Electrodeposition of lead on to a graphite probe for electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple system for controlled potential electrodeposition on to a graphite probe electrode is described. Totally pyrolytic graphite was found to be better for electrodeposition than microporous glassy carbon or electrographite coated with pyrolytic graphite. Lead can be deposited by anodic and cathodic processes as PbO₂ and Pb, respectively. Potentials of + 1.2 to + 2.0 V were best for anodic deposition and – 0.8 to– 2.0 V were best for cathodic deposition. With an electrodeposition time of 120 s, AAS sensitivity gains of × 9 and × 3.5 were achieved for anodic and cathodic deposition, respectively, in comparison with the results obtained by direct injection of 20 1 sample volumes on to the probe. The lead cathodic process was unaffected by NaCl concentrations up to 10^–2 M, but only 10^–3 M NaCl could be tolerated by anodic deposition.     

Controlled-potential electrolysis of copper foil and graphite-coated copper foil in a nonaqueous 1 M LiPF6 in a ternary organic carbonate solvent

Controlled-potential electrolysis of battery-grade copper foil and graphite-coated copper foil electrodes in a typical lithium ion battery electrolyte (1 M LiPF₆ in propylene carbonate:ethylene carbonate:dimethyl carbonate [1:1:3 vol.]) was performed in order to construct Tafel plots to obtain values of the exchange current, i₀, and transfer coefficient, α. The transfer coefficients of both electrodes were found to be small (α = 0.25), which was consistent with an assumption of a dominant anodic process in the cell. At room temperature, the graphite-coated copper foil was found to have a higher exchange current than the copper foil. This can be explained by the intercalation of lithium ions into the graphite coating which increases the electron transfer rate. In the range of 0 °C to 50 °C, the exchange currents of both electrodes increased with temperature, but at different rates, while the transfer coefficients were not significantly affected by temperature.     

Infrared diode laser spectroscopy of the ν = 2 band of AlF

A vibrational–rotational spectrum of the ν = 2 transitions of a high-temperature molecule AlF was observed between 1490 and 1586 cm⁻¹ with a diode laser spectrometer. Measurements were made on the ν = 3–1, 4–2, 5–3 and 8–6 bands at a temperature of 900 °C. Measured spectral lines were fitted to effective band constants ν₀, B_ν and D_ν for each band. Present measurements were made with only one Pb-salt laser diode. Physical significance of the effective band constants is discussed.     

The B1 ← A1 absorption system of NO2 in Xe matrices: evidence for Renner—Teller interaction

A tentative vibrational assignment of the ²B₁ ← ²A₁ absorption system of NO₂ in solid Xe is reported. About 65 bands were analysed, yielding normal vibration energies of ν₁ = 1230, ν₂ = 450 and ν₃ = 2040 cm⁻¹. The electronic transition energy can be estimated to be T₀₁₀ = 14160 cm⁻¹ (14220 cm⁻¹ for the gaseous phase). These observations are in good agreement with predictions made using ab initio calculations. Evidence for Renner—Teller interaction is documented by a systematic staggering of frequency intervals between successive bands in the ν₂ progression of the state.     

The electrochemical interface between copper(111) and aqueous electrolytes

The electrochemical double layer between Cu(111) electrodes and aqueous electrolytes (F⁻ and SO²⁻₄ at various pH values) was studied by means of linear scan voltammetry and ac impedance measurements. It is found that electrochemisorption of oxygen species proceeds on the Cu(111) surface in the potential regions more negative than the electrodissolution potential of copper. The adsorption-desorption kinetics are analysed; the anodic and cathodic symmetry coefficients are found to be equal (α = β = 0.3), and the standard rate constant is k° = 4 × 10⁻¹⁰cm s⁻¹.     

