A Density Functional Investigation on C2Aun+ (n?=?1, 3, 5) and C2Aun (n?=?2, 4, 6): from Gold Terminals, Gold Bridges, to Gold Triangles

A systematic density functional theory investigation on C₂Au _n ⁺ (n = 1,3,5) and C₂Au _n (n = 2,4,6) indicates that gold atoms serve as terminals (–Au) in the chain-like C_s C₂Au⁺ (C=C–Au⁺) and D_∞h C₂Au₂ (Au–C≡C–Au) and as bridges (–Au–) in the side-on coordinated C_2v C₂Au₃ ⁺ ([Au–C≡C–Au]Au⁺) and C_s C₂HAu₂ ⁺([H–C≡C–Au]Au⁺). However, when the number of gold atoms reaches four, they form stable gold triangles (–Au₃) in the head-on coordinated C_2v C₂Au₄ (Au–C≡C–Au₃) and the side-on coordinated C_2v C₂Au₅ ⁺ ([Au–C≡C–Au]Au₃ ⁺). Similar –Au₃ triangular units exist in the head-on coordinated C_2v C₂HAu₃ (H–C≡C–Au₃) and D_2d C₂Au₆ (Au₃–C≡C–Au₃). The existence of stable –Au₃ triangular units in small dicarbon aurides is significant and intriguing. The high stability of Au₃ triangles originates from the fact that an equilateral D_3h Au₃ ⁺ cation possesses a completely delocalized three-center-two-electron (3c–2e) σ bond and therefore is σ-aromatic in nature. The extension from H/Au analogy to H/Au₃ analogy established in this work may have important implications in designing new gold-containing catalysts and nano-materials.     

Thermo-kinetics study of orange peel in air

Thermal degradation of orange peel was studied in dynamic air atmosphere by means of simultaneous TG-DSC and TG-FTIR analysis. According to the obtained thermal profiles, the orange peel degradation occurred in at least three steps associated with its three main components (hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin). The volatiles compounds evolved out at 150–400 °C and the gas products were mainly CO₂, CO, and CH₄. A mixture of acids, aldehydes or ketones C=O, alkanes C–C, ethers C–O–C and H₂O was also detected. The E _α on α dependence reveled the existence of different and simultaneous processes suggesting that the combustion reaction is controlled by oxygen accessibility, motivated by the high evolution low-molecular-mass gases and volatile organic compounds. These results could explain the non-autocatalytic character of the reactions during the decomposition process.     

Synthesis and photophysical properties of luminescent mononuclear and dinuclear gold(I) complexes with ethynyl-substituted phenanthrolines

A novel asymmetric dinuclear gold(I) complex with 3,6-diethynylphenanthroline, 3,6-bis{(PPh₃)–Au–C≡C}₂-phen, has been synthesized from Au(PPh₃)Cl (PPh₃ = triphenylphosphine) and 3,6-diethynyl-1,10-phenanthroline. The asymmetrical dinuclear gold(I) complex, 3,6-bis{(PPh₃)–Au–C≡C}₂-phen, demonstrated a weak phosphorescence assignable to the metal-perturbed ³ π–π* transition in the long wavelength region compared to an intense emission of the symmetrical dinuclear complex with 3,8-diethynylphenanthroline, 3,8-bis{(PPh₃)–Au–C≡C}₂-phen. A similar tendency of phosphorescent bands for the mononuclear gold(I) complexes with 5-ethynylphenanthroline, 5-{(PPh₃)–Au–C≡C}-phen, and 3-ethynylphenanthroline, 3-{(PPh₃)–Au–C≡C}-phen was observed. The absorption bands assignable to the π–π*(C≡Cphen) transition and phosphorescent emission assignable to the metal-perturbed ³ π–π* transition for these four gold(I) complexes were reasonably consistent with the results calculated by DFT and TD-DFT.     

