Accelerating Effect of Tetramethylthiourea on the Kinetics of Zn2+ Electroreduction

The results of kinetic measurements of Zn²⁺ electroreduction on mercury electrode in the presence of tetramethylthiourea showed the two‐step character of the electrode process. The acquisition of nonlinear wide potential range Tafel plots was found to offer a good opportunity to examine the Zn²⁺ electroreduction mechanism. Three mechanisms including the ion transfer step followed by the electron exchange step (IE mechanism), the adsorption step (IA mechanism) and the chemical step followed by electron transfer (CE) were applied. The accelerating influence of tetramethylthiourea on Zn²⁺ electroreduction was found to result from possible complexes formation in the diffuse layer. The ion transport step is probably combined with the loss or exchange of a ligand. The second step probably consists in the electron transfer or adsorption process connected with partial charge transfer.     

Investigation of the Curing Mechanism in the GPTS/APTS Binder System

The acid catalyzed sol-gel reaction in the mixed binder system, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTS)/3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) was investigated and one step and two step synthesis process were compared. Hydrolysis product was observed using the ¹H, ¹³C NMR and Raman spectra. Especially, based on the Raman spectra, epoxy ring opening was observed, varying the ratio of GPTS to APTS. The two step process made clear sol, while the one step process resulted in a milky suspension. According to the Raman spectra, the epoxy ring opening reaction kinetics proceeded slower in the two step process than one step process. Throughout the two step process, it was possible to apply the binder for the coating of substrate.     

Co‐adsorption of Cations as the Cause of the Apparent pH Dependence of Hydrogen Adsorption on a Stepped Platinum Single‐Crystal Electrode

The successful deployment of advanced energy‐conversion systems depends critically on our understanding of the fundamental interactions of the key adsorbed intermediates (hydrogen *H and hydroxyl *OH) at electrified metal–aqueous electrolyte interfaces. The effect of alkali metal cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺) on the non‐Nernstian pH shift of the step‐related voltammetric peak of the Pt(553) electrode is investigated over a wide pH window (1 to 13) by means of experimental and computational methods. The co‐adsorbed alkali cations along the step weaken the OH adsorption at the step sites, causing a positive shift of the potential of the step‐related peak on Pt(553). Density functional calculations explain the observations on the identity and concentration of alkali cations on the non‐Nernstian pH shift, and demonstrate that cation–hydroxyl co‐adsorption causes the apparent pH dependence of “hydrogen” adsorption in the step sites of platinum electrodes.     

Influence of metal cofactors and water on the catalytic mechanism of creatininase-creatinine in aqueous solution from molecular dynamics simulation and quantum study

The reaction mechanism of creatinine-creatininase binding to form creatine as a final product has been investigated by using a combined ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical approach and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In MD simulations, an X-ray crystal structure of the creatininase/creatinine was modified for creatininase/creatinine complexes and the MD simulations were run for free creatininase and creatinine in water. MD results reveal that two X-ray water molecules can be retained in the active site as catalytic water. The binding free energy from Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area calculation predicted the strong binding of creatinine with Zn²⁺, Asp45 and Glu183. Two step mechanisms via Mn²⁺/Zn²⁺ (as in X-ray structure) and Zn²⁺/Zn²⁺ were proposed for water adding step and ring opening step with two catalytic waters. The pathway using synchronous transit methods with local density approximations with PWC functional for the fragment in the active region were obtained. Preferable pathway Zn²⁺/Zn²⁺ was observed due to lower activation energy in water adding step. The calculated energy in the second step for both systems were comparable with the barrier of 26.03 and 24.44 kcal/mol for Mn²⁺/Zn²⁺ and Zn²⁺/Zn²⁺, respectively.     

The reduction of carbonyl compounds at carbon electrodes in acidic water/methanol mixtures

The voltammetry of benzaldehyde in acidic methanol/water mixtures is shown to depend strongly on the cathode material. At pH 1, benzaldehyde always reduces in two le⁻ steps and the first step is always reversible. On the other hand, the potential for the second reduction step varies strongly with cathode material; at vitreous carbon, the second step occurs at much more negative potential than at lead or mercury, giving much better resolution of the two reduction waves. In citrate buffer, pH 4, the first reduction step is shifted negative; as a result, at lead a single 2e⁻ wave is seen but at vitreous carbon, two 1e⁻ steps are still observed. These changes in voltammetry with cathode material are shown to be general for both aldehydes and ketones.     

