Syntheses,Structures, and Electronic Properties of Mono- and Bimetallic Thiolato Complexes Containing Unusual Coordination Modes of Thiolato Ligands

Synthesis, bonding and chemistry of mono- and bimetallic complexes supported by chelating thiolato ligands have been established. Treatment of [Cp*VCl₂]₃ ( 1 ) with [LiBH₄ ⋅ THF] followed by the addition of ethane-1,2-dithiol led to the formation of an EPR active bimetallic vanadium thiolato complex [(Cp*V){μ-(SCH₂CH₂S)-κ²S,S′)₂{V(SCH₂CH₂S-SH)}] ( 2 ). In complex 2 , two ethane-1,2-dithiolato ligands are symmetrically coordinated to two vanadium atoms through μ-S atoms. Interestingly, when similar reactions were carried out with heavier group 5 metal precursors, such as [Cp*NbCl₄] ( 3 a ), it afforded monometallic thiolato complex [Cp*Nb(SCH₂CH₂S)(SCH₂CH₂S−CH₂S)] ( 4 a ). On the other hand, the Ta-analogue [Cp*TaCl₄] ( 3 b ) yielded thiolato species [Cp*Ta(SCH₂CH₂S)(SCH₂CH₂S−CH₂S)] ( 4 b ) and [Cp*Ta(SCH₂CH₂S) (SCH₂CH₂S−S)] ( 5 ). In complexes 4 a and 4 b , one ethane-1,2-dithiolato and one trithiolato ligand are coordinated to Nb and Ta centers, respectively. Whereas, in complex 5 , one ethane-1,2-dithiolato and one 2-disulfanylethanethiolato is coordinated to the Ta center. Moreover, the photolytic reaction of 5 with [Mo(CO)₅ ⋅ THF] yielded heterobimetallic thiolato complex [(Cp*Ta){μ-(SCH₂CH₂S)-κ²S,S′}{μ-(SCH₂CH₂S−CH₂(CH₃)S)κ²S′′ : κ¹S-′′′′ : κ¹S′′′′′}{Mo(CO)₃}] ( 6 ). All the complexes have been characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Further, computational analyses were performed to provide an insight into the bonding of these complexes.     

Enhancement of magnetic ordering temperature in iron substituted ytterbium manganate (YbMn1−xFexO3)

Oxides of the type YbMn_1−xFe_xO₃; x≤0.3 showing multiferroic behavior have been synthesized by the solid state route. These oxides crystallize in the hexagonal structure known for the parent YbMnO₃ with the c/a ratio increasing with Fe substitution. The distortion of the MnO₅ polyhedra (tbp) decreases and the Mn-O-Mn bonds in the a-b plane become shorter with Fe-substitution. Magnetic ordering is observed from the low temperature neutron diffraction study. The compounds were found to be antiferromagnetic and the ordering temperature T_N increased from 82 K for pure YbMnO₃ to 95 K for YbMn_0.7Fe_0.3O₃. Variable temperature dielectric measurements (15-110 K) show an anomaly in the dielectric constant at temperatures close to the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature for all the compositions, showing a unique correlation between the magnetic and electric field. The increase in the ordering temperature in YbMn_1−xFe_xO₃ is explained on the basis of increase in covalence of Mn/Fe-O-Mn/Fe bonds (shorter) with iron substitution.     

The role of poly(methacrylic acid) conformation on dispersion behavior of nano TiO2 powder

To exploit the advantages of nanoparticles for various applications, controlling the dispersion and agglomeration is of paramount importance. Agglomeration and dispersion behavior of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles was investigated using electrokinetic and surface chemical properties. Nanoparticles are generally stabilized by the adsorption of a dispersant (polyelectrolyte) layer around the particle surface and in this connection ammonium salt of polymethacrylic acid (Darvan C) was used as dispersant to stabilize the suspension. The dosages of polyelectrolyte were optimized to get best dispersion stability by techniques namely particle charge detector (13.75 mg/g) and adsorption (14.57 mg/g). The surface charge of TiO₂ particles changed significantly in presence of dispersant Darvan C and isoelectric point (iep) shifted significantly towards lower pH from 5.99 to 3.37. The shift in iep has been quantified in terms of free energy of interaction between the surface sites of TiO₂ and the adsorbing dispersant Darvan C. Free energies of adsorption were calculated by electrokinetic data (−9.8 RT unit) and adsorption isotherms (−10.56 RT unit), which corroborated well. The adsorption isotherms are of typical Langmuir type and employed for calculation of free energy. The results indicated that adsorption occurs mainly through electrostatic interactions between the dispersant molecule and the TiO₂ surface apart from hydrophobic interactions.     

Radioimmunoassay of human growth hormone and its application in pituitary dysfunction studies

A simple, specific and sensitive Radioimmunoassay (RIA) has been developed for the measurement of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in serum samples.¹²⁵I-labelled HGH has been used as a tracer and dextran coated charcoal system employed to separate antibody bound hormone from the unbound one. The assay offers sensitivity of 0.16 ng/ml with a reproductibility of 7% intrassay and inter-assay variations. Serum HGH levels were measured at fasting-resting state and during insulin stimulation test in (1) 15 normal subjects (controls and (2) 31 patients with stunted growth, whereas (3) in 7 acromegalic patients the same were measured at fasting-resting state and after oral glucose administration. This procedure has been used to distinguish dwarfs due to growth hormone deficiency from other conditions unrelated to pituitary disease and to confirm acromegaly.     

