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The effect the nature of metal oxide components, quantitative and qualitative composition, structure of binary metal oxide nanocomposites, and temperature have on the physicochemical processes that occur during the detection of reducing gases and are responsible for the efficiency and selectivity of sensors based on these composites is considered. The relationship between the mechanisms of the conductivity and sensor effect in composites is determined. The crucial role of electron transfer between metal oxide components with different work functions leading to the mutual charging of these components is noted. The mechanisms of electronic and chemical sensitization of the sensor effect in composite materials consisting of metal oxides with various electronic and chemical properties are discussed. The important role of the way composite materials are obtained is noted. The effect of small clusters of one oxide on the surfaces of nanoparticles of other components, formed during the synthesis of composites via impregnation, is studied. Systems consisting of composite nanofibers of the core–shell type based on metal oxides of different natures are considered. It is shown that by changing the nature of the components and their relative location in the nanofibers, the sensitivity and selectivity of a sensor system can be adjusted for different chemical compounds.

The dependence of a sensor’s response to hydrogen on the temperature and hydrogen pressure in an indium oxide nanostructured film is measured. A theory of sensor’s response to reducing gases in nanostructured semiconducting oxides with high concentrations of electrons in the conduction band is developed (using the example of In2O3). It is shown that the capture of conduction electrons by adsorbed oxygen redistributes the electrons in nanoparticles and reduces the surface electron density and the conductivity of a system; the conductivity is proportional to the electron density in nanoparticle contacts, i.e., to the surface electron density. It is found that atomic oxygen ions react with reducing gases (H2, CO) during adsorption of the latter: electrons are released and enter the volumes of nanoparticles; the conductivity of the system grows, creating the sensory effect. Using a model developed earlier to describe the distribution of conduction electrons in a semiconductor nanoparticle, a kinetic scheme corresponding to the above scenario is built and corresponding equations are solved. As a result, a theoretical dependence of a sensor’s sensitivity to temperature is found that describes the experimental data well.

In2O3 + CeO2 and In2O3 + ZnO nanocomposites are prepared by the mixing of commercial nanopowders of respective oxides or the impregnation of indium oxide nanoparticles with cerium or zinc salts and the subsequent transformation of the salts into respective oxides. According to X-ray diffraction analysis, regardless of the preparation method, only two phases—indium oxide and cerium or zinc oxide—are present in the samples. The sizes and structure of the nanoparticles in the nanocomposites are determined by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It is found that the use of the impregnation method leads to the formation of small clusters of cerium or zinc oxides on the surface of the indium oxide nanoparticles. The size of the cerium and zinc oxide nanoparticles in the impregnated samples is 3–15 and 5–25 nm, respectively. The size of nanoparticles of these oxides in the impregnated samples slightly decreases with an increase in their content in the composite.

Experimental investigation of the ignition of a stoichiometric hydrogen–oxygen mixture behind an incident shock wave in a shock tube at pressures p = 0.002–0.46 MPa and temperatures T = 500–1000 K is carried out. The existence of three limits of ignition typical of the ignition of hydrogen–oxygen mixtures in a spherical vessel is noted. It is shown that at pressures p ≥ 0.1 MPa the ignition of a hydrogen–oxygen mixture begins at a much lower temperature than the ignition of a hydrogen–air mixture. The measured induction times agree well with theoretical estimates.

The present paper considers the state of the art of investigations on the use of nanomaterials in the technology of preparing proton exchange fuel cells. This technology has great prospects for use in transport facilities, as well as in stationary and portable electronic devices. The unique properties of nanostructures permit creating new effective catalysts, polymer membranes, and hydrogen storage systems — key elements of the above technology, which upgrades markedly the efficiency of energy conversion in devices created on its basis and decreases their cost.

Nanocomposite sensors containing CeO2 clusters on the surface of In2O3 and SnO2 crystals were synthesized. The structure of these systems was determined by Raman spectroscopy. In the CeO2 nanoclusters deposited on In2O3 crystals, the Ce-O vibration frequency was 462 cm−1 and did not depend on the CeO2 concentration. The Raman spectra of the clusters deposited on SnO2 crystals contained two peaks of Ce-O vibrations with frequencies of 462 and 470 cm−1. It was concluded that the peak at 470 cm−1 showed itself at low CeO2 concentrations in the composite (1–3 wt %) and its intensity quickly decreased as the CeO2 concentration increased; this peak was attributed to the CeO2 clusters that directly contact the SnO2 crystals and contain dissolved Sn+4. It was shown that when CeO2 was deposited on In2O3, the In+3 ions were not transferred into the deposited CeO2 clusters because of the difference between the charges and valences of the metal ions in the substrate and clusters; the mean size of the clusters was 9 nm. The relationship between the structure of the CeO2 nanoclusters and their influence on sensor effects was discussed.

