Specific heat and neutron diffraction study on quaternary sulfides BaNd2CoS5 and BaNd2ZnS5

Magnetic and electrical properties are investigated for quaternary neodymium sulfides BaNd₂TS₅ (T=Co, Zn) through the specific heat, neutron diffraction, and electrical conductivity measurements. Their electrical conductivities show semiconductive behavior, which follows the Arrhenius temperature dependence with the activation energy of E_a=1.46 eV for BaNd₂ZnS₅ and E_a=1.19 eV for BaNd₂CoS₅. The specific heat of BaNd₂ZnS₅ has a λ-type anomaly at 2.8 K due to the antiferromagnetic ordering of the Nd³⁺ moments and a Schottky-type anomaly at around 60 K, which results from the crystal field splitting of the ⁴I_9/2 ground state of the Nd³⁺ ion. The specific heat of BaNd₂CoS₅ shows two λ-type anomalies at 5.7 K due to the antiferromagnetic ordering of Nd³⁺ and at 58 K due to the antiferromagnetic ordering of Co²⁺. The latter overlaps with the Schottky-type anomaly due to the crystal field splitting of the Nd³⁺ ion. Neutron diffraction measurements for BaNd₂CoS₅ show that a magnetic arrangement of the Co²⁺ moments has a collinear antiferromagnetic structure, while that of the Nd³⁺ moments has a noncollinear one.     

Controlled-rate thermal analysis

Controlled-rate thermal analysis (CRTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to investigate the adsorbed water layers and the surface properties of different commercial activated carbons. A simple method is proposed to obtain information on the properties of the adsorbed water film and the surface heterogeneity of the materials studied. This method utilizes TG mass loss and the first derivative of the DTG mass loss curves with respect to temperature and time, obtained during programmed liquid thermodesorption. The obtained TG mass loss curves, which reflect the energetic heterogeneity, consisted of steps and inflections which were associated with the mechanism of wetting of the solid surfaces. The heights of these steps and inflections depend on the adsorption capacity, the adsorption potential and the nature and number of the active centers of the carbon samples studied. The values of the total porosity and the surface phase capacity obtained by this method are in good agreement with those estimated on the basis of independent methods. The behaviour of water/carbon samples was studied by means of DSC at subambient and elevated temperatures. The experimental results provided novel data on the structural heterogeneity, the thermal stability of the water/carbon interface and its phase and structural transitions.Support from the Research Council of Kent State University (Ohio, USA) is acknowledged. The author is pleased to thank Drs M. Jaroniec, R. K. Gilpin, J. Choma and R. Dobrowolski for fruitful discussions and the active carbon samples.     

Cationic ring-opening transfer polymerization of spiro ortho esters initiated by carbon black

The ring-opening transfer polymerization of spiro ortho esters (SOE) initiated by carbon black was investigated. In the absence of carbon black, no polymerization occurred at all. In the presence of channel black containing carboxyl group, the ring-opening transfer polymerization of SOE was initiated at 50-70°C. to give polyether ester, namely alternating copolymer of epoxide and lactone. The rate of polymerization of 1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4.4]nonane and 1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4.5]decane was considerably small compared with that of 1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4.6]undecane. The activation energy of the polymerization of 2-chloromethyl-1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4.6]undecane was estimated to be 6.0 kcal/mol. The initiating activity of carbon black increased with an increase in carboxyl group content of carbon black. Furnace black that contained no carboxyl group was unable to initiate the polymerization. Furthermore, the carbon black lost the initiating ability of the polymerization upon the blocking of carboxyl group on the surface by the treatment with potassium hydroxide or diazomethane. Based on these results, it was concluded that carboxyl group on carbon black plays an important role in the initiation. During the polymerization, a part of the polymer formed was grafted onto carbon black: the grafting ratio was 10–30%. The mechanisms of initiation and grafting were discussed.     

Studies on penem and carbapenem. I. Syntheses and oral absorption of ester-type prodrugs of sodium (5R,6S)-2-(2-fluoroethylthio)-6-[(1R)-1-hydroxyethyl]penem-3-c arboxylat e

Acyloxyalkyl esters (2a-d), alkyloxycarbonyloxyalkyl esters (2e-g) and (5-methyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxol-4-yl)methyl ester (2h) of (5R,6S)-2-(2-fluoroethylthio)-6-[(1R)-1-hydroxyethyl]penem-3- carboxylic acid (1) were synthesized. Enhanced oral absorption was observed in mice reflecting increased lipophilicity, compared with the parent 1 itself. Among them, the ester 2h showed a prolonged plasma level and a large area under the blood concentration-time curve (AUC) in rats. These ester-type prodrugs of penem 1 in phosphate buffer (pH 6.86) were much more stable than those of cephalosporins which easily degraded via isomerization to delta 2 cephalosporins.     

