Abstract: In this study we investigate the model uncertainties involved in predicting long-term permeable reactive barrier (PRB) remediation efficiency based on a lab-scale column experiment under accelerated flow conditions. A PRB consisting of 20% iron and 80% sand was simulated in a laboratory-scale column and contaminated groundwater was pumped into the column for approximately 1 year at an average groundwater velocity of 3.7E – 1 m d(-1). Dissolved contaminants (PCE. TCE, cis-DCE, trans-DCE and VC) and inorganic (Ca2+, Fe2+, TIC and pH) concentrations were measured in groundwater sampled at different times and at eight different distances along the column. These measurements were used to calibrate a multi-component reactive transport model, which subsequently provided predictions of long-term PRB efficiency under reduced flow conditions (i.e., groundwater velocity of 1.4E -3 m d(-1)), representative of a field site of interest in this study. Iron reactive surface reduction due to mineral precipitation and iron dissolution was simulated using four different models. All models were able to reasonably well reproduce the column experiment measurements, whereas the extrapolated long-term efficiency under different flow rates was significantly different between the different models. These results highlight significant model uncertainties associated with extrapolating long-term PRB performance based on lab-scale column experiments. These uncertainties should be accounted for at the PRB design phase, and may be reduced by independent experiments and field observations aimed at a better understanding of reactive surface deactivation mechanisms in iron PRBs. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Quantum-size oscillations of the basic physical characteristics of a confined fermionic condensate are a well-known phenomenon. Its conventional understanding is based on the single-particle physics, whereby the oscillations follow variations in the single-particle density of states driven by the size quantization. Here we present a study of a cigar-shaped ultracold superfluid Fermi gas, which demonstrates an important many-body aspect of the quantum-size coherent effects, overlooked previously. The many-body physics is revealed here in the atypical crossover from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluid to the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) induced by the size quantization of the particle motion. The single-particle energy spectrum for the transverse dimensions is tightly bound, whereas for the longitudinal direction it resembles a quasi-free dispersion. This results in the formation of a series of single-particle subbands (shells) so that the aggregate fermionic condensate becomes a coherent mixture of subband condensates. Each time when the lower edge of a subband crosses the chemical potential, the BCS-BEC crossover is approached in this subband, and the aggregate condensate contains both BCS and BEC-like components.

Abstract: The effective air-filled porosity and the gas diffusion coefficient are important soil parameters determining the success of soil bioremediation projects such as (bio)venting and (bio)sparging methods in combination with soil vapor extraction. We have developed a new method to sequentially measure the effective air-filled porosity and the soil gas diffusion coefficient of a soil sample. During the purging of the sample, a fast and accurate measurement of the effective air-filled porosity can be obtained. The subsequent diffusion measurement does not require a zero-O(2) concentration in the soil sample. The procedure further allows the calculation of the soil gas diffusion coefficient before an equilibrium O(2) concentration has been reached. The results are obtained by combining the data of the inlet and outlet compartment in a single equation. A stable reading is reached when the results for the inlet and outlet compartment coincide with the results from the combined equation. The analysis time is reduced by 89 to 96% compared with methods that run until an equilibrium concentration has been reached. Moreover, combining data from inlet and outlet compartments increases the accuracy of the diffusivity measurement by a factor of two compared with previous methods.

Abstract: Spin rotations induced by an ac electric field in a two-electron double quantum dot are studied by an exact numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation in the context of recent electric-dipole spin resonance experiments on gated nanowires. We demonstrate that the splitting of the main resonance line by the spin exchange coupling is accompanied by the appearance of fractional resonances and that both these effects are triggered by interdot tunnel coupling. We find that the ac-driven system generates residual but distinct harmonics of the driving frequency, which are amplified when tuned to the main transition frequency. The mechanism is universal for electron systems in electrically driven potentials and works also in the absence of electron-electron interaction or spin-orbit coupling.

Abstract: We report on the dynamical properties of interacting colloids confined to one dimension and subjected to external periodic energy landscapes. We particularly focus on the influence of hydrodynamic interactions on the mean-square displacement. Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we study colloidal systems with two types of repulsive interparticle interactions, namely, Yukawa and superparamagnetic potentials. We find that in the homogeneous case, hydrodynamic interactions lead to an enhancement of the particle mobility and the mean-square displacement at long times scales as t(alpha), with alpha = 1/2 + epsilon and epsilon being a small correction. This correction, however, becomes much more important in the presence of an external field, which breaks the homogeneity of the particle distribution along the line and, therefore, promotes a richer dynamical scenario due to the hydrodynamical coupling among particles. We provide here the complete dynamical scenario in terms of the external potential parameters: amplitude and commensurability.

