A recurrent error which needs to be resolved

The recent paper by Jankovic et al. [B. Janković, B. Adnađevic, J. Jovanović; Thermochimica Acta 452 (2007) 106] and other similar papers have raised a problem which needs to be resolved. These authors use the method of Kennedy and Clark [J.A. Kennedy, S.M. Clark, Thermochimica Acta 307 (1997) 27] which is conceptually erroneous; this is…

Electrical characteristics of mixed Zr–Si oxide thin films prepared by ion beam induced chemical vapor deposition at room temperature

Mixed Zr–Si oxide thin films have been prepared at room temperature by ion beam decomposition of organometallic volatile precursors. The films were flat and amorphous. They did not present phase segregation of the pure single oxides. A significant amount of impurities (–C–, –CHx, –OH, and other radicals coming from partially decomposed precursors) remained incorporated in…

Deposition of Al-Fe pillared bentonites and gold supported Al-Fe pillared bentonites on metallic monoliths for catalytic oxidation reactions

Al-Fe pillared bentonite and gold supported on Al-Fe pillared bentonite catalysts deposed on Fecralloy monoliths have been prepared, characterized and tested in two oxidation reactions: gaseous oxidation of CO and phenol oxidation in aqueous medium. The deposition of the solid on the metallic substrate does not alter its structural characteristics. The use of monoliths improves…

Chemical State of Nitrogen and Visible Surface and Schottky Barrier Driven Photoactivities of N-Doped TiO2 Thin Films

N-doped TiO2 thin films have been prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and by physical vapor deposition by adding nitrogen or ammonia to the gas phase. Different sets of N-doped TiO2 thin films have been obtained by changing the preparation conditions during the deposition. The samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman, UV−vis…

Phyllites used as waterproofing layer materials for greenhouses crops in Spain: multivariate statistical analysis applied to their classification based on X-ray fluorescence analysis

The results are presented for the chemical characterization carried out with 53 raw material samples with phyllosilicates from outcrops located between the provinces of Almería and Granada (SE Spain) in order to use them as waterproof layers under the floors of greenhouses. For this purpose, the samples have been studied by these techniques: X-Ray Diffraction…

Fibrous MnO2 Nanoparticles with (2 × 2) Tunnel Structures. Catalytic Activity in the Total Oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds

Manganese oxides having 2 × 2 tunnel structures (cryptomelanes) have been synthesized by a milling method in order to test their efficiency as catalysts for the abatement of volatile organic compounds, using toluene as probe molecule. These materials present excellent textural properties, arising from the nanofiber morphology and were active for toluene total oxidation. DRIFTS…

Chemical Reactions in 2D: Self-Assembly and Self-Esterification of 9(10),16-Dihydroxypalmitic Acid on Mica Surface

9(10),16-Dihydroxypalmitic acid (diHPA) is a particularly interesting polyhydroxylated fatty acid (1) because it is the main monomer of cutin, the most abundant biopolyester in nature, and (2) because the presence of a terminal and a secondary hydroxyl group in midchain positions provides an excellent model to study their intermolecular interactions in a confined phase such…