We have made an experimental study of the ignition of a stoichiometric hydrogen–air mixture behind the incident shock wave front in a shock tube. The ignition limits and the induction times of the mixture behind the wave front in the range of temperatures T =550–960 K and pressures P =0.01–1.1 MPa have been determined. Much lower values of the ignition temperature compared to the experimental results obtained in reflected shock waves, as well as to the classical Lewis and Elbe, have been registered. The measured induction times in the above temperature and pressure ranges are in good agreement with theoretical estimates.

Наверняка каждый из нас хоть раз в жизни говорил или по крайней мере думал: “Эх, мне бы твои проблемы!” Однако, произнося эти слова, мы вовсе не были готовы обменять чьи-то сложные и запутанные проблемы на понятные и легко решаемые. Скорее наоборот. Соединяя теорию с практикой, американские социологи Хорст Риттель и Мелвин Уэббер в ставшей классической статье, опубликованной в 1973 г., разделили проблемы человечества на два типа: “злые” и “прирученные”

The sensor properties of nanostructured In2O3-CeO2 composite films with different compositions in hydrogen and carbon monoxide detection in air in the temperature range 280–500°C were studied. The temperature curves of the sensor effect S have a shape typical for metal oxide sensors with maxima S max at definite temperatures Tmax. The maxima characterize the sensor properties of the films and increased considerably when small amounts of CeO2 were added to In2O3. The highest sensitivity was found in composite films with 3–10 wt % CeO2. When the composite was further enriched with ceric oxide, the sensitivity decreased; at 40 wt % CeO2 it was considerably lower than that of pure In2O3. The introduction of CeO2 in In2O3 also caused a shift of Tmax toward lower temperatures. The mechanism of the sensitivity of the In2O3-CeO2 composite was considered; it includes the promotion of sensor reactions by small CeO2 nanoclusters lying on the surface of In2O3 crystals and an electron transfer from In2O3 to CeO2.

Medical waste is a special kind of hazardous materials, which disposal leads to considerable pollution of the environment. The widespread method of medical waste disposal is thermal treatment (pyrolysis or incineration), which gives appropriate transformation of waste into a safe form (ash) and energy. On the other hand, the thermal treatment of medical waste that contain chlorine leads to the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), most toxic representatives of organic pollutants. This paper analyses various mechanisms of the PCDD/Fs formation during thermal treatment of chlorine-containing medical waste. The features of these mechanisms are considered. It is shown that in pyrolytic conditions the PCDD/Fs yield is much lower than under direct incineration. Optimal temperature conditions are determined, under which the formation of these compounds is minimal.

In this paper, the thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) of components of medical waste that consist of polyvinyl chloride (medical oilcloth and tubes of blood transfusion systems) is investigated. Thermogravimetric analyzes were performed in the TG-DTG mode on the synchronous thermal analysis device NETZSCH STA 449 F3 Jupiter. Based on the data obtained, the calculation of the kinetic parameters of the process of thermal decomposition of the investigated samples of medical waste was performed. For tubes of blood transfusion systems, experiments were conducted to absorb gases entering from the reaction volume in order to determine the temperature range of hydrogen chloride emission.

The conductivity and sensor properties of mixed nanostructured In2O3+ZnO metal oxide systems with different component ratios are investigated. It is found that maximum sensor sensitivity in detecting hydrogen and CO in composite films containing 15 and 80 wt % In2O3 considerably exceeds the sensitivity of individual oxides. A mechanism of the sensor action, which is largely determined by the dependency of the paths of conductivity in a composite metal-oxide film on its composition, is proposed. It is established that the main factors determining the conductivity and sensor sensitivity of In2O3 + ZnO composite are modifications in the electron structure of crystals (mainly by In2O3) during the formation of composites, electron transfer from In2O3 to ZnO, and the catalytic activity of ZnO. It is shown in particular that ZnO effectively catalyzes the reaction of hydrogen dissociation and, in contact with In2O3, favors the chemical sensibilization of the sensor response of such mixed metal oxide systems in detecting H2 and CO.

