Development of a so-called hour method for analysis of plutonium in soil samples

A short overview of HPLC column packings is presented. The properties of chromatographic carriers and the possibilities to combine the solid matrices with organic polymeric stationary phases are elucidated in detail. The latest achievements and anticipated future developments in the area are outlined.     

Behavior of iodododecane in nuclear fuel reprocessing

By simulation experiments with a 10^–5 mol/l solution of iodododecane labeled with¹³¹I in n-dodecane the influence of various materials and conditions, which are possible in nuclear fuel reprocessing, has been investigated. The formation of decomposition products was detected via HPLC with a radioactivity monitor. By means of²⁵²Cf plasma-desorption mass spectrometry (PDMS) the decomposition products were identified. It was found that a temperature of 100°C favored the formation of iodoalkanes with chain lengths of C₁ to C₁₁. The presence of TBP(tri-n-butyl-phosphate) accelerated the decomposition of iodododecane. In pure TBP only iodobutane was formed as a decomposition product.     

Surface heating and energy transfer in pulsed microwave catalytic systems: A microwave-induced acoustic study

Since the early demonstrations of our concept of pulsed microwave catalysis in chemistry, we have witnessed the coming of age of the technique as an enabling technology in the industrial world, despite the inadequate understanding of the basic mechanisms of how microwaves interact with metallic surface sites and the subsequent energy transfer. We shall present here some very recent developments of the microwave-induced acoustic technique and its applications to a better understanding of the basic surface heating and energy transfer phenomena in pulsed microwave catalytic systems.     

Nanocrystalline ceramic films for efficient conversion of light into electricity

Transparent nanocrystalline films of oxide semiconductors such as TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ have been prepared on a conducting glass support employing a sol-gel procedure. The films are composed of nanometer-sized particles sintered together to allow for percolative charge carrier transport. The internal surface of these films is very high, roughness factors of the order of 1000 being readily obtained. Electric polarization was applied for forward and reverse biasing of the films and the resulting optical changes have been analyzed to derive their flat band potential. Band gap excitation of such nanocrystalline semiconductors produces electron-hole pairs which migrate through the film to be collected as electric current. Steady state photolysis and time resolved laser techniques have been applied to scrutinize the mechanism of light induced charge separation within the nanostructure. When derivatized with a suitable chromophore, TiO₂ films give extraordinary efficiencies for the conversion of incident photons into electric current, exceeding 90% for certain transition metal complexes within the wavelength range of their absorption band. The underlying physical principles of these astonishing findings will be discussed. Exploiting this discovery, we have developed a new type of photovoltaic device whose overall light to electric energy conversion yield is 10% under simulated AM 1.5 solar radiation.     

Calibration of depth profiles of microparticles measured with plasma-based secondary neutral mass spectrometry

A gravimetric method is presented for the easy determination of sputter erosion rates for powders, applicable also to non-conducting materials. Measurements of the erosion rates of 22 powders gave an average value of 0.4 nm/s ±50% for bombardment with 400 eV Ar⁺ at 1 mA/cm². The validity of the data has been demonstrated with technical pigments and outdoor aerosol particles.     

ARXPS-analysis and morphology of sputtered nanocrystalline TiC/SiC coatings

ARXPS (angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) measurements are used to obtain informations about surfaces and grain boundaries. Data acquired from nanocrystalline carbidic hard coatings have been employed to establish structural models. Magnetron-sputtered coatings of TiC, SiC and TiC/SiC were examined. In such coatings, partly defective TiC nanocrystallites are surrounded by interfacial carbide. This excess carbon shows a binding state similar to that of doped graphite or fullerenes. X-ray amorphous SiC is found in the residue. On top of sputtered SiC coatings, less oxide and graphite is found as compared to TiC/SiC or TiC coatings.