Improvement of the electrochemical properties of “as-grown” boron-doped polycrystalline diamond electrodes deposited on tungsten wires using ethanol

The electrochemical properties of boron-doped diamond (BDD) polycrystalline films grown on tungsten wire substrates using ethanol as a precursor are described. The results obtained show that the use of ethanol improves the electrochemistry properties of “as-grown” BDD, as it minimizes the graphitic phase upon the surface of BDD, during the growth process. The BDD electrodes were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The boron-doping levels of the films were estimated to be ∼10²⁰ B/cm³. The electrochemical behavior was evaluated using the and redox couples and dopamine. Apparent heterogeneous electro-transfer rate constants were determined for these redox systems using the CV and EIS techniques. values in the range of 0.01–0.1 cm s⁻¹ were observed for the and redox couples, while in the special case of dopamine, a lower value of 10⁻⁵ cm s⁻¹ was found. The obtained results showed that the use of CH₃CH₂OH (ethanol) as a carbon source constitutes a promising alternative for manufacturing BDD electrodes for electroanalytical applications.     

Mechanism of the catalyzed by cysteine electroreduction of the insoluble in water cobalt(II) salt as a component of carbon paste electrode

The mechanism of the Co(II) catalytic electroreduction of water insoluble CoR₂ salt in the presence of cysteine was developed. CoR₂ = cobalt(II) cyclohexylbutyrate is the component of a carbon paste electrode. Electrode surface consecutive reactions are: (a) fast (equilibrium) reaction of the complex formation, (b) rate-determining reversible reaction of the promoting process of CoR(Ac⁺) complex formation, (c) rate-determining irreversible reaction of the electroactive complex formation with ligand-induced adsorption, and (d) fast irreversible reaction of the electroreduction. Reactions (a,b) connected with CoR₂ dissolution and reactions (c,d) connected with CoR₂ electroreduction are catalyzed by . Regeneration of (reactions “b,d”) and accumulation of atomic Co(0) (reaction “d”) take place. Experimental data [Sugawara et al., Bioelectrochem Bioenergetics 26:469, 1991]: i _a vs E (i _a is anodic peak, E is cathodic accumulation potential), i _a vs , and i _a vs pH have been quantitatively explained.     

Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of hydroxylamine by tetrachloroaurate(III) ion

The oxidation of H₂NOH is first-order both in [NH₃OH⁺] and [AuCl₄ ^–]. The rate is increased by the increase in [Cl^–] and decreased with increase in [H⁺]. The stoichiometry ratio, [NH₃OH⁺]/[AuCl₄ ^–], is 1. The mechanism consists of the following reactions.

Kinetics and Mechanism of the Reduction of Enneamolybdonickelate(IV) by Arsenite

The kinetics and mechanism of the reduction of enneamolybdonickelate(IV) by arsenite in aqueous acid solution was studied by spectrophotometry. The reaction rate increases with increasing concentrations of H⁺ and with temperature. The associated rate law is: . The rate constants and activation parameters of the rate-determining step were evaluated. A mechanism related to this reaction was proposed.     

System Zn–Rh–O: heat capacity and Gibbs free energy of formation using differential scanning calorimeter and electrochemical cell

The standard molar Gibbs free energy of formation of ZnRh₂O₄(s) has been determined using an oxide solid-state electrochemical cell wherein calcia-stabilized zirconia (CSZ) was used as an electrolyte. The oxide cell can be represented by: . The electromotive force was measured in the temperature range from 943.9 to 1,114.2 K. The standard molar Gibbs energy of formation of ZnRh₂O₄(s) from elements in their standard state using the oxide electrochemical cell has been calculated and can be represented by: . Standard molar heat capacity C ^o _p,m(T) of ZnRh₂O₄(s) was measured using a heat flux-type differential scanning calorimeter in two different temperature ranges, from 127 to 299 and 307 to 845 K. The heat capacity in the higher temperature range was fitted into a polynomial expression and can be represented by: . The heat capacity of ZnRh₂O₄(s), was used along with the data obtained from the oxide electrochemical cell to calculate the standard enthalpy and entropy of formation of the compound at 298.15 K.     

