Hydration of isocyanates in an expandable, self-assembled capsule

A self-assembled capsule facilitates reactions of isocyanates with water. The capsule provides an amphiphilic environment with hydrophobic aromatic ends and hydrophilic glycoluril units at the center. Reaction takes place in the narrow, cylindrical space to form the N,N-dialkylurea, which then appears in a longer capsule.     

Conformations and fluorescence of encapsulated stilbene

Absorption and emission spectra of free and encapsulated stilbene in two different capsules were calculated using the DFT and the TDDFT methodology at the B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, M06-2X, PBE0, and ωB97X-D/6-31G(d,p) levels of theory. The present work is directed toward the theoretical interpretation of recent experimental results on control of stilbene conformation and fluorescence in capsules [Ams, M. R.; et al. Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, 79]. The results of the calculations are in agreement with experiment and show that fluorescence of trans-stilbene persists in the large cage while it is quenched in the small one. It is found that the geometry of trans-stilbene in the ground as well as in the first excited singlet state is unaffected by encapsulation in the large cage, and consequently the absorption and emission spectra are similarly unaffected. In the small cage, the ground state of encapsulated trans-stilbene is distorted, with the two phenyl groups twisted, while the geometry of the excited state, after relaxation, lies at the conical intersection with the ground state. Consequently, there is no emission similar to that of free trans-stilbene, and the state decays nonradiatively to the ground state.     

Experimental and computational probes of a self-assembled capsule

[reaction: see text] This research was undertaken to explore the interior surface of a synthetic receptor 1.1 with arylpyridines as guests. The interior surface differentiates the guests through the recognition of their nitrogen atoms. Experimental and computational analyses revealed that there is a delicate balance of attractions and repulsions between the host and the lone pairs of guests.     

LaZnxFe1-xO3 钙钛矿型纳米催化剂的制备、表征及其甲苯燃烧性能

 Nanostructured LaFeO3 and substituted LaZnxFe1-xO3 (x = 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) perovskites were synthesized by the sol-gel auto-combustion method and used in the catalytic combustion of toluene. Their structures and surface properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, BET surface area, and scanning electron microscopy. Characterization data revealed that the total insertion of zinc into LaFeO3 takes place when x ≤ 0.1. However, ZnO segregation occurs to some extent, especially at x > 0.1. The performance of these perovskites was evaluated by toluene combustion. The catalytic activity of the catalysts increased substantially with an increase in zinc substitution. These results can be attributed to the cooperative effect between LaZnxFe1-xO3 and the zinc oxide phases. The relative concentration of these phases determines their oxygen activation ability and reactivity.     

Catalytic Combustion of Ethyl Acetate over Nanostructure Cobalt Supported ZSM-5 Zeolite Catalysts

Gas phase catalytic combustion of ethyl acetate, as one of volatile organic compounds (VOC), was studied on nanostructure ZSM-5, HZSM-5 and Co-ZSM-5 with different cobalt loadings. Nanostructure of ZSM-5 was determined by XRD, SEM and TEM. Catalytic studies were carried out under atmospheric pressure in a fixed bed reactor. Results showed that the Co-ZSM-5 catalysts had better activity than others and at temperatures below 350 ℃, amount of Co loading was more effective on catalytic activity. The order of conversion of ethyl acetate over different Co loading is as follows: Co-ZSM-5 (0.75 wt%)＜Co-ZSM-5 (1.5 wt%)＜Co-ZSM-5 (15 wt%)＜Co-ZSM-5 (2.8 wt%). Besides the higher the inlet concentration of ethyl acetate, the lower the conversion yield, and oxygen concentration in catalytic oxidation conditions has not so large influence on conversion. Furthermore, the presence of water vapor in inlet gaseous feed has an inhibitive effect on ethyl acetate conversion and at the temperatures above 400˚C, the effect decreases.     

Separation of polyelectrolyte chain dynamics and dynamics of counterion attachment by EPR spectroscopy

Rotational dynamics and local enrichment of counterions close to polyelectrolyte chains were studied by EPR spectroscopy in solvents of different viscosity. The results confirm previous findings (D. Hinderberger, G. Jeschke, and H. W. Spiess, Macromolecules 2002, 35, 9698) that electrostatic attachment of counterions to the chains is dynamic with lifetimes of contact ion pairs shorter than 1 ns. While in low-viscosity solvents linewidths for a dianionic nitroxide probe and their dependence on polyelectrolyte concentration are dominated by the gradient of local concentration in the vicinity of the chain, they are more strongly influenced by changes in rotational dynamics in a glycerol/water mixture. The slowdown of dynamics at higher viscosity strongly depends on polyelectrolyte concentration, suggesting that the lifetime of the attached state increases. The linewidths of trianionic triarylmethyl probes and of the center line of the nitroxide probes are dominated by local counterion enrichment both at low and high viscosity. Comparison of these linewidths and of the extent to which the lineshapes are non-Lorentzian indicates build-up of larger concentration gradients at higher viscosity.