Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

2005- 2008 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Valerie Avery, Shana Bachus, Karmen K. Boehlke, Andrea Flores, Alden Kelly, Erick Lopez, Carol Preussler, Heather Shay, Ava Bookatz, Shaun Elsasser, Veronica Hicks, Shaida A. Jetha, Anthony Quinn, Thurithabhani Seneviratne, Teddy Boado Sim Jr., Liza Ward, Amris Henry-Rodgers, Jacquelynn Kaaa-Logan, Jason Orozco, Juan C. Plata, Bonnie Bartlett, Kathleen Bell, Vacheral M. Carter, Nydia Diaz, Kimberly Hackstock, Julio A. Luna, Charles Mao, Sandra Ramos, Precious Rideout, Benjamin Lee Watrous, Chet R. Whitley

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Transmutation Research Program: Annual Report Academic Year 2004-2005, Anthony Hechanova, Kathy Lauckner

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

It is my pleasure to present the UNLV Transmutation Research Program’s fourth annual report that highlights the academic year 2004 – 2005. Supporting this document are the many technical reports and scientific papers that have been generated over the past three years.

In the fourth year of our program, we added 11 new research tasks and saw the conclusion of 8 of the initial 16 independent student research tasks started in 2001 and 2002. In all, the program has sponsored to their conclusion 28 M.S. and 2 Ph.D. degrees. The program supported 58 graduate students and 13 undergraduates in 6 …

Corrosion Of Steel By Lead Bismuth Eutectic, John Farley, Allen L. Johnson, Dale L. Perry

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

There is an active international interest in lead-bismuth eutectic and similar liquid lead systems because of the relevance to the transmutation of nuclear waste, fast reactors, and spallation neutron sources.

Materials in these systems must be able to tolerate high neutron fluxes, high temperatures, and chemical corrosion. For lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) systems, there is an additional challenge because the corrosive behaviors of materials in LBE are not well understood. Most of the available information on LBE systems has come from the Russians, who have over 80 reactor-years experience with LBE coolant in their Alpha-class submarine reactors. The Russians found …

Environment-Induced Degradation And Crack-Growth Studies Of Candidate Target Materials, Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The primary objective of this task was to evaluate the effects of environmental and mechanical parameters on environment induced degradations of candidate target structural materials for applications in spallation-neutron-target systems. The materials selected for evaluation and characterization were martensitic stainless steels including Alloys HT-9, EP-823, and 422.

Accelerator-driven transmutation systems involve bombarding a target material such as molten lead-bismuth-eutectic (LBE) by a proton beam, thereby producing neutrons. The molten LBE target will be contained in a subsystem structural container made of a suitable material such as Alloys HT-9, EP-823, and 422. During the transmutation process, the target structural material may …

Modeling Corrosion In Oxygen Controlled Lbe Systems With Coupling Of Chemical Kinetics And Hydrodynamics, Samir Moujaes, Yitung Chen

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The corrosion of structural materials is a major concern for the use of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) systems for nuclear applications such as in transmuter targets or fast reactors. Corrosion in liquid metal systems can occur through various processes, including, for example, dissolution, formation of inter-metallic compounds at the interface, and penetration of liquid metal along grain boundaries. Predicting the rate of these processes depends on numerous system operational factors: temperature, system geometry, thermal gradients, solid and liquid compositions, and velocity of the liquid metal, to name a few. Corrosion, along with mechanical and/or hydraulic factors, often contributes to component failure. …

Development Of A Systems Engineering Model Of The Chemical Separations Process, Yitung Chen, Darrell Pepper, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The chemical processing of used nuclear fuel is an integral component of any strategy for the transmutation of nuclear waste. Due to the large volume of material that must be handled in this first step of the transmutation process, the efficiency of the separations process is a key factor in the potential economic viability of transmutation strategies. The ability to optimize the chemical separation systems is vital to ensure the feasibility of the transmutation program.

