Electrical Detection of Spin Precession in Freely Suspended Graphene Spin Valves on Cross‐Linked Poly(methyl methacrylate)

Spin injection and detection is achieved in freely suspended graphene using cobalt electrodes and a nonlocal spin‐valve geometry. The devices are fabricated with a single electron‐beam‐resist poly(methyl methacrylate) process that minimizes both the fabrication steps and the number of (aggressive) chemicals used, greatly reducing contamination and increasing the yield of high‐quality, mechanically stable devices. As‐grown devices can present mobilities exceeding 10⁴ cm² V^?1 s^?1 at room temperature and, because the contacts deposited on graphene are only exposed to acetone and isopropanol, the method is compatible with almost any contacting material. Spin accumulation and spin precession are studied in these nonlocal spin valves. Fitting of Hanle spin precession data in bilayer and multilayer graphene yields a spin relaxation time of ～125‐250 ps and a spin diffusion length of 1.7‐1.9 μm at room temperature.     

Mineralization of flumequine in acidic medium by electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton processes

The mineralization of flumequine, an antimicrobial agent belonging to the first generation of synthetic fluoroquinolones which is detected in natural waters, has been studied by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) like electro-Fenton (EF) and photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) with UVA light. The experiments were performed in a cell containing a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and an air-diffusion cathode to generate H₂O₂ at constant current. The Fe²⁺ ion added to the medium increased the solubility of the drug by the formation of a complex of intense orange colour and also reacted with electrogenerated H₂O₂ to form hydroxyl radical from Fenton reaction. Oxidant hydroxyl radicals at the BDD surface were produced from water oxidation. A partial mineralization of flumequine in a solution near to saturation with optimum 2.0 mM Fe²⁺ at pH 3.0 was achieved by EF. The PEF process was more powerful, giving an almost total mineralization with 94-96% total organic carbon removal. Increasing current accelerated both treatments, but with decreasing mineralization current efficiency. Comparative treatments using a real wastewater matrix led to similar degradation degrees. The kinetics for flumequine decay always followed a pseudo-first-order reaction and its rate constant, similar for both EAOPs, raised with increasing current. Generated carboxylic acids like malonic, formic, oxalic and oxamic acids were quantified by ion-exclusion HPLC. Fe(III)-oxalate and Fe(III)-oxamate complexes were the most persistent by-products under EF conditions and their quicker photolysis by UVA light explains the higher oxidation power of PEF. The release of inorganic ions such as F⁻, NO₃⁻ and in lesser extent NH₄⁺ was followed by ionic chromatography.     

New chlorinated amphetamine-type-stimulants disinfection-by-products formed during drinking water treatment

Previous studies have demonstrated high removal rates of amphetamine-type-stimulants (ATSs) through conventional drinking water treatments; however the behaviour of these compounds through disinfection steps and their transformation into disinfection-by-products (DBPs) is still unknown. In this work, for the first time, the reactivity of some ATSs such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) with chlorine has been investigated under simulated and real drinking water treatment conditions in order to evaluate their ability to give rise to transformation products. Two new DBPs from these illicit drugs have been found. A common chlorinated-by-product (3-chlorobenzo)-1,3-dioxole, was identified for both MDA and MDEA while for MDMA, 3-chlorocatechol was found. The presence of these DBPs in water samples collected through drinking water treatment was studied in order to evaluate their formation under real conditions. Both compounds were generated through treatment from raw river water samples containing ATSs at concentration levels ranging from 1 to 15 ng/L for MDA and from 2.3 to 78 ng/L for MDMA. One of them, (3-chlorobenzo)-1,3-dioxole, found after the first chlorination step, was eliminated after ozone and GAC treatment while the MDMA DBP mainly generated after the postchlorination step, showed to be recalcitrant and it was found in final treated waters at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5.8 ng/L.     

Scanning order strategies for bitplane image coding

Scanning orders of bitplane image coding engines are commonly envisaged from theoretical or experimental insights and assessed in practice in terms of coding performance. This paper evaluates classic scanning strategies of modern bitplane image codecs using several theoretical-practical mechanisms conceived from rate-distortion theory. The use of these mechanisms allows distinguishing those features of the bitplane coder that are essential from those that are not. This discernment can aid the design of new bitplane coding engines with some special purposes and/or requirements. To emphasize this point, a low-complexity scanning strategy is proposed. Experimental evidence illustrates, assesses, and validates the proposed mechanisms and scanning orders.     

