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The hole and electron mobilities of the amorphous films of the organic semiconductor 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl (CBP) at different electric fields were measured through the time of flight (TOF) method. Based on its crystalline structure, the hole and electron mobilities of CBP were calculated. A detailed comparison between experimental and theoretical results is necessary for further understanding its charge transport properties. In order to do this, charge mobilities at zero electric field, μ(0), were deduced from experimental data as a link between experimental and theoretical data. It was found that the electron transport of CBP is less affected by traps compared with its hole transport. This unusual phenomenon can be understood through the distributions of frontier molecular orbitals. We showed that designing materials with frontier molecular orbitals localized at the center of the molecule has the potency to reduce the influence of traps on charge transport and provide new insights into designing high mobility charge transport materials.

A method has been proposed for the determination of mercury by cold vapor generation graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-GFAAS) with Pd-Rh as coating and chemical modifier. The trapping efficiency for mercury with Pd-Rh was higher than with Pd alone. The characteristic mass of the method, which gives an integrated absorbance of 0.0044 s, was found to be 55 pg and the absolute detection limit (3 σ) of 37 pg was obtained with the proposed modifier. The method was successfully applied to the determination of mercury in standard reference water samples, wastewater samples and cosmetics with a recovery range of 95–104%.

Parts-per-billion levels of germanium can be determined directly by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) using palladium plus strontium as a mixed modifier resulting in pyrolysis temperatures up to 1400 degrees C without loss of germanium. At this temperature the matrix effect including the most troublesome sulfate interference can be eliminated. Palladium plus strontium nitrate is advantageous compared to palladium alone or palladium plus magnesium nitrate; an amount of 15 mu g of sulfate does not show any interference on the determination of 1 ng of germanium. The method was successfully applied to the determination of ng/g levels of germanium in botanical samples and coal fly ash after thermal decomposition of the samples in a mixture of acids using a pressure bomb. The results were consistent with the reference values given for botanical samples and coal fly ash with a recovery range of 96.4 similar to 103.4%.

Atomization of germanium from zirconium-coated (ZrGT), palladium-coated (PdGT) and palladium-zirconium-coated graphite tubes (PZGT) by aqueous deposition of the analyte solution and/or the trapping of the gaseous hydride has been investigated. From the activation energies calculated based on Smets' method, it was found that both the mode of sample introduction and the nature of the atomizer surface have an effect on the atom formation of germanium. Activation energies E a of 383.9 ± 17.1, 445.8 ± 19.8 and 557.9 ± 12.4 kJ mol −1 were observed for germanium atomization from ZrGT, PZGT and PdGT, respectively. A much larger E a value of 950.2 ± 13.1 kJ mol −1 was obtained for Ge from PdGT by the trapping of GeH 4 . XPS results do not give sufficient evidence for Pd-Ge compound formation.