A novel method of the determination of boron in the presence of a little methanol by discoloring spectrophotometry in pharmaceutical and biological samples

It is the first time that boron is determined in the presence of a little methanol by discoloring spectrophotometry in this paper. A russety product can be formed by the reaction between glycine (Gly) and sodium 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate (NQS) in alkaline solution. When boron is added to the solution, the system will be discolored, and the addition of a little methanol will improve the discoloration. Beer's law is obeyed in the range of boron concentrations of 0.86-43.24 μg ml⁻¹ at the maximal discoloring wavelength of 382 nm. The equation of linear regression is A = −0.07581-86.79186C (mol l⁻¹), with a linearly correlation coefficient of 0.9979. The detection limit is 0.80 μg ml⁻¹ and R.S.D. is 4.2%. The method is successfully applied to the determination of boron in pharmaceutical and biological samples. The average recoveries are in the range of 98.2-104.1%. Analytical results obtained with this novel method are satisfactory.     

Selective Electroanalytical Assay for Cysteine at a Boron Doped Diamond Electrode

The electrochemical oxidation of the cysteine‐quinone adduct has been examined as a means of providing an electroanalytical cysteine specific detection protocol. The appliance of square‐wave voltammetry allowed 0.5 μM as a limit of detection. The effects of various biologically relevant interferences including other thiols were studied and found to present no change in the voltammetric profile. The practical applicability and efficiency of the methodology was probed through the determination of cysteine concentration in growth tissue medium.     

Mechanistic Aspects of Carbon Nanotube Nucleation and Growth

The discovery, synthesis, characterization, and applicability of carbon nanotubes have produced tremendous excitement and interest among scientists and engineers. In particular, the use of these unique tubular nanostructures for new strong lightweight materials, nanoelectronics, fuel storage and cells, electron emitters and bio, scanning probe microscopy, and chemical sensing devices has created an intense effort to advance the synthesis so as to mass produce carbon nanotubes with control over diameter and helicity. The massive and controlled synthesis of this heralded nanostructure has been a great challenge. Although significant progress has advanced the preparation, more synthetic development is required. The syntheses have so far involved three main approaches: arc discharge vaporization, laser vaporization, and catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The synthetic trend has progressed to a point where further advancement with these techniques will require a better understanding of the mechanism of nucleation and growth. The mechanics of carbon nanotube nucleation and growth involve very complex and diverse phenomena occurring under extreme conditions and on the mesoscopic scale. As yet the detail mechanism is unknown. Difficulties with experimental probing and computational simulation have increased the mystery of this mechanism. This review presents an account of research on the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and the mechanism of formation. This overview includes all three mentioned synthetic approaches and hybrids thereof. On the basis of this broad account a comprehensive mechanism for carbon nanotube nucleation and growth naturally arises. This mechanism is qualitative and it hopes to inspire more quantitative exploration and synthetic advancement.     

Classifying wine according to geographical origin via quadrupole-based ICP–mass spectrometry measurements of boron isotope ratios

The potential of quadrupole-based ICP–MS as a tool for B-isotopic analysis of wines and its usefulness in provenance determinations were assessed. A precision of 0.1–0.25% RSD (corresponding to a relative standard deviation of the mean of three replicate measurements of 0.06–0.12%) was sufficient to establish small differences in the B isotope ratios in wines from different geographical origins. Each sample measurement was bracketed by measurements of a standard and mass bias drift correction made by interpolation. Sample preparation was kept to a minimum to avoid possible fractionation. Dilution of the wine samples by a factor of 100 with 0.65% HNO₃ was found to reduce matrix-induced mass discrimination substantially. Wines from three wine-producing regions, Stellenbosch, Robertson, and Swartland, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, and wines from specific regions in France (Bergerac) and Italy (Valpolicella) were analyzed by ICP–QMS for their B-isotopic compositions. It was concluded that the ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios can be used to characterize wines from different geographical origins. Average ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios in red wines from South Africa (Stellenbosch), France (Bergerac), and Italy (Valpolicella) were found to differ by between 0.5 and 1.5%.     

