Calibration free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of oxide materials

The quantitative determination of oxide concentration by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is relevant in various fields of applications (e.g.: analysis of ores, concrete, slag). Calibration free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and the multivariate calibration are among the methods employed for quantitative concentration analysis of complex materials. We measured the intensity of neutral and ionized atomic emission lines of oxide materials by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and we modified the calibration free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy method to increase the accuracy. The concentration of oxides was obtained by using stoichiometric relations. Sample materials were prepared from oxide powder (Fe₂O₃, MgO, CaO) by mixing and pressing. The concentration was 9.8–33.3 wt.% Fe₂O₃, 7.6–33.3 wt.% MgO and 33.3–81.2 wt.% CaO for different samples. Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm, pulse duration ≈ 6 ns) ablation was performed in air. The laser-induced plasma emission was measured by an Echelle spectrometer equipped with a sensitivity calibrated ICCD camera. The numerical calibration free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy algorithm included the fast deconvolution of instrumental function, and the correction of self-absorption effects. The oxide concentration C_CF calculated from calibration free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy results and the nominal concentration C_N were very close for all samples investigated. The relative error in concentration, |C_CF–C_N|/C_N, was < 10%, < 20%, and < 5% for Fe₂O₃, MgO, and CaO, respectively. The results indicate that this method can be employed for the analysis of major elements in multi-component technical materials.     

A systematic theoretical investigation of the valence excited states of the diatomic molecules B2, C2, N2 and O2

A quantitative survey on the performance of multireference (MR), configuration interaction with all singles and doubles (CISD), MRCISD with the Davidson correction and MR-average quadratic coupled cluster (AQCC) methods for a wide range of excited states of the diatomic molecules B₂, C₂, N₂ and O₂ is presented. The spectroscopic constants r _e, ω_e, T _e and D _e for a total of 60 states have been evaluated and critically compared with available experimental data. Basis set extrapolations and size-extensivity corrections are essential for highly accurate results: MR-AQCC mean-errors of 0.001 ?, 10 cm⁻¹, 300 cm⁻¹ and 300 cm⁻¹ have been obtained for r _e, ω_e, T _e and D _e, respectively. Owing to the very systematic behavior of the results depending on the basis set and the choice of method, shortcomings of the calculations, such as Rydberg state coupling or insufficient configuration spaces, can be identified independently of experimental data. On the other hand, significant discrepancies with experiment for states which indicate no shortcomings whatsoever in the theoretical treatment suggest the re-evaluation of experimental results. The broad variety of states included in our survey and the uniform quality of the results indicate that the observed systematics is a general feature of the methods and, hence, is molecule-independent. Received: 12 June 2000 / Accepted: 1 September 2000 / Published online: 21 December 2000     

Core-valence correlation effects for molecules containing first-row atoms. Accurate results using effective core polarization potentials

The accuracy of employing effective core polarization potentials (CPPs) to account for the effects of core-valence correlation on the spectroscopic constants and dissociation energies of the molecules B₂, C₂, N₂, O₂, F₂, CO, CN, CH, HF, and C₂H₂ has been investigated by comparison to accurate all-electron benchmark calculations. The results obtained from the calculations employing CPPs were surprisingly accurate in every case studied, reducing the errors in the calculated valence D _e values from a maximum of nearly 2.5 kcal/mol to just 0.3 kcal/mol. The effects of enlarging the basis set and using higher-order valence electron correlation treatments were found to have only a small influence on the core-valence correlation effect predicted by the CPPs. Thus, to accurately recover the effects of intershell correlation, effective core polarization potentials such as the ones used in the present work provide an attractive alternative to carrying out computationally demanding calculations where the core electrons are explicitly included in the correlation treatment. Received: 11 May 1998 / Accepted: 27 July 1998 / Published online: 28 October 1998     

Structures and stability of N7+ and N7− clusters

Ab initio molecular orbital theory and density functional theory have been used to study nine isomers of N₇ ionic clusters with low spin at the HF/6-31G*, MP2/6-31G*, B3LYP/6-31G*, and B3LYP/6-311(+)G* levels of theory. All stationary points are examined with harmonic vibrational frequency analyses. Four N₇ ⁺ isomers and five N₇ ⁻ isomers are determined to be local minima or very close to the minima on their potential-energy hypersurfaces, respectively. For N₇ ⁺ and N₇ ⁻, the energetically low lying isomers are open-chain structures (C _{2 v} and C _{2 v} or C₂). The results are very similar to those of other known odd-number nitrogen ions, such as N₅ ⁺, N₉ ⁺, and N₉ ⁻, for which the open-chain structures are also the global minima. This research suggests that the N₇ ionic clusters are likely to be stable and to be potential high-energy-density materials if they could be synthesized. Received: 16 July 2001 / Accepted: 8 October 2001 / Published online: 21 January 2002     

