The ambient gamma dose-rate and the inventory of fission products estimations with the soil samples collected at Canadian embassy in Tokyo during Fukushima nuclear accident

In this study, soil samples were collected at Canadian embassy in Tokyo (about 300 km from Fukushima) on 23 March and 23 May of 2011 for purposes of estimating concentrations of radionuclides in fallout, the total fallout inventory, the depth distribution of radionuclide of interest and the elevated ambient gamma dose-rate at this limited location. Some fission products and actinides were analyzed using gamma-ray spectrometry, alpha spectrometry and liquid scintillation counting. The elevated activity concentration levels of ¹³¹I, ¹³²I, ¹³⁴Cs, ¹³⁷Cs, ¹³⁶Cs, ¹³²Te, ¹²⁹mTe, ¹²⁹Te, ¹⁴⁰Ba and ¹⁴⁰La were measured by the gamma-ray spectrometer in the first sample collected on 23 March. Two months after the accident, the ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs became only detectable nuclides. A mass relaxation depth of 3.0 g/cm² was determined by the activities on the depth distribution of ¹³⁷Cs in a soil core. The total fallout inventory was thus calculated as 225 kBq/m² on March sampling date and 25 kBq/m² on May sampling date. The ambient gamma dose-rates in the sampling area estimated by the fallout fission products inventory and ¹³⁷Cs depth distribution ranged from 184 to 38 nGy/h. There was no detectable americium or plutonium in the soil samples by alpha spectrometry. Although ⁹⁰Sr or ⁸⁹Sr were detected supposedly as a result of this accident, it was less than the detection limit, which was about 0.4 Bq/kg in the soil samples.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Novel Copper(I) Clusters with Bridging Silyl Amide Ligands

Treatment of copper(I) chloride with R₂Si(NLiPh)₂ (R = Me, Ph) in thf led to the formation of the octanuclear cluster compounds [Cu₈{(R₂Si(NPh)₂}₄] [R = Me ( 1 ), Ph ( 2 ).] Compound 1 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4/n, with a = 1505.41(5) and c = 1911.32(7) pm. The X‐ray crystal structure determination revealed a cube shaped Cu₈ cluster core with μ₄ bridging Me₂Si(NPh)₂^2– ligands. The copper atoms display an almost linear coordination with Cu–N distances in the range of 191.1(3)–191.4(3) pm. The Cu–Cu distances are 265.7(1)–267.3(1) pm. Compound 2 forms monoclinic crystals, space group P2₁/n, with a = 1461.87(4), b = 2483.77(6), c = 2725.49(8) pm, β = 100.77(1)°. The cluster core of compound 2 consists formally of two mutually perpendicular arranged trigonal prisms, which share a common square face. Like in the case of compound 1 the square faces of the cluster core are capped by μ₄ bridging Ph₂Si(NPh)₂^2– ligands. The copper atoms adopt a nearly linear N–Cu–N coordination with Cu–N distances of 190.0(4)–195.1(4) pm. The Cu–Cu distances are 252.3(1)–305.6(1) pm.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,and electrochemical properties of Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes with two unsymmetrical N2O2 Schiff base ligands

Nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of two unsymmetrical tetradentate Schiff base ligands [Ni(Me-salabza)] (1), [Cu(Me-salabza)] (2) and [Ni(salabza)] (3), {H₂salabza = N,N′-bis[(salicylidene)-2-aminobenzylamine] and H₂Me-salabza = N,N′-bis[(methylsalicylidene)-2-aminobenzylamine]}, have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods. The crystal structures of 2 and 3 complexes have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Both copper(II) and nickel(II) ions adopt a distorted square planar geometry in [Cu(Me-salabza)] and [Ni(salabza)] complexes. The cyclic voltammetric studies of these complexes in dichloromethane indicate the electronic effects of the methyl groups on redox potential.     

