⁻¹ (Δv=1–4) and intracavity dye laser spectrometry in the range 12 900–17 500 cm⁻¹ (Δv=4–7). Up to Δv=6, the spectra show disturbed structure. The transitions observed are mainly interpreted on the basis of a comparative study with the previous experimental and theoretical work relative to 3,3,6,6-d₄-cyclohexene. Ab initio calculations of molecular geometries and fundamental vibrational frequencies have also been performed in a molecule-fixed cartesian coordinates to calculate the first derivative of the dipole moment function and of the polarisability tensor in order to reproduce the fundamental infrared and Raman spectra. In the overtone spectra, possibility of Fermi resonances between the methylenic C–H bond stretchings and combination states involving other low-frequency modes is qualitatively discussed.     

A singular pertubation theory for reaction-diffusion equations

A pertubation theory is developed for the probability density for the displacement in reaction-diffusion equations of the form ∂p/∂τ = ε (∂/∂y) [f(y)∂p/∂y] − (∂/∂y) [v(y)p] − κ(yp. In this equation f(y), v(y) and κ(y) are dimensionless functions of y taken to be O(1), and ε is a dimensionless parameter which, in the diffusion-dominated regime satisfies ε 1. We briefly also discuss the case in which v(y) is also proportional to ε. Our results are then applied to an exactly solvable example.     

Extractive spectrophotometric and fluorimetric determination of boron with 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediaol and carminic acid

Boric acid at μg/ml or ng/ml level can be extracted from 1-6M hydrochloric acid into 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol solution in chloroform and thus separated from many ions which interfere in the usual spectrophotometric methods. The boron is determined directly in the organic phase without back-extraction into water, by adding a solution of carminic acid in a mixture of sulphuric and glacial acetic acids (1+2 v/v) and measuring the absorbance at 549 nm. The molar absorptivity is 2.58 × 10⁴ l.mole⁻¹.cm⁻¹ and Beer's law is valid for the 0.05–0.4 μg/ml boron range. In the fluorimetric method, 509 or 547 nm can be used as the excitation wavelength and 567 nm for emission measurement, giving a linear response in the 8–120 ng/ml boron range. Both methods have been applied to determination of boron in plants and natural waters with good precision and accuracy.     

Vibrational dependence of the NH3 (v2)+NO and NO(v)+NH3 charge transfer cross sections

A tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer is used to study the charge transfer reactions NH₃⁺ + NO and NO⁺ + NH₃ over a collision energy range 1.5–13 eV. The vibrational state of the reagent ions is selected by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. For the 0.9 eV exothermic process NH₃⁺ + NO → NH₃ + NO⁺ excitation of the v₂ umbrella bending mode (v₂ = 0–12) causes no marked change in the charge transfer cross section, while in the reverse process NO⁺ + NH₃ → NO + NH₃⁺ excitation of the NO⁺ vibration (v = 0–6) strongly enhanced the charge transfer cross section.     

Influence of the potential energy surface on the reaction cross section: the K + HF → KF + H system

The effect of the potential energy surface on the K + HF → KF + H cross section has been studied using reasonable Sorbie-Murrell (bent saddle point) and LEPS (collinear saddle point) potential energy surfaces (PESs). Trajectory calculations for selected initial conditions (translational energies, rovibrational levels (v, J) of HF, as well as initial parallel or perpendicular alignments between the HF rotational angular momentum and the reactants relative velocity vectors) have been performed on these PESs to compare them with experiments. The Sorbie-Murrell and LEPS-4 PESs lead to steric effect ratio results quite close to the experimental ones, once the error margins are included. The resllts point towards a bent K-F-H saddle point although the PES is very isotropic. This could explain why experimental determinations lead to suggest a collinear saddle point. The K + HF → KF + H reaction exhibits an enormous vibrational enhancement of reactivity with one quantum HF vibrational excitation, even at translational energies well above the HF(v=0) threshold, where tunnelling effect contribution to reactivity can be neglected. This behaviour has not been reproduced in the trajectory calculations and no satisfactory explanation has been obtained for this fact. Nevertheless, the HF(v=1)/HF(v=0) cross section ratio at translational energies not far from the HF(v=0) threshold and the relative cross section for HF(v=0) have been satisfactorily descibed. In what regards rotation, the best theoretical results are those corresponding to the Sorbie-Murrell PES (the cross section increases with J), although important differences with experiment appear for the J = 0–3 interval at the lower translational energy values considered (0.54 and 0.77 eV).     

