High pressure mössbauer studies of magnetic actinide systems

Due to the wider radial extent of 5f electrons when compared to their 4f counterparts, intermetallics of the light actinides show a broad spectrum of magnetic properties ranging from the localized magnetism of the lanthanides to the itinerant magnetism often found in transition metal compounds. One parameter which strongly influences the magnetic character of the compound is the actinide-actinide separation which can experimentally be varied by the application of high pressure. The question of 5f electron delocalization will be reviewed with respect to Moesshauer high pressure data on NpCo₂si₂, NpAl₂, NpOs₂ and new results will be presented of NpAs. The connection of hyperfine parameters with results of X-ray diffraction studies will be discussed.Work supported by the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie, Federal Republic of Germany     

A two dimensional, experimental study on the evolution of the detachment and its time-behavior in filled rubber

Summary The detachment of a rubber matrix from a rigid inclusion under monotonic loading and at subsequent relaxation is investigated within two dimensional analysis. Examined are stress–strain experimental data acquired with the help of a test bed equipped with a digital image-acquisition device. The influence of the interfacial bonding strength and the particle size on the detachment process is analyzed. The influence of the interfacial bonding strength is visible in the stress–strain diagram of loading and in the recorded images. The relaxation test reveals no influence of the bonding strength on the stress-relaxation. However, the image analysis indicates a secondary transient creep of the contour of detachment, which depends on the interfacial bonding.     

An alternative efficient redox couple for the dye-sensitized solar cell system

A series of new cobalt complexes [Co(LLL)(2)X(2)] were synthesized and evaluated as redox mediators for dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO(2) solar cells. The structure of the ligand and the nature of the counterions were found to influence the photovoltaic performance. The one-electron-transfer redox mediator [Co(dbbip)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (dbbip = 2,6-bis(1'-butylbenzimidazol-2'-yl)pyridine) performed best among the compounds investigated. Photovoltaic cells incorporating this redox mediator yielded incident photon-to-current conversion efficiencies (IPCE) of up to 80%. The overall yield of light-to-electric power conversion reached 8 % under simulated AM1.5 sunlight at 100 W m(-2) intensity and more than 4% at 1000 W m(-2). Photoelectrodes coated with a 2 microm thick nanoporous layer and a 4 microm thick light-scattering layer, sensitized with a hydrophobic ruthenium dye, gave the best results.     

Factors controlling the efficiencies of photoinduced electron-transfer reactions

The overall efficiencies of photoinduced electron transfer reactions in polar solvents are usually determined by the efficiency with which separated radical ions are formed from the initially formed geminate radical-ion pairs. These separation efficiencies are determined by the competition between retum electron transfer and separation within the geminate pairs. A method is described for determining whether variations in the quantum yields for formation of separated radical ions are due to changes in the reorganization parameters for the return electron transfer reactions, or to other factors. The use of the method is illustrated in studies of the effects of varying steric bulk and molecular size of the donors, and also in studies of the effect of using a charged sensitizer.     

Asymmetric Strecker synthesis by addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide to aldehyde SAMP-hydrazones

The asymmetric 1,2-addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide to aldehyde SAMP-hydrazones in the presence of titanium tetrachloride and diethylether in dichloromethane at −100°C up to room temperature, removal of the chiral auxiliary and acid hydrolysis affords α-amino acids in high enantiomeric excesses (ee=94-97%).     

Photobinding of ketoprofen in vitro and ex vivo

Ketoprofen (KP), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the 2-aryl propionic class, has been shown to produce photoallergic side effects as well as cutaneous photosensitizing properties that induce other phototoxic effects. In the present study we investigated photobinding of ketoprofen to both human serum albumin (HSA), a model protein, and to ex vivo pig skin and its photodegradation. Results demonstrate that photoadduct formation and photodegradation progressively increased with irradiation time where they reach a maximum. Maximum photobinding to the viable layer of the epidermis was about 7-8% of the initial radiolabelled KP added, in the region of 15-30 min UV irradiation. These results were comparable to in vitro results that were seen with photobinding of KP to HSA; in this case, the quantity of covalently bound material was approximately 10% of the initial, after a maximum of 18 min irradiation. It was found by HPLC analysis that the KP decrease is accompanied by an increase of the corresponding photoproduct, decarboxylated ketoprofen (DKP). The yield of DKP reaches a maximum at around 15 min. DKP appears to play an important role in vitro and ex vivo, being the major photoproduct and responsible for the photobinding process. Using micro-autoradiographical techniques we investigated the penetration and distribution of ketoprofen in ex vivo pig skin in greater detail. It was apparent that percutaneous absorption was taking place and that most of the ketoprofen was predominately localised in fibroblasts in the papillary dermis. No other specific localisation within the skin architecture was identified. Although there were differences in the quantities of bound ketoprofen within the different layers of the skin, these levels did not appear to correlate with irradiation time.     

Ultraviolet emission spectra of sunbeds

It is well known that UV radiation contributes to the development of skin cancer. Exposure to solar radiation is predominantly responsible for the high incidence rate of skin cancer, but there are also indications that sunbeds are involved. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the UV emission spectra of sunbeds. It included the most common sunbed models, which cover more than 50% of the Swiss market. The UV emission spectra of sunbeds have special characteristics and are different from the sun spectrum, which can be seen in high-resolution spectral measurements. Sunbed emission spectra are similar to the sun spectrum in the UVB (280-320 nm) range but reach values 10 to 15 times higher in the UVA (320-400 nm) range. An average erythema-effective irradiance of 0.33 W/m2 was determined for sunbeds. This corresponds to a UV index of 13, which is significantly higher than the UV index of 8.5 of the high summer sun at noon at intermediate latitudes. The measurements were spread over the whole effective area of the sunbeds, and an inhomogeneous distribution of the irradiances with variations of up to 30% from the average value was found.