Theoretical Study of Intradimer Mechanism for Diamond Growth over Diamond (100)

The study of the energetics of the accepted intradimer diamond growth mechanism over (100) diamond surface is presented. The calculations were made in a density functional approach with the DGauss code using a DZVP2 basis set and a BLYP interchange and correlation potential. A simple 9-carbon cluster modeling the (100) diamond surface was used; its validity is discussed in relation with other calculations that used larger model clusters. The mechanism, presented in six steps, is based in the Harris and Garrison's work that considers the methyl radical as the main growth precursor agent and the breaking of the dimer surface bond with the corresponding methylene radical formation as a prior step to the formation of a CH₂-bridge structure, which is a feasible step; in contrast to these molecular dynamics results, Huang and Frenklach, using semiempirical methods, consider the breaking of the dimer surface bond and the formation of a CH₂-bridge structure as one step and this step as the energetically determinant of the mechanism. They also found an activation energy barrier for the interaction between a radical surface center with a H and CH₃. The present work tries to discern between these two ideas by calculating the activation barriers and the reaction energies for each step of the Harris and Garrison's mechanism in a density functional approach and comparing them to the results of Huang and Frenklach. The energy calculations point toward the scission of the dimer bond (step 4) as the determinant step; this step is endothermic, with an energy barrier of 50.43 kcal-mol^–1. On the other hand, the formation of the CH₂-bridge structure (step 5) is a feasible step with an energy barrier of 13.57 kcal-mol^–1. The adsorption of CH₃ (step 2) and H (step 6) species over radical surface sites did not involve any energy barriers, as it would be hoped. These steps were strongly exothermic and are close to the thermodynamic values for C—C and C—H bond energies. The removal of methylic hydrogen (step 3) did not show any problem because the activation barrier is only 3.68 kcal-mol^–1 less than the removal of a surface hydrogen (step 1), which has an energy barrier of 19.59 kcal-mol^–1. All steps, except number 4, were exothermic.     

Reduction Mechanism of Tellurium Species from Copper Electrowinning Solutions

The presence of tellurium in copper–nickel sulfide ores results in downstream contamination of leach solutions and electrolytes. Tellurium must be removed from leach solutions before electrowinning to prevent contamination of copper cathodes. Cuprous ion is industrially used as a reductant to remove tellurium ions. However, the reduction kinetics of tellurium ions with cuprous is not well known. In this study, the slow Te^VI reduction step with cuprous was identified and a plausible Te^VI reduction mechanism was suggested. The rate‐determining step was investigated by studying the kinetics of the coupled reaction of Te^VI and Te^IV with cuprous. The rate law suggested for the reduction of Te^IV with cuprous and the coupled kinetics equation for consecutive reduction reactions of Te^IV and Te^VI were derived. It was shown that the rate constant of the coupled reaction is very close to the rate constant calculated based on the assumption that Te^VI reduction is a rate‐determining step.     

Hydroxypalladation Precedes the Rate‐Determining Step in the Wacker Oxidation of Ethene

The complete reaction mechanism and kinetics of the Wacker oxidation of ethene in water under low [Cl^?], [Pd^II], and [Cu^II] conditions are investigated in this work by using ab initio molecular dynamics. These extensive simulations shed light on the molecular details of the associated individual steps, along two different reaction routes, starting from a series of ligand‐exchange processes in the catalyst precursor PdCl₄^2? to the final aldehyde‐formation step and the reduction of Pd^II. Herein, we report that hydroxylpalladation is not the rate‐determining step and is, in fact, in equilibrium. The newly proposed rate‐determining step involves isomerization and follows the hydroxypalladation step. The mechanism proposed herein is shown to be in excellent agreement with the experimentally observed rate law and rate. Moreover, this mechanism is in consensus with the observed kinetic isotope effects. This report further confirms the outer‐sphere (anti) hydroxypalladation mechanism. Our calculations also ratify that the final product formation proceeds through a reductive elimination, assisted by solvent molecules, rather than through β‐hydride elimination.     

