An optical ammonium-sensor for the analysis of environmental waters

Summary For monitoring the ammonium content in environmental waters an optical sensor was developed. The sensor is based on a glass rod coated with a caoutchouc layer in which bromophenolblue was immobilized as indicator. A detection limit of 3 mol/l ammonium is obtained.     

Investigation of gas chromatographic interaction mechanism on permethylated cyclodextrins by molecular modelling

Summary The capillary gas chromatographic retention behavior of -pinene and tricyclene has been investigated on stationary phases of different polarities. On all but one of the columns employed, tricyclene eluted before -pinene; only permethylated -cyclodextrins dissolved in moderately polar polisiloxanes gave a reversed elution order. The intermolecular interactions which caused the unexpected retention behavior were investigated in detail, applying methods of computer simulation. To achieve this, we have developed a calculation algorithm on the basis of molecular mechanical optimizations and programmed it in a macro. This makes it possible to systematically investigate a given configuration space in which all the possible interactions can take place. It was shown that permethylated -cyclodextrin as host molecule for both guest molecules offers an optimum cavity size. As a result the number of energetically favorable contacts between host and guest molecules as well as the strength of the interactions in this stationary phase were larger. As a consequence the elution order, normally only influenced by the vapor pressure of the compounds at a given temperature, was changed. Nonspecific interactions played an especially important role for these kinds of substances.     

Recent developments in zinc oxide target chemistry

Zinc oxide targets irradiated with high energy protons at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) contain a number of radioactive spallation products in quantities large enough to warrant recovery. This paper describes methods for recovering⁷Be,⁴⁶Sc, and⁴⁸V from such targets and offers suggestions on possible ways to recover additional isotopes. The proposed methods are based on traditional precipitation and ion exchange techniques, are readily adaptable to hot cell use, and produce no hazardous waste components. The products are obtained in moderate to high yields and have excellent radionuclidic purity.