Morphology,surface roughness,electron inelastic and quasielastic scattering in elastic peak electron spectroscopy of polymers

In elastic peak electron spectroscopy (EPES), the nearest vicinity of elastic peak in the low kinetic energy region reflects electron inelastic and quasielastic processes. Incident electrons produce surface excitations, inducing surface plasmons, with the corresponding loss peaks separated by 1–20 eV energy from the elastic peak. In this work, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and helium pycnometry are applied for determining surface atomic composition and bulk density, whereas atomic force microscopy (AFM) is applied for determining surface morphology and roughness. The component due to electron recoil on hydrogen atoms can be observed in EPES spectra for selected primary electron energies. Simulations of EPES predict a larger contribution of the hydrogen component than observed experimentally, where hydrogen deficiency is observed. Elastic peak intensity is influenced more strongly by surface morphology (roughness and porosity) than by surface excitations and quasielastic scattering of electrons by hydrogen atoms. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Excitation-energy migration in self-assembled cyclic zinc(II)-porphyrin arrays: a close mimicry of a natural light-harvesting system

The excitation-energy-hopping (EEH) times within two-dimensional cyclic zinc(II)-porphyrin arrays 5 and 6, which were prepared by intermolecular coordination and ring-closing metathesis reaction of olefins, were deduced by modeling the EEH process based on the anisotropy depolarization as well as the exciton-exciton annihilation dynamics. Assuming the number of energy-hopping sites N = 5 and 6, the two different experimental observables, that is, anisotropy depolarization and exciton-excition annihilation times, consistently give the EEH times of 8.0 +/- 0.5 and 5.3 +/- 0.6 ps through the 1,3-phenylene linkages of 5 and 6, respectively. Accordingly, the self-assembled cyclic porphyrin arrays have proven to be well-defined two-dimensional models for natural light-harvesting complexes.     

A New Complex of Europium(II) with edta – Structure and Spectroscopy

A new complex of europium(II) with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid was obtained by electrochemical reduction. The compound is composed of polymeric chains, guanidinium cations and water molecules. The Eu²⁺ cation is eight‐coordinate (two nitrogen atoms and six carboxylate oxygen atoms), and contrary to europium(III) complexes with edta, does not contain water molecules in the first coordination sphere. Relationships between the coordination mode and IR as well as UV–Vis spectra are discussed.     

Molecular structure-activity relationships for the oxidation of organic compounds using mesoporous silica catalysts derivatised with bis(halogeno)dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes

Mo K-edge XAFS spectra have been measured for ordered mesoporous silica MCM-41 grafted with the complexes [MoO2X2(thf)2] (X=Cl, Br). For grafting reactions in the absence of triethylamine, materials with 1 wt. % Mo are obtained; the Mo K-edge EXAFS results indicate the co-existence of isolated surface-fixed monomeric species [MoO2[(-O)3SiO]2(thf)(n)] and [MoO2[(-O)3SiO]X(thf)(n)]. When Et3N is used in the grafting reactions, materials with 4 wt. % Mo are obtained. The EXAFS data for the material prepared using [MoO2Cl2(thf)2] and Et3N indicate the presence of dinuclear species with two Mo(VI) centres, each with two Mo=O groups and each linked by one or two oxo bridges (Mo...Mo 3.27 A). The molybdenum centres in the material prepared using the dibromo complex comprise mainly isolated four-coordinate dioxomolybdenum(VI) and trioxomolybdenum(VI) monomeric species, with a small contribution from dimeric species. All materials were further characterised in the solid state by powder X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption analysis, MAS NMR (13C, 29Si) and FTIR spectroscopy. The derivatised MCMs perform differently as catalysts in the liquid-phase oxidation of various olefins and alcohols with tert-butyl hydroperoxide. The highest alkene epoxidation activity was recorded for the catalysts with low metal loading, whereas the material containing oxo-bridged dimers had the highest activity for oxidation of alcohols. The recyclability of all the catalysts was tested: the catalytic activity of the derivatised materials tended to stabilize with ageing.     