The Raman OH stretching bands of liquid water

In this work, from the discussion on water structure and clusters, it can be deduced that the OH stretching vibration is closely related to local hydrogen-bonded network for a water molecule, and different OH vibrations can be assigned to OH groups engaged in various hydrogen bonding. At ambient condition, the main local hydrogen bonding for a molecule can be classified as DDAA (double donor–double acceptor), DDA (double donor–single acceptor), DAA (single donor–double acceptor) and DA (single donor–single acceptor) and free OH vibrations. As for water at 290 K and 0.1 MPa pressure, the OH stretching region of the Raman spectrum can be deconvoluted into five sub-bands, which are located at 3014, 3226, 3432, 3572, and 3636 cm⁻¹, and can be assigned to ν_DAA-OH, ν_DDAA-OH, ν_DA-OH, ν_DDA-OH, and free OH₂ symmetric stretching vibrations, respectively.     

Oxygen reduction in acid media at the amorphous Mo–Os–Se carbonyl cluster coated glassy carbon electrodes

An amorphous Mo–Os–Se carbonyl cluster compound has been synthesized in 1,2-dichlorobenzene (b.p.≈180°C) to be tested as an electrocatalyst for molecular oxygen reduction in 0.5 M H₂SO₄. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) performed for the powder supported on pyrolytic carbon show a distribution of nanometer-scale amorphous particles with agglomerations in cluster forms. The catalytic activity was studied by the rotating disc electrode technique. Kinetic studies show a first-order reaction with a Tafel slope of −0.118 V dec⁻¹ and dα/dT=1.55×10⁻³ K⁻¹. In the temperature range 298–343 K, an activation energy of 32 kJ mol⁻¹ was determined.     

Thin films of metal dibenzotetraaza [14] annulene complexes.: Part 3. Dimerization and alternated dimerizations of γ-substituted Ni complexes

The electrochemical behaviour of some Ni γ-monosubstituted dibenzotetraaza [14] annulene complexes has been investigated. The oxidation in CH₂Cl₂ of the complex containing a 4-carboxybenzyl group leads to the corresponding γ-γ dimer whose electrochemical properties have been studied. The electrode surface can be coated by thin films of this dimer using CH₃CN instead of CH₂Cl₂; however, the resulting modified electrode is poorly stable. The oxidation of the complex containing 1-(4-carboxybenzyl)pyrrole as γ substituent involves γ-γ dimer formation before the formation of a regular polypyrrole film. The film displays reversible electrochemical reduction of the metal centre (Ni(II)/Ni(I)) and two successive oxidations of the macrocycle (Mc/Mc^•+ and Mc^•+/Mc²⁺). The complex containing a bromo(4-carboxybenzyl) group offers an unusual feature in that polymeric films can be obtained following an original procedure based on alternated dimerizations. This is a consequence of the formation of two different dimers obtained by anodic and cathodic processes.     

Investigations of molecular interactions in propionic acid–N,N-dimethyl formamide binary system—FTIR study

FTIR spectra of propionic acid (PA), N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) and its binary mixtures with varying molefractions of the PA were recorded in the region 500–3500 cm⁻¹, to investigate the formation of hydrogen bonded complexes in a mixed system. The observed features in ν(CO), δ(OC–N) and ν_as(CN) of DMF, ν(CO) and ν(CO) of PA have been explained in terms of the hydrogen bonding interactions between DMF and PA and dipole–dipole interaction. The intrinsic bandwidth for the vibrational modes ν_as(CN) and ν(CO) has been elucidated using Bondarev and Mardaeva model.     

