Catalytic Reduction of Alkyl and Aryl Bromides Using Propan‐2‐ol

Milstein's complex, (PNN)RuHCl(CO), catalyzes the efficient reduction of aryl and alkyl halides under relatively mild conditions by using propan‐2‐ol and a base. Sterically hindered tertiary and neopentyl substrates are reduced efficiently, as well as more functionalized aryl and alkyl bromides. The reduction process is proposed to occur by radical abstraction/hydrodehalogenation steps at ruthenium. Our research represents a safer and more sustainable alternative to typical silane, lithium aluminium hydride, and tin‐based conditions for these reductions.     

Nanoporosity of Si (100) bars

Si(100) samples cut from a typical bar (100 mm in diameter) prepared using industrial technology are studied. Measurements of the electron work function (EWF) show that the size effects in these samples (a reduction in thickness along with a sample’s area and the EWF) detected earlier were due to nanostructure porosity that was buried by the technological treatment of a bar’s surface. This hidden nanoporosity is assumed to be a manifestation of the secondary crystal structure.     

Reduction of mercury(II) by tropical river humic substances (Rio Negro) - A possible process of the mercury cycle in Brazil

The evolution of elemental Hg from its environmental compounds has already been supposed to be an important process within the global mercury cycle. The present study characterizes the abiotic reduction of Hg(II) ions by typical river humic substances (HS) conventionally pre-isolated by the adsorbent XAD 8 from the "Rio Negro" near Manaus, Brazil. For the investigation of this reduction process a special reaction and Hg(0) trapping unit combined with cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) was developed. Preconcentration of traces of mercury(II), if required, was obtained by a home-made FIA system using microcolumns filled with the Hg(II)-selective collector CheliteS(R) (Serva Company). The effect of environmentally relevant parameters such as the pH value, the Hg(II)/HS ratio and the HS concentration on the Hg(II) reduction process was studied as a function of the time. The Hg(0) production was highest at pH 8.0 and in the case of decreasing HS amounts (0.5 mg) when about 65% of initially 1.0 mug Hg(II) was reduced within 50 h. Moreover, the reduction efficiency of HS towards Hg(II) strongly depended on the HS concentration but hardly on the Hg(II)/HS ratio. The reduction kinetics followed a relatively slow two-step first-order mechanism with formal rate constants of about 0.1 and 0.02 h(-1), respectively. Based on these findings the possible relevance of the abiotic evolution of mercury in humic-rich aquatic environments is considered.     

紫细菌反应中心色素蛋白复合膜电子转移研究

采用自组装单层膜方法在金电极表面形成单分子层的2,3－双巯基丁二酸（DMSA）,聚二甲基二丙烯氯化铵（PDDA）及紫细菌（Rhodobacter Sphaeroides)反应中心色素蛋白复合体的有序复合膜,使用方波估安法研究了该蛋白复合膜的电化学行为,成功地检测到该蛋白内多电对的可逆或准可逆电子转移过程,探讨了紫细菌反应中心蛋白内容各电子受体的氧化还原电位及外加电位驱动对各受体电位的影响,同时,通过对方波信号的非线形拟合,获得了该蛋白复合膜内主要电对的电子转移速率常数及电子迁移数等相关参数。     

纳米溶胶-凝胶膜修饰电极及电化学催化性能

报道了以纳米硅溶胶-凝胶（sol-gel）膜为载体的化学修饰电极。用sol-gel法在金电极上固定亚甲蓝及硫堇，发现固定于纳米硅溶胶-凝胶膜内的亚甲蓝和硫堇均有良好的电化学活性，并对同时固定于膜内的NADH、血红蛋白等生物分子产生显著的催化氧化还原作用。     

甘草次酸的电化学研究

用单扫示波极谱法研究了甘草次酸在NaAc-HAc缓冲液中（pH4．0－5．5）的电化学行为和反应机理。甘草次酸于－1．53V（vs.SCE)(P1)左右有一个二阶示波导数峰（pH＝4．0－4．9）,峰高与甘草次酸浓度在0．4－6．3μg/mL范围内呈正比,检出限为0．2μg/mL;pH在5．00－5．53之间,甘草次酸有两个还原峰,其电位分别为－1．51V（P2）和－1．57V（P3)。实验证明甘草次酸的电极过程为不可逆的逐级电子转移过程,H2O2和羟基自由基可催化甘草次酸的还原峰。     

