A fast method to measure the thickness of removed layer from etching of SSNTD based on EDXRF

Solid state nuclear track detectors are commonly used for measurements of concentrations of radon gas and/or radon progeny. All these measurements depend critically on the thickness of the removed layer during etching. However, the thickness of removed layer calculated using the etching period does not necessarily provide a sufficiently accurate measure of the thickness. For example, the bulk etch rate depends on the strength of stirring during etching for the LR 115 detector. We propose here to measure the thickness of the removed layer by using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. In the present work, a reference silver nitrate pellet is placed beneath the LR 115 detector, and the fluorescence X-ray intensity for silver is then measured. We have found a linear relationship between the X-ray intensity and the thickness of the removed layer for LR 115 detector. This provides a fast method to measure the thickness of removed layer from etching of LR 115 detector. However, this method was found to be inapplicable for the CR-39 detector. Therefore, alternative methods have yet to be explored for the CR-39 detector.     

Differentiation between tracks and damages in SSNTD under the atomic force microscope

We have observed three-dimensional sponge-like structures as well as strips of connecting pits on the surface of the LR 115 detector after etching, which can be confused with the small tracks formed after short etching time. We have employed an atomic force microscope (AFM) to study these “damages” as well as genuine alpha tracks for short etching time. It was found that while the track and damage openings could be similar in size and shape, the depths for the damages were consistently smaller. Therefore, the depth of the pits will serve as a clear criterion to differentiate between tracks and other damages. The ability to discriminate between genuine tracks from other damages is most important for etching for short time intervals.     

Uniform fourth order difference scheme for a singular perturbation problem

Summary The numerical solution of a nonlinear singularly perturbed two-point boundary value problem is studied. The developed method is based on Hermitian approximation of the second derivative on special discretization mesh. Numerical examples which demonstrate the effectiveness of the method are presented.This research was partly supported by NSF and SIZ for Science of SAP Vojvodina through funds made available to the U.S.-Yugoslav Joint Board on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (grants JF 544, JF 799)     

Unusual iron(III) ate complexes stabilized by Li-pi interactions

Several iron(III) complexes incorporating diamidoether ligands are described. The reaction between [Li(2)[RN(SiMe(2))](2)O] and FeX(3) (X=Cl or Br; R=2,4,6-Me(3)Ph or 2,6-iPr(2)Ph) form unusual ate complexes, [FeX(2)Li[RN(SiMe(2))](2)O](2) (2, X=Cl, R=2,4,6-Me(3)Ph; 3, X=Br, R=2,4,6-Me(3)Ph; 4, X=Cl, R=2,6-iPr(2)Ph) which are stabilized by Li-pi interactions. These dimeric iron(III)-diamido complexes exhibit magnetic behaviour characteristic of uncoupled high spin (S= 5/2 ) iron(III) centres. They also undergo halide metathesis resulting in reduced iron(II) species. Thus, reaction of 2 with alkyllithium reagents leads to the formation of iron(II) dimer [Fe[Me(3)PhN(SiMe(2))](2)O](2) (6). Similarly, the previously reported iron(III)-diamido complex [FeCl[tBuN(SiMe(2))](2)O](2) (1) reacts with LiPPh(2) to yield the iron(II) dimer [Fe[tBuN(SiMe(2))](2)O](2) but reaction with LiNPh(2) gives the iron(II) product [Fe(2)(NPh(2))(2)[tBuN(SiMe(2))](2)O] (5). Some redox chemistry is also observed as side reactions in the syntheses of 2-4, yielding THF adducts of FeX(2): the one-dimensional chain [FeBr(2)(THF)(2)](n) (7) and the cluster [Fe(4)Cl(8)(THF)(6)]. The X-ray crystal structures of 3, 5 and 7 are described.     