Synthesis and Characterizations of Ferrocenyl Carbonyl Chromium and Cobalt Clusters

Two novel bimetallic complexes, [Cr(CO)₃(η ⁶-C₆H₅)–C≡C–C₆H₄–Fc] (Fc = C₅H₅FeC₅H₄] (1) and [Cr(CO)₃(η ⁶-C₆H₅)–C ≡ C–Fc–C(CH₃)₂–Fc] (3), were synthesized by the Sonogashira coupling reaction. By using of (1) and (3) as ligands to react with Co₂(CO)₈, two others novel polymetallic complexes, [Cr(CO)₃(η ⁶-C₆H₅){Co₂(CO)₆-η ²-μ ²-C≡C–}–C₆H₄–Fc] (2) and [Cr(CO)₃(η ⁶-C₆H₅){Co₂(CO)₆-η ²-μ ²-C≡C–}Fc–C(CH₃)₂–Fc] (4) were obtained. Four carbonyl complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, NMR and MS. The molecular structures of complexes (1), (2) and (4) were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The interactions among the ferrocenyl, Cr(CO)₃ and Co₂(CO)₆-η ²-μ ²-C≡C– units were investigated by cyclic voltammetry.     

Degradation processes in the cellulose/<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylmorpholine-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxide system studied by HPLC and ESR. Radical formation/recombination kinetics under UV photolysis at 77 K

Degradation processes of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide monohydrate (NMMO), cellulose and cellulose/NMMO solutions were studied by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Kinetics of radical accumulation processes under UV (λ = 248 nm) excimer laser flash photolysis was investigated by ESR at 77 K. Beside radical products of cellulose generated and stabilized at low temperature, radicals in NMMO and cellulose/NMMO solutions were studied for the first time in those systems and attributed to nitroxide type radicals ∼CH₂–NO^•–CH₂∼ and/or ∼CH₂–NO^•–CH₃∼ at the first and methyl ^•CH₃ and formyl ^•CHO radicals at the second step of the photo-induced reaction. Kinetic study of radicals revealed that formation and recombination rates of radical reaction depend on cellulose concentration in cellulose/NMMO solutions and additional ingredients, e.g., Fe(II) and propyl gallate. HPLC measurements showed that the concentrations of ring degradation products, e.g., aminoethanol and acetaldehyde, are determined by the composition of the cellulose/NMMO solution. Results based on HPLC are mainly maintained by ESR that supports the assumption concerning a radical initiated ring-opening of NMMO.     

Reactions of [Cp*Ru(H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O)(NBD)]<Superscript>+</Superscript> with diynes

Abstract  Formal [2 + 2 + 2] addition reaction of [Cp*Ru(H₂O)(NBD)][BF₄] (NBD = norbornadiene) with 4,4′-Diethynylbiphenyl generates [C₉H₉-η⁶-C₆H₄(RuCp*)–C₆H₄(RuCp*)-η⁶-C₉H₉][BF₄]₂. The reaction of [Cp*Ru(H₂O)(NBD)][BF₄] with 1,4-diphenylbutadiyne generates the unusual [2 + 2 + 2] additional organic compound Ph–C≡C–C₉H₈–Ph in addition to the organometallic compound [Cp*Ru(η⁶-C₆H₅–C≡C–C≡C–Ph)][BF₄]. [C₉H₉-η⁶-C₆H₄(RuCp*)–C₆H₄(RuCp*)-η⁶-C₉H₉][BPh₄]₂ is generated after the reaction of compound [C₉H₉-η⁶-C₆H₄(RuCp*)–C₆H₄(RuCp*)-η⁶-C₉H₉][BF₄]₂ with Na[BPh₄]. The structure of this compound was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. A possible approach to form Ph–C≡C–C₉H₈–Ph and [Cp*Ru(η⁶-C₆H₅–C≡C–C≡C–Ph)][BF₄] is suggested. Graphical Abstract  Formal [2 + 2 + 2] addition reaction of [Cp*Ru(H₂O)(NBD)]BF₄ (NBD = norbornadiene) with 4,4′-Diethynylbiphenyl generates [C₉H₉-η⁶-C₆H₄(RuCp*)–C₆H₄(RuCp*)-η⁶-C₉H₉][BF₄]₂. The reaction of [Cp*Ru(H₂O)(NBD)][BF₄] with 1,4-diphenylbutadiyne simply generates unusual [2 + 2 + 2] additional organic compound Ph–C≡C–C₉H₈–Ph in addition to the organometallic compound [Cp*Ru(η⁶-C₆H₅–C≡C–C≡C–Ph)][BF₄]. [C₉H₉-η⁶-C₆H₄(RuCp*)–C₆H₄(RuCp*)-η⁶-C₉H₉][BPh₄]₂ is generated after the reaction of compound [C₉H₉-η⁶-C₆H₄(RuCp*)–C₆H₄(RuCp*)-η⁶-C₉H₉][BF₄]₂ with Na[BPh₄]. The structure of this compound was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. And the possible approach to form Ph–C≡C–C₉H₈–Ph and [Cp*Ru(η⁶-C₆H₅–C≡C–C≡C–Ph)][BF₄] was suggested. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Molecular conformations of jet-cooled 2-methylindan and 2-phenylindan

