Determination of individual rare earth elements in Vietnamese monazite by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) has been applied for determination of rare earth elements (REE) in Vietnamese monazite. The chemical separation procedure used is based on the chromatographic elution of rare earth groups, after the separation of²³³Pa(Th) in irradiated monazite samples by coprecipitation with MnO₂, the rare earth elements were retained by Biorad AG1×8 resin column in 10% 15.4M HNO₃-90% methanol solution. The elution of heavy rare earth (HREE) and middle rare earth (MREE) groups was carried out with 10% 1M HNO₃-90% methanol and 10% 0.05M HNO₃-90% methanol solution, respectively; while the light rare earths (LREE) were eluted from the column by 0.1M HNO₃ solution. The accuracy of the method was checked by the analysis of granodiorite GSP-I and the rare earth values were in good agreement.     

Effect of nitric acid on radiation stability and radiolysis product of N,N-Diethylhydroxylamine

This paper reports the effect of HNO₃ on radiation stability and radiolysis product of N,N-Diethylhydroxylamine (DEHA), which is used as a reducer in the reprocessing of spent fuel. Results show that with the addition of HNO₃, radiation stability of DEHA is weakened obviously, the volume fraction of H₂, CH₄ and C₂H₄ decreases but the concentration of CH₃COOH increases. As to 1.0 and 2.0 M HNO₃, the concentration of CH₃CHO increases, but it decreases when HNO₃ is 3.0 M.     

Rapid anion-exchange separation of berkelium with mineral acid-methyl alcohol mixtures

Adsorption behaviour of Bk/III/ on anion-exchange resin in mineral acid-methyl alcohol mixtures has been investigated. Berkelium was successively separated with a HCl–CH₃OH mixture at elevated temperatures within 5 min from an Al catcher foil collecting the recoil products of the⁴He+²⁴¹Am reaction. The counting source of Bk was immediately prepared for alpha- and X-ray spectrum measurements. Rapid separation of Bk from Ce was also performed by the use of a HNO₃–CH₃OH mixture.     

Rare earth impurities in high purity lanthanum oxide determined by neutron activation analysis

Individual rare earth impurities in high purity La₂O₃ (99.9%) have been determined by NAA after pre-separation of the matrix (La). The separation is carried out on an anion exchanger (Dowex 1×8) using different mixtures of methanol/nitric acid as eluants. The rare earth elements from Dy to Lu are eluted quantitatively using a 10% 1M HNO₃-90% methanol mixture, while the light rare earths from Ce to Gd are eluted quantitatively using a 10% 0.05M HNO₃-90% methanol mixture. La, which is retained on the column, is eluted using 0.1M HNO₃. The recoveries of the various rare earth elements have been checked using radiotracers and also by spiking the sample with known amount of elements, and the recoveries are found to be quantitative. Results obtained on a typical high purity lanthanum oxide are reported here.     

Formation of palladium precipitate by hydrazine in a simulated high level liquid waste

The formation of precipitates by hydrazine was experimentally examined in the simulated high level liquid waste (HLLW), which was composed of 9 elements (Nd, Fe, Ni, Mo, Zr, Pd, Ru, Cs, Sr). Palladium was precipitated over 90% above 0.05M of hydrazine concentration and at 2M HNO₃, while all of the other elements were hardly precipitated. The elements of Pd and Zr were precipitated 93% and 70% in the simulated solution in which the concentrations of Zr and Mo were decreased from 0.069M to 3.45·10^–3M and 6.9·10^–3M, respectively, and the acid concentration was decreased to about 0.5M after denitration. In a Pd solution of 0.5M and 2M HNO₃, the precipitation yield of Pd increased with hydrazine concentration and reached over 98% at 0.1M. The precipitation yield of Pd at 0.5M HNO₃ was higher than at 2M HNO₃. The Pd precipitate, formed by adding hydrazine to an acidified solution, was an amorphous compound consisting of Pd, hydrazine, nitrate and hydrate.     

