A Fluorescent Probe for Hg2+ Based on Gold(I) Complex with An Aggregation‐Induced Emission Feature

A gold(I) complex that exhibited aggregation‐induced emission in acetonitrile‐water mixtures was designed. It showed high selectivity and sensitivity for Hg²⁺ in acetonitrile‐H₂O (1:1, V:V) solution. Dynamic light scattering measurements were conducted to verify that the addition of Hg²⁺ changed the particle size and induced fluorescence quenching.     

Solvent-derived metal oxides in electrospray mass spectrometry of metal salt solutions

The electrospray mass spectra of MX₂and MX₃salts (where X is typically halide or nitrate) in protic and aprotic solvents, and solvent mixtures were examined. Comparisons of species responses with equilibrium aqueous solution concentrations were made. For MX₂salts, a good correlation between MOH⁺ response and MOH⁺ solution concentration was observed under conditions where the collision energy was nominally zero. Cu(II) is easily reduced in acetonitrile to Cu(I); Cu(I) was the principal species observed in the electrospray mass spectrum of Cu(II) in acetonitrile whereas Cu(II) was the principal species observed in that of Cu(II) in dimethyl sulphoxide. Gas-phase reactions between solvated clusters produced by electrospray and a second solvent vapour were examined. M³⁺clusters were the principal ions observed when an aqueous solution of MX₃was sprayed in the presence of aprotic solvent vapours.     

High pressure mass spectrometry of some liquid chromatographic mass spectrometric reagents

Pressure dependence of several reversed phase liquid chromatographic solvents, including methanol, acetonitrile and mixtures of methanol: water and acetonitrile: water has been investigated. Typical ions, [MH]⁺, [2M+H]⁺ and [3M+H]⁺, were recorded as function of source pressure and as a function of the amount of water in the mixture. Ion formation processes in methanol: water and acetonitrile: water are discussed. The influence of liquid chromatographic mass spectrometric solvent pressure on the mass spectra of samples has been demonstrated on an amino acid sample.     

Open-chain polyazaalkanes functionalised with pyrene groups as sensing fluorogenic receptors for metal ions

The new open-chain polyazaalkanes ligands L¹, L², L³ and L⁴ functionalised with one or two pyrene groups were synthesised and characterised and their potential use as selective cation and anion sensing chemosensors studied. Solution studies by potentiometric methods were carried out in the presence of the metal cations Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ in acetonitrile–water (70:30 v/v, 0.1 mol dm⁻³ tetrabutylammonium perchlorate, 25 °C) The results are compared with those reported for the analogous non-functionalised ligand triethylentetraamine (tta). The fluorescence behaviour of the ligands L¹–L⁴ has been studied as a function of the pH in the presence of the metal cations Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺ in acetonitrile–water 70:30 v/v mixtures. The Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ cations enhance the fluorescence emission of the L¹–L⁴ chemosensors at basic pH, whereas Cu²⁺ induce quenching of the fluorescence emission at acid pH. The fluorescence behaviour of L¹–L⁴ receptors was also studied as a function of the pH in acetonitrile–water 70:30 v/v in the presence of anions.     

Catalysis of water oxidation in acetonitrile by iridium oxide nanoparticles

Water oxidation catalysed by iridium oxide nanoparticles (IrO₂ NPs) in water–acetonitrile mixtures using [Ru^III(bpy)₃]³⁺ as oxidant was studied as a function of the water content, the acidity of the reaction media and the catalyst concentration. It was observed that under acidic conditions (HClO₄) and at high water contents (80% (v/v)) the reaction is slow, but its rate increases as the water content decreases, reaching a maximum at approximately equimolar proportions (≈25% H₂O (v/v)). The results can be rationalized based on the structure of water in water–acetonitrile mixtures. At high water fractions, water is present in highly hydrogen-bonded arrangements and is less reactive. As the water content decreases, water clustering gives rise to the formation of water-rich micro-domains, and the number of bonded water molecules decreases monotonically. The results presented herein indicate that non-bonded water present in the water micro-domains is considerably more reactive towards oxygen production. Finally, long term electrolysis of water–acetonitrile mixtures containing [Ru^II(bpy)₃]²⁺ and IrO₂ NPs in solution show that the amount of oxygen produced is constant with time demonstrating that the redox mediator is stable under these experimental conditions.     

