In this work, we compared 1.40 T nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to 7.05 T (60 and 300 MHz for proton, respectively), and mid-infrared with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), associated with chemometrics methods, for the quantification of the reaction yield during esterification of fatty acids with methanol. The results showed that the integrated intensities of the ester C=O stretching region, relative to the total C=O stretching region, is useful to quantify the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) concentration. Comparing the results obtained by the different final models: NMR (1.40 T and 7.05 T), FTIR-ATR using multivariate partial last squares regression (PLS) with orthogonal signal correction (OSC), and univariate ordinary least squares (OLS), the NMR of 1.40 T (60 MHz for proton) showed more advantages when compared to a high field spectrometer, due to the non-use of cryogenic and solvents and less laborious work for obtaining results.

Neste trabalho faz-se a divulgação do potencial de carvões e resíduos orgânicos parcialmente carbonizados visando obter materiais que mimetizam a matéria orgânica do solo das Terras Pretas de Índio da Amazônia, e que sirvam como condicionadores de solo e seqüestrem carbono de forma recalcitrante e reativa. Pesquisas desenvolvidas por grupos brasileiros e estrangeiros têm contribuído para o entendimento do surgimento e utilização das Terras Pretas de Índio da Amazônia. Aqui são divulgados resultados de estudos químicos no sentido do desenvolvimento do conhecimento científico e tecnológico e de inovação no aproveitamento de subprodutos orgânicos, principalmente de indústrias de biocombustíveis, carvão vegetal metalúrgico e outros, buscando imitar a excelente performance da chamada Terras Pretas de Índio da Amazônia.

The potential of charcoal and of partially combusted organic waste to mimic the soil organic matter of the Terras Pretas de Índios (Amazonian Dark Earths) from the Amazon Region is discussed. These materials serve as soil conditioners and as sequesterers of carbon in recalcitrant and in reactive forms. Studies carried out by Brazilian and by international groups have contributed to the emergence of an awareness of the compositions and of the uses of these materials. In this contribution we report on chemical studies that are leading to the development of a scientific and technological awareness, and of innovations that will have value in finding novel uses in applications to soil of chars from organic wastes such as those from the biofuel industry, and from metallurgical and various coal plant residues.

The critical scaling behavior of Ising models with long range interactions is studied. These long-range interactions, when imposed in addition to interactions on a regular lattice, lead to small world graphs. Large-scale Monte Carlo simulations, together with finite-size scaling, is used to obtain the critical behavior of a number of different models. These include the z-model introduced by Scalettar, standard small-world bonds superimposed on a square lattice, and physical small-world bonds superimposed on a square lattice. These scaling results provide further evidence to support the existence of physical (quasi-) small-world nanomaterials.