Preparation and basic physical properties of BiTeI single crystals

A modified Bridgman method is described, which makes it possible to prepare homogeneous BiTeI crystals using excess iodine. At room temperature the values of the electrical conductivity of the crystals range around 2000 ^–1 cm^–1, the Hall constant value about 0·09 cm^–3 coul^–1, the Seebeck coefficient about 50 V K^–1. In connection with the assumption of super-stoichiometric iodine content we expect there exist point defects in the crystals, where Te atoms are replaced with I atoms, which gives rise to electric conductivity. On the basis of the temperature dependence of the electron mobility one can suppose a mixed mechanism of the scattering of the free carriers by the acoustic branch of lattice vibrations and by ionized impurities.     

Photophysics of aromatic molecules with low-lying pi sigma* states: excitation-energy dependence of fluorescence in jet-cooled aromatic nitriles

Excitation-energy dependence of fluorescence intensity and fluorescence lifetime has been measured for 4-dimethylaminobenzonitrile (DMABN), 4-aminobenzonitrile (ABN), 4-diisopropylaminobenzonitrile (DIABN), and 1-naphthonitrile (NN) in a supersonic free jet. In all cases, the fluorescence yield decreases rather dramatically, whereas the fluorescence lifetime decreases only moderately for S1 (pi pi*, L(b)) excess vibrational energy exceeding about 1000 cm(-1). This is confirmed by comparison of the normalized fluorescence excitation spectrum with the absorption spectrum of the compound in the vapor phase. The result indicates that the strong decrease in the relative fluorescence yield at higher energies is due mostly to a decrease in the radiative decay rate of the emitting state. Comparison of the experimental results with the TDDFT potential energy curves for excited states strongly suggests that the decrease in the radiative decay rate of the aminobenzonitriles at higher energies is due to the crossing of the pi pi* singlet state by the lower-lying pi sigma*(C[triple bond]N) singlet state of very small radiative decay rate. The threshold energy for the fluorescence "break-off" is in good agreement with the computed energy barrier for the pi pi*/pi sigma* crossing. For NN, on the other hand, the observed decrease is in fluorescence yield at higher excitation energies can best be attributed to the crossing of the pi pi* singlet state by the pi sigma* triplet state.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of cularine alkaloids via enium ions and an easy entry to isoquinolines by aza-Wittig electrocyclic ring closure

In preliminary communications, we reported the diastereoselective synthesis of cularine and sarcocapnine via the intramolecular ring closure of nitrenium and oxenium ions, a new highly diastereoselective reductive methylation with (+)-8-phenylmenthyl chloroacetate followed by reduction with sodium borohydride, and a facile entry to the isoquinoline precursors by aza-Wittig electrocyclic ring closure. We now report the full details of the syntheses of (+)-O-demethylcularine, (+)-cularine, (+)-sarcocapnidine, (+)-sarcocapnine, and (+)-crassifoline and describe different methods of synthesis of their precursors.     

Stability of anthocyanins extracted from grape skins

Summary The extractability and stability of anthocyanins from the skins ofVitis vinifera were determined at different pH values. Anthocyanins were extracted using acetone, partitioned with chloroform and pre-purified by solid-phase extraction (SPE). They were analysed by RP-HPLC, and the kinetic parameters of decomposition were calculated. The total monomeric anthocyanin content was determined by spectrophotometry. Anthocianins were well separated by RP-HPLC. The efficiency of extraction depended strongly on the pH of the extracting agent and on the character of the pigment to be extracted. The amount of anthocyanins decreased with increasing duration of storage, more so at elevated temperatures. Presented at Balaton Symposium '01 on High-Performance Separation Methods Siófok, Hungary, September 2–4, 2001.     

Perfectly alternating segmented polyimide-polydimethyl siloxane copolymers via transimidization

New strategies for the synthesis of perfectly alternating segmented polyimide-polydimethyl siloxane copolymers were developed by utilizing a transimidization method. Imide oligomers endcapped with 2-aminopyrimidine were reacted with aminopropyl terminated (dimethyl siloxane) oligomers to afford perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers. The polymerization was conducted in solvents such as chlorobenzene and chlorofrom. High molecular weight, fully imidized perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers were obtained within 2 h at temperatures of 60-110°C. The mechanism of the reaction was further elucidated via model compounds and NMR characterization. The block copolymers exhibited two T_gs due to the microphase separation of the polyimide and polysiloxane phases. The T_g of the polyimide phase was a function of the length of the polyimide block. However, partial phase mixing was also evident from the DSC results on the imide siloxane copolymers prepared with low molecular weight polyimide segments. Thermooxidative stability and tensile properties of the perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers were found to be principally dependent on the amount of poly (dimethyl siloxane) incorporated in the copolymer and did not correlate with the poly (dimethyl siloxane) or polyimide block lengths. The stress-strain behavior of both solvent cast films or molded films is also reported. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Computational strategies for evaluating barrier heights for gas-phase reactions of lithium enolates

