Method for the rapid atomic-absorption determination of silver in solid carboniferous samples

It is shown that carboniferous samples can be analyzed by injecting them directly into an electrothermal atomizer of an atomic absorption spectrometer as an aqueous suspension stabilized by a surface-active substance. The main factors affecting the stability of the suspension and the metrological characteristics of the procedure are considered; methods for their estimation and approaches to the optimization of the analysis conditions are proposed. A rapid procedure for the determination of silver in carboniferous samples is developed that reduces the time of analysis by several times.     

Unique viscoelastic behaviors of colloidal nanocrystalline cellulose aqueous suspensions

Unique rheological and phase behaviors of rod-like nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) suspensions in aqueous media are revealed in the present article. Specifically, the NCC aqueous suspension remained isotropic in a wide NCC concentration range in which the suspension underwent transition from dilute solution to gel, and the relative viscosity of the NCC suspension could be well fitted by the Sato-Teramoto theory in the full concentration range tested. Correspondingly, both zero-shear viscosity and complex viscosity increased monotonically with NCC concentration, and no maximum value was observed along the curves of zero-shear viscosity or complex viscosity versus NCC concentration, indicating a deviation from the lyotropic system. However, a shear-induced birefringence phenomenon was observed, indicating the NCC suspension formed a temporary ordered structure in the external force field but was unable to form an anisotropic (liquid crystalline) phase. The Cox-Merz rule was not applicable for the NCC suspension as a result of oriented domains, i.e., rod-like NCC particles. Moreover, time-concentration superposition was successfully applied to both the storage and loss modulus, attributed to the isotropic feature of the NCC suspension in the tested concentration range. The reason why this NCC suspension remained isotropic could be because of the strong electrostatic repulsions between NCC particles and the weak tendency or driving force of anisotropy formation as a result of the small aspect ratio of NCC particles, Na⁺ counterions and large amounts of negative charges along the NCC particles. The results suggested that not all the rod-like particles were able to form an anisotropic phase in aqueous suspension, but dominated by various factors.     

Evaluation of filler particle size within polymer matrix by optical spectroscopy

Polymer composites with inorganic fillers of different nature, concentration, particle size and shape were studied by optical spectroscopy (UV, visible, and IR ranges), optical and electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. An experiment to determine the size of the filler particles in aqueous suspension in the polymer matrix of a composite and directly in powders was conducted. It was shown that with increasing concentration aggregation of particles on drying an aqueous slurry occurs to a greater extent than for the filler in the polymer composite. It was demonstrated by examples that the optical spectroscopy can be successfully used for the analysis of sub-micron and micron sized filler particles in a polymer matrix or suspension.     

The rheological properties of hydrogenated castor oil crystals

The present study focuses on the rheological performance of a surfactant-rich aqueous suspension containing hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) crystals. HCO can be typically crystallized in five distinct shapes: spherically shaped, irregularly shaped, star-shaped (also called rosettes), short needles, and thick or thin fibers. The effect of the differences in shape on the rheological performance is studied, and the rheological properties are compared to the behavior of other triacylglycerol’s (TAG) suspensions. A suspension of TAG crystals usually behaves as a colloidal gel wherein a colloidal gel is defined as a network of flocs, with each floc being an aggregate of smaller subunits. All of these surfactant-rich aqueous suspensions of HCO crystals behaved according to a colloidal gel in the transient regime, independent of the studied crystal shapes, except the long thin fibers at a concentration above 0.1 wt% HCO transitioning from a heterogeneous fractal rod network to a homogeneous rod network, shifting from a colloidal gel to a glass.     

Effect of Complexation on the Zeta Potential of Titanium Dioxide Dispersions

Abstract

The present paper deals with the surface charge properties and the dispersion stability of an aqueous titania suspension. Generally the titania powder surface is negatively charged. The dispersion stability of TiO₂ suspension is governed by the value of zeta potential. The zeta potential was measured as a function of barium acetate and zinc acetate concentrations, at pH 6.0, and the addition of electrolytes caused sharp decrease of surface charge. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used to chelate the bivalent metal ions, so that the charge of counterions was reduced. The complexation of bivalent counterions favors the increase of the negative zeta potential and the dispersion stability of aqueous TiO₂ suspension.     

