Niobium phosphates as new highly selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane.

Several niobium phosphate phases have been prepared, fully characterized and tested as catalysts for the selective oxidation of ethane to ethylene. Three distinct niobium phosphate catalysts were prepared, and each was comprised predominantly of a different bulk phase, namely Nb(2)P(4)O(15), NbOPO(4) and Nb(1.91)P(2.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of solids using a long-pulse (150 ns) Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurements are typically carried out using pulses (<20 ns, >50 mJ) from a flashlamp-pumped electro-optically Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (EO-laser) or excimer laser. Here we report LIBS analyses of solids using an acousto-optically Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (AO-laser) producing 150 ns pulses of lower energy (10 mJ) at repetition rates up to 6 kHz. The high repetition rate allows increased spatial or depth sampling over a given time period compared to the EO-laser.