Comparison of Lu3Al5O12:Pr and Bi4Ge3O12 scintillators for gamma-ray detection

The scintillation properties of Lu₃Al₅O₁₂:Pr³⁺ (LuAG:Pr) single crystal grown by the Czochralski method with praseodymium concentration of 0.19 mol% were investigated. For a comparison, a good quality Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂ (BGO) single crystal grown by Bridgman method was also studied. The light yield and energy resolution were measured using photomultiplier tube (XP5200B PMT) readout. Moderate light yield of 15,900 photons per MeV was measured for the LuAG:Pr(0.19%) crystal. For 662 keV gamma rays (¹³⁷Cs source), an energy resolution of 6.5% obtained for LuAG:Pr(0.19%) is much better than that of 9.0% obtained for BGO. The light yield non-proportionality and energy resolution versus energy of gamma rays were measured and the intrinsic resolution of the crystals was determined after correcting the measured energy resolution for PMT statistics. The LuAG:Pr(0.19%) showed a good proportionality of the light yield within 5% over the energy range from 1274.5 keV down to 32 keV, which is much better than that of 14% for BGO. The photofraction was determined at 320 and 662 keV for both crystals and compared with the ratio of the cross-sections for the photoelectric effect to the total one calculated using WinXCOM program.     

Non-hydrolytic synthesis of titanosilicate xerogels by acetamide elimination and their use as epoxidation catalysts

Novel non-hydrolytic syntheses of titanosilicate xerogels by polycondensation of silicon acetate, Si(OAc)₄, with titanium (IV) dimethylamide or diethylamide, Ti(NR₂)₄ (R?=?Me, Et), are presented. The reactions are based on acetamide elimination and yield gels with a high content of Si?CO?Ti bonds in comparison with the ester elimination route. Although a ligand exchange was observed, it was interestingly not followed by homo-condensation and during the synthesis the phase separation to SiO₂ and TiO₂ was avoided. The degree of condensation reached up to 68?%. The xerogels prepared for a comparison by ester elimination from Si(OAc)₄ and titanium (IV) isopropoxide featured a significantly lower content of the Si?CO?CTi bonds. The initial tests in the epoxidation of cyclohexene by cumyl hydroperoxide (CHP) indicated a high selectivity and moderate activity of the xerogels. The catalytic properties were significantly improved by combining non-hydrolytic and hydrolytic methods yielding mesoporous and homogeneous Si/Ti mixed oxides. The catalysts prepared by these methods provided a complete epoxidation of cyclohexene in 2?h at?65?°C.     

Path integrals for the continuous spontaneous localization theory

Path integral expressions are given for the wave function and for the density matrix in a theory which describes state vector reduction. The magnitude of the contribution of each classical path to the propagator is not unity, as in ordinary quantum theory, but depends upon the path.     

Atomic-Scale Studies of Fe3O4(001) and TiO2(110) Surfaces Following Immersion in CO2-Acidified Water

Difficulties associated with the integration of liquids into a UHV environment make surface-science style studies of mineral dissolution particularly challenging. Recently, we developed a novel experimental setup for the UHV-compatible dosing of ultrapure liquid water and studied its interaction with TiO₂ and Fe₃O₄ surfaces. Herein, we describe a simple approach to vary the pH through the partial pressure of CO₂ ( ) in the surrounding vacuum chamber and use this to study how these surfaces react to an acidic solution. The TiO₂(110) surface is unaffected by the acidic solution, except for a small amount of carbonaceous contamination. The Fe₃O₄(001)-( × )R45° surface begins to dissolve at a pH 4.0–3.9 ( =0.8–1 bar) and, although it is significantly roughened, the atomic-scale structure of the Fe₃O₄(001) surface layer remains visible in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals that the surface is chemically reduced and contains a significant accumulation of bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) species. These observations are consistent with Fe(II) being extracted by bicarbonate ions, leading to dissolved iron bicarbonate complexes (Fe(HCO₃)₂), which precipitate onto the surface when the water evaporates.     

The Photochemical Synthesis and Denitrogenation of 8,9-diazadibenzo[c,e]isobullvalene

Starting from dibenzo[a, c]cyclooctene (4) and 4-methyl-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3,5(4H)-dione (MTAD), the strained skeleton of the title azo compound 1 is assembled in a tandem photo-Diels-Alder addition/di-π-methane rearrangement sequence. The synthesis is completed by a stepwise hydrolytic oxidation of the ensuing triazolidine-dione 2 with nickel peroxide. Thermolysis of 1 in benzene solution is shown to be governed by an initial 1,3-dipolar cycloreversion which leads, via an intermediate diazo compound 11 , to cyclobuta[1]phenanthrene 8 and two further carbene-derived C₁₆H₁₂ products. Photolysis of 1 at 350 nm leads in modest yield (12%), via a diazenyl diradical, to an unstable bridged bicyclobutane 10 (dibenzooctavalene). MNDO calculations suggest the latter to have a rapidly inverting, twisted structure of C₂ symmetry.     

Fluorine core esca linewidths in CH3F and CF4

Ab initio calculations within the Hartree-Fock formation have been carried out on potential energy surfaces of the ground and the F_1s hole states of CH₃F and CF₄ in order to investigate linewidths of their ESCA spectra. The calculations show that potential energy surfaces of both hole states have dissociative character and can be approximated by straight lines in the region of interest. A simple formula for the ESCA fwhm linewidth is derived which yields results in good agreement with experiment. Theoretically derived relaxation and Koopmans' energies have been investigated as a function of geometry.     

Organic semiconductors in potentiometric gas sensors

Solid-state potentiometric sensors based on the chemical modulation of the work function of organic semiconductors are discussed. The theory of the chemical work function modulation is briefly reviewed. There are several sensor configurations, in which this transduction principle can be employed. First is the Kelvin probe, second is the chemically sensitive field-effect transistor in which the conventional metal gate of the silicon-based transistor has been replaced by an organic semiconductor. Chemical modulation of work function enters also into the operation of the third type of sensor discussed in this review, on “organic field-effect transistor”. It is shown that in reality such sensors are “field-modulated chemiresistors”, rather than potentiometric sensors.