The behaviour of microquantities of sulphur heated in vacuum in silica tubes

The investigation have been made on the reasons for chemical changes of ³⁵S during heating (570°C, 50 h) in vacuum (2 · 10^?5 Torr) in silica tubes. The potential influence of: residual gases; adsorbed gases; gases, penetrating through tube walls; structural defects in silica and surface SiO₂ layer is discussed. It is suggested that the gases and water vapour adsorbed on the surface and surface SiO₂ layer (which has higher reactivity and adsorbing ability) are the main reasons for the observed chemical changes. The conditions of the experiments have been found so to minimize these changes.     

A study of the gold/aqueous electrolyte interphase by modulated reflection spectroscopy

The admittance and differential reflectivity of an electrode of polycrystalline gold in contact with aqueous 0.02 M NaF, KClO₄, 0.01 M Na₂SO₄ and KCl have been measured in the range of potential where the electrode is ideally polarized (?0.7 V to 0.8 V NHE). In NaF and KClO₄ evidence was obtained for the compression of the adsorbed layer of water. The increase of the number of water molecules, with respect to the number in the least original state (at?4μC cm^?2), is 3% at +8 μC cm^?2 and at?17 μC cm^?2. At the potential of zero charge the water dipoles are oriented preferentially with the oxygen towards the metal. In KCl the optical measurements confirm the existence of two types of Au?Cl^? interaction and the covalent character of the bond at the most positive charges.     

Surface Charges at the CaF2/Water Interface Allow Very Fast Intermolecular Vibrational‐Energy Transfer

We investigate the dynamics of water in contact with solid calcium fluoride, where at low pH, localized charges can develop upon fluorite dissolution. We use 2D surface‐specific vibrational spectroscopy to quantify the heterogeneity of the interfacial water (D₂O) molecules and provide information about the sub‐picosecond vibrational‐energy‐relaxation dynamics at the buried solid/liquid interface. We find that strongly H‐bonded OD groups, with a vibrational frequency below 2500 cm^?1, display very rapid spectral diffusion and vibrational relaxation; for weakly H‐bonded OD groups, above 2500 cm^?1, the dynamics slows down substantially. Atomistic simulations based on electronic‐structure theory reveal the molecular origin of energy transport through the local H‐bond network. We conclude that strongly oriented H‐bonded water molecules in the adsorbed layer, whose orientation is pinned by the localized charge defects, can exchange vibrational energy very rapidly due to the strong collective dipole, compensating for a partially missing solvation shell.     

Electrostatic effect of specifically adsorbed electroinactive ions upon electrode processes: Part VI. Dimethylglyoxime electroreduction from weakly acidic aqueous solutions in the presence of I− and SCN−

An investigation of the _d-effect in the absence of ionic specific adsorption shows that the overall charge of the reactants in dimethylglyoxime (DMG) electroreduction on mercury from aqueous solutions of pH?2 equals+1, in agreement with a protonation reaction either preceding (DMG + H⁺DMGH^++e → products) or else simultaneous with (DMG + H⁺ + e → products) the charge transfer. In the presence of the specifically adsorbed supporting anions I^? and SCN^? the logarithm Φ of the rate constant for DMG electroreduction corrected for diffuse-layer effects decreases linearly with an increase in the absolute value |q_i| of the charge density at the inner Helmholtz plane due to the adsorbed anions. This behaviour is explained semiquantitatively by assuming that protonation takes place simultaneously with charge transfer, with the DMG molecule in the adsorbed state and the H₃O⁺ ion in the non-adsorbed state. In this way the H₃O⁺ ion, due to the screening effect of the surrounding diffuse-layer ions, escapes the accelerating attractive effect exerted by the adsorbed I^? or SCN^? ions; on the other hand these latter anions exert a retarding repulsive effect upon the electron transfer from the metal to the adsorbed DMG molecule.     

