Precipitation polymerization of aniline in the presence of water‐soluble organic acids

The precipitation polymerization of aniline in the presence of organic acids, including toluene‐4‐sulfonic acid, phenylphosphonic acid, 4‐aminophenylphosphonic acid, and acetophosphonic acid, led in one step to conductive polyaniline. The polyaniline showed very good affinity for water and was easily modified to be water‐soluble. In comparison with the widely studied postpolymerization of doped polyaniline, this reaction allowed reasonably good conductivity to be achieved at a lower acid/polyaniline ratio. Moreover, the easy in situ incorporation of the dopant into the polymer structure caused high stability of the created salt; that is, no dedoping was observed after it was washed with water, methanol, or other solvents. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3562–3569, 2002     

Mechanistic Study on the Oxidation of Promazine and Chlorpromazine by Hexaimidazolcobalt(III) in Acidic Aqueous Media

The kinetics of the oxidation of promazine and chlorpromazine by hexaimidazolcobalt(III) were studied in the presence of a large excess of cobalt(III) and H⁺ ions using u.v.–vis. spectroscopy ([Co^III] = (1–6) × 10⁻³ m, [ptz] = (2.5–10) × 10⁻⁵ m, [H⁺] = 0.05–0.8 m, I = 1.0 m (H⁺, Na⁺, Cl⁻), T = 333–353 K, l = 1 cm). In each case, the reversible reaction leads to formation of cobalt(II) species and a stable cationic radical. A linear dependence of the pseudo-first-order rate constant (k_obs) on [Co^III] with a non-zero intercept was established for both phenothiazine derivatives. A marked difference in the observed reaction rate for promazine and chlorpromazine is associated with the difference in its ability to undergo oxidation and is consistent with a trend in the redox potential changes for these reductants. The activation parameters for reactions studied were determined. Mechanistic consequences of all the results are discussed.     

Simple Method for Simultaneous Determination of Selenium and Arsenic in Human Hair by Means of Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry with Hydride Generation Technique

This study describes a simple, rapid and reliable method for simultaneous determination of selenium and arsenic in human hair by means of atomic fluorescence spectrometry combined with a hydride generation technique (HG-AFS). The procedure developed encompasses microwave digestion of a sample in the nitric acid environment only. The interferences caused by nitrous oxides are eliminated by removing a gas from above the digested solution with a stream of argon. The sample is then chemically treated in a flow-through hydride generation system and exposed to measurements in a double-channel atomic fluorescence spectrometer. The method permits determining both analytes in the linear range of 0.5–100µgL^–1 with a detection limit equal to 0.2µgL^–1, as well as with very good repeatability not exceeding 1% for Se and 2% for As. No mutual interferences from either of the analytes in the concentrations ranges matching the hair composition were found. The method was verified in terms of accuracy with the use of a reference material and then applied to the analysis of the natural samples of human hair.     

Mutual Solubilities of Water and Alkanes

Summary.  The evaluation of mutual solubility data for systems water with n-alkanes, isoalkanes, and cycloalkanes along the three phase line is reported and a formula for the prediction of solubility of alkanes in water is developed. Then a cubic equation of state with an added term, which accounts for hydrogen bonding is used for correlation of liquid–liquid equilibrium data and for prediction of solubility of water in hydrocarbons using alkane in water solubility data. Comparison of the predicted and experimental solubilities is performed using all accessible experimental data. With this approach it is possible to predict the solubilities of water in alkanes with good accuracy over the temperature range up to about 20 K below critical temperature. Solubility of alkanes in water can also be calculated using experimental data for solubility of water in alkanes but results of these calculations are more sensitive to experimental errors of the data. Corresponding author: E-mail: macz@ichf.edu.pl Received August 5, 2002; accepted (revised) September 13, 2002 Published online March 13, 2003 RID="a" ID="a" Dedicated to Prof. Dr. H. Gamsj?ger on the occasion of his 70^th birthday anniversary     

Thermal decomposition of metal polyacrylates

Results of thermal and pyrolysis-GC/MS analyses of Na, Ca and Mg polyacrylates are presented. It was confirmed that the main decomposition reactions of the Na salt take place in the temperature range 420 – 470 and those of the other two polymers in the range 450–490. It was found that the solid residue after decomposition was the metal carbonate or oxide, while the volatile products consisted of H₂, CO, CO₂, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons (including cycloolefins and aromatic hydrocarbons) and aliphatic ketones. This suggests that the thermal decomposition of the metal polyacrylates proceeds via side-chain splitting and breaking of the main chain of the polymer, without retropolymerization.