Systems analysis, or total systems modeling, is one of the strongest tools available to researchers for understanding and optimizing complex systems such as chemical separations …

Nuclear Criticality, Shielding, And Thermal Analyses Of Separations Processes For The Transmutation Fuel Cycle, William Culbreth, Denis Beller

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The first step in any transmutation strategy is the separation of radionuclides in used nuclear fuel. The current separation strategy supporting the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) program is based on the use of a solvent extraction separation process to separate the actinides, fission products, and uranium from used commercial nuclear fuel, and on the use of pyrochemical separation technologies to process used transmuter fuels. To separate the fission products and transuranic elements from the uranium in used fuel, the national program is developing a new solvent extraction process, the Uranium Extraction Plus, or UREX+, process based on the traditional …

Immobilization Of Fission Iodine By Reaction With A Fullerene Containing Carbon Compound And Insoluble Natural Matrix, Spencer M. Steinberg, Gary Cerefice, David W. Emerson

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The recovery of iodine released during the processing of used nuclear fuel poses a significant challenge to the transmutation of nuclear waste. Iodine-129, a long-lived fission product formed by both commercial nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons production, is released when reprocessing nuclear fuel. Since iodine can be concentrated in the human thyroid, any uncontrolled release of iodine may result in an increased rate of thyroid cancer in the exposed population. For this reason, recovery of iodine is important for implementing any nuclear transmutation strategy.

The stability of the association of iodine with FCC and NOM products are studied. Product …

Development, Fabrication And Study Of Fullerene-Containing Carbon Material (Fcc) For Immobilization Of Iodine: Progress Report #1-4, Michael Savopulo, Boris E. Burakov

Separations Campaign (TRP)

During current reporting period the experiments on synthesis of ceramic-like material by conversion of iodine-doped FCC and activated carbon to Si_xC_y have been completed. Cold pressed granules of FCC and activated carbon were rinsed in water-ethanol solution of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), Si(OC₂H₅)₄, and then used for further synthesis. All new samples obtained have been studied using precise powder XRD analysis.

Development, Fabrication And Study Of Fullerene-Containing Carbon Material (Fcc) For Immobilization Of Iodine: Final Report 2005, Michael Savopulo, Boris E. Burakov

Separations Campaign (TRP)

Immobilization of highly radioactive and long-lived isotope of ¹²⁹I, which is a fission product in spent nuclear fuel, requires development of new durable host-materials.

Iodine is a very volatile chemical element, and even its chemically strong compounds such as AgI and CuI are not stable under ultraviolet irradiation or oxidizing conditions. Therefore, development of host materials for iodine immobilization is based on unusual approach – the search and testing of new compounds which were not studied before in respect of iodine sorption and strong fixation.

Although FCC material demonstrated high loading capacity to iodine sorption it is necessary to …

Evaluation Of Fluorapatite As A Waste-Form Material, Dennis W. Lindle, Oliver Hemmers, Dale L. Perry

Separations Campaign (TRP)

Argonne National Laboratory has proposed a new extraction procedure to handle TRISO-coated fuels, the Fluoride Extraction Process, or FLEX. The FLEX process is designed to separate the uranium in the fuel from the actinides and most fission products by taking advantage of the unique properties of uranium hexafluoride (UF₆). In the FLEX process, the used TRISO fuel is reacted with zirconium fluoride salt, forming UF₆ and the fluoride salts of the actinides and fission products. At process temperatures, the UF₆ volatizes into a gas, and is released from the molten salt mixture. This leaves behind the …

Electrochemical Separation Of Curium And Americium, David W. Hatchett, Kenneth Czerwinski

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The objective of this project is to use electrochemical techniques to develop a thermodynamic understanding of actinide and lanthanide species in aqueous solution and use this data to effectively separate species with very similar chemical properties. In consultation with our DOE collaborator, electrochemical methods and materials will be evaluated and used to exploit the thermodynamic differences between similar chemical species enhancing our ability to selectively target and sequester individual species from mixtures.

The following were specific goals for this year:

• To develop a fundamental understanding of the thermodynamic properties of actinide and lanthanide species such as Cm, Am, Ce, Nd, …

Fundamental Chemistry Of U And Pu In The Tbp-Dodecane-Nitric Acid System: Quarterly Report, Kenneth Czerwinski, Cynthia-May Gong, Amber Wright

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The speciation of hexavalent U and tetravalent Pu will be examined in the TBPdodecane- nitric acid systems. This topic is chosen based on data needs for separation modeling identified by the AFCI. Emphasis will be placed on studying the influence of nitrate and acetohydroxamic acid on U and Pu speciation as well as conditions where a third phase forms in the organic phase. The organic phase will be 30 % TBP in dodecane. Equal volumes of aqueous and organic phase will be used. The speciation of the actinides in the aqueous and organic phase will be determined by a number …

Fundamental Chemistry Of U And Pu In The Tbp-Dodecane-Nitric Acid System, Kenneth Czerwinski, Byron Bennett

