A gamma-spectrometric method for the determination of plutonium isotope ratios

A gamma-spectrometric method using an intrinsic high resolution germanium detector has been developed for the determination of isotope ratios of plutonium from samples in solution form. The method is based on the assay of low energy gamma-rays of²³⁸Pu,²³⁹Pu,²⁴⁰Pu and²⁴¹Pu and does not require the use of branching intensities or the knowledge of detection efficiencies for different gamma rays. Since low energy gamma-rays are used, the effect of²⁴¹Am has also been studied. It is found that results are not affected up to 0.5 wt% of²⁴¹Am in plutonium samples. An accuracy of 3% is achievable in the determination of²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu and²⁴¹Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios as demonstrated by carrying out measurements on isotopic standards of plutonium.     

N-benzamidosalicylaldimine complexes of copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II), iron(II), manganese(II), oxyvanadium(IV) and oxytitanium(IV)

Summary N-benzamidosalicylaldimine (H₂L) complexes of Cu^II, Ni^II, Co^II, Fe^II, Mn^II. VO_IV and TiO_IV have been prepared. The ligand probably coordinates to the metal from the hydroxyl, carbonyl and imino groups.     

A simple polymer electrolyte membrane system for enrichment of low-level tritium (3H) in environmental water samples

Tritium (³H) is an essential tracer of the Earth's water cycle; yet widespread adoption of tritium in hydrologic studies remains a challenge because of analytical barriers to quantification and detection of ³H by electrolytic pre-concentration. Here, we propose a simple tritium electrolytic enrichment system based on the use of solid polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) that can be used to enrich ³H in 250–3000?mL environmental water samples to a 10-mL final volume. The IAEA PEM-³H system reported here can produce high enrichment factors (>70-fold) and, importantly, removes some of the deterrents to conventional ³H enrichments methods, including the use of toxic electrolysis and neutralization chemicals, spike standards, a complex electrolysis apparatus that requires extensive cooling and temperature controls, and improves precision by eliminating the need for tracking recovery gravimetrics. Preliminary results with varying operating conditions show ³H enrichments to 70-fold and higher are feasible, spanning a wide range of tritium activities from 5 to 150 TU with a precision of ～4.5?%. Further work is needed to quantify inter-sample memory and to establish lower ³H detection limits. The IAEA PEM-³H system is open source, with 3-D CAD and design files made freely available for adoption and improvement by others.     

Unusual synthesis of azines and their oxidative degradation to carboxylic acid using iodobenzene diacetate

Reaction of 3-hydrazonobutan-2-one oxime with aromatic aldehydes resulted in the formation of 1,2-bis(arylidene)hydrazine commonly referred as azine as an unexpected product, instead of expected product 3-(aryl)methylenehydrazonobutan-2-one oxime, which were subsequently oxidized to corresponding aromatic acids with an ecofriendly oxidizing agent iodobenzene diacetate. Azines and carboxylic acids were characterized by IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, HMBC, and HMQC) studies.     

Base Catalysed Condensation of Acetone with Uracil Derivatives: One Step Synthesis of Pyranopyrimidines

Condensation of uracil derivatives (1,3,4) with acetone in the presence of triethylamine gave pyranopyrimidines (2,5,6).     

A proposal for experimental detection of amplitude nth-power squeezing

Recently, in several theoretical investigations, amplitude nth-power squeezing has been studied with n = 2, 3, 4, 5. In the present paper, we give a proposal for experimental detection of amplitude nth-power squeezing using ordinary homodyning with coherent light for arbitrary power n and discuss in detail its theory. The proposed scheme requires only repeated measurements of the factorial moments of number of photons in the light obtained after homodyning, with various shifts of phase of coherent light, and involves no approximations, whatsoever. This has advantage over the method proposed by Shchukin and Vogel [Phys. Rev. A 72 (2005) 043808] in that our method requires only one beam splitter and only one photodetector, and also lesser number of repetitions of experiment with phase-shifted coherent light.     

Detection of dopamine in the presence of excess ascorbic acid at physiological concentrations through redox cycling at an unmodified microelectrode array

The electrochemical behavior of dopamine was examined under redox cycling conditions in the presence and absence of a high concentration of the interferent ascorbic acid at a coplanar, microelectrode array where the area of the generator electrodes was larger than that of the collector electrodes. Redox cycling converts a redox species between its oxidized and reduced forms by application of suitable potentials on a set of closely located generator and collector electrodes. It allows signal amplification and discrimination between species that undergo reversible and irreversible electron transfer. Microfabrication was used to produce 18 individually addressable, 4-μm-wide gold band electrodes, 2 mm long, contained in an array having an interelectrode spacing of 4 μm. Because the array electrodes are individually addressable, each can be selectively biased to produce an overall optimal electrochemical response. Four adjacent microbands were shorted together to serve as the collector, and were flanked on each side by seven microbands shorted as the generator (a ratio of 1:3.5 of electroactive area, respectively). This configuration achieved a detection limit of 0.454?±?0.026 μM dopamine at the collector in the presence of 100 μM ascorbic acid in artificial cerebrospinal fluid buffer, concentrations that are consistent with physiological levels. Enhancement by surface modification of the microelectrode array to achieve this detection limit was unnecessary. The results suggest that the redox cycling method may be suitable for in vivo quantification of transients and basal levels of dopamine in the brain without background subtraction.

Synthesis and Spectral Studies of Some Novel 2,5,9,10-Tetrahydro [7,8-g]benzo-8-arylpyrazolo[4,5-e][1,5-b]benzoxazonine via Phase Transfer Catalysis

Treatment of 1H-4,5-dihydro-3-aryl-5-(2-hydroxyaryl)pyrazole with o-dibromoxylene under liquid-liquid phase transfer catalytic conditions using tetra-n-butylammonium hydrogen sulphate or [18]-crown-6 as PT catalyst, benzene/chloroform as organic phase and 50% aqueous potassium hydroxide as second phase, afforded novel 2,5,9,10-tetrahydro [7,8-g] benzo-8-arylpyrazolo[4,5-e] [1,5-b] benzoxazonines.