Sonoelectroanalysis: investigation of bismuth-film-modified glassy carbon electrodes

Bismuth-modified glassy carbon electrodes have been investigated for their suitability in sonoelectroanalysis. The stability of the bismuth film to the application of ultrasound was assessed via voltammetric and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies which revealed little ablation at powers up to an intensity of 130 W cm^–2 delivered from a 25-kHz sonic horn. Furthermore, bismuth-film-modified glassy carbon electrodes were evaluated for the sonoelectroanalytical quantification of zinc and cadmium. Detection limits of 2×10^–7 M and 6×10^–9 M respectively were found after a 60-s deposition time via an acoustically assisted deposition protocol.     

A mild and efficient method for halogenation of 3,5-dimethyl pyrazoles by ultrasound irradiation using N-halosuccinimides

The 4-halo-3,5-dimethyl pyrazoles have been synthetisized in good yields in short reaction times in the absence of a catalyst by reaction of 3,5-dimethyl pyrazoles with N-halosuccinimides (NBS, NCS and NIS) under ultrasound irradiation. Finally, the halogenation of pyrazoles with Br₂, ICl and I₂ was showed in similar conditions.     

On the theory of radiative transitions in centrosymmetric complexes

The theory of radiative transitions, in centrosymmetric complexes, is examined in great detail, within the framework of the crystal field method.In connection with radiative transitions, the current method of calculations, with and without invoking closure approximation, are considered from a purely theoretical point of view, by taking advantage of the irreducible tensor method put forward by Griffith.Explicit equations are derived throughout the course of this work to account for the vibronic electric dipole moments, associated with d-d and f-f type of excitations.At high Academy of Pedagogic Sciences, Santiago, Chile.     

High-intensity ultrasound and microwave, alone or combined, promote Pd/C-catalyzed aryl-aryl couplings

Pd-catalyzed homo- and cross-couplings of boronic acids and aryl halides were successfully carried out both in aqueous media under high-intensity ultrasound (US) and in DME under microwave (MW). Heterogeneous catalysis with Pd/C was employed, avoiding phosphine ligands and phase-transfer catalysts. In a trial series involving 15 different iodo- and bromoaryls and 7 boronic acids, both energy sources drastically reduced reaction times affording biaryls in acceptable to good yields. With palladium(II) acetate as catalyst, electron-deficient aryl chlorides also reacted, affording a few biaryls in acceptable yields. Ullmann-type zinc-mediated homocoupling of iodo- and bromoaryls in the presence of Pd/C under CO₂ atmosphere was achieved in aqueous media under US, though not under MW. Suzuki homo- and cross-couplings were also carried out in a new reactor developed in our laboratory, featuring combined US and MW irradiation, further improving a green synthetic method.     

Solution of periodic Poisson's equation and the Hartree–Fock approach for solids with extended electron states: Application to linear augmented plane wave method

We formulate a Hartree–Fock‐LAPW method for electronic band structure calculations. The method is based on the Hartree–Fock–Roothaan approach for solids with extended electron states and closed core shells where the basis functions of itinerant electrons are linear augmented plane waves. All interactions within the restricted Hartree–Fock approach are analyzed and in principle can be taken into account. In particular, we obtained the matrix elements for the exchange interactions of extended states and the crystal electric field effects. To calculate the matrix elements of exchange for extended states, we first introduce an auxiliary potential and then integrate it with an effective charge density corresponding to the electron exchange transition under consideration. The problem of finding the auxiliary potential is solved by using the strategy of the full potential LAPW approach, which is based on the general solution of periodic Poisson's equation. Here, we use an original technique for the general solution of periodic Poisson's equation and multipole expansions of electron densities. We apply the technique to obtain periodic potentials of the face‐centered cubic lattice and discuss its accuracy and convergence in comparison with other methods. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002     

Vibronisches Spektralverhalten von Molekülen: XIV. Zum Einfluß der vibronischen Kopplung auf die S0-S1-Absorption und Fluoreszenz von ausgewählten 1,3-Diketonato-bor-komplexen im Rahmen der Herzberg-Teller-Näherung

Summary Based upon completely-optimized S₀ and S₁ molecular geometries the vibrational structures of S₀-S₁ absorption and fluorescence transitions of selected 1,3-diketonato boron complexes being differently substituted, are calculated within the Herzberg-Teller approach taking into account vibronic coupling contributions. In dependence on substituted diketone as well as on the co-ligand, the influence of vibronic coupling and the consequences of intensity borrowing on the spectral behaviour in absorption and fluorescence are found to be quite different for the studied boron complexes. Consequently, for some complexes their spectroscopic properties may be interpreted exclusively by means of the Herzberg-Teller approach. An analysis of the relevant vibrational modes is given.

