Xanthate complexes of nickel with nitrogen donor ligands. Part V

Nickel(II) xanthate complexes of general formula, [Ni(Rxa)₂(L)] [R = i-Pr, i-Am, xa = OCS^– ₂, L = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline(baphen), 4,4-dimethyl-2,2-bipyridyl (me₂bpy), 2-9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline(neo) or trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (dch)] and [Ni(Rxa)(cyclam)](Rxa) (= 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, i.r. and electronic spectroscopy, magnetic and conductivity measurements. The complexes with cyclam were studied by cyclic voltammetry. Values of magnetic moments at room temperature lie within the 3.25–3.51 B.M. range and thus indicate the presence of two unpaired electrons, except for the complexes with cyclam, where the anomalous values of 1.76 and 1.74 B.M. were obtained in respect to the nickel(II) complexes. Magnetic susceptibility data for [Ni(i-Prxa)(cyclam)](i-Prxa) were measured over the 79–298 K range and indicate no exchange interaction between paramagnetic nickel(II) centres.     

Synthesis and characterization of new strontium 4-carboxyphenylphosphonates

Several new strontium 4-carboxyphenylphosphonates, i.e., two modifications of Sr(HOOCC₆H₄PO₃H)₂, SrH(OOCC₆H₄PO₃)·H₂O, Sr₃(OOCC₆H₄PO₃)₂·4H₂O and Sr₃(OOCC₆H₄PO₃)₂·5.7H₂O were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, X-ray powder diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. It was found that the compositions of these compounds depend on the acidity of the reaction medium. In addition, the presented compounds are interconvertible in dependence on pH. The position of the acid hydrogen atom in SrH(OOCC₆H₄PO₃)·H₂O was determined from the IR spectra of the studied compounds.The structure of the β modification of Sr(HOOCC₆H₄PO₃H)₂ was solved from its X-ray powder diffraction pattern using an ab initio method (the FOX program) with subsequent Rietveld refinement in the FULLPROF program. The compound is monoclinic, with the space group P2₁/c (No. 14), a=49.88(2), b=7.867(2), c=5.602(3) Å, β=128.68(2)°, and Z=4. It has a one-dimensional structure with an inorganic part built of SrO₈ distorted tetragonal antiprisms.     

A Study of PbTiO3 Crystallization in Pure and Composite Nanopowders Prepared by the Sol-Gel Technique

Summary.  In this investigation the crystallization of PbTiO₃ upon annealing of pure nanopowders and PbTiO₃–SiO₂ (1:1 v/v) nanocomposite powders prepared by the sol-gel technique was studied. Using X-ray diffraction phase analysis, the start of PbTiO₃ crystallization in pure PbTiO₃ powders was detected at 400°C. Distinct crystallization of PbTiO₃ in PbTiO₃–SiO₂ nanocomposites starts at 700°C, whereas SiO₂ remains amorphous. There are indications that an interface interaction between the PbTiO₃ and the SiO₂ phase plays an important role in hindering the crystallization of PbTiO₃. The particle size (size of coherently scattering regions) was estimated from the broadening of the X-ray diffraction line profiles. The average size of PbTiO₃ nanocrystallites increases with temperature and time of annealing, the influence of temperature being more significant than that of the annealing time. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the results of the X-ray diffraction with respect to the start of the crystallization. Laser beam scattering and scanning electron microscopy provided the statistical distribution of the grain size and the morphology of the powder grains, showing that each grain of the powders contains several nanocrystallites (coherently scattering regions). Received October 4, 2001. Accepted (revised) December 14, 2001     

Conductance of tetraalkylammonium salts in 2-butanone from −45 to 25°C

Interactions of three types of tetraalkylammonium cations (tetrapropyltetrabutyl-and tri-isoamylbutyl- ammonium) with perchlorate and tetraphenylborate anions were studied by the conductivity method in 2-butanone from –45°C to 25°C. Conductance data obtained for diluted solutions (5×10^–5 – 2×10^–3 mol-dm^–3) were used to calculate the limiting molar conductivities and associationconstants. The conductance equation of Fuoss-Hsia including the Chen term and the chemical model assumption were applied. Limiting ion conductivities were calculated assuming equal limiting conductivities of the i-Am₃BuN⁺ and BPh ₄ ^– ions at all temperatures. Gibbs energies and entropies of ion pair formation, calculated from the dependence of association constants on temperature, are presented including the contributions due to short-range forces.     

Sampling procedure and a radio-indicator study of mercury determination in whole blood by using an AMA 254 atomic absorption spectrometer

A sampling procedure appropriate for the determination of mercury in whole blood was tested by using both inactive controls and a ¹⁹⁷Hg mercury radio-indicator. To exclude the influence of the instrumental device (an AMA 254 single-purpose mercury atomic absorption spectrometer) on the determination of mercury in whole blood, the function of the instrument was checked by using rat blood with metabolised ¹⁹⁷Hg. The measurement procedure was found to be free of errors. However, the study showed that the material used for the sampling vessels is a crucial parameter for obtaining accurate analytical results. The stability of solutions and samples was tested towards polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) vessels. PE displayed a time-dependent increase in the mercury content both in the samples and in the blood control material. The probable cause of this increase was direct contamination from the material of the vessel and/or diffusion of mercury from the environment through the vessel walls related to a strong complexing affinity of the sample matrix. This assumption was confirmed by supplying the vessels with the complexing agent Na₂EDTA (0.05 mol L^–1). Commercial PP vessels for blood sampling (Sarstedt S-Monovette Metall Analytik) did not give rise to statistically significant variations in mercury content in the samples and blood control material over a 30-day period.     

