Crystal structure and a giant magnetoresistance effect in the new Zintl compound Eu3Ga2P4

Single-crystalline samples of a new Zintl compound, Eu(3)Ga(2)P(4), have been synthesized by a Ga-flux method. Eu(3)Ga(2)P(4) is found to crystallize in a monoclinic unit cell, space group C2/c, isostructural to Ca(3)Al(2)As(4). The structure is composed of a pair of edge-shared GaP(4) tetrahedra, which link by corner-sharing to form Ga(2)P(4) two-dimensional layers, separated by Eu(2+) ions. Magnetic susceptibility showed a Curie-Weiss behavior with an effective magnetic moment consistent with the value for Eu(2+) magnetic ions. Below 15 K, ferromagnetic ordering was observed and the saturation magnetic moment was 6.6 μ(B). Electrical resistivity measurements on a single crystal showed semiconducting behavior. Resistivity in the temperature range between 280 and 300 K was fit by an activation model with an energy gap of 0.552(2) eV. The temperature dependence of the resistivity is better described by the variable-range-hopping model for a three-dimensional conductivity, suggesting that Eu-P bonds are involved in the conductivity. A large magnetoresistance, up to -30%, is observed with a magnetic field H = 2 T at T = 100 K, suggesting strong coupling of carriers with the Eu(2+) magnetic moment.     

Absolute structures of C-glucosides of resveratrol oligomers from Shorea uliginosa

Two C-glucosides of resveratrol dimers (uliginoside A (1) and hemsleyanoloside B (2)) consisting of enantiomeric aglycones and two C-glucosides of resveratrol trimers (uliginosides B (3) and C (4)) consisting of diastereomeric aglycones were isolated from Shorea uliginosa (Dipterocarpaceae). These structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis including NMR experiments, and their absolute configurations were determined based on circular dichroism data. Resveratrol oligomers of C-glucosides with a 1,2-diaryldihydrobenzofuran ring are produced with specific biogenetic routes.     

Adsorption of fluoride ions onto carbonaceous materials

The characteristics of fluoride ion adsorption onto carbonaceous materials were derived as adsorption isotherms at different temperatures and in different pH solutions. The fluoride ion was adsorbed into pores in carbonaceous materials produced from wood; the larger the specific surface area, the more fluoride ions adsorbed. Bone char was the most effective adsorbent. The composition of bone char includes calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, and so on. This suggests that the phosphate ion in bone char was exchanged with a fluoride ion. Moreover, the mechanism of fluoride ion adsorption onto bone char is clearly chemical in nature because the amount of fluoride ion adsorbed onto bone char increased with increasing temperature and decreasing pH. The amount of fluoride ion adsorbed onto bone char was also shown to depend on the concentration of sodium chloride in solution because of the "salting-out" effect. The adsorption of fluoride ion onto bone char is endothermic. Bone char can be utilized to remove fluoride ions from drinking water.     

Granulation of Nickel–Aluminum–Zirconium Complex Hydroxide Using Colloidal Silica for Adsorption of Chromium(VI) Ions from the Liquid Phase

We combined a nickel–aluminum–zirconium complex hydroxide (NAZ) with colloidal silica as a binder to prepare a granulated agent for adsorbing heavy metals from aqueous media. Three samples with different particle diameters were prepared to evaluate the effects on the properties: small (NAZ-S), medium (NAZ-M), and large (NAZ-L). We confirmed the granulation of the prepared samples at a binder content of 25%. NAZ-S had the largest specific surface area and number of hydroxyl groups, followed by NAZ-M and then NAZ-L. Regarding the adsorption capacity, NAZ-S adsorbed the most chromium(VI) ions followed by NAZ-M and then NAZ-L. The binding energy of Cr(2p) at 575–577 eV was detected after adsorption, and the effects of the temperature, contact time, and pH on the adsorption of chromium(VI) ions were evaluated. We identified the following adsorption mechanism: ion exchange with sulfate ions in the interlayer region of the NAZ samples. Finally, the chromium(VI) ions adsorbed by the NAZ samples were easily desorbed using a desorption solution. The results showed that NAZ offers great potential for the removal of chromium(VI) ions from aqueous solutions.