Dependence of the probability of biological effects per hit,induced by radiation emitted by <Superscript>222</Superscript>Rn,from alpha particle energies and the geometry of tracheobronchial tree

Biological effects of radiation in terms of their effect on living cells are considered in this work. In dosimetry of the human lung exist the need to include the influence of the biological effects. The aim of this work is to calculate the probability of biological effects (transformation cell and production of lesion) per hit induced by alpha particle radiation on sensitive cells of human lung. Probability was calculated by applying the analytical model cylinder bifurcation (Nikezić et al., Int J Radiat Biol 79(3):175–180, 2003; Nikezić and Yu, Radiat Environ Biophys 42:49–53, 2003) which was created to simulate the geometry of human lung with the geometric distribution of cell nuclei in the airway wall of the tracheobronchial tree. This analytical model of the human traheobronchial tree represent the exstension of the ICRP66 model, and follows it as much as possible. Reported probabilities are calculated for various targets and alpha particle energies in order to show dependence of the probability of biological effects (transformation cell and production of lesion) per hit from alpha particle energies and the geometry of tracheobronchial tree for the human lung.     

Synthesis, characterization and structural analysis of new copper(II) complexes incorporating a pyridoxal-semicarbazone ligand

The reaction between 3-hydroxy-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl-4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde semicarbazone (pyridoxal-semicarbazone or PLSC) and appropriate chloride, sulfate, nitrate or thiocyanate Cu(II) salts in water/alcohol mixtures resulted in the formation of new copper(II) complexes: [Cu(PLSC)Cl₂] (1), [Cu(PLSC)(H₂O)(SO₄)]₂·3H₂O (2), [Cu₂(PLSC)₂(NCS)₂](NCS)₂ (3), [Cu(PLSC)(NO₃)₂(CH₃OH)] (4) and [Cu(PLSC-2H]NH₃·H₂O (5). The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, conductometric measurements and IR spectroscopy, while complexes 1, 2, 3 and 4 were further characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction.     

Tuning main group redox chemistry through steric loading: subvalent Group 13 metal complexes of carbazolyl ligands

The ability of substituted carbazol‐9‐yl systems to ligate in σ fashion through the amido N‐donor, or to adopt alternative coordination modes through the π system of the central five‐membered ring, can be tuned by systematic variation in the steric demands of substituents in the 1‐ and 8‐positions. The differing affinities of the two modes of coordination for hard and soft metal centres can be shown to influence not only cation selectivity, but also the redox properties of the metal centre. Thus, the highly sterically sterically demanding 1,3,6,8‐tetra‐tert‐butylcarbazolyl ligand can be used to generate the structurally characterised amido‐indium(I) complex, [{(tBu₄carb)In}_n], (together with its isostructural thallium counterpart) in which the metal centre interacts with the central pyrrolyl ring in η³ fashion [d(In? N)=2.679(3) Å; d(In? C)=2.819(3), 2.899(3) Å]. By contrast, the smaller 3,6‐di‐tert‐butylcarbazolyl system is less able to restrict the metal centre from binding at the anionic nitrogen donor in the plane of the carbazolyl ligand (i.e. in σ fashion). Analogous chemistry with In^I precursors therefore leads to disproportionation to the much harder In^II [and In⁰], and the formation of the mixed‐valence product, [In₂{In₂(tBu₂carb)₆}], a homoleptic molecular [In₄(NR₂)₆] system. This chemistry reveals a flexibility of ligation for carbazolyl systems that contrasts markedly with that of the similarly sterically encumbered terphenyl ligand family.     

Application of the ray tracing method in studying tracks in SSNTDs

The ray tracing method was applied to study etched tracks from α-particles in CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detectors. The transmission mode of a microscope operation was simulated. A track was considered as a set of small triangular elements, and the brightness of all elements was calculated systematically through the entire track to create the final image. Preliminary results are given for α-particle tracks in the CR-39 detector for initial energies of 4 and 4.5 MeV, and incident angles of 40 and 90°, respectively. Total reflection, as well as the slope of a surface element in the track wall, were identified as the main factors that affect the brightness of that element. At this stage, comparisons with experimental results can be made in terms of the average grey levels for the entire tracks.     

A novel pimara-8(9) ,15-diene from lycopus europaeus

Identification of a novel trioxygenated Δ^8(9),15_ pimaric acid methyl ester from plant species Lycopus europaeus by means of two-dimensional ¹H NMR spectroscopy (COSY and NOESY) is reported.     

Novel trioxygenated caryophyllenes from Inula Spiraefolia

The identification of two novel isomeric trioxygenated caryophyllenes from the plant species $\text{Inula Spiraefolia}$ is reported.