Applications of chalcogenide glass optical fibers

Chalcogenide-glass fibers based on sulfide, selenide, telluride and their rare-earth-doped compositions are being actively pursued worldwide. Great strides have been made in reducing optical losses using improved chemical purification techniques, but further improvements are needed in both purification and fiberization technology to attain the theoretical optical losses. Despite this, chalcogenide-glass fibers are enabling numerous applications that include laser power delivery, chemical sensing, and imaging, scanning near field microscopy/spectroscopy, IR sources/lasers, amplifiers and optical switches.     

A novel one-pot method for the preparation of pyrazoles by 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of diazo compounds generated in situ

A convenient one-pot procedure for the preparation of pyrazoles by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of diazo compounds generated in situ has been developed. Diazo compounds derived from aldehydes were reacted with terminal alkynes to furnish regioselectively 3,5-disubstituted pyrazoles. Furthermore, the reaction of N-vinylimidazole and diazo compounds derived from aldehydes gave exclusively 3-substituted pyrazoles in a one-pot process.     

Mathematical Correction for Polyatomic Isobaric Spectral Interferences in Determination of Lanthanides by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

The determination of lanthanides by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP‐MS) is complicated by several spectral overlaps from M⁺, MO⁺ or MOH⁺ ions formed in the ICP. Especially, it is essential to avoid the spectral interferences from lighter lanthanide and Ba polyatomic ions on middle or heavier lanthanides. To tackle this problem, we have developed a mathematical correction method, which reduces all the spectral overlaps from oxide species of Pr, Nd, Ce and Sm over Gd, Tb, Dy and Ho, and Gd, Tb over Yb and Lu. It can also successfully correct the oxide and hydroxide interference of Ba over Eu. The effectiveness of the proposed the mathematical correction scheme is demonstrated for the USGS Standard Rock samples AGV‐1 and G‐2. The results show that the experimental data obtained by applying the mathematical correction scheme for lanthanides is in good agreement with the reported values, using pneumatic and ultrasonic nebulisation methods, for their ICP‐MS analysis.     

Determination of cobalt in urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry employing nickel as an internal standard.

In addition to the electric field and pH gradient used in isoelectric focusing, a recently introduced technique, isoelectric focusing (or electrical hyperlayer) field-flow fractionation, employs the flow of the liquid carrier through a thin separation channel as a third factor affecting separation. Focusing of cytochrome c (CYTC) in a trapezoidal cross-section channel of 0.875 ml volume and 25 cm length was investigated as a function of the injection procedure, relaxation time, flow-rate of the carrier ampholyte solution and applied electric power. The influence of different initial conditions was also investigated by computer simulation. Both computed and experimental data showed an important contribution of the injection procedure and relaxation time on the retention and shape of the CYTC zone. It follows from these data that the sample should be injected as a narrow zone into the centre of the stream rather than homogeneously together with the carrier solution. For the described experimental set-up it could be demonstrated that the time necessary for zone formation should be at least 15 min and that relaxation times in excess to 20 min do not influence the final shape of the CYTC zone. It could further be shown experimentally that the sample must be injected under an applied electric field, that the relaxation time should be about 10 min, that the elution flow-rate should not be larger than 100 μl/min, that focusing becomes more efficient with increasing electric fields and that, for a given assembly and specified flow conditions, there is an electric power window only within which proper operation is possible.     

Reverse isotope dilution alpha spectrometry using plutionium-239 spike for determining plutonium concentration in high burn-up fuel samples without purification from americium-241 and a bulk of other impurities

A reverse isotope dilution alpha spectrometric /R-IDAS/ method using²³⁹Pu as a spike is described for the determination of plutonium concentration in high burn-up fuel samples wth²³⁸Pu/(²³⁹Pu+²⁴⁰Pu) alpha activity ratio >0.5, without resorting to any purification from²⁴¹Am and a bulk of other impurities. It involves the addition of a pre-clibrated spike solution to a known aliquot of the plutonium sample solution followed by source preparation using TEG as a spreading agent. The results obtained on a number of plutonium samples containing 20–80% of²⁴¹Am /alpha activity wise/ using this method are compared with those achieved by R-IDAS using purification with TTA, with respect to precision and accuracy. Precision and accuracy of 0.5% are demonstrated. This method eliminates the need of any separation and purification of plutonium from²⁴¹Am and a bulk of other impurities like uranium.     