Correlation between Dispersion Stability of Concentrated Ceramic Suspension and Capillary Suction Time

Dispersion stability of highly concentrated ceramic suspensions using different dispersants required for colloidal processing can be assessed by measuring capillary suction time (CST). A systematic evaluation of dispersibility characteristics of colloidal alumina suspension is reported in the presence of three commonly used dispersants, namely, Dispex N 100, Darvan C, and Aluminon by employing the CST technique. The correlation between dispersibility of ceramic suspension and capillary suction time has been established. It has been found that higher the CST value of a suspension, the greater is the stability of the suspension and viceversa. In this investigation, this technique is employed both to choose suitable dispersant and to characterize the suspension. It has been concluded that higher the dispersion ratio (DR) of a suspension above unity the better is the stability and the lower the DR value below unity, the better is the aggregation tendency of the suspension. Quantitative estimation of dispersibility of an aqueous suspension is reported in terms of dispersion ratio. The CST technique has been found to be very useful and suitable for obtaining information for assessing stability of ceramic suspensions and characterizing concentrated ceramic slurry.     

Hybrid protein-lipid patterns from aluminum templates

An aqueous aluminum liftoff process suitable for fabrication of hybrid patterns of protein and supported lipid membrane on silica surfaces is described. Patterned aluminum thin films, which can be produced by conventional optical or electron beam lithography, are employed as sacrificial protecting layers to define the geometry of the protein-lipid patterns. The aluminum is lifted off in a mildly basic aqueous solution, which preserves the integrity of bound protein layers. The newly exposed substrate can then be filled with supported membrane by exposure to an aqueous vesicle suspension. The final substrate consists of patterned protein and lipid membranes with spatial resolution determined by aluminum patterns, down to 200 nm line widths in this case. Inorganic surfaces were characterized by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy while supported bilayers and protein patterns were characterized by epifluorescence microscopy.     

Synthesis, characterization of mono, di and tri alkyl surfactant intercalated Wyoming montmorillonite for the removal of phenol from aqueous systems

Organoclays were synthesized by the ion exchange of cationic surfactants containing single, double and triple alkyl chains for sodium ions in an aqueous suspension of Wyoming Na-montmorillonite. The characterization of organoclays with and without adsorbed phenol was determined by X-ray diffraction, TEM and thermal analysis. Differences in the surfaces and in the interlayer of the mono, di and tri alkyl chain organoclays resulted in differences in the adsorption efficiency for phenol with tri > di > mono > Na-Mt. The results prove that organoclays can be effective for the removal of phenol from an aqueous solution and this removal is a function of the surfactant molecule and its concentration. In general, the higher the concentration as measured by the CEC value and the greater the number of alkyl chains in the surfactant molecule, the greater the percentage of the phenol that is removed.     

Stabilized rhodium(0) nanoparticles: a reusable hydrogenation catalyst for arene derivatives in a biphasic water-liquid system

A colloidal system based on an aqueous suspension of rhodium(o) nanoparticles proved to be an efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of arene derivatives under biphasic conditions. The rhodium nanoparticles (2-2.5 nm) were synthesized by the reduction of RhCl3 x 3H2O with sodium borohydride and were stabilized by highly water-soluble N-alkyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium salts (HEA-Cn). These surfactant molecules were characterized by measurements of the surface tension and the aqueous dispersions with rhodium were observed by transmission electron cryomicroscopy. The catalytic system is efficient under ultramild conditions, namely room temperature and 1 atm H2 pressure. The aqueous phase which contains the protected rhodium(0) colloids can be reused without significant loss of activity. The microheterogeneous behavior of this catalytic system was confirmed on a mercury poisoning experiment.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis and antitumor activity of the supramolecular complexes of betulin diacetate with arabinogalactan

