Adsorption and reactions of ethanol on Mo2C/Mo(1 0 0)

The adsorption, desorption and dissociation of ethanol have been investigated by work function, thermal desorption (TPD) and high resolution electron energy loss (HREELS) spectroscopic measurements on Mo₂C/Mo(1 0 0). Adsorption of ethanol on this sample at 100 K led to a work function decrease suggesting that the adsorbed layer has a positive outward dipole moment By means of TPD we distinguished three adsorption states, condensed layer with a Tp = 162 K, chemisorbed ethanol with Tp = 346 K and irreversibly bonded species which decomposes to different compounds. These are hydrogen, acetaldehyde, methane, ethylene and CO. From the comparison of the Tp values with those obtained following their adsorption on Mo₂C it was inferred that the desorption of methane and ethylene is reaction limited, while that of hydrogen is desorption limited process. HREEL spectra obtained at 100 K indicated that at lower exposure ethanol undergoes dissociation to give ethoxy species, whereas at high exposure molecularly adsorbed ethanol also exists on the surface. Analysis of the spectral changes in HREELS observed for annealed surface assisted to ascertain the reaction pathways of the decomposition of adsorbed ethanol.     

On the use of elastic peak electron spectroscopy (EPES) to measure the H content of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films

Quasi‐elastic scattering of 1–2 keV electrons is considered with respect to measuring the H content in hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a‐C:H) materials. Interest in the technique lies in the fact that H cannot be typically detected by electron spectroscopic means (AES or XPS for instance). The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated and a quantification procedure is proposed. At the same time however, limitations of the technique (electron stimulated H desorption, low intensity of the H related signal and its spectral interference with the π‐plasmon peak) are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of nanodiamonds in human body fluid analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Direct mass spectrometric analysis of complex biological samples is very important and challenging. In this paper, nanodiamonds have been successfully used in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis of human serum and urine. As a practical tool and platform, it can be widely used in the field of humoral proteomics, and it plays a very promising role in clinical diagnosis, including identification of novel disease-associated biomarkers.     

Physicochemical quantities in catalytic reactions measured simultaneously by gas chromatography

Summary A small volume of reactant, 1-butene, is injected onto a catalytic bed and is allowed to diffuse away from it together with the product butane, along a narrow empty chromatographic tube; the latter is connected perpendicularly to the middle point of another similar tube through which hydrogen flows as reactant and carrier gas, transferring both 1-butene and butane to the detector through an analytical column. By using the reversed-flow GC technique, extra peaks are obtained in the chromatographic trace, sampling the concentration of both the readtant and product at the junction of the two tubes as a function of time. These concentrations are the result of the diffusion of the substances along the narrow empty tube, modified by the adsorption-desorption rates and the rate of the catalytic reaction. From the extra peaks of the reactant and product, a number of physicochemical quantities pertaining to the catalytic reaction can be calculated simultaneously, using appropriate mathematical analysis. These include adsorption rate constants, reaction rate constants, desorption rate constants, partition coefficients, and the overall mass transfer coefficients of the reactant across the gas-solid boundary of the catalytic bed. Presented at the 17th International Symposium on Chromatography, September 25–30, 1988, Vienna, Austria.     

Sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds in air using a dualsorbent trap

Summary A dualsorbent trap containing graphitized carbon blacks was used for the collection of volatile and semi-volatile organic pollutants from the atmosphere of different workplaces and from an above-ground parking lot. The method proved to be sensitive, simple and reliable. Thermal desorption and solvent extraction methods followed by GC-MS analysis were employed.     

A study on the reaction between chlorine trifluoride gas and glass-like carbon

The reaction between glass-like carbon (GC) and chlorine trifluoride (ClF₃) gas was investigated with weight measurements, surface analysis, and gas desorption measurements, where the ClF₃ gas is used for the in situ cleaning of tubes in silicon-related fabrication equipment. From Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, a carbon mono-fluoride, –(CF)_n–, film near the surface of GC is considered to be grown onto the GC surface above 400 °C by the chemical reaction with ClF₃, and this thickness of the fluoride film depends on the temperature. The grown fluoride film desorbs by annealing in a vacuum up to 600 °C. Although GC is apparently etched by ClF₃ over 600 °C, the etch rate of GC is much lower than that of SiC and quartz.     

Component desorption effect on the material catalyticity in high-temperature multicomponent gases

The distinctive features of the formation of the catalyticity of materials with respect to atom recombination on the material surface are investigated for mixtures of different high-temperature gases under conditions of hypersonic atmospheric flight or bench setups. It is shown that in general the catalyticity constants (heterogenous recombination probabilities) of individual components determined experimentally in dissociated flows of “pure” gases are improperly used for calculating the heat fluxes to material surfaces in multicomponent gas flows, owing to differences in the occupation of the surface by atoms in pure gases and mixtures. This effect must be taken into account in interpreting the experimental data which so far have been the only source of information on material catalyticity in gas mixtures. Otherwise, the results of calculations of the heat transfer to hypersonic flight vehicles could turn out to be invalid. Examples of the possible effect of ignoring this factor on the calculated heat fluxes are presented.     

Structure and acid-basic properties of the surface of titanium oxides modified by phosphorus and aluminum and prepared by the alkoxo method. 2. Study of the active surface of titanium oxides

The data of temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia from the surface of oxide systems and IR spectroscopy were used to demonstrate that the strength of the surface acid sites in titanium oxides prepared by the alkoxo method and modified by aluminum decreases with respect to that in nonmodified titanium oxide. Modification of titanium oxide with P³⁺ ions from ethriol phosphite almost completely suppresses the acid properties. Modified oxides are able to chemisorb water. XANES data suggest that modification of titanium oxide with phosphorus ions increases the electron density on the titanium atoms and, correspondingly, the basicity of the materials.     

Influence of the electric characteristics of II–VI semiconductor material on the electroluminescence of lanthanide complex

The organic-inorganic combined structural device (ITO/PVK:Eu/ZnS/Al) is fabricated based on layered optimization scheme. II–VI semiconductor material ZnS is acted as an electron function (transporting and acceleration) layer. The hot electrons which have been accelerated in the ZnS layer directly impact excitation europium ions through resonant energy transfer and then recombine with injected holes to form excitons in PVK or EuTTA₂(N-HPA)Phen. Europium (Eu) ions may also be excited by intramolecular energy transfer from ligands. There are two kinds of excitation mechanisms: impacted excitation and injected recombination for the combined structural device. The electroluminescence (EL) intensity of the combined structural device is strongly improved and reaches up to 381 cd/m² at 20 V compared with the pure organic structural device. It may be an effective method to improve the EL intensity of the lanthanide complex by using electric characteristics of inorganic semiconductor materials.