Structural manipulation of pyrochlores: Thermal evolution of metastable Gd2(Ti1−yZry)2O7 powders prepared by mechanical milling

The structural and microstructural characteristics of metastable Gd₂(Ti_1−yZr_y)₂O₇ powders prepared by mechanical milling have been studied by a combination of XRD and Raman spectroscopy. Irrespective of their Zr content, as-prepared powder phases present an anion-deficient fluorite-type of structure as opposed to the pyrochlore equilibrium configuration obtained for the same solid solution by other synthetic routes. These fluorites are stable versus thermal activation, at least up to temperatures of 800 °C. For the Ti-rich compositions, thermal treatments at higher temperatures facilitate the rearrangement of the cation and anion substructures and the relaxation of mechanochemically induced defects whereas for compositions with high Zr content, the fluorite crystal structure is retained even at temperatures as high as 1200 °C. Interestingly enough, transient pyrochlores showing a very unusual cation distribution were observed during the thermally induced defect-recovery process.     

Binding energy of impurity states in an inverse parabolic quantum well under magnetic field

 We have investigated the effects of the magnetic field which is directed perpendicular to the well on the binding energy of the hydrogenic impurities in an inverse parabolic quantum well (IPQW) with different widths as well as different Al concentrations at the well center. The Al concentration at the barriers was always x_max=0.3. The calculations were performed within the effective mass approximation, using a variational method. We observe that IPQW structure turns into parabolic quantum well with the inversion effect of the magnetic field and donor impurity binding energy in IPQW strongly depends on the magnetic field, Al concentration at the well center and well dimensions.     

Electrochemical Polymerization of Aniline at Low Supporting-Electrolyte Concentrations and Characterization of Obtained Films

Conductive polymers of aniline were synthesized in aqueous acidic media such as perchloric, sulfuric, hydrochloric, phosphoric, and trifluoroacetic acids and the effect of supporting electrolyte was investigated. The conductivity of each polyaniline (PAn) sample was determined by the four-probe technique. PAn (H₂SO₄) sample was shown to have the highest conductivity, specifically, 3.55 S cm^–1. The effect of concentrations of monomers and acids on the conductivity of PAn's was studied. It was observed that the conductivity decreased with increasing aniline concentration and increased with increasing sulfuric acid concentration. The conductivities of PAn (CF₃COOH) were also investigated in different supporting electrolytes and highly good increments of its conductivities were obtained. Magnetic properties of the PAn salts were analyzed by Gouy balance measurements and it was found that their conducting mechanisms are of bipolaron nature. From the FTIR analysis it was found that polymerization occurs via the –NH₂ group in a head-to-tail mechanism. The thermal analyses revealed that PAn (HCl) among the PAn salts studied shows the highest thermal stability. Surface analyses of polymers were clarified by scanning electron microscopy. From elemental analysis results, PAn salts were concluded to be in emeraldine structure.     

Kinetics of the solution polymerization of dioxolane in the presence of water

Water acts as a cocatalyst in the polymerization of dioxolane initiated by the ion pair ～Si^⊕HSO₄^?. The dependence of the reaction rate on the water concentration exhibits a maximum, the width of which strongly depends on the concentration of dioxolane. The change of the coordinates of the maximum and its shape with the decrease of the monomer concentration causes the reaction rate to decrease with increasing conversion. The point at which the slope of the conversion curve changes is a function of initial concentration of water. There is a very fast decrease of the concentration of free water in the polymerizing system. The consumption of water is associated with some peculiarities. The amount of free water which remains in the system is a function of the concentration of the original initiator. The ratio [H₂O]_∞/[initiator] is constant over a rather broad range of initial concentration of water.     

Simulation of aerated lagoon using artificial neural networks and multivariate regression techniques

The aim of this study was to develop an empirical model that provides accurate predictions of the biochemical oxygen demand of the output stream from the aerated lagoon at International Paper of Brazil, one of the major pulp and paper plants in Brazil. Predictive models were calculated from functional link neural networks (FLNNs), multiple linear regression, principal components regression, and partial least-squares regression (PLSR). Improvement in FLNN modeling capability was observed when the data were preprocessed using the PLSR technique. PLSR also proved to be a powerful linear regression technique for this problem, which presents operational data limitations.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis of cationic and anionic drugs in methanol

The actual mobilities and dissociation constants of acidic and basic pharmaceuticals were determined in methanol. Actual mobilities were derived from the dependence of the effective mobilities of the analytes on the pH of the methanolic background electrolyte solution (pH(MeOH)). The pKa values of the pharmaceuticals in methanol (pK(a,MeOH)) were calculated by non-linear curve fitting to the measured mobility values. It was found that the shift in pKa value (when compounds were transferred from water to methanol) increased with the acidity of the analyte. The average pKa shift for compounds exhibiting acidic properties in water was ca. 5.5 units, and the shift for basic compounds about 2 units. As was shown for a mixture of beta-blockers, the calculated actual mobilities and pKa values can be utilised in the optimisation of pH conditions for separation. The practical value of the method was illustrated by the analysis of urine samples.     