The glycosyl C1′—N9 bond of deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine: response to electrophilic attacks on the purinic nitrogen atoms

Self-consistent-field computations shed light on two relevant conformations of deoxyadenosine (dA) and deoxyguanosine (dG): one with a pseudoequatorial C_1′N₉ glycosyl bond and the other, a slightly more stable one, with its C_1′N₉ bond in a bisectional orientation. In dA, both the N₃ and N₇ nitrogens are plausible sites for electrophilic attack, but only N₇ is a plausible site in dG. The addition of H⁺, CH₃ ⁺, C₂H₅ ⁺ or tert-C₄H₉ ⁺ onto N₇ does not provoke notable structural modifications and leaves the base of dA and dG in an antiperiplanar (or nearly antiperiplanar) position with respect to the sugar C_1′O_4′ bond, but N₃ additions cause the base to adopt a synperiplanar or strongly chiral position. This produces strong interactions between the purine and deoxyribose moieties, whose relief could aid the eventual cleavage of the glycosyl bond of dA. Addition of a radical cation onto N₇ reduces the dissociation energy of the glycosyl bond by an estimated 8 kcal mol⁻¹ in dA and 4 kcal mol⁻¹ in dG – a bond weakening likely to concur to a depurination of DNA induced by radical cations. Received: 13 September 1999 / Accepted: 3 February 2000 / Published online: 21 June 2000     

Small-angle neutron-scattering study and micellar model of the gemini (phenylenedimethylene)bis(n-octylammonium)dibromide surfactant micelles in water

The microstructure of the micelles formed in aqueous solution by gemini surfactants with aromatic spacers, [Br(CH₃)₂N⁺(C _m H_{2 m +1})-(Ph)-(C _m H_{2 m +1})N⁺(CH₃)₂Br, m=8 and Ph = o-, m- or p-phenylenedimethylene] has been examined by small-angle neutron scattering. Aggregation of the gemini surfactants with an o-phenylenedimethylene spacer brings about formation of premicelles and small micelles at concentrations below the second critical micelle concentration, while above this concentration marked micellar growth and variation in shape occurs. It is suggested that the minimum aggregate formed at this critical micelle concentration may be the trimer or tetramer and that this result supports the mechanism of “gemini → submicelle → assembly” for micellar growth. Received: 8 September 1998 Accepted in revised form: 27 November 1998     

Comparative study on interaction of bovine serum albumin with dissymmetric and symmetric gemini surfactant by spectral method

The interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) with N, N′-bis(dimethylalkyl) ethylammonium dibromide (C₁₂C₂C_m, m = 8, 12) was investigated by spectral methods. It can be seen that C₁₂C₂C₈ and C₁₂C₂C₁₂ mainly interact with tryptophan residues of BSA from synchronous fluorescence spectra. Fluorescence, far-UV, and near-UV circular dichrosim spectra of BSA are changed by addition of dissymmetric and symmetric gemini surfactant. For surfactant solution, the polarity of the microenvironment surrounding pyrene is lower while the fluorescence lifetime of it is longer and the microviscosity is higher in the presence of BSA than those in the absence of BSA. But compared with C₁₂C₂C₁₂, C₁₂C₂C₈ has lower binding ability with BSA due to the shorter hydrophobic tail and lower symmetry.     

The surface property and aggregation behavior of a hydrophobically modified cyclodextrin

The surface property of an amphiphilic cyclodextrin 2-O-(hydroxypropyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecylammonio)-β-cyclodextrin (HPDMA-C₁₂-CD) was investigated using oscillating bubble rheometer and electrical conductivity method at different temperatures. The surface tension and dilational viscoelasticity of HPDMA-C₁₂-CD were provided. The results showed that HPDMA-C₁₂-CD could adsorb on the air–water interface, which decreased the surface tension of water efficiently. Critical micelle concentration (cmc) can be clearly defined from the surface tension isotherm. pC₂₀ and π _cmc were derived from the surface tension isotherms as well. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG   ⁰ _m  , ΔH   ⁰ _m  , −TΔS   ⁰ _m) derived from electrical conductivity indicated that the micellization of HPDMA-C₁₂-CD was entropy-driven at lower temperature, while it was enthalpy-driven at higher temperature. The dilational modulus appeared a maximum value while the phase angle appeared two maxima as a function of HPDMA-C₁₂-CD concentration.     

