Discoloration of cellulose solutions in <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylmorpholine-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxide (Lyocell). Part 1: Studies on model compounds and pulps

N-Methylmorpholine-N-oxide monohydrate (NMMO) is used as solvent for cellulose in the Lyocell process as a modern industrial fiber-making technology. Undesired chemical side reactions and byproduct formation in the system cellulose/NMMO/water are known to cause detrimental effects, such as chromophore formation and discoloration of the resulting fibers. A detailed kinetic study on the influence of carbonyl structures on chromophore formation in NMMO melts was carried out employing UV spectroscopy. Different sugar model compounds, such as reducing or non-reducing sugars, and sugars with additional oxidized functions, were applied. The chromophore formation rate differed widely for various reducing sugar model compounds, with pentoses generally reacting faster than hexoses, and carbohydrates with protected reducing end being largely inert. The effect of carbonyl groups on chromophore generation has been studied further using oligomers and oxidized pulps with different contents of carbonyl groups. As in the case of model compounds, also for the pulps a linear correlation between carbonyl content and chromophore formation rate was established. A distinct effect of hemicelluloses was observed.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Bromoacetyl-β-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">D</Emphasis>-glycopyranosylamines in the synthesis of glycoconjugates of nitrogen-containing physiologically active compounds

A series of nitrogen-containing physiologically active compounds underwent smooth N-monoalkylation with N-bromoacetyl-β-glycopyranosylamines derived from N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and lactose. This reaction was demonstrated to be promising for the introduction of carbohydrate residues into heterocyclic compounds, viz., pyridine, imidazole, pyrimidinetrione, carboline, and piperazine derivatives, and into an amino acid, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, which is unstable in alkaline media. Dedicated to Academician N. K. Kochetkov on the occasion of his 90th birthday. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1256–1259, May, 2005.     

Formation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-acylureas on the surface of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibril with carbodiimide in DMF

A method for conversion of carboxyl groups present on the surface of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils to N-acylureas using carbodiimide was developed. A TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibril with free carboxyl groups (TOCN–COOH) dispersed in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) is prepared from a bleached kraft pulp, and then the TOCN–COOH is reacted with either N,N′-diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) or N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) under apparently homogeneous conditions. FT-IR and solid-state ¹³C NMR analyses showed that the reaction products contained N-acylurea groups, and yields were >80%. Conversion ratios of carboxyl groups to N-acylureas are approximately 80 and 60%, when DIC and DCC, respectively, of 5 mol per mole of carboxyl groups are used as the reagents. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that neither crystallinity nor crystal width of the original wood cellulose I structure was changed by the N-acylurea formation. The isolated and never-dried TOCN-N-acylureas are nano-dispersed in DMF but not in i-PrOH or dioxane. Pellets of the TOCN-N-acylureas had water-contact angles of >70°.     

Congener-specific method for the determination of ortho and non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in foods by carbon-column fractionation and gas chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry

 The chromatographic behavior of ortho and non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on supported carbon columns has been investigated and the structure-affinity relationship of activated carbon towards PCB molecules established. Optimisation of the parameters controlling the elution of PCB congeners through the carbon column led to the development of a solvent scheme for the efficient separation of (i) ortho substituted PCBs, (ii) non-ortho substituted PCBs and (iii) polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in three separate fractions. A method for the extraction, clean-up, fractionation and determination of ortho and non-ortho substituted PCBs by GC-isotope dilution MS was developed and validated by analysis of a certified reference material. Possible losses of PCBs during freeze-drying and interferences of aliphatic hydrocarbons during mass spectrometric determination of ortho substituted PCBs are also discussed. Received: 23 June 1995/Revised: 9 May 1996/Accepted: 25 May 1996     

Potentiometric determination of ultratrace amounts of fluoride enriched by zirconia in a flow system

A satisfactory method was described for separation and preconcentration of ultratrace amounts of fluoride ions enriched by zirconia (ZrO₂) as an inorganic ion exchanger. Fluoride ions can be adsorbed rapidly and selectively on zirconia from an acidic solution (pH 4.8) then reversibly desorbed by increasing pH up to 13. A flow system consisting of a column packed with zirconia impregnated on cellulose fibers and an ion-selective electrode was used for the determination of fluoride. The RSD was found to be 1.6% and the detection limit defined by S/N = 3 was 3 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. The interference effects of various ions, such as nitrate, sulfate, halides, alkaline, and alkaline earth ions, which may be found in the environmental water, were studied, and it was found that they were tolerated even at high concentrations. The method was applied to determine fluoride in drinking water, which contains ultratrace amounts of fluoride. The concentration of fluoride was found to be 42 μg L⁻¹, which is confirmed by spiking 2 μmol fluoride to the drinking water with a recovery of 99%. Published in Russian in Zhurnal Analiticheskoi Khimii, 2006, Vol. 61, No. 2, pp. 179–183. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Sequential injection technique for the determination of chlorpromazine hydrochloride in pure form and pharmaceutical formulations

