The effect of the sintering atmosphere on the densification of B4C ceramics

Densification of boron carbide during sintering may be improved by a two-stage process, namely heating to 2000°C under vacuum and sintering at 2190°C under argon. This sintering regime allows achieving a relative density of the ceramic bodies fabricated from a fine powder higher than 95%. The nitrogen treatment of the boron carbide phase at 1900°C leads to the formation of the BN phase and precipitation of graphite. Vacuum treatment of these samples at 2000°C leads to decomposition of the boron nitride phase. The liberated free boron may again react with graphite to form in situ boron carbide particles. The experimental investigations of the sintering behavior of the boron carbide phase under various atmospheres supported the thermodynamic predictions regarding the phase transformation. No evidence, however, was found for enhanced sintering under a nitrogen atmosphere.     

Synthese und Struktur hochfunktionalisierter 2, 3‐Dihydro‐1H‐1, 3, 2‐diazaborole

Synthesis and Structure of Highly Functionalized 2, 3‐Dihydro‐1H‐1, 3, 2‐diazaboroles A series of differently substituted 2, 3‐dihydro‐1H‐1, 3, 2‐diazaboroles has been prepared by various methods. 1, 3‐Di‐tert‐butyl‐2‐trimethylsilylmethyl‐1H‐1, 3, 2‐diazaborole ( 7 ), 2‐isobutyl‐1, 3‐bis(1‐cyclohexylethyl)‐1H‐1, 3, 2‐diazaborole ( 8 ), 1, 3‐bis‐(1‐cyclohexylethyl)‐2‐trimethylsilylmethyl‐1H‐1, 3, 2‐diazaborole ( 9 ) 1, 3‐bis(1‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐propyl)‐2‐trimethylsilylmethyl‐1H‐1, 3, 2diazaborole ( 10 ) and 2‐bromo‐1, 3‐bis(1‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐propyl)‐1H‐1, 3, 2‐diazaborole ( 11 ) were formed by reaction of the corresponding 1, 4‐diazabutadienes with the boranes Me₃SiCH₂BBr₂, iBuBBr₂ and BBr₃ followed by reduction of the resulting borolium salts [R¹ = tBu, Me(cHex)CH, [Me(Et)Ph]C; R² = Me₃SiCH₂, iBu, Br] with sodium amalgam. Treatment of 11 and 12 with silver cyanide afforded the 2‐cyano‐1, 3, 2‐diazaboroles 13 and 14 . An alternative route to compound 8 is based on the alkylation of 2‐bromo‐1, 3, 2‐diazaborole 12 with isobutyllithium. Equimolar amounts of 13 and isobutyllithium give rise to the formation of 15 . The new compounds were characterized by ¹H‐, ¹³C‐, ¹¹B‐NMR, IR and mass spectra. The molecular structures of 7 and meso ‐10 were confirmed by x‐ray structural analysis.     

Determination of trace metals in industrial boron carbide by solid sampling optical emission spectrometry. Optimization of DC arc excitation (current, atmosphere and chemical modifier)

Graphite arc emission spectrometry has become possible as a result of the invention of novel types of optical spectrometers with Echelle-optics and semiconductor array detectors, and by the application of electronically controlled, high current arc generators. An optimization of the excitation parameters to boron carbide analysis is reported here, measuring background corrected line intensities that were integrated for the time of total evaporation of 5 mg boron carbide sample with or without added chemical modifiers. The following set of experimental conditions were compared with respect of analytical sensitivity and precision: (A) no modifier, Ar + O₂ (20%), 16 A; (B) sample + graphite powder (1 + 1), Ar + O₂ (20%), 16 A; (C) sample + CaF₂ (1 + 1), Ar, 25 A; (D) sample + CaF₂ + graphite powder (1 + 1 + 1), Ar, 25 A. The graphite powder modifier resulted in improved precision in general, and the CaF₂ was effective as a plasma ionization buffer and fluorinating agent. The best compromise was found under conditions B, when oxygen was present in the discharge atmosphere. This is likely due to the stepwise conversion of the boron carbide matrix to the more volatile boron oxide. Under conditions B, detection limits in the ranges of 0.3–9 μg g⁻¹ for Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Si and that of 18–38 μg g⁻¹ for Ti, W, and Zr were attained. Average RSDs of 10.2 and 9.7% were found, respectively, without and with internal referencing to boron.     

Optical properties of perturbed NO 2 − ions in KNO2 doped NaNO2 single crystals

Summary On the basis of high-resolution and time-resolved fluorescence spectra, a model is proposed for the interpretation of the fluorescence lines originating from various perturbed NO ₂ ^– centers situated in the neighbourhood of the K⁺ ion of the NaNO₂:KNO₂ crystal. Since their excited state energies are lower than that of the host, these perturbed NO ₂ ^– ions act as traps for the host singlet exciton. On the assumption that the perturbation giving rise to those traps results from an interaction of the impurity ion K⁺ with its nearest neighbours, the observed position of the energy levels of the various traps can be reconciled with crystal field calculations.     

