Synthesis and crystal structure of EnH<Superscript>2</Superscript>[IrCl<Superscript>6</Superscript>]

The preparation of EnH²[IrCl⁶] is described. Crystal data for C₂H₁₀Cl₆IrN₂ are: a = 6.8972(11) Å, b = 6.9435(16) Å, c = 7.3354(11) Å; α = 88.269(3)°, β = 65.495(2)°, γ = 60.305(2)°, V = 270.76(9) ų, space group P1, Z = 1, d_calc = 2.864 g/cm³. Crystal chemical analysis of the general motif of the structure was performed by the translation sublattice identification technique. It has been found that complex anions [IrCl₆]^2? follow the nodes of a rather regular rhombohedral subcell with the parameters a_c = 7.1 Å, α_c = 64°.     

Use of enriched <Superscript>74</Superscript>Se and <Superscript>77</Superscript>Se in combination with isotope pattern deconvolution to differentiate and determine endogenous and supplemented selenium in lactating rats

A quantitative methodology has been developed to differentiate between endogenous and supplemented selenium in lactating rats using two enriched selenium isotopes. Lactating rats were fed for 2 weeks with formula milk containing one enriched Se isotope, ⁷⁷Se, as the metabolic tracer. The isotopic composition of selenium in serum and urine samples was then measured by collision cell ICP-MS after the addition of a solution containing another enriched isotope, ⁷⁴Se, as quantitation tracer, before analysis. Isotope pattern deconvolution allowed the transformation of measured Se isotopic abundances into concentrations of natural abundance (endogenous) selenium and enriched ⁷⁷Se (supplemented) present in the samples. The proposed methodology was validated using serum and urine reference materials spiked with both ⁷⁷Se and ⁷⁴Se. The obtained results are discussed in terms of selenium exchange and half-life in lactating rats (11–12 days) and selenium levels in serum in comparison with non-supplemented rats and control rats after maternal feeding.     

Synthesis,crystal structure of a new tetranuclear Ni<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>II</Superscript></Stack>Cu<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>II</Superscript></Stack> complex containing a macrocyclic ligand

The first inorg/organic hybrid complex incorporating the macrocyclic oxamide, of formula [(NiL)₂Cu₂(μ-NSC)₂(NSC)₂] (1), (NiL, H₂L = 2, 3-dioxo-5,6,14,15-dibenzo-1,4,8,12-tetraazacyclo-pentadeca-7,13-dien), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The crystals crystallize in the triclinic system, space group P-1, for (1) a = 8.319(3) Å, b = 10.434(4) Å, c = 14.166(5) Å, a = 107.030(5)°, β  =  91.257(5)°, γ = 107.623(5)°. The complex involved both bridging N, S-ligand, and oxamide ligand, C–H?S interactions and NCS → Ni weak coordination interactions making the complex superamolecular.     

Sequential separation of <Superscript>99</Superscript>Tc, <Superscript>94</Superscript>Nb, <Superscript>55</Superscript>Fe, <Superscript>90</Superscript>Sr and <Superscript>59/63</Superscript>Ni from radioactive wastes

A sequential separation procedure has been developed for the determination of ⁹⁹Tc, ⁹⁴Nb, ⁵⁵Fe, ⁹⁰Sr and ^59/63Ni in various radioactive wastes generated from nuclear power plants. Ion exchange and extraction chromatography were adopted for individual separation of the radionuclides. Precipitation was supplementarily utilized for both purification of the individual radionuclides and preparation of the radionuclide sources for use in a radioactivity measurement. The chromatographic separation behavior of the radionuclides both from the sample matrix metals and from one another was investigated using stable metals, Re (as a surrogate of ⁹⁹Tc), Nb, Fe, Sr and Ni. The validity of the procedure for reliability and applicability was evaluated by measuring the recovery of the metal carriers added to synthetic radioactive waste solutions. The recoveries by the chromatographic separation were in the range of 84.8 to 102.2% with 2s of less than 8.6%, the recoveries by the precipitation being in the range of 84.3 to 97.3% with 2s of less than 10.9%.     

Disequilibrium of dissolved <Superscript>234</Superscript>U/<Superscript>238</Superscript>U and <Superscript>210</Superscript>Po/<Superscript>210</Superscript>Pb in Greek rivers

For the first time, a radiological study for the dissolved ²³⁸U, ²³⁴U, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po was held in major Greek rivers across the country. ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios are above one in all samples and ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity ratios are respectively below the unit indicating the disequilibrium in the samples. Quite satisfactory correlations were observed among ²³⁴U and ²³⁸U as well as among ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb values. Uranium isotopes were separated by ion exchange and electroplated on stainless steel plates. ²¹⁰Po was spontaneously deposited on nickel plates, while ²¹⁰Pb was indirectly determined through the ingrowth of ²¹⁰Po. The sources were measured by a-spectrometry.     