Electrostatic effect of specifically adsorbed electroinactive ions upon electrode processes: Part VIII. Cu2+ reduction and Cu°(Hg) oxidation in perchloric acid

The effect of the specific adsorption of the ClO₄^? ion upon the kinetics of Cu²⁺ reduction and Cu⁰(Hg) oxidation in aqueous solutions of HClO₄ was investigated using chronocoulometry, d.c., normal pulse, and a.c. polarography. For this purpose three different sets of data for ClO₄^? adsorption were used. In the first set the absolute surface excess of water as reckoned at the outer Helmholtz plane (o.H.p.) was disregarded, in the second set it was accounted for by postulating a complete adsorbed monolayer of water molecules [32], whereas in the third set partial displacement of water molecules from this monolayer by adsorbed ClO₄^? ions was accounted for. Kinetic data were found to the compatible with the latter set, indicating that ClO₄^? adsorption affects the rate-determining step Cu²⁺+e→Cu⁺ only by altering the average electric potential σ_d-effect). The absence of any additional electrostatic effect points out that, in the transition state for Cu²⁺ reduction to Cu⁺, the centre of charge of the reacting particle falls in the proximity of the o.H.p.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of nickel amalgam in aqueous solutions of halogen and pseudohalogen ions

The voltammetric oxidation of nickel amalgam from the hanging mercury drop electrode in aqueous solutions of F^?, Cl^?, Br^?, I^?, N₃^?, SCN^?, and ClO₄^? ions have been investigated. Concentrations of these anions were sufficiently low to depress the formation of complexes with nickel(II) in the bulk of the solution.An increase in the rate of anodic oxidation with increase of concentration of anions was observed both without and with correction for the φ₂ potential. This increase is explained as due to a catalytic effect of anions adsorbed on the electrode surface.Using the concept of changes of the activity coefficient of the activated complex it was possible to show that the oxidation of the nickel amalgam in thiocyanates and azides proceeds by the formation of the activated complex with bound SCN^? and N₃^? anions. These complexes form only in the activated state and decompose when products leave the double layer.In chlorides and bromides a similar mechanism is suggested only at larger surface concentration of anions. At lower surface concentration and in iodides the oxidation proceeds by the activated complex with no anions bound to the nickel, only long-range interactions of adsorbed anions with activated complex then exist.The order of these electrode reactions was calculated using the concept of the surface activity.The two-step mechanism of the charge transfer is also discussed.     

Optical studies of the electrode-electrolyte solution interphase using reflectance methods: Part III. The adsorption of water at a mercury electrode

Reflectivity changes at a lead electrode in contact with aqueous sodium fluoride were measured at surface charge densities in the range ?10 to +8×10^?6 C cm^?2 using modulated specular reflectance spectroscopy. The electroreflectance effect in the metal and changes in the layer of adsorbed water provided the major contributions to the optical effects. It was possible to separate out this latter component and to compute values for the changing surface concentration of water as a function of charge. Measurable changes were observed only for surface charge values more anodic than ?4×10^?6 C cm^?2 and at +8×10^?6 C cm^?2 the surface concentration of water had increased by 3.5×10¹³ molecules cm^?2.     

EPR and kinetic investigation of free cyanide oxidation by photocatalysis and ozonation

Oxidation of free cyanide in aqueous suspensions of three commercial TiO₂ specimens, with different anatase crystal size, has been carried out in a batch photoreactor by simultaneously applying ozonation and photocatalysis. Dissolved ozone participates both in homogeneous and catalytic reactions with cyanide; the extents of these two processes are comparable to that of the photodegradation with oxygen. The reactivity results are well described by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model, providing the values of the kinetic and equilibrium adsorption constants for the catalytic and photocatalytic reactions contributing to cyanide oxidation. The cyanide concentration decreases faster with time for catalysts with increasing anatase crystal size, being more marked under UV irradiation. EPR studies on gaseous ozone adsorption on the three samples in the dark have shown stronger ozone interactions with Ti⁴⁺ and O^2? ions of the samples with largest anatase crystal size, leading to the formation of significant signals of Ti³⁺ and _s O^??O₂ radicals than with the anatase with the lowest crystal size, where ozone was mainly adsorbed on water molecular arrangements covering its surface. The hampering of the ozone and/or cyanide adsorption by the water molecular arrangements covering the surface of the catalyst with the lowest crystal size would justify the low cyanide degradation rate observed for this sample.     

