Volume 5, Issue 2

Classification of pores is one of the basic requisites of comprehensive characterization of porous solids. There are various categorizations of pores described in the literature, but it is difficult to give a consistent global classification of porous substances including catalysts, adsorbents, oxides, carbons, zeolites, organic polymers, soils etc. The purpose of each of these classifications is to organize pores in classes by grouping them on the basis of their common characteristics like structure, size, accessibility, shape etc. In this study, a summary of the most used classifications of porous materials is done. Some common properties or behavior for individual classifications could be found, but many differences mainly in pore size are still subject of intensive discussions. Therefore, it is the purpose of this review to provide a general description of the concept and classification of pores in porous solids, to deal with complexity of the matter and to organise our knowledge in decision-making proccesses of pore characteristics determination.

Hybrid density functional theory calculations at the mPW1PW91/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory have been used to investigate the optimized structures and other molecular properties of five different series of thiosemicarbazones. The investigated compounds were obtained from acenaphthenequinone, isatin and its derivatives, and alloxan. The focus of the study is the isomerism and the NMR characterization of these thiosemicarbazones. It was found that only one isomer is expected for thiosemicarbazones and methylthiosemicarbazones, while for dimethylthiosemicarbazones, two isomers are possible. All investigated thiosemicarbazones exhibit a hydrazinic proton that is highly deshielded and resonates far downfield in the proton NMR spectra. This proton is a part of a characteristic sixmembered ring, and its NMR properties are a result of its strong, intermolecular hydrogen bond. The relationships between the calculated 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts and various geometric parameters are reported.

Structural characteristics of synthesized ordered mesoporous silicas MCM-41, MCM-48 and SBA-15 were studied using XRD, nitrogen adsorption and FTIR methods. Pure water and mixtures with water/benzene and water/chloroform-d adsorbed onto silicas were studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy with layer-by-layer freezing-out of bulk and interfacial liquids. Concentrated aqueous suspensions of MCM-48 and SBA-15 were studied by thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) method. Benzene and chloroform-d can displace a portion of water to broad pores from the pore walls and from narrower pores, especially in the case of a large excess of an organic solvent. This process is accompanied by diminution of both interaction energy of water with an adsorbent surface and freezing temperature depression of adsorbed water. The effect of nonpolar benzene on pore water is much stronger than that of weakly polar chloroform-d. Modifications of the Gibbs-Thomson relation to describe the freezing point depression of mixtures of immiscible liquids confined in pores allow us to determine distribution functions of sizes of structures with unfrozen pore water and benzene.

Ion-pair chromatographic technique was developed for the rapid and simple determination of the main contaminants (bromide, iodide, sulphite, thiosulphate, thiocyanate, iron(III)-EDTA chelate, free EDTA, hydroquinone and phenidone) in spent photographic solutions. Free EDTA was converted into stable Ni(II)-EDTA chelate prior to analysis. The optimal mobile phase conditions were established by varying the concentrations of tetrabutylammonium (TBA) phosphate and acetonitrile, pH and ionic strength. Separation of five inorganic anions, two metal chelates and two neutral compounds was accomplished in about 30 min using a mobile phase containing 7.5 mmol/L TBA-phosphate, 10 mmol/L NaCl (pH 6.5) and 20% (v/v) acetonitrile. The detection limits (UV detection at 210 nm) ranged from 0.4 µmol/L for phenidone to 8 µmol/L for sulphite with a linearity of 2–2.5 orders of magnitude. The method was applied to the rapid monitoring of spent photographic solutions before and after decomposition. The recovery tests established for two samples were within the range 95–103%.

A strange effect was observed while using the method of quasi-simultaneous determination of electrochemical voltage noise and impedance to obtain information on the kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction on Ag and Cu microelectrodes. Beyond a certain polarizing current density we found microvolt-amplitude potential oscillations on both electrodes with a frequency in the 5 Hz–5 kHz range. The oscillations were observed in every single experiment with Ag and Cu, while no oscillatory behavior was observed during the control experiments with the Pt microelectrode. The presence of the oscillations indicates that the mechanism of hydrogen evolution is more complex compared to the original assumption.

The optimal process of pre-treatment and activation of gold rotating disc electrode (AuRDE) before voltammetric determination of mercury is proposed. This treatment encompasses polishing of the electrode surface, electrochemical cycling, and activation. This procedure both increases determination sensitivity as well as improves determination reproducibility. The detection limit on the working electrode achieved using this approach amounted to 8.26·10−10 mol L−1for direct mercury determination in water solution (applying 200 s running accumulation). The procedure of the quantitative mercury isolation from complicated sample matrix was developed as well. It provides better selectivity and significant increase of sensitivity of mercury determination. In case of mercury isolation from one liter of water the detection limit is 6.23·10−11 mol L−1 (analyzing a greater sample volume the determined concentration could be lower).