Mechanism of Homogeneous Liquid-Liquid Extraction

Extraction mechanism and solvent structure were studied for the solvent extraction of cationic porphyrin (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(l-methyl-pyridinium-4-yl) porphyrin; H2(tmpyp)⁴⁺, and its metalloporphyrins (MP^(n+2)+-) into an acetonitrile phase separated from a 1:1 (v/v) mixture of acetonitrile with water by addition of sodium chloride, where Mⁿ⁺ denotes Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺,Co³⁺, Fe³⁺, and Mn³⁺, and H₂P⁴⁺ is the free base form of H₂tmpyp⁴⁺. The separated acetonitrile phase contains a lot of water (4.53 mol dm^-3) and sodium chloride (2.49×10^-2 mol dm^-3) that afford to extract the highly charged chemical species of the above porphyrin or metalloporphyrins with perchlorate ion (X^-). The extracted chemical species dissociate in the acetonitrile phase.     

Sulfonamide and Morpholine‐Based Dual Chemosensor for Cu2+ and Ag+ in Different Solvent Media

The detection of cations has attracted considerable interest because of their importance in various physiological processes. In this study, compound 1 bearing sulfonamide and morpholine functionalities was synthesized. Its structure was well characterized by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. UV/vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra indicated that it displayed high sensitivity and selectivity for Cu²⁺ and Ag⁺ by switching solvent media. It means that: (1) it showed selective response to Cu²⁺ in acetonitrile, (2) whereas it exhibited high selectivity for Ag⁺ in water. The density functional theory calculations were used to clearly explain the different recognition behaviors in different solvent media. This research suggests that compound 1 bearing sulfonamide and morpholine functionalities could act as a multifunctional chemosensor for monitoring multiple cations by changing solvent media and provides an alternative approach to design novel dual cations chemosensors.     

Unravelling the Reaction Mechanism for the Fast Photocyclisation of 2‐Benzoylpyridine in Aqueous Solvent by Time‐Resolved Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Calculations

A combined femtosecond transient absorption (fs‐TA) and nanosecond time‐resolved resonance Raman (ns‐TR³) spectroscopic investigation of the photoreaction of 2‐benzoylpyridine (2‐BPy) in acetonitrile and neutral, basic and acidic aqueous solvents is reported. fs‐TA results showed that the nπ* triplet 2‐BPy is the precursor of the photocyclisation reaction in neutral and basic aqueous solvents. The cis triplet biradical and the cis singlet zwitterionic species produced during the photocyclisation reaction were initially characterised by ns‐TR³ spectroscopy. In addition, a new species was uniquely observed in basic aqueous solvent after the decay of the cis singlet zwitterionic species and this new species was tentatively assigned to the photocyclised radical anion. The ground‐state conformation of 2‐BPy in acidic aqueous solvent is the pyridine nitrogen‐protonated 2‐BPy cation (2‐BPy‐NH⁺) rather than the neutral form of 2‐BPy. After laser photolysis, the singlet excited state (S₁) of 2‐BPy‐NH⁺ is generated and evolves through excited‐state proton transfer (ESPT) and efficient intersystem crossing (ISC) processes to the triplet exited state (T₁) of the carbonyl oxygen‐protonated 2‐BPy cation (2‐BPy‐OH⁺) and then photocyclises with the lone pair of the nitrogen atom in the heterocyclic ring. Cyclisation reactions take place both in neutral/basic and acidic aqueous solvents, but the photocyclisation mechanisms in these different aqueous solvents are very different. This is likely due to the different conformation of the precursor and the influence of hydrogen‐bonding of the solvent on the reactions.     