MnOx Nanoparticles Supported on a New Mesostructured Silicate with Textural Porosity

A two‐step synthesis of a novel mesostructured silicate, KIL‐2, and its manganese‐containing analogue, Mn/KIL‐2, has been developed. KIL‐2 possesses interparticle mesopores with pore dimensions between 5 and 60 nm and a surface area of 448 m². The mesopores are formed by the aggregation of silica nanoparticles, which creates a network with interparticle voids. The particle size and the pore diameters depend on the temperature of the ageing step (first step) and on the solvothermal treatment in ethanol (second step), respectively. Mn/KIL‐2 contains octahedrally coordinated Mn³⁺ (80 %) and tetrahedrally coordinated Mn²⁺ (20 %) ions. Mn³⁺ ions are present in the extra‐framework MnO_x nanoparticles with typical dimensions of 2 nm, which are homogeneously distributed throughout the material. Mn²⁺ ions occur as isolated manganese framework sites. The material is also able to retain its structure characteristics after the hydrothermal treatment in boiling water. Because of its non‐toxic nature and cost‐effective synthesis, Mn/KIL‐2 thus exhibits properties that are needed for an environment‐friendly catalyst.     

Polarographic study of xylenol orange

In neutral medium the ring carbonyl group of xylenol orange is reduced in two one-electronsteps at a dropping mercury electrode. Step I is nearly reversible, but step II strongly irreversible. The half-wave potentials of both steps depend on pH, for the products of reduction, the dye radical formed in step I and the OH group produced in step II, behave as acids. From the E_1/2 vs. pH dependence, the pK of the dye radical is found to be 9.5, that of the hydroxy compound 5.6. On progressive acidification the height of step II continuously decreases, while that of step I increases. In solutions with pH<2, only a single (according to logarithmic analysis) one-electron, but overall (according to coulometry) two-electron step results. The ratio i^I/i^II for the two steps increases when larger amounts of alkali metal ions are added. The exaltation of the first wave at the expense of wave II is explained by an acid-dependent dismutation of the dye radical formed during the first one-electron step.     

Two‐Step direct arylation for synthesis of naphthalenediimide‐based conjugated polymer

A naphthalenediimide (NDI)‐based conjugated polymer was synthesized by a two‐step direct C‐H arylation sequence. In the first step, two ethylenedioxythiophene units were coupled to NDI by direct arylation. In the second step, the direct arylation polycondensation of the monomer, formed in the first step, with 2,7‐dibromo‐9,9‐dioctylfluorene afforded the corresponding NDI‐based conjugated polymer ( PEDOTNDIF ) with molecular weight of 21,500 in 91% yield. The optical and electrochemical properties of the polymer were evaluated. The polymer showed ambipolar behavior in organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). The electron mobility of PEDOTNDIF was estimated to be 2.3 × 10^?6 cm² V^?1 s^?1 using an OFET device with source‐drain (S‐D) Au electrodes. A modified OFET device with S‐D MgAg electrodes increased the electron mobility for PEDOTNDIF to 1.0 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1 due to the more suitable work function of these electrodes, which reduced the injection barrier to the semiconducting polymer. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1401–1407     

Fluoride‐ion‐conducting Polymers: Ionic Conductivity and Fluoride Ion Diffusion Coefficient in Quaternized Polysulfones

We describe the three‐step synthesis of a new polymeric fluoride ion conductor based on the fully aromatic polymer polysulfone (PSU). In the first step, PSU is chloromethylated (CM‐PSU) using reagents (i.e., stannic chloride, paraformaldehyde, and trimethylchlorosilane) that are less toxic than those used in the standard procedure. In the second step, CM‐PSU reacts with a tertiary amine (trimethylamine or 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) to form quaternary ammonium groups fixed on the PSU backbone and mobile chloride counter‐anions. The chloride ions can, in a third step, be exchanged with fluoride ions by immersion of the ionomer in NaF solution. The fluoride ion conductivity reaches 3–5 mS cm^?1 at 25 °C and 5–10 mS cm^?1 at 40 °C. We determined the F^? diffusion coefficient in these ionomers by pulsed gradient spin‐echo (PGSE) high‐resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and by impedance spectroscopy using the Nernst–Einstein relation. The diffusion coefficients determined by the two methods are in good agreement, ranging from 2 to 4×10^?10 m² s^?1. The porosity and tortuosity of the ionomer membranes can be estimated.     