ESR, electrochemical, molecular modeling and biological evaluation of 4-substituted and 1,4-disubstituted 7-nitroquinoxalin-2-ones as potential anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents

Electrochemical and ESR studies were carried out in this work with the aim of characterizing the reduction mechanisms of 4-substituted and 1,4-disubstituted 7-nitroquinoxalin-2-ones by means of cyclic voltammetry in DMSO as aprotic solvent. Two reduction mechanisms were found for these compounds: the first, for compounds bearing a labile hydrogen by following a self-protonation mechanism (ECE steps), and the second, for compounds without labile hydrogen, based on a purely electrochemical reduction mechanism (typical of nitroheterocycles). The electrochemical results were corroborated using ESR spectroscopy allowing us to propose the hyperfine splitting pattern of the nitro-radical, which was later corroborated by the ESR simulation spectra. All these compounds were assayed as growth inhibitors against Trypanosoma cruzi: first, on the non-proliferative (and infective) form of the parasite (trypomastigote stage), and then, the ones that displayed activity, were assayed on the non-infective form (epimastigote stage). Thus, we found four new compounds highly active against T. cruzi. Finally, molecular modeling studies suggest the inhibition of the trypanothione reductase like one of the possible mechanisms involved in the trypanocidal action.     

Functional supramolecular devices: [M4IIL4]8+ [2 x 2]-grid-type complexes as multilevel molecular electronic species

The [M(4)(II)L(4)](8+) [2 x 2]-grid-type complexes 1-8 present a set of features of particular interest for potential applications. All complexes exhibit multiple reduction levels at low reduction potentials paired with rather high stability. The modulation of the reduction potentials is possible by introduction of appropriate substituents on the ligands. The Co(II)(4) complexes 1-5 present a remarkable regularity in the disposition of the reduction levels, indicating the ability of the Co(II) sites to transmit electronic interactions between reduced ligands. In general, all investigated molecular systems 1-8 show characteristics typical for multilevel supramolecular electronic devices.     

Energy characteristics of the process of air scrubbing from hydrocarbon contaminants in a barrier-discharge reactor

The electrical and chemical characteristics of air scrubbing, using a barrier discharge, from impurities of xylene, a typical organic contaminant, have been investigated. Based on the interrelation between the electrical and chemical characteristics, an approach to the optimization of the cleaning process has been proposed that allows a severalfold reduction of the energy input.     

商用氧化铟锡玻璃:室温高效还原氮气的催化剂电极

NH₃作为一种必需的活化氮源,在化肥、染料、爆炸物和药物等的制造中起到了关键作用;同时,它也是一种在交通运输领域具有吸引力的无碳能源载体.工业上生产氨气使用典型的哈伯-博世工艺,但是此工艺涉及大量的能源消耗和碳排放,给环境带来巨大的压力.电化学氮还原反应(NRR)能够在温和环境下实现环境友好、节能的氨合成,但此过程需要高效的电催化剂.高效的NRR催化剂(Au、Ag、Pd和Ru)储量少、成本高,阻碍了它的实际应用.因此,设计和开发由地球上丰富的元素制成的具有成本效益的催化剂来代替NRR催化剂意义重大.本课题组最近的研究(Chem.Commun.,2018,54,12966-12969)表明,SnO2在环境条件下具有电催化氧化活性,但其低电导率限制了其性能,可通过氟掺杂或石墨烯杂化予以解决.氧化铟锡(ITO)作为一种含SnO2的材料,导电性好,可望用于NRR的高效电催化剂中.因此,本文采用商用氧化铟锡玻璃(ITO/G)作为催化剂电极,在温和环境条件下进行N₂-NH₃的电化学转化,并呈现出对生成氨气有较高的选择性.XRD和XPS结果表示,商用ITO/G中存在In,Sn和O元素;SEM显示ITO/G具有清晰的纳米薄膜结构和267 nm的截面厚度;相应的EDX谱图显示In,Sn和O元素分布均匀,且原子比为32.11:3.16:64.74.采用紫外-可见光谱及线性扫描伏安和恒电位极化等电化学测试研究了商用ITO/G的NRR活性.在0.5 M LiClO4电解液中测试时,于-0.40 V vs.RHE条件下,ITO/G的NH₃产率为1.06×10^-10 mol s^-1 cm^-2,其法拉第效率为6.17%.15N同位素标记实验证实了所测到的NH₃是由ITO/G催化的N₂电还原反应生成的.利用第一性原理计算探讨了在ITO催化剂上可能的NRR反应机理,确定了ITO催化剂的NRR活性位点、N₂化学吸附活性位点以及NRR的反应途径.此外,24 h恒电位(-0.40 V vs.RHE)极化测试和2 h恒电位极化(-0.40 V vs.RHE)测试后的XRD和SEM结果表明,该催化剂具有较高的电化学稳定性.综上所述,商用ITO/G用作在环境条件下将N₂转化为NH₃的有效催化剂电极,将为开发人工固定氮气的ITO基纳米结构提供一种研究途径.     