Preparation of <Superscript>26</Superscript>Al, <Superscript>59</Superscript>Ni, <Superscript>44</Superscript>Ti, <Superscript>53</Superscript>Mn and <Superscript>60</Superscript>Fe from a proton irradiated copper beam dump

The station for pions cancer therapy was operated at PSI from 1980 to 1992. After a cooling time of 12 years it’s made of copper beam dump was cut and samples were taken for analytical purposes. The sampling collected about 500 g of high active copper chips that can be used for separation of exotic radionuclides. The analyses by gamma spectrometry, LSC and AMS showed main nuclides present to be ⁶⁰Co, ⁵⁴Mn, ²²Na, ⁶⁵Zn, ²⁶Al, ⁵³Mn, ⁵⁹Ni, ⁶³Ni, ⁵⁵Fe and ⁶⁰Fe and ⁴⁴Ti with a daughter nuclide ⁴⁴Sc. In the frame of ERAWAST project a procedure combining selective precipitation and ion exchange for the separation of the rare radionuclides from the copper beam dump was developed. The proposed separation procedure is easy for remote controlled implementation in a hot cell. The ion exchange separation of Ni, Al, Mg, Ti and Fe was complete and high decontamination factors for copper and cobalt were achieved. Based on the developed procedure a remotely controlled system for separation of exotic radionuclides from the copper chips was set up. The full scale system was installed in a hot cell where high activity levels can be handled. In order to evaluate the reliability and functionality of the system extensive tests have been done. During the test period 13.86 g in total of the proton irradiated copper beam dump were processed for separation of ²⁶Al, ⁵⁹Ni, ⁵³Mn, ⁴⁴Ti and ⁶⁰Fe. The results showed that the system was operational and the radionuclide separation was selective with high chemical yield. The procedure manages as well the generated liquid wastes containing high level of ⁶⁰Co activity.     

Optical and thermoluminescence properties of a NaCl single crystal doped with Cd<Superscript>2+</Superscript>, Mn<Superscript>2+</Superscript> and exposed to gamma-rays

The thermoluminescense (TL) behavior of solid solutions of cadmium and manganese doped single crystals under γ-irradiation is reported. Various compositions of single crystals of NaCl doped with Cd²⁺ and Mn²⁺ have been irradiated with ionizing radiation. The increase in the glow curve was followed as a function of the F-centers produced by the dose. The analysis shows the potential use of these materials as dosimeters.     

Determination of <Superscript>3</Superscript>H, <Superscript>226</Superscript>Ra, <Superscript>222</Superscript>Rn and <Superscript>238</Superscript>U in Austrian ground- and drinking water

Screening measurements for ³H, ²²⁶Ra, ²²²Rn and ²³⁸U in ground water were performed within a ground- and drinking water project in Austria. The aim of this project is to get an overview of the distribution of natural radionuclide activity concentration levels in ground water bodies. In some cases this water is used for drinking water abstraction. In this paper methods and results of the screening measurements are presented. Regions with high activity concentrations were identified and in these regions further investigation for ²²⁸Ra, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po will be conducted.     

Mixing of atmospheric <Superscript>210</Superscript>Pb and <Superscript>7</Superscript>Be and <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs and <Superscript>90</Superscript>Sr fission products in four characteristic soil types

Depth distribution of atmospheric ²¹⁰Pb and ⁷Be and ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs fission products was measured in two types of aeolian soils (desert dust and volcanic ash), irrigated paddy soil and strongly acidic soil. The depth dependence of ²¹⁰Pb, ⁷Be and ¹³⁷Cs show that these radionuclides have been diffused as solid soil particles in surface soil layers. In aeolian soil layers, about 50% of ⁹⁰Sr were diffused in surface soil layer and the remaining 50% had penetrated to deeper layers. The half of the fission particles containing ⁹⁰Sr were shown to have decomposed over the past 35 years.     

