Vacuum-Annealed Undoped Polycrystalline Diamond: a New Electrode Material

Electrochemical behavior of undoped polycrystalline diamond films annealed in a vacuum at 1775 to 1915 K is studied. The annealing at temperatures over 1825 K imparts conductance to initially insulating films, which permits using them as electrode material. With further increase in the annealing temperature to above 1915 K, the effective resistivity decreases from initial value of 10¹¹ to 10¹² cm down to less than 0.1 cm, the differential capacitance increases from 10^–3 to 50 F per cm² of geometrical surface, the transfer coefficients for electrochemical reactions in the Fe(CN)₆ ^3–/4– redox solution increase from 0.2 to 0.5, and the degree of reversibility of the electrochemical reaction increases. The observed changes in the electrode properties are caused by the formation, upon the annealing, of a nondiamond phase at the intercrystallite boundaries and defect areas in the crystallites; the outcroppings of the conducting phase play the role of active sites at the electrode surface. With increasing annealing temperature, both the amount of this phase and its conductivity increase.     

Comparative study on γ-radiolysis and energy transfer reaction induced by γ-irradiated NaCl in Methyl Orange and Methyl Red

A comparative study on -radiolysis and energy transfer reaction induced by -irradiated sodium chloride in azo-dye indicators, viz. Methyl Orange and Methyl Red are undertaken. These indicators undergo degradation following first order kinetics, the determined rate constants being 1.05·10^–8 rad^–1 for Methyl Orange and 5.00·10^–7 rad^–1 for Methyl Red, respectively. TheG-values are also determined and are found to be lower for Methyl Orange (8.60·10^–6) and higher for Methyl Red (4.05·10^–3), suggesting that the former is more resistent to radiation degradation as compared to the latter.     

Tail-end purification of americium from plutonium loading effluents using a mixture of octyl (phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphosphine oxide and tri-N-butyl phosphate

The tail-end purification of Am from Pu loading effluents in 7.5M HNO₃ containing 160 mg l^–1 Am and 1.2 mg l^–1 Pu has been carried out. With 0.2M CMPO+1.2M TBP in dodecane as the extractant and stripping by 0.04M HNO₃+0.05M NaNO₂, the Pu level is brought down to 31.2 g l^–1. When the acidity was reduced to 4.2M HNO₃, one contact with 20% TLA/dodecane and subsequent extraction by a mixture of CMPO and TBP and stripping with 0.04M HNO₃+0.05M NaNO₂ gave Am samples without any detectable amounts of Pu. The recovery of Am was 90% by the first procedure and 98% by the second one.     

Preparation and Properties of Nb-Coated Barium Titanate Composite Particles by Surface Modification with Nb Alkoxide in Hydrophobic Solvent

Chemical processing for the preparation of Nb-coated barium titanate composite particles was investigated using surface modification technology, hydrolyzing Nb ethoxide on the surface of barium titanate particles dispersed in hydrophobic solvent.It was confirmed from the measurements of specific surface area and zeta potential as well as SEM, TEM and EDX observations of the resulting composite particles that the original barium titanate particles were coated uniformly with hydrolysis product of Nb ethoxide.Barium titanates coated with 1 wt% of Nb as oxide were well sintered at 1200–1300°C. The dielectric constants of the sintered barium titanates showed flattened temperature dependence, but it depended upon the average particle size of original barium titanate. The sintered bodies of Nb-coated barium titanate powders with average particle size of 0.2 m gave dielectric constants of 2000–3000 and those of barium titanate with average particle size of 0.5 m showed dielectric constants of 3000–4000 at room temperature.The microstructure of the sintered barium titanate coated with Nb oxide consisted of grains of about 1 m, smaller than those of sintered original barium titanate.     