A simple, economical, and automated spectrophotometric method for the determination of chlorpromazine hydrochloride by sequential injection analysis using ammonium metavanadate as colorimetric reagent is proposed. The various chemical and physical conditions that affected the reaction have been thoroughly investigated. The calibration curve was linear within the range 10–100 μg/mL. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was 0.7 μg/mL and the limit of quantification (S/N = 10) was 2.3 μg/mL. The sampling frequency was 22 h⁻¹. The method has been used for the determination of chlorpromazine hydrochloride in pure form and pharmaceutical formulations. The t-test has revealed that there is no evidence of significant differences between the obtained results at the 95% confidence level. The method can be applied to the quantitative determination of chlorpromazine hydrochloride. It is also applicable in the quality control of chlorpromazine hydrochloride preparations. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Triphenyltetrazolium chloride as a new analytical reagent for molybdenum(VI): Application to plant analysis

Solvent extraction of molybdenum(VI) ion associate with triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) has been studied. TTC was proposed as reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of micro amounts of molybdenum(VI) at λ_max 250 nm. The optimum conditions for extraction of molybdenum(VI) as an ionassociation complex with TTC has been determined. Beer’s law is obeyed in the range of 0.5–10 μg/mL molybdenum(VI). The molar absorptivity of the ion-pair is 1 × 10⁶ L/mol cm. The sensitivity of the method is 9.6 × 10⁻⁵ μg/cm². The characteristic values for the extraction equilibrium and the equilibrium in the aqueous phase are: distribution constant K _D = 32.64, extraction constant K _ex = 2.19 × 10¹⁰ association constant β = 6.71 × 10⁸. The interferences of different cations, anions on molybdenum(VI) determination were also investigated. A sensitive and selective method for the determination of microquantities of molybdenum(VI) has been developed. The determination was carried out without preliminary separation of molybdenum. A novel procedure of molybdenum(VI) extraction and spectrophotometric determination in different plant samples was examined.     

Microwave Assisted Deprotection of N , N -Dimethylhydrazones in Water Using Palladium Chloride–Tin Chloride as Catalyst

 N,N-Dimethylhydrazones of ketones and aldehydes undergo facile cleavage to the corresponding carbonyl compounds upon exposure to microwaves in water containing a catalytic amount of PdCl₂–SnCl₂ in high yields.     

Cellulose organic solutions: A nuclear magnetic resonance investigation

Four solvents of cellulose have been studied by using ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. All these solvents, N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide, methylamine, hydrazine, and paraformaldehyde (PF), contained dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a cosolvent. Oligomers of cellulose of DP = 10 soluble in hot DMSO have been used as model compounds. ¹³C chemical shifts and line shapes show that three of the mentioned solvents are “true solvents” of cellulose. On the other hand, dissolution of cellulose in DMSO-PF system occurs by the formation of a statistical derivative of cellulose. Enriched ¹³C bacterial cellulose on C-1 and C-6 positions have been used to identify the ¹³C positions mainly in DMSO-N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide system. This solvent has been found to be degradative for the macromolecule when the solution is kept at 100°C over a long period. Viscosity measurements show a reduction of the molecular weight in these conditions. Polarimetry indicates that no glucose is present in solution and hence there is a statistical break of the chain. Enriched cellulose solution in DMSO–N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide has been also used for relaxation time (T₁) determination both of the solvent and of the enriched carbons of the polymer. Nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) was found to be 1.8 for C-1 and 2.1 for C-6 showing that relaxation phenomenon is not purely dipolar. T₁ values of 97 and 65 msec are found for C-1 and C-6 of cellulose, in good agreement with the values known for polysaccharides. Determination of T₁ for the different carbon atoms of the solvent DMSO-N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide with and without cellulose shows a large reduction of T₁ for N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide molecule. This denotes a slower molecular motion of this molecule and a preferential interaction with the cellulose macromolecule.     

New coupling reagents for homogeneous esterification of cellulose

A group of known, but in cellulose chemistry new coupling reagents for homogeneous esterification has been investigated: 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methyl-morpholinium chloride, N-methyl-2-bromopyridinium iodide, N-methyl-2-chloropyridinium iodide, and N-methyl-2-bromopyridinium tosylate. In order to study their ability to activate carboxylic acids in esterifications of cellulose they have been employed in synthesis of cellulose adamantate esters. Their effectiveness has been estimated in terms of degree of substitution of resulting esters and compared to that obtained with the commonly used N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole.     

