Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition of Silicon Carbonitride Films from Volatile Silyl Derivatives of 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine

Silicon carbonitride films were synthesized from new volatile precursors by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Based on a detailed study of the morphology of film surfaces, it was found that the layer material was an amorphous matrix with inclusions of nanosized crystals. Calculation of the structure of the crystalline phase from synchrotron X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrated that the entire set of the diffraction peaks detected is indexed by a tetragonal structure with the lattice parameters a = 9.6 Å and c = 6.4 Å. This is consistent with the fact that the carbon 1s and nitrogen 1s core level X-ray photoelectron spectra exhibited only sp ³ bonding, which was expected for superhard carbon nitride phases.     

Figures of merit of pneumatic and ultrasonic sample introduction systems in inductively coupled plasma–multichannel-based emission spectrometry in an ultra-clean environment

Conventional figures of merit such as limits of detection, signal to background ratio or repeatability, are used to determine the performance of pneumatic and ultrasonic sample introduction systems in an ultra-clean environment with an axially viewed inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and multichannel detection. We observed that the ultrasonic nebuliser offered a large improvement of signal intensity (10-133 greater) compared to a cyclone chamber coupled with a pneumatic Meinhard nebuliser. This improvement is associated with an average increase of signal to background ratio by a factor 86 and an average decrease of detection limits by a factor 6. The improvement factors generally depend on the element and for the same element on spectral lines. Typically, the observed values of detection limits in this work are lower than those published and obtained in non-ultra-clean conditions. The results emphasize that the environmental conditions of cleaning and analysis are essential to avoid and control cross contamination of the samples and hence to obtain low detection limits.     

Kinetics of Gold Electrodeposition from Cyanide Electrolytes at a Monitored Surface Coverage by Thallium Atoms

A procedure for measuring kinetic parameters of gold electrodeposition in the presence of catalytically active thallium(I) ions while monitoring the coverage of the gold surface by thallium adatoms, , is described. The procedure accounts for the duration of contact between a freshly renewed surface of gold and a thallium-containing solution and assumes that the incorporation rate of thallium adatoms is proportional to and the current density of gold electrodeposition. At = const, kinetic dependences correspond to the Tafel equation. Values of and i ₀ increase with . At = 0.3, 0.6 and i ₀ 3 × 10^–4 A cm^–2, which conforms to values calculated from anodic curves obtained in similar conditions.     

Migration of 99Tc in a Weak Loess Aquifer: A Field Column Experiment

The migration of ⁹⁹Tc in a weak loess aquifer was investigated in-situ with undisturbed aquifer medium columns. The columns were obtained horizontally at a depth of 3236 m in an Underground Research Facility (URF). Quartz containing ³H (HTO) and ⁹⁹Tc (in the form of ⁹⁹TcO₄ ^-) was introduced into one end of the columns and the columns were covered tightly. Aquifer water was introduced into the columns directly from an experimental shaft in the UFR. Effluents from the columns were collected and the activity of ³H and ⁹⁹Tc were determined with a liquid scintillation analyzer. The breakthrough curves of ³H and ⁹⁹Tc indicate that ⁹⁹Tc migrates a little faster than that ³H does in the aquifer.     

Composition and properties of polysaccharides from rice husk

The composition and content of polysaccharides obtained from different samples of rice husk by successive treatment with water, ammonium oxalate (or oxalic acid), and alkali were studied. The chemical composition of the rice husk residues after the extraction was examined, and the possibility of their use for preparing amorphous silica or cellulose-containing products, depending on the hydrolysis conditions, was assessed.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Khimii, Vol. 77, No. 11, 2004, pp. 1901–1904.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Zemnukhova, Tomshich, Mamontova, Komandrova, Fedorishcheva, Sergienko.     

Diverse redox-active molecules bearing O-, S-, or Se-terminated tethers for attachment to silicon in studies of molecular information storage

A molecular approach to information storage employs redox-active molecules tethered to an electroactive surface. Attachment of the molecules to electroactive surfaces requires control over the nature of the tether (linker and surface attachment group). We have synthesized a collection of redox-active molecules bearing different linkers and surface anchor groups in free or protected form (hydroxy, mercapto, S-acetylthio, and Se-acetylseleno) for attachment to surfaces such as silicon, germanium, and gold. The molecules exhibit a number of cationic oxidation states, including one (ferrocene), two [zinc(II)porphyrin], three [cobalt(II)porphyrin], or four (lanthanide triple-decker sandwich compound). Electrochemical studies of monolayers of a variety of the redox-active molecules attached to Si(100) electrodes indicate that molecules exhibit a regular mode of attachment (via a Si-X bond, X = O, S, or Se), relatively homogeneous surface organization, and robust reversible electrochemical behavior. The acetyl protecting group undergoes cleavage during the surface deposition process, enabling attachment to silicon via thio or seleno groups without handling free thiols or selenols.     

Ion Mobility,Phase Transitions,and Ion Conductivity in Alkali Metal Tetrafluoroantimonates(III) MSbF4 (M = Na,K, Rb,Cs)

The internal mobility of fluoride ions and electrophysical characteristics of alkali metal tetrafluoroantimonates(III) (M = Na, K, Rb, and Cs) are studied by ¹⁹F NMR and impedance spectroscopies. The types of ion motions in the anionic sublattice of these compounds are determined in the 180-510 K temperature range. The superionic conductivity of the MSbF₄ compounds is established above 480 K ( 2.9 × 10^-2 to 1.3 × 10^-4 S/cm).     

Adsorption of chlorobenzene on V2O5/Al2O3 catalyst under dynamic conditions

Frontal chromatography was used to study the adsorption dynamics and adsorption equilibrium of chlorobenzene on a 5% V₂O₅/Al₂O₃ catalyst at temperatures of 50 and 100°C. The mixed-diffusion model was employed to describe the elution curve and evaluate the effective coefficients of external mass exchange and diffusion within transport pores.     

The crystal and molecular structure of 1,1,2,4,4,5-hexaphenyl-1,4-diphosphoniacyclohexadiene-2,5 dibromide

The crystal and molecular structure of 1,1,2,4,4,5-hexaphenyl-1,4-diphosphoniacyclohexadiene-2,5 dibromide has been determined by a single crystal, x-ray diffraction study using diffractometer data. The compound crystallizes in the space group P2₁/_c with unit cell constants a = 8.813(1), b = 36.736(4), c = 12.478(1) Å, and β = 120.91°(1). The structure was solved by the heavy atom method and refined by block-diagonal least-squares to a final R = 0.04 for the 2761 statistically significant reflections. The structure determination shows that the central phosphonium ring is a diene and not a delocalized structure as anticipated. The ring is in the boat conformation with the axial phenyl rings aligned essentially parallel to each other and 3.55 Å apart.     

Polymeric Formulations Based on Iron and Cobalt Molybdophosphates and Polyacrylates

The possibility of using synthesized iron(III) and cobalt(II) molybdophosphates as dyes in dyeing of copolymers and polymeric formulations based on methacrylic acid and methyl methacrylate and also as pigments deposited onto natural and inorganic supports for heterogeneous dyeing of polymeric materials was studied.