Positron studies of hydrogen-defect interactions in proton irradiated molybdenum

Molybdenum single crystals are irradiated at 20 K with 6 MeV protons. The radiation damage and lattice defect annealing is studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy in the temperature range from 15 to 720 K. Loss of vacancies due to recombination with mobile interstitials is observed at 40 K (Stage I) in agreement with resistivity measurements. This is the first time Stage I is observed by positrons below 77 K. The implanted hydrogen decorates the vacancies around 100 K, which is consistent with a hydrogen migration energy in molybdenum:E _M ^H = 0.3–0.4 eV. Clustering of spatially correlated vacancies takes place in a wide temperature region below the usual vacancy clustering stage (Stage III). Stage III is observed at rather low temperatures (400–480 K) due to the very high vacancy concentration. Hydrogen bound to vacancies and vacancy clusters is released above 540 K, which puts an upper limit to the hydrogen binding energy:E _B ^H 1.4 eV. The present work emphasizes the advantage of employing a vacancy sensitive technique to study hydrogen in metals, where its intrinsic solubility is low. In such metals (as molybdenum) both the effective solubility and the effective mobility of hydrogen are strongly influenced by the presence of vacancies.     

The vibrational spectra of maleimide and N-D maleimide

The infrared spectra of maleimide as a vapour (160°C), melt (100°C), oriented polycrystalline film, pellet and when dissolved in various solvents were recorded between 4000 and 400 cm^?1. Also certain spectra in the far infrared region 400-40 cm^?1 were obtained. Raman spectra of the crystalline solid, melt and as a saturated solution in acetonitrile were recorded and semiquantitative polarization measurements carried out. For N-D maleimide infrared and Raman spectra of the solid compound were recorded.The fundamental frequencies have been assigned in terms of C_2v, symmetry on the basis of infrared vapour contours and dichroism of the oriented film as well as on Raman polarization data. A force field was derived for maleimide, by initially transferring force constants from maleic anhydride and subsequent refinement of the force constants. The agreement between observed and calculated frequencies for the in-plane modes was satisfactory whereas certain large discrepancies remained for the out-of-plane vibrations.     

Simultaneous determination of chromium(III) and chromium(VI) in aqueous solutions by ion chromatography and chemiluminescence detection.

A method for the simultaneous determination of chromium(iii) and chromium(vi) in a flow system based on chemiluminescence was developed. A Dionex cation-exchange guard column was used to separate chromium(iii) from chromium(vi), and chromium(vi) was reduced by potassium sulfite, whereupon both species were detected by use of the luminol-hydrogen peroxide chemiluminescence system. Linear calibration for both species was established over the concentration range 1-1000 micrograms l-1. The precision at the 20 micrograms l-1 level was 3.5% for chromium(iii) and 3.3% for chromium(vi), respectively. The detection limit was 0.5 micrograms l-1 for both species. Data were in agreement with Zeeman-effect background corrected atomic absorption spectrometry measurements.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-1-(Indanyloxymethyl) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-1-(4-Hydroxybut-2-enyloxymethyl) Analogues of the HIV Drugs Emivirine and GCA-186

Summary. A series of Emivirine and GCA-186 analogues substituted at N-1 with indan-1-yloxymethyl (6a–6c) and indan-2-yloxymethyl (6d–6f) were synthesized by reaction of the corresponding bis(indanyloxy)methans with uracils having 5-ethyl or 5-isopropyl and 6-benzyl or 6-(3,5-dimethylbenzyl) substituents. A route to the corresponding N-1 substituted 4-hydroxybut-2-enyloxymethyl analogue was also devised. All newly synthesized compounds showed potent activity against wild-type HIV-1, the most active compound being 5-ethyl-1-(indan-1-yloxymethyl)-6-(3,5-dimethylbenzyl)uracil (6b), which was 50-fold more active than Emivirine.Present address: Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, EgyptA research center funded by The Danish National Research Foundation for studies on nucleic acid chemical biology     

Stereoselective synthesis of (E)-beta-tributylstannyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones: construction of a key intermediate for the total synthesis of zoanthamine

(E)-beta-Trialkylstannyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones are readily available from secondary propargylic alcohols via a two-step sequence involving highly regio- and stereoselective Pd(0)-catalyzed hydrostannation followed by mild oxidation (TPAP). The methodology has been applied to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure enone 12 which is a key intermediate for the total synthesis of zoanthamine, a structurally complex marine natural product.     

Effect of glycation on the heterogeneity of human serum albumin analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in a solvent containing formic acid.

Non-enzymic glycation of human serum albumin (HSA) induces a change in its charge heterogeneity that may account for its particular renal clearance in patients with early diabetic nephropathy. A new high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis for the study of HSA heterogeneity is described based on a high content of formic acid in the mobile phase combined with a concave gradient of isopropanol. Under these conditions, native HSA was separated into three individual components (I, II and III). When glycated HSA was analysed, it was found that although the present method is not suitable for the separation of glycated from non-glycated HSA, it shows the effect of glycation in producing changes in HSA heterogeneity that are different from those reported on surface change. This finding suggests an additional factor (probably conformational changes) that is contributing to the heterogeneity of glycated HSA.     