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of 12CN− and 13CN− adsorbed at silver electrodes

Measurements are reported of the surface-enhanced Raman of ¹²CN and ¹³CN (and of isotopically labelled mixtures) adsorbed at silver electrodes. The spectra are shown to arise from a complex species whose coordination number does not change with electrode potential. This species is probably a [Ag(CN₂)]^? entity having C_2v symmetry; at very negative potentials a reduced form of this complex [Ag(CN)₂]^2? coexists with the formally Ag¹ species at the surface. The shifts in band position are interpreted in terms of changes in the bond character of the adsorbed CN^? species. The spectrum of water coadsorbed with CN^? is also markedly dependent on the charge density of the adsorbed CN^? groups.     

Electrostatic effect of specifically adsorbed electroinactive ions upon electrode processes: Part VII. Case of a charged adsorbed reactant. Dibromoacetate electroreduction in the presence of Br−, N3−, SCN− and Tl+ ions

The logarithmof the rate constant for CHBr₂COO^? electroreduction at constant applied potential, corrected for diffuse-layer effects according to Frumkin, varies linearly with the charge density q_i due to specifically adsorbed supporting ions. The rate of decrease ofwith increasing |q_i| as observed in the presence of the adsorbed anions Br^?, N₃^?, and SCN^? is about 5 times less than the rate of increase ofwith increasing the charge q_i due to adsorbed Tl⁺ cations. This behaviour, analogous to that observed in the reduction of the CCl₃COO^? ion [4], has been explained by considering that the time of adsorption of the electroactive anion CHBr₂COO^? is long enough to cause a perturbation in the distribution of the adsorbed supporting ions in the neighbourhood of the adsorbed anionic reactant.     

Electrostatic effect of specifically adsorbed electroinactive ions upon electrode processes: Part V. Case of a charged adsorbed reactant. Trichloroacetate electroreduction in the presence of Br−, l−, SCN−, N3−, Ti+ and C(NH2)3+

The rate constant k_f for CCl₃COO^? electroreduction at constant applied potential, once corrected for diffuse-layer effects according to Frumkin, still depends on the charge density q_i due to specifically adsorbed supporting ions. Thus, in the presence of the adsorbed anions Br^?, I^?, SCN^? and N₃^?, the logarithm Φ of the rate constant corrected for diffuse-layer effects decreases linearly with |q_i|, albeit slightly. In the presence of the adsorbed cations Tl⁺ and C(NH₂)₃⁺, Φ increases with the positive charge density q_i due to the cation at a rate which is 3 to 8 times greater than the corresponding rate of decrease in the presence of the adsorbed anions. This behaviour has been interpreted on the basis of the theoretical treatment of ref. 22 by considering that the time of adsorption of the electroactive anion CCl₃COO^? is long enough to permit a perturbation in the distribution of the adsorbed supporting ions in the immediate vicinity of the adsorbed reactant.     

Electrochemical properties of sulfur adsorbed on gold electrodes

The electrochemical properties of sulfur adsorbed on gold electrodes were studied in 10^?5M solutions of S^2? in 1 M NaOH. In general, ∵_S is less than a monolayer. At E=0.05 V only, a monolayer will be formed after long times. The sulfur layer is stable in the potential range between ?0.6 and +0.4 V. At lower potentials, sulfur can be desorbed cathodically (charge Q_red), but at higher potentials, where layers of gold oxide are formed, the sulfur is oxidized anodically (charge Q_ox). From the ratio Q_red·6/Q_ox=γ, the electrosorption valency γ=?2 is obtained. This means, that the sulfide ions are almost completely discharged during adsorption. The same layer can be formed by adsorption from polysulfide solutions, which can be explained by a break of the sulfur bond and adsorption of single sulfur atoms. The double layer capacity decreases during adsorption of sulfur indicating the formation of an insulating sulfur layer with a dielectric constant of about 2. The anodic adsorption of sulfide ions is limited by diffusion only. For longer polarisation times, the coverage is independent of time, i.e. place exchange reactions between Au and S can be excluded. The cathodic desorption as well as the anodic oxidation of the adsorbed sulfur are potential dependent charge transfer processes, as can be concluded from potentiodynamic measurements with various sweep rates.     

