The focus of this dissertation is the use of a twin quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for the simultaneous detection of two m/z values. The twin quadrupole ICP-MS is used with laser ablation sample introduction in both the steady state (10 Hz) and single pulse modes. Steady state signals are highly correlated and the majority of flicker noise cancels when the ratio is calculated. Using a copper sample, the isotope ratio {sup 63}Cu{sup +}/{sup 65}Cu{sup +} is measured with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.26%. Transient signals for single laser pulses are also obtained. Copper isotope ratio measurements for several laser pulses are measured with an RSD of 0.85%. Laser ablation (LA) is used with steel samples to assess the ability of the twin quadrupole ICP-MS to eliminate flicker noise of minor components of steel samples. Isotopic and internal standard ratios are measured in the first part of this work. The isotope ratio {sup 52}Cr{sup +}/{sup 53}Cr{sup +} (Cr present at 1.31 %) can be measured with an RSD of 0.06 % to 0.1 %. For internal standard elements, RSDs improve from 1.9 % in the Cr{sup +} signal to 0.12% for the ratio of {sup 51}V{sup …

A search for anomalous WW and WZ production in p{anti p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.8 TeV using the D0 detector at Fermilab is presented. With a data sample of p{anti p} {r_arrow} e{nu}jjX events corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 76.5 {+-} 4.1pb{sup {minus}1}. 399 candidate events were identified, from which 387.1 {+-} 39.8 events were estimated to be background. No deviations from the Standard Model were seen, which predicts 16.2 {+-} 2.7 events. The 95% CL limit on the cross section {sigma}(p{anti p} {r_arrow} W{sup +}W{sup {minus}}X) was calculated to be 93.8 pb. Limits on the CP-conserving anomalous WW{sub {gamma}} and WWZ coupling parameters were obtained from a binned likelihood fit to the transverse momentum spectrum of the W boson. Assuming that the WW{sub {gamma}} and WWZ coupling parameters are equal, the 95% CL limits on the CP-conserving couplings are {minus}0.56 < {Delta}{kappa} < 0.75 (with {lambda} = 0) and {minus}0.42 < {lambda} < 0.44 (with {Delta}{kappa} = 0), for a form factor scale {Lambda}{sub FF} = 1.5 TeV. Limits on other assumptions are also reported. These results were combined with the previous D0 WW, WZ {r_arrow} e{nu}jj published results (13.7 {+-} 0.7 pb{sup {minus}1}), and the limits …

The selective hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde has been investigated over a monometallic Pt/SiO{sub 2} catalyst and platinum bimetallic catalysts where the second metal was either silver, copper, or tin. The effects of addition of a second metal to the Pt/SiO{sub 2} system on the selectivity to crotyl alcohol were investigated. The Pt-Sn bimetallic catalysts were characterized by hydrogen chemisorption, {sup 1}H NMR and microcalorimetry. The Pt-Ag/SiO{sub 2} and Pt-Cu/SiO{sub 2} catalysts were characterized by hydrogen chemisorption. Pt-Sn/SiO{sub 2} catalysts selectively hydrogenated crotonaldehyde to crotyl alcohol and the method of preparation of these catalysts affected the selectivity. The most selective Pt-Sn/SiO{sub 2} catalysts for the hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde to crotyl alcohol were those in which the Sn precursor was dissolved in a HCl solution. Sn increased both the rate of formation of butyraldehyde and the rate of formation of crotyl alcohol. The Pt/SiO{sub 2}, Pt-Ag/SiO{sub 2} and Pt-Cu/SiO{sub 2} catalysts produced only butyraldehyde. Initial heats of adsorption ({approximately}90 kJ/mol) measured using microcalorimetry were not affected by the presence of Sn on Pt. We can conclude that there is no through metal electronic interaction between Pt and Sn at least with respect to hydrogen surface bonds since the Pt and Pt-Sn at least …

It is not an exaggeration to say that much of chemistry involves ions in solution. A technique which allows for ions to be transferred from solution into the gas phase and subsequently analyzed by mass spectrometric detection would be of importance. If structural information, representative of the solution chemistry could be gained from these gas-phase ions, this would also be important. Electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS) is such a technique.

Over the previous twenty years, ternary molybdenum chalcogenides of the general formula M{sub x}Mo{sub 6}Y{sub 8} (M = ternary metal cation; Y = chalcogenide), known as Chevrel phases, have been extensively studied. Many of these compounds have been found to have superconductivity, catalytic activity and ionic conductivity. The rich chemistry of the Chevrel phases raises considerable interest in finding the tungsten analogues of these phases. However, no such analogue has ever been synthesized, although the Chevrel phases are usually prepared directly from elements at high temperatures above 1000{degrees}C. The absence of the tungsten analogues may be caused by their thermodynamic instability at such high temperatures. Thus it might be necessary to avoid high-temperature synthetic procedures in order to establish the ternary and binary tungsten chalcogenides. A major focus of the McCarley research group has been on the preparation of M{sub 6}Y{sub 8}L{sub 6} (M = Mo, W; Y = S, Se, Te) cluster complexes as low temperature pathways to the Chevrel phases.