The number oft-wise balanced designs

We prove that the number oft-wise balanced designs of ordern is asymptotically , provided that blocks of sizet are permitted. In the process, we prove that the number oft-profiles (multisets of block sizes) is bounded below by and above by for constants c₂>c₁>0.     

Mercury Speciation in Fish by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Post-Column Ultraviolet (UV)-Photochemical Vapor Generation (PVG): Comparison of Conventional Line-Source and High-Resolution Continuum Source (HR-CS) Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS)

An ultraviolet-photochemical generator (UV-PVG) capable of post-column on-line transformation of both organic and inorganic mercury species to cold vapor (Hg⁰) with subsequent detection by quartz tube-atomic absorption spectrometry (QT-AAS) was developed. Mercury(II), methylmercury(I), ethylmercury(I), and phenylmercury(I) were successfully detected after separation by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Two types of AAS detectors were compared. The first was a commonly used line-source instrument while the second was a high-resolution continuum source (HR-CS) AAS. The latter provided better limits of detection: 0.47?µg?L^?1 for Hg(II), 0.84?µg?L^?1 for methylmercury(I), 0.80?µg?L^?1 for ethylmercury(I), and 2.0?µg?L^?1 for phenylmercury(I). The repeatability at 30?μg?L^?1 was 3.6%, 4.1%, 6.2%, and 4.5% for these species (n?=?10). These figures of merit were comparable with those reported for more sensitive atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Nine sample extraction procedures were investigated. Extraction by tetramethylammonium hydroxide and HCl at 75?°C was selected as the only method compatible with the proposed separation and detection steps providing high extraction efficiency and no changes in mercury speciation. The applicability of the proposed high-performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet-photochemical vapor generation–quartz tube-atomic absorption spectrometry method was demonstrated using fish samples and certified reference materials (CRM) DOLT-4 (dogfish liver) and ERM-CE464 (tuna fish). The results were comparable to those obtained by a reference method based on L-cysteine extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography–inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICP-MS) determination.     

The atomic-level structure of bandgap engineered double perovskite alloys Cs2AgIn1−xFexCl6

Although lead-free halide double perovskites are considered as promising alternatives to lead halide perovskites for optoelectronic applications, state-of-the-art double perovskites are limited by their large bandgap. The doping/alloying strategy, key to bandgap engineering in traditional semiconductors, has also been employed to tune the bandgap of halide double perovskites. However, this strategy has yet to generate new double perovskites with suitable bandgaps for practical applications, partially due to the lack of fundamental understanding of how the doping/alloying affects the atomic-level structure. Here, we take the benchmark double perovskite Cs₂AgInCl₆ as an example to reveal the atomic-level structure of double perovskite alloys (DPAs) Cs₂AgIn_1−xFe_xCl₆ (x = 0–1) by employing solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR). The presence of paramagnetic alloying ions (e.g. Fe³⁺ in this case) in double perovskites makes it possible to investigate the nuclear relaxation times, providing a straightforward approach to understand the distribution of paramagnetic alloying ions. Our results indicate that paramagnetic Fe³⁺ replaces diamagnetic In³⁺ in the Cs₂AgInCl₆ lattice with the formation of [FeCl₆]³⁻·[AgCl₆]⁵⁻ domains, which show different sizes and distribution modes in different alloying ratios. This work provides new insights into the atomic-level structure of bandgap engineered DPAs, which is of critical significance in developing efficient optoelectronic/spintronic devices.

Through Fe³⁺-alloying, the bandgap of benchmark double perovskite Cs₂AgInCl₆ can be tuned from 2.8 eV to 1.6 eV. The atomic-level structure of Cs₂AgIn_1−xFe_xCl₆ was revealed by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR).     

Stereoselectivity of (−)-(1<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>,2<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-2-methylamino-1-phenylpropan-1-ol preparation

Stereoselectivity of reductive amination of (R)-1-hydroxy-1-phenylpropan-2-one by methylamine was studied. From the four isomers possible, only two are produced by this reaction. These are marked as (−)-(1R,2S)-ephedrine (desired product) and (+)-(1S,2R)-ephedrine. The reaction stereoselectivity depends both on the type of the catalyst and reaction conditions. The most suitable type is the supported platinum. However, this catalyst rapidly deactivates. With a decreasing activity of Pt catalyst, the stereoselectivity decreases. It is also decreased during the production of the second liquid phase (water) in the reaction mixture.     

Validated HPLC–MS–MS method for determination of azithromycin in human plasma

A validated, highly sensitive, and selective HPLC method with MS–MS detection has been developed for quantitative determination of azithromycin (AZI) in human Na₂EDTA plasma. Roxithromycin (ROX) was used as internal standard. Human plasma containing AZI and internal standard was ultrafiltered through Centrifree Micropartition devices and the concentration of AZI was determined by isocratic HPLC–MS–MS. Multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) was used for MS–MS detection. The calibration plot was linear in the concentration range 2.55–551.43 ng mL⁻¹. Inter-day and Intra-day precision and accuracy of the proposed method were characterized by R.S.D and percentage deviation, respectively; both were less than 8%. Limit of quantification was 2.55 ng mL⁻¹. The proposed method was used to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of AZI (250-mg tablets).