The complexity of catalysis: origins of enantio- and diastereocontrol in sulfur ylide mediated epoxidation reactions

The reaction of chiral sulfur ylides with aldehydes and ketones has emerged as a useful asymmetric process for the synthesis of epoxides. Processes employing either catalytic or stoichiometric amounts of sulfides have been developed. Although a large number of chiral sulfur ylides have been tested in the epoxidation process, only a few have delivered high diastereo- and enantio- selectivity. This review examines the factors that influence stereocontrol (steric hindrance of the sulfide, ylide conformation, ylide face selectivity, reversibility of betaine formation, solvent, and metal salts). This analysis leads to the conclusion that high reversibility in betaine formation leads to high diastereoselectivity but low enantioselectivity, and non-reversible betaine formation leads to low diastereoselectivity and high enantioselectivity (provided that other criteria are met). To achieve both high diastereoselectivity and high enantioselectivity simultaneously, requires non-reversible formation of the anti-betaine and reversible formation of the syn-betaine. Thus, factors that influence the degree of reversibility in betaine formation are critically important since with subtle changes in reaction conditions (solvent, temperature, metal ions) both high enantio- and diastereoselectivity can often be achieved.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of cyclopropane amino acids using diazo compounds generated in situ

A simple and high-yielding method for the preparation of cyclopropane amino acids is described. The novel method involves the one-pot cyclopropanation of readily available dehydroamino acids using aryl and unsaturated diazo compounds generated in situ from the corresponding tosylhydrazone salts. It was found that thermal 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition followed by nitrogen extrusion gave the cyclopropane amino acid derivatives with good E selectivity, while reactions in the presence of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin iron chloride gave predominantly the corresponding Z isomers. The synthetic utility of this process was demonstrated in the synthesis of (+/-)-(Z)-2,3-methanophenylalanine [(+/-)-(Z)-1], the anti-Parkinson (+/-)-(E)-2,3-methano-m-tyrosine [(+/-)-(E)-2], and the natural product (+/-)-coronamic acid [(+/-)-3].     

Solvent Extraction of Uranium(VI), Plutonium(VI) and Americium(III) with HTTA/HPMBP Using Mono- and Bi-Functional Neutral Donors: Synergism and Thermodynamics

Synergistic extraction of hexavalent uranium and plutonium as well as trivalent americium was studied in HNO₃ with thenoyl, trifluoro-acetone (HTTA)/1-phenyl, 3-methyl, 4-benzoyl pyrazolone-5 (HPMBP) in combination with neutral donors viz, DPSO, TBP, TOPO (mono-functional) and DBDECMP, DHDECMP, CMPO (bi-functional) with wide basicity range using benzene as dileunt. A linear correlation was observed when the equilibrium constant log Ks for the organic phase synergistic reaction of both U(VI) and Pu(VI) with either of the chelating agents HTTA or HPMBP was plotted vs. the basicity (log Kh) of the donor (both mono- and bi-functional) indicating bi-functional donors also behave as mono-functional. This was supported by the thermodynamic data (G ⁰, H ⁰, S ⁰) obtained for these systems. The organic phase adduct formation reactions were identified for the above systems from the thermodynamic data. In the Am(III) HTTA system log K _s values of bi-functional donors were found to be very high and deviate from the linear plot (log K _s vs. log K _h ) obtained for mono-functional donors, indicating that they function as bi-functional for the Am(III)/HTTA system studied. This was supported by high +ve S ⁰ values obtained for this system.