Dance for Parkinson's in Australia

Imagine entering a dance studio and seeing a group of male and female dancers hard at work creating a complicated pattern of concentric circles, moving gracefully to the strains of the Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Or perhaps the dancers are tapping their toes, stretching their arms and smiling to the beats of Big Band classics. Concentration and joy fill the studio, yet for many of the participants this is their first experience in a dance class...

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl methacrylate copolymers

The photolytic and photocatalytic degradation of the copolymers poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl methacrylate) (MMA–BMA), poly(methyl methacrylate-co-ethyl acrylate) (MMA–EA) and poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (MMA–MAA) have been carried out in solution in the presence of solution combustion synthesized TiO2 (CS TiO2) and commercial Degussa P-25 TiO2 (DP 25). The degradation rates of the copolymers were compared with the respective homopolymers. The copolymers and the homopolymers degraded randomly along the chain. The degradation rate was determined using continuous distribution kinetics. For all the polymers, CS TiO2 exhibited superior photo-activity compared to the uncatalysed and DP 25 systems, owing to its high surface hydroxyl content and high specific surface area. The time evolution of the hydroxyl and hydroperoxide stretching vibration in the Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the copolymers indicated that the degradation rate follows the order MMA–MAA > MMA–EA > MMA–BMA. The same order is observed for the rate coefficients of photocatalytic degradation. The photodegradation rate coefficients were compared with the activation energy of pyrolytic degradation. In degradation by pyrolysis, it was observed that MMA–BMA was the least stable followed by MMA–EA and MMA–MAA. The observed contrast in the order of thermal stability compared to the photo-stability of these copolymers was attributed to the two different mechanisms governing the scission of the polymer and the evolution of the products.

Ionosphere-atmosphere interaction during solar proton events

Among the most striking natural phenomena affecting ozone are solar proton events (SPE), during which high-energy protons precipitate into the middle atmosphere in the polar regions. Ionisation caused by the protons results in changes in the lower ionosphere, and in production of neutral odd nitrogen and odd hydrogen species which then destroy ozone in well-known catalytic chemical reaction chains. Large SPEs are able to decrease the ozone concentration of upper stratosphere and mesosphere, but are not expected to significantly affect the ozone layer at 15--30~km altitude. In this work we have used the Sodankylä Ion and Neutral Chemistry Model (SIC) in studies of the short-term effects caused by SPEs. The model results were found to be in a good agreement with ionospheric observations from incoherent scatter radars, riometers, and VLF radio receivers as well as with measurements from the GOMOS/Envisat satellite instrument. For the first time, GOMOS was able to observe the SPE effects on odd nitrogen and ozone in the winter polar region. Ozone observations from GOMOS were validated against those from MIPAS/Envisat instrument, and a good agreement was found throughout the middle atmosphere. For the case of the SPE of October/November 2003, long-term ozone depletion was observed in the upper stratosphere. The depletion was further enhanced by the descent of odd nitrogen from the mesosphere inside the polar vortex, until the recovery occurred in late December. During the event, substantial diurnal variation of ozone depletion was seen in the mesosphere, caused mainly by the the strong diurnal cycle of the odd hydrogen species. In the lower ionosphere, SPEs increase the electron density which is very low in normal conditions. Therefore, SPEs make radar observations easier. In the case of the SPE of October, 1989, we studied the sunset transition of negative charge from electrons to ions, a long-standing problem. The observed phenomenon, which is controlled by the amount of solar radiation, was successfully explained by considering twilight changes in both the rate of photodetachment of negative ions and concentrations of minor neutral species. Changes in the magnetic field of the Earth control the extent of SPE-affected area. For the SPE of November 2001, the results indicated that for low and middle levels of geomagnetic disturbance the estimated cosmic radio noise absorption levels based on a magnetic field model are in a good agreement with ionospheric observations. For high levels of disturbance, the model overestimates the stretching of the geomagnetic field and the geographical extent of SPE-affected area. This work shows the importance of ionosphere-atmosphere interaction for SPE studies. By using both ionospheric and atmospheric observations, we have been able to cover for the most part the whole chain of SPE-triggered processes, from proton-induced ionisation to depletion of ozone.

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of CaSO4 pseudomicrorods

Calcium sulphate (CaSO4) pseudomicrorods have been synthesized by alow-temperature hydrothermal method using CaSO4 powder as a precursor and hexadecylamine as a surfactant at 180 degrees C for at different intervals of time. The powder X-ray diffraction pattern indicates that the as-formed pseudomicrorods are of orthorhombic phase with lattice parameters a = 7.0023(4) angstrom, b = 6.9939(5) angstrom and c = 6.2434(4) angstrom. Scanning electron microscopy images show that the pseudomicrorods have diameters of about 0.2-2.5 mm and lengths of about 2-10 mm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows a strong doublet near 609 and 681 cm(-1) arising from nu(4) (SO42) bending vibrations. The strongest band observed at 1132 cm(-1) is associated with nu(3) (SO42-) stretching vibrations. The band near 420-450 cm(-1) is attributed to nu(2) (SO42-) bending vibrations. The Raman spectrum exhibits an intense peak at 1008 cm(-1) associated with the SO42- mode. The photoluminescence spectrum exhibits UV bands (330, 350 nm), strong green bands (402, 436 nm) and weak blue bands (503 nm). A widening of the optical band gap was observed as the particle size decreased.