Anomalies of the partition coefficient and properties of crystals in the region of low concentrations of an isomorphous admixture. 1. Unusual decomposition of solid solutions of the NaCl—CdCl2 system

Solid solutions NaCl—CdCl₂ were studied in an interval of CdCl₂ concentrations of 0.05—3 mol.% by Raman spectroscopy. The molecular form Na₂CdCl₄ decomposes: Na₂CdCl₄ 2Na⁺ + Cd²⁺ + 2Cl₂ ^– + 2e^–; 2Na + 2e^– 2Na⁰. Free sodium atoms form color centers of crystal (F centers) in the region of jumpwise changing the partition coefficient of CdCl₂ in NaCl (K jump).     

Resonance Raman studies of beta-substituted porphyrin systems with unusual electronic absorption properties.

Zn(II) and Cu(II) porphyrins with beta-conjugated barbiturate functional groups have low-energy electronic transitions which are unusual in that there are two strong bands in the Soret region. Resonance excitation of the two bands shows that each has features characteristic of both the porphyrin and barbiturate groups, with some perturbation to these features caused by the interaction of the two chromophores. The resonance Raman (RR) spectrum (lambda(exc)=413.1 nm) of the 412 nm band shows two bands at 1722 and 1743 cm(-1) attributable to C==O stretches in the substituent. Changes in frequency of porphyrin core modes due to the differing metal centres are reproduced by density functional theory calculations. The Q band RR spectra show modes with anomalous polarization which may be attributed to A(2g) modes, however no overtone or combination bands are observed.     

Concentration profiles of cocaine, pyrolytic methyl ecgonidine and thirteen metabolites in human blood and urine: determination by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

When cocaine is smoked, a pyrolytic product, methyl ecgonidine (anhydroecgonine methyl ester), is also consumed with the cocaine. The amount of methyl ecgonidine formed depends on the pyrolytic conditions and composition of the illicit cocaine. This procedure describes detection of cocaine and 10 metabolites--cocaethylene, nor-cocaine, nor-cocaethylene, methyl ecgonine, ethyl ecgonine, benzoylecgonine, nor-benzoylecgonine, m-hydroxybenzoylecgonine, p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine and ecgonine--in blood and urine. In addition, the detection of pyrolytic methyl ecgonidine and three metabolites--ecgonidine (anhydroecgonine), ethyl ecgonidine (anhydroecgonine ethyl ester) and nor-ecgonidine (nor-anhydroecgonine)--are included. The newly described metabolites, ethyl ecgonidine and nor-ecgonidine, were synthesized and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All 15 compounds were extracted from 3 mL of blood or urine by solid-phase extraction and identified by a GC-MS method. The overall recoveries were 49% for methyl ecgonine, 35% for ethyl ecgonine, 29% for ecgonine and more than 83% for all other drugs. The limits of detection were between 0.5 and 4.0 ng/mL except for ecgonine, which was 16 ng/mL. Linearity for each analyte was established and in all cases correlation coefficients were 0.9985-1.0000. The procedure was applied to examine the concentration profiles of analytes of interest in post-mortem (PM) blood and urine, and in urine collected from living individuals (LV). These specimens previously were shown to be positive for the cocaine metabolite, benzoylecgonine. Ecgonidine, the major metabolite of methyl ecgonidine, was present in 77% of PM and 88% of the LV specimens, indicating smoking as the major route of cocaine administration. The new pyrolytic metabolites, ethyl ecgonidine and nor-ecgonidine, were present in smaller amounts. The urine concentrations of nor-ecgonidine were 0-163 ng/mL in LV and 0-75 ng/mL in PM specimens. Ethyl ecgonidine was found only in PM urine at concentrations 0-39 ng/mL. Ethanol-related cocaine metabolites, ethyl ecgonine or cocaethylene, were present in 69% of PM and 53% of cocaine-positive LV specimens, implying alcohol consumption with cocaine use. The four major metabolites of cocaine--benzoylecgonine, ecgonine, nor-benzoylecgonine and methyl ecgonine--constituted approximately 88 and 97% of all metabolites in PM and LV specimens, respectively. The concentrations of nor-cocaine and nor-cocaethylene were consistently the lowest of all cocaine metabolites. At benzoylecgonine concentrations below 100 ng/mL, ecgonine was present at the highest concentrations. In 20 urine specimens, benzoylecgonine and ecgonine median concentrations (range) were 54 (0-47) and 418 ng/mL (95-684), respectively. Therefore, detection of ecgonine is advantageous when benzoylecgonine concentrations are below 100 ng/mL.     

