Large-volume injection electrothermal AAS combined with tungsten-treated pyrolytic graphite furnace: determination of cadmium in tap, snow and river water samples with phosphate modifier.

A large-volume (100 microl) injection-ETAAS with W-treated PG furnace combined with a phosphate modifier was applied to the determination of unpolluted levels of Cd in tap, snow and river-water samples. The limit of detection of 1.1 ng l(-1) was observed for a 4 w/v% NH4H2PO4 modifer. Matrix interference studies were tested for major ion species well found in fresh water. The direct determination of Cd in certified river water (12 +/- 2 ng l(-1)) was carried out and the observed value was in agreement with the certified one. The good recoveries of Cd added to real environmental water samples were also observed. This method was applied to the determination of Cd in unpolluted environmental water samples.     

Facilitated sulfate transfer across the nitrobenzene-water interface as mediated by hydrogen-bonding ionophores.

Facilitated SO4(2-) transfers by hydrogen bond-forming ionophores are investigated across the nitrobenzene (NB)-water interface by using polarography with a dropping electrolyte electrode. Bis-thiourea 1, alpha,alpha'-bis(N'-p-nitrophenylthioureylene)-m-xylene, is found to significantly facilitate the transfer of the highly hydrophilic SO4(2-) whereas its counterpart, N-(p-nitrophenyl)-N'-propylthiourea (ionophore 2), cannot. In contrast to the predominant formation of a 1:1 complex with SO4(2-) in the bulk NB phase, the SO4(2-) transfer assisted by 1 is indeed based on the formation of a 1:2 complex between SO4(2-) and ionophore, even under the condition of [SO4(2-)]aq > [1]org. Such an exclusive formation of the 1:2 (SO4(2-) to ionophore) complex at the NB-water interface is not observed with structurally similar bis-thiourea 3, alpha,alpha'-bis(N'-phenylthioureylene)-m-xylene, where p-nitrophenyl moietes of bis-thiourea 1 are simply replaced by phenyl groups. The facilitated transfer of SO4(2-) with bis-thiourea 1 is further compared to that of HPO4(2-) and H2PO4- across the NB-water interface, which was previously shown to be assisted by 1 through the formation of the 1:1 and 2:1 (anion to ionophore) complexes, respectively. On the basis of these examinations, unique binding behaviors of hydrogen bond-forming ionophores at the NB-water interface are discussed, with a view towards development of ionophore-based anion-selective chemical sensors.     

Phase Conjugation in Saturable Absorbing Dye Films by Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing and Holographic Processes Using Nanosecond Pulse and CW Lasers

We report on the simultaneous generation of phase-conjugate signals by degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) and holographic processes using a nanosecond pulse and a CW lasers in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films doped with four kinds of saturable absorbing dyes. For the pulse laser, of the four kinds of dye-doped PVA films, the erythrosine B-doped PVA and uranine doped-PVA films generate PC signals only by the DFWM process, while the other dye-doped PVA films generate PC signals simultaneously by not only the DFWM process but also the holographic process. Especially, the safranin T-doped PVA film generates strong PC signals by the holographic process. In contrast, all of the dye-doped PVA films generate the two types of PC signals for the CW laser. The fading of dye molecules is found to result in the generation of the holographic component of PC signals which governs the temporal behavior of the total PC signals.     

Photoemission study of the modification of the electronic structure of transition-metal overlayers on TiO2 surfaces II. Cr on TiO2(0 0 1)

The electronic states of the Cr overlayers on TiO₂(0 0 1) surfaces have been investigated using angle-resolved and resonant photoemission spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation. At lower coverages, Cr deposition on TiO₂(0 0 1) creates two well separated in-gap emissions due to the formation of surface Ti³⁺ (3d¹) ions and Cr³⁺ (3d³) ions. At higher coverages, the in-gap emission is developed into the 2-peak-structure emission of Cr 3d character. The corresponding state is considered to be of metallic nature from the viewpoint of the high ability of oxygen adsorption, but has no Fermi edge, indicating a possibility of forming small Cr clusters on TiO₂(0 0 1) at this stage.     

Does in-source decay occur independent of the ionization process in matrix-assisted laser desorption?

The influence of the acidic and basic characters of constituent amino acid residues on the peptide fragment ions produced by in-source decay under matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) conditions has been studied using positive- and negative-ion experiments. Whereas the in-source decay spectra of peptides containing basic Arg and/or Lys residues near the N-terminus showed so-called c_n- and a_n-series ions in positive-ion mode, a peptide that has an acidic amino acid cluster near the N-terminus and a basic residue near the C-terminus characteristically formed y_n- and z_n-series ions in the positive-ion in-source decay spectrum. These results indicated that fragment ion series produced by in-source decay depend strongly upon the acidic and basic characters of the constituent amino acid residues and the near N- and C-termini. It was suggested that in-source decay processes occur intrinsically at NH–C^α and CO–NH bonds independent of the formation of molecular-related ions, and that the cleavages at the NH–C^α and CO–NH bonds occurred independently and were dependent on the matrix used.     

Scattering from very rough metallic and dielectric surfaces: a theory based on the modified Kirchhoff approximation

This paper presents a theory of scattering from very rough metallic and dielectric surfaces using the first- and second-order Kirchhoff approximations (KA) modified with the angular and propagation shadowing. The shadowing functions limit the single and double scattered waves which are illuminated and not shadowed by the surface. The theoretical results are compared with the Monte Carlo simulations showing the range of validity of the theory. The theory is applicable to the range where the RMS height is close to a wavelength and the RMS slope is close to unity, and the second medium is lossy. The second-order scattering includes two waves travelling in opposite directions on the surface, giving a physical explanation of the enhanced backscattering.