Practical aspects of Mössbauer spectroscopy instrumentation

The setting up and updating of a Mössbauer laboratory imply the acquisition and assembling of different units. Guidelines concerning either the construction or the acquisition of the various parts which compose a Mössbauer spectrometer are given in this paper.     

Iron-57 Mössbauer spectroscopic studies of materials of composition Fe x NbTiP3O12: materials with low concentrations of iron and the effects of treatment in air

The⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectrum recorded from the material of composition Fe_0.25NbTiP₃O₁₂ shows the presence of Fe²⁺ in a distribution of approximately octahedral type I sites within the channels of the NbTiP₃O₁₂ structure. A comparison of the results with those recorded from the material Fe_0.33NbTiP₃O₁₂ demonstrates the existence of an upper limit to the occupation by the Fe²⁺ species of the type I sites. Lattice parameter measurements and⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy show that treatment of Fe_0.25NbTiP₃O₁₂ in air induces the migration of the incorporated iron from the channels to form macroscopic -Fe₂O₃.     

The rate difference between the weak decays of t and in supersymmetry

We find that the CP-violating asymmetry

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at the one-loop order within the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model is of the order of few percent for maximal CP violation. It could be measured by considering the rate difference in the one-lepton events.     

WKB-type approximations for second-order differential equations in -algebras

Rigorous asymptotic approximations of the WKB (or Liouville-Green) type are obtained for a basis of solutions to in the framework of -algebras. Both cases and are included, thus generalizing the classical theory for scalar equations developed by F.W.J. Olver to matrix as well as to infinite-dimensional equations.

     

Reactions of Substituted Boryl Radicals with Nitroalkanes. EPR, Kinetic, and Product Studies

The radical-initiated reaction of amine-boranes and phosphine-boranes, LBH(3) (L = R(3)N, R(3)P) with aliphatic nitro compounds has been investigated in order to explore the possibility of reducing tertiary nitroalkanes to the corresponding hydrocarbons. In all the examined cases boroxy nitroxides, RN(O(*))OBLH(2), resulting from the addition of ligated boryl radicals, LBH(2)(*), to an oxygen atom of the nitro group were detected and characterized by EPR spectroscopy. This reaction occurs at room temperature with a rate constant of 1.5 x 10(7) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) for LBH(2)(*) = Me(3)NBH(2)(*) and RNO(2) = Me(3)CNO(2). The boroxy nitroxides from tertiary nitroalkanes decay by a fragmentation reaction occurring with cleavage of the nitrogen-oxygen bond, rather than of the carbon-nitrogen bond as would be required for the reduction to the corresponding alkane to take place. The Arrhenius parameters for this fragmentation have been determined in few cases.     

Formation of ferrocyanides-IV Th(IV), Nd(III), UO(2)(II) and Hg(II)

The stoichiometry of the reaction between ferrocyanide and thorium, neodymium, uranyl ion and mercury(II) has been investigated. The first three give single products irrespective of the order of addition of the reagents, but the last does not. If mercury(II) is added to ferrocyanide Hg(2)Fe(CN)(6) is obtained, but if ferrocyanide is added to mercury(II) various cyanide complexes of mercury are formed. The K(sp) values for the precipitates are reported.     

The reactions of some halogenated pyridines with methoxide and methanethiolate ions in dimethylformamide

The reactions of 2,6- and 2,5-dibromopyridines and of 2,3- and 3,5-dichloropyridines with sodium isopropanethiolate and methanethiolate afforded the products of mono- or of bis-substitution depending on the experimental conditions. The same pyridines reacted with sodium methoxide to give good yields of the mono-substituted products; bis-substitution occurred easily only in the case of the 2,6-dibromo- and of the 3,5-dichloropyridine. The syntheses of some methoxy thiomethoxypyridine, starting from the halogeno methoxypyridines or from the halogeno thiomethoxypyhdines are also described. The bis-(alkylthio)pyridines can be fragmented by sodium in HMPA to give the bis(mercapto)pyridines.     

Thermally activated conduction in molecular junctions

We report temperature dependence measurements on the conductance of individual molecular wires. The results show for the first time in a molecular junction the theoretically predicted transition from coherent superexchange tunneling conductance to an activated hopping mechanism as temperature is increased.     

Metal furnace heated by flame as a hydride atomizer for atomic absorption spectrometry: Sb determination in environmental and pharmaceutical samples

The present work describes a metallic hydride atomizer for atomic absorption spectrometry, by evaluating the performance of the Inconel 600^® tube. For this purpose, stibine was used as the model volatile compound and antimony determination in river and lake sediments and in pharmaceutical samples was carried out to assess the metal furnace performance. Some parameters are evaluated such as those referring to the generation and transport of the hydride (such as KBH₄ and acid concentrations, carrier gas flow rate, injected volume, etc.), as well as those referring to the metal furnace (such as tube hole area, flame composition, long-term stability, etc.). The method presents linear Sb concentration from 2 to 80 μg L⁻¹ range (r > 0.998; n = 3) and the analytical frequency of ca. 140 h⁻¹. The limit of detection (LOD) is 0.23 μg L⁻¹ and the precision, expressed as R.S.D., is less than 5% (40 μg L⁻¹; n = 10). The accuracy is evaluated through the reference materials, and the results are similar at 95% confidence level according to the t-test.