Globular pattern formation of hierarchical ceria nanoarchitectures.

Dissipative structures often appear as an unstable counterpart of ordered structures owing to fluctuations that do not form a homogeneous phase. Even a multiphase mixture may simultaneously undergo one chemical reaction near equilibrium and another one that is far from equilibrium. Here, we observed in real time crystal seed formation and simultaneous nanocrystal aggregation proceeding from Ce complexes to CeO nanoparticles in an acidic aqueous solution, and investigated the resultant hierarchical nanoarchitecture.

Hierarchical Aggregation in a Complex Fluid─The Role of Isomeric Interconversion.

There is an ever-increasing body of evidence that metallic complexes involving amphiliphic ligands do not form normal solutions in organic solvents. Instead, they form complex fluids with intricate structures. For example, the metallic complexes may aggregate into clusters, and these clusters themselves may aggregate into superclusters.

Spectroscopic Studies of Mössbauer, Infrared, and Laser-Induced Luminescence for Classifying Rare-Earth Minerals Enriched in Iron-Rich Deposits.

Rare-earth (RE) phosphates often appear as an accessory phase in igneous or metamorphic rocks; however, these rocks are composed of myriad chemical elements and nuclides that interfere with the qualitative or quantitative analyses of the RE phosphates over a range of concentrations in the absence of a pretreatment. In addition, the limit of each analytical methodology constrains the approach as well as the usefulness of the results in geoscience applications. Here, we report the specific mineral characterization of RE-containing ores from Yen Phu mine, Vietnam, using a range of state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques in conjunction with microscopy: Mössbauer spectroscopy, infrared microspectroscopy, time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

Flow-Electrode CDI Removes the Uncharged Ca-UO-CO Ternary Complex from Brackish Potable Groundwater: Complex Dissociation, Transport, and Sorption.

Unacceptably high uranium concentrations in decentralized and remote potable groundwater resources, especially those of high hardness (e.g ., high Ca, Mg, and CO concentrations), are a common worldwide problem.

Physicochemical and ion-binding properties of highly aliphatic humic substances extracted from deep sedimentary groundwater.

Humic substances (HSs) are ubiquitous in various aquatic systems and play important roles in many geochemical processes. There is increasing evidence of the presence of HSs in deep groundwater; nevertheless, their ion binding properties are largely unknown. In this study we investigated the physicochemical and ion-binding properties of humic and fulvic acids extracted from deep sedimentary groundwater.

Uranium Binding Mechanisms of the Acid-Tolerant Fungus Coniochaeta fodinicola.

The uptake and binding of uranium [as (UO2)(2+)] by a moderately acidophilic fungus, Coniochaeta fodinicola, recently isolated from a uranium mine site, is examined in this work in order to better understand the potential impact of organisms such as this on uranium sequestration in hydrometallurgical systems. Our results show that the viability of the fungal biomass is critical to their capacity to remove uranium from solution. Indeed, live biomass (viable cells based on vital staining) were capable of removing ∼16 mg U/g dry weight in contrast with dead biomass (autoclaved) which removed ∼45 mg U/g dry weight after 2 h.

Radioactive fallout cesium in sewage sludge ash produced after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

The radioactive fallout cesium (¹³⁷Cs) in the sewage sludge ashes (SSAs) produced in Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident was tested. Five samples of SSAs produced in 2011 and 2012 were tested. Two of the samples contained ¹³⁷Cs (23 and 9.

Highly efficient extraction separation of lanthanides using a diglycolamic acid extractant.

Liquid-liquid extraction of lanthanide ions (Ln(3+)) using N,N-dioctyldiglycolamic acid (DODGAA) was comprehensively investigated, together with fluorescence spectroscopic characterization of the resulting extracted complexes in the organic phase. DODGAA enables the quantitative partitioning of all Ln(3+) ions from moderately acidic solutions, while showing selectivity for heavier lanthanides, and provides remarkably high extraction separation performance for Ln(3+) compared with typical carboxylic acid extractants. Furthermore, the mutual separation abilities of DODGAA for light lanthanides are higher than those of organophosphorus extractants.

