Liquid–liquid microextraction and spectrophotometric determination of anionic surfactants using Astra Phloxine FF

A novel and simple procedure for determination of anionic surfactants has been developed. The method is based on the reaction of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) with Astra Phloxine FF reagent at pH 3–8, followed by liquid–liquid microextraction of the formed ion associate into an organic phase containing a mixture of carbon tetrachloride and dichloroethane (4:1, v/v) and subsequent UV-Vis detection at 555 nm. The calibration plot was linear in the range 0.006–0.29 mg L^?1 of SDS. The limit of detection (LOD), calculated based on 3s, is 0.002 mg L^?1. The method was applied to the determination of anionic surfactants in real wastewater samples.     

On the commutator group of the group of interval exchange transformations

We study the group of interval exchange transformations and obtain several characterizations of its commutator group. In particular, it turns out that the commutator group is generated by elements of order 2.     

Surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry with a rotating ball interface

A rotating ball interface for surface‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (SALDI) mass spectrometry was designed and tested. One side of the ball was exposed to atmospheric pressure and the other to the vacuum in a time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer. Analytes (arginine, atenolol, reserpine, tofisopam, and chloropyramine) were applied using electrospray to a silicon substrate on the atmospheric side, the ball was rotated 180°, and the analyte was desorbed on the vacuum side using a pulsed, 200 Hz, 355 nm laser. In order to increase the desorption area, the laser focus was scanned over the substrate in a raster pattern repeated once every second. The design allows for rapid sample throughout with a sample turn‐around time as short as 5 s. Newly produced porous silicon substrates initially yielded very low ion signals, and they required several hundred laser shots to attain maximum sensitivity. In contrast, amorphous silicon did not require such ‘activation’. Quantitative analysis showed a sample‐to‐sample reproducibility of about 10%. The sensitivities with model analytes were in the 1000 to 10 000 ions/fmole range and detection limits in the low fg range. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulation of heterogeneous end-coupling reactions in polydisperse polymer blends

The influence of polydispersity on the interfacial kinetics of end-coupling and microstructure formation in the melt of immiscible polymers was studied using dissipative particle dynamics simulations. The irreversible reaction started at a flat interface between two layers, each of which contained polymer chains of two different lengths with functionalized or unreactive end groups. As in the case of fully functionalized monodisperse reactants [A. V. Berezkin and Y. V. Kudryavtsev, Macromolecules 44, 112 (2011)], four kinetic regimes were observed: linear (mean field coupling at the initial interface), saturation (decreasing the reaction rate due to the copolymer brush formation or reactant depletion near the interface), autocatalytic (loss of the initial interface stability and formation of a lamellar microstructure), and terminal (microstructure ripening under diffusion control). The interfacial instability is caused by overcrowding the interface with the reaction product, and it can be kinetically suppressed by increasing chain length of the reactants. Main effects of polydispersity are as follows: (i) the overall end-coupling rate is dominated by the shortest reactive chains; (ii) the copolymer concentration at the interface causing its instability can be not the same as in the lamellas formed afterwards; (iii) mean length of the copolymer product considerably changes with conversion passing through a minimum when a microstructure is just formed.     

Na[Li(NH2BH3)2]--the first mixed-cation amidoborane with unusual crystal structure

We describe the successful synthesis of the first mixed-cation (pseudoternary) amidoborane, Na[Li(NH(2)BH(3))(2)], with theoretical hydrogen capacity of 11.1 wt%. Na[Li(NH(2)BH(3))(2)] crystallizes triclinic (P1) with a = 5.0197(4) ?, b = 7.1203(7) ?, c = 8.9198(9) ?, α = 103.003(6)°, β = 102.200(5)°, γ = 103.575(5)°, and V = 289.98(5) ?(3) (Z = 2), as additionally confirmed by Density Functional Theory calculations. Its crystal structure is topologically different from those of its orthorhombic LiNH(2)BH(3) and NaNH(2)BH(3) constituents, with distinctly different coordination spheres of Li (3 N atoms and 1 hydride anion) and Na (6 hydride anions). Na[Li(NH(2)BH(3))(2)], which may be viewed as a product of a Lewis acid (LiNH(2)BH(3))/Lewis base (NaNH(2)BH(3)) reaction, is an important candidate for a novel lightweight hydrogen storage material. The title material decomposes at low temperature (with onset at 75 °C, 6.0% mass loss up to 110 °C, and an additional 3.0% up to 200 °C) while evolving hydrogen contaminated with ammonia.     

