Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis on thick samples exemplified on the rare earth elements

Summary Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) analysis calibration curves (i.e. intensity of analytical signal as a function of concentration c _i ) are determined on thick solid samples with rare earth element concentrations c _i 0.3g/g. The calibration curves are linear at low concentrations c _i 0.3 weight% at proton energies 1.7E _PO 2.5MeV. The precision of the quantitative analysis amounts to ±4 %. The shape of the curves at higher concentrations may be understood by simple qualitative considerations.Distortions by interelement-effects caused by additional other rare earth elements j in concentrations c _j 2 weight% are not detectable. The agreement between the experimental and the calculated intensities for different matrices is very good at low concentrations c _i 1 weight% of analyte.

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Protoneninduzierte Röntgenspektralanalyse (PIXE) dicker Proben am Beispiel der Seltenen ErdelementeI. Experimentelle Bestimmung von Eichkurven, Genauigkeit und Matrixeffekten

Zusammenfassung Es werden Eichkurven (d. h. Intensität des Analysensignals in Abhängigkeit von der Analytkonzentration c _i ) für die protoneninduzierte Röntgenspektralanalyse (PIXE) dicker Festkörperproben mit Seltenen Erdelementen im Konzentrationsbereich c _i 0,3g/g aufgenommen. Diese Eichkurven verlaufen bei niedrigen Konzentrationen c _i 0,3 Gewichts-% und Protonenenergien 1,7E_PO2,5MeV linear. Die Genauigkeit der quantitativen Analyse beträgt ±4 %. Der Verlauf der Eichkurven bei höheren Konzentrationen kann durch einfache qualitative Überlegungen verstanden werden.Es werden keine Störungen durch Interelementeffekte beobachtet, die durch zusätzliche andere Seltene Erdelemente j in Konzentrationen c _j 2 Gewichts-% hervorgerufen werden. Die Übereinstimmung der experimentellen und berechneten Intensitäten für verschiedene Matrices ist bei niedrigen Analytkonzentrationen c _i 1 Gewichts-% sehr gut.

Dedicated to Karl Gleu at the occasion of his 80th birthday     

Cross-linking-induced permanently perpendicular helix orientation in surface-grafted polyglutamate films

Using a chemical cross-linking procedure, surface-grafted polyglutamate films with a permanently perpendicular helix orientation were prepared. A surface-grafted alpha-helical polyglutamate film containing polymerizable side groups was synthesized by ring-opening terpolymerization of 50 molar% gamma-methyl-L-glutamate N-carboxyanhydride (NCA), 30% gamma-stearyl-L-glutamate NCA and 20% gamma-4-vinylbenzyl-L-glutamate NCA initiated from a silicon substrate functionalized with primary amino groups. The average tilt angle of the end-grafted helices in this film is approximately 66 degrees , indicating a nearly parallel helix orientation with respect to the substrate surface. After swelling of the grafted terpolyglutamate film in stearyl methacrylate and subsequent radical cross-linking, the average helix tilt angle decreases to about 11 degrees, indicating an almost perpendicular helix orientation. The film thickness increases accordingly from 151 A before to approximately 390 A after cross-linking. Extensive solvent treatment of the cross-linked film shows that the perpendicular helix orientation is permanent.     

Electron loss and capture to continuum from He and Ne atoms bombarded with He+-Ions

We have measured the cusp electron yield in coincidence with the transmitted charge state (He⁰, He⁺ and He⁺⁺) when³He⁺ collides with He and Ne under single collision conditions. For the first time this enables the electron capture to the continuum (ECC) yield to be directly compared with that from electron loss to continuum (ELC). While the ECC contribution is smaller than that from ELC at high projectile velocities (V _p >3 au) the data suggest that ECC will dominate belowV _p =2.8 au. The relevance of the results to the projectile velocity dependence of existing capture theories is discussed.     

Equilibrium convoy electron production and charge exchange

RatiosN _2s /N _3p of 2s to 3p populations in hydrogen atoms formed by the passage of protons through carbon foils have been measured using the beam-foil-laser excitation method reported very recently. No dependence ofN _2s /N _3p on the incident proton energyE _p , in the 100–300 keV energy range analysed, is observed. From the ratioN _3p /N _2p of 3p to 2p beam-foil populations in hydrogen reported previously (N _3p /N _2p independent ofE _p forE _p >100 keV) and the ratiosN _2s /N _3p measured in the present work, a mean value ofN _2s /N _2p equal to 0.61±0.04 is deduced. These results are compared with available experimental data.     

Beam-foil-excited Auger transitions in neon

Energy spectra of electrons ejected from collisions between a carbon foil and Ne projectiles with energies between 1.4 and 20 MeV have been measured. Continuous and discrete electron energy distributions are observed. Auger transitions of foil-excited Ne have been studied. Using relativistic Dirac-Fock multiconfiguration calculations, most of the measured Auger transitions have been identified.     

Metal Sulfide Nanoparticles: Precursor Chemistry

Fascination with and the need for evermore increasing efficiency, power, or strength have been the cornerstones for developing new materials and methods for their creation. Higher solar cell conversion efficiencies, increased battery storage power, and lightweight strong materials are some that have been at the forefront of attention for these efforts. Materials created for most applications start as simple chemical compounds. A study of how these chemicals have been used in the past can be used to create new materials and new methods of production. Herein, a class of materials that are valuable in a multitude of applications, metal sulfide nanoparticles, are examined, along with how they are being produced and how new methods can be established that will help to standardize and increase production capabilities. Precursor–solvent combinations that can be used to create metal sulfide nanoparticles in the gas phase are also explored.     

Pyrazolato and related anions. Part V. Transition metal salts of 4-methylpyrazole

Summary Cd^II, Zn^II, Co^II, Ni^II, Cu^II and Ag^I salts of 4-methylpyrazole have been synthesized and compared with those of 3(5)-methylpyrazole and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole. The compounds were characterized and identified by vibrational spectra, ligand-field spectra and chemical analyses. The pyrazolate ion acts as a bidentate ligand in all cases. Tetrahedral and square-planar coordinations have been observed. Tentative assignments of the vibrational spectra of salts and neutral ligand have been made.     

Long-lived charge-transfer states in compact donor-acceptor dyads.

Photoinduced electron transfer is a widely applied method to convert photon energy into a useful (electro)chemical potential, both in nature and in artificial devices. There is a continuing effort to develop molecular systems in which the charge-transfer state, populated by photoinduced electron transfer, survives sufficiently long to tap the energy stored in it. In general this has been found to require the construction of rather complex molecular systems, but more recently a few approaches have been reported that allow the use of much more simple and relatively small electron donor-acceptor dyads for this purpose. The most successful examples of such systems seem to be those that apply "electron spin control" to slow down the spontaneous decay of the charge-transfer state, and these are reviewed in this minireview, with a discussion of the underlying principles and a critical evaluation of some of the claims made with regard to using a pronounced "inverted-region effect" as an alternative method to prolong the lifetime of charge-transfer states.