Mechanisms and kinetics of noncatalytic ether reaction in supercritical water. 2. Proton-transferred fragmentation of dimethyl ether to formaldehyde in competition with hydrolysis

Noncatalytic reaction pathways and rates of dimethyl ether (DME) in supercritical water are determined in a tube reactor made of quartz according to liquid- and gas-phase 1H and 13C NMR observations. The reaction is studied at two concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 M) in supercritical water at 400 degrees C and over a water-density range of 0.1-0.6 g/cm3. The supercritical water reaction is compared with the neat one (in the absence of solvent) at 0.1 M and 400 degrees C. DME is found to decompose through (i) the proton-transferred fragmentation to methane and formaldehyde and (ii) the hydrolysis to methanol. Formaldehyde from reaction (i) is consecutively subjected to four types of redox reactions. Two of them proceed even without solvent: (iii) the unimolecular proton-transferred decarbonylation forming hydrogen and carbon monoxide and (iv) the bimolecular self-disproportionation generating methanol and carbon monoxide. When the solvent water is present, two additional paths are open: (v) the bimolecular self-disproportionation of formaldehyde with reactant water, producing methanol and formic acid, and (vi) the bimolecular cross-disproportionation between formaldehyde and formic acid, yielding methanol and carbonic acid. Methanol is produced through the three types of disproportionations (iv)-(vi) as well as the hydrolysis (ii). The presence of solvent water decelerates the proton-transferred fragmentation of DME; the rate constant is reduced by 40% at 0.5 g/cm3. This is caused by the suppression of low-frequency concerted motion corresponding to the reaction coordinate for the simultaneous C-O bond scission and proton transfer from one methyl carbon to the other. In contrast to the proton-transferred fragmentation, the hydrolysis of DME is markedly accelerated by increasing the water density. The latter becomes more important than the former in supercritical water at densities greater than 0.5 g/cm3.     

Hydrogen evolution from water by use of viologen polymers as electron transfer catalyst

The behavior of viologen polymer (P-V²⁺) as an electron transfer catalyst in the reaction of hydrogen generation was studied. In the photoirradiation system, which contains triethanolamine (TEA), Ru(bpy)³⁺₃, and P-V²⁺, the amount of hydrogen evolution was less than methyl viologen (MV²⁺); P-V²⁺, however, was more effective in sodium dithionite as the electron donor and showed higher initial rates than MV²⁺.     

Carbon dioxide fixation by microalgae photosynthesis using actual flue gas discharged from a boiler

To mitigate CO₂ discharged from thermal power plants, studies on CO₂ fixation by the photosynthesis of microalgae using actual exhaust gas have been carried out. The results are as follows.

Ring-opening polymerization of α,β-disubstituted oxiranes by α-methoxyphenylmethylium hexachloroantimonate

α-Methoxyphenylmethylium hexachloroantimonate was used as a novel initiator for the polymerization of α,β-disubstituted oxiranes such as cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and 2-butene oxide (trans and cis) (2-BO) at ?78°C with dichloromethane or dichloromethane-toluene mixtures as solvents. The CHO polymerization mixture became turbid and the polymer precipitated in dichloromethane. The CHO polymerization proceed quantitatively in dichloromethane–toluene mixtures. The molecular weight distribution of polyCHO obtained was bimodal regardless of the solvent used. The polymerization of trans-2-BO was heterogeneous in both dichloromethane and dichloromethane–toluene mixture. The polymerization mixtures of cis-2-BO were transparent but reached a limit yield which was less than the polymer yield of trans-2-BO. Furthermore, the microstructure of the poly2-BOs were analyzed by Vandenberg's method and the results confirmed Vandenberg's finding that inversion of configuration occurs in the propagation step.     

Cationic ring‐opening polymerization of monothiocarbonate with a norbornene group

This work deals with the cationic ring‐opening polymerization of cyclic thiocarbonates with a norbornene or norbornane moiety, that is, 5,5‐(bicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐2‐ene‐5,5‐ylidene)‐1,3‐dioxane‐2‐thione ( TC1 ) or 5,5‐(bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane‐5,5‐ylidene)‐1,3‐dioxane‐2‐thione ( TC2 ), respectively. The reaction of TC1 initiated by trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TfOH), methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TfOMe), boron trifluoride etherate (BF₃OEt₂), or triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate (Et₃OBF₄) afforded unidentified products; however, TC1 underwent cationic ring‐opening polymerization with methyl iodide as an initiator to afford polythiocarbonate because the propagating end was stabilized by the covalent‐bonding property. The polymerization of TC2 initiated by TfOH, TfOMe, BF₃OEt₂, or Et₃OBF₄ afforded polythiocarbonate with good solubility in common organic solvents and a narrow molecular weight distribution because of the absence of a double‐bond moiety. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1698–1705, 2002     

Kinetic determination of trace cobalt(II) by visual autocatalytic indication

A highly sensitive and simple visual autocatalytic method has been developed for the determination of trace cobalt. The cobalt ion released by the oxidative decomposition of inert bis[2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-(N-propyl-N-sulfopropyl-amino-phenolato] cobaltate (Co(III)-5-Br-PAPS) with peroxomonosulfate acts as a catalyst for the oxidative degradation of the complex. Thus a definite time lapse of degradation is observed by the sudden disappearance of colored Co(III) complexes. The degradation time varies inversely with the logarithm of the initial concentration of cobalt(II). The determination range of cobalt(II) was from 3x10(-9) to 2x10(-7) M in the presence of 5x10(-6) M of 5-Br-PAPS. The relative standard deviation of the spot size method (10 mul) was 3.5% at 1x10(-7) M cobalt(II). This autocatalytic indicator reaction system has been successfully applied for the visual determination of urinary cobalt.