Quantal state-to-state H-atom exchange cross sections of low energy 1H (v= 0) + Br reactions

The dynamics of the IH + Br heavy-light + heavy system is treated using the Born-Oppenheimer-type separation between the light and the heavy nuclear motions. The hydrogenic wavefunctions, that describe the H-nucleus motion for clamped I and Br nuclei, provide the potential energy curves and couplings that govern the I-Br relative motion. The Hatom exchange cross sections in the reactive collision: IH(v= 0,j) + Br → I + HBr(v′,j′) are found to strongly depend upon j and to be large only for v′ = 1 with j′ = 16–20 and for v′ = 2 with j′ = 8–11. The present results are compared to our previous estimates, to results of classical trajectory calculations and to available experimental data.     

Glory and thresholds effects in H+D2 reactive angular scattering

We analyse H+D₂ reactive angular scattering using the S-matrix elements obtained by Aoiz et al. and Althorpe et al. Enhancement of small angle scattering in the v^′=3←v=0 H+D₂ delayed reaction is attributed to a glory effect caused by threshold resonances in the v=3 vibrationally adiabatic channel. The oscillatory structures in the reactive angular distributions are shown to be of nearside–farside (NP) origin and are likely to arise from capture in a number of relatively short-lived barrier Regge states at large angular momenta. Padé reconstruction of the reactive matrix element is discussed in detail.     

Étude infrarouge de complexes aldéhyde-trifluorure de bore Rôle des doublets libres de l'oxygène sur la vibration v(CH)ald

The infrared spectra of some aldehyde-BF₃ complexes were measured from 2.5 μ to 19 μ. The intensity and force constant of the v(CH)_ald range is dependent on the lone-pair electrons of the neighbouring oxygen atom. In the BF₃ complexes the intensity of v(CH)_ald is decreased and shifted 150 cm⁻¹ towards higher frequencies, while the band becomes simple. The addition of BF₃ is verified by checking the v(C=O) band, which is shifted 70 cm⁻¹ towards lower frequencies.     

Molecules in high spin states II: the pure rotational spectrum of MnF (XΣ)

The pure rotational spectrum of MnF has been measured in its X⁷Σ⁺ ground state using millimeter/sub-millimeter direct absorption methods. Five and six rotational transitions, respectively, were recorded for this radical in its v=0 and v=1 states in the range 338–630 GHz. MnF was created from SF₆ and manganese vapor, produced in a Broida-type oven. The species exhibited a complex pattern where the fine and ⁵⁵Mn and ¹⁹F hyperfine structures are intermixed. Rotational, spin–rotation, spin–spin and hyperfine parameters have been determined for MnF. These constants have been interpreted in terms of bonding and electronic structure in metal fluorides.     

Diffusion-limited many-body reactions in one dimension and the method of interparticle distribuion functions

The method of interparticle distribution functions (IPDF) has yielded several exact solutions of the kinetics of diffusion-limited reaction processes in one dimension. We generalize the IPDF method to the case where lattice sites may be occupied by more than one particle and apply it to the reaction processes v → μ (v>μ). We briefly review the case of v = 2, for which the kinetics is anomalous, that is, does not agree with the predictions of classical rate equations. The case lf v = 3 is marginal. We compute the exact leading time behavior of the concentration decay, and the distribution of distances between nearest particles in the long time asymptotic limit. From the results of extensive simulations, we observe the previously postulated logarithmic corrections to the concentration power-law-decay. The case of v > 3 is well decribed by classical rate equations. We show how this is expressed in the IPDF approach.     

