Determination of Nb and Ta in Nb/Ta minerals by inductively coupled plasmas optical emission spectrometry using slurry sample introduction

The determination of Nb and Ta in Nb-Ta minerals was accomplished by slurry nebulization inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), using a clog-free V-groove ceramic nebulizer. Samples were first wet-ground to appropriate particle sizes with narrow size distribution and 90% of the particles in the slurry were smaller than 2.32 mu m in diameter. Subsamples were then dispersed in pH 9 aqueous solutions, and agitated in an ultrasonic bath for 15 min prior to analysis. Due to the lack of slurry standards matching well with the samples, calibration was simply carried out using aqueous solution standards. Results were compared with those obtained from a conventional fusion decomposition procedure and acid digestion procedures and a good agreement between the measured and referred values was obtained. The technique provided a good alternative for the rapid determination of Nb and/or Ta in their corresponding minerals.

Determination of barbituric acid and 2-thiobarbituric acid with end-column electrochemical detection by capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) with end-column electrochemical detection (EC) of barbituric acid (BA) and 2-thiobarbituric acid (TA) has been described. Under optimum condition, BA and TA were separated satisfactorily, and a response of high sensitivity and stability was obtained at a detection potential of 1.25 V versus Ag/AgCl. Optimized end-column detection provides detection limit as low as 0.5 and 0.1 mu M for BA and TA, respectively. The calibration graph was linear over three orders of magnitude. The relative standard deviations (n = 10) of peak currents and migration times obtained for both BA and TA were 3.4, 3.7, and 1.7, 1.2%, respectively. The proposed method has been applied to analyze water sample with satisfactory results. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

可见光响应光催化剂K4Ce2M10O30（M=Ta, Nb）及其光解水特性的研究

氢能已被广泛认为是最具有潜力解决能源危机和环境问题的理想替代能源之一，其开发备受各个领域科学家的重视，更是从根本上解决环境地球化学工作者的主要目标：对已被破坏的环境和生态进行修复以及对可能破坏环境与生态的人类活动进行干预和指导。在众多的氢能开发手段中，利用太阳能光催化分解水制取氢气是一种兼顾能耗、资源和环境的最为理想和最有前途的氢能开发手段之一。在光催化分解水过程中，最为首要的研究内容就是开发具有适宜能带结构能响应可见光，稳定地、高量子效率地光解水的固相半导体光催化剂。 本论文中，通过高温固相反应合成了呈四方晶系钨青铜结构的半导体光催化剂K4Ce2M10O30(M=Ta, Nb)，吸收边分别达到580 nm (M＝Ta) 和690 nm (M＝Nb)，对应带隙为2.2 eV和1.8 eV。可见光下（λ> 420 nm）光催化分解H2O产生H2和O2的活性表明它们不仅有适宜的带隙响应可见光，并且其价带和导带位置能满足完全分解水的电化学电位需要。在担载Pt、RuO2以及NiO（NiOx）等助催化剂对产氢性能有显著的提高。同时以乙醇钽和草酸铌可溶性前驱体，分别通过溶胶凝胶法（Sol-gel）和聚合物络合法(Polymerizable Complex)制备了K4Ce2Ta10O30和K4Ce2Nb10O30。通过湿法化学合成的光催化剂显示了更高的光催化活性，并且通过PC法制备的K4Ce2Nb10O30更是实现了在大于300 nm 的光辐射下完全分解纯水产生摩尔比为约2:1 的H2和O2。 通过高温固相反应得到Nb取代K4Ce2Ta10O30中部分晶格Ta形成的单相无限固溶体系列K4Ce2Ta10-xNbxO30（x=0~10）是结构一致的同系物，吸收边介于540 nm～710 nm 之间，并且随着x的增加，吸收边依次红移，光催化产氢活性依次降低，但是x=2，5，8时的产氧活性比x=0和10的高，光催化活性的差异主要源于它们光吸收特性和能带结构的差异。基于密度范函理论DFT的第一性原理计算结果表明，光催化剂K4Ce2M10O30(M=Ta, Nb)的能带结构为：导带主要由Ta 5d (Nb 4d)组成，处于高能级的电子未占据态的Ce 4f 与其有很明显的重迭，但由于其高度局域特性，不能很好地参与光生电子在导带的传导，从而其对光催化活性的贡献很小，而价带则由O 2p与Ta 5d (Nb 4d)以及电子占据态的Ce 4f杂化轨道组成。同时通过高温固相反应合成了系列含稀土元素的光催化剂K4Re2M10O30(Re=La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Y; M=Ta, Nb)，通过对它们及其前驱体氧化物的光吸收特性以及电子结构的第一性原理计算研究，合理的解释了只有当Ln＝Ce时才具有可见光响应特性的微观机理。