Flavoxate hydrochloride, 2-piperidinoethyl 3-methyl-4-oxo-2-phenyl-4-H-chromene-8-carboxylate, is a smooth muscle antispasmodic. Its electrochemical behavior was studied at the mercury electrode in buffered solutions containing 30% (v/v) methanol using dc-polarography, differential-pulse polarography, cyclic voltammetry, and linear sweep-and square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Sensitive and precise procedures were developed for determination of bulk flavoxate hydrochloride and in the pharmaceutical formulation Genurin® S.F, without sample pretreatment or extraction. Limits of quantitation (LOQ) of 1 × 10−5, 5 × 10−6, 1 × 10−8 and 1 × 10−9 M flavoxate hydrochloride were achieved by dc-polarography, differential-pulse polarography, linear sweep and square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetric, respectively.

Relative enthalpies for low-and high-temperature modifications of Na3FeF6 and for the Na3FeF6 melt have been measured by drop calorimetry in the temperature range 723–1318 K. Enthalpy of modification transition at 920 K, δtransH(Na3FeF6, 920 K) = (19 ± 3) kJ mol−1 and enthalpy of fusion at the temperature of fusion 1255 K, δfusH(Na3FeF6, 1255 K) = (89 ± 3) kJ mol−1 have been determined from the experimental data. Following heat capacities were obtained for the crystalline phases and for the melt, respectively: C p(Na3FeF6, cr, α) = (294 ± 14) J (mol K)−1, for 723 = T/K ≤ 920, C p(Na3FeF6, cr, β) = (300 ± 11) J (mol K)−1 for 920 ≤ T/K = 1233 and C p(Na3FeF6, melt) = (275 ± 22) J (mol K)−1 for 1258 ≤ T/K ≤ 1318. The obtained enthalpies indicate that melting of Na3FeF6 proceeds through a continuous series of temperature dependent equilibrium states, likely associated with the production of a solid solution.

The transition metal forms of α-zirconium-. titanium-, and hafnium phosphates were prepared by ion exchange method. Their structure was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) method. It was found that the transition metal containing phosphates have the same layered structure as the pristine tetravalent metal phosphates, except for the increase of interlayer distance from 7.6 Å to ∼9.5 Å. As a result of the incorporation of transition metals in the layers, the c-axis is increased from ∼15 Å to ∼20 Å (in the case of titanium phosphate to ∼25 Å). All other parameters (a, b and β °) are practically unchanged.

A new borophosphate compound with the composition (NH4)χ Mn((3−χ)/2)(H2O)2 [BP2O8]·(1−x)H2O was prepared under mild hydrothermal conditions and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) methods. The title compound was synthesized from MnCl2·2H2O, H3BO3, and (NH4)2HPO4 with variable molar ratios by heating at 180 °C for 7 days in an autoclave. The X-ray diffraction data of the water insoluble polycrystalline powder was indexed using the TREOR program in hexagonal system with the unit cell parameters of a = 9.5104, c = 15.7108 Å, Z = 6 and the space group P65 (No.176). (NH4)χ Mn((3−χ)/2)(H2O)2 [BP2O8]·(1−x)H2O is isostructural with (NH4)χ M ((3−χ)2)/II (H2O)2 [BP2O8]·(1−x)H2O (MII = Co, Cd, Mg; x = 0.5–1). Its unit cell parameters and hkl values were in good agreement with the other isostructural compounds. This is the first report presenting both the synthetic details and the indexed X-ray powder diffraction pattern of this compound along with the characterization by FTIR, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and EPR.

Water soluble PEG cored dendritic hexa-acid which comprises peripheral carboxylic acidic groups were prepared via nucleophilic substitution reactions. Novel anhydrous proton conducting electrolytes were prepared by incorporation of the heterocyclic protogenic solvent imidazole (Im) into PEG cored dendritic hexa acid, (PEG-HA), at several molar ratios of Im to-COOH units of PEG-HA. The complexation of PEG-HA and Im was illustrated by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The materials are thermally stable up to 150 °C as evidenced by thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results verified that the organic electrolytes are homogeneous and amorphous. The proton conductivities were characterized by means of AC impedance spectroscopy and a maximum conductivity of 1 × 10−3 S/cm was measured at 120 °C in the anhydrous state.

