Planar potentiometric sensors based on Au and Ag microelectrodes and conducting polymers for flow-cell analysis

Back-side contact Au and Ag microelectrodes were used as transducers to construct planar all-solid-state electrodes suitable for flow-through analysis. The microsensors were based on plasticized PVC potassium-selective membranes containing ion-electron conducting polymer—polypyrrole doped with di(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate. The proposed technique allowed simple construction of microsensors in one step, by membrane solution casting directly on the surface of the planar metallic transducers. The performance of the microsensors based on Au and Ag transducers were determined and compared with planar sensors based on internal electrolyte immobilized in polyHEMA. The addition of the polypyrrole to the membrane composition did not influence on the selectivity, reproducibility and long-term stability of the microsensors but improved their standard potential stability in time in comparison with coated-wire type sensors. Moreover, all-solid-state microsensors based on Au transducers exhibited better signal stability than Ag based sensors.     

Copolymerization of butadiene and styrene with a gadolinium tricarboxylate catalyst

Homo- and copolymerizations of butadiene (BD) and styrene (St) were carried out by gadolinium catalysts having various tricarboxylate ligands [Gd(OCOR)₃: R = CH₃, CH₂Cl, CHCl₂, CCl₃, and CF₃], to investigate the effects of ligands and discuss the cis polymerization mechanism. Polymerization of BD with Gd(OCOR)₃—(i—Bu)₃Al—Et₂AlCl catalysts was carried out in hexane at 50°C. By each catalyst, poly(BD) having a high cis content (cis = 97–99%) in 22–85% yields for 2–24 h were obtained. The ligands with low pKa values increased the polymerization activity as follows: R of Gd(OCOR)₃: CF₃ > CCl₃ > CHCl₂ > CH₂Cl ～ CH₃. On the other hand, in the polymerization of St or copolymerization of BD and St under similar conditions, the highest activity was attained by a Gd(OCOCCI₃)₃- based catalyst. The difference in the optimum ligand among the homo- and copolymerization of BD and St was discussed on the basis of energy levels of the catalysts. In the copolymers of BD and St, the cis-1,4 content of the BD unit decreased with increasing St content. Furthermore, according to the diad analysis of copolymers (St content ～ 14.5 mol %) by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, the low cis value of the BD unit was observed in the St-BD diad (cis/trans/vinyl = 24/53/23), while the high cis value of the BD unit remained in the BD-BD diad (cis/trans/vinyl = 89/10/1). These results suggest that the terminal BD unit is controlled by the cis configuration by the coordination between the penultimate cis vinylene unit and the gadolinium metal catalyst, whereas the presence of the penultimate St unit interferes with cis polymerization of the terminal BD unit. The difference in the coordination mechanism in the course of polymerization between rare earth metal and transition metal catalysts such as the Ni(acac)₂ and Co(acac)₃-based catalyst was also discussed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Chemical modification of polymer surfaces: a review

The main approaches that have been taken to chemically modify polymer surfaces are introduced and reviewed. These are wet chemical oxidation, plasma treatment, classical organic chemistry, and attachment of polymer chains. The extent to which each of these approaches can produce the specific modifications desired is discussed, and any unwanted effects that commonly occur are cited. Finally, the need for using several methods of surface analysis in concert to obtain adequate surface characterization is described.     

Thermal analysis of phenylethynyl end-capped fluorinated imide oligomer afr-pepa-4

Thermal analysis of phenylethynyl end-capped imide oligomer AFR-PEPA-4 was performed to characterize cure reaction, thermal stabilities and semicrystalline behavior of AFR-PEPA-4 oligomer and its cured polyimide. Cured AFR-PEPA-4 polyimide showed high T _gs up to 418°C. Both AFR-PEPA-4 oligomer and polyimide exhibit excellent thermal stabilities comparable to PETI-5 polyimides. AFR-PEPA-4 imide oligomer has a T _m of 330°C and exhibits spherulite crystalline morphology in the film. The crystallinity in AFR-PEPA-4 films could not be regenerated under any annealing conditions after the initial melt.     

以水滑石及类水滑石为前体的Mg/Al、Co/Al及Co/Mg/Al混合氧化物的合成、表征和异丙醇催化性能

以共沉淀法合成的水滑石(HT)和类水滑石(HTLc)为前体制备了镁铝、钴铝、钴镁铝混合氧化物，采用了BET、XRD、TG-DTA、TPR、FTIR和微量量热吸附及异丙醇催化反应进行了研究。结果表明：以HT和HTLc为前体制备的混合氧化物，其比表面积较大、并随着钴含量的增加而降低。在HT中引入Co²⁺离子后，由于Co²⁺离子的氧化还原属性，削弱了水滑石层对阴离子的键合能力，从而使其热分解温度及热稳定性降低，导至焙烧后生成的混合氧化物的比表面积比不含钴的2Mg/Al混合氧化物的低。在TPR过程中，镁铝混合氧化物不被还原，而含钴的混合氧化物的还原是经由Co³⁺ → Co²⁺ → Co⁰的过程。混合氧化物表面含有酸性位和碱性位，并随着钴含量的变化而得到调变。含钴氧化物样品的表面以L酸为主和含有很少量的B酸。异丙醇催化反应生成丙酮的选择性最高，表明样品表面的氧化还原位是主要的，随着钴的加入及含量的增大，异丙醇催化反应的转化率也是增大的。     

Simultaneous determination of alkylphenol ethoxylates and their biotransformation products by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

Reversed-phase LC-MS/MS is used to determine major estrogenic alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) and their biotransformation products. It allows the simultaneous analysis of eight APEOs, alkylphenoxy carboxylates (APECs) and alkylphenols (APs) in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents in the same extract after solid-phase enrichment on polymeric Oasis HLB. As precursor ions, [APEO + NH4]+, [APEC - H]- and [AP - H]- were monitored. Instrumental limits of detection (LOD) were 2-600 pg, corresponding to sample concentrations of 0.04-12 ng l(-1), without correction for overall method recoveries. Matrix-induced signal suppression during electrospray ionisation (ESI) and extraction as well as overall method recoveries were assessed and the suitability of deuterated surrogates as internal standards was evaluated.     

