Confocal macro X‐ray fluorescence spectrometer on commercial 3D printer

Novel confocal X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer was designed and constructed for 3D analysis of elementary composition in the surface layer of spatially extended objects having unlimited chemical composition and geometrical shape. The main elements of the XRF device were mounted on a moving frame of a commercial 3D printer. The XRF unit consists of a silicon drift detector and a low‐power transmission‐type X‐ray tube. Both the excitation and secondary X‐ray beams were formed and regulated by simple collimator systems in order to create a macro confocal measuring setup. The spatial accuracy of the mechanical stages of the 3D printer achieved was less than 5 μm at 100‐μm step‐size. The diameter of the focal spot of the confocal measuring arrangement was between 1.5 and 2.0 mm. The alignment of the excitation and secondary X‐ray beams and the selection of the measuring spot on the sample surface were ensured by two laser beams and a digital microscope for visualization of the irradiated spot. The elements of the optical system together with the XRF spectrometer were mounted on the horizontal arm of the 3D printer, which mechanical design is capable of synchronized moving the full spectroscopic device within vertical directions. Analytical capability and the 3D spatial resolution of the confocal spectrometer were determined. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Additivity and exponentiality are alien to each other

Let (S, +) be a (semi)group and let (R,+, ·) be an integral domain. We study the solutions of a Pexider type functional equation $$f(x+y) + g(x+y) = f(x) + f(y) + g(x)g(y)$$ for functions f and g mapping S into R. Our chief concern is to examine whether or not this functional equation is equivalent to the system of two Cauchy equations $$\left\{\begin{array}{@{}ll} f(x+y) = f(x) + f(y)\\ g(x+y) = g(x)g(y)\end{array}\right.$$ for every ${x,y \in S}$ .     

Solution of a functional equation arising from utility that is both separable and additive

The problem of determining all utility measures over binary gambles that are both separable and additive leads to the functional equation

The following conditions are more or less natural to the problem: strictly increasing, strictly decreasing; both map their domains onto intervals ( onto a , onto ); thus both are continuous, , , , , . We determine, however, the general solution without any of these conditions (except , , both into). If we exclude two trivial solutions, then we get as general solution (, ; for ), which satisfies all the above conditions. The paper concludes with a remark on the case where the equation is satisfied only almost everywhere.

     

Reverse Monte Carlo iterative algorithm for quantification of X-ray fluorescence analysis based on MCNP6 simulation code

Reverse Monte Carlo iterative algorithm has been developed for quantification of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis in order to calculate the concentrations of the elementary composition in solid substances. The core of the simulation code was the MCNP6 that is a well-established and widely applied software package in the nuclear research and practice for simulation of nuclear systems or the full process of gamma- or X-ray spectrometry. The reverse Monte Carlo algorithm and the full analytical procedure was tested by quantitative XRF analysis of reference alloy samples. The atomic compositions of the reference samples were determined by reverse Monte Carlo technique and also fundamental parameter method and by spark emission atomic spectroscopy. The agreement between the results of these three analytical methods was found within the standard deviations of the major elements of the samples. The total duration of the reverse Monte Carlo numerical computation was minimized to a few minutes using the variance reduction procedures available in the MCNP6.     

Design and fabrication of high performance composite pressure vessels

The manufacturing of composite materials has gained momentum in Taiwan, the Republic of China, over recent years. Fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) pressure vessels have been made successfully by filament winding. Reviewed in this work are the design consideration manufacturing technology and inspection procedure. This involves theoretical analysis, material selection, mandrel design, tooling, processing know-how and proof tests.     

Polymer-bound bulky-phosphite modified rhodium hydroformylation catalysts

Attachment of phosphites to styrene copolymers is described which are used as rhodium hydroformylation catalysts. The influence of the chain loading on the activity and complex formation of three types of copolymer-bound rhodium hydroformylation catalysts in comparison with their low molecular weight analogues has been studied. The catalytic activity of the polystyrene-bound system with the most bulky phosphite, the first system studied, is identical to that of the low molecular weight analogue. The catalysts show a high activity towards the hydroformylation of the otherwise unreactive cyclooctene. It was found that only one phosphite is coordinated to the rhodium complex in its active form. An equilibrium between this complex and an inactive complex without phosphite ligands prohibits its use in continuous flow reactors. Secondly, as polymer support a perfectly random copolymer of styrene and less bulky 3,3′,5,5′-tetra-tert-butylbiphenyl-2,2′-diyl p-vinylphenylphosphite was used. The chain loading α of this copolymer with phosphite ligands has a large influence on the complex formation of the catalyst. With high chain loadings moderately active bis-phosphite catalysts are formed. Low chain loadings give active, easily accessible, monophosphite complexes. The active species in the hydroformylation of sterically hindered alkenes is a mono-phosphite rhodium complex. The activity of the copolymer-bound catalyst towards the hydroformylation of cyclooctene is found to be as high as the activity of its low molecular weight analogue. For styrene, this polymer catalyst yields a slower catalyst than the low-molecular weight analogue. The third part demonstrates that silica-grafted polymer-bound phosphite modified rhodium complexes can be used in continuous flow reactors. The hydroformylation of styrene was carried out at moderate pressure (pCO/H₂ = 3 MPa) and temperature (T = 100°C), yielding constant conversions over a period of at least ten days. These positive results were obtained in benzene as a solvent and for a ligand to rhodium ratio of only four.     

A Concise Total Synthesis of (+)‐Tetrabenazine and (+)‐α‐Dihydrotetrabenazine

Highly concise asymmetric total syntheses of (+)‐tetrabenazine ( 1 ), a drug for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease, and of (+)‐α‐dihydrotetrabenazine ( 2 ), an active metabolite of 1 , have been accomplished. Our synthetic route features a trans‐selective enol etherification, followed by an unprecedented cation‐dependent aza‐Claisen rearrangement to establish the carbon framework and two stereogenic centers of tetrabenazine. The syntheses consist of seven steps (34 % overall yield) for (+)‐ 2 and eight steps (22 % overall yield) for (+)‐ 1 .