Electroinitiated polymerization of acrylamide in acetonitrile medium

The electroinitiated polymerization of acrylamide (AA) has been studied in acetonitrile medium using tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) as the electrolyte. Split-cell experiments showed that the polymer formation takes place both in the anode and the cathode compartments. The polymer yield depends on several factors such as the magnitude of the current flow, the duration of the electrolysis, the monomer concentration, the electrolyte concentration, the temperature of the solution, presence or absence of air, and finally whether or not the cell content was stirred. The current exponent of the polymerization was 0.28 with a reaction rate constant of 1.06 reaction % per hour. The IR and NMR spectra of the polymers suggest that the anodic polymer is polyacrylamide and the cathodic polymer is poly-β-alanine (? CH₂? CH₂? CO? NH? ). Based on the experimental results, a radical mechanism for the anodic polymerization and an anionic mechanism for the cathodic polymerization have been proposed.     

Emission spectra of terahertz quantum cascade laser

We calculated energy levels, wave functions, and energies of radiative transitions in terahertz quantum cascade lasers based on GaAs/Al_0.15Ga_0.85As heterostructures. Current-voltage characteristics and current dependences of laser radiation intensity were measured, and the maximum operating temperatures reaching 85 K were determined. Radiation spectra of quantum cascade lasers were measured for different temperatures, and the effect of intensity “pumping” from low-frequency modes to high-frequency modes was found to happen in the case of an increase in the current and time delay of the signal capture, which is explained by heating of the sample during a pulse of the current. Application of the lasers for registration of impurity photoconductivity signals in semiconductor heterostructures was demonstrated.     

Preferential attachment renders an evolving network of populations robust against crashes

We study a model for the evolution of chemical species under a combination of population dynamics on a short time scale, and a selection mechanism on a longer time scale. Least fit nodes are replaced by new nodes whose links are attached to the nodes of the given network via preferential attachment. In contrast to a random attachment of newly incoming nodes that was used in previous work, this preferential attachment mechanism accelerates the generation of a so-called autocatalytic set after a start from a random geometry, and the growth of this structure, until it saturates in a stationary phase in which the whole system is an autocatalytic set. Moreover, the system in the stationary phase becomes much more stable against crashes in the population size as compared to random attachment. We explain in detail, in terms of graph theoretical notions, which structure of the resulting network is responsible for this stability. Essentially it is a very dense core with many loops and less nodes playing the role of a keystone that prevents the system from crashing, almost completely.     

Curing kinetics of bio-based epoxy resin-toughened DGEBA epoxy resin blend

In the present study, TEIA bioresin was blended with the diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resin in different ratios (i.e. 10, 20, 30, 40 mass%), cured with methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride curing agent in the presence of 2-methylimidazole catalyst. The optimized composition of DGEBA and TEIA bioresin blends system was employed as an adhesive strength. The adhesive strength of the TEIA-modified DGEBA epoxy resin blend system was increased from 4.14 to 6.31 MPa on an aluminium substrate compared to the DGEBA epoxy resin. The curing kinetics of non-isothermal, DGEBA epoxy resin and its bio-based blend systems were investigated employing differential scanning calorimetry. An increase in the peak temperature and reduction in a heat of curing as well as activation energy in DGEBA epoxy resin were observed with the addition of TEIA bioresin content. The activation energy (E_a) of the DGEBA resin and their bio-based blend system were obtained from Kissinger and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa methods.

     

Synthesis and metal ion uptake studies of chelating resins derived from formaldehyde-furfuraldehyde condensed phenolic Schiff bases of 4,4'-diaminodiphenylether and o-hydroxyacetophenone

Two new chelating resins (o-HAP-DDE-HCHO and o-HAP-DDE-FFD), having multiple functional groups are synthesised by condensing the Schiff base of o-hydroxyacetophenone-4,4′-diaminodiphenylether (o-HAP-DDE) with formaldehyde and furfuraldehyde, respectively. The extent of loading of metal ions Cu(II) and Ni(II) was studied in both competitive and non-competitive conditions varying the time of contact, metal ion concentration and the pH of the reaction medium. Both the resins are able to preferentially remove Cu(II) from the mixture of Cu(II) and Ni(II) at a pH 5.89 in the batch operation, maximum % uptake being 76.8 and 84.1, respectively, for o-HAP-DDE-HCHO and o-HAP-DDE-FFD. The furfuraldehyde condensed resin was found to be more effective in removing Cu(II) ions than the formaldehyde condensed resins in batch technique. The resins exhibited little affinity for alkali and alkaline earth metal ions. Further, the furfuraldehyde condensed resin was utilised in column operation for removing Cu(II) ions. Elution study with HCl (>1.0 mol l⁻¹) resulted in removal of nearly 40–50% of loaded Cu(II) from the resin column.