Potential-dependent chemisorption of carbon monoxide on platinum electrodes: new insight from quantum-chemical calculations combined with vibrational spectroscopy

Density functional theory (DFT) using the finite cluster approach is utilized to compute binding energies, bond geometries, and vibrational properties of carbon monoxide adsorbed on Pt(111) as a function of the external interfacial field, focusing attention on the metal–CO bond itself. Comparison with electrode potential-dependent frequencies for the metal–CO (ν_M–CO) as well as the much-studied intramolecular C---O (ν_CO) vibration, as measured by in-situ Raman and infrared spectroscopy, facilitate their interpretation in terms of metal-chemisorbate bonding for this archetypal electrochemical system. Decomposing the calculated metal–CO binding energy and vibrational frequencies into individual orbital and steric repulsion components enables the role of such quantum-chemical interactions to the field- (and hence potential-) dependent bonding to be assessed. No simple relationship between the field(F)-dependent binding energies and the ν_M–CO frequencies is evident. While the DFT ν_M–CO–F slopes are negative at positive and small–moderate negative fields, reflecting the prevailing influence of back-donation, a ν_M–CO–F maximum is obtained at larger negative fields for atop CO, and a plateau for hollow-site CO. This Stark-tuning behavior reflects largely offsetting field-dependent contributions from π and σ surface bonding, and can also be rationalized on the basis of changes in the electrostatic component of ν_M–CO from increasing M–CO charge polarization. A rough correlation between the field-dependent ν_M–CO frequencies and the corresponding bond distances, r_M–CO, is observed for hollow and atop CO in that r_M–CO shortens towards less positive fields, but becomes near-constant at moderate–large negative fields. A more quantitative correlation between the field-dependent C---O frequencies and bond lengths is also evident. In harmony with earlier findings (and unlike the ν_M–CO–F behavior), the ν_CO–F dependence is due chiefly to changes in the back-donation bonding component. The overall vibrational frequency-field behavior predicted by DFT is also in semi-quantitative concordance with experimental potential-dependent spectra.     

Characterization and biodistribution of a novel MRI molecular imaging agent by neutron activation analysis

Summary Angiogenesis is integral to the development and progression of atherosclerotic disease and solid tumor growth. New microvessels form in atherosclerotic plaque and the presence of new vessels has been associated with carotid plaque instability. Likewise, solid tumor growth depends upon angiogenesis to provide tumor cells with oxygen and nutrients. Recently, Lanza et al. have demonstrated molecular imaging of angiogenesis both in human melanoma xenografts in nude mice and atherosclerotic rabbits by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with clinical magnet strengths using α_νβ₃-targeted nanoparticles developed in their lab. α_νβ₃-integrin is a selective molecular epitope expressed by angiogenic endothelium and the MRI contrast agent consists of a lipid-encapsulated, liquid perfluorocarbon nanoparticle directly coupled to a selective α_νβ₃ ligand. The nanoparticle also contains the paramagnetic contrast agent gadolinium linked to the nanoparticle as Gd-DTPA-bis-oleate. In this work we report on the use of neutron activation analysis to confirm the Gd content of the nanoparticle formulations and determine the biodistribution of Gd post injection.     

Synthesis and characterisation of heterobimetallic <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(hydroxyethyl)-salicylaldiminate–isopropoxide complexes of oxovanadium(V)

Soluble heterobimetallic-N-(hydroxyethyl) salicylaldiminate-alkoxide derivatives of the types [VO(L)₂{M(OPrⁱ)_n−1}] [M=Al (2) (n = 3); Ti (3), Zr (4) (n = 4); Nb (5), Ta (6) (n = 5)], [where L represents the dianionic N-(hydroxyethyl) salicylaldiminate group bonded to vanadium in a tridentate fashion involving both the oxygen atoms and azomethine nitrogen], have been prepared by the reactions of insoluble [VO(L)(LH)] (1) with different metal alkoxides in a 1:1 molar ratio in benzene. A monomeric heterobinuclear complex of the type [VO(η³-L)(μ-OPrⁱ)₂Al(η³-L)] (7) has been prepared by the equimolar reaction of [VO(η³-L)(μ-OPrⁱ)]₂ with [Al(η₃-L) (μ-OPrⁱ)]₂ in benzene. All these complexes have been characterised by elemental analyses, molecular weight measurements, and by spectroscopic (l.r., ¹H-, ²⁷Al- and ⁵¹V-n.m.r.) studies. The monomeric nature of (1) and (2) has been supported by their FAB-mass spectral studies.     