The molecular conformations of jet-cooled 2-methylindan (2MI) and 2-phenylindan (2PI) have been studied using resonant-enhanced two-photon ionization spectroscopy in combination with ab initio calculations. Both axial (2MI_ax) and equatorial (2MI_eq) conformers of 2MI have been observed. A 2MI_eq/2MI_ax conformer ratio of 2.3 was estimated at 298 K, leading to the energy difference, \Updelta E = E _{2 \textMI\textax} - E _{2 \textMI\texteq} \Updelta E = E_{{ 2 {\text{MI}}_{\text{ax}} }} - E_{{ 2 {\text{MI}}_{\text{eq}} }} , of 0.49 kcal/mol. Ab initio calculations predicted three stable conformers of 2PI: two equatorial conformers (2PI_eq0 and 2PI_eq90), and one axial conformer (2PI_ax). Only the axial conformer of 2PI (2PI_ax) was experimentally observed. The indan ring of 2PI_ax is slightly more planar than the indan rings of the two equatorial conformers of 2PI because of the intramolecular C_sp2–H/π interactions in 2PI_ax. The equatorial conformers of 2PI relax to the more stable axial conformer because of the high pre-expansion temperature (383 K), and relatively low barrier (1.68 kcal/mol) to axial–equatorial interconversion. The barrier (2.33 kcal/mol) to axial–equatorial interconversion in 2MI is high enough to prevent conformational relaxation at the pre-expansion temperature of 298 K. Intramolecular C–H/π interactions are found to be more important in determining the conformational preference of 2PI than 2MI; this can be attributed to the higher acidity of the C_sp2–H bond than that of C_sp3–H bond.     

Structural investigation of cellulose Iα and Iβ by 2D RFDR NMR spectroscopy: determination of sequence of magnetically inequivalent d-glucose units along cellulose chain

In our previous studies of the crystal structure of native cellulose (cellulose I) by solid-state two-dimensional (2D) ¹³C–¹³C INADEQUATE, it was revealed that cellulose I_α contains two kinds of β-d-glucose residues (A and A′) in the unit cell and that cellulose I_β contains another two kinds of residues (B and B′). In the present study, the sequence of residues A and A′ along the same chains in cellulose I_α and that of residues B and B′ in I_β were investigated by 2D ¹³C–¹³C rotor-synchronized radiofrequency-driven recoupling (RFDR) experiments using, respectively, uniformly ¹³C₆-labeled (U−¹³C₆) bacterial cellulose and the same [U−¹³C₆] cellulose sample after thermal treatment at 260 °C. The RFDR spectra recorded with a short mixing time (1.0 ms) showed dipolar-coupled ¹³C spin pairs of only the neighboring carbon of the both phases, while those recorded with a longer mixing time (3.0–15 ms) provided correlations between weakly coupled ¹³C spin pairs as well as strongly coupled ¹³C spin pairs such as neighboring carbon nuclei. In the RFDR spectrum of the [U−¹³C₆] cellulose recorded with a mixing time of 15 ms, the inter-residue ¹³C–¹³C correlation between C4 of residue A and C2 of residue A′ and that between C3 of residue A and C4 of residue A′ were clearly observed. In the case of cellulose I_β, however, inter-residue ¹³C–¹³C correlations between residues B and B′ could not be detected in the series of RFDR spectra recorded with different mixing times of annealed [U−¹³C₆] cellulose. From these findings, that cellulose I_α was revealed to have the –A–A′– repeating units along the cellulose chain. For cellulose I_β, it was revealed that the respective residues B and B′ are composed of independent chains (–B–B– and –B′–B′– repeating units) and that there are no –B–B′– repeating units in the chain.     

