Retrieval of aerosol optical depth in vicinity of broken clouds from reflectance ratios: Sensitivity study

We conducted a sensitivity study to better understand the potential of a new method for retrieving aerosol optical depth (AOD) under partly cloudy conditions. This method exploits ratios of reflectances in the visible spectral range and provides an effective way to avoid three-dimensional (3D) cloud effects. The sensitivity study is performed for different observational conditions and random errors in input data. The results of the sensitivity study suggest that this ratio method has the ability to detect clear pixels even in close proximity to clouds. Such detection does not require a statistical analysis of the two-dimensional (2D) horizontal distribution of reflected solar radiation, which makes it suitable for operational retrievals. In comparison with previously suggested approaches, the ratio method has the capability to increase the “harvest” of clear pixels. Similar to the traditional independent pixel approximation (IPA), the ratio method has a low computational cost for retrieving AOD. In contrast to the IPA method, the ratio method provides much more accurate estimations of the AOD values under broken cloud conditions: pixel-based and domain-averaged estimations of errors in AOD are about 25% and 10%, respectively. Finally, both the ratio-based cloud screening and the accuracy of domain-averaged ratio-based AOD values do not suffer greatly when 5% random errors are introduced in the reflectances.     

Effects of atmospherically important solvated ions on organic acid adsorption at the surface of aqueous solutions

The effects of salts on the solubility of amphiphilic organic molecules are of importance to numerous atmospheric, environmental, and biological systems. A detailed picture of the influence of dissolved atmospheric salts, NaCl and Na(2)SO(4), on the adsorption of hexanoic acid at the vapor/water interface is developed using vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy and surface tension measurements as a function of time, organic concentration, and solution pH. We have found that for hexanoic acid adsorption at the vapor/water interface, a fast initial adsorption is followed by two considerably slower processes: a reorientation of the polar headgroup and a restructuring of the headgroup solvation shell. The addition of salts affects this restructuring by reducing the range of water--headgroup interactions immediately upon surface adsorption for ion containing solutions. Reorientation of the organic headgroup with time occurs at the surface of both salt-containing and salt-free solutions, but the most stable orientation differs with the added ions. The dissolved salts also enhance the interfacial concentration of hexanoic acid, consistent with the known salting-out behavior of Cl(-) and SO(4)(2-) anions.     

Depth profiling of water molecules at the liquid-liquid interface using a combined surface vibrational spectroscopy and molecular dynamics approach

The studies presented here combine experimental and computational approaches to provide new insights into how water structures and penetrates into the organic phase at two different liquid-liquid systems: the interfaces of carbon tetrachloride-water (CCl4-H2O) and 1,2-dichloroethane-water (DCE-H2O). In particular, molecular dynamics simulations are performed to generate computational spectral intensities of the CCl4-H2O and DCE-H2O interfaces that are directly comparable with experimental measurements. These simulations are then applied toward the generation of spectral profiles, responses that vary as functions of both frequency and interfacial depth. These studies emphasize the similarities and differences in the structure, orientation, and bonding of interfacial water as a function of interfacial depth for these two liquid-liquid systems and demonstrate the differing behavior of water monomers that penetrate into the organic phase.     

Synthesis and reactivity of the methoxozirconium pentatungstate (nBu4N)6[{(mu-MeO)ZrW5O18}2]: insights into proton-transfer reactions, solution dynamics, and assembly of {ZrW5O18}2- building blocks

The methoxo-bridged, dimeric, ZrIV-substituted Lindqvist-type polyoxometalate (POM) (nBu4N)6[{(mu-MeO)ZrW5O18}2], (TBA)61, has been synthesized by stoichiometric hydrolysis of Zr(OnPr)4, [{Zr(OiPr)3(mu-OnPr)(iPrOH)}2], or [{Zr(OiPr)4(iPrOH)}2] and [{WO(OMe)4}2] in the presence of (nBu4N)2WO4, providing access to the systematic nonaqueous chemistry of ZrW5 POMs for the first time and an efficient route to 17O-enriched samples for 17O NMR studies. 1H NMR provided no evidence for dissociation of 1 in solution, although exchange with MeOH was shown to be slow by an EXSY study. Reactions with HX at elevated temperatures gave a range of anions [{XZrW5O18}n]3n- (X = OH, 3; OPh, 4; OC6H4Me-4, 5; OC6H4(CHO)-2, 6; acac, 7; OAc, 8), where n = 2 for 3 and n = 1 for 4-8, while 1H and 17O NMR studies of hydrolysis of 1 revealed the formation of an intermediate [(mu-MeO)(mu-HO)(ZrW5O18)2]6-. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of 1 and 3 illustrated the robust nature of the ZrW5O18 framework, and X-ray crystal structure determinations showed that steric interactions between ligands X and the ZrW5O18 surface are important. The coordination number of Zr is restricted to six in aryloxides 4 and 5, while seven-coordination is achieved in the chelate complexes 6-8. Given the inert nature of the methoxo bridges in 1, protonation of ZrOW sites is proposed as a possible step in reactions with HX. The diphenylphosphinate ligand in [(Ph2PO2)ZrW5O18]3- was found to be labile and upon attempted recrystallization the aggregate [(mu3-HO)2(ZrW5O18)3H]7- 9 was formed, which was found to be protonated at ZrOZr and ZrOW sites. This work demonstrates the flexibility of the {ZrW5O18}2- core as a molecular platform for modeling catalysis by tungstated zirconia surfaces.     

Partial-filling affinity capillary electrophoresis and quartz crystal microbalance with adsorption energy distribution calculations in the study of biomolecular interactions with apolipoprotein E as interaction partner

Adsorption energy distribution (AED) calculations were successfully applied to partial-filling affinity capillary electrophoresis (PF-ACE) to facilitate more detailed studies of biomolecular interactions. PF-ACE with AED calculations was employed to study the interactions between two isoforms of apolipoprotein E (apoE) and dermatan sulfate (DS), and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used in combination with AED calculations to examine the interactions of the 15-amino-acid peptide fragment of apoE with DS. The heterogeneity of the interactions was elucidated. Microscale thermophoresis was used to validate the results. The interactions studied are of interest because, in vivo, apolipoprotein E localizes on DS-containing regions in the extracellular matrix of human vascular subendothelium. Two-site binding was demonstrated for the isoform apoE3 and DS, but only one-site binding for apoE2–DS. Comparable affinity constants were obtained for the apoE2–DS, apoE3–D3, and 15-amino-acid peptide of apoE–DS using the three techniques. The results show that combining AED calculations with modern biosensing techniques can open up another dimension in studies on the heterogeneity and affinity constants of biological molecules.     

Quantization and meaning of observables linear in momentum

A detailed study is made of the observablesξ ^j(x^k)p_i+f(x^k) linear in momentum on a Riemannian manifold: their quantization and (through quantum unitary transformations) physical meaning are discussed using geometrical methods.     

The magnitude and sign of 1J(207Pb-207Pb) in hexamethyldilead

The lead-lead nuclear spin-spin coupling constant determined by heteronuclear double resonance in hexamethyldilead has the surprisingly small value of +290 Hz which suggests that the s-overlap integral for the metal-metal bond is low.     

The sign of the lithium—carbon nuclear spin coupling constant in methyllithium tetramer

Heteronuclear magnetic double resonance experiments are used to show that ¹J(⁷Li—¹³C) is positive in methyllithium tetramer. This is consistent with dominance of the coupling mechanism by the Fermi contact interaction.