ESR Study of a Nitroxide Radical in Sol-Gel Glasses

A spin probe TEMPOL (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy) was dissolved in a tetraethyl orthosilicate sol-gel reaction system and measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy at 295 K. The nitrogen hyperfine coupling constant was from 1.64–1.66 mT in the sol-gel solutions. The values were sensitive to the ethanol-to-water ratio of the solutions. The hyperfine coupling constant in the xerogels was 1.70 mT, which was almost the same as that in water, indicating that the probe molecules were trapped in silica pores with water adsorbed on the silica surfaces. The motion of TEMPOL in the xerogels was considerably slower than in the sol-gel solutions. The local viscosity estimated was from 70–90 cP. The ESR spectra of TEMPOL were altered during the sol-gel process, indicating that adsorbed water on the silicas surfaces has an important role for trapping organic molecules in sol-gel glasses.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of BF2 complexes with 1,3-diketone ligands

BF₂ complexes with 1,3-diketone ligands were synthesized, and their optical and electrochemical properties were studied. The colors of the complexes varied depending on the structures of the 1,3-diketone ligands. The absorption and emission maxima of the complexes with 1,3-diaryl-1,3-diketone ligands were considerably red shifted as compared to those of the complexes with 1-aryl-3-trifluoromethyl-1,3-diketone ligands, suggesting an extended π-conjugation of the 1,3-diaryl-1,3-diketone moieties. The molar absorption coefficients and quantum yields of the complexes with 1,3-diaryl-1,3-diketone ligands were larger than those of the complexes with 1-aryl-3-trifluoromethyl-1,3-diketone ligands. Cyclic voltammetry measurements revealed that the reduction potentials of the BF₂ complexes were higher than those of the free ligands. These complexes exhibited various emission colors in the solid states due to the intermolecular interactions.     

Manganese detection in marine sediments: anodic vs. cathodic stripping voltammetry

Three different electroanalytical techniques for the detection of manganese in marine sediments are evaluated. The anodic stripping voltammetry of manganese at an in situ bismuth-film-modified boron-doped diamond electrode and cathodic stripping voltammetry at a carbon paste electrode are shown to lack the required sensitivity and reproducibility whereas cathodic stripping voltammetry at a bare boron-doped diamond electrode is shown to be reliable and selective with a limit of detection, from applying a 60 s accumulation period of 7.4 × 10⁻⁷ M and a sensitivity of 0.24 A M⁻¹. The method was used to evaluate the manganese content of marine sediments taken from Šibenik, Croatia.     

Electroanalytical Determination of Carbaryl in Natural Waters on Boron Doped Diamond Electrode

The anodic voltammetric behavior of carbaryl on a boron‐doped diamond electrode in aqueous solution is reported. The results, obtained by square‐wave voltammetry at 0.1 mol L^?1 Na₂SO₄ and pH 6.0, allow the development of a method to determine carbaryl, without any previous step of extraction, clean‐up, preconcentration or derivatization, in the range 2.5–30.0×10^?6 mol L^?1, with a detection limit of 8.2±0.2 μg L^?1 in pure water. The analytical sensitivity of this electrochemical method diminished slightly, from 3.07 mA mmol^?1 L to 2.90 mA mmol^?1L, when the electrolyte was prepared with water samples collected from two polluted points in an urban creek. In these conditions, the recovery efficiencies obtained were around 104%. The effect of other pesticides (fenthion and 4‐nitrophenol) was evaluated and found to exert a negligible influence on carbaryl determination. The square‐wave voltammetric data obtained for carbaryl were typical of an irreversible electrode process with mass transport control. The combination of square‐wave voltammetry and diamond electrodes is an interesting and desirable alternative for analytical determinations.     

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Chromium(VI) by Thionin: Electrochemical Properties and Mechanistic Study

The electrochemical properties of aqueous thionin (an electroactive water soluble dye) of pH 1–12 were investigated by cyclic voltammetry at a boron doped diamond(BDD) electrode. A well defined reversible redox couple was observed in acidic, neutral and alkaline solutions. The standard potential and kinetic parameters for thionin were obtained by fitting experimental cyclic voltammograms to those generated by the DigiSim program. The electrogenerated reduced form of thionin has been used as an efficient organic catalyst for the reduction of Cr(VI) at a BDD electrode immersed in aqueous media. The cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate that an electrocatalytic process occurs, where electrochemically generated thionin reduced species (Leucothionin) is oxidized by Cr(VI) back to the parent thionin species via a EC' reaction mechanism. The determination of catalytic rate constant (K_cat) was accomplished again by fitting experimental cyclic voltammograms with simulated ones.     

The phase diagram and tetragonal superstructures of the rare earth cobaltate phases Ln1−xSrxCoO3-δ (Ln=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Y, Ho, Dy, Er, Tm and Yb)

Single phase perovskite-based rare earth cobaltates (Ln_1−xSr_xCoO_3−δ) (Ln=La³⁺, Pr³⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, Gd³⁺, Dy³⁺, Y³⁺, Ho³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺ and Yb³⁺; 0.67?x?0.9) have been synthesized at 1100°C under 1 atmosphere of oxygen. X-ray diffraction of phases containing the larger rare earth ions La³⁺, Pr³⁺ and Nd³⁺ reveals simple cubic structures; however electron diffraction shows orientational twinning of a local, tetragonal (I4/mmm; a_p×a_p×2a_p) superstructure phase. Orientational twinning is also present for Ln_1−xSr_xCoO_3−δ compounds containing rare earth ions smaller than Nd³⁺. These compounds show a modulated intermediate parent with a tetragonal superstructure (I4/mmm; 2a_p×2a_p×4a_p). Thermogravimetric measurements have determined the overall oxygen content, and these phases show mixed valence (3⁺/4⁺) cobalt oxidation states with up to 50% Co(IV). X-ray diffraction data and Rietveld techniques have been used to refine the structures of each of these tetragonal superstructure phases (Ln=Sm³⁺-Yb³⁺). Coupled Ln/Sr and oxygen/vacancy ordering and associated structural relaxation are shown to be responsible for the observed superstructure.