PBDEs in European background soils: levels and factors controlling their distribution

Surface soils (0-5 cm) from remote/rural woodland (coniferous and deciduous) and grassland locations on a latitudinal transectthrough the United Kingdom and Norway were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Concentrations ranged between 65 and 12 000 sigma(ALL)PBDE ng kg(-1) dry weight. PBDE-47, -99, -100, -153, and -154-the major constituents of the penta-BDE technical product-dominated the average congener pattern of the soils. Indeed, the average congener composition and distribution measured in these European background soils closely matched that reported in the technical penta-BDE product. This is interpreted as evidence that transfer of the congeners present in penta-BDE-treated products from source-air-soil occurs with broadly similar efficiency, perhaps because there has been little weathering/degradation/alteration of the congener source pattern by processes operating during atmospheric transport or within the soil itself. BDE-183, a marker for the octa-BDE mix, was detected at concentrations ranging from <9 to 7000 (median approximately 50 ng kg(-1)). In most soils, it made a minor contribution to the sigma(ALL)PBDE concentration, but it was a major component in some samples from northern England. Forest soils tended to have higher concentrations than grasslands. Underlying the average soil composition, some differences in the congener pattern were observed. Notably, there was evidence of latitudinal fractionation, with the relative contribution of PBDE-47 and lighter congeners to the sigmaPBDE increasing northwards (with increasing distance from source areas), while the proportion of PBDE-99 and heavier congeners decreased. Plots of concentration against percentage soil organic matter had different slopes for different congeners. Higher slopes were generally seen for the lighter PBDEs (e.g., PBDE-47), indicating that they have undergone some air-surface exchange (hopping), while the slopes of heavier congeners (e.g., PBDE-153) were close to zero, indicating that they are retained more effectively by soils after deposition.     

Probing the wurtzite conduction band structure using state filling in highly doped InP nanowires

We have grown InP nanowires doped with hydrogen sulfide, which exhibit sulfur concentrations of up to 1.4%. The highest doped nanowires show a pure wurtzite crystal structure, in contrast to bulk InP which has the zinc blende structure. The nanowires display photoluminescence which is strongly blue shifted compared with the band gap, well into the visible range. We find evidence of a second conduction band minimum at the gamma point about 0.23 eV above the band edge, in excellent agreement with recent theoretical predictions. Electrical measurements show high conductivity and breakdown currents of 10(7) A/cm(2).     

A review of diamond synthesis by CVD processes

Diamond has some of the most extreme mechanical, physical and chemical properties of all materials. Within the last 50 years, a wide variety of manufacturing methods have been developed to deposit diamond layers under various conditions. The most common process for diamond growth is the chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Starting from the first publications until the latest results today, a range of different developments can be seen. Comparing the basic conditions and the process parameters of the CVD techniques, the technical limitations are shown. Processes with increased pressure, flow rate and applied power are the general tendency.     

On the Effect of Atoms in Solid Solution on Grain Growth Kinetics

The discrepancy between the classical grain growth law in high purity metals (grain size \( D \propto t^{1/2} \) ) and experimental measurements has long been a subject of debate. It is generally believed that a time growth exponent less than 1/2 is due to small amounts of impurity atoms in solid solution even in high purity metals. The present authors have recently developed a new approach to solute drag based on solute pinning of grain boundaries, which turns out to be mathematically simpler than the classic theory for solute drag. This new approach has been combined with a simple parametric law for the growth of the mean grain size to simulate the growth kinetics in dilute solid solution metals. Experimental grain growth curves in the cases of aluminum, iron, and lead containing small amounts of impurities have been well accounted for.     

Preferential Interface Nucleation: An Expansion of the VLS Growth Mechanism for Nanowires

A review and expansion of the fundamental processes of the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth mechanism for nanowires is presented. Although the focus is on nanowires, most of the concepts may be applicable to whiskers, nanotubes, and other unidirectional growth. Important concepts in the VLS mechanism such as preferred deposition, supersaturation, and nucleation are examined. Nanowire growth is feasible using a wide range of apparatuses, material systems, and growth conditions. For nanowire growth the unidirectional growth rate must be much higher than growth rates of other surfaces and interfaces. It is concluded that a general, system independent mechanism should describe why nanowires grow faster than the surrounding surfaces. This mechanism is based on preferential nucleation at the interface between a mediating material called the collector and a crystalline solid. The growth conditions used mean the probability of nucleation is low on most of the surfaces and interfaces. Nucleation at the collector‐crystal interface is however different and of special significance is the edge of the collector‐crystal interface where all three phases meet. Differences in nucleation due to different crystallographic interfaces can occur even in two phase systems. We briefly describe how these differences in nucleation may account for nanowire growth without a collector. Identifying the mechanism of nanowire growth by naming the three phases involved began with the naming of the VLS mechanism. Unfortunately this trend does not emphasize the important concepts of the mechanism and is only relevant to one three phase system. We therefore suggest the generally applicable term preferential interface nucleation as a replacement for these different names focusing on a unifying mechanism in nanowire growth.     

How energy efficiency fails in the building industry

This paper examines how energy efficiency fails in the building industry based on many years of research into the integration of energy efficiency in the construction of buildings and sustainable architecture in Norway. It argues that energy-efficient construction has been seriously restrained by three interrelated problems: (1) deficiencies in public policy to stimulate energy efficiency, (2) limited governmental efforts to regulate the building industry, and (3) a conservative building industry. The paper concludes that innovation and implementation of new, energy-efficient technologies in the building industry requires new policies, better regulations and reformed practices in the industry itself.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of high- and ultrahigh-performance concrete: Application to the study of water leaching

In the present study, we show that high-resolution ²⁹Si and ²⁷Al magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can be a powerful tool for analyzing actual concrete mixes. The influence of the amount of silica fume and of the type of cement in high-performance concrete (HPC), as well as the influence of the type of silica fume and of the granular packing in ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) were investigated. Significant effects on the amount and shape of C-S-H, on the incorporation of aluminum in the C-S-H structure, and on the distribution of aluminum-containing hydrates were observed. Nuclear magnetic relaxation of protons was also performed and it showed the fractal feature of the pore size distribution in UHPC and the higher amount of larger pores in HPC. The microstructure of the surface of these same formulations leached by mineral water for up to 1 year exhibits slight modifications.