Infrared absorption spectra of single crystals of glycine silver nitrate and monoglycine nitrate

he infrared absorption spectra of glycine silver nitrate (GAgNO3) and glycine nitrate (GHNO3) show that the glycine group exists completely in the zwitter ion form in the former and in both forms in the latter. The spectrum of GAgNO3 at liquid air temperature did not reveal any striking change which can be attributed to a freezing of the rapid reorientation of the NH3+ group taking place at higher temperatures. The position of the COO− stretching frequencies indicate that this group is co-ordinated only weakly to the Ag+ ion. The summation frequencies reported by Schroeder, Wier and Lippincott (1962) for AgNO3 were not observed in the present study on GAgNO3. It shows however that ferroelectricity in GAgNO3 is in all probability due to the motion of the Ag+ ion in the oxygen co-ordination polyhedron and is not directly connected with the ordering of the hydrogen bonds below Curie point.

Infra-red spectra of crystalline chloroacetates of Cu, Ca, Sr, Ba and Pb

The infra-red spectra of Cu, Ca, Sr, Ba and Pb chloroacetates were studied in order to investigate the effect of co-ordination on the vibration spectra of the ligand. The shifts of the symmetric and antisymmetric COO− vibrational frequencies indicate a bridged structure as the most probable one for the complexes investigated. No linear relationship between the shifts of the COO− stretching frequencies and E/r (where E is the electron excitation energy and r the ionic radius) was observed. No systematic mass effect on these COO− frequencies also could be established.

Infrared spectrum of ferroelectric lithium hydrazinium sulphate [Li (N2H5) SO4]

Dielectric observations on lithium hydrazinium sulphate have shown earlier that it is ferroelectric over a range of temperatures from below −15° C. to above 80° C. and a new type of hydrogen bond rearrangement which would allow the protons to migrate along the chain has also been suggested by others. The infrared spectrum of LiH z S in the form of mull and as single crystal sections parallel and perpendicular to the ‘C’ axis exhibit about 21 well-defined absorption maxima. The position and the width of the maxima agree with the known structure of the crystal according to which the hydrazine group exists in the form of the hydrazinium ion, NH2·NH3+ and the observed N+-H frequencies agree better with the new correlation curve given by R. S. Krishnan and K. Krishnan (1964). However it has been pointed out that from a comparative study of the new infrared spectra of hydrazonium sulphate and lithium ammonium sulphate that the absorption band at 969 cm.−1 is due to N-N stretching vibration and that the fairly intense band between 2050–2170 cm.−1 is due to the bending vibrations of the NH3+ group.

Infra-red and raman spectra of BaCl2.2H2O and BaCl2.2D2O

The infra-red and Raman spectra of ordinary and deuterated barium chloride dihydrate have been studied to throw light on the intramolecular hydrogen bonds in these two crystals. The frequencies of the stretching, bending and librational modes observed in infra-red and Raman spectra exclude the possibility of at least one of the OH.... Cl hydrogen bonds, contrary to the results of NMR and neutron diffraction studies.

Raman spectrum of crystalline aminosulphonic acid

The Raman spectrum of a single crystal of sulphamic acid has been recorded withλ 2537 excitation. Thirty-eight lines have been observed, of which twenty-nine have been recorded for the first time. Seven Raman lines with shifts in the region 50–155 cm.−1 have been assigned to the lattice oscillations, two at 177 and 240 cm.−1 have been attributed to the low-frequency hydrogen bond vibrations.. The splitting of the degenerate modes and the appearance of N-H....O bonded stretching vibrations are consistent with the structural data which expect the presence of the free molecule as a Zwitter ion with only slight distortion from C3v symmetry.

Raman spectra of ferro-electric crystals Part IV. Lithium hydrazinium sulphate (LiN2H5SO4)

The Raman spectrum of lithium hydrazinium sulphate has been recorded both in the single crystal form and in aqueous solutions. The crystal exhibits thirty-eight Raman lines having the frequency shifts 52, 70, 104, 146, 174, 220, 260, 302, 350, 454, 470, 610, 630, 715, 977, 1094, 1115, 1132, 1177, 1191, 1260, 1444, 1493, 1577, 1630, 1670, 2205, 2484, 2553, 2655, 2734, 2848, 2894, 2939, 3028, 3132, 3290 and 3330 cm.−1 The aqueous solution gave rise to six Raman lines at 452, 980, 1050–1200, 1260, 1425 and 1570 cm.−1 apart from a maximum at 180 cm.−1 in the ‘wing’ accompanying the Rayleigh line. The observed Raman lines have been assigned as arising from the vibrations of the SO4 ion, N2H5+ ion, Li-O4 group, hydrogen bond and the lattice. The influence of the hydrogen bond on the N-H stretching vibrations has been pointed out. The various features of the observed spectrum strongly support the hypothesis that the NH3 group in the crystal is rotating around the N-N axis at room temperature.