Low temperature electrochemistry as a mechanistic probe for the partial reduction of heterocycles

The reduction of a series of electron deficient aromatic heterocycles has been examined using electrochemical techniques: the analysis was performed under anhydrous conditions at low temperature, so as to mimic typical synthetic reducing conditions.     

Localized Plasmon‐Stimulated Nanochemistry of Graphene Oxide on a SERS Substrate

In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in the reduction and functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) using nanoparticles and high‐energy optical photons. Most of these reactions are carried out in solutions, whereas the local modification of GO on solid substrates still remains a challenge. In this work, we demonstrate the local reduction of GO and its further destruction, leading to the synthesis of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) stimulated by localized surface plasmons (LSPs). The reduction of GO and the synthesis of PAHs have been carried out on a substrate designed for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). We found that LSPs initiate the destruction of water molecules entrapped in the nanogaps between silver nanoparticles after the deposition of GO from the aqueous suspension. It was demonstrated that OH radicals, as a result of water decomposition, initiate the reduction of GO, leading to the synthesis of PAHs. The reactions have been observed in real time by using SERS. The measurement of current–voltage (I–V) characteristics through conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM), recorded in an LSP‐stimulated area, have shown the increased electrical conductivity (more than ten times) compared with the conductivity of GO. The synthesis of new compounds in the LSP‐stimulated area has been confirmed by the appearance of new peaks in the Raman spectra and nonlinear I–V characteristics typical for PAHs. We show that the used method allows the local modification of electrical properties of GO and controlled nanopattering of organic compounds on the surface.     

Moving from fast to ballistic gradient in liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry pharmaceutical bioanalysis: Matrix effect and chromatographic evaluations

The paper describes the steps taken by the authors to move from a fast to a ballistic gradient in routine liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis of plasma samples from pharmacokinetic (PK) profiling of new chemical entities. The reduction of column dimensions from 50 x 4.6 mm to 30 x 2.1 mm followed by optimization of chromatographic separation led to a decrease in the typical runtime from 5 (fast) to 2 min (ballistic) using an API4000 tandem mass spectrometer in Turbo Ionspray mode for detection. Three analytical standards representing typical molecular structures from our sample repository were used to spike plasma from four different species (rat, dog, human and mouse). Two different approaches were used to evaluate matrix effect: post-column infusion and comparison of the peak areas of neat standards and standards spiked after extraction into different pools of plasma; the influence of PEG400 as a typical dosing vehicle was also considered. Two different protein precipitation procedures were taken into account for sample extraction prior to injection. Peak shape, width and height, selectivity and sensitivity of the method were taken into account for chromatographic evaluation. The ballistic method was successfully cross-validated with the conventional fast gradient chromatographic assay.     

Ru/Co-Al-O负载型催化剂的制备及其加氢脱氧性能研究

先采用共沉淀法制备出Co-Al类水滑石,其经煅烧后形成的复合氧化物用作载体制备出一系列Ru/Co-Al-O负载型催化剂,并采用XRD、BET、FT-IR等方法对其结构性能进行表征分析,最后以木质素生物质油的典型含氧化合物对甲基苯酚为模型,测试所制催化剂的加氢脱氧性能。主要研究了载体中Co/Al物质的量比、催化剂还原温度等因素对催化剂加氢脱氧活性的影响,并优化了HDO反应温度。结果表明,当Co/Al物质的量比为3∶1,催化剂还原温度为350℃,反应温度为275℃时,催化剂的加氢脱氧活性最高,催化对甲基苯酚加氢脱氧反应的转化率和脱氧率都达到了100%。     

EPR spectral study of copper(II) chelates with hetarylhydrazones of glyoxylic acid

Structure of copper(II) chelates based on glyoxylic hetarylhydrazones containing benzazole (quinoxaline and phthalazine) fragments have been studied by EPR spectroscopy. Spectral parameters in polycrystalline state and dimethylformamide solutions have been determined. Spectral parameters of benzimidazole derivative are typical for square planar structure of the chelate node, while phthalazine derivative displays formation of polymeric structures due to reduction of copper(II) atom.     

