International Intercomparison of Solar UVR Spectral Measurement Systems in Melbourne in 2013

Monitoring ambient solar UVR levels provides information on how much there is in both real time and historically. Quality assurance of ambient measurements of solar UVR is critical to ensuring accuracy and stability and this can be achieved by regular intercomparisons of spectral measurement systems with those of other organizations. In October and November of 2013 a solar UVR spectroradiometer from Public Health England (PHE) was brought to Melbourne for a campaign of intercomparisons with a new Bentham spectrometer of Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and one at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), supported by New Zealand's National Institute for Water and Atmosphere (NIWA). Given all three spectroradiometers have calibrations that are traceable to various national standards, the intercomparison provides a chance to determine measurement uncertainties and traceability that support UV measurement networks in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. UV Index measurements from all three systems were compared and ratios determined for clear sky conditions when the scans from each instrument were within 2 min of each other. While wavelengths below 305 nm showed substantial differences between the PHE unit and the two other systems, overall the intercomparison results were encouraging, with mean differences in measured UV Index between the BOM/NIWA and those of PHE and ARPANSA of <0.1% and 7.5%, respectively.     

Use of a Single Capillary Electrophoresis Method as a Routine Identity Test for Batch Release of a Range of Pharmaceutical Products

Two independent and orthogonal analytical methods are required when performing identity testing of pharmaceutical products during routine release testing. A microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography method has been developed and validated for routine use as an identity test to release various pharmaceutical products including tablets, capsules and creams. Implementation of the method involved optimisation of parameters to achieve reliable routine operation. Rinsing procedures, in particular, were found to be essential to obtain consistent profiles and migration times. The method has replaced, and offers the potential to replace, a number of methods including HPLC and IR due to the considerable cost and time savings obtained through its use. This method has been successfully approved by the US FDA as a part of 2 New Drug Applications, is registered in Japan, and is in routine QA use within a factory environment.     

Long-range-corrected hybrids using a range-separated Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof functional and random phase approximation correlation

We build on methods combining a short-range density functional approximation with a long-range random phase approximation [B. G. Janesko, T. M. Henderson, and G. E. Scuseria, J. Chem. Phys. 130, 081105 (2009)] or second-order screened exchange [J. Paier et al., J. Chem. Phys. 132, 094103 (2010)] by replacing the range-separated local density approximation functional with a range-separated generalized gradient approximation functional in the short range. We present benchmark results that show a marked improvement in the thermodynamic tests over the previous local density approximation-based methods while retaining those methods' excellent performance in van der Waals interactions.     

Unraveling the roles of the acid medium, experimental probes, and terminal oxidant, (NH4)2[Ce(NO3)6], in the study of a homogeneous water oxidation catalyst

The oxidation of water catalyzed by [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(OH(2))](ClO(4))(2) (1; tpy = 2,2';6',2'-terpyridine; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) is evaluated in different acidic media at variable oxidant concentrations. The observed rate of dioxygen evolution catalyzed by 1 is found to be highly dependent on pH and the identity of the acid; e.g., d[O(2)]/dt is progressively faster in H(2)SO(4), CF(3)SO(3)H (HOTf), HClO(4), and HNO(3), respectively. This trend does not track with thermodynamic driving force of the electron-transfer reactions between the terminal oxidant, (NH(4))(2)[Ce(NO(3))(6)] (CAN), and Ru catalyst in each of the acids. The particularly high reactivity in HNO(3) is attributed to the NO(3)(-) anion: (i) enabling relatively fast electron-transfer steps; (ii) participating in a base-assisted concerted atom-proton transfer process that circumvents the formation of high energy intermediates during the O-O bond formation process; and (iii) accelerating the liberation of dioxygen from the catalyst. Consequently, the position of the rate-determining step within the catalytic cycle can be affected by the acid medium. These factors collectively contribute to the position of the rate-determining step within the catalytic cycle being affected by the acid medium. This offering also outlines how other experimental issues (e.g., spontaneous decay of the Ce(IV) species in acidic media; CAN/catalyst molar ratio; types of catalytic probes) can affect the Ce(IV)-driven oxidation of water catalyzed by homogeneous molecular complexes.     

The correlations in a star molecule fluid. Integral equation theory and Monte Carlo study

The structure of a starlike molecule (SLM) fluid with four arms of different length is studied by applying the associative Percus–Yevick integral equation (IE) theory and canonical Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. In the IE study the SLM fluid is modelled by a fluid of hard spheres with four associative sites on each sphere while the MC has been performed for a freely-joined tangent hard sphere fluid. The total radial distribution functions have been calculated in both approaches for different volume fraction regimes and different arm lengths. It is shown that the associative IE theory predicts the structure of SLM fluid best for relatively long arms and at high densities. Additionally, the dependence of the SLM centre–centre correlations on the functionality and fluid particle density has been analysed using the MC results.     

Percus-Yevick theory and the Chandler-Weeks-Andersen reference fluid

Chandler, Weeks and Andersen have recently developed a successful perturbation theory of liquids. In their theory, the radial distribution function of the reference fluid is calculated from that of the hard-sphere fluid. In their published work, the Percus-Yevick theory is used to calculate the hard-sphere radial distribution function. In this paper, the Percus-Yevick theory is used to calculate directly the thermodynamic properties and radial distribution function of the reference fluid. If the Carnahan and Starling averaging procedure is used, the Percus-Yevick thermodynamic properties are excellent. However, the radial distribution function shows the same discrepancies as that of Chandler, Weeks and Andersen. Finally, recent calculations of Chandler, Weeks and Andersen, using the Monte Carlo estimates of the hardsphere radial distribution function are shown to give good results for the reference fluid distribution function. This indicates that the Percus-Yevick theory, rather than fundamental errors in the Chandler, Weeks and Andersen theory, is responsible for the discrepancies.     

Infra-red spectrum,structure and properties of the N2-Ar van der Waals molecule

The first spectroscopic observation of bound N₂-Ar van der Waals molecules has been achieved with a cryogenic long path cell maintained at 87 K. The infra-red spectrum exhibits prominent fine structure near the N₂ stretching frequency which is assigned to hindered internal rotation of N₂ within the weakly bound complex. An analysis of this fine structure yields a T-shaped equilibrium geometry in which the N₂ bond axis is perpendicular to the N₂-Ar van der Waals bond axis. The observed spectrum is shown to be consistent with an internal rotational barrier of 20 cm^-1 (57 cal/mole). Approximately 20 per cent of the bound species are trapped by this rotational barrier and acquire a locked semi-rigid structure. The remaining 80 per cent have ill-defined geometry and undergo hindered internal rotation. The rotational envelope of an infra-red fundamental is analysed to give an estimate of the N₂-Ar bond length as 3·9 Å.     

Surface oscillations and the surface thickness of classical and quantum droplets

We calculate the contribution from surface oscillations to the surface thickness of a liquid drop. The results are compared to those for a surface made plane by gravity. We find that the zero-point motion of the surface modes gives a contribution to the surface thickness which is independent of the drop radius R, and is in good agreement for liquid He⁴ with other estimates of the surface thickness. For classical droplets, the mean square displacement of the surface varies as log R, in accord with the plane surface results.