How Effectively is the Photon Activation Analysis Applied to Meteorite Samples?

Chondritic meteorite samples were analyzed nondestructively by photon activation analysis. Powdered samples weighing about 50 mg each were irradiated with photons (-rays) converted from electrons accelerated by a linear electron accelerator at 20 and 30 MeV. With 30-minute and 6-hour irradiations, 11 and 12 elements with duplication of 6 elements could be determined, respectively. Considering that several major elements including Mg, Si and Fe can be determined in addition to Ti, Rb, Sr, Y and Zr, which cannot or hardly be determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) with rather high sensitivity, instrumental photon activation analysis is as effective as INAA.     

New results on photoion pair formation from application of the velocity imaging photoionisation coincidence technique

The velocity imaging photoionisation coincidence (VIPCO) technique is shown to be a powerful tool for studies of ion pair formation. Sequential mechanisms are demonstrated for some three-body ion pair formation reactions. Observation of a new type of reaction producing one negatively and two positively charged ions plus an electron is reported.     

A new synthesis of indoloquinolizines by Pictet-Spengler reaction of tryptamine type 1,2-dihydropyridines utilizing sec-nitrodienamine

The Pictet-Spengler reaction of tryptamine type 1,2-dihydropyridine 5c derived from the cycloaddition of the sec-nitrodienamine 3c with acetaldehyde afforded the indoloquinolizine derivatives 6 and 7.     

Determination of chloride ion in aqueous samples by isotope-dilution Fourier-transform flame infrared emission (ID-FIRE) spectrometry

An isotope dilution method for the determination of chloride ion in aqueous samples is described. The method makes use of the isotopic shift in the rotational lines of the 1–0 band of HCl emitted in the near infrared region of the spectrum by vibrationally excited HCl molecules present in a hydrogen/entrained air flame. Chloride ion in the sample is converted to chlorine gas by electrolysis and swept into a hydrogen/entrained air flame where it is converted into HCl. Because isotope dilution is an absolute method of analysis, matrix effects are minimized, and the chlorine generation step need not be quantitative. With the system described in this paper, samples must contain at least 9 mg of chloride ion per ml, and a 2-ml sample is required. Over the range from 10 to 30 mg Cl⁻ ml⁻¹, the average error was −0.96%, and the average relative standard deviation was 3.3% for seven samples using seven of the more intense lines in the P branch. Compared with standard silver nitrate titrations, the isotope dilution procedure was not affected by such common interferences as bromide ion and iodide ion. The technique was applied to several seawater samples from different regions.     

The effect of gamma-irradiation of anthracite coal and oil bitumen

Anthracite coal and oil bitumen were submitted to γ-radiation at a total dose of 1 MGy and the radiation-processed samples were studied by FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The coal samples were studied also by TGA coupled with FT-IR spectroscopy of the evolved gases. Thermal analysis has revealed a completely different behavior of the radiolyzed samples in comparison to the unirradiated samples. Both for coal and bitumen significantly less volatile fraction was released during the TGA and in both cases a significant increase in the amount of carbon coke produced at 800-900 °C was observed. The radiation processed bitumen increased significantly its ethyl acetate insolubles content. These results were interpreted in terms of extensive crosslinking and coalification of the samples under the action of γ-radiation. The results of this study have been applied to the carbonization process of terrestrial sedimentary organic matter which is commonly attributed to the action of heat flux from the depth of the Earth but which may be also due to the action of natural radiation. Other application of the results of the present study is to the complex organic matter present on the surfaces of comets and meteorites. This complex matter was formed by exposure of simple precursors to a field of high energy radiation for millions or billions of years and is consequently transformed into coal-like and bitumen-like matter. The same arguments apply to the carbon grains present in the interstellar and circumstellar medium. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

New integrated measurement protocol using capillary electrophoresis instrumentation for the determination of viscosity, conductivity and absorbance of ionic liquid-molecular solvent mixtures

The low vapor pressure and the versatility of the physico-chemical properties of ionic liquids make them really attractive as an alternative for conventional molecular solvents. The knowledge of their physico-chemical properties (viscosity, conductivity, miscibility with organic solvents and anion-cation interactions) has appeared mandatory for better targeting their applications, although it is generally still lacking or incomplete.This work promotes capillary electrophoresis instrumentation as an integrated apparatus for measurement of viscosity, conductivity and absorbance of pure ionic liquids and ionic liquid-molecular solvent mixtures. Compared to current conventional techniques, the assets of this instrumentation for this purpose are the combined availability of a pressure delivery system, power supply, diode array absorbance detector and thermoregulation device, allowing unattended, automatic and easy operation, involving minimum sample handling. Most importantly, the required sample volume can be reduced to about 50 μL, making this protocol very cost-effective. A protocol was optimized with respect to time, sample consumption and data reliability for the determination of these physico-chemical parameters. Ionic liquids selected for method development and validation differed in the nature of their cation (butyl- and ethyl-methylimidazolium) and anion (trifluoromethanesulfonate and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide). Various molecular solvents were mixed with these ionic liquids (acetonitrile, methanol, dimethylformamide and trifluoroethanol) and the same physico-chemical properties were determined by optimized methods. The knowledge of these data should be of great support in various application areas, including the development of new separation media for capillary electrophoresis and chromatographic techniques.     

