Electron collisions with trifluorides: BF3 and PF3 molecules

Absolute total cross sections (TCSs) for electron scattering from boron trifluoride (BF(3)) and phosphorus trifluoride (PF(3)) molecules have been measured using a linear transmission method. The electron energy ranges from 0.6 to 370 eV for BF(3) and from 0.5 to 370 eV for PF(3). The TCS energy dependence for BF(3) exhibits two very pronounced enhancements: resonantlike narrow feature located near 3.6 eV with the maximum value of 19.2 x 10(-20) m(2), and intermediate energy very broad enhancement with two humps, one centered around 21 eV (18.8 x 10(-20) m(2) in the maximum) and the other near 45 eV (19.5 x 10(-20) m(2)). For PF(3) the TCS has quite different low-energy dependence: at 0.5 eV it has a high value of 70 x 10(-20) m(2) and decreases steeply towards higher energies. Beyond the minimum near 5.5 eV, the TCS reveals two distinct humps: the resonant one centered near 11 eV with the peak value of 32.9 x 10(-20) m(2) and the second one much broader around 35 eV (27.9 x 10(-20) m(2)). The present TCSs for trifluorides are compared to each other as well as to previous TCS data for selected perfluorides and to results for their perhydrided counterparts. The differences and similarities in the shape and magnitude of TCSs are pointed out.     

Kinetics and mechanism of a trans-tetraazamacrocyclic chromium(III) complex oxidation by hexacyanoferrate(III) in strongly alkaline media

Oxidation of the trans-[Cr(cyca)(OH)₂]⁺ complex, where cyca = meso-5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, by [Fe(CN)₆ ]^3- ion in strongly alkaline media, leading to [Cr^V O(cyca_ox )]³⁺ ion, has been studied using electronic and e.p.r. spectroscopy. The kinetics of the Cr^III → Cr^IV transformation have been studied using a large excess of the reductant and OH^- ion over the oxidant. The reaction is a second order process: first order in [Cr^III] and [Fe^III] at constant [OH^-]. The second order rate constant is higher than linearly dependent on the OH^- concentration. The mechanism of the reaction has been discussed. A relatively inert intermediate chromium(V) species was detected based on characteristic bands in the visible region and the e.p.r. signal at g_iso = 1.987 for the systems where an excess of oxidant was used. The hyperfine structure of the main e.p.r. signal is consistent with the d¹ -electron interactions with four equivalent nitrogen nuclei and [Cr^V = O(cyca_ox)]³⁺ formula, where cyca_ox = oxidized cyca, can be postulated for the intermediate Cr^V complex.     

Polonium 210Po activities in human blood of patients with ischaemic heart disease from Gdańsk in Poland

The determination of polonium ²¹⁰Po in human blood samples is presented and discussed in this paper. The human blood samples were collected from patients of Medical University of Gdańsk with ischaemic heart disease (morbus ischaemicus cordis, MIC). The polonium concentrations in analyzed human blood samples are very differentiated. ²¹⁰Po is of particular interest in public health and although is present in the environment in extremely low amounts, it is easily bioaccumulated to the human body. The study shows that the amount of ²¹⁰Po that is incorporated into the human body depends on the food habits and some difference in its levels could be observed between smokers and non-smokers.     

Optically active imidazole N-oxides derived from l-prolinamine1

Starting with (S)-1-benzylprolinamine and α-hydroxyimino ketones, enantiomerically pure bisheterocyclic imidazole N-oxides bearing the (S)-configured N-benzyl(pyrrolidin-2-yl)methyl residue were prepared. These N-oxides reacted with 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutane-1,3-dithione to give the corresponding optically active imidazole-2-thione derivatives via a sulfur transfer reaction. Reduction of the N-oxides with Raney-nickel led to deoxygenation, whereas catalytic hydrogenation (Pd/C) in ethanol occurred with simultaneous deoxygenation and debenzylation, leading to optically active 1-(pyrrolidin-2-yl)methyl-1H-imidazoles. Alkylation of the prepared imidazole N-oxides and their respective imidazoles with butyl and hexyl bromide and subsequent anion exchange gave optically active N-alkoxy- and N-alkylimidazolium tetrafluoroborates, respectively, with the properties of ‘room temperature ionic liquids’.     

Attenuation and modal dispersion models for spatially multiplexed co-propagating helical optical channels in step index fibers: Comment

We comment on a recent paper [J Opt Laser Technol 43 (2011) 430–436] in which the authors introduce dispersion and attenuation models of spatially multiplexed channels in step index multimode fibers. We consider the theoretical explanation of the model given in the paper incorrect.     

Electrochemical Behavior of Cobaltocene in Ionic Liquids

The electrochemical behavior of cobaltocenium has been studied in a number of room temperature aprotic ionic liquids. Well defined, diffusion controlled, anodic and cathodic peaks were found for the Cc⁺/Cc (cobaltocenium/cobaltocene) reduction/oxidation on gold, platinum and glassy carbon electrodes. Values of the peak separation parameters suggest quasireversibility or even irreversibility for the redox process. The difference between the ferrocene/ferrocenium and cobaltocenium/cobaltocene couples has been evaluated as equal to (1.350 ± 0.020) V. Values of the cobaltocenium (Cc⁺) diffusion coefficients D have been calculated on the basis of the Randles–Sevcik equation.     

Comparison of the Microbiological Activities of Different Varieties of Hop (Humulus lupulus) Extracts by Thin-Layer Chromatography—Direct Bioautography

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Commercially available hop pellets of different origins were extracted by use of ethanol and water, chromatographed on silica...