Small-angle neutron-scattering study of bis(quaternaryammonium bromide) surfactant micelles in water. Effect of the long spacer chain on micellar structure

The microstructure of the normal micelles formed by dimeric surfactants with long spacers, [Br⁻(CH₃)₂N⁺(C _m H_{2 m +1})-(CH₂) _S  -(C _m H_{2 m +1})N⁺(CH₃)₂Br⁻, m = 10 and s = 8, 10 and 12], has been investigated by small-angle neutron scattering and compared with previously reported results for micelles of the same dimeric surfactants with shorter spacers (m = 10 and s = 2, 3, 4 and 6). It was found that for dimeric surfactants with long spacers (s = 8 and 10), both micellar growth and variation in shape occur to only a small extent, if at all, compared with dimeric surfactants with short spacers. However, for the dimeric surfactant with the longest spacer, s = 12, the extent of micellar growth and shape variation is also large. These results are due to the differences in conformation of dimeric surfactants with short spacers (s = 2–6) compared with that of the surfactants with long spacers (s = 8–12). Received: 15 June 1998 Accepted: 22 July 1998     

Electrochemical generation of ozone at PbO2-loaded platinum screens

Ozone (O₃) has been electrochemically generated on PbO₂-loaded Pt screens (PbO₂/Pts) at 25 °C from H₂SO₄ solutions. The PbO₂/Pts electrodes were electrochemically and morphologically characterized by cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Different loadings of PbO₂ and different acid concentrations (C _acid) were used in this study. Higher efficiency (8%) for O₃ electrogeneration was obtained at an applied potential of 1.8 V, higher C _acid, and loading density of PbO₂ ≥ 9.3 μmol cm⁻² (of Pt screen) at room temperature. The stability of the prepared electrode was examined under the present experimental conditions. SEM images and current transients showed reasonable electrochemical and mechanical stability of the PbO₂/Pts. The data were discussed in the light of results obtained on planar Pt electrode at similar conditions.     

Monodisperse micron-sized crosslinked polystyrene particles. IV. Effect of network structure on polymerization procedure

Monodisperse micron-sized polystyrene particles crosslinked using urethane acrylate were produced by dispersion polymerization in ethanol solution and the effect of the crosslinked network structure on the polymerization procedure was studied. The influences of the concentrations of the initiator and urethane acrylate on the particle diameter (D _n), the particle number density (N _p), and the polymerization rate (R _p) were found to obey the approximate relationships D _n ∝ [initiator]^0.43 [urethane acrylate]^0.05, N _p ∝ [initiator]^−1.30 [urethane acrylate]^0.19, and R _p ∝ [initiator]^{0.24 ± 0.02}. The power-law dependence of D _n and N _p on the initiator concentration showed a similar trend to that of linear polystyrene reported in the literature. Especially, it was found that urethane acrylate does not have a serious effect on D _n and N _p of the particles produced. The dependence of R _p on the initiator concentration was observed to be higher than that of linear polystyrene, suggesting that there is still competition between heterogeneous polymerization and solution polymerization because of the crosslinked network structure of the primary particle. Received: 1 April 1999 Accepted in revised form: 29 June 1999     

Radiation telomerization of tetrafluoroethylene in butyl chloride solution

The kinetics of the radiation-initiated polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) in butyl chloride has been studied. The rate of the process, the properties and yield of telomers obtained depend on the initial concentration of TFE (2.6–22 wt %) in the solution and the dose of γ-irradiation. The analysis of the measured IR absorption spectra and a possible scheme of the process allow to suggest that the main product of the reaction is C₄H₈Cl(C₂F₄) _n−1CF₂CF₂H with the formation of small amounts of C₄H₉(C₂F₄) _n−1CF₂CF₂H and Cl(C₂F₄) _n−1CF₂CF₂H. The average number of links in the telomer (n) increases from 7.6 to 16.1 when the concentration of the monomer in the solution varies in the range of 7–22 wt %. The length of the chain of the soluble telomers (n) does not depend on the initial concentration of TFE and makes ∼7.     

