Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) Probe for <Emphasis Type="Italic">In-situ</Emphasis> Nitric Oxide Concentration Measurement in a Non-thermal Pulsed Corona Discharge Plasma Reactor

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is an effective in-situ probe for NO concentrations below 300 ppm in a non-thermal plasma reactor. A new method has been developed to measure in-situ NO concentration in the reactor discharge region using a long-time—on the order of seconds—averaged fluorescence detection. This method, for quantifying NO concentration in a nonthermal plasma reactor, is simpler than a short-time—on the order of nanoseconds—fluorescence detection. For accurate measurement based on the new method, the LIF intensity must be close to the corona-induced fluorescence (CIF) intensity; the CIF intensity serves as a guide in selecting the LIF intensity. We find that a kinetic model proposed earlier works for two-tube reactors and represents the NO concentration in the middle of the reactor, which verifies the assumption of gas plug flow.     

Effects of Oxygen and Water Vapor on Volatile Organic Compounds Decomposition Using Gliding Arc Gas Discharge

The combined effects of oxygen and water vapor on three typical volatile organic compounds, i.e. tetrachloromethane, n-butane and toluene, decomposition efficiency under gliding arc gas discharge conditions are studied. The electron density and the density of the reactive radicals such as O and OH are modified by addition of oxygen and water vapor. Consequently, the decomposition process can be enhanced or suppressed, depending on the involved chemical structures and reaction channels. The addition of oxygen and water vapor suppresses the tetrachloromethane decomposition which indicates that this process is mainly controlled by the electron dissociation reactions. By contrast, the n-butane and toluene decompositions are enhanced, which shows that they can be mainly ascribed to the radical induced reactions. Especially, in a moist atmosphere the OH radicals are supposed to play the most important role in the n-butane decomposition process.     

TS和PTS单晶体的热刺激电流

测定了双(对甲基磺酸)2,4-己二炔-1,6-二醇酯(TS)及其不同聚合程度TS-PTS混合体和完全聚合的聚合物PTS在100-300K温度范围内的热刺激电流。在沿分子堆砌方向上(对PTS则是大分子链方向)上观察到了它们的热刺激电流,并在相应于它们相变152K和192K处呈现热刺激电流峰。研究了聚合程度对相变的影响,绘制了TS-PTS体系的相图。对另三个热刺激电流峰的归属作了定性解释。     

Ultra trace analysis of refractory metals by solid state mass spectrometry — A comparison of GDMS,SSMS and SIMS

The analytical performance of a glow discharge quadrupole mass spectrometer is demonstrated using sintered tungsten as an example. The inherent problem of molecular interferences in glow discharge mass Spectrometry has been considerably reduced using neon as a complementing discharge gas. Particular attention has been paid to time dependences. Analytical figures of merit are presented.     

Electrochemical characterization of negative electrodes consisting of surface-modified Zr0.9Ti0.1(Ni1.1Co0.1Mn0.5V0.2Cr0.1)x Laves-phase alloys

Laves-phase hydrogen storage alloy has a high potential for use as negative electrode material as alternative for the misch-metal-based material. In order to improve the energy density and the rate capability of negative electrode, chemical and mechanical modification of Lavesphase alloy with different stoichiometric ratios was carried out. Discharge capacity and high-rate dischargeabilty was evaluated by electrochemical methods and the characterization of Laves-phase alloy was made by X-ray diffraction, SEM observation and PCT measurement. The best result in discharge capacity could be obtained for stoichiometric Laves-phase alloy with a composition of Zr_0.9Ti_0.1Ni_1.1Co_0.1Mn_0.5V_0.2Cr_0.1 by boiling in 10 M KOH solution. On the other hand, the high-rate dischargeability was increased remarkably by introducing mechanical grinding before alkali treatment. The cause for improved performance was discussed on the basis of thermodynamic stability of metal hydride and changes in crystal structure and surface morphology influencing on diffusion coefficient and diffusion path length of hydrogen.     