The composition of volatile and particulate hydrocarbons in urban air

Summary The hydrocarbon composition of the particle and gas phases in the urban atmosphere has been studied by filtration and parallel adsorption on active charcoal and polyurethane foam (PUF). Gas chromatography (GC) and GC coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) have been used for the analysis of the organic matter extracts obtained with each system. In the case of the particle and PUF samples these extracts were fractionated into aliphatic and aromatic compounds. This approach has allowed to identify up to 247 hydrocarbon molecules showing that C0–C5 alkylbenzenes are the major compounds in the charcoal extracts whereas C14–C23 n-alkanes, C0–C4 alkylnaphthalenes, C0–C4 alkylbiphenyls and C3–C5 alkylbenzenes are those predominantly found in the PUF materials. The particles essentially contain C17–C38 n-alkanes and parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These qualitative differences are paralleled by a progressive concentration decrease from the more to the less volatile hydrocarbons. Thus, the total charcoal extracts average 80 g/m³, the PUF compounds represent 4 /m³ and the particle hydrocarbons 0.7 g/m³. These latter airborne materials are essentially composed of petrogenic residues 0.6 g/m³ (aliphatic fraction) whereas the pyrolytic PAH only involve 0.08 g/m³.     

Gamma radiolysis of Methyl Red solution and reaction induced by γ-irradiated NaCl in Methyl Red

The -radiolysis of Methyl Red solution in HCl medium at pH=2 has been studied along with energy transfer reaction brought about byF and hole centers of -irradiated NaCl. The G-values for degradation of the azo dye indicator by radiolysis and -irradiated salt were determined as 9·10^–1 and 4.8·10^–3, respectively. The kinetic rate constants (k) of degradation are evaluated as 2·10^–5 rad^–1 in the case of direct radiolysis, while for the irradiated salt it is 2·10^–7 rad^–1. The extent of degradation by direct -radiolysis is 100–200 times greater as compared to that by the -irradiated salt. The same mechanism is proposed for radiolysis as well as the reaction induced by -irradiated sodium chloride.     

Metal Sorption,Solid Phase Extraction and Preconcentration Properties of Two Silica Gel Phases Chemically Modified with 2-Hydroxy-1-Naphthaldehyde

Active silica gel phase (I) was chemically modified to the corresponding amino- (SiNH₂) and chloro- (SiCl) derivatives via silylation reactions. These were used to synthesize two newly modified silica gel phases (II, III) by direct chemical reaction with 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde (2-HNA). The surface coverage values are 370, 432µmolg^–1 and 320, 355µmolg^–1 for (II) and (III), on the basis of thermal desorption and metal probe testing method, respectively. The metal sorption properties of silica gel phases (II, III) were studied and compared with active silica gel phase (I). The maximum determined metal capacity values were found to be 10–110, 20–290 and 20–370µmolg^–1 for phases I, II and III, respectively. The distribution coefficient values (K_d) were also determined for a series of metal ions, and the results showed that the two new chemically modified phases (II and III) were highly selective for Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺. The potential applications of silica gel phases (II, III) as solid phase extractors for the same five metal ions spiked in drinking tap water (1.000µgmL^–1) were found to give percentage recovery values in the range of 90.2–96.3±4.1–6.3%, while pre-concentration of the same five metal ions spiked in drinking tap water (50.0ngmL^–1) was successfully accomplished with a percentage recovery range of 92.6–95.8±4.8–5.7%.Received December 16, 2002; accepted May 14, 2003 published online September 1, 2003     

The determination of tin in explosive materials by thermal neutron activation analysis

A method, based on the measurement of the -photopeak at 332 keV arising from a¹²⁴Sn(n, )^125mSn reaction, has been developed for the rapid measurement of Sn at concentrations of 20 g g^–1, present as the cross-linking agent, in explosive charges. The method is comparative, and has a limit of detection of 0.6 g g^–1 and a precision of 5% RSD. The method requires no sample preparation and is economical in effort.     

Crystal Structures and Magnetic Properties of Cu(II) Complexes with Pyrazole‐Substituted Iminonitroxyl Radicals: New Trinuclear Heterospin Complexes

The paper describes the crystal structures and magnetic properties of complexes of copper(II) hexafluoroacetate (Cu(hfac)₂) with stable pyrazolesubstituted iminonitroxyl radicals containing the pyrazole substitutuent in the second position of the 2imidazoline cycle (L). A new group of [Cu(hfac)₂]₃(L)₂ complexes is found, in which L performs a bidentatebridge function due to the coordination of the imine N atoms of the pyrazole and imidazoline cycles. It is shown that in the solid complexes there are Cu²⁺—N = C—N—O exchange routes with highenergy ferromagnetic interactions (60–100 cm^-1).     