Separation of 99Mo from a simulated fission product solution by precipitation with a-benzoinoxime

The formation property of Mo precipitate was investigated and improved the existing process was using H₂O₂ that acts as an interfering compound in a subsequent alumina adsorption process. The property of the Mo precipitate was investigated by using SEM, FTIR, TG-DTA, and XRD. The simulated solution consisted of 1M nitric acid containing seven elements (Mo, I, Ru, Zr, Ce, Nd, Sr) and their radioactive tracers. As a result, the precipitate was composed of the Mo precipitate and re-precipitated a-benzoinoxime which was added excessively for increasing the precipitation efficiency. It was confirmed that the Mo precipitate was formed by the reaction of two a-benzoinoxime molecules and one MoO₂ ²⁺. Molybdenum precipitate was dissolved in 0.4M NaOH solution within 5 minutes without H₂O₂. Hydrogen peroxide induced only the rapid dissolution of the a-benzoinoxime re-precipitate. Also, the dissolution method without H₂O₂ was favorable in the purification aspect because Zr and Ru were contained as a small fraction of 1.3% and 7.7%, respectively, in the dissolving solution.     

Biosorption of mercury by carboxymethylcellulose and immobilized Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Phanerochaete chrysosporium basidiospores immobilized onto carboxymethylcellulose were used for the removal of mercury ions from aqueous solutions. The biosorption of Hg(II) ions onto carboxymethylcellulose and both immobilized live and heat-inactivated fungal mycelia of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was studied using aqueous solutions in the concentration range 30-700 mg l⁻¹. The biosorption of Hg(II) ions by the carboxymethylcellulose and both live and heat-inactivated immobilized preparations increased as the initial concentration of mercury ions increased in the medium. Maximum biosorption capacity for immobilized live and heat-inactivated fungal mycelia of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was found to be 83.10 and 102.15 mg Hg(II) g⁻¹, respectively, whereas the amount of Hg(II) ions adsorbed onto the plain carboxymethylcellulose beads was 39.42 mg g⁻¹. Biosorption equilibria were established in approximately 1 h and the correlation regression coefficients show that the adsorption process can be well defined by a Langmuir equation. Temperature changes between 15 and 45 °C did not affect the biosorption capacity. The effect of pH was also investigated and the maximum adsorption of Hg(II) ions onto the carboxymethylcellulose and both live and heat-inactivated immobilized fungal mycelia was observed at pH 6.0. The carboxymethylcellulose-fungus beads could be regenerated using 10 mM HCl, with up to 95% recovery. The biosorbents were used in three biosorption-desorption cycles and no significant loss in the biosorption capacity was observed.     

Reverse aromatic cope rearrangement of 2-allyl-3-alkylideneindolines driven by olefination of 2-allylindolin-3-ones: synthesis of alpha-allyl-3-indole acetate derivatives

The reverse aromatic Cope rearrangement of 2-allyl-3-alkylideneindolines obtained by Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of 2-allylindolin-3-ones was performed. When 2-allylindolin-3-ones were treated with phosphonium ylides in refluxing toluene, domino Wittig reaction and reverse aromatic Cope rearrangement took place to give alpha-allyl-3-indole acetate derivatives in good yields. The aromatization as a new driving force in the Cope rearrangement is preferable to the conjugation with the carbonyl and cyano groups and also to the alkyl substitution pattern, which are well-known driving forces.     

On subspectral problem—benzenoid hydrocarbons with common eigenvalues ±1

Summary The method for the contraction and expansion of graphs is used to treat the subspectrality of benzenoid hydrocarbons in relation to eigenvalues ±1. Counts of benzenoid hydrocarbons together with degeneracies of eigenvalues have been carried out for all species having h 7 hexagons. In addition, twelve homologous series are evaluated, and the closed results for the distribution of eigenvalues ± 1 and degeneracies in terms of the number of repeated units are tabulated. This method is universal and applicable to cases sharing other eigenvalues and to nonbenzenoid systems.Also known as Yuan-sun Kiang