In this work, a water-soluble supramolecular complex was synthesized in an aqueous suspension of betulin diacetate (BDA) and arabinogalactan (AG) upon microwave heating. Microwave heating allows reducing the time required for the complex formation, compared with conventional heating in a water bath. The specific effect of microwave irradiation on the initial reagents and preparation of a supramolecular complex was studied. In contrast to conventional heating, under microwave heating AG macromolecules may break into roughly equal fragments when the temperature increases up to 100 °C. A change in the surface morphology of BDA crystals under microwave heating of the suspension suggests that microwave irradiation facilitates the dissolution of BDA in water. It has been shown that the use of dimethylsulfoxide as a reaction medium for microwave heating led to a decrease in BDA content in the product due to the inclusion of DMSO into AG macromolecules. The BDA–AG complex was isolated from the microwave-heated aqueous solution, after water evaporation, as a thin amorphous film, which exhibited antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells and can be a promising material for pharmacological applications.     

Some observations on the Kerr effect in suspensions of bentonite

Apparatus is described which allows continuous electro-optic signals to be obtained from aqueous suspensions of bentonite. A radiofrequency-field generator and external electrodes are used to allow the suspension to be contained in an all-glass cell. The magnitude of the response is found to depend both on cation charge and on concentration. There appears to be little chemical selectivity save under circumstances which cause the ion population available to the suspension to be depleted.     

Measurement of UV radiation using suspensions of microorganisms

The measurement of solar UV radiation is usually performed using physical devices like photodiodes or photomultipliers or with chemical substances (actinometry). The application of biological material such as microorganisms for this purpose has gained increasing importance in the last few years. The microorganisms may be dried and spread on a flat surface or they may be in aqueous suspensions contained in UV-transparent vessels. If the measurements are done on flat surfaces, the irradiance weighted by the action spectrum of the dried microorganism used is the result of the measurement. If aqueous suspensions of microorganisms are used, contained for instance in spherical vessels, the fluence weighted by the action spectrum of the microorganisms in the aqueous suspension is the result. A problem of this method of measurement can be that inside the vessel the distribution of UV radiation is usually not homogeneous, causing distributions of fluences among the irradiated microorganisms, which may result in variation of the results depending on the mixing characteristics of the suspension during irradiation.     

AQUEOUS STABLE FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION PROCESSES

An overview of aqueous polymerizations, which include emulsion, miniemulsion and suspension polymerizations, under stable free radical polymerization (SFRP) conditions is presented. The success of miniemulsion and suspension SFRP polymerizations is contrasted with the difficulties associated with obtaining a stable emulsion polymerization. A recently developed unique microprecipitation technique is referenced as a means of making submicron sized particles that can be used to achieve a stable emulsion SFRP process.     

Preparation of Iron(II) Water-Soluble Compounds Based on Iron(0), (1-Hydroxyethylidene)diphosphonic Acid,and Organic Amines

The reaction of aqueous suspension of finely dispersed iron with one equivalent of (1-hydroxyethylidene) diphosphonic acid (H4L) results in poorly soluble iron(II) (1-hydroxyethylidene)diphosphate FeH₂L·H₂O. The reaction with two equivalents of the acid gives a water-soluble compound Fe(H₃L)₂, which undergoes disproportionation up to FeH₂L·H₂O and H₄L. The reaction of a FeH₂L·H₂O aqueous suspension with an organic amine results in the dissolution of the complex. Heating the FeH₂L·H₂O aqueous suspension in a pressure reactor at 150°C in the presence of KF catalytic amounts causes the formation of a new crystal phase and X-ray-amorphous admixtures.     

Hydrodynamic optical alignment for microflow cytometry

A microfabricated flow cytometer has been developed that is capable of detecting nearly all of the microparticles in an aqueous suspension. Current design allows for integrated coupling between an optical fiber-based detection system and the particle stream via hydrodynamic focusing. By adjusting the relative flow-rates at the auxiliary inputs of the focusing manifold, the particle stream can be steered out-of-plane relative to the illuminating laser, and similarly the particle stream can be squeezed or expanded. The microfabricated device was constructed in polydimethylsiloxane with cross-sectional microfluidic dimensions of 125 μm×125 μm. Using the present device and method, fluorescent microparticles in aqueous solution were counted at an absolute counting efficiency of 91±4%. The coefficient of variation of the fluorescence pulse-heights for far-red fluorescent microparticles was 15%. The device exhibited a linear response to fluorescence intensity calibration microparticles as shown by comparison with a commercial cytometer instrument.     

