Carrier diffusion in InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells grown on vicinal GaAs(0 0 1) substrates

We have investigated the influence of vicinal GaAs substrates on the optical and electronic properties of InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells (QWs). A single In_0.10Ga_0.90As QW was grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on a vicinal GaAs(0 0 1) substrate with a miscut angle of 0° (nominal), 2°, 4° and 6° towards [1 1 0]. The carrier diffusion was obtained by a micro-photoluminescence scan technique that permits to observe the effective diffusion length characterized by the lateral spread of carriers in the QW followed by radiative recombination. The carrier diffusion length was obtained parallel (L_||) and perpendicular (L) to the atomic steps. The diffusion length decreases as the temperature increases up to 100 K. Above this temperature we found different behaviours that depend on the sample miscut angle.     

Colorimetric method for the determination of vanadium with tannic acid in water and oils

A new spectrophotometric method was developed to determine vanadium using tannic acid as a complexing reagent to form a coloured reaction product which can easily be extracted by 1-pentanol in the presence of cetylpyridinium. The developed method can successfully be applied to determine trace levels of 10 ng/ml of vanadium in natural waters without any preconcentration step. It can also determine less than 1 mg/kg of vanadium in edible oils and petroleum products.     

Thermochemical studies of phthalimide and two N-alkylsubstituted phthalimides (ALKYL=ETHYL AND n-PROPYL)

The standard (p⁰=0.1 MPa) molar enthalpies of formation, Δ_fH_m⁰, for crystalline phthalimides: phthalimide, N-ethylphthalimide and N-propylphthalimide were derived from the standard molar enthalpies of combustion, in oxygen, at the temperature 298.15 K, measured by static bomb-combustion calorimetry, as, respectively, – (318.0±1.7), – (350.1±2.7) and – (377.3±2.2) kJ mol^–1. The standard molar enthalpies of sublimation, Δ_cr^gH_m⁰, at T=298.15 K were derived by the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, from the temperature dependence of the vapour pressures for phthalimide, as (106.9±1.2) kJ mol^–1 and from high temperature Calvet microcalorimetry for phthalimide, N-ethylphthalimide and N-propylphthalimide as, respectively, (106.3±1.3), (91.0±1.2) and (98.2±1.4) kJ mol^–1. The derived standard molar enthalpies of formation, in the gaseous state, are analysed in terms of enthalpic increments and interpreted in terms of molecular structure.     

Colorimetric method for determination of chlorine with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine

A new method is developed for the calorimetric determination in water of chlorine (free and combined) with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine. The procedure proposed achieves a detection limit of 2 ng/ml and its sensitivity is greater than that of the methods used at present.     

Multiresidue determination of pesticides in drinking and related waters by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction: interlaboratory study

As part of a project funded by the European Commission (EC) for the development and evaluation of multiresidue methods for analysis of drinking and related waters, 15 European laboratories evaluated a method using styrene-divinylbenzene co-polymer solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The main aim of the study was to evaluate whether the method meets the requirements of EC Directive 98/83 in terms of accuracy, precision, and detection limit for 22 pesticides according to the following requirements: limit of detection, < or = 0.025 microg/L; accuracy, expressed as recovery between 75 and 125%; and precision, expressed as repeatability relative standard deviation of the method of < 12.5% and as reproducibility relative standard deviation of the method of < 25%. Analyses for unknown concentrations were performed with fortified commercial bottled and tap waters. All laboratories were able to achieve detection limits of 0.01 microg/L for all pesticides except dimethoate and desisopropylatrazine (0.02 microg/L). The criteria for repeatability were met for all compounds except trifluralin, dimethoate, and lindane in bottled water and chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, and lindane in tap water. The criteria for reproducibility were met for all compounds except trifluralin, dimethoate, and lindane in bottled water and pendimethalin, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, terbutryn, and lindane in tap water. In terms of accuracy, the method meets the requirements for all pesticides in both matrixes, except for lindane in bottled water and lindane and chlorpyrifos in tap water.     

Selectivity in cycloadditions-IX: Cycloadditions of nitrile oxides to indoles. Reactivity and regiochemistry

Cycloadditions of benzonitrile oxide and mesitonitrile oxide to N-methylindole and indole yield the acid sensitive cycloadducts 1 a-d with high regioselectivity. With N-carbethoxyindole the stable cycloadducts 1 e,f and minor amounts of the regioisomeric 2 e,f are isolated. The electron withdrawing substituent reduces both the regioselectivity and the reactivity of the cycloadditions.Frontier orbital considerations, based on MINDO/3 calculations, allow elucidation of the observed changes in reactivity and regiochemistry.     

Color Displays with Gel-Glass Dispersed Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystal microdroplets trapped into silica gel-glasses by sol-gel processes may be used for display applications. Gel-glass dispersed liquid crystals (GDLC) are switched between opaque and transparent states by applying external AC-voltage signals; no polarizers are required. The feasibility of applying these materials to colored displays has been explored. A comparative study of different dyes for GDLC color displays, which were either embedded in the sol-gel matrix or dissolved in the liquid crystal microdroplets is presented.     

1-Ethyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-(pyridinyl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acids. I. Synthesis of 3- and 4-(3-aminophenyl)pyridine intermediates

A series of substituted 3- and 4-(3-aminophenyl)pyridines has been prepared as intermediates for the synthesis of some 1-alkyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-pyridinyl-3-quinolinecarboxylic acids. The Hantzsch, Hauser and other pyridine syntheses were used. 4-(3-Aminophenyl)pyridine was prepared via 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one using the Semmler-Wolff reaction.     

Migration processes of <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs and <Superscript>90</Superscript>Sr in compartments of a lake ecosystem

Summary The dispersion of radioactive substances in the environment following nuclear weapon tests in atmosphere since 1954 and accidents to nuclear plants, like that in Chernobyl in 1986, have allowed us to study the migration processes of some radionuclides in complex ecosystems such as lakes are. In the present paper the behavior of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr in different compartments of the Monterosi Lake (central Italy) was assessed. The ¹³⁷Cs concentration was measured in lake water as well as sediment, stream water, aquatic plant and fish samples. ⁹⁰Sr concentration in water and sediments was also determined. A total inventory of 4206±76 Bq ^. m^-2 and 958±79 Bq ^. m^-2 (on 27/6/01) has been found for ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr, respectively. The experimental data presented here allow to calibrate theoretical models predicting the temporal trend of radionuclide concentration in similar ecosystems. Moreover, information on cesium and strontium migration processes can be extended to other pollutants having similar environmental behavior.     

A brief review of the methods used to evaluate vapour pressures and sublimation enthalpies

A brief review of the experimental methods used to evaluate vapour pressures and sublimation enthalpies is presented. The methods discussed have been used for determining the results of several substituted benzenes that were collected in a database, with the main purpose of developing new estimation methods of these thermodynamic properties. A critical evaluation of the two most used calorimetric techniques for determining enthalpies of sublimation is also addressed.