Interaction of partially ionized poly(acrylic acid) with a surfactant counterion at constant pH values

Binding of a cationic surfactant ion, dodecylpyridinium ion, to poly(acrylic acids) of low charge densities was examined by potentiometry using surfactant-selective electrodes in the solutions, where the pH was kept constant by employing a pH buffering system. The binding of the surfactant counterions was thus able to be studied at a constant pH during the binding process. The binding took place in two steps, the first cooperative binding step and the second gradual binding step. The critical association concentration decreased as the pH increased, indicating the predominant role of the electric interaction in the binding. The binding isotherms obtained at different but constant pH values were analyzed by the matrix method, taking into account the nearest-neighbor interactions among three different kinds of sites on the polymer: ionized, protonated, and surfactant-bound. The theoretical analysis could describe only the first step but could not explain the second step. A relatively large cooperativity parameter, u, was found for the first step and it can be between 3 × 10³ and 1 × 10⁴. When the ionic strength was decreased tenfold, the cooperativity of the binding decreased (u∼1 × 10³). The binding constants of the isolated site were 5.5–6.0 × 10⁴ kg mol⁻¹ and slightly increased to 6.5 × 10⁴ kg mol⁻¹ as the ionic strength decreased. The deviation of the second step from the theoretical analysis was supposed to arise from a change of proton dissociation constant in the nonpolar space formed by the bound surfactants. Received: 29 November 2000/Accepted: 24 January 2001     

Thermal decomposition of 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium halochromate complexes

Thermal decomposition studies of 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium halochromates have been carried out upto 1000°C at a linear heating rate of 10 deg·min^?1. The complexes undergo two stage decomposition. First one corresponds to the redox decomposition of the complex along with the loss of a phenyl halide molecule and 3/2 mol of oxygen. While, the second step corresponds to the oxidation of the formazan type structure formed in the first step. The first step decomposition follows diffusion controlled reaction mechanism in a sphere governed by the equationg(α)=[1?(1?α)^1/3]². Activation energy and pre-exponential factors have been determined by Coats-Redfern model and Dixit-Ray model. Activation energy decreases as the electronegativity of the halide ion decreases.     

Molecular lego for the assembly of biosensing layers

We propose a procedure to assemble monolayers of redox mediator, coenzyme, enzyme and stabilizing polyelectrolyte on an electrode surface using essentially electrostatic and complexing interactions. In a first step a monolayer of redox mediator, substituted nitrofluorenones, is adsorbed. In a second step, a layer of calcium cations is immobilized at the interface. It establishes a bridge between the redox mediator and the subsequently adsorbed coenzyme NAD⁺. In the next step we use the intrinsic affinity of the NAD⁺ monolayer for dehydrogenases to build up a multilayer composed of mediator/Ca²⁺/NAD⁺/dehydrogenase. The so obtained modified electrode can be used as a biosensor. Quartz crystal microbalance measurements allowed us to better understand the different parameters responsible for the adsorption. A more detailed investigation of the system made it possible to finally stabilize the assembly sufficiently by the adsorption of a polyelectrolyte layer in order to perform rotating disk electrode measurements with the whole supramolecular architecture on the electrode surface.     

Gold Nanoparticles Formation via Au(III) Complex Ions Reduction with l‐Ascorbic Acid

In this paper, the kinetics and mechanism of gold nanoparticles formation during the redox reaction between [AuCl₄]− complex and l ‐ascorbic acid under different conditions were described. It was also shown that reagent concentration, chloride ions, and pH influence kinetics of nucleation and growth. To establish rate constants of these stages, the model of Finke and Watzky was applied. From Arrhenius and Eyring dependencies, the values of activation energy (22.5 kJ mol⁻¹ for the nucleation step and 30.3 kJ mol⁻¹ for the growth step), entropy (about −228 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ for the nucleation step and −128 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ for the growth step), and enthalpy (19.8 kJ mol⁻¹ for nucleation and 27.8 kJ mol⁻¹ for particles growth) were determined. It was also shown that the disproporationation reaction had influence on the rate of nanoparticles formation and may have impact on final particles morphology.     

Should acid ammonium oxalate replace hydroxylammonium chloride in step 2 of the revised BCR sequential extraction protocol for soil and sediment?