Molecular Structure and Conformational Composition of 1-[(Methylthio)methyl]-2-nitrobenzene (MTMNB): A Theoretical and Experimental Study

The conformational composition of gaseous MTMNB and the molecular structures of the rotational forms have been studied by electron diffraction at 130^∘C aided by results from ab initio and density functional theory calculations. The conformational potential energy surface has been investigated by using the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) method. As a result, six minimum-energy conformers have been identified. Geometries of all conformers were optimized using MP2/6-31G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), and B3LYP/cc-pVTZ methods. These calculations resulted in accurate geometries, relative energies, and harmonic vibrational frequencies for all conformers. The B3LYP/cc-pVTZ energies were then used to calculate the Boltzmann distribution of conformers. The best fit of the electron diffraction data to calculated values was obtained for the six conformer model, in agreement with the theoretical predictions. Average parameter values (r_a in angstroms, angle α in degrees, and estimated total errors given in parentheses) weighted for the mixture of six conformers are r(C–C) = 1.507(5), r(C–C)_{ring, av} = 1.397(3), r(C–S)_av = 1.814(4), r(C–N) = 1.495(4), r(N–O)_av = 1.223(3), ∠(C–C–C)_ring = 116.0–122.5, ∠ C6–C4–C7 = 118.2(4), ∠ C–C–S = 113.6(6), ∠ C–S–C = 98.5(12), ∠ N–C–C4 = 121.9(3), ∠(O–N–C)_av = 116.8(3), ∠ O–N–O = 127.0(4). Torsional angles could not be refined. Theoretical B3LYP/cc-pVTZ torsional angles for the rotation about C–N bond, φ_C−N, were found to be 30.5–36.5^∘ for different conformers. As to internal rotation about C–C and C–S bonds, values of φ_C−C = 68–118^∘ and φ_C−S = 66–71^∘ were obtained for the three most stable conformers with gauche orientation with respect to these bonds. Some conclusions of this work were presented in a short communication in Russ. J. Phys. Chem. 2005, 79, 1701.     

Syntheses,weak interactions, 3D network structures and magnetic properties of two salts based on bis(maleonitriledithiolate)copper(II) anion and substituted triphenylphosphonium cation

Two new salts, [BzTPP]₂[Cu(mnt)₂] (1) and [4NO₂BzTPP]₂[Cu(mnt)₂] (2) (BzTPP⁺ = benzyltriphenylphosphonium and mnt²⁻ = maleonitriledithiolate) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, UV, IR, molar conductivity and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The single-crystal structure analysis shows that 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n, while 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P−1. The effects of weak intramolecular interactions such as C–H···O, C–H···S, C–H···N, C–H···Cu hydrogen bonds and p···π, π···π stacking interactions in the solids generate a 3D network structure. It is noted that the change in the molecular topology of the counteraction when the 4-substituted group in the benzyl ring is changed from H to NO₂ results in differences in the crystal system, space group, weak interactions and the stacking mode of the cations and anions of 1 and 2. The magnetic susceptibilities of these salts measured in the temperature range 2.0 to 300 K show weak ferromagnetic coupling features with θ = 2.05 × 10⁻² K for 1 and 5.13 × 10⁻³ K for 2.     

Thermal behaviour of cephalexin in different mixtures

The thermoanalytical curves (TA), i.e. TG, DTG and DTA for pure cephalexin and its mixtures with talc, magnesium stearate, starch and microcrystalline cellulose, respectively, were drawn up in air and nitrogen at a heating rate of 10 °C min⁻¹. The thermal degradation was discussed on the basis of EGA data obtained for a heating rate of 20 °C min⁻¹. Until 250 °C, the TA curves are similar for all mixtures, up this some peculiarities depending on the additive appears. These certify that between the pure cephalosporin and the excipients do not exists any interaction until 250 °C. A kinetic analysis was performed using the TG/DTG data in air for the first step of cephalexin decomposition at four heating rates: 5, 7, 10 and 12 °C min⁻¹. The data processing strategy was based on a differential method (Friedman), an integral method (Flynn–Wall–Ozawa) and a nonparametric kinetic method (NPK). This last one allowed an intrinsic separation of the temperature, respective conversion dependence on the reaction rate and less speculative discussions on the kinetic model. All there methods had furnished very near values of the activation energy, this being an argument for a single thermooxidative degradation at the beginning (192–200 °C).     

Thermal properties of Ga<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–PbO–P<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> glass system

Thermal behavior of xGa₂O₃–(50 − x)PbO–50P₂O₅ (x = 0, 10, 20, and 30 mol.% Ga₂O₃) and xGa₂O₃–(70 − x)PbO–30P₂O₅ (x = 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mol.% Ga₂O₃) glassy materials were studied by thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Replacement of PbO for Ga₂O₃ is accompanied by increasing glass-transition temperature (263 ≤ T _g/°C ≤ 535), deformation temperature (363 ≤ T _d/°C ≤ 672), crystallization temperature (396 ≤ T _c/°C ≤ 640) and decreasing of coefficient of thermal expansion (5.1 ≤ CTE/ppm K⁻¹ ≤ 16.7). Values of Hruby parameter were determined (0.1 ≤ K _H ≤ 1.3). The thermal stability of prepared glasses increases with increasing of concentration of Ga₂O₃.     

