Neutron imaging at PSI: a promising tool in materials science and technology

Neutron imaging as a method for non-destructive studies takes advantage of the alternative contrast mechanism of neutrons compared to X-rays: most of the light elements feature high contrast, whereas heavy elements are relatively transparent to neutrons. In the previous decade, the neutron imaging technique has made substantial progress in well-tailored and well-equipped beam lines, in improvements of the image recording quality and efficiency by new and modern imaging techniques, and in modern image processing tools.     

Optical constants of organic insulators in the UV range extracted from reflection electron energy loss spectra

Reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) spectra were measured for seven insulating organic compounds (DNA, Irganox 1010, Kapton, polyethylene [PE], poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA], polystyrene [PS] and polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE]). Optical constants and energy band gaps were extracted from the measured REELS spectra after elimination of multiple electron scattering via a deconvolution and fitting the normalised single scattering energy loss spectra to Drude and Drude–Lindhard model dielectric functions, constrained by the Kramers–Kronig sum and f-sum rules. Satisfactory agreement is found for those optical constants for which literature data exists. For PTFE, the observed features in the optical data correspond to its electronic structure.     

Measurement of the surface excitation parameter of Kapton,polyethylene (PE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

Reflection electron energy loss spectra (REELS) were measured for five insulating organic compounds: Kapton, polyethylene (PE), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), as well as for Ni and Si, in the energy range between 200 and 1600 eV. The average number of surface excitations for a single surface crossing were determined from the experimental data and were found to be considerably smaller than for earlier studied materials, which mainly consisted of elemental metals [Surf. Sci. 486(2001)L461]. The surface excitation parameter, a material parameter used to quantify the relative intensity of surface losses in (photo)electron spectroscopy, was extracted from the data and compared with values found in the literature. The results indicate that surface excitations only have a minor influence on quantification of XPS spectra of polymers. On the other hand, a correction for surface excitations turns out to be essential for measurements of the electron inelastic mean free path of polymers when a metal is used as reference material.     

New amides fromSpilanthes oleracea

In addition to the well known affinin [=spilanthol, (2E,6Z,8E)-deca-2,6,8-trienoic acid isobutylamide (1)], the corresponding 2-methyl-butylamide (2), and two new acetylenic alkamides were isolated fromSpilanthes oleracea L. by reversed phase medium pressure chromatography: (Z)-non-2-en-6,8-diynoic acid isobutylamide (3) and (Z)-dec-2-en-6,8-diynoic acid isobutylamide (4). The structures and their stereochemistries were elucidated by¹H-NMR,¹³C-NMR (2 and3), MS, UV, IR, and CD (2). The chemotaxonomic significance of the distribution of alkamides within theCompositae tribeHeliantheae is briefly discussed.

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Neue Amide ausSpilanthes oleracea (Kurze Mitteilung)

Zusammenfassung AusSpilanthes oleracea wurden neben dem seit langem bekannten Affinin [=Spilanthol, (2E,6Z,8E)-Deca-2,6,8-triensäureisobutylamid (1)] durch Umkehrphasen-Mitteldruckchromatographie das entsprechende 2-Methylbutylamid (2) und zwei neue acetylenische Alkamide isoliert: (Z)-Non-2-en-6,8-diinsäure-isobutylamid (3) und (Z)-Dec-2-en-6,8-diinsäure-isobutylamid (4). Die Strukturen und deren Stereochemie wurden mittels¹H-NMR,¹³C-NMR (2 und3), MS, UV, IR und CD (2) aufgeklärt. Die chemotaxonomische Bedeutung der Verbreitung von Alkamiden innerhalb der Compositen-TribusHeliantheae wird kurz diskutiert.

     

C60: A host lattice for the intercalation of oxygen?

The investigation of structural and electronic properties of the novel family of fullerenes depends on the existence of pure reference materials. Sublimation of the van-der Waals solids is a suitable purification method. Little attention has been paid to the question about the air stability of such sublimed samples in form of crystals or thin films. A combination of thermal desorption spectroscopy, thermal analysis and diffuse reflectance FT-IR spectroscopy is used to show the extent to which oxygen from dry air is intercalated into fullerenes and which detrimental reactivity occurs from attempts to thermally remove (nneal) air-exposed samples. The conclusion is that any fullerene sample exposed to air will be transformed in part into a polymeric non-fullerene carbon upon thermal treatment to above 400 K irrespective of its initial purity.Dedicated to Professor Dr. rer. nat. Dr. h.c. Hubertus Nickel on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Method for the determination of thorium and uranium in urine by ICP-MS

ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) is shown as a very sensitive method for quantitative determination of Th and U concentration and excretion analysis in urine without any sample pretreatment. The current standard method for incorporation monitoring applies alpha-spectrometry, a very tedious and time consuming technique. ICP-MS offers an attractive alternative for monitoring of thorium and uranium body burdens in occupationally exposed subjects and also larger groups of the general population. A limit of determination of 0.5 ng/L in aqueous solutions and 1 ng/L in urine samples for both elements was achieved, with a precision of about ± 10% in the concentration range of appr. 10 ng/L. Due to the lack of a suitable reference material, the accuracy of the method was tested by comparing some of the results with those obtained by -spectrometry, especially for U. There was a sufficient agreement on both results.