Secondary ion yields produced by keV atomic and polyatomic ion impacts on a self-assembled monolayer surface

A suite of keV polyatomic or 'cluster' projectiles was used to bombard unoxidized and oxidized self-assembled monolayer surfaces. Negative secondary ion yields, collected at the limit of single ion impacts, were measured and compared for both molecular and fragment ions. In contrast to targets that are orders of magnitude thicker than the penetration range of the primary ions, secondary ion yields from polyatomic projectile impacts on self-assembled monolayers show little to no enhancement when compared with monatomic projectiles at the same velocity. This unusual trend is most likely due to the structural arrangement and bonding characteristics of the monolayer molecules with the Au(111). Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Benefits of Using Web-Based Enhancements in an Environmental Chemistry Class

Four semesters of student evaluations of an environmental chemistry class have been analyzed for differences that can be attributed to Web-based enhancements. The enhancements included Web-based lecture notes, reading and problem assignments, bookmark files, and videotaped lectures. We developed these materials as part of a larger project to provide university-level technical courses over the Internet. Student perceptions of the course improved significantly (α = 0.10) after adding Web-based enhancements. Student’s opinion of the instructor improved, but the change is not significant at the 90% confidence level. The student responses to “Was the course challenging?” “Was my interest stimulated?” and “Was the instructor concerned?” were unchanged in the two groups of students. Drop rates were unchanged between the two student groups. The grade-average was nearly identical for the two student groups (82.9% vs. 83.5%), but the grade-distribution changed significantly. The percentage of A’s decreased slightly when Web-based enhancements were added, but the number of B’s increased from 22% to 40%. The percentage of C’s, D’s and F’s decreased for the students with access to Web-based enhancements. These results indicate that Web-based materials helped weaker students improve their performance and, therefore, their opinion of the class and of the instructor was more favorable.     

Collision-induced dissociation of negative ions in the gas phase: [Aryl S]−, [aryl SO]− and [aryl SO2]−

Collision-induced dissociation of the ions [ArS]^?, [ArSO]^? and [ArSO₂]^? has uncovered a rich and varied ion chemistry. The major fragmentations of [ArS]^? are complex and occur without prior ring hydrogen scrambling: for example, [C₆H₅S]^?→[C₂HS]^? and [HS]^?; [p-CD₃C₆H₄S]^?→[C₆H₄S]^?˙, [CD₃C₄S]^? and [C₂HS]^?. In contrast, all decompositions of [C₆H₅CH₂S]^? are preceded by specific benzylic and phenyl hydrogen interchange reactions. [ArSO₂]^? and [ArSO₂]^? ions undergo rearrangement, e.g. [C₆H₅SO]^?→[C₆H₅O]^? and [C₆H₅S]^?; [C₆H₅SO₂]^?→[C₆H₅O] ^?. The ion [C₆H₅CH₂SO]^? eliminates water, this decomposition is preceded by benzylic and phenyl hydrogen exchange.     

Heat inhibited reactions

Acyl transfer from p-nitrophenyl trimethylacetate to hydrogen peroxide in millimolar aqueous solutions of an amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer slows down as the temperature is raised due to partitioning of the hydrophobic ester into heat-induced micelles.     

The 14N quadrupole broadening of the hydride 1H NMR pattern in trans-[PtH(NCS) (PEt3)2]

One of the sets of hydride ¹H NMR patterns for the isothiocyanato/thiocyanato mixture trans- [PtH(SCN) (PEt₃)₂] is broad. Previously there had been disagreement on the cause of this broadening. It is now shown to be due to the ¹⁴N quadrupole by double resonance.