Electrochemical solid-state phase transformations of silver nanoparticles

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-capped silver nanoparticles (ATP-Ag NPs) were synthesized by reduction of AgNO(3) with borohydride in water with ATP as a capping ligand. The NPs obtained were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. A typical preparation produced ATP-Ag NPs with diameters of 4.5 ± 1.1 nm containing ~2800 Ag atoms and capped with 250 ATP capping ligands. The negatively charged ATP caps allow NP incorporation into layer-by-layer (LbL) films with poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride at thiol-modified Au electrode surfaces. Cyclic voltammetry in a single-layer LbL film of NPs showed a chemically reversible oxidation of Ag NPs to silver halide NPs in aqueous halide solutions and to Ag(2)O NPs in aqueous hydroxide solutions. TEM confirmed that this takes place via a redox-driven solid-state phase transformation. The charge for these nontopotactic phase transformations corresponded to a one-electron redox process per Ag atom in the NP, indicating complete oxidation and reduction of all Ag atoms in each NP during the electrochemical phase transformation.     

Electrocatalysis of nitric oxide reduction by hemoglobin entrapped in surfactant films

We have investigated the electrochemical reduction of NO catalyzed by hemoglobin, HbFe, trapped within a dimethyldidodecylammonium bromide (DDAB) film cast on a glassy carbon electrode. The presence of NO in the electrolyte drastically changes the voltammetric response of the DDAB/HbFe film. Two reduction waves, with intensity proportional to NO concentration, are observed at −0.6 and −1.0 V versus SCE, respectively. The reduction wave at −1.0 V is a mass-transport controlled one. The typical voltammetric behavior of HbFe is discussed in terms of reactivity of the iron-heme enzyme toward NO, giving ferrous nitrosyl and nitroxyl adducts.     

煤焦催化HCN还原NO的反应机理

通过量子化学密度泛函理论研究了均相和煤焦催化的HCN还原NO反应机理,计算了反应动力学参数。结果表明,均相还原反应的活化能为306 kJ/mol,而煤焦催化的NO还原反应的活化能为136 kJ/mol。典型再燃温度1 400 K下,HCN异相还原NO的反应速率略小于煤焦异相还原NO的反应速率;HCN参与下的煤焦异相还原NO反应较CO参与下的煤焦异相促还原NO反应更易发生。各组分的吸附顺序对HCN异相还原NO的反应有明显的影响;在典型再燃温度下,NO先吸附时煤焦表面的异相还原反应速率常数为5.28×10~(10),比HCN先吸附时最快反应路径的反应速率常数大一个数量级。煤焦对NO还原具有显著的催化作用;煤焦表面作为NO的还原反应位点,对反应气体具有明显的活化作用。     

Characteristics and origins of common chemical noise ions in negative ESI LC-MS

Ionic chemical background noise in LC-MS has been one of the major problems encountered in trace analysis. In this study, the typical negative background ions in ESI LC-MS are investigated exemplarily. It was carried out using tandem mass spectrometry to study the products and precursors of the major background ions to examine their structures and structure relationship. Various typical LC eluents with different compositions and additives such as ammonium formate/formic acid and ammonium acetate/acetic acid have been studied. Several types of negative noise ions are concluded, which include the cluster chemical background ions only from mobile phase components and additives. Furthermore, there are also abundant clusters resulting from the solvation of some typical individual contaminants (e.g. additives and degradation products from tubing, impurities in the mobile phase, etc.), accompanied by some minor contribution from contaminants. The elemental composition of some selected ions was confirmed using the FT-ICR accurate mass measurement. This work provides us insight into information about the structures and types of common negative background ions and will help to understand their formation and origins. More importantly, it will guide us to prevent chemical noise interference in practice and also contribute to develop methods for noise reduction based on selective ion-molecule reactions.     

Redox-initiated cationic polymerization: The diaryliodonium salt/benzoin redox couple

A new redox couple based on the copper-catalyzed reduction of diaryliodonium salts with benzoins has been used to initiate cationic polymerizations of cyclic ethers and esters. A proposed mechanism for initiation by this redox couple is based on its stoichiometry and on the nature of the products. It was concluded that initiation of polymerization occurs both by direct arylation of the monomer and by protonation by strong Brønsted acids. The polymerization of several typical cationically polymerizable monomers using this new redox initiator were studied.