Interfacial and aggregation properties of aqueous sodium <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-dodecanoylsarcosinate solutions at different pH

The pH dependence of an anionic surfactant, sodium N-dodecanoylsarcosinate (SLAS), has been studied by measuring interfacial tension, fluorescence, dynamic light scattering, etc., in aqueous solutions with phosphate and borate buffers. The interfacial tension (γ) of SLAS decreases remarkably with a pH decrease and is constant at pH > 7.3. The observed values for the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and the surfactant concentration at which its γ value is reduced by 20 mN/m from that of pure water (C ₂₀) decrease with a pH decrease, while those also become constant at pH > 6.5 and >7.3, respectively. On the other hand, the interfacial excess of SLAS increases at pH < 7.3. These interfacial behaviors have been further investigated by the addition of Tl⁺ which replaces Na⁺ of SLAS. The observed γ values of LAS⁻ with the different counter cations are in the order of H⁺ < Tl⁺ < Na⁺. In order to reveal aggregation properties of SLAS, the aggregation number (N _agg), the micropolarity, the hydrodynamic radius (R _h) of micelle, and the fluorescence anisotropy of Rhodamine B (r) have been evaluated at various pHs. The N _agg value shows a decreasing tendency with a pH increase. The I ₁/I ₃ ratio and the R _h values do not strongly depend on pH. The r value decreases until pH 7 and remains constant at pH > 7.0. These interfacial and micelle properties have been discussed in detail considering the electrostatic interaction and the molecular structures of the hydrophilic headgroup.     

Dynamics of photoexcited donor-acceptor complexes between C60 andN,N-diethylaniline. Polarization picosecond spectroscopy study

The kinetics of the formation and decay of photoexcited radical ion pairs of donoracceptor charge-transfer complexes between C₆₀ andN,N-diethylaniline (DEA) in chlorobenzene was studied by picosecond laser-induced diffraction gratings. It was established that the anisotropy of polarization of the diffraction signal decreases as the concentration of DEA increases. The radical ion states of the photoexcited C₆₀ ⁻...DEA⁺ complex have zero anisotropy. This effect is likely due to the isotropic intracomplex transfer of an electron from the local excited state to the radical ion state. The rate constant of quenching of the singlet excited C₆₀ byN,N-diethylaniline (1.4·10¹⁰ L mol⁻¹ s⁻¹) and the lifetimes of the solventseparated C₆₀ ⁻...DEA⁺ and tight [C₆₀ ⁻...DEA⁺] (95±7 and 31±4 ps, respectively) radical ion pairs were measured. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1605–1610, September, 1997.     

A novel series of gold(III)-bis-triphenylphosphine-arylazoimidazole complexes: synthesis and spectroscopic and redox study

Reaction of [Au(PPh₃)₂(tht)₂](OSO₂CF₃)₃ with RaaiR′ in CH₂Cl₂ medium following ligand addition leads to [Au(PPh₃)₂(RaaiR′)](OTf)₃ [RaaiR′ = p-R–C₆H₄–N=N–C₃H₂–NN–1–R′, (1–3), abbreviated as N,N′-chelator, where N(imidazole) and N(azo) represent N and N′, respectively; R = H (a), Me (b), Cl (c) and R′ = Me (1), CH₂CH₃ (2), CH₂Ph (3), PPh₃ is triphenylphosphine, OSO₂CF₃ is the triflate anion, tht is tetrahydrothiophen]. The maximum molecular peak of the corresponding molecule is observed in the ESI mass spectrum. The ¹H-nmr spectral measurements suggest methylene, –CH₂–, in RaaiEt gives a complex AB type multiplet while in RaaiCH₂Ph it shows AB type quartets. ¹³C-nmr spectrum suggests the molecular skeleton. In the ¹H–¹H COSY spectrum as well as contour peaks in the ¹H–¹³C heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence (HMQC) spectrum assign the solution structure. Electrochemistry assign ligand reduction part rather than metal oxidation.     

