Kinetics of Y(III) stripping for the system Y/HCl/Cyanex 272-P507/heptane with constant interfacial area cell with laminar flow

Kinetics and mechanism of stripping of yttrium(III) previously extracted by mixtures of bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid (Cyanex 272, HA), and 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexl ester (P507, HB) dissolved in heptane have been investigated by constant interfacial-area cell by laminar flow. The corresponding equilibrium stripping equation and equilibrium constant were obtained. The studies of effects of the stirring rate and temperature on the stripping rate show that the stripping regime is dependent on the stripping conditions. The plot of interfacial area on the rate has shown a linear relationship. This fact together with the strong surface activity of mixtures of Cyanex 272 and P507 at heptane-water interfaces makes the interface the most probable locale for the chemical reactions. The stripping rate constant is obtained, and the value is compared with that of the system with Cyanex 272 and P507 alone. It is concluded that the stripping ability with the mixtures is easier than that of P507 due to lower the activation energy of the mixtures. The stripping rate equation has also been obtained, and the rate-determining steps are the two-step interfacial chemical reactions as predicted from interfacial reaction models.

Colloid chemical approach to nanoelectrode ensembles with highly controllable active area fraction

A novel "bottom-up" approach to highly controllable nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) has been developed using colloidal nanoparticle self-assembly techniques. Ibis solution-based strategy allows flexible control over nanoelectrode size, shape, and interspacing of the as-prepared NEEs. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was proved to be a powerful tool to monitor the NEE topography, which yields parameters that can be used to calculate the fractional nanoelectrode area of the NEEs. AFM, ac impedance, and cyclic voltammetry studies demonstrate that most of nanoelectrodes on the NEEs (at least by 9-min self-assembly) are not diffusionally isolated under conventional ac frequency range and scan rates. As a result, the NEEs behave as "nanoelectrode-patch" assemblies. Besides, the as-prepared NEEs by different self-assembling times show an adjustable sensitivity to heterogeneous electron-transfer kinetics, which may be helpful to sensor applications. Like these NEEs constructed by other techniques, the present NEEs prepared by chemical self-assembly also exhibit the enhancement of electroanalytical detection limit consistent with NEE theory prediction.

Simultaneous determination of both the calibration constant in an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance and the active surface area of a polycrystalline gold electrode

A novel method is employed for the simultaneous determination of both the calibration constant of an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) and the active surface area of a polycrystalline gold electrode. A gold electrode: is immersed into a 1 mM KI/1 M H2SO4 solution and on which forms a neutral monolayer. The adsorbed iodine can then be completely oxidized into IO3-. The active surface area of a gold electrode can be obtained from the net electrolytic charge of the oxidation process, and the calibration constant in the EQCM can be calculated from the corresponding frequency shift. The result shows that this method is simple, convenient and valid. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Technique for determination of gold electrode area and its application of characterization in self-assembling process

Underpotential deposition(UPD) of copper at polycrystal gold surface under different concentrations has been studied, and its reversibility and stability in high concentration (0.2M CuSO4+0.IM H2SO4) have been demonstrated by cyclic voltermmetry and EQCM. A Valid approach to determine the gold electrode area in presence of adsorbed species has been provided by using Cu UPD method. Further, the growth kinetics of decane thiol on gold has also been investigated based on such a Cu UPD technique.

The kinetics study in liquid-liquid systems with constant interfacial area cell with Laminar flow

A novel constant interfacial cell with laminar flow is proposed as an approach to obtain extraction kinetics data in liquid-liquid systems. Applications and theoretical fundamentals of the apparatus have been elaborated.. The equation which can express the mass transfer of liquid-liquid system run in the constant interfacial cell with laminar flow is deduced. Simulations from the equations indicate that diffusivity is a suitable factor to represent the characteristics of extraction kinetics rather than the extraction rate in the diffusion controlling step. The dependence of the aqueous phase concentration on time is recommended to determine the extraction regime. The diffusivities of the EuCl3-HDEHP extraction system obtained by different methods are compared to certify the hydrodynamic theory of the cell. The diffusivities of the ErCl3-HEH/EHP extraction system are determined, which show that this technique is a convenient method to obtain the diffusivities in the liquid-liquid system and to determine the extraction regime. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

MOLECULAR-STATE OF GRAFT-COPOLYMERS IN THE INTERFACIAL AREA OF POLYOLEFIN AND POLAR POLYMER

In order to characterize the interface in polymer blends, a new method is suggested, in which the interface is exposed by selectively dissolving in solvent. By means of X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, we studied the molecular state in the interfacial ar

Study on the photosynthetic performances of Enteromorpha prolifera collected from the surface and bottom of the sea of Qingdao sea area

In this work, the photosynthetic performances of Enteromorpha prolifera thalli collected from the surface and bottom of the sea of Qingdao sea area were studied with chlorophyll fluorescence and oxygraph technology. The samples with the highest photosynthetic activity among their kinds, the floating thalli from the sea surface of the south of the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center and the sedimentary thalli from the mud surface of the bottom Tuandao bay, were chosen as representatives of surface thalli and bottom thalli, respectively. The results showed that the maximal PSII quantum yield of the floating thalli was significantly lower than the normal level although their photosynthetic activities were relatively high; the photosynthetic potential of the thalli form the mud surface was extremely low. Thus, it is indicated that the floating thalli are seriously stressed by their environment and the thalli from the mud surface are already dead or are dying. On the other hand, the results of the laboratory cultivation showed that the sedimentary thalli cannot regain normal photosynthetic activity even under normal illumination conditions. Thus, the thalli from the mud surface cannot become reproductive source of the alga even if they can reach sea surface again. Therefore, a preliminary conclusion can be reached that, up to mid-July 2008, the environmental conditions of the Qingdao sea area are not suitable for the growth of the alga E. prolifera and for this reason the biomass of E. prolifera, in the area, could be declining.

Diversity, abundance and distribution of amoA-encoding archaea in deep-sea methane seep sediments of the Okhotsk Sea

The authors would like to thank Jin Sun, Jian Sun, Liangliang Kong, Nianshuang Wang, Chunhui Wang, Linbao Zhang and Ying Zhang for their assistance in the project. This work was supported by China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association grants DYXM-115-02-2-20 and DYXM-115-02-2-6, Hi-Tech Research and Development Program of China grant 2007AA091903, China National Natural Science Foundation grant 40576069, National Basic Research Program of China grant 2009CB219506 and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China grant 09CX05005A. M. G. K. was funded by incentive funds provided by the UofL-EVPR office and the US National Science Foundation (EF-0412129).

Diverse and Novel nifH and nifH-Like Gene Sequences in the Deep-Sea Methane Seep Sediments of the Okhotsk Sea

Diverse nifH and nifH-like gene sequences were obtained from the deep-sea surface sediments of the methane hydrate-bearing Okhotsk Sea. Some sequences formed novel families of the NifH or NifH-like proteins, of currently unresolved bacterial or archaeal origin. Comparison with other marine environments indicates environmental specificity of some of the sequences, either unique to the methane seep sediments of the Okhotsk Sea or to the general deep-sea methane seep sedimentary environments.