Some comments on valence bond representations for the radical exchange reaction X*+R:Y-->X:R+Y*

Qualitative valence bond formulations by Hiberty and co-workers (Hiberty, P. C.; Megret, C.; Song, L.; Wu, W.; Shaik, S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 2836) of mechanisms for the radical exchange reactions H*+F:H-->H:F+H* and F*+H:F-->F:H+F* are compared to a previously published formulation of the generalized radical exchange reaction X*+R:Y-->X:R+Y*. The former formulation uses covalent-ionic VB complexes, and the latter formulation, which is more general, involves the formation of reactant-like and product-like complexes at intermediate stages along the reaction coordinate.     

Novel photoswitchable rotaxanes

A photoresponsive rotaxane based on the photoheterolysis of an acridane unit which is at the same time a bulky end group has been developed.     

High throughput screening of low temperature CO oxidation catalysts using IR thermography

The catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide is an important process used in several areas such as respiratory protection, industrial air purification, automotive emissions control, CO clean-up of flue gases and fuel cells. Research in this area has mainly focused on the improvement of catalytic activity at low temperatures. Numerous catalyst systems have been proposed, including those based on Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Au, Ag, and Cu, supported on refractory or reducible carriers or dispersed in perovskites. Well known commercial catalyst formulations for room temperature CO oxidation are based on CuMn2O4 (hopcalite) and CuCoAgMnOx mixed oxides. We have applied high-throughput and combinatorial methodologies to the discovery of more efficient catalysts for low temperature CO oxidation. The screening approach was based on a hierarchy of qualitative and semi-quantitative primary screens for the discovery of hits, and quantitative secondary screens for hit confirmation, lead optimization and scale-up. Parallel IR thermography was the primary screen, allowing one wafer-formatted library of 256 catalysts to be screened in approximately 1 hour. Multi-channel fixed bed reactors equipped with imaging reflection FTIR spectroscopy or GC were used for secondary screening. Novel RuCoCe compositions were discovered and optimized for CO oxidation and the effect of doping was investigated for supported and bulk mixed oxide catalysts. Another family of active hits that compare favorably with the Pt/Al2O3 benchmark is based on RuSn, where Sn can be used as a dopant (e.g. RuSn/SiO2) and/or as a high surface area carrier (e.g., SnO2 or Sn containing mixed metal oxides). Also, RuCu binary compositions were found to be active after a reduction pretreatment with hydrogen.     

Discovery of novel catalytic materials for emissions control using high throughput scanning mass spectrometry

High-throughput approaches were applied to the discovery of more efficient catalysts for various applications in emissions control. The screening approach was based on a hierarchy of qualitative or semi-quantitative primary screens for discovery of hits and quantitative secondary screens for confirmation and scale-up of leads. In this work, primary screening was carried out by fast scanning mass spectrometry (SMS) for NO(x) abatement, low temperature CO oxidation, VOC removal, CO(x) methanation and the water gas shift (WGS) reaction.     

Pattern formation and mass transfer under stationary solutal Marangoni instability

According to the seminal theory by Sternling and Scriven [1], solutal Marangoni convection during mass transfer of surface-active solutes may occur as either oscillatory or stationary instability. With strong support of Manuel G. Velarde, a combined initiative of experimental works, in particular to mention those of Linde, Wierschem and coworkers, and theory has enabled a classification of dominant wave types of the oscillatory mode and their interactions. In this way a rather comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear evolution of the oscillatory instability could be achieved. A comparably advanced state-of-the-art with respect to the stationary counterpart seemed to be out of reach a short time ago. Recent developments on both the numerical and experimental side, in combination with assessing an extensive number of older experiments, now allow one to draw a more unified picture. By reviewing these works, we show that three main building blocks exist during the nonlinear evolution: roll cells, relaxation oscillations and relaxation oscillations waves. What is frequently called interfacial turbulence results from the interaction between these partly coexisting basic patterns which may additionally occur in different hierarchy levels. The second focus of this review lies on the practical importance of such convection patterns concerning their influence on mass transfer characteristics. Particular attention is paid here to the interaction between Marangoni and buoyancy effects which frequently complicates the pattern formation even more. To shed more light on these dependencies, new simulations regarding the limiting case of stabilizing density stratification and vanishing buoyancy are incorporated.     

Structural and conformational characteristics of DNA complexes with polycations of different structure

The formation of DNA complexes with polycations of different structure (homopolymers: N,N-dimethylaminoethyl and methylsulfate salt of N,N,N-trimethylaminoethylmethacrylate, along with a copolymer of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate with N-methacryloylaminoglucose) in water-salt solutions, was studied by the method of static and dynamic light scattering. It was shown that, depending on the value of ϕ = [mol polycation]/[mole of DNA], complexes of different structure are formed: in field ϕ < 6, they are dense and compact formations; when ϕ > 6 in the presence of a large excess of polycations, loose structures are formed. The extreme dependence of the molecular weight of formed supramolecular structures on the values of ϕ was established.