The revised, four-step BCR sequential extraction for soil or sediment has been compared with an alternative procedure in which 0.2 mol l⁻¹ ammonium oxalate (pH 3) replaced 0.5 mol l⁻¹ hydroxylammonium chloride (pH 1.5) in step 2, the reducible step. A variety of substrates were studied: BCR CRM601, a sewage sludge amended soil, two industrial soils, and a steel manufacturing by-product (basic oxygen furnace filter cake). Greater amounts of iron were recovered in step 2 when acid ammonium oxalate was used, for all substrates. Similar trends were observed for copper. Manganese and zinc were not strongly affected by the procedural modification, except for zinc in the two industrial soils, where oxalate extraction proved more efficient than use of hydroxylammonium chloride. A large proportion of the calcium and lead isolated in step 2 of the BCR procedure was not released until step 3 when the alternative procedure with oxalate in step 2 was used. This is probably due to rapid precipitation of analyte oxalates from solution. Thus, whilst oxalate offers superior dissolution of iron-containing matrix components, it should not be used if calcium or lead concentrations are to be measured. Selection of the most appropriated sequential extraction protocol for use in a particular study must always be carried out on the basis of “fitness for purpose” criteria. However, the revised BCR protocol, involving use of 0.5 mol l⁻¹ NH₂OH·HCl in the reducible step, appears to be more generally applicable than procedures involving acid ammonium oxalate.     

Vapor-phase Beckmann rearrangement of oxime molecules over H-Faujasite zeolite.

The Beckmann rearrangement (BR) plays an important role in a variety of industries. The mechanism of this reaction rearrangement of oximes with different molecular sizes, specifically, the oximes of formaldehyde (H₂C?NOH), Z‐acetaldehyde (CH₃HC?NOH), E‐acetaldehyde (CH₃HC?NOH) and acetone (CH₃)₂C?NOH, catalyzed by the Faujasite zeolite is investigated by both the quantum cluster and embedded cluster approaches at the B3LYP level of theory using the 6‐31G (d,p) basis set. To enhance the energetic properties, single point calculations are undertaken at MP2/6‐311G(d,p). The rearrangement step, using the bare cluster model, is the rate determining step of the entire reaction of these oxime molecules of which the energy barrier is between 50–70 kcal mol^?1. The more accurate embedded cluster model, in which the effect of the zeolitic framework is included, yields as the rate determining step, the formaldehyde oxime reaction rearrangement with an energy barrier of 50.4 kcal mol^?1. With the inclusion of the methyl substitution at the carbon‐end of formaldehyde oxime, the rate determining step of the reaction becomes the 1,2 H‐shift step for Z‐acetaldehyde oxime (30.5 kcal mol^?1) and acetone oxime (31.2 kcal mol^?1), while, in the E‐acetaldehyde oxime, the rate determining step is either the 1,2 H‐shift (26.2 kcal mol^?1) or the rearrangement step (26.6 kcal mol^?1). These results signify the important role that the effect of the zeolite framework plays in lowering the activation energy by stabilizing all of the ionic species in the process. It should, however, be noted that the sizeable turnover of a reaction catalyzed by the Brønsted acid site might be delayed by the quantitatively high desorption energy of the product and readsorption of the reactant at the active center.     

Design and synthesis of [1,2,4]-triazolo isoquinoline derivatives via 1, 3-dipolar [3 + 2] cycloaddition: Reaction of azomethine imine with ethyl cyanoformate as unknown protocol

A series of novel 1, 2, 4-triazolo isoquinoline derivatives (8a-8p) were synthesized starting from 2-phenylethan-1-ol derivative (1) in a 7 step synthetic sequence. The key step in the scheme involves 1, 3-dipolar [3?+?2] cycloaddition of azomethine imine and ethyl cyanoformate as unknown reaction protocol. We have demonstrated the hydrolysis of both ester and benzoyl group in a single step and the corresponding carboxylic acid derivatives were coupled with various amines to generate unknown 1, 2, 4-triazolo isoquinoline derivatives The structures of the compounds (8a-8p) were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and HRMS analysis.     

Simultaneous determination of multiple components in flow-injection systems by square-wave amperometry

Two or more components can be determined in a single sample by using a flow-injection system with an electrochmical detector, a microprocessor-based potentiostat, and a microcomputer. The computer generates a repeating staircase potential program with a superimposed square wave. Square-wave amperometric measurements at each potential step are used to construct the current/time response at the potential. By appropriate selection of step potentials, the reconstructed response from each step corresponds to the flow-injection response of a particular component. The approach is evaluated by applying it to the simultaneous determination of copper, lead, cadmium and zinc. Limits of detection range from 8 to 18 μg 1^?1. Sample throughput is 80 h^?1.