Inequalities for Gondran-Minoux rank and idempotent semirings

The rank-sum, rank-product, and rank-union inequalities for Gondran-Minoux rank of matrices over idempotent semirings are considered. We prove these inequalities for matrices over quasi-selective semirings without zero divisors, which include matrices over the max-plus semiring. Moreover, it is shown that the inequalities provide the linear algebraic characterization for the class of quasi-selective semirings. Namely, it is proven that the inequalities hold for matrices over an idempotent semiring S without zero divisors if and only if S is quasi-selective. For any idempotent semiring which is not quasi-selective it is shown that the rank-sum, rank-product, and rank-union inequalities do not hold in general. Also, we provide an example of a selective semiring with zero divisors such that the rank-sum, rank-product, and rank-union inequalities do not hold in general.     

How linker's modification controls swelling properties of highly flexible iron(III) dicarboxylates MIL-88

A series of organically modified iron(III) terephthalate MIL-88B and iron(III) 4,4'-biphenyl dicarboxylate MIL-88D flexible solids have been synthesized and characterized through a combination of X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis (MIL stands for Material from Institut Lavoisier). The swelling amplitude of the highly flexible MOFs tuned by introducing functional groups onto the phenyl rings shows a clear dependence on the steric hindrance and on the number of groups per aromatic ring. For instance, while the introduction of four methyl groups per spacer in dried MIL-88B results in a large permanent porosity, introducing two or four methyl groups in MIL-88D allows an easier pore opening in the presence of liquids without drastically decreasing the swelling magnitude. The influence of the degree of saturation of the metal center and the nature of the solvent on the swelling is also discussed. Finally, a computationally assisted structure determination has led to a proposal of plausible structures for the closed (dried) and open forms of modified MIL-88B and MIL-88D and to evaluation of their framework energies subject to the nature of the functional groups.     

Simplified monoharmonic approach to investigation of forced vibrations of thin wall multilayer inelastic elements with piezoactive layers under cyclic loading

A coupled dynamic problem of electromechanics for thin wall multilayer elements is formulated based on the Kirchhoff–Love hypotheses. In the case of harmonic loading, a simplified formulation is given using the monoharmonic approach and the concept of complex moduli to characterize the cyclic properties of the material. The problem of forced vibrations of three-layer beam, whose outer layers are made of a viscoelastic piezoactive material, and, the inner layer of a passive physically nonlinear material, is considered as an example to demonstrate the possibility of the technique elaborated. The possibility of damping the forced vibrations of a structure with the help of harmonic voltages applied to the external piezoactive layers is studied. Results obtained for the transient response of the beam using the complete model are compared with data found using the simplified model. Limitations on the simplified model application are specified.     

Hilbert-style axiomatization of first-degree entailment and a family of its extensions

This paper presents a Hilbert-style system for the logic of first-degree entailment defined in a Fmla-Fmla framework. The effective use of this formulation as a basis for a whole family of systems extending the logic of first-degree entailment in various directions is shown. By systematizing this family, some new systems are uncovered, and some other well-established logics (such as the first-degree entailment fragment of Priest's Logic of Paradox) obtain new axiomatization. Semantics for the key systems from the family is formulated.     

Tl2Te and its relationship with Tl5Te3

The crystal structure of Tl₂Te, dithallium telluride, has been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The analysis of the structure shows that this compound is the first known representative of a new crystal structure type. The structural relationship with the related Tl₅Te₃ phase is discussed.