Specific cooperative effect of a macrocyclic receptor for metal ion transfer into an ionic liquid.

An intramolecular cooperative extraction system for the removal of strontium cations (Sr(2+)) from water by use of a novel macrocyclic receptor (H(2)βDA18C6) composed of diaza-18-crown-6 and two β-diketone fragments in ionic liquid (IL) is reported, together with X-ray spectroscopic characterization of the resulting extracted complexes in the IL and chloroform phases. The covalent attachment of two β-diketone fragments to a diazacrown ether resulted in a cooperative interaction within the receptor for Sr(2+) transfer, which remarkably enhanced the efficiency of Sr(2+) transfer relative to a mixed β-diketone and diazacrown system. The intramolecular cooperative effect was observed only in the IL extraction system, providing a 500-fold increase in extraction performance for Sr(2+) over chloroform.

Surface speciation of Eu3+ adsorbed on kaolinite by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC).

Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) is an effective speciation technique for fluorescent metal ions and can be further extended by the parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The adsorption of Eu(3+) on kaolinite as well as gibbsite as a reference mineral was investigated by TRLFS together with batch adsorption measurements. The PAFAFAC modeling provided the fluorescence spectra, decay lifetimes, and relative intensity profiles of three Eu(3+) surface complexes with kaolinite; an outer-sphere (factor A) complex and two inner-sphere (factors B and C) complexes.

Applications of time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy to the environmental biogeochemistry of actinides.

Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) is a useful means of identifying certain actinide species resulting from various biogeochemical processes. In general, TRLFS differentiates chemical species of a fluorescent metal ion through analysis of different excitation and emission spectra and decay lifetimes. Although this spectroscopic technique has largely been applied to the analysis of actinide and lanthanide ions having fluorescence decay lifetimes on the order of microseconds, such as UO , Cm, and Eu, continuing development of ultra-fast and cryogenic TRLFS systems offers the possibility to obtain speciation information on metal ions having room-temperature fluorescence decay lifetimes on the order of nanoseconds to picoseconds.

Thermochromic properties of low-melting ionic uranyl isothiocyanate complexes.

Temperature-dependent yellow-to-red colour changes of uranyl thiocyanate complexes with 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations have been studied by different spectroscopic methods and this phenomenon is attributed to changes in the local environment of the uranyl ion, including the coordination number, as well as to cation-anion interactions.

Application of parallel factor analysis for time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy: implication for metal speciation study.

Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) is an analytical technique capable of discriminating different chemical species of a fluorescent metal ion such as UO(2)(2+), Cm(3+), and lanthanides. Although TRLFS has been widely used to investigate the speciation of the fluorescent metal ions, extracting quantitative and structural information from multiple TRLFS data measured as a function of chemical and physical parameters is not a simple task. The purpose of this study is to apply parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) for the interpretation of a series of TRLFS data.

Stoichiometry, stability constants and coordination geometry of Eu(III) 5-sulfosalicylate complex in aqueous system-A TRLIFS study.

The complex formation between Eu(III) and 5-sulfosalicylate, (HSSA)(2-), has been investigated by means of TRLIFS (time resolved laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy). The concentration of free ligand in the solution was determined from the fluorescence emission of 5-sulfosalicylate by subtracting the dynamic quenching effect from the observed quenching of fluorescence emission by means of lifetime analysis, and the stoichiometry and the corresponding formation constants were obtained. A carboxylate coordinated complex, Eu(HSSA)(+), and also a chelate complex, Eu(SSA), were identified, and the formation constants of the complex Eu(HSSA)(2+) for the reaction, Eu(3+)+ HSSA(2-)[rightward arrow] Eu(HSSA)(+), and the deprotonation constant of the chelating reaction, Eu(HSSA)(+)--> Eu(SSA)+ H(+), were calculated at log beta(1,1)= 1.