Terpenes in organic synthesis

A seven-step synthesis ofS-(+)-hydroprene (S-1) in 20 % overall yield starting fromS-(+)-3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene (2) of 55+-10 % optical purity is described. The introduction of an optical enhancement step in the synthetic sequence at the stage ofS-(–)-3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol (9) raises the optical purity ofS-1 from 50 % to 80 %.For part 13, see. ref.¹ Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 342–348, February, 1993.     

Optical Nanocomposite Planar Waveguides Doped with Rare-Earth and Noble Metal Elements

The present paper is focused on multilayer Er³⁺-doped silica-titania planar waveguides, co-doped with silver, which were prepared by spin-coating on silica glass, or buffered single crystal silicon substrates. The single layer thickness (0.4 m) and refractive index (1.60–1.63) were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry at 715 nm. The thickness of the waveguides (measured by mechanical profilometry) was 1 m and their optical propagation losses were measured at different laser wavelengths (488 nm, 514 nm and 633 nm), exhibiting an approximately Rayleigh-like behavior. The thermal precipitation of silver nanocrystallites was achieved, both in air and under a controlled atmosphere (dry nitrogen) and these were characterized by visible absorption spectroscopy, which clearly showed the development of a plasmon absorption band near 415 nm, by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The Er³⁺ metastable level lifetimes for the emission at ca. 1.54 m were found to be ca. 4–6 ms, for Er³⁺ concentrations varying between 0.2–2.0 mol% (or (0.4–4.4) × 10²⁰ ions/cm³), but no significant variation was observed with the Ag concentration added (up to 2.5 mol%).     

Simple screening method for the fast determination of clenbuterol in animal feeds

Summary A simple method for the determination of clenbuterol is described. It is extracted from the sample at pH 3 and then at pH 11, followed by partitioning the analyte into water at pH 3 and reextraction into ethyl acetate at pH 9. Clenbuterol is oxidized with KMnO₄ to clenbuteron for GC-determination. Recoveries for 0.01– 1.0 mg/kg were between 70% and 110% (standard deviation ±14%, n = 18).

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Eine einfache Screening-Methode zur schnellen Bestimmung von Clenbuterol in tierischen Futtermitteln

     

Rate constants and mechanism of the reactions of N(4S) atoms with methane and ethane

The channel for the reaction of nitrogen atoms and methane yielding hydrogen atoms does not exceed 10% at 20C. The rate constant for the reaction of nitrogen atoms and ethane at 20C is (4 ± 2)·10^–16 cm³/sec.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 705–706, March, 1990.     

Critical evaluation and experimental determination of the nuclear activation and decay parameters for the reactions:6 4Zn(n, γ)6 5Zn,1 1 2Sn(n, γ)1 1 3 (m)Sn (E. C.)1 1 3mIn,1 7 4Yb(n, γ)1 7 5(m)Yb

A best choice from literature was made of the isotopic abundance values for⁶⁴zn,¹¹²Sn and¹⁷⁴Yb, and of the absolute gamma-intensities for⁶⁵Zn,^113mIn and¹⁷⁵Yb. From these data and from activation method experiments, the following 2200 m·s^–1 cross sections were determined:⁶⁵Zn(n, )⁶⁵Zn; ₀=(0.726±0.0007) barn [cf. literature 0.76–0.78 barn];¹¹²Sn(n,)¹¹³(m)Sn; ₀(0.91 m⁺g)=(0.539±0.011) barn [cf. literature 1 barn];¹⁷⁴Yb(n,)¹⁷⁵(m)Yb; ₀(m⁺g)=(130+4) barn [cf. literature 65 barn].     

Molecular spectra of nitroisoxazolinones

A study is made of IR and UV spectra of N-oxides of nitroisoxazolinones, and of derivatives of isoxazolidine and isoxazolizidine. Absorption bands are related to valence vibrations of N-O in the NO₂ group; in conjugated systems (in N-oxides of nitroisoxazolines) _s and _as are equal to 1310 and 1510 cm^–1, in nonconjugated systems (in nitroisoxazolidines) 1360 and 1560 cm^–1, respectively. Frequencies of N-O bond vibrations in N-oxides appear in the region 830–870 cm^–1, of the O-N-O fragment in isoxazolidines and isoxazolizidines in the 1010–1060 cm^–1 region. Measurements are made of total intensities of N-O valence vibrations in the NO₂ group in N-oxides of nitroisoxazolines and nitroisoxazolizidines, as well as of C=N valence vibrations in N-oxides of nitroisoxazolines.     