Raman spectrum of guanidinium aluminium sulphate hexahydrate

The Raman spectrum of guanidinium aluminium sulphate hexahydrate also known as ‘GASH’ which is a ferro-electric crystal and has strong hydrogen bonds has been recorded. 38 Raman lines have been identified in the spectra of GASH. The O-H stretching mode is found to be very much influenced by the hydrogen bond and they appear over a widely extended region from 2240–3600 cm.−1 It can therefore be concluded that all the O-H bonds are hydrogen bonded and some of them are quite strong. The Raman lines due to the N-H vibrations appear with the normal frequency shifts indicating thereby that N-H bonds are not hydrogen bonded. These conclusions are fully supported by the results obtained from the X-ray crystal structure analysis of GASH. The principal vibrations of the Al-(OH2)6 groups have also been identified.

Raman spectrum of hydroxylamine hydrochloride (NH3OH.Cl)

The Raman spectrum of hydroxylamine hydrochloride (NH3OH.Cl) in the form of a single crystal has been photographed usingλ 2536·5 excitation. 32 Raman lines with frequency shifts 40, 57, 78, 88, 111, 125, 135, 156, 187, 217, 250, 330, 550, 575, 1004, 1168, 1204, 1470, 1496, 1565, 1590, 1979, 2636, 2710, 2750, 2789, 2926, 2970, 3000, 3050, 3141 and 3220 cm.−1 have been recorded. Of these, the first 8 low-frequency lines belong to the external oscillation, while the four lines at 187, 217, 250 and 330 cm.−1 should be attributed to the vibrations of the hydrogen bond valence vibrations. The remaining Raman lines have been assigned to the vibrations of the NH3OH ion. The O-H and N-H stretching vibrations are very much influenced by the presence of the hydrogen bonds in the crystal.

The Raman spectrum of cyclohexanol

The Raman spectrum of cyclohexanol has been studied in detail in the liquid state at 30° C. and at about 68° C. and in the solid state at about 13° C. The O-H stretching frequency of cyclohexanol has been found to extend from 3106-3571 cm.-1 in the liquid state at 30° C. and from 3204-3652 cm.-1 at 68° C. The 38 lines recorded in the present investigation have been following frequency shifts: 342, 408, 458, 478, 555, 653, 789, 834, 843, 863, 887, 920, 966, 978, 1024, 1047, 1070, 1139, 1173, 1184, 1210, 1235, 1252, 1301, 1329, 1346, 1362, 1438, 1448, 1464, 2660, 2684, 2710, 2854, 2896, 2925, 2940, 3106 to 3511 (band). Those lines which are italicized are the additional lines observed for the first time. The Raman lines at 966 cm.-1 and 1070 cm.-1 have been assigned to C-OH stretching vibrations of the axial and equatorial isomers. The ratio of the integrated intensity of the 1070 cm.-1 line to the 966 cm.-1 gave the equilibrium constant K as 2·896 at 30° C. and as 2·66 at 68° C. Knowing K, the free energy different Δ F was calculated and it was found to be 0·64 Kcal./mole at 30° C. and 0·66 Kcal./mole at about 68° C. Reasonable assignment has been made for most of the observed Raman lines.

Infrared spectra of substituted benzoyl chlorides and benzoyl bromides. Explanation of the anomalous carbonyl band-splittings

Infrared spectra of substituted benzoyl chlorides and benzoyl bromides have been studied. The extent of splitting of the carbonyl band in benzoyl chlorides varies with substitution. While benzoyl bromide shows the carbonyl band as a single peak, para-nitrobenzoyl bromide shows a doublet. The results are interpreted in terms of intramolecular vibration effects (Fermi resonance). The intense band in the 860–880 cm−1 region in benzoyl chloride and benzoyl bromide has been assigned to the Ph-C stretching vibration.

Infrared spectra of trichloroacetates of copper, calcium, strontium and barium

Infrared spectra of trichloroacetates of Cu, Ca, Sr and Ba were studied in order to investigate the effect of coordination on the vibration spectra of the ligand. The shifts of the antisymmetric and symmetric COO- stretching frequencies are explained on the basis of the type of co-ordination of the COO- group to the metal ion. From the spectra it is established that the coordination of the COO- group to metal is different for trichloroacetates and monochloroacetates.