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The research objectives of this project are as follows:

• To determine the influence of nitrate on the speciation of U and Pu in the TBP-dodecane-nitric acid system. The aqueous and organic speciation of U and Pu are examined as a function of the nitric acid concentration, nitrate concentration (by the addition of NaNO₃), actinide ion concentration, temperature, and time.
• To determine the speciation of U and Pu with AHA in the presence and absence of TBP-dodecane organic phase. The aqueous and organic speciation of U and Pu are evaluated as a function of AHA concentration, metal ion concentration, …

Fragmentation Dynamics Of H2s Following S 2p Photoexcitation, Renaud Guillemin, S-W Yu, Wayne C. Stolte, Dennis W. Lindle

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Research

The fragmentation dynamics of core-excited H₂S has been studied by means of partial anion and cation yield measurements around the S L_2,3-subshell ionization thresholds. All detectable ionic fragments are reported, and significant differences between partial ion yields are observed. Possible dissociation pathways are discussed by comparison to previous studies of electron spectra.

Interaction Between Metal Fission Products And Triso Coating Materials: A Study Of Chemical Bonding And Interdiffusion: 2nd Quarter Report, 2005, Clemens Heske

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

The goal of our project is to investigate interface corrosion processes in TRISO nuclear fuel particles. For this purpose, we are undertaking a detailed study of the interface formation between potential candidates for metallic fission products (Pd, Ag, and Cs), likely to diffuse from the kernel of the TRISO particles, with the TRISO coating layers. As a starting point, we are investigating the Pd/SiC interface and will extend our studies to Ag/SiC during our current summer research campaign. The experimental approach comprises the preparation of metal/SiC interfaces in-situ in our ultra-high vacuum system by electron-beam deposition. In order to understand …

Interaction Between Metal Fission Products And Triso Coating Materials: A Study Of Chemical Bonding And Interdiffusion: 1st Quarter Report, 2005, Clemens Heske

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

In this project we utilize a combination of state-of-the-art soft X-ray spectroscopies to understand the chemical bonding between metal fission products (Pd and Ag) with coating layers in TRISO fuel particles (SiC and pyrocarbon). We are primarily focusing on an analysis of intermediate chemical phases at the interface, the intermixing/diffusion behavior, and the electronic interface structure as a function of material choice (metal and coating materials), temperature, and external stress. In the current first project year, we are beginning these investigations with the Pd/SiC interface, as discussed in the previous two quarterly reports. Our first experiments (both using our lab …

Interaction Between Metal Fission Products And Triso Coating Materials, Clemens Heske

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

The goal of this project is to elucidate the chemical bonding and interface formation of metal fission products with the coating materials used in state-of-the-art TRISO fuel particles. Particular emphasis is placed on an analysis of intermediate chemical phases at the interface, the intermixing/diffusion behavior, and the electronic interface structure as a function of material choice (metal and coating materials), temperature, and external stress. Furthermore, the chemical state of some of the metal fission products will be assessed.

This project studies the interface formation of Pd, Ag, and Cs with SiC and pyrolytic carbon. Using the TRISO coating materials (and …

Characterization And Design Of A Molecular Imprinted Polymer For Cinchona Alkaloids, William P. Fish

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Bi(Iii) Initiated Cyclization Reactions And Iodonium Fragmentation Kinetics, Yajing Lian

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Photochemical Modification Of Polyethylene Terephthalate Surface, Zhengmao Zhu

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The prospect of obtaining desired surface-mediated characteristics while retaining bulk-mediated physical properties and avoiding potential environmental issues with wet chemical technology lends considerable appeal to photochemical approaches to surface modification.;We undertook a combined experimental and computational approach to investigate the effect of deep UV irradiation on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) surface. its response to 172 nm UV from a xenon examiner lamp in the absence of oxygen was characterized with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Time of Flight/Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF/SIMS), transmission infrared spectroscopy (IR), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The surface chemistry details suggested that the primary photochemical reactions …

Getting Organized At The Nanoscale With Thermotropic Liquid Crystal Solvents, David L. Patrick, F. Scott Wilkinson, Tiffany L. Fegurgur

Chemistry Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper summarizes recent progress toward an emerging, unconventional application of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs) - their use as solvents for controlling the assembly of non-LC nanoscale building blocks. LCs offer a number of potential advantages compared to conventional isotropic solvents, including the ability to influence building block orientation and other structural properties. Strategies are reviewed for the exploitation of LC media to engineer order in a range of systems, including oriented organic monolayers, chiral films, and nanometer-scale particles.

