Three-coordinate metal centers in extended transition metal oxides

The n = 3 Ruddlesden-Popper phase Sr3LaFe1.5Co1.5O10+/-delta is capable of sustaining O contents as low as O7.5 with a mean metal oxidation state of +2 and three coordination at the central site in the trilayer of originally octahedral transition metal sites. The shortening of the axial bonds to the flanking octahedral layers stabilizes the low oxidation state and consequent unusual low coordination number of the Fe2+ and Co2+ cations within the extended structure.     

Evaluation of the limit of performance of an analytical method based on a statistical calculation of its critical concentrations according to ISO standard 11843: Application to routine control of banned veterinary drug residues in food according to European Decision 657/2002/EC

Traceability of the measurement of analytical parameters capable of evaluating the performance of methods is an important concept for the assessment of quality for the routine control, especially for residue monitoring of non-authorized medicinal substances in food from animal origin. The European Decision no. 657/2002/EC recommends to calculate two statistical limits, CCα and CCβ, which allow to evaluate the critical concentrations above which the method reliably distinguish and quantify a substance taking into account the variability of the method and the statistical risk to take a wrong decision. The calculation, which can be derived from the ISO standard no. 11843 is applied on a routine basis. An example displays a very simple way for evaluating the performance of an LC-MSMS method which has been validated a few years ago and is qualified onto a Micromass Quattro LCZ tandem mass spectrometer to monitor and confirm the nitrofuran metabolite residues in food from animal origin. Community Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Veterinary Drug Residue Control in Food from Animal Origin     

Modulating N- versus O-arylation in pyrazolone-aryl halide couplings

The regioselective, copper-catalyzed coupling of a tautomeric pyrazolone/pyrazole with 2-halopyridines was investigated. Conditions were developed to preferentially form either the N-aryl or O-aryl product.     

Determining the optimum wavelength pairs to use for molecular absorption thermometry based on the continuous-spectral lower-state energy

A novel technique for selecting wavelengths that optimize the temperature precision of absorption-based thermometry is developed. A single universal objective function considering continuous spectral lower-state energy , spectral absorbance intensities and an experimental noise level is derived and applied in a brute-force approach to analyze two-wavelength, Doppler-broadened H₂O vapor-absorbance thermometry in the 1.33-1.37 μm range. The results reveal the top wavelength pairs and their temperature precisions over a wide temperature range from 280 to 2800 K. Although the spectral database used includes over thousands of transitions in this spectral range, the top pairs are composed of only 12 unique wavelengths. This wavelength selection technique is able to help researchers choose key wavelengths that will perform well in practical applications.     

Sorption of CO2, C2H4, N2O and their binary mixtures in poly(methyl methacrylate)

Sorption of carbon dioxide, ethylene, and nitrous oxide in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at 35°C has been characterized for each gas as a pure component and for mixtures of carbon dioxide/ethylene and carbon dioxide/nitrous oxide. Pressures up to 20 atm were examined. Pure-component sorption isotherms are concave to the pressure axis for each of the gases. This behavior is accurately described by the dual-mode sorption model. Using only the purecomponent dual-mode parameters and the generalization of the model for gas mixtures, one can predict the total concentration of gas sorbed in the polymer to within an average deviation of ±2.01% for the CO₂/C₂H₄/PMMA system and ±0.98% for the CO₂/N₂O/PMMA system. In both systems, for each component of the mixture, sorption levels were lower than corresponding pure-component sorption levels at pressures equal to the partial pressure of the respective components in the mixture. Depression of the sorbed concentration in mixture situations appears to be a general feature of the above systems and can be substantial in some situations. For the CO₂/C₂H₄/PMMA system, use of pure-component sorption data to estimate the total sorbed concentration in the mixture would be in error by as much as 40% if one failed to account for competition phenomena responsible for depression in mixed-gas situations. Mixture pressures as high as 20 atm were studied for both systems and in the CO₂/N₂O/PMMA system sorbed concentrations reach 33.90 [cm³(STP)/cm³ polymer] without any significant deviation from model predictions.     

Comment on Lockerbie, N.A.: Gen. Rel. Grav. 36, 593 (2004)

We comment on the paper “ISLAND – Inverse-Square-Law Acceleration Measurement using Inertial Drift,” by Lockerbie, N.A.: Gen. Rel. Grav. 36, 593–600 (2004).