Effect of polarization on the electrode behavior and microstructure of (La,Sr)MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> electrodes of solid oxide fuel cells

The electrode behavior and microstructure of freshly prepared (La_0.8Sr_0.2)_0.9MnO₃ (LSM) electrodes were investigated under various polarization conditions. The original, large agglomerates in freshly prepared LSM electrodes were broken down into sphere-shaped grains when exposed to cathodic or anodic current passage of 200 mA cm^–2 at 800 °C in air for 3 h. Microstructural changes under cathodic polarization could be related to the pronounced diffusion and migration of oxygen vacancies and Mn ions on the LSM surface and lattice expansion, while lattice shrinkage under oxidation conditions most likely contributes to the structural changes under anodic polarization. Such morphological changes were irreversible and were found to be beneficial to the performance of freshly prepared LSM electrodes. Freshly prepared LSM electrodes behaved very differently with respect to the cathodic and anodic current passage treatment.     

The alkali metal cation effect on the surface-enhanced Raman spectra of phosphate anions adsorbed at silver electrodes

The interaction of adsorbed phosphate anions with alkali metal cations at the Ag|aqueous solution interface has been investigated by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Formation of ion pairs at the interface was evident from the cation-induced perturbations in the SER spectra of anions. The frequency of the external vibration, silver–oxygen (Ag---O′), was not sensitive to the nature of cation, while the relative intensity of this mode was cation-dependent and was explored as a sensitive probe for the monitoring of coadsorption of ions at the interface. From the internal phosphate vibrations, both asymmetric modes, δ_as(PO) and ν_as(PO), were found to be the most sensitive to the nature of the cation. At a relatively positive potential (0.00 V vs. Ag | AgCl) the spectral parameters for the Cs⁺ and K⁺ cations were very similar indicating the same bonding type with anions. A more inhomogeneous chemical environment for the phosphate oxygen atoms was detected in the case of Na⁺ and Li⁺ cations. An increase in ν_as(PO) frequency by ca. 10 cm⁻¹ was the characteristic spectral signature for the interaction of phosphates with Li⁺. The formation of water-shared ion pairs at the interface was suggested based on the absence of splitting in the ν_as(PO) mode and the previously observed frequency sensitivity of this band to solvent H₂O substitution by D₂O. At negative potential (−0.80 V), a stabilization effect of Cs⁺ on the phosphate adlayer was detected based on the twofold increase in intensity of the ν(Ag---O′) mode compared with Li⁺. Splitting of the ν_as(PO) mode suggested the contact interaction of anions with specifically adsorbed Cs⁺ cations.     

Electrode kinetics in cyanide silver-plating electrolytes at different surface coverages by lead adatoms

Effective values of exchange current i ₀, cathodic and anodic transfer coefficients and , and cathodic and anodic reaction orders with respect to cyanide ions (P _c, P _a) are measured in cyanide silver-plating electrolytes at different surface coverages by lead adatoms . With increasing coverage, i ₀ and increase from 5 × 10^–5 A cm^–2 and 0.24 in pure solutions to 8 × 10^–5 A cm^–2 and 0.3 at = 0.4, with P _c and P _a hardly altering. The cathodic process markedly accelerates at = 0.6, while at 0.5 the kinetics of the cathodic process is unstable. Different effects of lead adatoms on cathodic and anodic gold and silver plating in cyanide solutions are due to lead salts not affecting the metal substrate dissolution mechanism in the latter case.__________Translated from Elektrokhimiya, Vol. 41, No. 4, 2005, pp. 468–474.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Bek, Shuraeva.     