Gas-phase activation energies were calculated for three lithium enolate reactions by using several different ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) methods to determine which levels of theory generate acceptable results. The reactions included an aldol-type addition of an enolate to an aldehyde, a proton transfer from an alcohol to a lithium enolate, and an S(N)2 reaction of an enolate with chloromethane. For each reaction, the calculations were performed for both the monomeric and dimeric forms of the lithium enolate. It was found that transition state geometry optimization with B3LYP followed by single point MP2 calculations generally provided acceptable results compared to higher level ab initio methods.     

Thermal behavior of loratadine

Simultaneous thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques were used for the characterization the thermal degradation of loratadine, ethyl-4-(8-chloro-5,6-dihydro-11H-benzo[5,6]cyclohepta[1,2-b]pyridin-11-ylidine)-1-piperidinecarboxylate. TG analysis revealed that the thermal decomposition occurs in one step in the 200–400°C range in nitrogen atmosphere. DTA and DSC curves showed that loratadine melts before the decomposition and the decomposition products are volatile in nitrogen. In air the decomposition follows very similar profile up to 300°C, but two exothermic events are observed in the 170–680°C temperature range. Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method was used for the solid-state kinetic analysis of loratadine thermal decomposition. The calculated activation energy (E _a) was 91±1 kJ mol^–1 for α between 0.02 and 0.2, where the mass loss is mainly due to the decomposition than to the evaporation of the decomposition products.     

Determination of manganese and zinc in powdered chocolate samples by slurry sampling using sequential multi-element flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In the present work, a slurry sampling flame atomic absorption spectrometric method to determine directly manganese and zinc in powdered chocolate samples is proposed. The optimization step was performed using univariate methodology involving the following factors: nature and concentration of the acid solution, sonication time, and particle size. The established conditions led to the use of a sample mass of 150 mg, 2.0 mol L^− 1 nitric acid solution, sonication time of 15 min, and a slurry volume of 50 mL. This method allows the determination of manganese and zinc with detection limit of 52 and 61 ng g^− 1, respectively, and a precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.6% and 3.2% (both, n = 10) for contents of manganese and zinc of 52.4 and 100.0 μg g^− 1, respectively. The proposed method was applied for determination of manganese and zinc in five powdered chocolate samples. In these, the manganese content varied from 42.8 to 52.7 and from 88.6 to 102.4 μg g^− 1 of zinc. The analytical results were compared with the results obtained by analysis of these samples after digestion using open vessel and acid bomb digestion procedures and determination using FS-FAAS. The statistical comparison by t-test (95% confidence level) showed no significant difference between these results.     

Equilibrium and kinetic aspects of the uptake of poly(ethylene oxide) by copolymer microgel particles of N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylic acid

The use of microgels for controlled uptake and release has been an area of active research for many years. In this work copolymer microgels of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and acrylic acid (AAc), containing different concentrations of AAc and also cross-linking monomer, have been prepared and characterized. These microgels are responsive to pH and temperature. As well as monitoring the equilibrium response to changes in these variables, the rates of swelling/de-swelling of the microgel particles, on changing either the pH or the temperature, have also been investigated. It is shown that the rate of de-swelling of the microgel particles containing AAc is much faster than the rate of swelling, on changing the pH appropriately. This is explained in terms of the relative mobilities of the H(+) and Na(+) ions, in and out of the particles. It was observed that the microgels containing AAc, at pH 8, de-swelled relatively slowly on heating to 50 degrees C from 20 degrees C. This is attributed to the resistance to collapse associated with the large increase in counterion concentration inside the microgel particles. The swelling and de-swelling properties of these copolymer microgels have also been investigated in aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solutions, of different MW (2000-300 000). The corresponding absorbed amounts of PEO from solution onto the microgels have also been determined using a depletion method. The results, as a function of AAc content, cross-linker concentration, PEO MW, pH, and temperature, have been rationalized in terms of the ease and depth of penetration of the PEO chains into the various microgel particles and also the H-bonding associations between PEO and either the -COOH of the AAc moeities and/or the H of the amide groups (much weaker). Finally, the adsorption and desorption of the PEO molecules in to and out of the microgel particles have been shown to be extremely slow compared to normal diffusion time scales for polymer adsorption onto rigid surfaces.