This paper considers the problems of hydrogenation of graphene in a hydrogen atmosphere from the kinetic point of view with the use of methods of electron-beam lithography. A kinetic model of the radiation-chemical processes in a gas has been constructed. On the basis of the analysis of the available experimental data, the rate constant of hydrogenation has been determined. The influence of various parameters of the process on its rate has been investigated.

Small coseismic offsets detectable using GPS techniques were found more than 2300 km away from the Great Tohoku 2011 earthquake epicenter. Area of the most intense far-field co- and postseismic deformations with the maximum offset values exceeding 40 and 18 mm, respectively, extends westward from Honshu Island to the Korean Peninsula, northeastern China and southern Far East Russia. Sakhalin Island does not exhibit notable displacements caused by the earthquake, in contrast to the adjacent territories. A rectangular fault model with uniform slip was developed based on the GPS-detected far-field coseismic displacements using the spherically layered Earth assumption. Both far- and near-field coseismic deformations are generally well described by a single-segment rupture of 200 × 96 km2, characterized by thrust slip with minor strike-slip component of about 33 m and by the seismic moment value of 1.9·1022 N·m (Mw = 8.8), which roughly constrains the major slip area. The resultant compact fault geometry revealed that the main portion of the seismic moment had been realized in a relatively small-sized rupture segment. The sensitivity of far-field GPS data to the major slip area might also be used in the development of a seismically generated giant tsunami warning system.

В советской журналистике был такой жанр очерка – “Письмо позвало в дорогу”. Можно сказать, что поводом для написания настоящей колонки послужила весточка белорусской коллеги на форум Тиронет для врачей: “У нас в Белоруссии в областях, загрязненных радионуклидами после аварии на Чернобыльской АЭС (ЧАЭС), УЗИ широко используется для скрининга рака ЩЖ. От этого много выявляемых образований до 1 см, по УЗИ с доброкачественными признаками. Хотелось бы поинтересоваться, каких рекомендаций вы придерживаетесь при постановке диагноза узловой зоб? Что делать, если узел менее 10 мм или, например, на УЗИ есть признаки кисты в 3 мм? Выставляется ли диагноз узлового зоба?”

This paper considers the state of the art in the application of radiation technology for obtaining and investigating new functional materials, devices, and systems of nanometer sizes where the key role is played by the quantum properties of the substance. This concerns in the first place the production of ion-track membranes, polymeric nanocomposites and nanogels, three-dimensional nanostructures, finely dispersed powders, semiconductor nanometric structures, carbon nanostructures, microchips of the new generation based on graphene transistors, etc.

Однажды в начале 1990-х годов к нам в Эндокринологический научный центр пожаловала делегация американских врачей, и меня, молодого тогда еще руководителя, попросили показать им свое отделение. Я бойко начал свой рассказ с того, что в моей клинике имеется в наличии 30 коек преимущественно для больных с патологией щитовидной железы (ЩЖ). Гости были удивлены и обратили мое внимание на то, что в английском языке под словом “clinic” понимается амбулаторное учреждение, в котором «койки» некоторым образом неуместны. Извинившись за лингвистическую ошибку, я сказал, что наш центр представляет собой специализированную больницу (hospital) и койки в нем все же имеются в достаточном количестве. Мой ответ вызвал еще большее недоумение: “Почему пациенты с патологией ЩЖ располагаются на больничных койках? У вас так много случаев тиреотоксического криза или гипотиреоидной комы?” Не думаю, что мое объяснение причин пребывания пациентов с банальной болезнью Грейвса (БГ) на скорбной койке удовлетворило моих зарубежных коллег тогда. Впрочем, и сегодня чаще всего нет никаких объективных причин для такого рода госпитализаций, кроме желания сохранить «коечный фонд» и штат врачей, а также бессмысленно растратить бюджетные деньги.

SUMMARY The present tectonics of Northeast Asia has been extensively investigated during the last 12 yr by using GPS techniques. Nevertheless, crustal velocity field of the southeast of Russia near the northeastern boundaries of the hypothesized Amurian microplate has not been defined yet. The GPS data collected between 1997 February and 2009 April at sites of the regional geodynamic network were used to estimate the recent geodynamic activity of this area. The calculated GPS velocities indicate almost internal (between network sites) and external (with respect to the Eurasian tectonic plate) stability of the investigated region. We have not found clear evidences of any notable present-day tectonic activity of the Central Sikhote-Alin Fault as a whole. This fault is the main tectonic unit that determines the geological structure of the investigated region. The obtained results speak in favour of the existence of a few separate blocks and a more sophisticated structure of the proposed Amurian microplate in comparison with an indivisible plate approach.