A one-pot synthesis of alkyl acylcarbamodithioates from acid chlorides, thiols, and ammonium thiocyanate

Abstract  

An efficient synthesis of alkyl acylcarbamodithioates by reaction of acid chlorides with ammonium thiocyanate in the presence of thiols is described. The unusually large values of ⁵ J _FH = 12–15 Hz, observed for alkyl (2-fluorobenzoyl)carbamodithioates provide information about Ar–C–N–H torsion in these compounds.     

Chemistry of chromium bis-acetylide complexes

Abstract  

Stable paramagnetic Cr(II) and Cr(III) bis(alkynyl) complexes of the type [trans(RC≡C)₂Cr(dmpe)₂] ⁿ⁺ (R = Ph, SiMe₃, SiEt₃, C≡C–SiMe₃ n = 0, 1) were prepared and characterised by NMR, cyclic voltammetry, EPR, magnetic measurements, and X-ray single-crystal diffraction studies.     

Syntheses,molecular structures and magnetic properties of two hybrid organic–inorganic salts of bis(maleonitriledithiolato)copper(II) and substituted benzyl-4-dimethylaminopyridinium cations

Two new hybrid organic–inorganic salts, [BzDMAP]₂[Cu(mnt)₂](1) and [NO₂BzDMAP]₂[Cu(mnt)₂] (2) ([BzDMAP]⁺ = 1-benzyl-4′-dimethylaminopyridinium, [NO₂BzDMAP]⁺ = 1-(4′-nitrobenzyl)-4′-dimethylaminopyridinium, and mnt²⁻ = maleonitriledithiolate) have been characterized structurally and magnetically. The [BzDMAP]⁺ or [NO₂BzDMAP]⁺ cations (C) and the [Cu(mnt)₂]²⁻ anions (A) in 1 and 2 stack into a 1D alternating CC-A-CC-A-CC column. The Cu···N, π···π, C–H···N, C–H···O, and C–H···S weak interactions play important roles in the molecular stacking and generate a 2D or 3D structure of 1 and 2. The magnetic susceptibilities of these salts measured in the temperature range 2.0–300 K show weak antiferromagnetic coupling features with θ = −2.370 K for 1 and −0.222 K for 2.     

Conformational properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ortho</Emphasis>-nitrobenzenesulfonamide in gas and crystalline phases. Intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bond

A combined gas-phase electron diffraction and quantum chemical (B3LYP/6-311+G**, B3LYP/cc-pvtz, MP2/cc-pvtz) study of molecular structure of 2-nitrobenzenesulfonamide (2-NBSA) was carried out. Quantum chemical calculations showed that 2-NBSA has four conformers, two of which are stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bond. The latter (with the S–N bond in a close to orthogonal position around the phenyl ring and differing from each other by staggered or eclipsed positions of the N–H and S=O bonds in the SO₂NH₂ group) presented in a saturated vapor over 2-NBSA at T = 433 (3) K in commensurable amounts. Experimental internuclear distances (Ǻ) for the staggered conformer are (?): r _h1(C–H)_av. = 1.071(9), r _h1(C–C)_av. = 1.390(4), r _h1(C–S) = 1.789(8), r _h1(S=O)_av. = 1.427(6), r _h1(S–N) = 1.644(6), r _h1(N–O)_av. = 1.221(4), r _h1(C′–N) = 1.487(8), r _h1(N–H)_av. = 1.014. Calculations at B3LYP/cc-pvtz level were performed to determine the structure and the energies of the transition states between conformers. It was shown that the conformer structures of free molecule differ from those of a molecule stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen bonds in a crystal. Influence of a substituent X (X = –CH₃, –NO₂) on conformational features of the ortho-substituted benzenesulfonamide was established.     