A generator system for production of medical alpha-radionuclides Ac-225 and Bi-213

A generator system, consisting of two anion- and one cation-exchange columns for production of medical α-radionuclides ²²⁵Ac and ²¹³Bi, has been developed. The first anion-exchange column was used for periodical separation of ²²⁵Ac from Th with 8 M HNO₃, while the second anion-exchange column was employed for purification of ²²⁵Ac from Ra and inactive impurities in mixed HNO₃/CH₃OH media. From anion-exchange column ²²⁵Ac was stripped with 0.1–0.2 M HNO₃ and loaded directly onto cation-exchange column, used as a generator for repeated isolation of ²¹³Bi. The cation exchange behavior of Bi and other radionuclides of the interest were studied in diluted HCl, HBr and DTPA solutions used as eluents. As result, a simple and effective method for the production and purification of ²²⁵Ac and ²¹³Bi suitable for biomedical studies was elaborated.     

Organic reactions at surfaces: A study of carnitine by secondary ion mass spectrometry

Carnitine inner salt, (CH₃)₃N⁺ CH₂CH(OH)CH₂COO^?, and carnitine hydrochloride, (CH₃)₃N⁺CH₂CH (OH)CH₂COOH Cl^?, in the solid state undergo ion-beam-induced intermolecular methyl transfer reactions as shown by (CH₃)₃N⁺ CH₂CH(OH)CH₂COOCH₃ ions at m/z 176 in their positive ion spectra. In the case of carnitine HCl, the product ion is three times as abundant as the intact cation. For the inner salt however, the product is less than one-tenth as abundant as [M + H] ⁺. In both cases, the reaction can be precluded by dissolution of the sample, supporting an intermolecular mechanism. The negative ion spectra for these compounds contain no [M ? CH₃]^? ions, suggesting that simple transmethylation does not occur. Rather it is proposed that the inner salt abstracts a methyl group from the intact carnitine cation to yield [M + CH₃]⁺ and a neutral species, the driving force being a minimization of the total number of charges desorbed into the gas phase. Thermodynamic data favor this mechanism as do data for other carnitine salts. The reaction appears to be inhibited when one reactant is present in excess. This is the case for carnitine HNO₃ and CH₃SO₃H, which tend to liberate the intact cation since the anions are large and polarizable. It is also the case for small, hard anions like fluoride, which appear to favor release of the inner salt, hence the cation at m/z 162 is of low abundance and the transmethylation product (m/z 176) is absent. The extent of the reaction is also dependent on the methods of preparation of the sample, and deposition of the salts from solution greatly reduces the extent of methyl transfer. [M ? CH₃]^? is observed when glycerol is used as a matrix, possibly due to a matrix-analyte methyl transfer reaction.     

Study on the equilibrium in the M(CH3COO)2 ? CH3OH ? H2O system (M  Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+) at 25°C

The complex formation and dehydration processes in the system M(CH₃COO)₂? CH₃OH? H₂O have been studied by the methods of the physico-chemical analysis at 25°C; (M = Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Ba²⁺). In the Mg(CH₃COO)₂? CH₃OH? H₂O system. methanol was found to behave as a solvent in which complex formation reactions take place, including also methanolation of Mg²⁺. The fields of equilibrium existence of two new compounds have been found: Mg(CH₃COO)₂ · 3H₂O · CH₃OH and Mg(CH₃COO)₂ · 1,5 CH₃OH. In the systems M(CH₃COO)₂? CH₃OH? H₂O (M = Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺), methanol was found to react as a dehydrating reagent.     

The role of the cage dimer of formaldehyde in the photolysis of formaldehyde: Argon matrix at 12 K

Photolysis of H₂CO was carried out in an Ar matrix with different matrix ratios (M/R). The infrared (IR) absorption spectra of the initial matrix preparation show that the matrix isolated monomers are almost exclusively present at very high dilutions (M/R or 5000) whereas the cage dimers and higher multimers are present in significant amounts at lower dilutions. The post-photolysis IR spectra indicate that the photodecomposition of H₂CO is mainly effected with the cage dimer, and that CH₃OH and CO are formed as photoproducts. The majority of the photoproducts exist as cage dimers of CH₃OH/CO. Upon thermal annealing after photolysis, diffusion through the matrix leads to the additional formation of aggregates composed of CH₃OH/H₂CO as well as CH₃OH/CO.     