---

Zusammenfassung Die Ergebnisse der Thermo- und Pyrolyse-GC/MS-analysen von Na-, Ca- und Mg-Polyacrylaten werden beschrieben. Es wurde bestÄtigt, dass die Hauptzersetzungsreaktionen des Natriumsalzes im Temperaturbereich von 420 bis 470, jene der anderen zwei Polymeren im Bereich von 450 bis 490 ablaufen. Es wurde nach der Zersetzung ein fester Rückstand von Metallkarbonat oder -oxid gefunden, wÄhrend die flüchtigen Produkte aus N₂, CO, CO₂, gesÄttigten und ungesÄttigten Kohlenwasserstoffen (darunter Zykloolefinen und aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen) und aliphatischen Ketonen bestanden. Dies lÄsst darauf schliessen, dass sich die thermische Zersetzung der Metallpolyacrylate über die Abspaltung der Seitenkette und der Spaltung der Hauptkette des Polymers ohne Retropolymerisation vollzieht.

---

Résumé On présente les résultats des analyses thermiques et des produits de décomposition pyrolytique par chromatographie en phase gazeuse et spectrométrie de masse (GC/MS) des polyacrylates de Na, Ca et Mg. On confirme que la réaction de décomposition principale du sel de sodium a lieu entre 420 et 470 et celle des deux autres polymères entre 450 et 490. On trouve que le résidu solide après décomposition est le carbonate ou l'oxyde du métal, tandis que les produits volatils consistent en N₂, CO, CO₂, en hydrocarbures saturés et non-saturés (y compris les cyclooléfines et hydrocarbures aromatiques) et en cétones aliphatiques. Cela permet de supposer que la décomposition thermique des polyacrylates métalliques s'effectue par coupure de la chaÎne latérale et par rupture de la chaÎne principale du polymère, sans rétropolymérisation.

---

-- -- Na, Ca Mg. , 420–470, — 450–490. , . H₂, CO, CO₂, , , . , .

     

Magnon spectrum and curie temperature of doped ferromagnetic semiconductors

The influence of a partially filled conduction band on the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic semiconductors is studied within the framework of thes-f model. Allowing for magnon scattering to arbitrary order in the form of virtual electron- holecreation the magnon spectral density is derived, from which one gets magnon energies which are substantially renormalized by the presence of conduction electrons. In particular it is shown how the quasiparticle structure of the electronic excitation energies [4, 5] leads to scattering corrections in the magnon spectrum. These corrections are always negative and reduce the positive mean field part, which is proportional to the electron densityn. The calculated magnon spectrum is then used to determine the strikingn-dependence of the Curie-temperatureT _c of Gd-doped EuO and EuS.     

Synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticle/kaolinite composites

Ag nanoparticles were synthetized in the interlamellar space of a layered kaolinite clay mineral. Disaggregation of the lamellae of non-swelling kaolinite was achieved by intercalation of dimethyl sulfoxide. The kaolinite was suspended in aqueous AgNO₃ solution and, after adsorption of Ag⁺, the ions were reduced with NaBH₄. The interlamellar space limits particle growth (d_ave=3.8–4.2 nm); however, larger silver particles may be formed on the exterior surface of kaolinite with d_ave=5.6–10.5 nm diameter. The diameter of the particles prepared in this way is depending on the initial AgNO₃ concentration. The silver nanoparticles prepared were characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM).     

Electrosorption of hydrogen into palladium-gold alloys

Hydrogen electrosorption into Pd-Au alloys has been studied in acidic solutions (1 M H₂SO₄) using cyclic voltammetry. Pd-Au electrodes with limited volume were prepared by electrochemical co-deposition. It was found that the maximum H/(Pd+Au) ratios decrease monotonically with increasing gold content and reach zero at ca. 70 at% Au. Similarly to the case of Pd limited volume electrodes, two peaks in the hydrogen region, corresponding to two types of sorbed hydrogen, are observed on voltammograms for Pd-rich alloys. The hydrogen capacity, H/(Pd+Au), measured electrochemically, depends on the sweep rate in the cyclic voltammetry experiments, which suggests that two different mechanisms for hydrogen desorption from the Pd-Au alloy are possible. After a strong decrease of Pd concentration at the electrode surface, caused by long cyclic polarization to sufficiently anodic potentials, the amount of absorbed hydrogen is still significant for alloys initially rich in Pd. The results obtained from CO adsorption experiments suggest that only Pd atoms are active in the hydrogen absorption/desorption process. Electronic Publication     