Support nanostructure boosts oxygen transfer to catalytically active platinum nanoparticles

Interactions of metal particles with oxide supports can radically enhance the performance of supported catalysts. At the microscopic level, the details of such metal-oxide interactions usually remain obscure. This study identifies two types of oxidative metal-oxide interaction on well-defined models of technologically important Pt-ceria catalysts: (1) electron transfer from the Pt nanoparticle to the support, and (2) oxygen transfer from ceria to Pt. The electron transfer is favourable on ceria supports, irrespective of their morphology. Remarkably, the oxygen transfer is shown to require the presence of nanostructured ceria in close contact with Pt and, thus, is inherently a nanoscale effect. Our findings enable us to detail the formation mechanism of the catalytically indispensable Pt-O species on ceria and to elucidate the extraordinary structure-activity dependence of ceria-based catalysts in general.     

Flavour index and aroma profiles of fresh and processed honeys

This paper discusses the importance of flavour profiling in detecting indicative parameters for quality control of fresh and heated honey. Flavour compounds of six unifloral honeys (Lavandula stoechas, Castanea sativa, Dorycnium pentaphyllum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Eucalyptus sp and Robinia pseudoacacia) were investigated. The aroma extracts were obtained by a two‐step procedure involving (i) preliminary steam distillation under reduced pressure to evaluate the methylpyrazines generated in heated honeys by spectrophotometry (flavour index) and (ii) Likens–Nickerson's simultaneous steam distillation and solvent extraction (SDE) method with added NaCl. A combined total of 64 compounds were detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), 58 of which were identified. Some compounds appeared to be characteristic of the floral source, particularly in Spanish lavender (methylated aliphatic acids and aromatic esters), eucalyptus (2,3‐pentanedione, acetoin, 1‐hexyl alcohol, 2‐acetyl‐5‐methylfuran, furfuryl propionate, 2‐phenylacetaldehyde and nerolidol), chestnut (acetophenone and 2‐aminoacetophenone), rosemary and D pentaphyllum (aromatic acids and esters, 2‐phenylacetaldehyde, farnesol and thymol) honeys. Robinia honey samples were characterised by very low levels of aromatic compounds. Twenty‐six flavour compounds were statistically closely related to the floral origin of the honeys (P ≤ 0.05). The flavour index was evaluated progressively in heated honeys, whereas in fresh honeys it showed a minimal value. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Structure and electrocatalytic performance of carbon-supported platinum nanoparticles

The structure of Pt nanoparticles and the composition of the catalyst-Nafion films strongly determine the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The effect of Nafion content in the catalyst ink, prepared with a commercially available carbon-supported Pt, in the kinetics of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), has been studied by the thin layer rotating disk electrode technique. The kinetic parameters have been related to the catalyst nanoparticles structure, characterized by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The size-shape analysis is consistent with the presence of 3D cubo-octahedral Pt nanoparticles with average size of 2.5 nm. The electrochemically active surface area, determined by CO stripping, appears to depend on the composition of the deposited Pt/C-Nafion film, with a maximum value of 73 m² g_Pt⁻¹ for 30 wt.% Nafion. The results of CO stripping indicate that the external Pt faces are mainly (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) terraces, thus confirming the cubo-octahedral structure of nanoparticles. Cyclic voltammetry combined with the RDE technique has been applied to study the kinetic parameters of HOR besides the ionomer resistance effect on the anode kinetic current at different ionomer contents. The kinetic parameters show that H₂ oxidation behaves reversibly with an estimated exchange current density of 0.27 mA cm⁻².     

Preparation and characterization of polystyrene‐based magnetic nanocomposites. Thermal,mechanical and magnetic properties

In this paper we report results on both material preparation and characterization of a polystyrene‐based magnetic nanocomposite material. CoFe₂0₄ mineralized sulfonated polystyrene was prepared by in‐situ precipitation and oxidation of Co⁺² and Fe⁺² within a sulfonated polystyrene resin. The magnetic oxide particles of nanometer size were characterized by wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). Polystyrene‐based composite films were obtained by dispersion of the finely milled mineralized resin in a polystyrene matrix from the melt state (compositions ranging from 0 to 50 wt% of mineralized resin). The thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films were determined by TGA, DSC, and stress‐strain testing. The magnetic characterization of the samples was also performed. No significant changes in thermal stability, glass transition temperature or mechanical properties of the polystyrene matrix occur as a consequence of the content in mineralized resin. These results show that the filler acts as aninert diluent for the polymer matrix. On the other hand, the magnetic characterization of the samples reveals the presence of nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 3 to 8 nm, showing, at room temperature, coercive field values of around 800 Oe and saturation magnetization between 120 and 420 emu/g. The combination of these properties suggests the use of these systems in the preparation of magnetic recording materials with high recording density.