An intercomparison of sampling techniques for measurements of radiocaesium in upland pasture and soil

An intercomparison of sampling procedures used by five laboratories for the determination of radiocaesium in vegetation and peaty soil was carried out at two locations in Cumbria. The multiple sampling has given information on the homogeneity of the parameters studied at each location. The parameters comprise soil bulk densities, total deposition of¹³⁷Cs, deposition of¹³⁷Cs in three soil layers, biomass densities, concentrations of¹³⁷Cs in pasture, and activity ratios (¹³⁴Cs/¹³⁷Cs) in soil and vegetation. The determination of total deposition of¹³⁷Cs gave no indication of differences between the laboratories. The results from the soil profiles do indicate significant differences between laboratories. One laboratory using a coring technique observed difficulties during sampling due to compression of the soil. The coring technique should thus be avoided or applied with extreme care for the sampling of depth profiles in peaty soil. The results from the sampling of pasture show no indication of differences between the laboratories. For the parameters studied the observed variabilities across soil depths and locations range from 10% to 81% in terms of relative standard deviations. A comparison across all results at the two locations indicate a 50% higher field variability at one of the sites relative to the other.     

Structure and Thermodynamics of NaF-AlF(3) Melts with Addition of CaF(2) and MgF(2)

The NaF-AlF(3) system with additions of CaF(2) and MgF(2) has been studied with Raman and vapor pressure measurements for 3 >/= CR (NaF/AlF(3) molar ratio) >/= 1 and up to 50 mol % additive. The results show that the binary melt can be described using the two equilibria AlF(6)(3)(-) = AlF(6)(2)(-) + F(-) and AlF(5)(2)(-) = AlF(4)(-) + F(-) with equilibrium constants 0.25 and 0.05, respectively, at 1293 K. Both reactions have positive reaction enthalpies. The first equilibrium is strongly shifted to the right resulting in a melt mixture with very low AlF(6)(3)(-) concentrations even at the Na(3)AlF(6) composition. Evidence for nonideal mixing of anions was found. For the ternaries, models based on Raman data are presented and compared with vapor pressure measurements. Good agreement is observed when association between the additives, CaF(2) or MgF(2), with the AlF(5)(2)(-) ions in the melt was considered. This association could be experimentally observed through a band broadening and a slight shift in the AlF(5)(2)(-) band frequency. Our vapor pressures and Raman data both indicate that MgF(2) clearly acts as an acid when added to NaF-AlF(3) melts of any composition. When CaF(2) is added, a slight decrease of vapor pressure occurs. Raman data indicate a decrease of AlF(4)(-) concentration, corresponding to a dissociation of CaF(2) with liberation of F(-) ions. All these results are, however, very much dependent on the initial melt composition. These data are explained in terms of acid-base, dilution, and association reactions of the solute with the solvent.     

Kinetics of the Zn(II)/Zn(Hg) electrode reactions in DMSO solutions of halide ions

The electrode reaction Zn(II)/Zn(Hg) in complex chloride, bromide, and iodide solutions with DMSO as solvent and ammonium perchlorate as supporting electrolyte has been studied at the equilibrium potential by the faradaic impedance method and a square-wave method. Furthermore, double-layer data have been determined by electrocapillary measurements. The results indicate that the zinc chloride and bromide complexes do not contribute noticeably to the exchange current density, while in the iodide system both the solvated zinc ion and the first complex take part in the charge transfer. From the dissimilar results valid for water and DMSO solutions the conclusion is made that probably ligand bridging at the amalgam by the halide ions is operative in water solutions, whereas in DMSO the larger solvent molecules adsorbed can form a steric hindrance to ligand bridging by chloride or bromide ions.     

Synthesis, crystal structure, and chirality of divalent lanthanide reagents containing tri- and tetraglyme

Six new divalent lanthanide complexes using triglyme (trigly) and tetraglyme (tetgly) as achiral ligands have been prepared, using a facile synthetic method, in search for enantioselective solid-state reagents. The crystal structures of cis-[SmI₂(trigly)thf] (1), trans-[YbI₂(trigly)thf] (2), trans-[SmI₂(trigly)dme] (3), trans-[YbI₂(tetgly)] (4), trans-[EuI₂(tetgly)thf] (5), and [Sm(tetgly)₂][SmI₃(tetgly)]I (6) have been determined. All complexes, except 5, are chiral. The 10-coordinate cation in 6 displays a helical chirality since the two tetraglyme ligands are wrapped around the samarium ion. Since trans-[YbI₂(tetgly)] (4), which has a chiral arrangement of terminal methyl groups, crystallizes as a conglomerate, preferential crystallization and consequent enantioselective reduction of acetophenone was attempted, but resulted in racemic products, possibly on account of racemic twinning in 4.     