Consideration has been given to the current status of research on the use of radiation techniques for synthesizing new carbon nanomaterials based on fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene sheets and their derivatives, which are promising for practical application due to their unique properties. An analysis has been made of the existing experimental and theoretical works on studying different processes induced by the action of radiation on carbon nanostructures (melting of cross-linking carbon nanotubes and formation of molecular junctions between them, polymerization of fullerene layers, formation of new structures, radiation chemistry of fullerenes, and others).

Article presents results of implementation of successful program of elimination of iodine deficiency in Belarus. Government decree (2001) requires mandatory use of iodized salt in food industry and public catering. While retail trade of non-iodized salt is not prohibited, all foods shops must have iodized salt on sale. All these measures resulted in increase of iodized salt consumption: 94% of house-holds in Belarus were using iodized salt. Iodine nutrition of population also sig-nificantly improved: median urinary iodine levels in general population (school-children) reached 169 mcg/l and in pregnant women – 224 mcg/l. Endemic goiter morbidity decreased significantly in children, adolescents and adults as well as frequency of transitory thyroid dysfunctions in newborns. Belarus experience in prevention of iodine deficiency can be used by other industrialized countries of Europe and rest of the world.

A theoretical study of the radiation stability of carbon nanostructures irradiated by an electron beam has been made. Calculations have been performed with the use of an analytical expression for the cross-section for scattering of relativistic electrons by carbon atoms, as well as of the data on the threshold energy of atomic displacement from the carbon lattice obtained by the molecular dynamics method. Stability limits of carbon nanostructures and basic parameters of the process have been found. The calculated values of the characteristic time of the process are in good agreement with the available experimental data.

The most comprehensive kinetic model for the gas-phase radiation-chemical degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is proposed on the basis of analysis of published data, which takes into account both the radical and ion-molecule mechanisms of the process. The model was verified by comparing the calculation results with the experimental data. It was shown that the efficiency of the process is lower in dry gas mixtures in which the ion-molecule mechanism plays the principal role in the degradation of aromatic molecules than in wet mixtures in which the radical mechanism dominates.

Various formation mechanisms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fullerenes in benzene flames have been analyzed. It has been shown that the process of building-up of the aromatic structure of the given components in the flame includes both the addition of acetylene molecules with subsequent intramolecular restructuring and formation of new aromatic rings and coagulation in which fullerenes are assembled from different aromatic fragments. We propose an optimal model of the process providing the best agreement with the available experimental data.

A set of experiments on determination of the parameters of the gas release from a mold have been performed. The thickness of the casting, the thickness of the mold wall, the process time, and the temperature of the charged metal (liquid gray cast iron) were varied. The investigated molding sands were prepared from quartz sand and organic binders: M19-62 (urea resin), FF-1S (furanic resin), and PK-104 (phenolic resin). On the basis of the experimental data obtained the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of the considered resins have been determined.

A kinetic model for the gas-phase radiation-chemical oxidation of naphthalene was developed on the basis of published data. The principal routes of naphthalene conversion were studied with the use of the model. It was shown that the main product of naphthalene radiolysis under the electron-beam dry scrubbing (EBDS) conditions of the removal of NO and SO2 from industrial gases is nitronaphthalene. The results of numerical simulation are compared with the experimental data.

Nanocomposites containing controlled (in the course of synthesis) concentrations of lead sulfide nanoparticles dispersed in the polymer matrix were prepared by the method of gas-phase polymerization on the surface of an active monomer, paracyclophane, which was codeposited with lead sulfide molecules. According to wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements, the prepared nanocomposites contain lead sulfide clusters of 4 nm size, which are localized in the amorphous regions of poly-p-xylylene. Size distribution curves for lead sulfide particles as calculated on the basis of the Fourier analysis of crystallographic X-ray reflections and the volume distributions functions of particles as determined from small-angle X-ray scattering data are reported. A mechanism for the formation of lead sulfide nanoparticles in the poly-p-xylylene matrix is proposed on the basis of analysis of the X-ray scattering curves.