Concurrent oxygen reduction and methanol oxidation in sulfuric acid solutions on platinized platinum electrodes

Steady-state polarization curves are compared in solutions of 0.5 M H₂SO₄ + O₂ (saturated), 0.5 M H₂SO₄ + (0.005–0.1) M CH₃OH, and 0.5 M H₂SO₄ + (0.005–0.1) M CH₃OH + O₂ (saturated) on a Pt/Pt electrode. A considerable difference is found between the currents in mixed solutions and those expected based on the principle of additivity of currents in CH₃OH and O₂ individual solutions. The surface coverages with the CH₃OH and O₂ adsorption products are determined in the potential range of 0.2–0.9 V (RHE). Open-circuit potentials are measured in mixed solutions. The obtained results suggest that the direct heterogeneous interaction between methanol and oxygen occurs alongside with faradaic reactions. This is assumed to lead to a decrease in methanol electrooxidation currents at E ≥ 0.8 V and their increase at E ≤ 0.65 V.     

Dynamics of the CH3 + OH reaction

We study dynamics of the CH₃ + OH reaction over the temperature range of 300–2500 K using a quasiclassical method for the potential energy composed of explicit forms of short‐range and long‐range interactions. The explicit potential energy used in the study gives minimum energy paths on potential energy surfaces showing barrier heights, channel energies, and van der Waals well, which are consistent with ab initio calculations. Approximately, 20% of CH₃ + OH collisions undergo OH dissociation in a direct‐mode mechanism on a subpicosecond scale (<50 fs) with the rate coefficient as high as ～10^?10 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. Less than 10% leads to the formation of excited intermediates CH₃OH? with excess vibrational energies in CO and OH bonds. CH₃OH? stabilizes to CH₃OH, redissociates back to reactants, or forms one of various products after intramolecular energy redistribution via bond dissociation and formation on the time scale of 50–200 fs. The principal product is ¹CH₂ (k being ～10^?11), whereas ks for CH₂OH, CH₂O, and CH₃O are ～10^?12. The minor products are HCOH and CH₄ (k～10^?13). The total rate coefficient for CH₃ + OH → CH₃OH? → products is ～10^?11 and is weakly dependent on temperature. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 43: 455–466, 2011     

Separating Ag, B, Cd, Dy, Eu, and Sm in a Gd matrix using 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester extraction chromatography for ICP-AES analysis

The separation procedure for Ag, B, Cd, Dy, Eu and Sm as impurities in Gd matrix using ICP-AES technique with an extraction chromatographic column has been developed. The spectral interference of the Gd matrix on the elements was eliminated using a chromatography technique with 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC-88A) as the mobile phase and XAD-16 resin as the stationary phase. Ag⁺, B₄O₇²⁻, and Cd²⁺ were eluted with 0.1 M HNO₃, while rare earth ions were not. The best eluent for separating Eu and Sm in the Gd matrix was 0.3 M HNO₃. The limit of quantitation for these elements was 0.6-3.0 ng mL⁻¹. The recovery of Ag, B, and Cd was 90-104% using 0.1 M HNO₃ as the eluent, while that of Eu, Gd, and Sm ranged from 100 to 102% with 0.3 M HNO₃. Dy was recovered quantitatively with 4 M HNO₃. The relative standard deviation of the methods for a set of three replicates was between 1.0 and 15.4% for the synthetic and standard Gd solutions. The proposed separation procedure was used to measure Ag, B, Cd, Dy, Eu, and Sm in a standard Gd solution.     

