Radiochemical methods in nuclear waste management

Radiochemical techniques play an important role in nuclear waste management studies at the Centre for Analytical Research in the Environment. Current research includes the measurement of atmospheric emissions from a reprocessing plant, modelling of environmental pathways, and evaluation of reactor materials for the prediction of releases from ultimate disposal sites. A radiochemical separation procedure has been developed for¹²⁹I, which has been applied to a study of emissions from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant. Atmospheric emissions, rainfall, grass, milk and wild food are analysed to model the ultimate fate of¹²⁹I. A new procedure has been developed for measuring sub-ppm concentrations of chlorine in archive steel samples as part of programme to produce an inventory of arisings of³⁶Cl from nuclear power stations. The method has been extended to other reactor materials and this paper describes the application of the radiochemical method for Magnox alloys, mild steel and cast iron.     

Hydrolysis of bis(chloromethyl)phosphonic acid p-nitroanilide in aqueous micellar surfactant solutions

The hydrolysis of bis(chloromethyl)phosphonic acid p-nitroanilide has been studied in the pH range 6.86–13.0 and the effects of ionic surfactant micelles on this process have also been examined. The nature of the micellar effects of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) on this reaction lead us to conclude that both the neutral and anionic forms of the substrate are reactive, and that in the range of pH > pK_a hydrolysis of the ionic form of the anilide predominates, while at pH < pK_a the reaction of the neutral form is predominant. The binding constants for both the neutral and anionic forms of bis(chloromethyl)phosphonic acid p-nitroanilide in micellar CTAB and SDS solutions have been determined using a kinetic method, as well as by measuring the changes in the acid-base properties of the substrate resulting from the influence of micelles.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1718–1722, August, 1990.     

Trace aluminum determination and sampling problems of archeological bone employing destructive neutron activation analysis

A destructive neutron activation analysis procedure was developed for determining trace aluminum content in bone. It was found that soil contamination can influence the aluninum bone levels in prehistoric bone specimens. These maximum aluninum content values for prehistoric bone are larger than those of modern bone and comparable to aluminum levels present in bone from renal patients.     

Synthesis of 7-formyl-2-methyl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-d]-pyrimidine and some other 7-substituted derivatives

A method that utilizes the Vilsmeier reaction to form a pyrrole ring was developed for the preparation of the previously unknown 7-formyl-2-methyl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine from 2,6-dimethyl-5-amino-4-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidine. The nitrile, which was converted to the amide, was obtained from the oxime of the synthesized aldehyde. 7-Unsubstituted pyrrolopyrimidine was synthesized by oxidation of the aldehyde to the corresponding acid and subsequent decarboxylation. The IR and PMR spectroscopic data are presented.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 12, pp. 1672–1674, December, 1977.     

Use of the mannich reaction in the synthesis of bispidine

A three-step synthesis of bispidine ( 1 ) is described. Mannich condensation of N-benzyl-4-piperidone, formaldehyde, and benzylamine afforded N,N′-dibenzylbispidinone ( 5 ), which was reduced under modified Wolff-Kishner conditions to yield N,N′ -dibenzylbispidine ( 6 ). Catalytic debenzylation of this compound gave 1 .     

Recherches en série triazepine-1,2,4: 1 - détermination de la structure de la triazolotriazépinone obtenue par action de l'acétylacétate d'éthyle sur le diamino-3,4 triazole-1,2,4

The condensation of 3,4-diamino 1,2,4-triazole with ethyl aceloacelate gave 6-methyl-8,9-dihydro(7H)-s-triazolo[4,3-b]-1,2,4-triazepin-8-one ( 2 ); 2 has been caracterized by nmr spectroscopy and by comparison with its methylated derivative prepared in an unambigous manner.     

N,N-dimethyl-N-(methylferrocenyl)amine as a bifunctional component of initiating systems for free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate

The specific features of free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of a new initiating system, benzoyl peroxide-N,N-dimethyl-N-(methylferrocenyl)amine, are studied. Mutual influence of the ferrocene and amino groups on the kinetic parameters of polymerization and on the microstructure of the resulting polymers is revealed. The polymer formed in the presence of this initiating system is shown to have a predominantly syndiotactic structure.     

DMC: A multifunctional hybrid dynamics/Monte Carlo simulation algorithm for the evaluation of conformational space

A hybrid conformational search algorithm (DMC) is described that combines a modified form of molecular dynamics with Metropolis Monte Carlo sampling, using the COSMIC(90) force field. Trial configurations are generated by short bursts of high-temperature dynamics in which the initial kinetic energy is focused into single bond rotations or alternatively into “corner-flapping” motions in ring systems. Constant temperature and simulated annealing search protocols have been applied to the conformational analysis of several model hydrocarbons (cyclopentane, cyclohexane, cycloheptane, cyclooctane, cycloheptadecane, decane, and tetradecane), and the performance compared with conventional molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo sampling methods. Optimum Metropolis sampling temperatures have been determined and range from 1000–2000 K for acyclic molecules to 3000 K for cyclic systems. Simulated annealing runs are most successful at locating the global minimum when cooling slowing from these optimum temperatures.