A mathematical model of gas release from a mold in the stage of solidification and cooling of metal has been constructed. The model includes heat and mass transfer on the mold’s capillary-porous medium containing phenol-formaldehyde resin as a binder; it also includes the kinetics of pyrolysis of the resin and secondary chemical reactions between the products formed. The process has been investigated experimentally. It has been shown that the model gives a fairly good description of the process in a wide range of variation in its parameters within the framework of the assumptions made.

The gas-phase radiation-chemical formation of dioxins from chlorinated phenols in the electron-beam removal of toxic impurities from industrial gases is considered. A kinetic model of the process is proposed. Conditions under which the efficiency of removal of the above compounds from gases significantly decreases were determined with the use of this model. The results of a numerical simulation are compared with currently available experimental data.

Вся международная практика последних 2 десятилетий показала, что всеобщее йодирование соли является наиболее эффективным, надежным и экономичным методом профилактики дефицита йода в питании. За это время накопился уникальный опыт внедрения одной из наиболее масштабных международных программ в области общественного здоровья. Вместе с тем целый ряд вопросов, относящихся к различным аспектам массовой и индивидуальной йодной профилактики и мониторинга их эфективности, остается нерешенным. Обсуждению этих вопросов посвящена настоящая статья.

This paper describes the technique and the results of measurement of the power and geometry of the VUV radiation beam from a dc capillary discharge in a mixture of krypton and xenon. The angular divergence of narrowband VUV radiation of the heteronuclear KrXe* molecule is shown to be narrower as compared to that of the discharge radiation in the range 200–1000 nm. The power of VUV radiation from a discharge tube 80 cm long is found to exceed 10 mW.

The feasibility of formation of peroxyacetyl nitrates and aromatic nitro compounds in the electron-beam removal of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides from the combustion products of organic fuels was studied. A kinetic model of the process was proposed. According to this model, the concentration of the resulting peroxyacetyl nitrates is comparable to the initial concentration of aliphatic hydrocarbons. The degradation of aromatic molecules is accompanied by nitration; in this case, both of the processes occur at approximately equal rates.

Modern investigations on creation of kinetic models of combustion of hydrocarbons entering into the composition of kerosene and kerosene as a whole have been analyzed. Certain recommendations on application of these models to calculation of actual gasdynamic flows have been given.

The main mechanisms of transformation of mercury compounds in coal combustion products in the region of high temperatures have been analyzed. A kinetic model of the process of gas-phase oxidation of metal mercury vapors is proposed. The features of the behavior of the investigated compounds in systems of cleaning combustion products from harmful impurities have been considered.

The effectiveness of the electron-beam removal of harmful impurities from gases was studied as applied to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A kinetic model of the process was constructed for the formation and degradation of aromatic molecules under the action of ionizing radiation in high-temperature (T>400 K) and low-temperature (T≤350 K) regions. Conditions under which the concentrations of the test compounds were effectively decreased were found with the use of this model.

Possible mechanisms of the photochemical conversion of polycyclic aromatic and nitroaromatic hydrocarbons in the urban atmosphere under the action of sunlight were analyzed. A kinetic model of the process was proposed, which takes into account the emission of harmful substances and the deposition of these substances onto the Earth's surface. It was found that emission is a predominant process within the bounds of a city. Beyond the precincts of a city, the concentrations of these hydrocarbons decrease because of photochemical degradation. In this case, the rate of this process for compounds adsorbed by soot particles is much higher than the corresponding value for compounds that occur in the gas phase. The results of calculations were compared with measurement data.

The process of ozone formation in an oxygen-containing gas atmosphere by the action of ionizing radiation was studied. A kinetic model of the process was constructed for the O2–N2 system. The effects of the main parameters of radiolysis on the O3 formation rate were analyzed. The atmospheric emission of ozone from industrial-scale power units that employ electron-beam flue gas cleaning of harmful impurities was evaluated from the standpoint of its conceivable favorable effect on the Earth ozone layer.

The thermodynamic approach to the description of the fuel–oxidizer system is used to elucidate the basic laws of behavior of compounds of the most toxic elements‐microimpurities in combustion products of coal (Hg, Pb, Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, and As). It has been shown that the distribution of elements over components of the gas and condensed phases strongly depends on the process temperature and the composition of the mineral part of the coal.

Emission spectra of Xe–X (X = He, Ne, Ar and Kr) and of Kr–Y (Y = He, Ne and Ar) mixtures with low concentrations of the heavier gases (0.1–1%) and moderate total pressures (50–200 hPa) have been recorded near each of the two resonance lines of Xe and Kr in DC glow capillary discharges. The recorded intense emissions have narrow spectral profiles with FWHM of about 0.1 nm. The profiles are very similar in shape to profiles of known high resolution absorption spectra recorded at comparable gas pressures. A tentative identification of the emission structures is given, which involves transitions in heteronuclear molecules and quasimolecules between weakly-bound states.

