Polyatomic clusters of the triel elements. Palladium-centered clusters of thallium in A(8)Tl(11)Pd,A = Cs,Rb, K

Reactions of the elements within welded Ta containers at approximately 600 degrees C followed by slow cooling give new A(8)Tl(11)Pd(x) products from an apparently continuous encapsulation of Pd atoms into the pentacapped trigonal prismatic anions in the isotypic rhombohedral (R3 macro c) A(8)Tl(11) phases. All systems also produce other phases at x < 1 as well, the simplest being the cesium system in which only trigonal Pd(13)Tl(9) is also formed. Cs(8)Tl(11)Pd(0.84(1)) was characterized by single-crystal means as close to the upper x limit in that system (R3 macro c, Z = 6, a = 10.610(1) A, c = 54.683(8) A). The Pd insertion causes an expansion of the D(3) host anion, particularly about the waist, to generate a trigonal bipyramidal PdTl(5) unit (d(Pd-Tl) approximately 2.6-2.8 A) centered within a somewhat larger Tl(6) trigonal prism, the remainder of the Tl(11) cluster. Strong Tl cage bonding is retained. Extended Hückel calculations show significant involvement of all Tl 6s, 6p and Pd 4d, 5s, 5p orbital sets in the central and cage bonding. The last valence electron is considered to be delocalized in a conduction band, as in A(8)Tr(11) examples, rather than occupying an antibonding e' LUMO across a gap of approximately 2.4 eV.     

2-D array formation of genetically engineered viral cages on au surfaces and imaging by atomic force microscopy

The preparation and subsequent imaging of a two-dimensional array of a genetically and chemically modified cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) is described. The genetic mutation provides symmetrically dispersed exposed thiol groups on the outer surface of the virus capsid. These functional groups can be used to covalently bind the capsid to smooth Au substrate. AFM imaging suggests that the genetic mutation by itself does not promote array formation but, rather, aggregation through disulfide linkages. However, breaking the symmetry of the capsid using a solid-phase approach and chemically passivating the exposed thiol groups with iodoacetic acid results in a capsid with exposed thiols only on one side of the particle. These symmetry-broken capsids were able to form self-assembled monolayers (SAM) on a Au surface.     

Transition metal complexes of tetradentate and bidentate Schiff bases as catalysts for ethylene polymerization: Effect of transition metal and cocatalyst

This article compares catalytic performance of ethylene polymerization in similar polymerization conditions of transition metal complexes having two ligands [O,N] (phenoxy‐imine) and having one tetradentate ligand [O,N,N,O] (salphen or salen). It is shown that the activity of both complex types as well as the product properties depend in the same way on the type of central metal in the complex and on the cocatalyst used. Although the type of ligand has some effect on the catalyst activity, yet it does not control the properties of the obtained products. The vanadium and zirconium complexes, irrespective of the cocatalyst used, yield linear polyethylene with high molecular weight (a few hundred thousand g/mol). Similar products are formed when titanium complexes activated with MAO are employed. On the other hand, the same titanium complexes in conjunction with Et₂AlCl, yield low molecular weight polyethylene (of a few thousand) and additionally a mixture of oligomers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 565–575, 2009     

XMCD studies of magnetic polarization at Mo atoms in CoMo alloy and magnetically coupled Co/Mo multilayers

Magnetic polarization of Mo atoms in Co₉₆Mo₄ alloy film and Co/Mo multilayered structures has been studied by X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism. Samples with Mo spacers of two different thicknesses (0.9 nm and 1.8 nm) were investigated. Mo atoms receive a magnetic moment of ?0.21μ_B in the alloy. In the multilayer with the thinner Mo spacer (d_Mo = 0.9 nm) the magnetic moment is much smaller (?0.03μ_B). In both cases the measured induced moment at the Mo site is oriented antiparallel to the moment at the Co atoms. The presence of the induced moment in the Mo spacer coincides with antiferromagnetic coupling between the Co component slabs. In contrast, neither measurable induced moment at the Mo site nor interlayer coupling between the Co layers has been found for the multilayer with the thicker Mo spacer. Possible mechanisms of the coupling associated with the induced moment are discussed in detail.     

Industrial wastewater treatment wastes used as oxygen carriers in energy generation processes

The paper contains the results of a study on a promising combustion technology known as chemical looping combustion (CLC). The main advantage of CLC is the production of a highly concentrated CO₂ stream without any energy penalty for its separation, together with NO_x emissions reduction. The objective of this work was to examine novel oxygen carrier (OC) materials for their practical applications with gaseous fuel/air. We report a simple, economical and environmentally friendly method for the large-scale synthesis of OCs from wastes. The reactivity tests for OCs made from wastewater from a coking plant were performed in a thermogravimetric analyser. For selected temperatures, reduction–oxidation cycles were performed. The effect of temperature on the reaction rates, the effect of waste treatment and the oxygen transport capacity were determined. The waste material demonstrated good thermal stability and maintained its redox behaviour over cycling. ICP-OES and XRD data revealed these materials that contained beneficial amounts of Fe species and silicon oxide, which improved stability. The study showed that these waste materials are excellent examples of raw materials that can enable a decrease in OC production costs with the additional benefit of the practical management of post-wastewater sediments from coke oven wastewater plants.

     

πd Backward scattering via isobars in the deuteron

Pion-deuteron elastic backward scattering atp _π ^lab ～ 0.2–1.0 GeV/c is analyzed in terms of a two-particle exchange mechanism. Inclusion of isobarsΔ (1236) in the intermediate states, such that the initial or final deuteron is in aΔΔ configuration, produces qualitative agreement with the observed structure of the excitation function. IntermediateN′(1520) andN′(1535) states are found to be negligible.