Solar-driven electrochemically assisted semiconductor-catalyzed iodide ion oxidation. Enhanced efficiency by oxide mixtures

Oxidation of iodide ion from an air-saturated solution under natural sunlight (900±50 W m⁻²) on the surfaces of TiO₂, ZnO, Fe₂O₃, MoO₃ and CeO₂ enhances by 6 to 12-fold on application of a cathodic bias of −0.2 to −0.3 V (vs NHE) to the semiconductors; light, the semiconductor and dissolved oxygen are essential for iodine generation. The semiconductors under an anodic bias of +0.2 to +0.3 V (vs NHE) fail to oxidize iodide ion from air-saturated solution under sunlight. Under cathodic bias, semiconductor mixtures like TiO₂-ZnO, TiO₂-Fe₂O₃ and ZnO-Fe₂O₃ show enhanced photocatalytic activity, indicating improved charge separation in oxide mixtures. The mechanism of photocatalysis under cathodic bias is discussed.      

Electrochemical and morphological characterization of poly[(R)-(−)-3-(l-pyrrolyl)propyl-N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-α-phenylglycinate] films deposited on ITO electrodes

Poly[(R)-(–)-3-(l-pyrrolyl)propyl-N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-α-phenylglycinate] films were deposited on ITO electrodes using potentiodynamic and galvanostatic methods. Polymerization occurred as a charge dependent process at 1.0 V vs. Ag/Ag⁺(CH₃CN) and was not affected by the presence of nitro groups in the monomer. The surface morphology of the film and its electrochemical properties were studied as a function of deposition charge (Q_dep) and deposition method. Film thickness increased in a quasi-linear manner with respect to Q_dep within the range 40–80 mC cm². The galvanostatic method provided easier control of Q_dep compared with potentiodynamic deposition, and produced a more adherent film with homogeneous grain geometry. Cyclic voltammetry revealed a well defined redox couple at the anodic region, attributable to polymer p-doping, and a poorly defined redox pair at the cathodic region, attributable to the reduction of the nitro group.     

Use of scanning reference electrode technique for characterizing pitting and general corrosion of carbon steel in neutral media

The scanning reference electrode technique (SRET) was used to characterize the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in the NaNO₂-containing chloride solution and tap water. In 10⁻³ MNaNO₂+10⁻³ MNaCl+10⁻³ MNa₂SO₄ solution, the passivated carbon steel surface suffered the pitting. In this case, the size of anodic and cathodic areas on the corroding surface varied with the exposed time, but anodic and cathodic sites did not change. On the contrary, the carbon steel was corroded generally in the tap water. The localized anodes and cathodes on the corroding surface were not fixed but movable with the exposed time during the whole corrosion process, and the “movable anodes” can be in situ monitored and momentarily identified by SRET measurements.     

A combined experimental and theoretical study of resonance emission spectra of SO2( B2)

Experimental and theoretical resonance emission spectra are obtained for a number of vibrational states of SO₂( ¹B₂). The experimental emission spectra are dominated by (n₁ν₁, n₂ν₂, 0) bands, but some weak activity in the anti-symmetric stretch (ν₃) is observed. The calculated emission spectra based on an empirical near-equilibrium potential energy surface agree reasonably well with experiment for two lowest states investigated here, but fail to reproduce higher ones. Resonance Raman spectra are also calculated and agree well with an earlier experiment.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of Monomolecular Heterolysis of Commercial Organohalogen Compounds: XL. Nature of Salt Effects in Dehydrobromination of 3-Bromocyclohexene in γ-Butyrolactone. Role of Solvation Effects of Dipolar Aprotic Solvents

The influence of neutral salts on the rate of heterolysis of 3-bromocyclohexene at 31°C in γ-butyrolactone was studied by the verdazyl method; ν = k[C₆H₉Br], E1 mechanism. Additions of lithium picrate do not affect the reaction rate; those of LiClO₄ and Et₄NClO₄ increase it; and those of LiCl, Et₄NCl, and KNCS decelerate the reaction. The nature of salt and solvation effects in the heterolysis of 3-bromocyclohexene in γ-butyrolactone, MeCN, and PhNO₂ is discussed.__________Translated from Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii, Vol. 75, No. 6, 2005, pp. 937–944.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Ponomarev, Stambirskii, Dvorko.