On the Electronic Structure and Photochemistry of Coordinatively Unsaturated Complexes: The Case of Nickel Bis‐dinitrogen,Ni(N2)2

The electronic ground and excited states of the coordinatively unsaturated complex Ni(η¹‐N₂)₂, isolated in an Ar matrix, are analyzed in detail by vibrational and electronic absorption and emission spectroscopies allied with quantum chemical calculations. The bond force constants are determined from a normal coordinate analysis and compared with those of the isoelectronic carbonyl complex. The consequences for the bond properties are discussed, and the trend in the force constants is compared with the standard formation enthalpies. The linear complex Ni(η¹‐N₂)₂ with two terminal dinitrogen ligands can be photoisomerized to two isomeric, metastable forms Ni(η¹‐N₂)(η²‐N₂) and Ni(η²‐N₂)₂, with one and two side‐on coordinated dinitrogen ligands, respectively.     

Counting of Oxygen Defects versus Metal Surface Sites in Methanol Synthesis Catalysts by Different Probe Molecules

Different surface sites of solid catalysts are usually quantified by dedicated chemisorption techniques from the adsorption capacity of probe molecules, assuming they specifically react with unique sites. In case of methanol synthesis catalysts, the Cu surface area is one of the crucial parameters in catalyst design and was for over 25 years commonly determined using diluted N₂O. To disentangle the influence of the catalyst components, different model catalysts were prepared and characterized using N₂O, temperature programmed desorption of H₂, and kinetic experiments. The presence of ZnO dramatically influences the N₂O measurements. This effect can be explained by the presence of oxygen defect sites that are generated at the Cu‐ZnO interface and can be used to easily quantify the intensity of Cu‐Zn interaction. N₂O in fact probes the Cu surface plus the oxygen vacancies, whereas the exposed Cu surface area can be accurately determined by H₂.     

New engineering polymers for blow-moulding

The combination of using high performance flexible engineering polymers and their processing by blow moulding technology allows traditional rubber and rubber-metal composite parts to be replaced to obtain improved performance, lower cost and greater design freedom. Two examples of automobile applications are detailed to support this concept - constant velocity joint boots and engine air ducting.     

Green,purple, blue — [Cu(N-Methylimidazole)<Subscript>n</Subscript> (OOCCH<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>]<Subscript>m</Subscript>, what is in a colour

Starting from the paddlewheel complex copper(II)acetate, the green N-methylimidazole adduct of copper(II)acetate is formed and transformed into the monomeric and dimeric N-methylimidazole adducts of copper(II)acetate [Cu(C₄H₆N₂)₂(CH₃COO)₂]_n·xH₂O (n = 1,2; x = 0, 6). The formation of the blue dimer or the purple monomer depends on the solvent and the presence or absence of water.     

Eight and seven point degenerations of Miquel's Theorem in Laguerre planes

For M?bius planes Schaeffer [9] has proved that all seven point degenerations of Miquel's Theorem characterize miquelian M?bius planes. For Laguerre planes we have several degenerations of Miquel's Theorem with eight and seven points. We prove that all except one of these degenerations characterize miquelian Laguerre planes. The remaining degeneration characterizes elation Laguerre planes. Received 14 September 2001; revised 1 September 2002.     

Practical and theoretical aspects concerning the use of salt bridges in electrochemistry

The emf of electrochemical cells containing various sorts of salt bridges between various concentrations has been measured. The net diffusion potential over a salt bridge has been treated theoretically. An expression to calculate the net diffusion potential has been derived and tested on values estimated from the emf measurements. A merit factor has been calculated for a saturated KCl bridge separating two HCl solutions and compared with the merit factor estimated from emf measurements on the cell:Pt|Ag|AgCl, HCl(c₁)|KCl(sat)|HCl(c₂), AgCl|Ag|Pt The practical performance of two commonly used reference electrodes with salt bridges has been tested on emf measurements on KBr solutions.     

Entanglement interferometry for precision measurement of atomic scattering properties

We report on a matter wave interferometer realized with entangled pairs of trapped 87Rb atoms. Each pair of atoms is confined at a single site of an optical lattice potential. The interferometer is realized by first creating a coherent spin superposition of the two atoms and then tuning the interstate scattering length via a Feshbach resonance. The selective change of the interstate scattering length leads to an entanglement dynamics of the two-particle state that can be detected in a Ramsey interference experiment. This entanglement dynamics is employed for a precision measurement of atomic interaction parameters. Furthermore, the interferometer allows us to separate lattice sites with one or two atoms in a nondestructive way.