Multistage Electrochemical Reactions with the Transfer of Intermediates between Near-Electrode Layer and Bulk Solution: Analysis of a Kinetic Model and Computer-Aided Modeling

Kinetic equations for a multistage electrode process complicated by the transfer of intermediates between the near-electrode layer and bulk solution are derived and analyzed. Computer-aided modeling of the kinetics of processes of this kind is performed. Conditions under which the share of diffused intermediates is no longer vanishingly small are determined. Effect of various factors on the individual stages is established. Techniques of processing experimental data for determining kinetic parameters of separate stages are suggested.     

The mechanism of bacteriorhodopsin functioning. I. The light-induced proton throw-over by retinal

The path of proton motion in protein bacteriorhodopsin is constructed: Tyr 43 → Tyr 26 → Asp 212 → Tyr 83 → Tyr 57 → Tyr 79 → Glu 204 → Tyr 64 → Glu 74. From the position of quantum theory the light-induced isomerization of retinal, the process carrying out the proton and throw-over from the inlet H-bond chain (Tyr 43 → Tyr 26 → Lys 216) to the outlet one (Lys 216 → Asp 212 → … → Glu 74) are investigated. The kinetics of the transition of the excitation from the π-electron subsystem to the vibrational one is studied; the function of the nonequilibrial excitation distribution of the collective intramolecular retinal vibrations is found. The mechanism of deprotonation of Schiff base (transmission of proton to the outlet channel) is considered. The correspondence between the theoretically estimated states and spectroscopically identified forms of bacteriorhodosin (initial form bR, intermediates J, K) is proposed.     

Grain Boundary Wetting in Polycrystals: 1. Probability of Wetting of Structural Elements

A model describing the wetting of structural elements in polycrystals such as grain boundaries (faces), triple lines (edges), and quaternary nodes (vertices) is proposed. It is assumed that the only driving force during wetting is the tendency of a system to the energy minimization due to the substitution of low-energy liquid–solid interfaces for high-energy grain boundaries. In this case, the anisotropy of grain boundary energy caused by the differences in misorientation of adjacent grains is taken into account, whereas the liquid–solid interface energy is assumed to be independent of the orientation. The well-known condition of grain boundary wetting (the Gibbs–Smith condition) is extended to the triple lines and quaternary nodes by introducing parameters determined as characteristic free energy of these elements.     

Scale Factor upon the Grain Boundary Wetting in Polycrystals

The intergrain penetration of wetting liquids (water and gallium) is studied with polycrystalline samples of NaCl and zinc, respectively. A strong effect of a scale factor is found. The quantitative correlation between the results of simulation and the data of physical experiments is established and is indicative of the applicability of the percolation theory to describe the process of intergrain wetting.__________Translated from Kolloidnyi Zhurnal, Vol. 67, No. 3, 2005, pp. 404–409.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Traskine, Volovitch, Protsenko, Kucherinenko, Skvortsova.     

Kinetic Regularities Governing the Reaction of Electrodeposition of Iron from Solutions of Citrate Complexes of Iron(III)

The kinetics of a multistep reaction of electrodeposition of iron out of aqueous citrate-containing solutions of trivalent iron is investigated. It is shown that concentrations of major solution components affect the partial current density of discharge of ions of divalent iron. It is established that the deposition of metallic iron occurs as a result of discharge of intermediates, which are hydroxy complexes of divalent iron. Kinetic parameters and mechanism of the reaction of discharge of complexes [FeOH]⁺ to a metallic state are determined. It is mentioned that the formation of poorly soluble hydroxy compounds of trivalent iron in a near-electrode layer leads to a decrease in the iron deposition current.     

Laser fluorescence-absorption analysis of iodine-129 and nitrogen dioxide impurities in a special atmosphere

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 116–121, January, 1992.     

Automated growing of large single crystals controlled by melt level sensor

The process of single crystal pulling is considered with simultaneous starting material make-up into the melt and heater temperature control in response to a signal generated by the electronic contact melt level sensor, viz.: (i) conditions ensuring the radial broadening steadiness; (ii) effect of melt level displacement, melt temperature changes, changes of solid/liquid interface shape, melt evaporation on the growing crystal diameter; (iii) conditions of crystal purification from impurities and uniform distribution of dopant.     

Physicochemical properties of ionic liquid mixtures containing choline chloride,chromium (III) chloride and water: effects of temperature and water content

The effects of water addition and temperature on some physicochemical properties of room temperature ionic liquids containing chromium chloride, choline chloride and water in the molar ratio of 1:2.5:x (where x = 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18) have been studied. The density, viscosity, surface tension and conductivity of the liquid mixtures were measured for the temperature range of 25 to 80 °C. Increasing both water content and temperature resulted in decreasing density, surface tension and viscosity and increasing electrical conductivity. The average void radii (hole sizes) for the liquid systems under study were calculated; they were in the range of 1.21 to 1.82 Å. The average hole size was stated to grow with increasing both temperature and water content in the mixture. The variation of the average void radii correlates with the change in viscosity and conductivity. The activation energies of viscous flow and conductivity diminishes with increasing water content in the liquid mixture. There is a strong linear correlation between conductivity and fluidity which indicates that the conductivity of the ionic liquid mixtures is generally controlled by the ionic mobility. A moderate viscosity and higher conductivity of the Cr(III)-containing ionic liquids with extra-water addition (at x > 9) make them suitable for the development of chromium electrodeposition processes.     

Superradiance of trapped atoms

A new method for calculating the total power of the spontaneous emission of a few motionless two-level atoms located at a distance of the order of the resonance-radiation wavelength with dipole-dipole interaction is suggested. The method is based on the Schrödinger representation. It is shown, as an example, that two trapped atoms cannot emit a pulse of superradiance under any conditions, while four atoms can emit such a pulse at certain conditions. Different ways of introducing the quasi-stationary states of atoms along with the generalization of the proposed method to other resonance systems are discussed.