This paper presents an evaluation of measurement uncertainty regarding the results of anion (nitrate and sulphate) concentrations in wastewater. Anions were determined by ion chromatography (EN ISO 10304-2, 1996). The major sources of uncertainty regarding the measurements’ results were identified as contributions to linear least — square or weighted regression lines, precision, trueness, storage conditions, and sampling. Determination of anions in wastewater is very important for the purification procedure, especially the amount of nitrate in waste and potable waters. The determined expanded uncertainty was 6.1 % for nitrate anions and 8.3 % for sulphate anions. The difference between measurement uncertainties determined by the two methods, the weighted and linear least — square methods, is negligible.

A series of Ni doped cobalt ferrite compounds with the formula Niχ Co1−χ Fe2O4 where x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 were prepared using a hydrothermal method and subsequently sintered/annealed at 600 °C for 3 h. The influence of the Ni content on the lattice parameter, a, stretching vibration and the magnetization of specimens were subsequently studied. XRD and FTIR were used to investigate structure and composition variations. All samples were found to have a cubic spinel structure. SEM was used to study morphological variations. The results indicate that the average particle sizes are between 30–35 nm with a narrow size distribution along with nanocrystals forming of regular octahedrons. A decrease in the peak to peak line width and increase in resonance field with increasing Ni content were observed from ESR measurements. Based on ESR results, a core-shell type of formation was proposed where the core is made up of undoped CoFe2O4 and the shell is Ni2+ doped CoFe2O4.

A convenient and sensitive method for determination of sulfanilamide (SNA) was described based on the Mn(II)-catalyzed oscillating chemical reaction. Under optimum conditions, a linear relationship existed between the changes of oscillating period or amplitude and the negative of logarithm of SNA concentration in the range of 4.27 × 10−8 mol ·L−1 ∼ 7.41 × 10−6 mol ·L−1 (RSD, 0.85%) and 9.33 × 10−8 mol ·L−1 ∼ 3.02 × 10−6 mol ·L−1 (RSD, 1.08%), respectively. The lower limit of detection was found to be 2.69 × 10−8 mol ·L−1 and 6.03 × 10−8 mol ·L−1, respectively.

We first focus on the kinetics of nanoparticle growth in a microemulsion synthesis of CdSe semiconductor nanocrystals. The process consists of a fast initial stage of typical time constant of the order of 103 s followed by a slow stage of time constant of the order of 104s. Growth proceeds similarly to that described for the hot-matrix synthesis of CdSe, underlining the generality of the two-stage growth mechanism, irrespective of the matrix type and synthesis conditions. However, the time constant of each stage in the microemulsion synthesis is much larger than in the hot-matrix one. Also, the ratio between the fast and slow time constant is appreciably bigger. We also prove that larger size reverse micelles, obtained by increasing the water:surfactant ratio, generally lead to larger CdSe nanoparticles. Bis(trimethylsilyl) selenium is the crucial precursor for the CdSe nanoparticle synthesis. An intermediate stage of the chemical reaction limiting the bis(trimethylsilyl) selenium production is described theoretically.

TiO2 (B) and TiO2 anatase nanowires were prepared at 150 °C for 120 h by a hydrothermal method followed by calcination in air at 400 °C for 2 h and at 700 °C for 2 h for TiO2 (B) and TiO2 anatase, respectively. Although dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) with fully nanowire electrodes showed a rather low light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 1.33 % for TiO2 (B) and 2.42% for TiO2 anatase, 10 wt % nanowire-dispersed electrodes in a P-25 TiO2-nanoparticle matrix demonstrated improved efficiency of 6.17 % for TiO2 (B) and 6.53% for TiO2 anatase, these exceeding that of pure P-25 electrodes in this work (η=5.59%). The dominant mechanisms of the improvement at 10 wt% for the two different polymorphs are thought to be different, i.e., a light-scattering and film-thickness increment for the TiO2 (B) system, whereas there is an improved conduction path through the matrix for the TiO2 anatase system.

A series of homologous gemini surfactants possessing identical hydrophobic chains but different ionic head groups (cationic, anionic, zwitterionic) were synthesized, and their aqueous solution properties were examined. The results showed that the surface activities of gemini surfactants are superior to those of corresponding conventional monomeric surfactants, and molecular arrangements of gemini surfactants at the air-water interface are tighter than those of corresponding conventional surfactants. It was also found that zwitterionic gemini surfactant possesses the highest surface activity among the three surfactants. The behavior at the air-water interface is closely related to the molecular structural features of surfactants, which provide an indication for synthesizing highly-efficient surfactants.