Effect of the mediator in feedback mode-based SECM interrogation of indium tin-oxide and boron-doped diamond electrodes

Indium tin-oxide (ITO) and polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD) have been examined in detail using the scanning electrochemical microscopy technique in feedback mode. For the interrogation of electrodes made from these materials, the choice of mediator has been varied. Using ferrocene methanol (FcMeOH), and approach curve experiments have been performed, and for purposes of comparison, calculations of the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rates (k _app) have been made using these data. In general, it would appear that values of k _app are affected mainly by the position of the mediator reversible potential relative to the relevant semiconductor band edge (associated with majority carriers). For both the ITO (n type) and BDD (p type) electrodes, charge transfer is impeded and values are very low when using FcMeOH and as mediators, and the use of results in the largest value of k _app. With ITO, the surface is chemically homogeneous and no variation is observed for any given mediator. Data is also presented where the potential of the ITO electrode is fixed using a ratio of the mediators and In stark contrast, the BDD electrode is quite the opposite and a range of k _app values are observed for all mediators depending on the position on the surface. Both electrode surfaces are very flat and very smooth, and hence, for BDD, variations in feedback current imply a variation in the electrochemical activity. A comparison of the feedback current where the substrate is biased and unbiased shows a surprising degree of proportionality.Dedicated to Alan, a good friend and colleague on his 60th birthday.     

Configuration and conformation of substituted 1,3,2-dioxaarsenanes

The configuration and conformations often 2-, 4-, and 5-substituted 1,3,2-dioxaarsenanes were studied from their PMR spectra. Inversion of the shielding constants of protons in the 4, 6, and 5 positions and of methyl groups in the 5 position was established, and the axial orientation of the As-Cl and As-OR bonds, the equatorial orientation of the 4-CH₃ group, and the chair conformation of the six-membered heteroring were proved. The anisotropies of the diamagnetic susceptibility were estimated for the first time: and (dipole approximation); and (nondipole approximation). The cyclic torsion angle (= 58°) as found for 2-chloro-1,3,2-dioxaarsenane by the R-factor method. Conclusions regardiwng the conformation of the ring and substituents were confirmed by a study of the specific effect of an aromatic solvent on the position of the resonance lines.Communication I from the series Investigation of the Stereochemistry of Organic Arsenic Compounds by NMR Spectroscopy.Deceased.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 457–463, April, 1973.     

FT-IR Investigation of the State of Iron(III) Chloride Clusters Confined in AOT Reverse Micelles Dispersed in Carbon Tetrachloride

The state of the water-soluble salt iron(III) chloride in AOT reverse micelles dispersed in carbon tetrachloride has been investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy. Interestingly, while the entrapment of a lot of water-soluble inorganic salts in AOT reverse micelles requires preliminarily the presence of significant amounts of water within the micellar core, solubilization of FeCl₃ occurs without the need to add water in the micellar solution reaching the very high solubility value, expressed as the maximum salt-to-surfactant molar ratio, of 1.30. The analysis of the spectral features of the investigated samples leads to hypothesize that iron(III) chloride is confined within the reverse micellar core as small size melted clusters of ionic species arising from the reactions

Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide by the octacyanotungstate(V) ion in alkaline aqueous media

Summary The oxidation of H₂O₂ by [W(CN)₈]^3– has been studied in aqueous media between pH 7.87 and 12.10 using both conventional and stopped-flow spectrophotometry. The reaction proceeds without generation of free radicals. The experimental overall rate law, , strongly suggests two types of mechanisms. The first pathway, characterized by the pH-dependent rate constant k _s, given by , involves the formation of [W(CN)₈· H₂O₂]^3–, [W(CN)₈· H₂O₂·W(CN)₈]^6– and [W(CN)₈· HO]^3– intermediates in rapid pre-equilibria steps, and is followed by a one-electron transfer step involving [W(CN)₈·HO]^3– (k _a) and its conjugate base [W(CN)₈·O]^4– (k _b). At 25 °C, I = 0.20 m (NaCl), the rate constant with H _a =40±6kJmol^–1 and S _a =–151±22JK^–1mol^–1; the rate constant with H _b =36±1kJmol^–1 and S _b =–136±2JK^–1mol^–1 at 25 °C, I = 0.20 m (NaCl); the acid dissociation constant of [W(CN)₈·HO]^3–, K ₅ =(5.9±1.7)×10^–10 m, with and is the first acid dissociation constant of H₂O₂. The second pathway, with rate constant, k _f, involves the formation of [W(CN)₈· HO₂]^4– and is followed by a formal two-electron redox process with [W(CN)₈]^3–. The pH-dependent rate constant, k _f, is given by . The rate constant k ₇ =23±6m ^–1 s ^–1 with and at 25°C, I = 0.20 m (NaCl).     