Conformational and stereoelectronic investigation in 1,2-difluoropropane: The gauche effect

The effect of attaching an additional fluorine atom at C-2 in 1-fluoropropane (FP), giving 1,2-difluoropropane (DFP), on its conformational equilibrium, is theoretically evaluated. This substitution causes critical implications on the conformer stabilities of DFP (TG, GT and GG conformations) and the steric and electrostatic interactions should favor the conformer with fluorine atoms trans. However, the gauche effect plays a major role in describing the energies balance in DFP, shifting the equilibrium towards the conformation in which the two fluorine atoms are gauche. The origin of this effect is discussed through an NBO analysis, which allows the evaluation of both classical and non-classical (hyperconjugation and bent bonds) interactions as the prevailing factors governing the conformational equilibrium of molecules containing the 1,2-difluoroethane fragment.     

The Sialons MLn[Si4−xAlxOxN7−x] with M = Eu,Sr, Ba and Ln = Ho‐Yb – Twelve Substitution Variants with the MYb[Si4N7] Structure Type

The oxonitridoalumosilicates (so‐called sialons) MLn[Si_4?xAl_xO_xN_7?x] with M = Eu, Sr, Ba and Ln =Ho, Er, Tm, Yb were obtained by the reaction of the respective lanthanoid metal, the alkaline earth carbonates or europium carbonate, resp., AlN, “Si(NH)₂” and MCl₂ as a flux in a radiofrequency furnace at temperatures around 2100 °C. The compounds MLn[Si_4?xAl_xO_xN_7?x] are relevant for the investigation of substitutional effects on the materials properties due to their ability of tolerating a comparatively large phase width up to x ≈ 2.0(5). The crystal structures of the twelve compounds were refined from X‐ray single crystal data and X‐ray powder data and are found to be isotypic to the MYb[Si₄N₇] structure type. The compounds crystallize in space group P6₃mc (no. 186, hexagonal) and are made up of chains of so‐called starlike units [N^[4](SiN₃)₄] or [N^[4]((Si,Al)(O,N)₃)₄], respectively. These units are formed by four (Si,Al)(N/O)₄ tetrahedra sharing a common central nitrogen atom. The structure refinement was performed utilizing an O/N‐distribution model according to Paulings rules, i.e. nitrogen was positioned on the four‐fold bridging site and nitrogen and oxygen were distributed equally on both of the two‐fold bridging sites, resulting in charge neutrality of the compound. The Si and Al atoms were distributed equally on their two crystallographic sites, referring to their elemental proportion in the compound, due to being poorly distinguishable by X‐ray methods. The chemical compositions of the compounds were derived from electron probe micro analyses (EPMA).     

A novel boron-rich quaternary scandium borocarbosilicide Sc3.67−xB41.4−y−zC0.67+zSi0.33−w

A novel quaternary scandium borocarbosilicide Sc_3.67−xB_41.4−y−zC_0.67+zSi_0.33−w was found. Single crystallites were obtained as an intergrowth phase in the float-zoned single crystal of Sc_0.83−xB_10.0−yC_0.17+ySi_0.083−z that has a face-centered cubic crystal structure. Single crystal structure analysis revealed that the compound has a hexagonal structure with lattice constants a = b = 1.43055(8) nm and c = 2.37477(13) nm and space group (No. 187). The crystal composition calculated from the structure analysis for the crystal with x = 0.52, y = 1.42, z = 1.17, and w = 0.02 was ScB_12.3C_0.58Si_0.10 and that agreed rather well with the composition of ScB_11.5C_0.61Si_0.04 measured by EPMA. In the crystal structure that is a new structure type of boron-rich borides, there are 79 structurally independent atomic sites, 69 boron and/or carbon sites, two silicon sites and eight scandium sites. Boron and carbon form seven structurally independent B₁₂ icosahedra, one B₉ polyhedron, one B₁₀ polyhedron, one irregularly shaped B₁₆ polyhedron in which only 10.7 boron atoms are available because of partial occupancies and 10 bridging sites. All polyhedron units and bridging site atoms interconnect each other forming a three-dimensional boron framework structure. Sc atoms reside in the open spaces in the boron framework structure.     

Composition and thermal stability of SiO2-based hybrid materials TEOS-MTEOS system

Hybrid materials with different amounts of organics permanently bound on the inorganic network obtained in the TEOS-MTEOS (tetraethoxysilan-methyltriethoxysilan) system are used for obtaining coatings with different optical and mechanical properties. To study the thermal stability of the mentioned materials, compositions with different molar ratios of the precursors were prepared. The influence of the solvent and water amounts on the gelation process was also investigated. The gels obtained were characterised by IR spectrometry and their decomposition temperatures were determined by DTA/TG. Thermal stability of the gels is rather influenced by their composition than the conditions of the gelation process. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.