Role of the surface heterogeneity in adsorption of hydrogen ions on metal oxides: theory and simulations

In this article we study the effect of energetic heterogeneity of a crystalline surface on the adsorption of hydrogen ions (protons) from the liquid phase. In particular, we examine the influence of the shape of the adsorption energy distribution on the equilibrium isotherms of hydrogen ions. To that purpose, a few popular distribution functions, including rectangular, exponential, and asymmetric Gaussian are considered. Additionally, multimodal distribution functions, which may correspond to the adsorption on different crystal planes of the oxide, are also used. Lateral interactions between adsorbed charges are modeled using the potential function proposed by Borkovec et al., which accounts also for polarization of the liquid medium. The results presented here are obtained using both Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and theoretical calculations involving Mean Field Approximation (MFA). They indicate that increased energetic heterogeneity of the adsorbing surface may, in general, considerably change the behavior of the adsorption isotherms, regardless of the assumed distribution function. It is also shown that the predictions of the proposed theory are consistent with the data obtained from the MC simulations.     

Oxidation kinetics of timahdit and tarfaya moroccan oil shales

Organic matter evolution and kinetics of combustion of Tarfaya and Timahdit oil shales have been examined by thermogravimetry (TG) and by differential thermal analysis (DTA). An agreement is observed between both techniques where it was found that combustion of organic matter occurs in two steps. Kissinger's method applied on experimental results gives an activation energy of the same magnitude for the first step of both oil shales (103 kJ mol^–1) whereas the second is 148 kJ mol^–1 for Timahdit and 118 kJ mol^–1 for Tarfaya.The changes in specific surface area during thermal combustion of Timahdit and Tarfaya oil shales have been studied by thermogravimetric gas sorption balance and correlated with experimental results obtained on TG/DTA in air. For Timahdit oil shale oxidation products, specific surface areas calculated from nitrogen adsorption data shows a slight increase during the temperature domain of 280 to 430°C and after this temperature, they increase sharply. However, data obtained with Tarfaya oil shales shows a significant increase at the temperature of maximum oxidation of the first stage of combustion of organic matter.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Growth transition and morphology change in polypropylene

The growth rate of isotactic polypropylene is deduced from microscopic observations during isothermal crystallizations. A change in the growth regime is observed at 138 C and interpreted as a Regime III Regime II transition, according to Hoffman's kinetic theory of polymer crystallization. A Regime II Regime I transition is also theoretically predicted at 155 C, i. e. at a temperature outside the investigated temperature range. The Regime III Regime II transition is related to the positive to negative change in the spherulite birefringence, which is generally attributed to a change in the organization of crystalline lamellae: quadritic arrays of intercrossing lamellae atT _c < 138 C (Regime III) and preferentially radiating lamellae atT _c > 138 C (Regime II). It is suggested that such a morphological change could be interpreted using the concept of non-adjacent re-entry introduced in Hoffman's kinetic theory. This interpretation could also explain the interspherulitic ruptures observed in negative spherulites.     

Linked crystallites in the conducting topmost layer of polymer bilayer films controlled by temperature: from micro- to nanocrystallites.

Temperature has great impact on the structure and size of the linked crystallites of the conducting topmost layer formed at the surface of a polycarbonate film via the reaction BEDT-TTF+IBr [BEDT-TTF=bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene]. We show that fine temperature control permits formation of a semiconducting topmost layer of alpha'-(BEDT-TTF)(2)(I(x)Br(1-x))(3) crystallites with either micro- or nanometre size, a result that opens a route to miniaturized conducting plastic materials.     

现场表面拉曼光谱研究Fe-Mo合金诱导共沉积

现场表面拉曼光谱结果显示，在0．2mol·L-1Na2MoO4,pH＝4．0的溶液中，电位正于0．5V（vsSCE）时只观察到多钼酸盐的拉曼峰（940、880和450cm-1）．负于-0．5V时，出现中心位于730cm-1的宽峰．同时电极表面有蓝色膜生成．表明混合氧化态（MO（Ⅳ），MO（Ⅴ））氧化膜的形成．730cm-1的峰在-1．9V时仍然存在，说明氧化膜没有被进一步还原．在钼酸钠溶液中同时含有0．1mol·L-1FeSO4和0．2mol·L-1柠檬酸时，中间态氧化膜的拉曼峰的中心移到740cm-1．且峰强度随着电位从-1．3V负移到-1．9V而逐渐减弱并最终消失．电极表面沉积层呈银白色，说明由于Fe2 的存在，钼的中间态氧化膜的结构发生了变化，能够被进一步还原形成Fe－Mo合金，表现出诱导共沉积的特征．     