Photoelectrode characteristics of an organic bilayer in water phase containing a redox molecule

We have recently reported that the organic bilayer of 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxyl-bisbenzimidazole (PTCBI, n-type semiconductor) and 29H,31H-phthalocyanine (H₂Pc, p-type semiconductor), which is a part of a photovoltaic cell, acts as a photoanode in the water phase (Abe et al., ChemPhysChem 5:716, [2004]); in that case, the generation of the photocurrent involving an irreversible thiol oxidation at the H₂Pc/water interface took place to be coupled with hole conduction through the H₂Pc layer, based on the photophysical character of the bilayer. In the present work, the photoelectrode characteristics of the bilayer were investigated in the water phase containing a redox molecule , where the photo-induced oxidation and reduction for the couple were found to take place at the bilayer. The photoanodic current involving the oxidation efficiently occurred at the interface of H₂Pc/water, similar to the previous example. In the view of the voltammograms obtained, it was noted that there are pin-holes in the H₂Pc layer of the bilayer, leading to a cathodic reaction with at the PTCBI surface especially in the dark; that is, the band bending at the PTCBI/water interface can essentially be reduced by applying a negative potential [e.g., < ∼ 0 V (vs Ag/AgCl)] to the PTCBI, when the cathodic reaction may take place through the conduction band of the PTCBI. Moreover, under that applied potential condition of irradiation, the photogenerated electron carrier part can move to the PTCBI surface, thus enhancing the reduction of .     

Solubility of Oxygen in Some 1-1, 2-1, 1-2, and 2-2 Electrolytes as a Function of Concentration at 25°C

The solubility of oxygen has been measured in a number of electrolytes [(LiCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, NaF, NaBr, NaI, NaNO₃, KBr, KI, KNO₃, CaCl₂, SrCl₂, BaCl₂, Li₂SO₄, K₂SO₄, Mn(NO₃)₃)] as a function of concentration at 25°C. The solubilities, mol (kg-H₂O)^–1, have been fitted to a function of the molality m (standard deviation < 3mol-kg^–1)

Thermodynamics of Solutions of Trimethyl Aluminum and Trimethyl Gallium with Tetramethyl Tin

The enthalpies and entropies of evaporation of Al(CH₃)₃–Sn(CH₃)₄and Ga(CH₃)₃–Sn(CH₃)₄solutions were determined. It was established that solvates are formed in these systems and that the dissociation energies of specific interactions in them change in the following order: (10.3) > > > (4.08 kJ mol^–1), (6.52) > (5.14) > > (4.08 kJ mol^–1).     

A Computational Study of Conformers of 2-Thiaoxacyclohexane (1,2-Oxathiane)

Ab initio molecular orbital theory with the 6-31G(d), 6-31G(2d), 6-31+G(d), 6-31G(d,p), 6-31+G(d,p), and 6-311G(d,p) basis sets and the hybrid density functionals B3LYP, B3P86, and B3PW91 have been used to calculate the optimized geometries and relative energies of the chair, half-chair, sofa, twist, and boat structures of 2-thiaoxacyclohexane (1,2-oxathiane). The values of the energy difference (E, kcal/mol) between the chair and 3,6-twist structures of 1,2-oxathiane were 4.92 (HF), 4.73 (MP2), and 4.66 (DFT). The HF chair–twist energy difference (G _c–t ^o) for 1,2-oxathane was 5.16 kcal/mol. Intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations connected a transition state (TS-A) between the chair conformation and the less stable 2,5-twist form and connected two transition states (TS-B, TS-C) between the chair conformation and the more stable 3,6-twist conformer. The DFT energy differences between the chair and TS-A, TS-B, and TS-C were 11.4, 10.8, and 12.6 kcal/mol, respectively. Hyperconjugative stereoelectronic interactions were observed in the chair (n _o and ) and 3,6-twist (n _S and n _O ) conformers of 1,2-oxathiane. The chair conformation of 1,2-oxthiane is 9.6 and 10.0 kcal/mol, respectively, less stable than the chair conformations of 3-thiaoxacyclohexane (1,3-oxathiane) and 4-thiaoxacyclohexane (1,4-oxathiane, thioxane).     

Electrochemical study of the thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrophilic ion transfers across water | <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-octanol interface

Thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrophilic ion transfers across water|n-octanol (W|OCT) interface have been electrochemically studied by means of novel three-phase and thin-film electrodes. Three-phase electrodes used for thermodynamics measurements comprise edge plane pyrolytic graphite, the surface of which was partly modified with an ultrathin film of OCT, containing hydrophobic lutetium bis(tetra-tert-butylphthalocyaninato) (Lu[tBu₄Pc]₂) as a redox probe. The transfers of anions and cations from W to OCT were electrochemically driven by reversible redox transformations of Lu[tBu₄Pc]₂ to chemically stable lipophilic monovalent cation and anion , respectively. Upon reduction of Lu[tBu₄Pc]₂, the transfers of alkali metal cations from W to OCT have been studied for the first time, enabling estimation of their Gibbs transfer energies. For kinetic measurements, a thin-film electrode configuration has been used, consisting of the same electrode covered completely with a thin layer of OCT that contained the redox probe and a suitable electrolyte. Combining the fast and sensitive square-wave voltammetry with thin-film electrodes, the kinetics of , , and Cl⁻ transfers have been estimated. Dedicated to Professor Dr. Yakov I. Tur’yan on the occasion of his 85th birthday.     