破碎-絮凝法分离细长碳纳米管与碳纤维

根据碳纤维与细长碳纳米管耐磨性能与絮凝沉降性能的差异，提出了一种有效分离细长碳纳米管与碳纤维的物理方法——破碎-絮凝法.该方法包括研磨破碎、液相分散、絮凝沉降、过滤分离等步骤，可高效去除混杂于细长碳纳米管样品中的碳纤维，同时还可去除螺旋状碳纤维及细小碳颗粒等易悬浮杂质.纯化过程对细长碳纳米管无损伤.用电子显微镜和热重分析表征了纯化效果，并初步分析了纯化机理.     

Synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes catalyzed by substituted ferrocenes

A range of substituted ferrocenes were used as catalysts for the synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon fibers (CFs). These products were obtained in the temperature range 800-1000 °C, in a reducing atmosphere of 5% H₂ by pyrolysis of (CpR)(CpR′)Fe (R and R′ = H, Me, Et and COMe) in toluene solution. The effect of pyrolysis temperature (800-1000 °C), catalyst concentration (5 and 10 wt.% in toluene) and solution injection rate (0.2 and 0.8 ml/min) on the type and yield of carbonaceous product synthesized was investigated. Carbonaceous products formed include graphite film (mostly at high temperature; 900-1000 °C), carbon nanotubes and carbon fibers. The carbonaceous materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The ferrocene ring substituents influenced both the CNT diameter and the carbon product formed.     

Interfacial properties of self-organized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotubes studied by impedance spectroscopy

The semiconductor properties of the interface TiO₂/electrolyte in high organized porous oxide structures were analyzed by means of impedance spectroscopy near the flat band potential. The impedance and capacitance studies performed on the as-anodized and thermally treated samples (anatase) indicate the presence of a duplex structure formed by (1) the oxide at the bottom of the pores and (2) the walls of pores with different donor densities and surface state concentrations.     

Electroreduction of α-glucose on CNT/graphite electrode modified by Zn and Zn–Fe alloy

Electroreduction of -glucose to form sorbitol on Zn/CNTs and Zn alloy/CNTs electrodes has been investigated in this paper. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) used in this paper are grown directly on graphite disks by chemical vapor deposition. Zn and Zn alloy are electrodeposited on the activated CNTs/graphite electrode by pulse galvanostatic method. The micrographs of Zn/CNTs and Zn alloy/CNTs electrodes are characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the current efficiency of -glucose reduction on CNTs electrodes is much better than that on flat Zn electrodes. The order of the current efficiency on different electrodes is as follows: Zn/CNT (0.58) Zn–Fe/CNT (0.57)>Zn–Ni/CNT (0.43) Zn/graphite (0.42)>Zn (0.40). It indicates that CNTs have good potential application in electrosynthesis. Additionally, effects of some operating parameters, such as pH, temperature and -glucose concentration, on the current efficiency of -glucose reduction are also discussed.     

An In Situ Copper Plated Boron‐Doped Diamond Microelectrode Array for the Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Nitrate

The first example of using a copper microelectrode array for use in electroanalysis is explored and exemplified with the electroanalytical quantification of nitrate. The analytical approach is based upon the in situ deposition of copper at a boron‐doped diamond (BDD) microelectrode array. The immobilized copper layer is electrocatalytic for nitrate reduction and exhibits an analytically useful range from 1.2 to 124 μM with a marked selectivity for nitrate ion over nitrate, with a limit of detection of 0.76 μM. The analytical applicability was examined through standard addition determinations of nitrate in drinking and river water samples.     

Prepared Low Stress Cubic Boron Nitride Film by Physical Vapor Deposition

We present low stress cubic boron nitride (cBN) films with a transition layer deposited on the metal alloy substrates by tuned substrate radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The IR peak position of cubic boron nitride at 1006.3 cm⁻¹, which is close to the stressless state, indicates that the film has very low internal stress. The TEM image shows that pure CBN phase exists on the surface of the film. Several phases of boron nitride were found at the medium implantation dose. It is believed that the transition from the low ordered phases to cBN phase occurred during implantation.