M Spectra of Elements 39 ≤ Z ≤ 56 Measured with an Ultra-Thin Window Si(Li) Detector

 Elements in the range 39 ≤ Z ≤ 56 were excited by electrons of an energy between 3 and 15 keV. The X-rays were detected by means of an energy dispersive Si(Li) spectrometer with an ultra-thin polymer entrance window. In all cases M_ζ = M₅N₃ was found to be the most intense M line. Thus, the relative intensity of this line is by definition 100%. For the heavier of the investigated elements some other M lines were observed: M₅O₃, M_γ and M₂N₄. M_γ was detectable for Z ≥ 47, starting with a relative intensity of about 5%, which increased rapidly with Z to approximately 10%. M₅O₃ was first observed for 49-In, with a relative intensity of less than 10%, which increased up to approximately 50% for 56-Ba. Also, M₂N₄ was observed for Z ≥ 49. The relative intensity of that line is approximately one half of that of M_γ.     

Methoxyl-induced fluorescence quenching in N,N′-bridged 9H-dipyrrinones and an X-ray crystal structure

Strongly fluorescent dipyrrinones can be prepared by bridging the pyrrole and lactam nitrogens with a carbonyl group, from reaction with N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole in the presence of a strong, non-nucleophilic base. The yellow, N,N′-carbonyl-bridged dipyrrinones typically have fluorescent quantum yields (φ_F) approaching 1.0. Thus, in chloroform, N,N′-bridged 9H-dipyrrinones with β-alkyl substituents: 2,3-diethyl-7,8-dimethyl has φ_F = 0.90 (λ_em = 465 nm) and 2,3-dimethyl-7,8-dimethoxy has φ_F = 0.84 (λ_em = 482 nm). In contrast, 2,3-dimethoxy-7,8-dimethyl and 2,3,7,8-tetramethoxy show red-shifted λ_em but with strongly reduced φ_F: φ_F = 0.10 (λ_em = 511 nm) and 0.08 (λ_em = 511 nm), respectively. Methoxy substituents on the lactam, but not the pyrrole ring act to quench the fluorescence and shift the emission and excitation wavelengths bathochromically. The first X-ray crystal structure of an N,N′-carbonyl-bridged dipyrrinone was obtained from 7,8-dimethoxy-2,3-dimethyl-10H-dipyrrin-1-one. Correspondence: David A. Lightner, Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557-0020, USA.     

Phase and aggregation behaviour of double-chain cationic surfactants from the class of N-alkyl-N-alkyl′-N, N-dimethylammonium bromide surfactants

We present the phase diagrams and the properties of newly synthesised double-chain cationic N-alkyl-N-alkyl′-N,N-dimethylammonium bromide surfactants [C _x C _y DMABr (x = 12, 14 and 16; y = 10, 11, 12, 14 and 16)]. All the systems studied form liquid-crystalline lamellar phases but with different morphologies: unilamellar vesicles at low surfactant concentrations, multilamellar vesicles and tubular aggregates for surfactant concentrations between 2 and 10 wt% and at even higher concentrations planar bilayers of surfactant molecules in the classical L_α phase. The phase diagrams were determined with macroscopic and microscopic methods (polarisation microscopy, freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and differential interference contrast microscopy). The properties of the surfactant solutions were determined with differential scanning calorimetry measurements for Krafft point determination and small-angle neutron scattering measurements for interlamellar spacing and bilayer thickness. Finally, conductivity and viscosity measurements for phase characterisation were carried out. Received: 7 April 1999 Accepted in revised form: 30 April 1999     

The spin-forbidden reaction CH(2∏) + N2→ HCN + N(4S) revisited I. Ab initio study of the potential energy surfaces

High-level ab initio electronic structure theories have been applied to investigate the detailed reaction mechanism of the spin-forbidden reaction CH(²∏) + N₂ → HCN + N(⁴S). The G2M(RCC) calculations provide accurate energies for the intermediates and transition states involved in the reaction, whereas the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) method overestimates the stability of some intermediates by as much as about 10 kcal/mol. A few new structures have been found for both the doublet and quartet electronic states, which are mainly involved in the dative pathways. However, due to the higher energies of these structures, the dominant mechanism remains the one involving the C ₂ intersystem-crossing step. The C ₂ minima on the seam of crossing (MSX) structures and the spin-orbit coupling between the doublet and quartet electronic states are rather close to those found in previous studies. Vibrational frequencies orthogonal to the normal of the seam which have been applied in a separate publication to calculate the rate of the CH(²∏) + N₂ → HCN + N(⁴S) reaction with a newly proposed nonadiabatic transition-state theory for spin-forbidden reactions have been calculated at the MSX from first principles. Received: 23 June 1998 / Accepted: 21 September 1998 / Published online: 8 February 1999