Effect Of Plasticizer On Pvac-D3 Dynamics Using 2h Solid-State Nmr, Rakesh R. Nambiar, Frank D. Blum

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) is an important polymer for use in many applications due to its various bulk and surface characteristics. The structure of poly(vinyl acetate) results in a relatively low glass transition temperature (Tg) and makes it important for processing and applications such as paints, adhesives, thin films and surface coatings. Poly(vinyl acetate) can also be easily plasticized, widening its range of applications. The term "plasticizer" refers to a species that will decrease Tg of a polymer.1 Polymer-plasticizer systems have been studied for years and continue to be of current interest. The effects of polymer-plasticizer interactions2 and plasticizer structure3 on …

Structure, Magnetic, And Transport Properties Of Ti-Substituted La₀.₇Sr₀.₃Mno₃, M. S. Kim, Jinbo Yang, Qingsheng Cai, X.-D. Zhou, William Joseph James, William B. Yelon, D. Buddhikot, Satish K. Malik, Paul Ernest Parris

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ti-substituted perovskites La_0.7Sr_0.3Mn_1-xTi_xO₃ with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20, were investigated by neutron diffraction, magnetization, electric resistivity, and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. All samples show a rhombohedral structure (space group R3c) from 10 K to room temperature. At room temperature, the cell parameters a,c and the unit cell volume increase with increasing Ti content. However, at 10 K, the cell parameter a has a maximum value for x = 0.10, and decreases for x > 0.10, while the unit cell volume remains nearly constant for x > 0.10. The average (Mn,Ti)-O bond length increases …

Synthesis Of Novel Porphyrazines And Binding Studies To Dna Quadruplexes, Carlos Ramirez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Photochemical Generation Of 2-Methoxy-2methylpropylidene And Its Rearrangement Pathways, Stanislav Presolski

Honors Theses

2-methoxy-2-methylpropylidene was photochemically generated from a non-nitrogenous precursor, 1a,9b-Dihydro-IH-cyclopropa[1]phenanthrene-l-etbane 2-methoxy-2-methyl, available in two steps from phenanthrene. Two competing rearrangement pathways were observed for the p-methoxy carbene, 1,2-methyl shift and C-H insertion, which had varying weights depending on the solvent used. Nevertheless, the C-H insertion was always predominant, contrary to the current understanding of B-substituted carbenes, which apparently needs revision. An attempt was also made to measure by LFP the rate constant of rearrangement and lifetime of the stabilized l-chloro-2-methoxy-2-metbylpropylidene.

Synthesis Of Pyrrolidines And Pyrrolizidines Using The Aza-Cope Rearrangement Mannich Cyclization Under Microwave Conditions, Amanda Schalk

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Identification And Recovery Of An Asymmetric Calix[4]Arene Tetranitrile Derivative Using Liquid Chromatography And Mass Spectrometry, Benjamin Schazmann, Dermot Diamond

Articles

A simple analytical LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry) method and associated instrumentation has been adapted for use by the organic chemist to yield mg quantities of target compound from a reaction mixture. Calix[4]arene 3 was identified as representing 51% of total peak area of a reaction mixture containing no less than 10 components, using LC-MS. This peak corresponded to a mass of 878.8, equivalent to a complex of 3 and an ammonium cation. Molecular models further rationalise this observation by showing that the asymmetric binding cavity of 3 is suitable for binding tetrahedral guests like the ammonium ion. By scaling …

Solvent Extraction Separation And Determination Of Yttrium With Cyanex272, Manjusha Karve, Bhagyashree P. Vaidya

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

A simple and selective method for the liquid - liquid extraction of yttrium with Cyanex272 is presented. The influence of the pH of aqueous phase, concentration of extractant, nature of diluent, extraction time, type of stripping agent and stripping time were evaluated to optimize the conditions for quantitative extraction of yttrium. The effect of certain foreign ions on the extraction of yttrium was studied. Yttrium was quantitatively extracted at pH = 7.0 with 5 x 10-4 M Cyanex272 in xylene. It was stripped from the organic phase with 4M nitric acid and determined spectrophotometrically with Arsenazo (Ill) at 650nm.

2,2':6',2"-Terpyridine 1,1"-Dioxide Dihydrate, Kraig A. Wheeler, Scott E. Mckay, Robert W. Lashlee Iii

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.