The quasi-symmetric OHN and ODN bridges in the adducts of 3,5-dimethylpyridine with 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid

The crystal structure of the adduct of 3,5-dimethylpyridine and 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (DMP-DNB) has been determined at room temperature and 80 K for both undeuterated and deuterated compounds. The monoclinic crystals are isomorphous, space group P2₁/c and Z = 4. Very strong OHN hydrogen bonds are almost linear with fully disordered (1:1) bridge hydrogen atoms between oxygen and nitrogen atoms. This is well reflected in the difference in electron density maps the contours of which depend both on cooling and deuteration. The intramolecular hydrogen bond lengths are 2.550(2) Å for the (OHN) and 2.563(2) Å for (ODN) at room temperature and 2.529(2) Å for (OHN) and 2.531(2) Å for (ODN) at 80 K. Therefore, there is a small but meaningful isotope effect upon the O…N hydrogen bridge length at room temperature and no Ubbelohde isotope effect is observed at 80 K. The infra-red spectra show very broad stretching protonic bands in the 200–1600 cm⁻¹ range. The isotopic ratio v(H)/v(D) at room temperature is about 1.1.     

Comprehensive study of positronium formation in polymer blends between polyethylene and ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer

The intensity I₃ of ortho-positronium (o-Ps) in a polymer blend system consisting of polyethylene (PE) and ethylene-vinylacetate (EVA, random copolymer with a vinylacetate content of about 14%) was measured as functions of EVA weight content (Φ=0–100%), electric field (E=0–60 kV/cm ), positron irradiation time (t=0–200 h) and temperature (T=100–300 K). It was found that the addition of small amounts of EVA to PE significantly alters the electric field, positron irradiation time and temperature dependence of I₃. Positron trapping on polar EVA is suggested to be responsible for the sensitive effects of EVA.     

Multidimensional anharmonic calculation of the vibrational frequencies and intensities for the trans and cis isomers of HONO with the use of normal coordinates

The equilibrium geometry and the potential energy and dipole moment surfaces have been determined for the cis and trans isomers of the HONO molecule by an ab initio Moller–Plesset (MP2) calculation with a wide set of atomic orbitals. The multidimensional anharmonic vibrational Schrodinger equations are solved using the variational method with the Hamiltonian and wave functions written in the normal coordinates of cis and trans isomers. All one- and two-dimensional and a number of three-dimensional vibrational problems are solved to obtain the energy levels and vibrational eigenfunctions. The frequencies and intensities for the fundamental, overtone and some combination bands are determined in good agreement with the available experimental results. The calculation shows the strength of coupling between different vibrational modes and reveals the presence of strong resonances between the (v₁, v₃, v₆) and (v₁, v₃−1, v₆+2) states of cis-HONO. This fact may be important for understanding the energy redistribution between the intermolecular degrees of freedom. The magnitude and direction of vibrationally averaged ground-state dipole moment of both isomers, as well as the direction of transition dipole moments, are in good agreement with the experimental findings. The changes in the values of dipole moment and some geometrical parameters of cis- and trans-HONO on vibrational excitation are also computed.     

Energy distributions of CO produced in an acetone-containing discharge

Tunable infrared diode laser absorption (TDLAS) and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopies (FTIR) have been utilized to characterize the translational, rotational and vibrational distributions of CO in an acetone/argon DC plasma at total pressures ranging from 4 to 5 Torr and currents of 0.1–0.3 A. A broad vibrational distribution of CO was observed with gradually decreasing intensities from the fundamental band to v=12←11. When nitrogen was added to the plasma, the distribution is narrower, due to the efficient energy transfer between CO and N₂ molecules. The measured translational temperature in such plasmas ranged from 400–550 K. The rotational distribution can generally be fitted to a Boltzmann distribution within each vibrational level although the rotational temperature is highest for the lowest vibrational quantum number.     