Electrostatic effect of specifically adsorbed electroinactive ions upon electrode processes: Part IV. Carbon Tetrachloride electroreduction in the presence of Cl−, Br−, SCN−, and N3−

The rate constant for CCl₄ electroreduction on mercury, once corrected for diffuselayer effects according to Frumkin, still depends on the charge density q_i due to specifically abdsorbed supporting ions. Thus, in the presence of the adsorbed anions Cl^?, Br^?, SCN^? and N₃^?, the logarithm Φ of the rate constant corrected for diffuse-layer effects decreases linearly with |q_i|. The slopes of the various Φ vs. q_i plots are in fairly good agreement with the theoretical treatment of ref. 9, which accounts for the electrostatic interactions between the activated complex for the electrode reaction and the neighbouring adsorbed electroinactive ions within the compact layer. An analogous behaviour is observed in the reduction of CBr₄.     

Photoelectric and photorefractive properties of composites based on poly(vinylcarbazole) and ruthenium(II) tetra-15-crown-5-phthalocyanine with axially coordinated pyrazine molecules

The photoelectric and photorefractive characteristics of composites based on poly(vinylcarbazole) containing crown-substituted ruthenium phthalocyanine with axially coordinated pyrazine molecules, (R₄Pc)Ru(pyz)₂ (where R₄Pc^?2 is [4,5,4′,5′,4″,5″,4″′,5″′-tetrakis-(1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxatridecamethylene)phthalocyanine ion], pyz is pyrazine), have been studied. Supramolecular ensembles of these complexes are responsible for optical absorption and photoelectric and photorefractive sensitivity in the near IR region. It has been found that under the action of a 1064-nm laser, the quantum efficiency of formation of mobile charge carriers, estimated from the photocurrent, corresponds to the Onsager equation when the quantum yield of formation of thermalized electron-hole pairs φ₀ = 0.35 and the separation distance is 9.8 Å, irrespective of the (R₄Pc)Ru(pyz)₂ content. The kinetic curves of amplification of the information laser beam are bellshaped. This suggests that the photorefractive characteristics are underestimated owing to lowering to zero of the field E ₀ inside the layer as a result of buildup of space charge in the near-electrode space upon passing the dark current. The two-beam gain coefficient at an (R₄Pc)Ru(pyz)₂ content of 7 wt % is Γ = 62 cm^?1 as estimated from the maximum of the bell-shaped curve.     

Structure de la couche double sur les électrodes d'or: Détermination des composants de charge

The components of the charge q_±^Au at the interface polycrystalline gold electrode—NaF, KCl or KBr solutions and the charge due to specifically adsorbed Cl^? or Br^? anions have been determined by thermodynamical analysis of differential capacity—potential curves, using the two sets of variables q^M, μ (Grahame and Soderberg's method) and E_?, μ (Esin—Markov effect). In the absence of specific adsorption (NaF), variations of charges q_±^Au with potential are in good agreement with those provided by the diffuse layer theory in the negative charge region of the metal. With specific adsorption of Cl^? or Br^? anions, both q_±^Au(q^Au), (q_?¹)^Au(q^Au) curves obtained by the two methods fit well. Determination of components of charge was made in the whole negative charge region and in part of the positive charge region of the electrode.     

Interaction of water with clean and oxygen precovered nickel surfaces

The adsorption of water on a Ni(111) single crystal surface, clean as well as precovered with oxygen, has been investigated with thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) and measurements of the adsorption-desorption equilibrium combined with XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The measurements have been carried out with water pressures up to 10^–5 mbar on surfaces, which have been either clean or precovered with oxygen. On the clean Ni(111) surface the first adsorbate layer with a maximum coverage of 0.42 ML (monolayers) has a desorption energy of 52 kJ/mol and a preexponential factor of desorption of 10¹⁶s^–1. A second water layer adsorbs with the desorption energy of the ice multilayer but with first order kinetics. On Ni(111) precovered with chemisorbed oxygen an additional state of molecular, more strongly bound water is found, but no dissociation. For higher oxygen precoverages where NiO islands are formed on the surface, also the water dissociation product OH is found adsorbed. On a sample covered with a closed NiO layer, adsorbed OH and molecular water in an energetically not well-defined state are found. High doses of water on oxygen-precovered Ni(111) induce a slow surface modification leading to water dissociation.     

