Quantification of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the picogram/liter range in water of the river Elbe

Sampling and determination of dissolved and particlebound PCBs and HCB in the river Elbe are described. A new filtration/adsorption unit for sampling of dissolved lipophilic contaminants was developed. The detection limit for dissolved PCBs and HCB was 5 pg/l. The data show that more than 98% of the PCBs and of HCB in the water of the river Elbe are particle-bound.     

Solar Photocatalytic Degradation of 4‐Chlorophenol in Kaolinite Catalysts

This research applies semiconductor photocatalysts, which are formed by metal ion exchange on the surface of kaolinite catalyst with cations, to the study of photocatalytic degradation of 4‐chlorophenol. The analysis results of catalyst properties shows that, after sintering at 400 °C, kaolinite catalyst has a particle size of between 10–100 nm indicating the nano level of synthesized catalysts. Under the same condition, kaolinite‐Ag/Zn catalyst works better in degradation efficiency than single kaolinite‐Ag and kaolinite‐Zn catalysts. Kaolinite‐Zn catalyst declines in degradation efficacy after 150 minutes and performs poorer than the other three types of kaolinite catalysts. In the experiments of different amounts of catalysts, when the concentration exceeds 0.1 wt%, utilization of light energy and degradation efficiency will be reduced due to shielding effect. When at different pH values, the higher the pH value, the more OH‐will be released and that is beneficial for reaction with substances and the increase of reaction rate. Finally multivariate analysis proves that there is one determining factor that influences the photocatalytic degradation of 4‐chlorophenol in kaolinite catalysts, named as “the factor with intermediates competition degree,” the one affecting the 4‐CP degradation at different weight percentages that is referred to as the “shielding effect factor.”     

Preparation and mechanical properties of thermal energy storage microcapsules

A series of heat energy storage microcapsules was prepared using melamine-formaldehyde resin as the shell material and the mechanical properties of the shell were investigated. A phase change material whose melting point was 24 °C was used as core and the quantity of heat involved in phase transition was 225.5 J/g. Average diameter of the microcapsules varied from 5 to 10 μm, and the globular surface was smooth and compact. The mechanical properties of the shell were evaluated by observing the surface morphological structure change after application of pressure by means of scanning electron microscopy. When the mass ratio of the core and shell material is 3:1, a yield point of about 1.1×10⁵ Pa was found and when the compression was increased beyond this point the microcapsules showed plastic behavior. This has been attributed to the cross-link density and to the high degree of reaction of the shell material. Different yield points subsequently reflected differences in the mechanical behavior. It was also found that the mechanical intensity of double-shell microcapsules was better than that of single shelled ones.     

Spectrum analysis of U-doped LaBr3 single crystals. Part 1: crystal-field analysis

Single crystals of U³⁺:LaBr₃ were grown by the Bridgman-Stockbarger technique. High-resolution polarized absorption spectra of the crystals were recorded at 4.2 K in the 4000-50,000 cm⁻¹ range. Sixty-four experimental crystal-field energy levels of the U³⁺ ion were fitted to a semiempirical Hamiltonian employing free-ion, one-electron crystal-field as well as two-particle correlation crystal-field (CCF) operators with an r.m.s. deviation of 28 cm⁻¹. The performed analysis of the spectra enabled the determination of crystal-field parameters and assignment of the observed 5f³→5f³ transitions. The effects of selected CCF operators on the splitting of some specific U³⁺ multiplets have been investigated and the obtained values of Hamiltonian parameters are discussed and compared with those reported in previous analyses.     

Metallchelate mit Acetophenon-Benzoylhydrazon und Acetophenon-Salicoylhydrazon

The stoichiometry and structure of acetophenone benzoylhydrazone and acetophenone salicoylhydrazone chelates with some divalent metal ions are studied by conductometric titration and visible and infra-red absorption spectrophotometry. The results are supported by analysis of the solid complexes. The infra-red study revealed that coordination occurs through C=O and C=N groups. The shift in the C=O and C=N bands is utilised for the determination of bond lengths.     

Kinetic studies on the foam separation of thorium (IV) with sodium lauryl sulphate

Summary The effects of pH, gas flow rate and collector concentration on the rate of thorium removal by foaming with sodium lauryl sulphate have been investigated. The obtained data indicate that only aged hydrated thorium oxide is removed by a flotation mechanism. All the other colloidal and condensed thorium species as well as the colloidal sublates which are formed between the dissolved thorium species and the collector anions appear to be removed by partition and their removal rates could be described by a reversible first-order rate equation. The obtained results are discussed in terms of thorium hydrolysis.

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Zusammenfassung Der Einfluß der pH-Werte, Gasdurchflußmengen und Kollektor-Konzentration auf die Geschwindigkeit der Entfernung des Thoriums durch Schaumbildung mit Natrium-Lauryl-Sulfat wurde untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß das gealterte, wässerige Thoriumoxid durch Flotations-Mechanismen entfernt wird. Die anderen kolloidalen und kondensierten Thorium-Spezien und auch die Kolloidalprodukte, die durch Reaktionen zwischen den gelösten Thoriumspezien und den Kollektor-Anionen formiert sind, sind durch die Verteilung entfernt worden. Die Entfernungsgeschwindigkeit kann beschrieben werden durch eine reversible 1. Ordnungs-Gleichung. Die Ergebnisse werden in Abhängigkeit einer ThoriumHydrolyse diskutiert.

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With 7 figures     

Zur Kenntnis der thermischen Zersetzung von Ammoniumhexafluoroscandat,-titanat,-vanadat und-chromat

Thermal analysis supported by kinetic calculations was applied exhaustively to these compounds. Under dynamic conditions, tetrafluorometallates(III), which as intermediates, could not be isolated, for the first three compounds. In each case, the final step was the pure metal(III) fluoride. Ammonium hexafluorochromate(III) decomposed directly to the pure chromium(III) fluoride. The decomposition rate of all compounds slowed down towards the end, probably for kinetic reasons. Polymorphic transitions of ammonium hexafluorotitanate(III) were observed at 35 and 100°C. Ammoniumhexafluoroscandate(III) underwent polymorphic transition at 47°C. The decomposition patterns for all these compounds were similar. Conditions for the preparation of pure ammonium tetrafluorometallates(III) of Sc, Ti and V are described.     

Reaction of methyl 4-nitrobenzenesulfonate with Br- in water-formamide tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide micellar solutions

Summary The reaction methyl 4-nitrobenzenesulfonate + Br^- was studied in water-formamide tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide micellar solutions. A pseudophase kinetic model was used to quantitatively rationalize the kinetic micellar effects observed     

Antiparallel triple helices. Structural characteristics and stabilization by 8-amino derivatives

The structural, dynamical, and recognition properties of antiparallel DNA triplexes formed by the antiparallel d(G#G.C), d(A#A.T), and d(T#A.T) motifs (the pound sign and dot mean reverse-Hoogsteen and Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds, respectively) are studied by means of "state of the art" molecular dynamics simulations. Once the characteristics of the helix are defined, molecular dynamics and thermodynamic integration calculations are used to determine the expected stabilization of the antiparallel triplex caused by the introduction of 8-aminopurines. Finally, oligonucleotides containing 8-aminopurine derivatives are synthesized and tested experimentally using several approaches in a variety of systems. A very large stabilization of the triplex is found experimentally, as predicted by simulations. These results open the possibility for the use of oligonucleotides carrying 8-aminopurines to bind single-stranded nucleic acids by formation of antiparallel triplexes.