The emission bands appearing near the resonance lines of Kr and Xe in the spectra of the gas-discharge plasma of binary Xe-X and Kr-Y mixtures (X is He, Ne, Ar, or Kr; Y is He, Ne, or Ar) are experimentally studied. It is concluded that the emission bands investigated are related to electronic transitions in hetero-nuclear dimers. The mechanisms of formation of the spectra under study are analyzed.

The territory of Serbia has been long known to be an iodine de­ficiency area. The surveys conducted in the past 50 years have shown that iodine deficiency disorders ranged from small goiters to endemic cretinism. The iodine deficiency control program has been implemented in Serbia since 1951, in so doing, the salt con­centration of iodine (as potassium iodide) has been gradually in­creased and at present it is 20 mg/kg. Just in the mid- 1960s, io­dine prophylaxis led to cessation of new cases of cretinism and large goiters.This survey was undertaken to determine the iodine provision in Serbia. The survey was conducted in accordance with the WHO, UNICEF, and ICCIDD guidelines and it covered 4598 school­children aged 7 to 15 years from the urban and rural areas of 44 municipalities of Central Serbia and Vojvodina. Among all the examinees, the detection rate of the enlarged thyroid was 2.35% (as evidenced by ultrasound study) and the median urinary io­dine concentration was 158 μg/l. The findings suggest that iodine deficiency has been completely eliminated in Serbia due to the ef­fective program of the overall dietary salt iodination.

A thermodynamic approach to description of the behavior of the fuel–oxidizer system in burning coal is employed to reveal the basic regularities of the process of redistribution of the chemical elements of its mineral part among the ash‐forming components. It is shown that the composition of the mineral part is of prime importance in this process.

The efficiency of the electron-beam treatment of gases for the removal of sulfur and nitrogen oxides was examined as applied to dioxins. The gas-phase and liquid-phase degradation of dioxins and the oxidation of condensed carbon to form dioxins were taken into account in a model for the behavior of dioxins under the action of ionizing radiation. It was found that the formation of dioxins can significantly decrease the removal efficiency. Under certain conditions, the initial concentration of dioxins can increase.

Не так давно я давал по телефону интервью одному популярному журналу по проблеме йодного дефицита в России. Неожиданно для меня журналист попросила рассказать о преимуществах “органического” йода перед неорганическим. И тут ход гладко протекавшей было беседы нарушился, так как моя собеседница была априори убеждена, что любое органическое вещество для организма лучше и полезнее неорганического.

The article is devoted to the salt iodination is an effective way of liquidation of iodine-deficient diseases in Russia

The novel radiation and photo-induced cryochemical solid-state synthesis of metal–polymer materials as well as the structure and physico-chemical properties of synthesized materials were described. The synthesis consists of low-temperature co-condensation of metal and monomer vapors followed by low-temperature solid-state polymerization of the co-condensate under irradiation. Depending on metal nature and monomer structure, this process allows to prepare specific metal–polymer systems: polymers containing organometallic units in polymer chains, metal–polymer complexes or stable metal clusters of various sizes trapped physically inside polymer matrix without coordination bonds between metal and polymer. The thermal treatment of synthesized systems leads to the formation of novel nanocomposite metal–polymer materials characterized by specific electric sensor and magnetic properties, catalytic activity and dielectric anomalies, which are discussed in relation to material structure.

The vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and ultraviolet (UV) emissions of gaseous mixtures of argon with a small amount of nitrogen were investigated in the afterglow of a pulsed transverse discharge. The time dependences of the intensity of the VUV argon continuum at 126.0 nm, the UV nitrogen molecular band at 337.0 nm, and the VUV nitrogen atomic lines at 149.47 and 174.52 nm were analysed in the total pressure range 150–600 hPa and the range 0.125–1.5 hPa of the admixture concentrations. The results show that all these emissions have a common source of excitation energy, namely the atomic metastable 3P2 state of argon. However, atomic nitrogen also receives energy from the atomic 3P1 state of argon and from the excited Ar2* (1u) molecules.

Simultaneous observations of the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and visible-near-IR emission from radio frequency discharges in gaseous Kr with small (