Abstract: The scattering of a Gaussian wave packet in armchair and zigzag graphene edges is theoretically investigated by numerically solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for the tight-binding model Hamiltonian. Our theory allows us to investigate scattering in reciprocal space, and depending on the type of graphene edge we observe scattering within the same valley, or between different valleys. In the presence of an external magnetic field, the well-known skipping orbits are observed. However, our results demonstrate that in the case of a pseudomagnetic field, induced by nonuniform strain, the scattering by an armchair edge results in a nonpropagating edge state.

Abstract: In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas for biomedical applications. Currently, however, there is very little fundamental knowledge regarding the relevant interaction mechanisms of plasma species with living cells. In this paper, we investigate the interaction of important plasma species, such as O3, O2 and O atoms, with bacterial peptidoglycan (or murein) by means of reactive molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we use the peptidoglycan structure to model the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus murein. Peptidoglycan is the outer protective barrier in bacteria and can therefore interact directly with plasma species. Our results demonstrate that among the species mentioned above, O3 molecules and especially O atoms can break important bonds of the peptidoglycan structure (i.e. CO, CN and CC bonds), which subsequently leads to the destruction of the bacterial cell wall. This study is important for gaining a fundamental insight into the chemical damaging mechanisms of the bacterial peptidoglycan structure on the atomic scale.

Abstract: Continuous global urbanisation causes an ever-growing ecological footprint of pollution. Road dust (RD), one of these pollutants, poses a health concern due to carcinogenic and toxic components potentially present in the micron-sized fractions. The literature reports on the concentrations of trace, toxic metals and metalloids present in RD (Hooker and Nathanail in Chem Geol 226:340-351, 2006), but the literature on its molecular composition is limited. Recent reports on the bioaccessibility of platinum group metals are also reported (Colombo et al. in Chem Geol 226:340-351, 2008). In vitro and animal toxicological studies confirmed that the chemical composition of inhaled particles plays a major role in its toxic, genotoxic and carcinogenic mechanisms, but the component-specific toxic effects are still not understood. Particle-bound airborne transition metals can also lead to the production of reactive oxygen species in lung tissue; a special concern amongst particularly susceptible cohorts (children and elderly). The characterisation of the molecular composition of the fine fraction is evidently of importance for public health. During a pilot study, partially characterised size-fractioned RD samples (Barrett et al. in Eviron Sci Technol 44:2940-2946, 2010) were analysed for their elemental concentration using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In addition, separately dispersed particles (200 particles per size fraction) were analysed individually by means of computer-controlled electron probe X-ray micro-analysis (CC-EPXMA) and their molecular structure probed by studying elemental associations. These were correlated with micro-Raman spectroscopy (MRS) results. It was found that the fine fraction (< 38 mu m) had the highest Pb (238 ppm) and Cr (171 ppm) concentrations. The CC-EPXMA data showed > 50 % association of Cr-rich particles with Pb, and the MRS data showed that the Cr was mostly present as lead chromate and therefore in the Cr(VI) oxidation state. Concentrations of both Pb and Cr decreased substantially (279 (< 38 mu m)-13 ppm (< 1 mm); 171 (< 38 mu m)-91 ppm (< 1 mm), respectively) in the larger fractions. Apart from rather alarmingly high concentrations of oxidative stressors (Cu, Fe, Mn), the carcinogenic and toxic potential of the inhalable fraction is evident. Preliminary bioaccessibility data indicated that both Cr and Pb are readily mobilised in artificial lysosomal liquid and up to 19 % of Cr and 47 % of Pb were released.

Abstract: A method for the classification of individual aerosol particles using computer controlled electron probe microanalysis is presented. It is based on chemical boundary conditions (CBC) and enables quick and easy processing of a large set of elemental concentration data (mass%), derived from the X-ray spectra of individual particles. The particles are first classified into five major classes (sea salt related, secondary inorganic, minerals, iron-rich and carbonaceous), after which advanced data mining can be performed by examining the elemental composition of particles within each class into more detail (e.g., by ternary diagrams). The CBC method is validated and evaluated by comparing its results with the output obtained with hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) for well-known standard particles as well as real aerosol particles collected with a cascade impactor. The CBC method gives reliable results and has a major advantage compared to HCA. CBC is based on boundary conditions that are derived from chemical logical thinking and does not require a translation of a mathematical algorithm output as does HCA. Therefore, the CBC method is more objective and enables comparison between samples without intermediate steps.