X‐Ray Single Crystal Refinement and Superconductivity of La3Ni2B2N3

Crystalline samples of La₃Ni₂B₂N₃ were synthesized using solid state metathesis reactions from combinations of La, LaCl₃, NiCl₂ together with Li₃BN₂. The structure was determined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction (I4/mmm (No. 139), a = 372.95(2) pm, c = 2056.3(2) pm, R₁ = 0.027, wR₂ = 0.062) and confirmed earlier results from neutron powder diffraction. La₃Ni₂B₂N₃ contains BN units capping square planar Ni layers. Isolated nitrogen atoms reside in La₆ octahedra. Magnetic measurements on several bulk samples exhibit superconductivity at temperatures below 14.6 K.     

Chiral synthesis of (2s,3s,7s)-3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-yl acetate and propionate,potential sex pheromone components of the pine saw-fly neodiprion sertifer (geoff.)

A synthesis of (2S,3S,7S)-3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-yl acetate ($\text{2}$) and propionate ($\text{3}$) is described. (2S)-2-Methyldecan-1-yl lithium ($\text{5}$) was reacted with (3S,4S)-3,4-dimethyl-γ-butyrolactone ($\text{6}$) to yield the ketoalcohol $\text{19}$ which upon Huang-Minlon reduction furnished (2S,3S,7S)-3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-ol ($\text{1}$). Acylations gave the esters $\text{2}$ and $\text{3}$. The (2S)-2-methyldecan-1-yl lithium was obtained via asymmetric synthesis. The chiral lactone $\text{6}$ was obtained from (2S,3S)-trans-2,3-epoxybutane and dimethyl malonate.     

Solid-phase synthesis of lipidated peptides

Characteristic partial structures of lipidated proteins embodying different lipid groups as well as additional fluorescent tags or a maleimide for coupling to proteins can be synthesized readily by means of a new solid-phase technique employing the oxidative cleavage of the hydrazide linker as well as on-resin farnesylation and palmitoylation after appropriate deprotection of cysteine thiol groups as the key steps.     

Deoxygenation of supporting electrolytes in stripping voltammetry by glocuse and co-immobilized glocuse oxidase and catalase in a flow system

Carrier solutions for stripping voltammetry in flow systems are deoxygenated by reaction with glucose added to the carrier. The reaction was catalyzed by glocuse oxidase and catalase co-immobilized in an enzyme reactor which was inserted before the injector. The oxygenated was removed at least as efficiently as with nitrogen purging and the voltametric behaviour of cadmium(II), lead(II) and zinc(II) was unaffected by the glucose/gluconic acid system. A particular advantage is the rapid start-up compared to the lengthy purging of carrier solution when nitrogen degassing is used. The enzyme reactor made from porous glass was effective for several months.     

A field theoretical description of states with different orbitals for different spins

A field theoretical formulation is given for the method of different orbitals for different spins (DODS ). For an infinite system DODS describes an antiferromagnetic state and to account for this spin ordering a Gorkov-type of factorization is introduced. A corresponding gap equation is derived, where a non-zero solution indicates the presence of long-range order in the system. Actually the formulation given is general enough as to render DODS as a special case. As shown, we may also obtain a ferrimagnetic as well as a density wave state solution depending on the special characteristics of the system at hand. A related type of antiferromagnetism is described by the Overhauser spin density wave (SDW ) state and also this theory is formulated in a field theoretical language. The similarities and differences between DODS and SDW are discussed. The energy expressions for the two states are given within the Hartree-Fock approximation. It is proposed that the SDW state could be used to partly account for the correlation problem in molecules, as well as the method of DODS which has previously been employed for that purpose.     

Synthesis and characterization of molybdenum oxo complexes of two tripodal ligands: reactivity studies of a functional model for molybdenum oxotransferases

Reaction of the tetradentate ligand N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (L-OH) with MoO2Cl2 in methanol in the presence of NaOMe and PF6- results in the formation of [MoO2(L-O)]PF6. Similarly, the reaction of N-(2-mercaptobenzyl)-N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (L-SH) with MoO2(acac)2 leads to the formation of [MoO2(L-S)]+. The dioxo-molybdenum complex [MoO2(L-O)]+ reacts with phosphines in methanol to afford phosphine oxides and an air-sensitive molybdenum complex, tentatively identified as [Mo(IV)O(L-O)(OCH3)]. The latter complex is capable of reducing biological oxygen donors such as DMSO or nitrate, thereby mimicking the activity of DMSO reductase and nitrate reductase. Reaction of [MoO2(L-O)]PF6 with PPh3 in other solvents than methanol leads to the formation of the Mo(V) dimer [(L-O)OMo(micro-O)MoO(L-O)](PF6)2. The crystal structures of [MoO2(L-O)]PF6 and the micro-oxo bridged dimer are presented.