Self-assembled cobalt(II) Schiff base complex: synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties

Abstract  

A mononuclear complex [CoL₂Cl₂]·3.5H₂O (L = 2-[(2,2-diphenylethylimino)methyl]pyridine-1-oxide) has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray structure analysis. The crystal structure confirms the formation of an interesting porous framework with channel diameters of about 8 ? through weak C–H···π and C–H···Cl interactions. The magnetic properties of this complex have also been studied, and the susceptibility and magnetization data were analyzed in terms of the spin Hamiltonian formalism. They confirm substantial zero-field splitting, D/hc = 75 cm⁻¹.     

Molecular structure and conformation of triphenylsilane from gas-phase electron diffraction and theoretical calculations, and structural variations in H4?nSiPhn molecules (n?=?1–4)

The molecular structure of triphenylsilane has been investigated by gas-phase electron diffraction and theoretical calculations. The electron diffraction intensities from a previous study (Rozsondai B, Hargittai I, J Organomet Chem 334:269, 1987) have been reanalyzed using geometrical constraints and initial values of vibrational amplitudes from calculations. The free molecule has a chiral, propeller-like equilibrium conformation of C ₃ symmetry, with a twist angle of the phenyl groups τ = 39° ± 3°; the two enantiomeric conformers easily interconvert via three possible pathways. The low-frequency vibrational modes indicate that the three phenyl groups undergo large-amplitude torsional and out-of-plane bending vibrations about their respective Si–C bonds. Least-squares refinement of a model accounting for the bending vibrations gives the following bond distances and angles with estimated total errors: r _g(Si–C) = 1.874 ± 0.004 ?, 〈r _g(C–C)〉 = 1.402 ± 0.003 ?, 〈r _g(C–H)〉 = 1.102 ± 0.003 ?, and ∠_aC–Si–H = 108.6° ± 0.4°. Electron diffraction studies and MO calculations show that the lengths of the Si–C bonds in H_4−n SiPh _n molecules (n = 1–4) increase gradually with n, due to π → σ*(Si–C) delocalization. They also show that the mean lengths of the ring C–C bonds are about 0.003 ? larger than in unsubstituted benzene, due to a one hundredth angstrom lengthening of the C_ipso–C_ortho bonds caused by silicon substitution. A small increase of r(Si–H) and decrease of the ipso angle with increasing number of phenyl groups is also revealed by the calculations.     

Synthesis,structural and thermal characterization of metaphosphatecobalt(II) salt

A new inorganically template metaphosphate of Co(II) complex has been synthesized and characterized by different measurements such as DSC, FT-IR, C–H–N–O–S, ESR, TG-DTA and X-RD. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) elucidated negative specific heat of the system and has used to evaluate some thermo dynamical constants like activation energy (E _a), frequency factor (A), enthalpy and entropy of that system. The specific heat capacity of the system is measured both in atmospheric O₂ and N₂ atmosphere at different heating rates of 278, 283, 293 and 298 K min⁻¹ in room atmosphere and 288 K min⁻¹ in N₂ atmosphere.     

Quantitative study of hydration of C<Subscript>3</Subscript>S and C<Subscript>2</Subscript>S by thermal analysis

This research is part of a European project (namely, CODICE project), main objective of which is modelling, at a multi-scale, the evolution of the mechanical performance of non-degraded and degraded cementitious matrices. For that, a series of experiments were planned with pure synthetic tri-calcium silicate (C₃S) and bi-calcium silicate (C₂S) (main components of the Portland cement clinker) to obtain different calcium–silicate–hydrate (C–S–H) gel structures during their hydration. The characterization of those C–S–H gels and matrices will provide experimental parameters for the validation of the multi-scale modelling scheme proposed. In this article, a quantitative method, based on thermal analyses, has been used for the determination of the chemical composition of the C–S–H gel together with the degree of hydration and quantitative evolution of all the components of the pastes. Besides, the microstructure and type of silicate tetrahedron and mean chain length (MCL) were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ²⁹Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR, respectively. The main results showed that the chemical compositions for the C–S–H gels have a CaO/SiO₂ M ratio almost constant of 1.7 for both C₃S and C₂S compounds. Small differences were found in the gel water content: the H₂O/SiO₂ M ratio ranged from 2.9 ± 0.2 to 2.6 ± 0.2 for the C₃S (decrease) and from 2.4 ± 0.2 to 3.2 ± 0.2 for the C₂S (increase). The MCL values of the C–S–H gels, determined from ²⁹Si MAS NMR, were 3.5 and 4 silicate tetrahedron, for the hydrated C₃S and C₂S, respectively, remaining almost constant at all hydration periods.