The reactions of tellurium tetrahalides with triphenylphosphine under ambient conditions

The reactions of tellurium tetrahalides and triphenylphosphine in tetrahydrofuran have been carried out under ambient conditions and afford [(Ph(3)PO)(2)H](2)[Te(2)X(10)] [X = Cl (1), Br (2)] and [(Ph(3)PO)(3)(OH(3)])(2)[TeI(6)] (4). The X-ray structures of 1 and 2 show that they are isostructural and contain discrete [Te(2)X(10)](2-) anions exhibiting octahedral coordination around both tellurium atoms with one shared edge and [Ph(3)POH...OPPh(3)](+) cations that show strong hydrogen bonds (the O...O distances are 2.399 and 2.404 A for 1 and 2, respectively). The compound 4 is built up with discrete octahedral hexaiodotellurate anions and [(Ph(3)PO)(3)(OH(3))](+) cations. The reaction of TeBr(4) and PPh(3) also results in the formation of formally zwitterionic Ph(3)PO(CH(2))(4)TeBr(4) (3). This reaction involves an unprecedented THF ring opening in which the oxygen atom becomes bonded to the phosphorus atom of triphenylphosphine and the carbon atom at the other end of the five-atomic chain becomes bonded to the tellurium atom of TeBr(4). The ring opening of the solvent THF is also taking place in the reaction involving tellurium tetraiodide, as indicated by the formation of C(4)H(8)TeI(2) (5). The reaction may initially lead to Ph(3)PI(2) that reacts with THF yielding Ph(3)PO and ICH(2)(CH(2))(2)CH(2)I. The latter species reacts with elemental tellurium producing 5. Depending on the conditions upon crystallization, two polymorphs of C(4)H(8)TeI(2) (5a and 5b) are observed. While the molecular structures of the two forms are virtually identical, their packing and intermolecular contacts are different. Two further minor products (6a and 6b) were isolated in the reaction of TeI(4) and PPh(3): Both are formally 1:1 adducts of 5 and TeI(4), but they differ considerably in their structures. 6a can be formulated as [C(4)H(8)TeI(+)](2)[Te(2)I(10)(2-)] and 6b as [C(4)H(8)TeI(+)](2)(TeI(3)(+))(2)(I(-))(4). The latter compound exhibits framework similar to that of the tetramers in gamma- and delta-TeI(4).     

Room-temperature synthesis and conductivity of the pyrochlore type Dy2(Ti1−yZry)2O7 (0?y?1) solid solution

Different compositions in a solid solution of general formula Dy₂(Ti_1−yZr_y)₂O₇, showing high oxygen ion conductivity, have been successfully prepared at room temperature via mechanochemical synthesis. Stoichiometric mixtures of the constituent oxides were dry milled together in a planetary ball mill by using zirconia vials and balls. Chemical changes in the powder mixtures as a function of composition and milling time were followed by X-ray diffraction and revealed that, in all cases and after milling for 19 h, the powder mixtures consisted of a single phase. Electrical properties were measured on sintered pellets as a function of frequency, temperature and zirconium content, revealing an increase in conductivity of more than one order of magnitude for y?0.4, which, as observed in the similar Y₂(Ti_1−yZr_y)₂O₇, has been related with the onset of disordering of the anion sublattice. Despite increasing structural disorder with increasing Zr content, conductivity remains almost constant for y>0.6, reaching a maximum value of ∼5×10⁻³ for Dy₂Zr₂O₇ at 900 °C.     

Rearrangement of spiro-benzimidazolines: preparation of N-alkenyl- and N-alkyl-benzimidazol-2-ones

A synthetically useful protocol has been developed for the preparation of highly functionalized N-alkenyl-benzimidazol-2-ones. Reaction of commercially available o-phenylenediamines with variously substituted cyclic ketones provides spiro-benzimidazolines. Treatment of these spiro-benzimidazolines with triphosgene in the presence of potassium carbonate results in rapid rearrangement and formation of N-alkenyl-benzimidazol-2-ones in modest to excellent yield for the two-step sequence. Extension of this methodology toward the preparation of a μ opiate receptor antagonist and droperidol, a potent antiemetic and antipsychotic agent, currently a marketed pharmaceutical is also described. Upon treatment of spiro-benzimidazolines with triphosgene in the presence of sodium triacetoxyborohydride, N-alkyl-benzimidazol-2-ones were formed.