Solvatochromism of the π* ← n transition of acetone by combined quantum mechanical—classical mechanical calculations

The solvent shift of the π* ← n transition of acetone in water, acetonitrile, and tetrachloromethane was calculated in a combined quantum mechanical—classical mechanical approach, using both dielectric continuum and explicit, polarizable molecular solvent models. The explicit modeling of solvent polarizability allows for a separate analysis of electrostatic, induction, and dispersion contributions to the shifts. The calculations confirm the qualitative theories about the mechanisms behind the blue shift in polar solvents and the red shift in nonpolar solvents, the solvation of the ground state due to electrostatic interactions being preferential in the former, and favorable dispersion interaction with the excited state, in the latter case. Good quantitative agreement for the solvent shift between experiment (+1,700, +400, and −350 cm⁻¹ in water, acetonitrile, and tetrachloromethane, respectively) and the explicit solvent model (+1,821, +922, and −381 cm⁻¹) was reached through a modest Monte Carlo sampling of the solvent degrees of freedom. A consistent treatment of the solvent could only be realized in the molecular solvent model. The dielectric-only model needs reparameterization for each solvent. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Study on Preferential Solvation of Water by Electrochemical Method

The preferential solvation of water plays an important role in ferrocene research which is a subject of current interest. Voltammetric investigations were carried out for Au electrode in acetonitrile/water, showing preferential solvation of water. In our work, the preferential solvation of water in acetonitrile/water was studied by electrochemical methods including cyclic volitammetry, electrochemical impedance spectra and double‐step chronoamperometry. Ferrocenemethanol (FcCH₂OH) molecules as a solute spontaneously adsorb on the electrode surface in anhydrous acetonitrile, resulting from acetonitrile molecules tend to form an acetonitrile solvent layer on the surface of the electrode and acetonitrile solvent layer has a lower energy barrier than the aqueous solvent layer, which has been obtained by modeling solvation. The solvent strongly influences electrochemical behavior of solute. Once there is an amount of water in acetonitrile solvent, FcCH₂OH that adsorbed on the electrode surface desorb. This is because water preferentially solvate with FcCH₂OH in term of intermolecular forces between solvent and solute. Moreover, hydrogen bond between water molecules and FcCH₂OH molecules is stronger than dipole‐dipole interaction between acetonitrile molecules and FcCH₂OH molecules in solvation effect. Through electrochemical behavior of FcCH₂OH changing, preferential solvation of water is analyzed by electrochemical methods.     

A thermodynamic study of complexation process between <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>′-dipyridoxylidene(1,4-butanediamine) and Cd<Superscript>2+</Superscript> in some binary mixed solvents using conductometry

Complexation of the Cd²⁺ ion with N,N′-dipyridoxylidene(1,4-butanediamine) Schiff base was studied in pure solvents including acetonitrile (AN), ethanol (EtOH), methanol (MeOH), tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethylformamide (DMF), water (H₂O), and various binary solvent mixtures of acetonitrile–ethanol (AN–EtOH), acetonitrile–methanol (AN–MeOH), acetonitrile–tetrahydrofuran (AN–THF), acetonitrile–dimethylformamide (AN–DMF), and acetonitrile–water (AN–H₂O) systems at different temperatures using the conductometric method. The conductance data show that the stoichiometry of complex is 1: 1 [ML] in all solvent systems. A non-linear behavior was observed for changes of log K_f of [Cd(N,N′-dipyridoxylidene(1,4-butanediamine)] complex versus the composition of the binary mixed solvents, which was explained in terms of solvent–solvent interactions. The results show that the thermodynamics of complexation reaction is affected by the nature and composition of the mixed solvents.     

Adsorption and emission enhancement behavior of 4,4′-bipyridine on dispersed montmorillonite nano-sheets under aqueous conditions

The adsorption and photochemical behavior of 4,4′-bipyridine (BPy) on an exfoliated single montmorillonite nano-sheet (MtNS) was investigated in water. Under the appropriate conditions, BPy was adsorbed on the MtNS as a monomer state. BPy exhibited a relatively large red shift by 30?nm in the absorption spectrum, and showed significant emission enhancement in the fluorescence spectrum, contrary to the non-fluorescent property of BPy in water without MtNS. From the investigation using protonated BPy (BPyH₂²⁺) under acidic conditions, it was turned out that BPy was adsorbed as BPyH₂²⁺ on MtNS even under neutral conditions. From the analysis based on the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, the saturated adsorption amount of BPy on MtNS was calculated to be 3.2?×?10^?2 molecule nm^?2.     

Study of the stability of violurate complexes of some d- and f-metals

The stability constants of 1: 1 and 1: 2 acidic copper(II) violurate complexes and the CuL complex, where L is the anion of violuric acid (H₂L), were determined by pH-metry at ionic strength I = 0.1 at 20°C. The stability of the violurate complexes of triply charged cations [ML]⁺ and quadruply charged thorium [ThL]²⁺ increases in the sequence La³⁺, Gd³⁺, Y³⁺, Sc³⁺, Th⁴⁺, Fe³⁺. It was shown that violuric acid behaves as either mono- or dibasic, depending on the conditions, with respect to all of these cations.     

