Ion Chromatography with Post-column Reaction and Serial Conductivity and Spectrophotometric Detection Method Development for Quantification of Transition Metal Dissolution in Lithium Ion Battery Electrolytes

We present a method for the separation and determination of transition metals in electrolytes based on ion chromatography (IC) with post-column reaction (PCR) and serial conductivity and spectrophotometric detection. Three IC columns [Metrosep C4—250/4.0 (column A), Metrosep C6—250/4.0 (column B), and Nucleosil 100-5SA—250/4.6 (column C)] with different capacities, and stationary phases were used and compared with each other for method development. All spectrophotometric measurements were carried out with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) as PCR reagent at a wavelength of 500 nm. To characterize the precision of the separation, the selectivity for the analysis of transition metals (nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese) in the presence of large amounts of lithium and the resolution of the peaks were determined and compared with one another. Furthermore, the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were determined for the transition metals. The LODs and LOQs determined by column C were as follows: cobalt (LOD/LOQ): 9.4 µg L^?1/31.3 µg L^?1, manganese (LOD/LOQ): 7.0 µg L^?1/23.5 µg L^?1, and nickel (LOD/LOQ): 6.3 µg L^?1/21.1 µg L^?1. Finally, the concentration of transition metal dissolution of the cathode material Li₁Ni_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ (NCM) was investigated for different charge cut-off voltages by the developed IC method.     

Increased cubic–tetragonal phase transition temperature and resistivity hysteresis of surface vacuum annealed SrTiO3

Electrical properties of SrTiO₃ single crystal samples treated by an anisotropic surface annealing technique under reducing conditions have been investigated in the temperature range of 35 K–300 K. Optical and atomic force microscopy show that annealing gives rise to polycrystallization and the formation of colored dendritic structures. Carrier concentrations and mobilities determined by Hall measurements as well as resistivities detected by van der Pauw measurements show the expected metallic behavior due to oxygen vacancy doping. Moreover, the temperature dependent resistivities indicate a cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition, which to our knowledge has not been reported before. Additionally, the transition occurred up to 53 K above the known bulk transition temperature T _C at 105 K with a hysteresis up to a temperature of 220 K. Both phenomena possibly arise from dislocations and associated strain fields introduced by surface annealing that are assumed to lower the free energy of the tetragonal phase and simultaneously pin tetragonal domains. Thus, microregions of the tetragonal phase persist above T _C causing the hysteresis in resistivity up to ∼12%. This effect possibly provides new chances for future oxide based non-volatile data-storage devices.     

Facile synthesis of chrysin-derivatives with promising activities as aromatase inhibitors

Flavones such as chrysin show structural similarities to androgens, the substrates of human aromatase, which converts androgens to estrogens. Aromatase is a key target in the treatment of hormone-dependent tumors, including breast cancer. Flavone-based aromatase inhibitors are of growing interest, and chrysin in particular provides a (natural) lead structure. This paper reports multicomponent synthesis as a means for facile modification of the chrysin core structure in order to add functional elements. A Mannich-type reaction was used to synthesize a range of mono- and disubstituted chrysin derivatives, some of which are more effective aromatase inhibitors than the benchmark compound, aminoglutethimide. Similarly, the reaction of chrysin with various isonitriles and acetylene dicarboxylates results in a new class of flavone derivatives, tricyclic pyrano-flavones which also inhibit human aromatase. Multicomponent reactions involving flavones therefore enable the synthesis of a variety of derivatives, some of which may be useful as anticancer agents.     

Pairwise additive model for the He-MgO(100) interaction

We develop a model, based on pairwise additive He-Mg and He-O interactions, for the potential energy of He adsorbates above a rigid MgO(100) surface. The attractive long-range He-Mg and He-O interactions are assumed to have the form C(6)/r(6), with the C(6) coefficients determined from atomic data within the context of the Slater-Kirkwood approximation. The repulsive short-range He-Mg and He-O interactions are assumed to have the form C(p)/r(p), with the exponent p and the C(p) coefficients taken as adjustable parameters. We find that for p = 9, the C(p) coefficients can be chosen so that the laterally averaged He-MgO(100) pairwise additive interaction supports low-lying selective adsorption states, some of whose energies agree very well with the states' apparent energies inferred from experimental measurements. However, for realistic values of the adjustable parameters that define our model, the lateral corrugation of the model pairwise additive He-MgO(100) potential energy surface far exceeds the corrugation that has been inferred both from experimental measurements and from density functional calculations of the short-range He-MgO(100) interaction.     

Chemical engineering of Mycobacterium tuberculosis dodecin hybrids

The suitability for chemical engineering of the highly symmetrical Mycobacterium tuberculosis dodecin was investigated, its inner cavity providing a large compartment shields introduced compounds from bulk solvent. Hybrids were obtained by S-alkylation of cysteine mutants and characterized by spectroscopic methods, including the crystal structures of wild type and biohybrid dodecins.     

Raman spectroscopy of C-, BN-, SiC-layers deposited on multifilament substrates

The analytic characterisation of various layers and layer systems on fibrous materials are presented. The layers, deposited by an isothermal CVD process, consisting mainly of pyrolytic carbon, hexagonal boron nitride and silicon carbide were characterised by different analytical methods, especially by Raman spectroscopy [1]. The surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used first time for the investigation of boron nitride (BN) coatings on fibres.     

Phase separation and crystallinity in proton conducting membranes of styrene grafted and sulfonated poly(vinylidene fluoride)

A series of proton exchange membranes have been prepared by the preirradiation grafting method. Styrene was grafted onto a matrix of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) after electron beam irradiation. Part of the samples was crosslinked with divinylbenzene (DVB) or bis(vinylphenyl)ethane (BVPE). Subsequent sulfonation gave membranes grafted with poly(styrene sulfonic acid) and marked PVDF‐g‐PSSA. It was found that the intrinsic crystallinity of the matrix decreased in both the grafting and the sulfonation reaction in all the membranes. The graft penetration and the ion conductivity are influenced strongly by the crosslinker. The ion conductivity is considerably lower in crosslinked membranes than in noncrosslinked ones. Generally, the mechanical strength decreases with crosslinking. The membranes show a regular phase separated structure in which the sulfonated grafts are incorporated in the amorphous parts of the matrix polymer. The phase separated domains are small, of the order of magnitude of 100–250 nm. These were resolved on transmission electron micrographs and on atomic force images but could not be resolved with microprobe Raman spectroscopy. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1741–1753, 1999