Speciation of functional groups formed on the surface of ammoxidised carbonaceous materials by XPS method

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to investigate the fate of nitrogen functional groups present in carbonaceous materials obtained from European plum (Prunus domestica) stones and modified by ammonia-air mixture at 250 or 300 °C. Peaks have been found in the XPS patterns, corresponding to different nitrogen functional forms i.e. pyrrolic, pyridinic, pyridone, amine and chemisorbed nitrogen oxides. It has been found that the distribution of nitrogen functional forms changes as a result of the modification processes.     

On subadditive functions and ψ-additive mappings

In [4], assuming among others subadditivity and submultiplicavity of a function ψ: [0, ∞)→[0, ∞), the authors proved a Hyers-Ulam type stability theorem for “ψ-additive” mappings of a normed space into a normed space. In this note we show that the assumed conditions of the function ψ imply that ψ=0 and, consequently, every “ψ-additive” mapping must be additive     

The Hyers-Ulam stability of nonlinear recurrences

We show some Hyers-Ulam type stability results for some nonlinear recurrences in metric spaces.     

Filament sets, aposyndesis, and the decomposition theorem of Jones

Applications of the work introduced by the authors in a recent article, Filament sets and homogeneous continua, are given to aposyndesis and local connectedness. The aposyndetic decomposition theorem of Jones is generalized to spaces with the property of Kelley.

     

Load-induced oriented damage and anisotropy of rock-like materials

Theoretical model for deformability of brittle rock-like materials in the presence of an oriented damage of their internal structure is formulated and verified experimentally. This model is based on the assumption that non-linearity of the stress–strain curves of these materials is a result of irreversible process of oriented damage growth. It was also assumed that a material response, represented by the strain tensor, is a function of two tensorial variables: the stress tensor and the damage effect tensor that is responsible for the current state of the internal structure of the material. The explicit form of the respective non-linear stress–strain relations that account for the appropriate damage evolution equation was obtained by employing the theory of tensor function representations and by using the results of own experiments on damage growth. Such an oriented damage that grows in the material, described by the second order symmetric damage effect tensor, results in gradual development of the material anisotropy. The validity of the constitutive equations proposed was verified by using the available experimental results for concrete subjected to the plane state of stress. The relevant experimental data for sandstone and concrete subjected to tri-axial state of stress were also used.     

Separation of cannabinoids on three different mixed‐mode columns containing carbon/nanodiamond/amine‐polymer superficially porous particles

Three mixed‐mode high‐performance liquid chromatography columns packed with superficially porous carbon/nanodiamond/amine‐polymer particles were used to separate mixtures of cannabinoids. Columns evaluated included: (i) reversed phase (C₁₈), weak anion exchange, 4.6 × 33 mm, 3.6 μm, and 4.6 × 100 mm, 3.6 μm, (ii) reversed phase, strong anion exchange (quaternary amine), 4.6×33 mm, 3.6 μm, and (iii) hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography, 4.6 × 150 mm, 3.6 μm. Different selectivities were achieved under various mobile phase and stationary phase conditions. Efficiencies and peak capacities were as high as 54 000 N/m and 56, respectively. The reversed phase mixed‐mode column (C₁₈) retained tetrahydrocannabinolic acid strongly under acidic conditions and weakly under basic conditions. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid was retained strongly on the reversed phase, strong anion exchange mixed‐mode column under basic polar organic mobile phase conditions. The hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column retained polar cannabinoids better than the (more) neutral ones under basic conditions. A longer reversed phase (C₁₈) mixed‐mode column (4.6 × 100 mm) showed better resolution for analytes (and a contaminant) than a shorter column. Fast separations were achieved in less than 5 min and sometimes 2 min. A real world sample (bubble hash extract) was also analyzed by gradient elution.     

Development of zinc alkyl/air systems as radical initiators for organic reactions

This paper reports a series of comparative experiments on the activity of carbon- and oxygen-centred radical species in a model reaction of the radical addition of THF to imines mediated by a series of zinc alkyl/air reaction systems. The study strongly contradicts the notion that generally R˙ radicals are the initiating species in organic reactions mediated by R_nM/air systems, and simultaneously demonstrates that oxygen-centred radical species are the key intermediates responsible for the initiation process. In addition, a new efficient RZn(L)/air initiating system for radical organic reactions exampled by a model reaction of radical addition of THF to imines is developed. Moreover, the isolation and structural characterization of the first zinc alkylperoxide supported by a carboxylate ligand, [Zn₄(μ₃-OOtBu)₃(μ₄-O)(O₂CEt)₃]₂, as well as the novel octanuclear zinc oxo(alkoxide) aggregate with entrapped O–THF species, [Zn₄(μ₄-O)(μ₃-2-O–THF)(O₂CEt)₅]₂, provide clear mechanistic signatures for the mode of function of the RZn(O₂CR′)/air system.     

In vivo solid phase microextraction sampling of human saliva for non-invasive and on-site monitoring

On-site sample preparation is an analytical approach based on direct sampling from the system under investigation. It has the advantage of combining sampling and sample preparation into a single step, thus generally is fast, minimizes the potential sources of error and eliminates the risks for analytes instability. For such analysis solid phase microextraction in thin film geometry (TF-SPME) can provide robust and convenient in vivo sampling, offering in the same time faster analysis and higher extraction recovery (i.e., better sensitivity) due to large surface to volume ratio.