Visible and near-infrared illumination induces 5f-5f and ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) transitions of the neptunyl tetrachloride anion in polycrystalline Cs 2 U(Np)O 2 Cl 4 , and results in near-infrared luminescence from the second electronically excited state to the ground state. This photoluminescence is used as a detection method to collect excitation spectra throughout the near-infrared and visible regions. The excitation spectra of LMCT transitions in excitation spectra were identified in previous work. Here the measurement and analysis is extended to include both LMCT and intra-5f transitions. The results manifest variation in structural properties of the neptunium-oxo bond among the lowlying electronic states. Vibronic intensity patterns and energy spacings are used to compare bond lengths and vibrational frequencies in the excited states, confirming significant characteristic differences between those excited by 5f-5f transitions from those due to LMCT transitions. Results are compared with recently published SO-RASPT2 calculations of [NpO 2 Cl 4 ] 2- .

We present a new design for an electrochemical cell for use with wafer working electrodes. The key feature of the design is the use of half turn thumb screws to form a liquid-tight seal between an o-ring and the sample surface. The assembly or disassembly of the cell requires a half turn of each thumb screw, which facilitates the quick turn around of wafer samples. The electrochemical performance of the cell is demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry and double step chronoamperometry measurements of the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide couple.

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The elemental composition of electrodeposited NiFe thin films was analyzed with particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). The thin films were electrodeposited on polycrystalline Au substrates from a 100 mM NiSO4, 10 mM FeSO4, 0.5 M H3BO3, and 1 M Na2SO4solution. PIXE spectra of these films were analyzed to obtain relative amounts of Ni and Fe as a function of deposition potential and deposition time. The results show that PIXE can measure the total deposited metal in a sample over at least four orders of magnitude with similar fractional uncertainties. The technique is also sensitive enough to observe the variations in alloy composition due to sample nonuniformity or variations in deposition parameters.