Application of kinetic investigations for interpretation ofn-hexane and benzene adsorption on active carbon

Differencies between the mechanism ofn-hexane and benzene adsorption on active carbon were investigated on the ground of kinetic measurements. As it has been stated, the kinetic measurements show fundamental differencies between the mechanism of adsorption in spite of analogy existing in the state of adsorption equilibrium. Within the range investigated, only the adsorption ofn-hexane follows the model of volume filling of micropores. Existence of those differencies is also confirmed by measurements of effective diffusion coefficient values as well as changes of activation energy of the diffusion—adsorption process.

---

Anwendung kinetischer Untersuchungen zur Interpretation des Adsorptionsverhaltens vonn-Hexan und Benzol an Aktivkohle

Zusammenfassung Mittels kinetischer Messungen untersuchte man die Unterschiede im Mechanismus des Adsorptionsverlaufes vonn-Hexan und Benzol an Aktivkohle. Man stellte fest, daß trotz der Analogie im Adsorptionsgleichgewichtszustand die kinetischen Messungen auf prinzipielle Unterschiede im Adsorptionsmechanismus hinweisen. Im untersuchten Bereich verläuft nur die Adsorption vonn-Hexane nach dem Modell der Mikroporenvolumenausfüllung. Die auftretenden Unterschiede wurden auch durch die Berechnungen der Werte der effektiven Diffusionskoeffizienten sowie Änderungen der Aktivierungsenergie des Diffusions-Adsorptionsprozesses bestätigt.

     

Determination of total carbon and total organic carbon from volatile air pollutants

Summary The method developed based on the determination of TC and TOC in the form of the total amount of CO₂ requires application of the proper techniques for the final determination of CO₂. The possibility of using a stream of carrier gas at a convenient flow-rate for desorbing quantitatively CO₂ concentrated on a molecular sieve permits use of a wide variety of known analytical techniques for the final determination of CO₂. Various methods were compared on the basis of both absolute and calibration measurements. The absolute methods chosen were gravimetric (classical or an automated version based on application of a gravimetric automat and automatic recording balance), thermogravimetric analysis and coulometry. The calibration methods included thermal conductivity, the flame-ionization detector (after conversion of CO₂ into methane) and infrared absorption. Usefulness of the methods was evaluated on the basis of comparative statistical analysis of experimental data with respect to precision (Snedecor'sF-test and Bartlett'sU ²-test) and accuracy (Student'st-test).

---

Zusammenfassung Das entwickelte Verfahren zur Bestimmung des TC- und TOC-Gehaltes in Form der gesamten Menge CO₂ erfordert die Anwendung geeigneter Analysentechniken zur Endbestimmung dieser Verbindung. Die Möglichkeit einer Desorption des am Molekularsieb angereicherten CO₂ in einem Gasstrom mit geeignetem Durchfluß erlaubt zur Endbestimmung von CO₂ die Anwendung einer Reihe verschiedener Analysenverfahren. Die Anwendbarkeit verschiedener, auf Absolutverfahren und auch auf relativen Messungen beruhender Methoden wurde vergleichend untersucht. Die folgenden Methoden zur CO₂-Bestimmung wurden gewählt: die Gravimetrie (klassische oder automatisierte unter Einsatz eines Wägeautomaten und einer registrierenden Waage), die Thermogravimetrie und die Coulometrie. Von den relativen Methoden wurden die Thermokonduktometrie, der Flammenionisationsdetektor (nach Umsetzung von CO₂ zu Methan) und das IR-Absorptionsmeßverfahren geprüft. Die Anwendbarkeit der Methoden wurde mit Hilfe statistischer Prüfverfahren beurteilt, wobei die Präzision (SnedecorsF-Test und BartlettsU ²-Test) und die Genauigkeit (Studentst-Test) der erhaltenen Analysenwerte verglichen wurden.