Zur darstellung des dauerhaften Pd-Katalysators für petrochemie

The aqueous suspension containing alpha- and gamma-Al₂O₃ served as an abrasive for rubbing Pd plate and Si ingot. The rubbing sludge obtained in which the Pd and the Si particles were dispersed evenly proved to be an active and durable contact catalyst for the low-temperature oxidation of hydrocarbons. In this catalyst there was formed aluminosilicate that was able to solidify it.     

Dispersion Stability and Electrorheological Properties of Polyaniline Particle Suspensions Stabilized by Poly(vinyl methyl ether)

In the present article, a novel method of stabilization of a semi conductive polyaniline particle nonaqueous suspension of electrorheological (ER) materials was introduced. Using as the steric stabilizer poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME), a dispersion polymerization of aniline was performed and stable aqueous dispersions of the polyaniline were obtained. However, a stable colloidal suspension of polyaniline in silicone oil medium can be obtained only with a low concentration of PVME (0.75%), although the average size of the individual, redispersed particles in oil generally decreased with increasing concentration of PVME. At higher concentrations of PVME, formation of highly packed particle aggregates was investigated, as seen in the scanning electron microscopy images. The polyaniline suspension stabilized by 0.75% PVME content exhibited the best dispersing state and, therefore, showed the highest zero-field viscosity. Such a well-stabilized polyaniline suspension also showed the maximum ER property, namely the largest normalized yield stress in an electric field. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Nanosecond probing of the early nucleation steps of silver atoms in colloidal zeolite by pulse radiolysis and flash photolysis techniques

The process of formation and the subsequent aggregation of silver atoms (Ag⁰) in nanosized zeolite beta (BEA) are studied by transient absorption spectroscopy. The zeolite nanocrystals are stabilized in aqueous colloidal suspensions with a narrow particle size distribution in the range 30–60 nm. The reduction of silver cations is initiated either by pulse radiolysis of the aqueous suspension or by photoinduced electron transfer using an organic electron donor adsorbed in the zeolite framework. The silver atom in BEA nanosized crystals is found to be stable on the microsecond timescale.     

甲基丙烯酸甲酯水溶性对其悬浮均聚动力学的影响

通过比较在大水油比下的甲基丙烯酸甲酯 (MMA)悬浮均聚的实验数据以及本体聚合实验结果 ,发现单体的水溶性对其聚合动力学有影响 ,不能用本体聚合动力学代替其悬浮聚合动力学 .为了能更好了解单体的水溶性对其悬浮聚合动力学的影响以及影响动力学的原因 ,在MMA本体聚合动力学模型基础上 ,进一步提出 3个假设 :扣除溶于水相部分的单体量、增长和终止速率参数降低、少部分的油溶性引发剂被带到水相中 ,得到改进的悬浮聚合动力学模型 .运用该模型能很好预测水油比、聚合温度、引发剂浓度等对MMA悬浮聚合动力学的影响 ,且与实验数据能较好吻合     

Two-dimensional nanosheets of metal–organic frameworks with tailorable morphologies

The controlled preparation of two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), with tailorable methodologies, properties, and applications, is of significant importance. Here, in this work, by subtle control of the ultrasonic duration and solvent polarity, the iron(II)-based 2D MOF Fe(pyz)₂Cl₂ (pyz = pyrazine) has been elegantly tailored into 2D nanosheets (lateral size ≥500 nm in aqueous, with ultrasonic duration of 30 min) and one-dimensional (1D) nanoribbons (lateral size ≤100 nm in ethanol solution, with ultrasonic duration of 90 min). The aqueous suspension of 2D nanosheets was featured with thermal-induced spin-state transition at around room temperature and can be used as effective Fenton catalysts for degradation of water-soluble organic dyes, whereas the ethanol suspension of 1D nanoribbons can act as a versatile nanoplatform for trans-to-cis isomerization of 4, 4′-azopyridine. These results may provide a novel strategy for the controlled preparation of layered nanomaterials.