Synthesis of water-soluble cationic cellulose derivatives with tertiary amino groups

Water-soluble cellulose derivatives with tertiary amino groups up to substitution degree 0.8 (4.2% of coupled nitrogen) were prepared in a controlled manner by the interaction of cellulose acetate with N,N-diethylepoxypropylamine. It was shown that two reactions take place simultaneously, i.e., hydrolysis of acetyl groups and aminoalkylation of free hydroxyl groups of cellulose. The amino groups coupled to the cellulose are of middle basicity with pK _α ~9.5. Solubility of the products was found to be determined by the chemical composition of the cellulose derivative.     

Interaction and Scale of Mixing in Cellulose Acetate/Poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-vinyl Pyrrolidone-co-vinyl Acetate) Blends

Binary blends and pseudo complexes of cellulose acetate (CA) with vinyl polymers containing N-vinyl pyrrolidone (VP) units, poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) [P(VP-co-VAc)], were prepared, respectively, by casting from mixed polymer solutions in N,N-dimethylformamide as good solvent and by spontaneous co-precipitation from solutions in tetrahydrofuran as comparatively poor solvent. The scale of miscibility and intermolecular interaction were examined for the blends and complexes by solid-state ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. It was revealed that the formation of complexes was due to a higher frequency of hydrogen-bonding interactions between the residual hydroxyl groups of CA and the carbonyl groups of VP residues in the vinyl polymer component. From measurements of CP/MAS spectra and proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T_1ρ^H) in the NMR study, the existence of the hydrogen-bonding interaction was also confirmed for the miscible blends and the homogeneity of the mixing was estimated to be substantially on a scale within a few nanometers.     

Investigation of the Hydrolysis Stability of Triazine Tricarboxylate in the Presence of Transition Metal(II) Ions and Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the Alkaline Earth Triazine Tricarboxylates M3[C3N3(CO2)3]2·12H2O (M = Sr,Ba)

The stability against hydrolysis of triazine tricarboxylate (TTC) in the presence of divalent transition metal and alkaline earth ions was investigated by means of X‐ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy. Depending on the size of the cation either formation of the respective triazine tricarboxylate salts or hydrolysis of TTC yielding oxalate was observed. The hydrolysis of TTC induced by transition metal ions could be explained in analogy to the hydrolysis of triazine tris(2‐pyrimidyl) as a result of ring tension caused by the coordination of these ions. By the reaction of potassium triazine tricarboxylate with alkaline earth salts in aqueous solution the alkaline earth triazine tricarboxylates M₃[C₃N₃(CO₂)₃]₂ · 12H₂O (M = Sr, Ba) were obtained and analyzed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The isotypic salts represent the first examples of alkaline earth triazine tricarboxylates and the first TTC salts comprising solely divalent cations.     

Molecular dynamics simulation in aqueous solution of N-methylazetidinone as a model of β-lactam antibiotics

In this article, we analyze the results of a molecular dynamics simulation in aqueous solution of the N-methylazetidinone molecule, often used to model β-lactam antibiotics. The radial distribution functions (RDFs) corresponding to the most interesting atoms, in terms of reactivity, are presented. We focus our study on the effect of a polar environment on the molecule. The solvent structure around the system is compared to the structure of β-lactam-water complexes, as obtained in a previous study of reaction mechanisms for the neutral and alkaline hydrolyses of N-methylazetidinone. Two types of complexes have been considered which are related to different hydrolysis mechanisms having similar energy barriers at the rate-limiting step of the reaction path. In the first type, the β-lactam-water interaction takes place through the oxygen carbonyl atom and there is agreement between the maxima of the RDFs obtained here and the ab initio structure of the complexes previously reported. In the second type, the interaction takes place through the nitrogen atom and we do not predict a coordination layer around the β-lactam nitrogen atom. The results suggest that in aqueous solution hydrolysis of the carbonyl group is the most probable starting point for the overall hydrolysis reaction. Some discussion on the use of cluster models to represent the solvent effect is included. Received: 29 July 1998 / Accepted: 13 October 1998 / Published online: 1 February 1999     

Effect of urea on cellulose degradation under conditions of alkaline pulping

The effect of urea on the cellulose degradation under conditions of alkaline pulping has been studied using purified cellulose powder. The increased cellulose yield in the presence of urea was assigned essentially to the carbamation reactions which were confirmed by elemental analysis, UV-resonance Raman and solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The stabilizing effect of urea on the cellulose peeling reactions during heating up period of pulping process was suggested based on kinetic studies and additionally confirmed in model reactions using cellobiose. The reaction products formed in alkaline urea solutions were analysed by tandem electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and the occurrence of Maillard type reactions between reducing end groups of cellobiose and urea were evidenced. Both Maillard type reactions and carbamation of reducing end groups were proposed to be a part of cellulose protection mechanism against peeling under the conditions of alkaline pulping.     