     

The Electrochemical Detection of Arsenic(III) at a Silver Electrode

A study of three electrode substrates namely gold, platinum and silver, for arsenic detection via anodic stripping voltammetry is reported. Hitherto it has been accepted that gold is the most suitable metallic surface for use in this context, as suggested by Forsberg and co‐workers (Forsberg, G.; O'Laughlin, J. W.; Megargle, R. G. Anal. Chem. 1975, 47, 1586.). We revisit these experiments and find that by switching from hydrochloric acid to nitric acid the oxidation of silver that had previously masked the arsenic stripping signal at this surface is shifted considerably enough to allow a clear, analytically reliable As(III) stripping signal to be detected. In contrast to silver and gold platinum is found to have poor performance as an electrode substrate for arsenic detection. Using ASV a LOD of 6.3×10^?7 M is found for As(III) detection at a silver electrode, similar to that which we have previously reported at a gold electrode (A. O. Simm, C. E. Banks and R. G. Compton. Electroanalysis, 2005, 17, 335.) The use of ultrasound was then investigated to further reduce the LOD, which was found to be 1.4×10^?8 M. Apart from reduced cost of silver it also has an added advantage over gold in that it has a higher hydrogen reduction overvoltage enabling a 100 mV more negative deposition potential to be used before the onset of hydrogen evolution when compared to a gold electrode.     

Gold nanoparticle arrays directly grown on nanostructured indium tin oxide electrodes: Characterization and electroanalytical application

This work describes an improved seed-mediated growth approach for the direct attachment and growth of mono-dispersed gold nanoparticles on nanostructured indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces. It was demonstrated that, when the seeding procedure of our previously reported seed-mediated growth process on an ITO surface was modified, the density of gold nanospheres directly grown on the surface could be highly improved, while the emergence of nanorods was restrained. By field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and cyclic voltammetry, the growth of gold nanoparticles with increasing growth time on the defect sites of nanostructured ITO surface was monitored. Using a [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻/[Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ redox probe, the increasingly facile heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics resulting from the deposition and growth of gold nanoparticle arrays was observed. The as-prepared gold nanoparticle arrays exhibited high catalytic activity toward the electrooxidation of nitric oxide, which could provide electroanalytical application for nitric oxide sensing.     

Three-dimensional quantum dynamics study of vibrational predissociation of HeI_2 van der Waals molecule for low vibrational excitation using the time-dependent wave packet method

Three-dimensional quantum mechanical calculations for vibrational predissociation of HeI2(B) van der Waals molecules are presented using the time-dependent wave packet technique within the golden rule approxima tion.The total and partial decay widths,lifetimes,rates and their dependence on initial vibrational states were obtained for HeI2 at low initial vibrational excited levels.Our calculations show that the calculated tota decay widths,lifetimes and rates agree well with those extrapolated from experimental data available The predicted total decay widths as a function of initial vibrational states exhibit highly nonlinear behavior.The very short propagation time (less.than 1 ps) required in the golden rule wave packet calculation is determined by the duration time of the final state inter-action between the fragments on the vibrationally deexcited adiabatic potential surface.The final state interaction between the fragments is shown to play an important role in determining the final rotational distri     

Correlation between repeated measurements: bane and boon of the GUM approach to the uncertainty of measurement

With measurement uncertainty estimation accounting for all relevant uncertainty contributions, the results of measurements using the same procedure on different objects or samples may no longer be considered as being independent, and correlations have to be taken into account. For this purpose, a simple approximation for the estimation of covariances is derived and applied to the estimation of uncertainty for some basic combinations of two measurement results. This covariance estimate is also applied to the estimation of uncertainty for the mean value of the results of replicate measurements on the same object or sample.