Ionic conductivity and thermal expansion of anion-deficient Sr11Mo4O23 perovskite

Transport properties of perovskite-type Sr₁₁Mo₄O₂₃ and composite Sr₁₁Mo₄O₂₃ - 1 wt% Al₂O₃ were studied at 400–1300 K in the oxygen partial pressure range from 0.21 down to 10⁻¹⁹ atm. The electromotive force and faradaic efficiency measurements, in combination with the energy-dispersive spectroscopy of the fractured electrochemical cells, unambiguously showed prevailing role of the oxygen ionic conductivity under oxidizing conditions. At temperatures above 600 K, protonic and cationic transport can be neglected. The oxygen ion transference numbers vary in the range of 0.95–1.00 at 973–1223 K. At temperatures lower than 550 K, the total conductivity of Sr₁₁Mo₄O₂₃ - 1 wt% Al₂O₃ composite measured by impedance spectroscopy tends to increase in wet atmospheres, thus indicating that hydration and protonic transport become significant. Reducing oxygen partial pressure below 10⁻¹⁰–10⁻⁹ atm leads to a significant increase in the n-type electronic conduction. The average thermal expansion coefficients in oxidizing atmospheres are (14.3–15.0) × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ at 340–740 K and (18.3–19.2) × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ at 870–1370 K.

     

Mass Activated Droplet Sorting (MADS) Enables High‐Throughput Screening of Enzymatic Reactions at Nanoliter Scale

Microfluidic droplet sorting enables the high‐throughput screening and selection of water‐in‐oil microreactors at speeds and volumes unparalleled by traditional well‐plate approaches. Most such systems sort using fluorescent reporters on modified substrates or reactions that are rarely industrially relevant. We describe a microfluidic system for high‐throughput sorting of nanoliter droplets based on direct detection using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). Droplets are split, one portion is analyzed by ESI‐MS, and the second portion is sorted based on the MS result. Throughput of 0.7 samples s^?1 is achieved with 98 % accuracy using a self‐correcting and adaptive sorting algorithm. We use the system to screen ≈15 000 samples in 6 h and demonstrate its utility by sorting 25 nL droplets containing transaminase expressed in vitro. Label‐free ESI‐MS droplet screening expands the toolbox for droplet detection and recovery, improving the applicability of droplet sorting to protein engineering, drug discovery, and diagnostic workflows.     

N-donor ligand complexes of nickel,zinc and copper: Comparisons with tetradentate N-donor ligands derived from Schiff bases

The nickel and zinc complexes of 2-aminomethylaniline (AMA) are reported. Both metals form the octahedral complex [M(AMA)₂(ONO₂)₂] (M = Ni, Zn) where the aromatic ligands lie in the meridial plane with the anilino donors trans to one another. The remaining nitrates coordinate axially. A simple comparison with the nitrogen donor disposition (cis/trans) in nickel complexes of tetradentate N₄ donor ligands derived from symmetric Schiff base ligands is presented. The discussion is extended to interrogate the bonding motifs of the nitrate ligands viz –ONO₂ in the nickel complexes of AMA compared to the two motifs (viz O₂NO and ONO₂) that are isolated for the nickel complexes of the macrocycle hexamethyltetraazacyclotetradecane.     

Regulatory problems caused by contamination, a frequently overlooked cause of veterinary drug residues

The occurrence of violative residues of veterinary medicines and other, unauthorised, drugs in food of animal origin is an issue of popular concern within the European Union. Violations can occur as a result of improper use of a licensed product or through the illegal use of an unlicensed substance. However, a "violative" analytical result does not necessarily mean that abuse has occurred. Contamination of animal feedingstuffs, environmental contamination and animal-to-animal transfer of drugs can also cause residue violations. This paper reviews these inadvertent causes of residues violations in food, and includes data generated using chromatographic and non-chromatographic methods of analysis.     

Enantiospecific and regioselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation: diastereoselective approach to quaternary carbon stereogenic centers

The enantiospecific and regioselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of a series of chiral nonracemic allylic carbonates, followed by ozonolysis and reductive lactonization, provides a convenient route to optically active gamma-lactones. Sequential alkylation and reductive alkylation furnished the alpha-quaternary-beta-ternary substituted gamma-lactone derivative as a >/=10:1 mixture of diastereoisomers.     

Engineering quadrupole magnetic flow sorting for the isolation of pancreatic islets

Quadrupole magnetic flow sorting (QMS) is being adapted from the separation of suspensions of single cells (<15 μm) to the isolation of pancreatic islets (150–350 μm) for transplant. To achieve this goal, the critical QMS components have been modeled and engineered to optimize the separation process. A flow channel has been designed, manufactured, and tested. The quadrupole magnet assembly has been designed and verified by finite element analysis. Pumps have been selected and verified by test. Test data generated from the pumps and flow channel demonstrate that the fabricated channel and peristaltic pumps fulfill the requirements of successful QMS separation.     

Structural analysis of silicon dioxide and silicon oxynitride filmsproduced using an oxygen plasma

Plasma grown silicon dioxide and oxynitride layers are shown to represent, for microelectronic applications, a good alternative method to conventional thermally grown layers. Fast growth rates, together with good electrical properties are demonstrated, at low process temperatures. Growth kinetics of SiO₂ layers synthesized both in RF and microwave plasma anodization systems are presented for a wide range of substrate temperatures in the range (90-560°C). Structural properties of the films can be affected during preparation, due to radiation from the plasma and particle bombardment. For the SiO₂ layers obtained by RF anodization at 300°C, these surface structural features were investigated by scanning electron microscopy; bulk and interface dielectric properties of the layers were analyzed by spectroellipsometry. The results were correlated with electrical properties and data coming from the growth kinetics. It was found that the properties of the layers, both structural and electrical, are strongly dependent on the growth regime (linear or parabolic). Silicon oxynitride films produced by plasma anodization of silicon nitride layers are investigated by spectroellipsometry and Auger electron spectroscopy. These results are correlated with electrical measurements and used to explain the changes in film properties