Fast and Efficient Reductive Amination of Aldehydes by NaBH4/B(OH)3 and NaBH4/Al(OH)3

Reductive amination a variety of aldehydes and anilines to their corresponding secondary amines were carried out with NaBH₄/B(OH)₃ and NaBH₄/Al(OH)₃ as new reducing systems in CH₃CN at room temperature in high to excellent yields of products (90‐96%).     

A comprehensive mechanism for methanol oxidation

A comprehensive detailed chemical kinetic mechanism for methanol oxidation has been developed and validated against multiple experimental data sets. The data are from static-reactor, flow-reactor, shock-tube, and laminar-flame experiments, and cover conditions of temperature from 633–2050 K, pressure from 0.26–20 atm, and equivalence ratio from 0.05–2.6. Methanol oxidation is found to be highly sensitive to the kinetics of the hydroperoxyl radical through a chain-branching reaction sequence involving hydrogen peroxide at low temperatures, and a chain-terminating path at high temperatures. The sensitivity persists at unusually high temperatures due to the fast reaction of CH₂OH+O₂=CH₂O+HO₂ compared to CH₂OH+M=CH₂O+H+M. The branching ratio of CH₃OH+OH=CH₂OH/CH₃O+H₂O was found to be a more important parameter under the higher temperature conditions, due to the rate-controlling nature of the branching reaction of the H-atom formed through CH₃O thermal decomposition. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 30: 805–830, 1998     

An Improved HPLC Method for the Determination of Furosemide in Plasma and Urine

Abstract

A sensitive HPLC method with minimal sample preparation and good reproducibility for the determination of furosemide in plasma and urine is described. Acidified plasma samples were extracted using CH₂Cl₂ containing desmethylnaproxen as internal standard (IS). Fresh urine samples were incubated with β-gluc-uronidase for 15 minutes and then treated with CH₃CN containing IS.

Chromatography was performed on a C18 column with 10 mcl sample injection, Mobile phases were: a) for plasma: 0.01 M NaH₂PO₄, pH 3.5 - CH₃OH (65:35), and b) for urine: acetic acid, pH 3.5 - CHS3OH (60:40) at 3 ml/min and fluorescence detection at Ex 235/Em 389 nm. The plasma standard curve was linear from 0.01 to 15.0 mcg/ml and the urine from 0.5 to 200.0 mcg/ml. The within run CV's were 3,2% at 0.74 mcg/ml plasma and 2.0% at 10.7 mcg/ml urine. Recovery from plasma was 69.9% at 2.0 mcg/ml and 98.6% from urine at 5.0 mcg/ml. The stability of furosemide and its glucuronide were studied. Both methods have been applied to the analysis of plasma and urine samples obtained from human volunteers.     

Organic Phosphorus Compounds 52. Preparation and properties of β-hydroxyalkyl-phosphonium salts and tertiary phosphine oxides

The new, tris- (2- hydroxyalkyl) - (hydroxymethyl) - phosphonium salts: [(RCHOHCH₂)₃ PCH₂OH]Cl (I, R = ClCH₂; III, R = CH₃) are formed in high yield by reaction of tetrakis-(hydroxymethyl)-phosphonium chloride (Tetrakis) with epoxides under basic conditions. Under the same conditions, styrene oxide yields only the disubstituted product, [(PhCHOHCH₂)₂ (CH₂OH)₂P]Cl. Optimal pH values for the reactions are 8 to 9; at lower pH the conversion is too slow; at a higher pH, oxidative decomposition of the salts occurs. Conversion of the salts to tertiary phosphine oxides (RCHOHCH₂)₃P ? O (R ? ClCH₂; CH₃) with loss of the hydroxymethyl group is best carried out with chlorine at pH 5 to 7. The yields are usually 60 to 90%.     