Study of Complex Formation Between 18-Crown-6 and Pb2+, Tl+ and Cd2+ Cations in Binary Aqueous/Non-aqueous Solvents Using Polarographic Techniques (DPP and SWP)

The complexation of Pb²⁺, Tl⁺ and Cd²⁺ cationsby 18-crown-6 was studied in water/propanol (H₂O/PrOH),water/acetonitrile (H₂O/AN) and water/dimethylformamide(H₂O/DMF) binary systems at 20 °C using squarewave polarography (SWP) and differential pulse polarography (DPP).It was confirmed that the stoichiometry of each of the complexes formed between 18C6 and the respective cations is 1 : 1. The formation constants of the complexes were found to increase with increasing concentration of the non-aqueous solvent. In all cases, a stability order of Pb²⁺ > Tl⁺ > Cd²⁺ was observed. In general,the stabilities of individual complexes were found to decrease as the binary solvent mixture varied from H₂O/AN to H₂O/PrOH to H₂O/DMF.     

Insight into Three‐Coordinate Aluminum Species on Ethanol‐to‐Olefin Conversion over ZSM‐5 Zeolites

Commercial bioethanol can be readily converted into ethylene by a dehydration process using solid acids, such as Brønsted acidic H‐ZSM‐5 zeolites, and thus, it is an ideal candidate to replace petroleum and coal for the sustainable production of ethylene. Now, strong Lewis acidic extra‐framework three‐coordinate Al³⁺ species were introduced into H‐ZSM‐5 zeolites to improve their catalytic activity. Remarkably, Al³⁺ species working with Brønsted acid sites can accelerate ethanol dehydration at a much lower reaction temperature and shorten the unsteady‐state period within 1–2 h, compared to >9 h for those without Al³⁺ species, which can significantly enhance the ethanol dehydration efficiency and reduce the cost. The reaction mechanism, studied by solid‐state NMR, shows that strong Lewis acidic EFAl‐Al³⁺ species can collaborate with Brønsted acid sites and promote ethanol dehydration either directly or indirectly via an aromatics‐based cycle to produce ethylene.     

Liquid-phase microextraction with in-drop derivatization combined with microvolume fluorospectrometry for free and hydrolyzed formaldehyde determination in textile samples

A novel approach for preconcentration and speciation analysis of trace amount of mercury from water samples was proposed by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled to high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Mercury species (Hg²⁺, methylmercury (MeHg⁺) and phenylmercury (PhHg⁺)) were complexed with dithizone (DZ) to form hydrophobic chelates and then extracted into the fine drops of extraction solvent dispersed in the aqueous sample by dispersive solvent. After extraction, the sedimented phase was analyzed by HPLC-DAD. Some important parameters affecting the DLLME such as extraction solvent and dispersive solvent type and volume, concentration of dithizone solution, sample pH, extraction time and salt effect were investigated. Ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([HMIM][PF₆]) was found to be a suitable extractant for the chelates. Under the optimized conditions (extraction solvent: 70 μL of ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([HMIM][PF₆]); dispersive solvent: 0.75 mL of methanol containing dithizone (0.02%, m/v); pH: 4; extraction time: 5 min; and without salt addition), the limits of detection for Hg²⁺, MeHg⁺ and PhHg⁺ were 0.32, 0.96 and 1.91 μg L⁻¹ (S N⁻¹ = 3) respectively, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was between 4.1 and 7.3% (n = 5). Three real water samples (tap water, river water and lake water) spiked with mercury species were detected by the developed method, and the relative recoveries obtained for Hg²⁺, MeHg⁺ and PhHg⁺ were 89.6–101.3%, 85.6–102.0% and 81.3–97.6%, respectively.     

