Preparation of reagent indicator papers with silver triangular nanoplates for chemical analysis

An impregnation method to prepare reagent indicator papers with silver triangular nanoplates (TNPs) is developed. The conditions for obtaining modified papers (type of paper, method for applying TNPs, and drying conditions) allowing for an acceptably uniform distribution of the TNPs are chosen. The spectral characteristics of the prepared materials are studied. The presence of an intense TNP surface plasmon resonance band in the diffuse reflectance spectra of the modified papers, which is linearly related to the content of the TNPs in the samples, as well as the lability of its position and shape in the presence of some substances, gives rise to the prospects of using the prepared materials as test-tools in chemical analysis.     

High-temperature carbonization of humic acids and a composite of humic acids with graphene oxide

Humic acids (HAs) isolated from high-moor peat have been studied by magic-angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), and Raman spectroscopy. A composite of HAs with graphene oxide (GO) has been prepared for the first time, and the thermal carbonization (900°C) of both HAs and the HA–GO composite has been carried out. With the use of mass spectrometry, it has been found that CO₂ and H₂O molecules are mainly released from HAs into the gas phase at a low temperature (to 150°C). At higher temperatures, carbon monoxide and different low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons also begin to be released. From microscopic examinations, it follows that HA forms small agglomerates with sharply outlined edges as a result of carbonization, whereas the composite forms only large aggregates.     

Features of rubber swelling in transformer oil,according to NMR data

NMR spectroscopy, NMR relaxation, and NMR with a pulsed magnetic field gradient methods are used to study the swelling of the elastomers based on ethylene-propylene rubber, butadiene-nitrile rubber, and fluororubber SKF-26 in transformer oil. Components corresponding to the fractions of oil and polymer network are identified. It is shown that the affinity of the polymers toward transformer oil displays an increase in the orderly sequence of ethylene-propylene rubber, fluororubber, and butadiene-nitrile rubber; the stability of the polymers towards carbon tetrachloride falls in the same sequence. Based on an analysis of the spin–spin relaxation time depending on the degree of swelling, it is found that fluororubber elastomers are characterized by the formation of a polymer network that prevents further sorption, In contrast, elastomer based on ethylene-propylene rubber gives no indication of the formation of a rigid polymer network.     

Total phenol analysis of weakly supported water using a laccase-based microband biosensor

The monitoring of phenolic compounds in wastewaters in a simple manner is of great importance for environmental control. Here, a novel screen printed laccase-based microband array for in situ, total phenol estimation in wastewaters and for water quality monitoring without additional sample pre-treatment is presented. Numerical simulations using the finite element method were utilized for the characterization of micro-scale graphite electrodes. Anodization followed by covalent modification was used for the electrode functionalization with laccase. The functionalization efficiency and the electrochemical performance in direct and catechol-mediated oxygen reduction were studied at the microband laccase electrodes and compared with macro-scale electrode structures. The reduction of the dimensions of the enzyme biosensor, when used under optimized conditions, led to a significant improvement in its analytical characteristics. The elaborated microsensor showed fast responses towards catechol additions to tap water – a weakly supported medium – characterized by a linear range from 0.2 to 10 μM, a sensitivity of 1.35 ± 0.4 A M⁻¹ cm⁻² and a dynamic range up to 43 μM. This enhanced laccase-based microsensor was used for water quality monitoring and its performance for total phenol analysis of wastewater samples from different stages of the cleaning process was compared to a standard method.     

Influence of the temperature and cation nature on the EPR spectra of salts with the [Ni<Superscript>III</Superscript>(η<Superscript>5</Superscript>-1,2-B<Subscript>9</Subscript>C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>11</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>]- anion

The influence of specific features of the structure and nature of the cations (Ph₄P⁺, H(Phen)⁺, Cs⁺, and (CH₃)₄N⁺) on the ERP spectra of the nickel ions in salts with the dicarbollylnickelate anion [Ni(B₉C₂H₁₁)₂]⁻ is studied. It is shown that the change in the cation type in these compounds results in the electron density redistribution, which affects the change in the main and average values of the g factor. The g _av value increases over that observed in frozen solutions upon the localization of the positive charge of the cation on one atom and in the absence of the screening effect of the solvent and large functional groups of the cation. The exception is the compound (Ph₄P⁺)NiCb₂⁻ (Cb is B₉C₂H₁₁) with solvated CCl₄ molecules. For all compounds studied, the temperature dependence of the linewidths in the EPR spectra is described by the equation ΔH = αT + βT⁷ with different α and β values and is defined by the temperature dependence of the relaxation process caused by the Raman interaction.     

Nanotubes in the V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> · <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O xerogel-hydroquinone-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O system

Layered (C₆H₄)_0.11[VO_2.34(OH)_0.25] nanotubes (NTs) were prepared in the V₂O₅ · nH₂O-hydroquinone- H₂O system at 160–180°C for 5–7 days. Particle diameters were 40–60 nm; lengths do not exceed 1 μm, and the interlayer distance was 14.0 ± 0.1 Å. IR spectra, electrical conductivity, and thermal properties of nanotube powder were studied. The chemism of NT formation was determined, and a model of structure formation for these tubules was proposed.     

Surface topography and crystal and domain structures of films of ferroelectric copolymer of vinylidene difluoride and trifluoroethylene

The crystallization of a copolymer from a solution at room temperature is found to lead to the formation of a metastable structure, characterized by the coexistence of ferroelectric and paraelectric phases. The fraction of the latter decreases after annealing above the Curie point. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has revealed a difference in the surface topographies between the films contacting with air and the films contacting with a glass substrate. The microstructure of copolymer chains has been investigated by ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. The chain fragments with “defect” attached monomeric units are ejected to the surface. The character of the ferroelectric domains formed during crystallization and their size distribution are analyzed.

     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of copper metaborate single crystals, CuB2O4

Large high-quality single crystals of copper metaborate are grown on the basis of the phase diagram of the ternary Li₂O-CuO-B₂O₃ system. Bright blue crystals with a volume of about 1 cm³ were grown by the method of spontaneous crystallization while slowly cooling the melt. The magnetic susceptibility and electron spin resonance were measured. It is shown that the effective magnetic moment of a Cu²⁺ ion is equal to 1.6 μ_B and the g-factor, to 2.170 and 2.133 for the magnetic field oriented parallel and perpendicular to the fourfold axis, respectively. At 21 and 10 K, sharp anomalies of magnetic susceptibility are observed.     

Model approach to solving the inverse problem of X-ray reflectometry and its application to the study of the internal structure of hafnium oxide films

The key features of the inverse problem of X-ray reflectometry (i.e., the reconstruction of the depth profile of the dielectric constant using an experimental angular dependence of reflectivity) are discussed and essential factors leading to the ambiguity of its solution are analyzed. A simple approach to studying the internal structure of HfO₂ films, which is based on the application of a physically reasonable model, is considered. The principles for constructing a film model and the criteria for choosing a minimal number of fitting parameters are discussed. It is shown that the ambiguity of the solution to the inverse problem is retained even for the simplest single-film models. Approaches allowing one to pick out the most realistic solution from several variants are discussed.