Gold electrodes from recordable CDs for mercury quantification by flow injection analysis

The development of a new methodology for the construction of very efficient flow cells for mercury detection by potentiometric stripping analysis, employing the thin gold layer of recordable CDs as working ¶electrode is reported. This new source of electrodes (CDtrodes) show very attractive performance, similar to that obtained with commercial gold electrodes, with superior versatility. The low cost of this new source of “gold electrodes” allows a frequent replacement of the electrode, avoiding cumbersome clean-up treatments. Various experimental parameters have been optimized to yield low detection limits (0.25 ng/mL of mercury for 5 min deposition at 0.3 V) and good precision (standard deviation of 1.9% was obtained for 15 repetitive measurements using 10 ng/mL of mercury). Standard curves were found to be linear over the range of 0.5–100 μg L^–1 of mercury. The flow cells developed were used for the quantification of mercury in oceanic and tap water.     

Hard magnetic properties of anisotropic Sm-Fe-N magnets produced by compression shearing method

Anisotropic Sm-Fe-N bulk magnets were produced by the compression shearing method using a hardened steel plate and a tungsten-carbide (WC) plate. It was found that the magnets retained the original Sm₂Fe₁₇N₃ phase structure without any appreciable decomposition of the Sm₂Fe₁₇N₃ phase. The anisotropic Sm-Fe-N bulk magnet produced using a WC plate had a higher density and higher crystallographic alignment of the Sm₂Fe₁₇N₃ phase than that produced using a hardened steel plate, and exhibited high maximum energy products of 228 kJ/m³ with a high coercivity of 0.88 MA/m.     

Synthetic approach to natural products by Claisen rearrangement of glyceraldehyde derivatives

For the purpose of organic syntheses of some corynanthe-type indole alkaloids, sesquiterpenes, and steroids, optically active intermediates cyclopentanone 3-allylalcohol, α-methylene-γ-butylo lactones andtrans-hydrindanone-propionic acid, were synthesized from (R)- and (S)-isopropylideneglyceraldehyde derived fromD-mannitol andLascorbic acid, respectively, utilizing Claisen rearrangement as a key reaction. Actually total syntheses of natural alkaloids, (-)-antirhine, (+)-dihydroantirhine and (-) dihydrocorynantheol were accomplished.     

Making the liquid-phase catalytic hydrodechlorination of pce over Pd/C safer

Summary The hydrodechlorination of tetrachloroethylene in methanol (MeOH) over palladium catalysts on activated carbon (Pd/C) at 20°C and atmospheric pressure was rendered safer by using ethanol (EtOH), isopropanol (IPA) or water-alcohol mixtures as solvents. Adding water to MeOH was better than using EtOH or IPA since it resulted in a faster reaction and better stability of Pd/C, which could also be completely reactivated.     

Theoretical Analysis of Super-Resolution Optical Disk Mastering Using a Photoreactive Dye Mask Layer

The super-resolution mastering of read-only optical disks using a photoreactive bleachable dye mask layer was theoretically analyzed. Equations have been derived which describe the photoreactions of the resist layer and mask layer. A numerical simulation based on these equations showed that the transmittance of the mask directly affects the quality of the formed pit shape. A high-quality pit shape is obtained by using a low transmittance mask.     

Second Harmonic Generation in Bis Typed Organic Compounds

In systematic research on a series of new nonlinear organic materials, we found that Bis (4-nitrophenoxy) methane (BNPM) showed a large intensity of second harmonic light, which was 4.4 times as large as that of urea crystal by powder technique and easily crystallized from a solution. The crystal structure of BNPM, obtained by the X-ray diffraction method, was orthorhombic, space group P2₁2₁2 (point group 222), with unit-sell dimension a = 10.205 Å; b = 12.854 Å; c = 4.8822 Å. In addition, we found that the absorption edge of BNPM was 430 nm with a 0.9-mm-thick crystal, and we observed the second harmonic light with BNPM single crystal at the wavelength of 1064 nm and in the range from 906 nm to 990 nm.     

Study of ion desorption induced by a resonant core-level excitation of condensed H2O using Auger electron photo-ion coincidence (AEPICO) spectroscopy combined with synchrotron radiation

Ion desorption induced by a resonant excitation of O 1s of condensed amorphous H₂O has been studied by total ion and total electron yield spectroscopy, nonderivative Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and Auger electron photo-ion coincidence (AEPICO) spectroscopy. The spectrum of total ion yield divided by total electron yield exhibits a characteristic threshold peak at hν = 533.4 eV, which is assigned to the 4a₁ ← O 1s resonant transition. The AES at the 4a₁ ← O 1s resonance is interpreted as being composed of the spectator-AES of the surface H₂O, and the normal-AES of the bulk H₂O, where the 4a₁ electron is delocalized before Auger transitions. H⁺ is found to be the only ion species in AEPICO spectra measured at the 4a₁ ← O 1s resonance and at the O 1s ionization (hν = 560 eV). The electron kinetic energy dependence of the AEPICO yield (AEPICO yield spectrum) at the 4a₁ ← O 1s resonance is found to be greatly different from that at the O 1s ionization. The peak positions of the AEPICO yield spectrum at the 4a₁ ← O 1s resonance are found to correspond to those of the spectator-AES of the surface H₂O, which is extracted from the AES at the 4a₁ ← O 1s resonance. Furthermore, the AEPICO yield is greatly enhanced at the 4a₁ ← O 1s resonance as compared with that at the O 1s ionization. On the basis of these results, a spectator-Auger-stimulated ion desorption mechanism and/or ultra-fast ion desorption mechanism are concluded to be responsible for the H⁺ desorption at the 4a₁ ← O 1s resonance. The enhancement of the H⁺ yield is ascribed to the O---H anti-bonding character of the 4a₁ orbital.     

Studies on the syntheses of heterocyclic compounds. Part DCXLIV . Catalytic reduction of homoproaporphine related compounds

Hydrogenation of the homoproaporphine (IV) over platinum oxide gave a mixture of the cyclohexanols VIIa and VIIb. In contrast, reduction of IV on palladium provided the cyclo-hexanone VI, which was also obtained from VIIb by oxidation. Treatment of the cyclohexanols VIIa and VIIb under hydrogen on platinum oxide afforded the same mixture of VIIa and VIIb.