Adsorptive Catalytic Voltammetry of Physcion in the Presence of Dissolved Oxygen at a Carbon Paste Electrode

A novel electroanalytical method for the determination of physcion is described for the first time. Physcion yields an adsorption catalytic voltammetric peak at –0.74V (vs. SCE) in 0.4molL^–1 NH₄Cl–NH₃·H₂O buffer solution (pH 10.5) at a carbon paste electrode (CPE). The experimental results indicated that physcion is efficiently accumulated at a CPE by adsorption. In the subsequent potential scan, physcion was reduced to a homologous anthrahydroquinone compound. The compound was then immediately oxidized to physcion by the dissolved oxygen in the solution, and then physcion was again reduced at the CPE. As a result, a cyclic catalytic reaction was established. The second-order derivative peak current is proportional to the physcion concentration in the ranges of 2.0×10^–104.0×10^–9molL^–1 (accumulation 90s) and 4.0×10^–92.0×10^–8molL^–1 (accumulation 60s). The limit of detection is 8×10^–11molL^–1 (S/N=3) for a 120s accumulation time. The method was applied to the direct determination of physcion in the medicinal plant polygonum multiflorum Thumb with satisfactory results.     

Determination of pentachlorophenol residues in wine and corks by solvent extraction methodology and specific gas chromatography detection

Summary A gas chromatographic methodology with selective detection is presented for the analysis in wines and corks of pentachlorophenol residues, which are suspected to be the most likely precursors of some off-flavours described in several wine samples. After derivatisation, pentachlorophenol acetate residues were monitored by electrolytic conductivity detection and/or mass spectrometric detection in the selective ion mode at m/z 264 and 266. Recoveries varied from 80 to 96% for wine samples fortified with 5 to 100 g l^–1 and from 83 to 91% for corks (fortified at 25 to 100 g kg^–1). The proposed methodology allowed for a determination limit of g l^–1 for wine and 10 g kg^–1 for corks.     

Chemical composition of T-21 silica tubing and implications for neutron activation analysis

T-21 silica, a commonly used encapsulation material in neutron activation analysis of small samples, was analyzed by INAA to determine trace levels of the following impurities: Na, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Br, Sb, La, Ce, Sm, Tb, Hf and Au. In the unprocessed form supplied by the manufacturer, pieces of T-21 weighing 50 mg contain 6·10^–2 g Na; 9·10^–3 g Fe; 3·10^–7–7·10^–6 g light REE, Sc and Hf and 4·10^–8 g Tb and Au. In a series of glass-blowing steps, in which unfiltered gases were used for fuel, and cleaning steps, in which reagent grade aqua regia was used, irradiation vials were produced which contain higher average levels of Sc, La, Sm, Tb and Hf, by factors ranging from 1.3 for Sm to 11.5 for La, and lower average levels of Co, Na and Fe, by factors of 1.4, 2.0 and 4.0, respectively, than the unprocessed material. These contamination levels lead to blank corrections of 21% for La, 2.6% for Ce and 3.0% for Hf in 40 g samples of refractory inclusions from carbonaceous chondrites, if counted in their irradiation vials.     

Catalyzed Determination of Phenylalanine with a Mimic Enzyme Constructed of β-Cyclodextrain Derivant

Phenylalanine was catalyzed and determined with mimic phenylalanine oxidase constructed by the reaction of -cyclodextrin (or -CD) and m-carboxyl benzenesulfonyl chloride with iron trichloride in hydrogen peroxide. The method is simple and convenient. The linear range of this method is 0–0.8233 mmol/L, the detection limit is 8.354 mol/L, the RSD is 0.96% (n = 8), and the recovery rate is 95.8–103.5% when used to test an edulcorator (aspartame) sample.     

Infrared spectral analysis during the thermal decomposition of pure and irradiated crystalline NH4ClO4

Variable temperature /303–553 K/ IR spectroscopic studies are made during thermal decomposition of pure and -treated ammonium perchlorate /AP/. Decomposition is enhanced by radiation or in the presence of an additive /Gd₂O₃/. Intensity of the stretching /1100 cm^–1/ and bending /625 cm^–1/ frequencies of ClO ₄ ^– decrease on heating the KBr matrix even below 360 K. Above this temperature, a broad band develops over 480–510 cm^–1 in the pure and -treated AP which is attributed to ClO ₃ ^– /₄/.