Highly accurate gas chromatographic analysis of reference gases for use in vehicle emission measurements

 A highly accurate gas chromatographic analytical method has been developed for the determination of the composition of gas mixtures. It was tested using a reference gas as an example consisting of 3.5% of CO, 14% of CO₂, 0.2% of propane and residual N₂ intended for the use in vehicle emission measurements. The method is based on comparison measurements with samples of a calibration gas, whose composition is iteratively adapted to that of the sample investigated using a gravimetric gas mixing method. For the gas chromatographic measurement, a molecular sieve column and a polymer column are used in parallel and in isothermal operation. All gas components can be determined by a single gas chromatographic measurement, and the relative uncertainty of measurement achievable is ?0.4%. Received: 6 March 1996/Revised: 30 May 1996/Accepted: 6 June 1996     

Study on the interaction between polyelectrolytes and oppositely charged ionic surfactants. Solubilized state of the complexes in the postprecipitation region

The effects of polymer charge and surfactant composition were examined on the complex-precipitation (CP) and phase-separation (PS) regions for cationic cellulose (CC), sodium poly(oxyethylene laurylsulfate) and lauroylamidopropyl-N,N-dimethylammonioacetate and Na₂SO₄. The solubilized state of the complexes was studied by light scattering in the one-phase, 1φ, solution in the postprecipitation region. The cationic charge on the CC and the anionic charge on the surfactant greatly affected the CP and PS regions, to change the domain of the 1φ solution. The relative scattering intensity of the complex, ΔI _complex , was high near the CP region and decreased with increasing surfactant and salt concentrations in the 1φ solution. The presence of solubilized complexes of polymers cross-linked with surfactant micelles was suggested near the CP region. The cross-linking of the complexes decreased with increasing surfactant and salt concentrations, producing increased micelle binding and charge shielding. The shrinkage of the complexes was considered to bring about the boundary on which ΔI _complex is equal to the relative scattering intensity of polymer alone in the 1φ solutions. Separation of the complexes and the transition of the solution into the PS region were suggested at high concentrations over the boundary. Received: 30 September 2000 Accepted: 7 May 2001     

Cyclodextrin-based optosensor for the determination of quinine

 A flow-through optosensor for quinine is described. It has been developed in conjunction with a flow-injection analysis system and uses immobilized β-cyclodextrin as the sensing agent. The detection limit for quinine was 0.20 ng ml^-1 with a relative standard deviation of 2.1% for the determination of 0.05 μg ml^-1 (n=7) of quinine. The method has been successfully tested for the determination of quinine in some pharmaceutical preparations. Received: 4 June 1996 / Revised: 23 August 1996 / Accepted: 24 August 1996     

Synthesis and application of 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-N-methylhydrazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (MDBDH) as a new derivatizing agent for aldehydes

In a five step synthesis, 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-N-methylhydrazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (MDBDH) was prepared in high yields as a stable new derivatizing agent for carbonyl compounds. Reagent and derivatives have not been described in literature before. Major advantage of this substance compared with similar reagents is its improved solubility in polar solvents, e.g. methanol and ethanol. MDBDH reacts with aldehydes in the presence of an acidic catalyst under formation of the corresponding hydrazones. These are separated by means of reversed-phase liquid chromatography and detected UV/vis spectroscopically at wavelengths around 450 nm, depending on the individual hydrazone. MDBDH reacts with oxidizers as nitrogen dioxide and nitrite to only one product, 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-methylamino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (MDBDA), which can easily be separated from the hydrazones of lower aldehydes. Due to large molar absorptivities and absorption maxima at wavelengths > 430 nm, limits of detection range from 4 × 10^–8 to 6 × 10^–8 mol · L^–1, and limits of quantification range from 1 × 10^–7 to 2 × 10^–7 mol · L^–1 for the individual hydrazones. The method was applied to the determination of aldehydes in automobile exhaust. Received: 31 July 2000 / Revised: 9 October 2000 / Accepted: 18 October 2000     

Application of derivative UV spectrophotometry to the simultaneous determination of nitrate and nitrite ions in bath solutions for alkaline black-oxidation of steel

Second order derivative spectrophotometry was applied to the determination of nitrite and nitrate ions in bath solutions for alkaline black-oxidation of steel. The measurements were directly taken after dilution of the samples at λ = 336.4 nm for NO₃ ^– and λ = 390 nm for NO₂ ^–. The method was checked on artificial mixtures and applied to real samples containing approximately 5.5% NaNO₂ and 6% NaNO₃. The results agree well with those obtained by the standard manganometric method. Received: 8 July 1996 / Revised: 24 September 1996 / Accepted: 28 September 1996