Cluster ions in the secondary ion mass spectrometry of choline and acetylcholine halides

Liquid secondary ion mass spectra of choline and acetylcholine halides exhibit several series of cluster ions whose origins were investigated using B/E and B²/E linked-scan techniques. In the case of choline halides three series of cluster ions were identified as (Me₃$ \mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + $CH₂CH₂OH + nM), (Me₃$ \mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + $CH₂CH₂OMe + nM) and (Me₃N$ \mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + $CH₂CH₂OH · Me₃$ \mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + $CH₂CH₂O^? + nM), while (CH₃COOCH₂CH₂$ \mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + $Me₃ + nM), (Me₃$ \mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + $CH₂CH₂OH + nM) and (CH₂ = CH$ \mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + $Me₃ + nM) were observed in the spectra of acetylcholine halides. For these cluster ions, bimolecular reactions induced on ion bombardment under secondary ion mass spectrometric conditions are discussed.     

Shock‐tube and modeling study of acetaldehyde pyrolysis and oxidation

Pyrolysis and oxidation of acetaldehyde were studied behind reflected shock waves in the temperature range 1000–1700 K at total pressures between 1.2 and 2.8 atm. The study was carried out using the following methods, (1) time‐resolved IR‐laser absorption at 3.39 μm for acetaldehyde decay and CH‐compound formation rates, (2) time‐resolved UV absorption at 200 nm for CH₂CO and C₂H₄ product formation rates, (3) time‐resolved UV absorption at 216 nm for CH₃ formation rates, (4) time‐resolved UV absorption at 306.7 nm for OH radical formation rate, (5) time‐resolved IR emission at 4.24 μm for the CO₂ formation rate, (6) time‐resolved IR emission at 4.68 μm for the CO and CH₂CO formation rate, and (7) a single‐pulse technique for product yields. From a computer‐simulation study, a 178‐reaction mechanism that could satisfactorily model all of our data was constructed using new reactions, CH₃CHO (+M) → CH₄ + CO (+M), CH₃CHO (+M) → CH₂CO + H₂(+M), H + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + H₂, CH₃ + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + CH₄, O₂ + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + HO₂, O + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + OH, OH + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + H₂O, HO₂ + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + H₂O₂, having assumed or evaluated rate constants. The submechanisms of methane, ethylene, ethane, formaldehyde, and ketene were found to play an important role in acetaldehyde oxidation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 40: 73–102, 2008     

Mono- and bis-alkoxides of tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borato molybdenum and tungsten nitrosyls

The complexes [ML^*(NO)Cl(OR)] {L^* = HB(3,5-Me₂C₃HN₂)₃; M= Mo, R = CH₂CH₂X, X = Cl, OMe or OEt; (CH₂)_nOH, n = 2, 5, 6; M = W, R = CH₂CH₂X, X = Cl, OMe or OEt; (CH₂)_nOH, n = 2–6; CH₂(CF₂)₃CH₂OH; CHMeCH₂CMe₂OH} and [ML^*(NO)(OR)₂] {M = Mo, R = CH₂CH₂X, X = Cl, OMe or OEt; (CH₂)_nOH, n = 2–6; M = W,R = CH₂CH₂X, X= Cl, OMe or OEt; (CH₂)_nOH, n = 2,4–6; CH₂(CF₂)₃CH₂OH} have been prepared from [ML^*(NO)Cl₂] and the appropriate alcohol in the presence of NEt₃ or NaCO₃, and have been characterized by IR, ¹H NMR and mass spectroscopy.     

Electroreduction of alkylphenones in diaphragmless cell with soluble anode

Electroreduction of alkylphenones Ph-CO-(CH₂)₂R, where R = CH₃-, C₂H₅-, C₄H₉-, allows the corresponding diols of the general composition [R(CH₂)₂-PhC(OH)-PhC(OH)-(CH₂)₂R] to be synthesized. This process was carried out in 0.2 M Et₄NBr solution in dimethylformamide under the conditions of diaphragmless galvanostatic electrolysis with a Pt cathode and a Mg (Zn) anode at a current of 0.2 A and a temperature of 30°C. Optimization of this process makes it possible to synthesize a mixture of meso/dl isomers of target products (the meso/dl ratio depends on the R size and varies from 1/0.30 to 1/0.08) with the overall yields of 31–62% per the loaded ketone for its conversion by 52–86%.