Effects of solvent on the reactions of coordination complexes: Part 17. Kinetics and mechanism of base hydrolysis of (αβS) (salicylato) (tetraethylenepentamine)cobalt (III) in methanol + water and dimethylsulphoxide + water media

The base hydrolysis of (αβS) (salicylato) (tetraethylenepentamine)cobalt(III) has been investigated in MeOH + water and DMSO + water media (0–70% (v/v) cosolvents) at 20.0 ? t°C ? 35.0 and I = 0.10 mol dm^?3 (ClO₄^?). The phenoxide species [(tetren)CoO₂CC₆H₄O]⁺ undergoes both OH^?-independent and OH^?-catalyzed hydrolysis via SN₁ICB and SN₁CB mechanism, respectively. The OH^?-independent hydrolysis of the phenoxide species is catalyzed by both DMSO + water and MeOH + water media, the former exerting a much stronger rate accelerating effect than the latter. The OH^?-catalyzed reaction is strongly accelerated by DMSO + water medium but insensitive to the composition of MeOH + water medium up to 40% (v/v) MeOH beyond which it was not detectable under the experimental conditions. Data analysis has been attempted on the basis of the solvent stabilizing and destabilizing effects on the initial state and transition state of the concerned reactions. The nonlinear variation of the activation parameters, ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠, with solvent compositions presumably indicates that the solvent structural effects mediate the energetics of solvation of the initial state and transition state of the concerned reactions. The linearity in ΔH^≠ vs. ΔS^≠ plot accomodating all data for k₁ and k₂ paths in DMSO + water and MeOH + water further suggests that the solvent effects on these parameters are mutually compensatory.     

Highly Efficient Diglycolamide‐Based Task‐Specific Ionic Liquids: Synthesis,Unusual Extraction Behaviour,Irradiation, and Fluorescence Studies

Two new diglycolamide‐based task‐specific ionic liquids (DGA? TSILs) were evaluated for the extraction of actinides and lanthanides from acidic feed solutions. These DGA? TSILs were capable of exceptionally high extraction of trivalent actinide ions, such as Am³⁺, and even higher extraction of the lanthanide ion, Eu³⁺ (about 5–10 fold). Dilution of the DGA? TSILs in an ionic liquid, C₄mim⁺ ? NTf₂^?, afforded reasonably high extraction ability, faster mass transfer, and more efficient stripping of the metal ion. The nature of the extracted species was studied by slope analysis, which showed that the extracted species contained one NO₃^? anion, along with the participation of two DGA? TSIL molecules. Time‐resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) analysis showed a strong complexation with no inner‐sphere water molecule in the Eu^III? DGA? TSIL complexes in the presence and absence of C₄mim⁺ ? NTf₂^? as the diluent. The very high radiolytic stability of DGA? TSIL 6 makes it one of the most‐efficient solvent systems for the extraction of actinides under acidic feed conditions.     

Complexation of Ba2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, and UO22+ Ions with 18-Crown-6 and Dicyclohexyl-18-Crown-6 in Nitromethane and Acetonitrile Solutions by a Competitive NMR Technique Using the 7Li Nucleus as a Probe

[⁷Li] NMR measurements were used to determine the stoichiometry and stability of Li⁺ complexes with 18-crown-6 and dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 in nitromethane and acetonitrile solutions. A competitive [⁷Li] NMR technique was also employed to probe the complexation of Ba²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and UO₂²⁺ ions with the same crown ethers–solvent systems. All the resulting 1 : 1 complexes were more stable in nitromethane than acetonitrile solution. In all cases, the stability of both crown complexes in nitromethane and acetonitrile varied in the order Pb²⁺ > Ba²⁺ > Li⁺ > Cd²⁺ > UO₂²⁺.     

Triphenylamine pyridine acetonitrile fluorogens with green emission for pH sensing and application in cells

In this work,triphenylamine pyridine acetonitrile compounds Py A1,Py A2 and Py A3 are designed and synthesized.They show green fluorescence in water and bright emission in solid state.They have large Strokes shift(about 100 nm).The excitation and emission spectra are investigated in ethyl acetate,chloroform,cyclohexane,ethanol,water,acetonitrile,THF,DMF and DMSO.It is interesting to find that these compounds are able to sense increasing p H values ranging from p H 2 to 7 by showing different color and emission intensities:almost no emission at p H 2 and strong green emission at p H 7.The acid–base switched color and fluorescence changes can be observed under UV irradiation,in water solution and 1% agarose gel.These changes can be repeated for several cycles.We are able to employ these compounds for cell p H environment imaging.