The synthesis and electronic structure of a novel [NiS4Fe2(CO)6] radical cluster: implications for the active site of the [NiFe] hydrogenases

A novel [NiS4Fe2(CO)6]cluster (1: 'S(4)'=(CH(3)C(6)H(3)S(2))(2)(CH(2))(3)) has been synthesised, structurally characterised and has been shown to undergo a chemically reversible reduction process at -1.31 V versus Fc(+)/Fc to generate the EPR-active monoanion 1(-). Multifrequency Q-, X- and S-band EPR spectra of (61)Ni-enriched 1(-) show a well-resolved quartet hyperfine splitting in the low-field region due to the interaction with a single (61)Ni (I=3/2) nucleus. Simulations of the EPR spectra require the introduction of a single angle of non-coincidence between g(1) and A(1), and g(3) and A(3) to reproduce all of the features in the S- and X-band spectra. This behaviour provides a rare example of the detection and measurement of non-coincidence effects from frozen-solution EPR spectra without the need for single-crystal measurements, and in which the S-band experiment is sensitive to the non-coincidence. An analysis of the EPR spectra of 1(-) reveals a 24 % Ni contribution to the SOMO in 1(-), supporting a delocalisation of the spin-density across the NiFe(2) cluster. This observation is supported by IR spectroscopic results which show that the CO stretching frequencies, nu(CO), shift to lower frequency by about 70 cm(-1) when 1 is reduced to 1(-). Density functional calculations provide a framework for the interpretation of the spectroscopic properties of 1(-) and suggest that the SOMO is delocalised over the whole cluster, but with little S-centre participation. This electronic structure contrasts with that of the Ni-A, -B, -C and -L forms of [NiFe] hydrogenase in which there is considerable S participation in the SOMO.     

An IR Study on Adsorption of CO and NO on Copper Ion-exchanged Zeolite Beta

Thee adsorption of CO and NO on copper ion-exchanged zeolite Beta was investigated using IR method.It was found that the thermalvacuum pretreatment procedure could result in the reduction of Cu2 ions in zeolite Beta.The adsorption of CO on Cu sites in zeolite Beta closely follows Langmuir isotherm.Another Cu species may form during the reaction between water and CO.The catalytic decomposition of NO on the zeolite was observed at room temperature,indicating that the decomposition reaction may occur between two coordinated NO ligands of the same dinitrosyhc complex.Furthermore,the appearance of two series of NO adsorption bands reveals that copper ions existing at different cation sites may have different effect on the adsorption and decomposition of NO molecules.     

Curing of a maleimide model compound

A monofunctional maleimide-ended model compound was synthesized and purified. The thermal curing of this compound was followed by size exclusion chromatography and the molecular masses of the oligomers formed during the curing reaction were determined by mass spectroscopy. It was found that high molecular mass species were not thermally stable. At high temperature and after enough time, a strong decrease in the polydispersity of the oligomers and a significantly preferential formation of trimer were observed. From ¹³C-NMR characterization, a five membered ring structure was found for the trimer, which explains the thermal stability of this species. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.