Insights on the Lewis Superacid Al(OTeF5)3: Solvent Adducts,Characterization and Properties**

Preparation and characterization of the dimeric Lewis superacid [Al(OTeF₅)₃]₂ and various solvent adducts is presented. The latter range from thermally stable adducts to highly reactive, weakly bound species. DFT calculations on the ligand affinity of these Lewis acids were performed in order to rank their remaining Lewis acidity. An experimental proof of the Lewis acidity is provided by the reaction of solvent-adducts of Al(OTeF₅)₃ with [PPh₄][SbF₆] and OPEt₃, respectively. Furthermore, their reactivity towards chloride and pentafluoroorthotellurate salts as well as (CH₃)₃SiCl and (CH₃)₃SiF is shown. This includes the formation of the dianion [Al(OTeF₅)₅]²⁻.     

Palladium(II) saccharinate complexes trans-[Pd(sac)2(LH)2] with amino- and acetylamino-pyridine co-ligands: molecular structures of trans-[PdCl2(2-ampyH)2].2dmf (2-ampyH = 2-amino-3-methylpyridine) and trans-[Pd(κ2-2-acmpy)2] (2-acmpyH = 2-acetylamino-3-methylpyridine)

Reaction of Na₂[PdCl₄] with two equivalents of amino- or acetylamino-pyridines (LH) affords trans-[PdCl₂-(LH)₂] {LH = 2-amino-3-methylpyridine (2-ampyH), 3-aminopyridine (3-apyH), 2-acetylamino-3-methylpyridine (2-acmpyH), 3-acetylamino-pyridine (3-acpyH)}. An X-ray crystal structure of trans-[PdCl₂(2-ampyH)₂] shows that the 2-ampy-H ligands are coordinated in a monodentate fashion via the nitrogen atoms of the pyridine rings. Treatment of trans-[PdCl₂(2-acmpyH)₂] with NEt₃ affords the cyclometalated complex, trans-[Pd(κ²-2-acmpy)₂], the X-ray structure of which shows that the 2-acmpy ligand is coordinated to palladium in a bidentate fashion via the nitrogen atom of the pyridine ring and oxygen. Reaction of trans-[PdCl₂(LH)₂] with two equivalents of sodium saccharinate affords the bis(saccharinate) complexes, trans-[Pd(sac)₂(LH)₂], in which the saccharinate anions are coordinated via the amide nitrogen atom.     

Synthesis of 1-O-R-5-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosides with (CH3)2As and (CH3)2AsO as substituents at the 5-position and a methyl or 2′,3′-dihydroxypropyl group as the aglycone in the 1-position

Six arsenic-containing β-D -ribofuranosides, including the naturally occurring (2′R)-dimethyl[1-O-(2′,3′-dihydroxypropyl)-5-deoxy-β-D -ribofuranos-5-yl]arsine oxide, were prepared in multi-step reactions from D -ribose and tetramethyldiarsine. The synthetic procedure uses the early substitution of the hydroxy group with bromine at C5, subsequent attachment of a chiral three-carbon aglycone at C1, and final delivery of arsenic at C5. The synthesis provides a viable route for the preparation of multigram quantities of the natural product.     

On the equation of state for thermal polymer solutions and melts with attractive interaction

We perform Monte Carlo simulations of a lattice model for polymer melts, i. e., the bond fluctuation model in three dimensions. By using an energy parameter that prefers relatively long bonds, the model exhibits a glass transition at low temperatures, in close qualitative similarity to experiment. We modify this model by adding an attractive interaction of variable strength. We demonstrate that a small interaction strength has only a very small effect on the static properties of the melt. For a fixed strength of the potential, the chemical potential is measured by a modified particle-insertion method over a large range of temperatures and densities. The osmotic pressure is obtained by thermodynamic integration. In contrast to the original version our extended model exhibits a positive thermal expansion.     

Brownian dynamics simulation of grafted polymer brushes

We present results of computer simulations by the method of Brownian dynamics of polymeric brushes attached to impenetrable planes. For testing both model and method we have used one polymer brush attached to a repulsive plane and compare some results with Monte Carlo results of Lai and Binder on the bond fluctuation model. We have also studied two polymeric brushes attached to two parallel planes at different distances between planes, and investigate the interplay between the interpenetration of the brushes and the configurational properties of the grafted chains.