Adsorption and emission enhancement behavior of 4,4′-bipyridine on dispersed montmorillonite nano-sheets under aqueous conditions

The adsorption and photochemical behavior of 4,4′-bipyridine (BPy) on an exfoliated single montmorillonite nano-sheet (MtNS) was investigated in water. Under the appropriate conditions, BPy was adsorbed on the MtNS as a monomer state. BPy exhibited a relatively large red shift by 30?nm in the absorption spectrum, and showed significant emission enhancement in the fluorescence spectrum, contrary to the non-fluorescent property of BPy in water without MtNS. From the investigation using protonated BPy (BPyH₂²⁺) under acidic conditions, it was turned out that BPy was adsorbed as BPyH₂²⁺ on MtNS even under neutral conditions. From the analysis based on the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, the saturated adsorption amount of BPy on MtNS was calculated to be 3.2?×?10^?2 molecule nm^?2.     

A preliminary investigation of ionic adsorption at the mercury—hexamethyl phosphoric triamide interface

A reference electrode is described that is reversible and reproducible in hexamethyl phosphoric triamide; it was used to study the adsorption of 1 : 1 electrolytes at the mercury—solution interface. The differential capacity curves show features similar to those found for water and the degree of specific adsorption of the anions follows the same sequence: PF^?₆ < BF^?₄, ClO^?₄ < Br^?. There appears to be no specific adsorption of the alkali metal cations at negative charge values whereas the tetraalkyl ammonium ions are strongly adsorbed.     

Kinetics of electrochromic process in thin films of cathodically deposited nickel hydroxide

Ni(OH)₂ films have been obtained by cathodic deposition from 1 M Ni(NO₃)₂ on a glass with a current-conducting SnO₂ layer. The films have a porous structure and consist of chaotically joined formations of 100–150 nm in size. They contain a considerable amount of adsorbed water, because of which their refraction index was n?=?~1.5, whereas for crystalline nickel hydroxide, it was n?=?2.37. It has been shown that in the course of discoloration of films through a shift of their potential towards more negative values, an electric field is formed in the bulk of film, which accelerates the entry of cations into it (protons as [H₃O]⁺) from the electrolyte and electrons from ohmic contact. In this case, the initial dependence i(t), where i?~?t ^?1/4, is bound up with gradual increase in proton surface concentration. It is proposed to determine separately the dependence of the effective codiffusion coefficient of charge carriers (protons and electrons) on decoloration potential by the analysis of plots of current, injected charge, and luminous transmittance of films against time. This procedure involves a series of periodic stops of potential during the recording of current–potential curves for an electrochromic electrode and allows one to monitor the ratio of the film forms NiOOH and Ni(OH)₂ in the course of film reduction.     

Mass Distribution and Diffusion of [1‐Butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium][Y] Ionic Liquids Adsorbed on the Graphite Surface at 300–800 K

The structure and diffusion behavior of 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium ([bmim]⁺) ionic liquids with [Cl]^?, [PF₆]^?, and [Tf₂N]^? counterions near a hydrophobic graphite surface are investigated by molecular dynamics simulation over the temperature range of 300–800 K. Near the graphite surface the structure of the ionic liquid differs from that in the bulk and it forms a well‐ordered region extending over 30 Å from the surface. The bottom layer of the ionic liquid is stable over the investigated temperature range due to the inherent slow dynamics of the ionic liquid and the strong Coulombic interactions between cation and anion. In the bottom layer, diffusion is strongly anisotropic and predominantly occurs along the graphite surface. Diffusion perpendicular to the interface (interfacial mass transfer rate k_t) is very slow due to strong ion–substrate interaction. The diffusion behaviors of the three ionic liquids in the two directions all follow an Arrhenius relation, and the activation barrier increases with decreasing anion size. Such an Arrhenius relation is applied to surface‐adsorbed ionic liquids for the first time. The ion size and the surface electrical charge density of the anions are the major factors determining the diffusion behavior of the ionic liquid adjacent to the graphite surface.