Solubility of Rhodochrosite (MnCO3) in NaCl Solutions

The solubility of rhodochrosite (MnCO₃) at 25°C under constant carbon dioxide partial pressure p(CO₂) was determined in NaCl solutions as a function of ionic strength I. The dissolution of MnCO₃(s) for the reaction

On the charge storage mechanism at RuO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/0.5 M H<Subscript>2</Subscript>SO<Subscript>4</Subscript> interface

Comparative study of capacitative properties of RuO₂/0.5 M H₂SO₄ and Ru/0.5 M H₂SO₄ interfaces has been performed with a view to find out the nature of electrochemical processes involved in the charge storage mechanism of ruthenium (IV) oxide. The methods of cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed for the investigation of electrochemical behavior and surface morphology of RuO₂ electrodes. It has been suggested that supercapacitor behavior of RuO₂ phase in the potential E range between 0.4 and 1.4 V vs reference hydrogen electrode (RHE) should be attributed to double-layer-type capacitance, related to non-faradaic highly reversible process of ionic pair formation and annihilation at RuO₂/electrolyte interface as described by following summary equation:

Investigations of the distribution of elements in phases present in G-AlMg5Si cast alloy with EDX/WDX spectrometers and AES

Summary The mechanical properties of the most aluminium alloys depend strongly on their chemical composition, casting methods and the heat treatment. Alloys of the type G-AlMg₅Si are known for good corrosion resistance and mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. Under the trade mark Hydronalium (Hy 511) they are used for the production of cylinder heads for air-cooled Diesel engines. To obtain better chemical characteristics, titanium is added to the alloy. This paper deals with the results obtained during investigations about the distribution of elements in the binary eutectic Mg₂Si and the ternary eutectic as well as with the distribution of titanium in samples of Hy 511, obtained during casting of cylinder heads. Studies of the distribution of the elements were performed using EDX/WDX spectrometers, and the distribution of titanium was studied also with Auger electron spectroscopy.     

Kinetics and mechanism of osmium(VIII)-catalyzed oxidation of hypophosphite by hexacyanoferrate(III) in aqueous alkali

The kinetics of osmium(VIII)-catalyzed oxidation of hypophosphite with hexacyanoferrate(III) in alkaline medium has been studied. The rate is independent of the concentration of the oxidant. The order with respect to hydroxide ion is variable. Rate law (1) conforms with the experimental observations.

Nonlinear magneto-optical effects and photomagnetism of electrochemically synthesized molecule-based magnets

This article describes novel optical functionalities such as photomagnetic effects and magnetization-induced second harmonic generation (MSHG) in several cyano-bridged metal assemblies. Single crystal- and film-types of a cyano-bridged Cu–Mo bimetallic assembly, , were electrochemically prepared. When this compound was irradiated with light, spontaneous magnetization with a Curie temperature (T _C) of 23 K was observed. Electrochemically prepared Fe^II[Cr^III(CN)₆]_2/3·5H₂O thin film, which was a ferromagnet with T _C=21 K, showed photoreduced magnetization. This photomagnetism is due to the change of ferromagnetic coupling between Fe^II and Cr^III. MSHG was observed in Cs^ICo^II[Cr^III(CN)₆]·0.5H₂O. This -type Prussian blue analog-based magnet is proven to be a piezoelectric ferromagnet, i.e., condensed matter with both piezoelectric and ferromagnetism. This MSHG is due to the coupling between a piezoelectric structure of and ferromagnetism with a T _C of 46 K.

Deficiencies of the ferricinium-ferrocene redox couple for estimating transfer energies of single ions

The difference between the partial molal entropies of ferrocene and ferricinium has been determined in nine solvents from the temperature dependence of the formal potential of the ferricinium-ferrocene redox couple using a nonisothermal electrochemical cell arrangement in order to probe possible structural reasons for the limitations of the ferrocene assumption for estimating the transfer thermodynamics of single ions between different solvents. In contrast to the uniformly small positive values of predicted by the Born model, the experimental quantities varied widely from small or even negative values in hydrogen-bonded solvents (–5 to 3 e.u.) to substantially larger values (11–14 e.u.) in dipolar aprotic media. These variations appear to arise chiefly from additional solvent ordering in the vicinity of the ferricinium cation compared to the ferrocene molecule which is enhanced in the aprotic solvents. The variations in between water and a number of nonaqueous solvents provide a predominate contribution to the differences between the free energies of single ion transfer calculated using the ferrocene and alternative extrathermodynamic assumptions.