Synthesis,structure formation,and thermal expansion of A<Superscript>+</Superscript>M<Superscript>2+</Superscript>MgE<Superscript>4+</Superscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The compounds AMMgE(PO₄)₃ (A = Na, K, Rb, Cs; M = Sr, Pb, Ba; E = Ti, Zr) were synthesized by the sol–gel procedure followed by heat treatment and studied by X-ray diffraction, differential thermal and electron microprobe analysis, and IR spectroscopy. The phosphates crystallize in the kosnarite (KZr₂(PO₄)₃, space group \(R\bar 3\)) and langbeinite (K₂Mg₂(SO₄)₃, space group P2₁3) structural types. The structure of KPbMgTi(PO₄)₃ was refined by full-profile analysis (space group P2₁3, Z = 4, a = 9.8540(3) Å, V = 956.83(4) ų). The structure is formed by a framework of vertex-sharing MgO₆ and TiO₆ octahedra and PO₄ tetrahedra. The K and Pb atoms fully occupy the extra-framework cavities and are coordinated to nine oxygen atoms. A variable-temperature X-ray diffraction study of KPbMgTi(PO₄)₃ showed that the compound expands isotropically and refer to medium-expansion class (linear thermal expansion coefficients α _a = α _b = α _c = 8 × 10^–6°C^–1). The number of stretching and bending modes of the PO₄ tetrahedron observed in the IR spectra is in agreement with that predicted by the factor group analysis of vibrations for space groups \(R\bar 3\) and P2₁3. A structural transition from the cubic langbeinite to the rhombohedral kosnarite was found for CsSrMgZr(PO₄)₃. In the morphotropic series of ASrMgZr(PO₄)₃ (A = Na, K, Rb, Cs) the kosnarite–langbeinite transition occurs upon the Na → K replacement. The effect of the sizes and electronegativities of cations combined in AMMgE(PO₄)₃ on the change of the structural type was analyzed.     

Separation and purification of <Superscript>249</Superscript>Cf and <Superscript>245</Superscript>Cm

There is a need to provide radioactivity standards of the higher actinides in support of both decommissioning and remediation activities as well as routine environmental analysis. In the case ²⁴⁹Cf, this will provide a useful calibration nuclide for both α-and γ-spectrometry as well as improving knowledge of the decay scheme for this nuclide. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that the chemical yield of americium and curium may differ in radiochemical analysis. Thus, a chemical yield tracer of ²⁴⁵Cm may help to resolve this issue and will be suitable for both, suitable for use as a chemical yield tracer for both α-particle spectrometry and mass spectrometry. An aged source of ²⁴⁹Cf was used as the source material for the separation of these two nuclides by cation-exchange, using 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-propanoic acid at controlled pH as an eluant, ²⁴⁹Cf being eluted before the ²⁴⁵Cm daughter. The purity of both nuclides was measured by γ-ray spectrometry.     

Distribution of <Superscript>14</Superscript>C, <Superscript>90</Superscript>Sr and <Superscript>228</Superscript>Th in an elephant tusk

The period of date of death of an elephant can be assessed by analyzing four different radionuclides, ¹⁴C, ⁹⁰Sr, ²²⁸Th and ²³²Th in its ivory. These nuclides are supposed to have variing concentrations at different parts of a tusk. The reason is the procedure of growth which takes place at the butt-site of a tusk. Therefore the site of sampling could have a big influence on the assessed date of death. However, to find out if the position of sampling is important a complete tusk was analyzed regarding the distribution of these nuclides. Results show that the concentration activity of ¹⁴C and ²²⁸Th varies in different parts of a tusk. The activity concentration of ⁹⁰Sr is very similar in all analyzed parts. The conclusion is that sampling at the butt of a tusk is recommended for age assessment.     

DFT calculations of <Superscript>14</Superscript>N, <Superscript>17</Superscript>O,and <Superscript>2</Superscript>H NQR parameters: Investigation of hydrogen bond interactions in sulfapyridine crystalline structure

DFT calculations of electric field gradient (EFG) tensors at the sites of ¹⁴N, ¹⁷O, and ²H nuclei are carried out to characterize the hydrogen bond (HB) interactions in the sulfapyridine crystal structure. One-molecule (monomer) and hydrogen-bonded hexameric cluster models of sulfapyridine are constructed according to available X-ray coordinates where the proton positions are optimized. Then, EFG tensors are calculated for both monomer and target molecule in the hexameric cluster of sulfapyridine to show the effect of HB interactions on the tensors. The calculated EFG tensors are converted to the experimentally measurable nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) parameters: quadrupole coupling constant (C _Q ) and asymmetry parameter (η _Q ). The results reveal different contribution of various nuclei to N-H⋯N and N-H⋯O HB interactions in the cluster where the N2 and O1 have major contributions. The computations are performed with B3LYP and B3PW91 functionals DFT method and 6-311+G* and 6-311++G** standard basis sets using the Gaussian 98 package.     

