Selective determination of cobalt using polyurethane foam and 2-(2-benzothiazolylazo)-2-p-cresol as a spectrophotometric reagent

The present work describes a selective, rapid and economical method for the determination of cobalt using the 2-(2-benzothiazolylazo)-p-cresol (BTAC) as a spectrophotometric reagent associated with a solid extraction on polyurethane foam. The BTAC reacts with Co(II) in the presence of Triton-X100 surfactant forming a green complex with maximum absorption at 615 nm. The reaction is used for cobalt determination within a pH range of 6.50-7.50, with an apparent molar absorptivity of 1.62 x 10(4) L mol(-1) cm(-1). Beer's Law is obeyed for a concentration of at least 1.60 microg ml(-1). A selective procedure is proposed for cobalt determination in the presence of Fe(II), Hg(II), Zn(II) and Cu(II) up to milligram levels using masking agents. Polyurethane foam is used for the preconcentration and separation of cobalt from thiocyanate media and this procedure is applied to its determination in nickel salts and steel alloys.     

Influence of the thermal degradation on the dielectric properties of a thermoset

The thermal degradation of an epoxy system consisting of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA, n=0) and m-xylylenediamine (m-XDA) was studied by both thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and dielectric analysis (DEA). It has been checked a deviation of the typical behaviour in the Arrhenius plot expected for this kind of systems, owing to the thermal degradation. Both, structural relaxation time and conductivity values, were represented as a function of the mass loss, that allow a relationship to be obtained between characteristic relaxation time and the degree of degradation at the beginning of the degradation process.     

Physical properties of many-electron atomic systems evaluated from analytical Hartree-Fock functions

The promotion energies, ionization potentials, electron affinities, and orbital electronegativities for the valence states of importance in atoms of the first two rows of the periodic system have been evaluated from analytical Hartree-Fock functions for the corresponding groundstates. The agreement with existing values, determined from experimental data, is very satisfactory.This work has been supported in part by the National Research Council of Canada.     

Elastic Moduli and Activation Energies for an Epoxy/m-XDA System by DMA and DSC

The influence of the resin/diamine ratio on the properties of the system diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (BADGE n=0/m-xylylenediamine) (m-XDA) was studied. Variation of this ratio resulted in significant effects on the cure kinetics and final dynamic mechanical properties of the product material. The study was made in terms of storage modulus (E′), vss modulus (E″) and molecular mass between cross-links (M_c) at different ratios. Two geometries (cylindrical and rectangular) were considered. The influence of temperature was studied through the activation energy (E_a>), which depends on the epoxy/amine ratio and the geometry of the samples. Glass transition temperatures (T_g>) and glass transition temperatures for thermosets with null degree of conversion (T_go>) were determined by DSC. T_g> decreases when amounts of curing agent greatly in excess of the stoichiometric composition were used. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A Titration Microcalorimetric Study of the Effects of Halide Counterions on Vesicle-Forming Aggregation in Aqueous Solution of Branched-Chain Alkylpyridinium Surfactants

Titration microcalorimetry is used to study the influences of iodide, bromide, and chloride counterions on the aggregation of vesicle-forming 1-methyl-4-(2-pentylheptyl)pyridinium halide surfactants. Formation of vesicles by these surfactants was characterised using transmission electron microscopy. When the counterion is changed at 303 K through the series iodide, bromide, to chloride, the critical vesicular concentration (cvc) increases and the enthalpy of vesicle formation changes from exo- to endothermic. With increase in temperature to 333 K, vesicle formation becomes strongly exothermic. Increasing the temperature leads to a decrease in enthalpy and entropy of vesicle formation for all three surfactants. However the standard Gibbs energy for vesicle formation is, perhaps surprisingly, largely unaffected by an increase in temperature, as a consequence of a compensating change in both standard entropy and standard enthalpy of vesicle formation. Interestingly, standard isobaric heat capacities of vesicle formation are negative, large in magnitude but not strikingly dependent on the counterion. We conclude that the driving force for vesicle formation can be understood in terms of overlap of the thermally labile hydrophobic hydration shells of the alkyl chains. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Biotransformation of 7-oxo-ent-kaur-16-ene derivatives by Gibberella fujikuroi

The microbiological transformation of 7-oxo-ent-kaur-16-ene by the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi gave fujenoic acid as the main compound, whilst the incubation of 18-hydroxy-7-oxo-ent-kaur-16-ene and 3α,18-dihydroxy-7-oxo-ent-kaur-16-ene afforded the corresponding 6β-hydroxy-derivatives. These facts indicate that the formation of fujenoic acid in this biotransformation should occur via a 7-oxo-6β-hydroxy derivative. In the three biotransformations, an 11β-hydroxylation was also produced, in low yield, indicating that a 7-oxo-group also directs hydroxylation at C-11.     

Physical properties of many-electron atomic systems evaluated from analytical Hartree-Fock functions

Numerical values are presented for the electric field gradients (q) and nuclear quadrupole coupling constants (eqQ) for a series of neutral atoms and their positive and negative ions. The angular dependence of the field gradient integrals is tabulated for configurations involving equivalent p and d electrons, for LS-coupling and central-force-field functions (e.g., Hartree-Fock functions).

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Zusammenfassung Für eine Reihe neutraler Atome und ihre positiven und negativen Ionen werden Zahlenwerte für die elektrischen Feldgradienten (q) und die Kernquadrupolkopplungskonstanten (eqQ) berechnet. Für Konfigurationen, die gleichwertige p- und d-Elektronen enthalten, wird für LS-Kopplung und Zentralkraftfeldfunktionen (z. B. Hartree-Fock-Funktionen) die Winkelabhängigkeit der Feldgradientenintegrale in Tabellenform angegeben.

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Résumé On présente les valeurs numériques pour les gradients de champ (q) et les constantes de couplage quadrupolaire (eqQ) pour des atomes neutres et leurs ions positives et négatives. On a calculé les valeurs des intégrales qui donnent la dependence angulaire du gradient de champ pour des configurations avec des électrons p et d équivalents, pour le couplage LS et fonctions de champ central (par exemple, fonctions de Hartree-Fock).

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This work has been supported in part by the National Research Council of Canada.     

Constituents of labiatae—XIV: Vierol and powerol,two new diterpenes from Sideritis canariensis

The two new diterpenes, vierol (1) [(?)kaurane-16α,18-diol] and powerol (3) [(?)kaurane-7β,16α-diol] have been isolated from Sideritis canariensis Ait. 1 was obtained by partial synthesis from epicandicandiol (7), and 3 was related with (?)kauranol (6) and (?)kauren-7β-ol acetate (11). Reduction of the acetoxy-aldehyde 14 by the method of Huang-Minlon and posterior acetylation gave 11, (?)isokauren-7β-ol acetate (17) and (?)kauran-7β-ol acetate (18).