Electric dipole moments of thietane in excited states of the ring puckering vibration: an experimental and ab initio study

The electric dipole moment in the ground state (v_p = 0) and the first five excited states (v_p = 1 … 5) of the ring puckering vibration of thietane have been determined from Stark shifts of rotational transitions. The results are: 0|μ_a|0 = 1.87583(16) D, 1|μ_a|1 = 1.87341(18) D, 2|μ_a|2 = 1.89759(28) D, 3|μ_a|3 = 1.88688(29) D, 4|μ_a|4 = 1.90036(18) D, 5|μ_a|5 = 1.88596(59) D. The dependence of these values on v_p shows the zig-zagging behaviour typical of modes with double minimum potentials. A combined analysis of the ground and first excited states yielded also a precise value for the transition moment, 0|μ_c|1 = 0.24023(49) D.

A potential and electric dipole moment function has been derived from ab initio calculations, using MP2 and the 6–31G** basis set. Expectation values of the dipole and transition moments were determined from these data. Absolute values are about 5% in error, but the variation with vibrational state is reproduced excellently by the theoretical values.     

Thermal dehydrochlorination of poly(vinyl chloride)—epoxidized butadiene/styrene triblock copolymer blends

The effect of the type of epoxidized butadiene/styrene block copolymer [ESBS; linear (B/S) or radial (E(B/S)_n), containing 0–27% of epoxy groups] on the thermal dehydrochlorination of poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC)-ESBS blends (ESBS content 10%) was investigated in the temperature range 170–180 °C, under a non-oxygen atmosphere. Thermal stability of the PVC-ESBS blends was estimated on the basis of induction time, t₀, and maximum rate of hydrochloride emission, V_max from the system. It was found that, for a similar degree of epoxidation of the SBS copolymer, the induction time i.e. the time after which emission of HCl begins, is longer in the series PVC < PVC-SBS < PVC-EB/S < PVC-E(B/S)_n, and the same is true for thermal stability. However, the maximum rate of emission of HCl is lowest in the case of PVC-EB/S blends, in the range of molar ratios from 0.5 to 2.0 × 1O⁻². On the basis of the dependence V_max = f(EB/VC), it was found that there is a certain content of epoxidized butadiene (EB) units in a mixture which causes the optimum stability of poly (vinyl chloride) during heating. During thermal destruction of the PVC-ESBS blends, the HC1 evolved undergoes addition both to epoxy fragments and to double bonds. The degree of conversion of EB units in time t₀ is 20% at 170 °C and 30% at 180 °C. The glass transition temperature, T_g, of PVC in the PVC-ESBS blends shifts towards higher temperatures by about 6–8 °C, proving the existence of crosslinking processes during moulding of the blends. The epoxidized butadiene/styrene radial block copolymer, E(B/S)_n, is a better thermal stabilizer of PVC than the linear EB/S copolymer.     

A comparative study of some lanthanon chelates of alizarin complexan as reagents for fluoride

A study has been made of the comparative suitability of the cerium^III, lanthanum and praseodymium chelates of alizarin complexan as reagents for the spectrophotometric determination of microgram amounts of fluoride. The cerium^III reagent is most sensitive at pH < 4.5 and the lanthanum reagent at pH 5.0. An enhancement of sensitivity may be obtained for both reagents at pH 4.3 by addition of acetone to 25 % v/v, but the most sensitive means of determination is to use the lanthanum reagent in aqueous solution at pH 5.2 with measurement at 281 mμ. This procedure is 200% more sensitive than the standard method at 620 mμ.     

Laser magnetic resonance spectrum of the OD radical (Π3/2, v=0) at 118.6 μm

Far infrared laser magnetic resonance (FIR LMR) spectrum of OD (²Π_3/2, v=0) has been observed. Data are presented for the Zeeman components of the rotational transition J=3.5→4.5 observed at 118.6 μm using a discharge water vapour laser spectrometer. Theoretical values of the transition magnetic field strengths have been calculated using the best available molecular constants. The agreement between theory and experiment confirms the spectroscopic assignments.