Selective flow injection analysis of ultra-trace amounts of Cr(VI), preconcentration of it by solvent extraction, and determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS)

A rapid, robust, sensitive and selective time-based flow injection (FI) on-line solvent extraction system interfaced with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) is described for analyzing ultra-trace amounts of Cr(VI). The sample is initially mixed on-line with isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK). The Cr(VI) is complexed by reaction with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC), and the non-charged Cr(VI)–PDC chelate formed is extracted into IBMK in a knotted reactor made from PTFE tubing. The organic extractant is separated from the aqueous phase by a gravity phase separator with a small conical cavity and delivered into a collector tube, from which 55 μl organic concentrate is subsequently introduced via an air flow into the graphite tube of the ETAAS instrument. The operations of the FI-system and the ETAAS detector are synchronously coupled. A significant advantage of the approach is that matrix constituents, such as high salt contents, effectively are eliminated. The extraction procedure was optimized by a simplex approach. A central composite design was subsequently employed to verify the estimated operational optimum. An 18-fold enhancement in sensitivity of Cr(VI) was achieved after preconcentration for 99 s at a sample flow rate of 5.5 ml min⁻¹, as compared to direct introduction of 55 μl of sample, yielding a detection limit (3σ) of 3.3 ng l⁻¹. The sampling frequency was 24.2 samples h⁻¹. The proposed method was successfully evaluated by analyzing a NIST Cr(VI)-reference material, synthetic seawater and waste waters, and waste water samples from an incineration plant and a desulphurization plant, respectively.     

242Pu as tracer for simultaneous determination of 237Np and 239,240Pu in environmental samples

A procedure has been developed using ²⁴²Pu as tracer for simultaneous determination of ²³⁷Np and ^239,240Pu in environmental samples. The validity of the method has been demonstrated by ICPMS and a-spectroscopy for up to 10 gram soil and sediment, seawater up to 200 litres. The paper describes a suitable chemical procedure for Np and Pu including a quantitative pre-concentration of neptunium and plutonium, preparation of Np⁴⁺ and Pu⁴⁺, Np(NO₃)₆ ^2- and Pu(NO₃)₆ ^2-. The ratio of ²³⁷Np/²⁴²Pu (or ²³⁷Np/²³⁹Pu) before and after the procedure has been determined using 10 g soil (free from Np and Pu) R _before/R _after = 1.004±3.3% (S.D n = 20) and 1 litre seawater R _before/R _after = 1.019±1.9% (S.D., n = 12). Results from the intercomparison samples IAEA-135, IAEA-381 and from environmental samples are presented.     

A new flavonol glycoside and other flavonoids from the aerial parts of Taverniera aegyptiaca

Isolation of flavonoids from the aerial parts of Taverniera aegyptiaca Bioss. (Fabaceae) led to identification of one new flavonol glycoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-l-arabinopyranoside (1), along with eleven compounds, which previously have not been isolated from this plant quercetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-galactopyranoside] (2), isorhamnetin-3-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (3), quercetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside (4), isorhamnetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside (7), isorhamnetin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-galactopyranoside] (8), isorhamnetin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside] (9), kaempferol 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-galactopyranoside] (10), isorhamnetin (11), 4,4′-dihydroxy-2′-methoxychalcone (12), formononetin (13) and calycosin (15)] and some compounds already known from this plant [quercetin-3-O-robinobioside (5), isorhamnetin-3-O-robinobioside (6), afrormosin (14) and odoratin (16)].     

Defect structures of ion-implanted α-tin

Single crystalline and polycrystalline -tin has been implanted at room temperature with 80-keV ions of radioactive^119m Sn,¹¹⁹Sb, and^119m Te. The radioactive nuclei decay to the Mössbauer level of¹¹⁹Sn. Mössbauer spectra of the emitted 24-keV radiation have been measured for different source temperatures by resonance counting techniques. Five individual lines in the spectra are characterized mainly by their isomer shifts and Debye temperatures. From these parameters the radiogenic¹¹⁹Sn atoms are concluded to be located in regular substitutional and interstitial lattice sites and in defect complexes. Simple models for the defects are proposed: A Sn-vacancy pair consists of Sn atoms on (nearly) substitutional sites with a dangling bond into an adjacent vacancy. In a complex oxygen-containing defect the Sn atoms have approximately a 5s ² configuration withp-bonds to two nearest neighbour atoms. Sn atoms, having an atomic 5s ² 5p ² configuration and large vibrational amplitudes, are concluded to be in non-bonding regular interstitial sites. For special implantation conditions minor fractions of SnO₂ molecules are formed in the bulk. The interstitial¹¹⁹Sn and the¹¹⁹Sn-vacancy pairs are proposed to represent elementary point defects in -tin. Conclusions are also drawn concerning the lattice location and the defects created in the implantation process of the implanted parent isotopes.