Effect of solidified salts on1 3 7Cs leaching from bituminized products

The leaching rate of^{1 3 7}Cs from bituminized products was studied by leach tests conducted for two years.     

Determination of lithium in human serum by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

An efficient method was developed for the determination of nanogram levels of lithium in biological samples. Serum samples from human subjects from southeastern Spain, treated or not treated with lithium carbonate, were analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The samples were previously treated with a matrix modifier consisting of 0.1% Triton X-100 and injected through a graphite tube with L'vov platform. The Li concentrations measured by the procedure described for the 3 certified reference samples used were not significantly different (p > 0.05) than certified levels. Sample recoveries and variability during several days, with coefficients of variation from 4.00 to 14.8%, demonstrated the reliability and accuracy of this technique. Mean Li concentration determined in the serum of individuals with psychiatric disorders treated with Li (n = 117, 5.077 +/- 1.795 microg Li/mL) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that in individuals not treated with Li (n = 24, 1.902 +/- 2.054 ng Li/mL).     

Homogeneous hydrogenation of ketones to alcohols with ruthenium complex catalysts

A number of ruthenium triphenylphosphine complexes catalyse the reduction of ketones to their corresponding alcohols in the presence of water. The most convenient catalyst precursors are carbonyl containing complexes which do not promote decarbonylation of the substrate. The hydrogenation of acetone with hydridochlorocarbonyltris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium is first order with respect to the substrate concentration, the catalyst concentration, the hydrogen pressure and the water concentration. Turnover numbers up to 15,000 have been achieved with this catalyst. Other ketones are also reduced by RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃ and the rate of the reaction is dependent on the nature of the substrate.     

Separation and detection of oxidation products of fluorodeoxyglucose and glucose by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry

2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F] FDG), the most popular positron emitting radiopharmaceutical, may oxidise by autoradiolysis in aqueous solution. The aim of this work was to use LC-MS for determination of the oxidation products of fluorodeoxyglucose and glucose (Glc) obtained by oxidation with Fenton's reagent. Asahipak NH2P-50 polyamide silica column and acetonitrile-0.025% aqueous ammonium formate (80:20 (v/v)) eluent were utilised with an Agilent 1100 HPLC-MS instrument. Ten major oxidation products of FDG and Glc were separated and identified by mass spectrometry: 2-fluorogluconic acid, 2-fluoroglucuronic acid, 2-oxoerythronic acid, arabinose, arabonic acid, araburonic acid, erythrose, erythrulose, gluconic acid, and glucuronic acid. The most intensive electrospray ionisation signals were found in the negative ion spectra and were due to HCOO- adducts, the other acids being in their lactone forms.     

Indirect spectrophotometric determination of cyanide

A spectrophotometric method for cyanide based on its inhibition of the colour formation reaction between nickel(II) and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolylazo)-2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid has been developed, and allows the determination of down to 0.1 g of cyanide. Most of the interferences can be avoided by displacement of the hydrogen cyanide using an arsine generator.     

BISPHENYLENECOSAN as highly selective Cs+ extraction agent

A new reagent for the highly selective extraction of cesium (e-1,7–2,2)4,8–8,4-(bis--o-phenylene)bisdicarbollidocobalt(1–)ate, [(C₂B₉H₉)₂(C₆H₄)₂Co]^–, abbreviated as BISPHECOSAN is described in this paper. The choice of organic solvent and solubilizer, dependence of distribution ratio of Cs⁺ on acidity and other parameters are studied. The extraction mechanism based on selective binding of Cs⁺ cation between two phenylene rings is presented and factors influencing the chemical stability of the reagent are determined.     

Infrared spectroscopic study of the structure of the tetrabutyl S-dithiopyrophosphate complex of silver

The structure of the complex Ag·TBDTPP (tetrabutyl S-dithiopyrophosphate) formed in HNO₃ medium was studied by IR and NMR methods. The complex is involved in the isomerization of TBDTPP in the presence of Ag⁺ and NO ₃ ⁻ ions. In the IR spectra, we observe the disappearance of P−O−P band and the occurrence of new absorption bands associated with P−S−P and P=O bonds. The silver ion is coordinated to the thiophosphoryl group of the isomer molecule. The influence of HNO₃ concentration on complex formation is discussed.     

The “Facilitated Transition” hypothesis as an explanation for the gemdialkyl effect

A new technique of searching the conformational space of transition states was used to explore the cause of the rate acceleration in the gem-dialkyl effect in intramolecular cyclization reactions. Several previous hypotheses were discarded and a new hypothesis was advanced based on this new data. This hypothesis, the “Facilitated Transition” hypothesis, states that increased steric hindrance reduces the overall activation energy by facilitating rotation through the transition state. The older “Reactive Rotamer” hypothesis was eliminated by generating all conformations of the starting materials using the and computer programs and demonstrating that no relationship is found between rate increase and a change in the concentration of “reactive rotamers”.     

A rapid radiochemical procedure for indium

A rapid radiochcmical procedure was developed for the separation of indium radionuclides from a mixed fission-product solution. An alcoholic pyridine solution is added to a uranium solution containing indium and tin carriers. The resulting tin precipitate is separated from the indium-containing solution by filtering through a cellulose membrane filter. The decontamination factor for tin is 2·10³. Other fission products are only partially removed. The chemical yield of indium is about 44%, and the time required for the separation is about 10 sec. After the tin-separated indium has decayed, the tin daughters of indium are removed from all the other fission products at a specified time and measured, so that the amount of indium present at the time of the tin precipitation is determined.     

Analysis of DTA curves and calculation of kinetic data using computer technique

Principles of two computer programs useful for the evaluation of heterogeneous kinetics are described.The first program ALANTA allows to obtain the non-isothermal kinetic curve from the shape of general DTA peak using the DTA-equation derived elsewhere¹.The second program SQUEST determines the kinetic mechanism which is the most appropriate to a given non-isothermal kinetic curve and evaluates the corresponding kinetic parameters. The program decides between 19 kinetic models and uses both integral and differential methods of evaluation.