Temperature Dependence of 1H Paramagnetic Chemical Shifts in Actinide Complexes,Beyond Bleaney's Theory: The AnVIO22+–Dipicolinic Acid Complexes (An=Np,Pu) as an Example

Actinide +VI complexes ( = , and ) with dipicolinic acid derivatives were synthesized and characterized by powder XRD, SQUID magnetometry and NMR spectroscopy. In addition, and complexes were described by first principles CAS based and two-component spin-restricted DFT methods. The analysis of the ¹H paramagnetic NMR chemical shifts for all protons of the ligands according to the X-rays structures shows that the Fermi contact contribution is negligible in agreement with spin density determined by unrestricted DFT. The magnetic susceptibility tensor is determined by combining SQUID, pNMR shifts and Evans’ method. The SO-RASPT2 results fit well the experimental magnetic susceptibility and pNMR chemical shifts. The role of the counterions in the solid phase is pointed out; their presence impacts the magnetic properties of the complex. The temperature dependence of the pNMR chemical shifts has a strong contribution, contrarily to Bleaney's theory for lanthanide complexes. The fitting of the temperature dependence of the pNMR chemical shifts and SQUID magnetic susceptibility by a two-Kramers-doublet model for the complex and a non-Kramers-doublet model for the complex allows for the experimental evaluation of energy gaps and magnetic moments of the paramagnetic center.     

Design and Performances of a Carbon Monoxide Sensor Using Mid-Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Technique at 4.6 µm

Based on infrared absorption spectroscopy technique, a carbon monoxide sensor was developed using the fundamental absorption band of carbon monoxide molecule at the wavelength around 4.6 µm. The developed sensor consists of pulse-modulated wideband incandescence, open ellipsoid light-collector gas-cell, dual-channel detector, and control and signal-processing module. With the prepared standard carbon monoxide gas sample, sensing characteristics on carbon monoxide were investigated using the sensor. Experimental results reveal that the limit of detection is about 10 ppm, the relative error at the limit of detection point is less than 14%, and that is less than 7.8% within the low concentration range of 20～180 ppm. The maximum absolute errors of 50 min long-term measurement on the 0 and 14 ppm CO gas samples are about 3 and 3.17 ppm, respectively, and the standard deviations are as small as 0.18 and 1.25 ppm, respectively. Compared with the reported carbon monoxide detection systems utilizing quantum cascaded lasers and distributed feedback lasers, the proposed sensor shows potential applications in carbon monoxide detection under the circumstances of coal-mine and environmental protection, by virtue of high performance, low cost, simple optical structure, and so on.     

From the {FeIII2Ln2} Butterfly's Perspective: the Magnetic Benefits and Challenges of Cooperativity within 3 d–4 f Based Coordination Clusters

In this Review we discuss the tuning handles which can be used to steer the magnetic properties of Fe^III-4 f “butterfly” compounds. The majority of presented compounds were produced in the context of project A3 “Di- to tetranuclear compounds incorporating highly anisotropic paramagnetic metal ions” within the SFB/TRR88 “3MET”. These contain {Fe^III₂Ln₂} cores encapsulated in ligand shells which are easy to tune in a “test-bed” system. We identify the following advantages and variables in such systems: (i) the complexes are structurally simple usually with one crystallographically independent Fe^III and Ln^III, respectively. This simplifies theory and anaylsis; (ii) choosing Fe allows ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy to be used as an additional technique which can give information about oxidation levels and spin states, local moments at the iron nuclei and spin-relaxation and, more importantly, about the anisotropy not only of the studied isotope, but also of elements interacting with this isotope; (iii) isostructural analogues with all the available (i. e. not Pm) 4 f ions can be synthesised, enabling a systematic survey of the influence of the 4 f ion on the electronic structure; (iv) this cluster type is obtained by reacting [Fe^III₃O(O₂CR)₆(L)₃](X) (X=anion, L=solvent such as H₂O, py) with an ethanolamine-based ligand L′ and lanthanide salts. This allows to study analogues of [Fe^III₂Ln₂(μ₃-OH)₂(L′)₂(O₂CR)₆] using the appropriate iron trinuclear starting materials. (v) the organic main ligand can be readily functionalised, facilitating a systematic investigation of the effect of organic substituents on the ligands on the magnetic properties of the complexes. We describe and discuss 34 {M^III₂Ln₂} (M=Fe or in one case Al) butterfly compounds which have been reported up to 2020. The analysis of these gives perspectives for designing new SMM systems with specific electronic and magnetic signatures     

Anomalous energy loss distributions of alpha particles in heavily implanted thin aluminium films

Anomalous energy loss distributions of ^l48Gd alpha particles have been observed in heavily implanted thin aluminium films. It is surmised that thin film micro-wrinkling is responsible for the observed effect and that the novel technique of energy loss spectral analysis (ELSA) should be useful in studies of the topography of such films.     

Eosin Y (EY) Photoredox‐Catalyzed Sulfonylation of Alkenes: Scope and Mechanism

Alkyl‐ and aryl vinyl sulfones were obtained by eosin Y (EY)‐mediated visible‐light photooxidation of sulfinate salts and the reaction of the resulting S‐centered radicals with alkenes. Optimized reaction conditions, the sulfinate and alkene scope, and X‐ray structural analyses of several reaction products are provided. A detailed spectroscopic study explains the reaction mechanism, which proceeds through the EY radical cation as key intermediate oxidizing the sulfinate salts.     

Cytochrome P450 119 Compounds I Formed by Chemical Oxidation and Photooxidation Are the Same Species

Compound I from cytochrome P450 119 prepared by the photooxidation method involving peroxynitrite oxidation of the resting enzyme to Compound II followed by photooxidation to Compound I was compared to Compound I generated by m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (MCPBA) oxidation of the resting enzyme. The two methods gave the same UV/Visible spectra, the same products from oxidations of lauric acid and palmitic acid and their (ω-2,ω-2,ω-3,ω-3)-tetradeuterated analogues, and the same kinetics for oxidations of lauric acid and caprylic acid. The experimental identities between the transients produced by the two methods leave no doubt that the same Compound I species is formed by the two methods.     

Kinetics of carbon steel dissolution in ammonium chloride solution containing sodium thiosulfate

The dissolution behavior of carbon steel in ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) solution containing sodium thiosulfate (Na₂S₂O₃) of various concentrations (0.01 and 0.1 M) was investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and other nonelectrochemical techniques. The weight loss and polarization measurements indicate a significant increase in the NH₄Cl corrosion rate of carbon steel on addition of Na₂S₂O_3. The EIS measurements exhibited two capacitive loops at multiple direct current (dc) potentials for both the concentrations. Electrical equivalent circuit (EEC) and reaction mechanism analysis (RMA) were employed to analyze the impedance data. A four-step mechanism with two intermediate adsorbate species of same charge was proposed to explain the dissolution behavior of carbon steel in the given system. The surface coverage values enumerated that the surface was entirely covered with adsorbed species unlike in the pure NH₄Cl system. Charge transfer resistance and polarization resistance values estimated from RMA parameters indicate the increase in a dissolution rate with dc potential. The surface morphology was inspected via field emission scanning electron microscopy, and the corrosion products including surface state of carbon steel electrode were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.