Abstract: Urban atmospheres in modern cities carry characteristic mixtures of particulate pollution which are potentially aggravating for chronic respiratory patients (CRP). Although air quality surveys can be detailed, the obtained information is not always useful to evaluate human health effects. This paper presents a novel approach to estimate particle deposition rates in airways of CRP, based on real air pollution data. By combining computational fluid dynamics with physical-chemical characteristics of particulate pollution, deposition rates are estimated for particles of different toxicological relevance, that is, minerals, iron oxides, sea salts, ammonium salts, and carbonaceous particles. Also, it enables some qualitative evaluation of the spatial, temporal, and patient specific effects on the particle dose upon exposure to the urban atmosphere. Results show how heavy traffic conditions increases the deposition of anthropogenic particles in the trachea and lungs of respiratory patients (here, +0.28 and +1.5 μg·h1, respectively). In addition, local and synoptic meteorological conditions were found to have a strong effect on the overall dose. However, the pathology and age of the patient was found to be more crucial, with highest deposition rates for toxic particles in adults with a mild anomaly, followed by mild asthmatic children and adults with severe respiratory dysfunctions (7, 5, and 3 μg·h1, respectively).

Abstract: Under ultrasonication, the production of high quality graphene layers by exfoliation of graphite was achieved via addition of tiopronin as an antioxidant.

Abstract: Previous investigations about the darkening of chrome yellow pigments revealed that this form of alteration is attributable to a reduction of the original Cr(VI) to Cr(III), and that the presence of sulfur-containing compounds, most often sulfates, plays a key role during this process. We recently demonstrated that different crystal forms of chrome yellow pigments (PbCrO4 and PbCr1xSxO4) are present in paintings by Vincent van Gogh. In the present work, we show how both the chemical composition and the crystalline structure of lead chromate-based pigments influence their stability. For this purpose, oil model samples made with in-house synthesized powders of PbCrO4 and PbCr1xSxO4 were artificially aged and characterized. We observed a profound darkening only for those paint models made with PbCr1xSxO4, rich in SO42 (x ≥ 0.4), and orthorhombic phases (>30 wt %). Cr and S K-edge micro X-ray absorption near edge structure investigations revealed in an unequivocal manner the formation of up to about 60% of Cr(III)-species in the outer layer of the most altered samples; conversely, independent of the paint models chemical composition, no change in the S-oxidation state was observed. Analyses employing UVvisible diffuse reflectance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed on unaged and aged model samples in order to obtain additional information on the physicochemical changes induced by the aging treatment.

Abstract: The control of the formation process during and after self-assembly is of utmost importance to achieve well structured, controlled template-assisted mesoporous titania materials with the desired properties for various applications via the evaporation induced self-assembly method (EISA). The present paper reports on the large influence of the thermal stabilization and successive template removal on the pore structure of a mesostructured TiO2 material using the diblock copolymer Brij 58 as surfactant. A controlled thermal stabilization (temperature and duration) allows one to tailor the final pore size and uniformity much more precise by influencing the self-assembly of the template. Moreover, also the successive thermal template removal needs to be controlled in order to avoid a structural collapse. N2-sorption, TGA, TEM, FT-Raman spectroscopy, and small angle wide angle XRD have been used to follow the crystal growth and mesostructure organization after thermal stabilization and after thermal template removal, revealing its effect on the final pore structure.

Abstract: The development of new electrode materials, which are composed of Earth-abundant elements and that can be made via eco-efficient processes, is becoming absolutely necessary for reasons of sustainable production. The 3.9 V triplite-phase of LiFeSO4F, compared to the 3.6 V tavorite-phase, could satisfy this requirement provided the currently complex synthetic pathway can be simplified. Here, we present our work aiming at better understanding the reaction mechanism that govern its formation as a way to optimize its preparation. We first demonstrate, using complementary X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies, that triplite-LiFeSO4F can nucleate from tavorite-LiFeSO4F via a reconstructive process whose kinetics are significantly influenced by moisture and particle morphology. Perhaps the most spectacular finding is that it is possible to prepare electrochemically active triplite-LiFeSO4F from anhydrous precursors using either reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) synthesis in a mere 20 min at 320 degrees C or room temperature ball milling for 3 h. These new pathways appear to be strongly driven by the easy formation of a disordered phase with higher entropy, as both techniques trigger disorder via rapid annealing steps or defect creation. Although a huge number of phases adopts the tavorite structure-type, this new finding offers both a potential way to prepare new compositions in the triplite structure and a wealth of opportunities for the synthesis of new materials which could benefit many domains beyond energy storage.

Abstract: Within the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory we discuss the effect of nonmagnetic interactions between the normal current and supercurrent in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. The correction due to the current-current interactions is shown to have a transient character so that it contributes only when a system evolves. Numerical studies for thin current-carrying superconducting strips with no magnetic feedback show that the effect of the normal current corrections is more pronounced in the resistive state where fast-moving kinematic vortices are formed. Simulations also reveal that the largest contribution due to current-current interactions appears near the sample edges, where the vortices reach their maximal velocity.