氮原子在Ni平坦和缺陷表面上的吸附和振动

 构造了氮－镍相互作用的5－参数Morse势，研究了氮原子在Ni（\r\n100），Ni（110）和Ni（111）平坦表面的吸附和振动，获得了氮原子\r\n在三个低指数表面的吸附位、吸附构型、结合能和本征振动等数据，计\r\n算结果与实验结果非常吻合．同时，与Ni（100）表面对比，系统研究\r\n了氮原子在Ni（510）台阶面的吸附和扩散．计算结果表明，氮原子在\r\n台阶下部形成最稳定的吸附态，台阶对下台面上扩散的氮原子形成捕获\r\n势，对上台面上扩散的氮原子形成反射势．     

An optical surface plasmon resonance biosensor for determination of tetanus toxin

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been successfully applied for the simple, rapid, and label-free assay of various biomolecules. This assay evaluates a novel wavelength modulation SPR biosensor for the detection of tetanus toxin. The wavelength modulation SPR biosensor is designed based on fixing the incident angle of light and measuring the reflected intensities in the resonance wavelength range spanning 400-800 nm simultaneously. Tetanus toxin (TeNT), one of the most potent toxins known, is synthesized as a 150 kDa single polypeptide chain. The SPR biosensor has been shown to be capable of directly detecting concentration of tetanus toxin as low as 0.028 Lf ml⁻¹. Under selected experimental conditions, the SPR biosensor has a good reproducibility, sensitivity and reversibility. The results illustrate how wavelength modulation SPR biosensor can be used to detect biomolecular interactions.     

Effect of Inorganic Ions on Oleate Adsorption at a Nigerian Hematite–Water Interface

Using “pure” natural hematite selected from a high silica Nigerian hematitic ore, oleate adsorption densities at the hematite–water interface were determined in the presence of various inorganic ions (anions and cations) of different charges and at varying concentrations. Adsorption density was determined using electrical conductivity measurements. The specific surface area of the hematite particles was determined using the method of adsorption of paranitrophenol in aqueous solution. Inorganic ions in solution depressed oleate adsorption at the aqueous hematite surface. The charge of the ion proved to be the dominant factor determining the depression of oleate adsorption. Ionic strength also was an influence, up to a limiting value at which monolayer oleate coverage of the hematite surface occurred. The inorganic ions in solution are considered to function through nonspecific adsorption in the diffuse region of the electric double layer.     

HSCCS自由基势能面的理论研究

在CCSD(T)/6-311G(d,f)//MP2/6-311G(d,f) ZPE水平下,计算得到含有8个异构体和11个过渡态的HSCCS自由基体系势能面,讨论了异构体的结构与稳定性及异构体之间的异构化过程.结果表明异构体m1的能量最低,除m1以外,异构体m2和m3的能量也比较低,在MP2水平上,过渡态TS1的能量比异构体m2仅高3.9kJ/mol,而在CCSD(T)水平上,TS1的能量比m2低14.6 kJ/mol,这说明异构体m2可以迅速转化为能量更低的m1.异构体m3的能量比异构体m1高49.99 kJ/mol,可以推断,在合适的实验条件下可以观测到异构体m1.     

A Branched Pore Model Analysis for the Adsorption of Acid Dyes on Activated Carbon

A new branched-pore adsorption model has been developed using an external mass transfer coefficient, K _f, an effective diffusivity, D _eff, a lumped micropore diffusion rate parameter, K _b, and the fraction of macropores, f, to describe sorption kinetic data from initial adsorbent-adsorbate contact to the long-term adsorption phase. This model has been applied to an environmental pollution problem—the removal of two dyes, Acid Blue 80 (AB80) and Acid Red 114 (AR114), by sorption on activated carbon. A computer program has been used to generate theoretical concentration-time curves and the four mass transfer kinetic parameters adjusted so that the model achieves a close fit to the experimental data. The best fit values of the parameters have been determined for different initial dye concentrations and carbon masses. Since the model is specifically applicable to fixed constant values of these four parameters, a further and key application of this project is to see if single constant values of these parameters can be used to describe all the experimental concentration-time decay curves for one dye-carbon system.The error analysis and best fit approach to modeling the decay curves for both dye systems show that the correlation between experimental and theoretical data is good for the fixed values of the four fitted parameters. A significantly better fit of the model predictions is obtained when K _f, K _b and f are maintained constant but D _eff is varied. This indicates that the surface diffusivity may vary as a function of surface coverage.