Reductive immobilization of <Superscript>79</Superscript>Se by iron canister under simulated repository environment

To understand the fate of ⁷⁹Se in a repository-like environment, the interactions between iron canister surface with dissolved selenite (SeO₃ ²⁻) and selenate (SeO₄ ²⁻) in anaerobic solutions have been investigated. Se(IV) immobilization on iron surface was observed to be about 100 times faster than that of Se(VI) at same conditions. An iron surface coated with a FeCO₃ layer corrosion product is more reactive than a polished iron to immobilize Se(IV) and Se(VI). The reacted iron surfaces were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrometry and micro-X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). The result show that Se(IV) and Se(VI) were reduced and precipitated. The dominating phase was found to be FeSe_2.     

Surface properties and structure of organofluorosilicon polymers based on organotrialkoxysilanes R<Superscript>F</Superscript>OCH<Subscript>2</Subscript>Si(OR<Superscript>F</Superscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The hydrolysis of trifunctional alkoxysilanes R^FOCH₂ Si(OR^F)₃, where R^F = CH₂CF₃, CH₂CF₂CF₃, CH₂CF₂CF₂CF₃, or CH₂CF₂CF₂CF₂CF₃, during the action of atmospheric moisture in the presence of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane under mild conditions yields new ladderlike polysiloxanes. Their structure is studied via ¹H NMR spectroscopy, GPC, TGA, and AFM. Polymer coatings prepared on their basis are found to be low-energy and hydrophobic. The total surface energy and polarity of the surface of polysiloxane films decrease, while their hydrophobicity increases with lengthening of the fluoroorganic substituent at the silicon atom.     

European measurement comparison of <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs, <Superscript>40</Superscript>K and <Superscript>90</Superscript>Sr in milk powder

Recently, the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) has assumed responsibility for organizing regular measurement comparisons among those laboratories which provide radioactivity monitoring data from their country to authorities of the European Commission (EC) under various EC legislation articles. The most recent exercise under this International Comparison Scheme for Radioactivity Environmental Monitoring (ICS-REM) in measuring the ¹³⁷Cs, ⁴⁰K and the ⁹⁰Sr activity concentration in milk powder is presented here. The complete cycle of the comparison is described, including the establishment of reference values traceable to SI units, the demonstration of the homogeneity of the distributed samples, the treatment and measurement of samples in the participating laboratories, and the evaluation of the results.     

Isolation, <Superscript>1</Superscript>H, <Superscript>13</Superscript>C NMR Assignments,and crystal structure of chrodrimanin B from A marine fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus</Emphasis> sp.

A terrestrial fungal metabolite, chrodrimanin B (1), has been isolated for the first time from the fermentation broth of a marine-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. collected from the South China Sea. Detailed assignments for the proton and carbon of 1 have been unambiguously elucidated by combined spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR spectral data, and the relative configurations were also confirmed by single- crystal X-ray data.     

<Superscript>234</Superscript>U/<Superscript>235</Superscript>U activity ratios as a probe for the <Superscript>238</Superscript>U/<Superscript>235</Superscript>U half-life ratio

High-resolution alpha-particle spectrometry was performed on three uranium materials enriched in ²³⁵U. Besides the ²³⁵U peaks, separate peaks belonging to impurity traces of ²³⁴U could be quantified. Relying on the isotopic composition of the uranium, as determined by mass spectrometry, the ratio of the half-lives of ²³⁸U and ²³⁵U was determined via the activity ratio of ²³⁴U and ²³⁵U in the materials. As an intermediate link, the ²³⁴U/²³⁸U half-life ratio was taken from published mass spectrometric analyses of ‘secular equilibrium’ uranium material. The resulting half-life ratio T _1/2(²³⁸U)/T _1/2(²³⁵U) = 6.351±0.031 is in agreement with the commonly adopted half-life values determined by Jaffey et al.     

Behavior of <Superscript>134</Superscript>Cs, <Superscript>90</Superscript>Sr,and <Superscript>238</Superscript>Pu in different Syrian soils

The experiment aimed to evaluate the vertical migration of ¹³⁴Cs, ⁹⁰Sr and ²³⁸Pu in the main types of Syrian soils; entisol, inceptisol, alluvial (rock outcrops) and gypsiferous soils, using soil columns through which the aqueous solution of the radionuclides percolated. The results show that the vertical migration of the studied radionuclides through the soil profile depend on the radionuclide and the soil type. More than 97% of ¹³⁴Cs and ²³⁸Pu concentrated in the upper 2 cm of the entisol, inceptisol, and alluvial soils, whereas only 46.2% to 68.6% of the ⁹⁰Sr was retained in the upper 2 cm of these soils. The vertical migration of the studied radionuclides in the gypsiferous soil was different from the other soils. The distribution of the radionuclides in the gypsiferous soil was irregular through the soil profile and reached the deeper layer of the soil. This may be due to its physical characteristics; poor structure stability, high permeability and low retention capacity.