Product analysis and mechanism of toluene degradation by low temperature plasma with single dielectric barrier discharge

A single dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) low-temperature plasma reactor was set up, and toluene was selected as the representative substance for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to study the reaction products and degradation mechanism of VOCs degradation by low-temperature plasma. Different parameters effect on the concentration of O₃ and NO_x during the degradation of toluene were studied. The exhaust in the process of toluene degradation was continuously detected and analyzed, and the degradation mechanism of toluene was explored. The results showed that the concentration of O₃ increased with the increase of the power density and discharge voltage of the plasma device. However, as the initial concentration of toluene increased, the concentration of O₃ basically keep steady. The concentration of NO_x in the by-products increased with the discharge voltage, power density, and initial concentration of toluene in the plasma device, and the concentration of NO₂ was much higher than the concentration of NO. The degradation process of toluene was detected and analyzed. The results showed that the degradation mechanism of toluene by plasma includes high energy electron bombardment reaction, active radical reaction and ion molecule reaction. Among them, the effect of high-energy electrons on toluene degradation is the largest, followed by the effect of free radicals, in which oxygen radicals participated in the reaction mainly through the formation of C–O bond, CO bond, (CO)–O– bond and –OH radical, while nitrogen radicals participate in the reaction mainly through the formation of C–NH₂, (CNH)- bond, CN bond and C–NO₂ bond. The results can provide some data supports for the study of low-temperature plasma degradation of VOCs.     

Liner as the Key of Injection Optimization in Pesticide Analysis

Regulations for pesticide residue analysis in food require very low detection limits; thus requiring maximum sensitivity in the gas chromatographic determination. This is accomplished by an overall method optimisation, which includes optimisation of injector parameters. Here we study the effect of the inlet liner design on the optimisation by comparing five liner designs in splitless and pulsed splitless injection modes, using a test mixture of fifteen pesticides analyzed by GC-ECD. Possible links between the injection parameters and liner types were evaluated, with the result that, accurate choice of inlet liner and injection parameters can reduce detection limits by up to 300%. Revised: 25 October 2005 and 9 January 2006     

大气压旋转螺旋状电极辉光放电等离子体催化甲烷偶联

采用新研制的具有旋转螺旋状电极的大气压辉光放电等离子体反应器催化甲烷偶联制碳二烃. 实验采用铜电极和不锈钢电极分别考察了输入电场峰值电压和甲烷、氢气进料流量等参数对甲烷转化率和碳二烃收率、选择性的影响. 在长时间连续反应无明显积碳的情况下, 最佳试验结果是电极材料为金属铜, 进料流量为60 mL•min^-1, V(CH₄ )/V(H₂)=1的条件下, 输入电场峰值电压为2.3 kV时, 甲烷转化率为70.64%, 碳二烃单程收率及其选择性分别为69.85%和 99.14%.     

Scanning force microscopy based rapid force curve acquisition on supported lipid bilayers: experiments and simulations using pulsed force mode.

In situ pulsed force mode scanning force microscopy (PFM-SFM) images of phase separated solid-supported lipid bilayers are discussed with the help of computer simulations. Simultaneous imaging of material properties and topography in a liquid environment by means of PFM-SFM is severely hampered by hydrodynamic damping of the cantilever. Stiffness and adhesion images of solid-supported membranes consisting of cholesterol, sphingomyelin, and 1,2-dioleyl-phosphatidylcholine obtained in aqueous solution exhibit contrast inversion of adhesion and stiff. ness images depending on parameters such as driving frequency, amplitude, and trigger setting. Simulations using a simple harmonic oscillator model explain experimental findings and give a deeper insight into the way PFM-SFM experiments have to be performed in order to obtain interpretable results and hence pave the way for reliable material contrast imaging at high speed.     

Kinetics and mechanism in the decomposition of NH3 in a radio-frequency pulse discharge

Studies of time-resolved absorption spectra of transient species in the decomposition of NH₃ by an r.f. pulse discharge together with product analysis showed that the major radical formed was NH at concentrations of the order of 10^–6 mol dm^–3 (10⁵ molec. cm^–3). Possible mechanisms for the formation of the radical during the discharge and its decay following pulse cut-off were tested by computer simulation of the kinetic data. Following zero-order formation with rate coefficient 0.19±0.03 mol dm^–3 s^–1, the decay was second order in NH with rate coefficient 2.1±0.5×10⁹ mol^–1 dm³ s^–1 both for pure NH₃ and where NH₃/rare gas mixtures were investigated. The kinetic data are consistent with NH removal in a nonassociative radical-radical reaction proceeding via a short-lived collision complex, probably 2NH N₂H₂ N₂ + H₂.