Microwave-assisted asymmetric ring opening of meso-epoxides with aromatic amines catalyzed by a Ti-S-(−)-BINOL complex

Catalytic asymmetric ring opening of cyclohexene oxide and meso-stilbene oxide with anilines was catalyzed by a Ti-(S)-(−)-BINOL complex to afford β-amino alcohols in high yield (up to 95%) and good enantioselectivities (ee up to 55%) under microwave irradiation. The reaction using a microwave was found to be 10 times faster than traditional oil-bath heating with retention of enantioselectivity.     

Asymmetric Epoxidation of Non-Functionalized Alkenes Using Transition Metal Complexes

Asymmetric catalytic epoxidation of alkenes such as styrenes, chromenes and indene using transition metal complexes both inhomogeneous and heterogeneous phase has been discussed in this review. The various strategies to make the catalysts recyclable by introducing in-built phase transfer ability, converting these to dimeric form, exchanging into clays and supporting on polymeric or inorganic supports are discussed at length.     

Electrolytically produced copper(I) chloride on the copper wire as an excellent sorbent for some amines

A new solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber has been developed and applied for the determination of some amines (n-pentylamine, tripropylamine, dibutylamine, diisobutylamine and tributylamine). In this study two copper wires were immersed in sodium chloride solution and electrolysis was performed at a constant potential. Anode was oxidized to copper(I) to produce copper(I) chloride as a sorbent for the studied amines on the copper wire. Several parameters affecting the fiber preparation and SPME procedure such as electrolysis time, selection of the SPME coating, extraction time and temperature were optimized. The copper(I) chloride fiber was the most appropriate one for the determination of amines by SPME-GC-FID. The optimized method was linear over the range studied (1-100 μg L⁻¹) and showed good precision, with R.S.D values less than 3% for all analytes. Fiber production was reproducible and R.S.D for fiber-to-fiber was less than 8%. The proposed SPME-GC method showed some advantages such as lower detection limits, a shorter analysis time and the avoidance of expensive commercial fibers.     

A New Turbidimetric Method for Determination of Melamine Based on its Reaction with Mercury(II)

A turbidimetric technique based on a reaction between Hg(II) and melamine is described for the measurement of melamine content of wastewater of a petrochemical company. The present technique is rapid and simple, uses a small amount of reagent and is set up with low‐cost equipment, making this system economically viable. The experimental conditions such as volume of reagent, pH of buffer, stirring time, stirring speed, ionic strength, etc. were optimized and used in plotting the calibration curve. The linear dynamic range was 1–70 mg/L with a limit of detection of 0.3 mg/L. Repeatability of the proposed method is good, and the relative standard deviation (RSD%) is less than 1.5%. Interferences studies showed that the common compounds existing in wastewater have no negative effect on the efficiency of the method at relatively high concentrations. Finally, the proposed method has been successfully used in determination of melamine in wastewater of Urmia Petrochemical Company.     

Caro's Acid–Silica Gel: An Efficient and Versatile Catalyst for the One-Pot Synthesis of Tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran Derivatives

An efficient one-pot synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran is described. This involved the three-component reaction of aromatic aldehydes, molononitrile, and dimedone in the presence of a catalytic amount of Caro's acid supported on silica gel in ethanol/water under reflux.     

On the structural and optical properties investigation of annealed Zn nanorods in the oxygen flux

Zn nano rods were produced on glass substrates using oblique angle deposition method at different deposition angles. For oxidation, the samples were placed in a furnace under oxygen flux. AFM and FESEM images were used to morphology analysis of the structures. The results showed that with increasing the angle of deposition, the grain size decreases and the porosity of the structures increases. XRD pattern and XPS depth profile analysis were used to crystallography and oxide thickness investigations, respectively. The XRD results confirmed oxide phase formation, and the XPS results analyzed the oxide layer thickness. The result showed that as the deposition angle of the nanorods increases, the thickness of the oxide layer increases. The reason for the increase in the thickness of the oxide layer with increasing deposition angle was investigated and attributed to the increase in the porosity of the thin films. The optical spectra of the structures for p polarized light at 10° incident light angle were obtained using single beam spectrophotometer in the 300 nm to 1000 nm wavelengths. The results showed that the formed structures although annealed in oxygen flux, tend to behave like metal. To calculate the optical constant of the structures, the reverse homogenization theory was used and the void fraction and complex refractive index of the structures were obtained. Finally, by calculating permittivity and optical conductivity of the structures, their changes with the deposition angle were investigated.     

Investigation on structural,morphological, and electrochemical properties of mesoporous cobalt oxide-infiltrated NaY zeolite

We report the synthesis and characterization of a new mesoporous cobalt oxide-infiltrated NaY zeolite prepared by ion-exchange route. The scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) image shows homogenous and uniform grains size distributions smaller than 1 μm, unlike to CoO_x particles, elaborated under the same conditions. The energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) data confirm the presence of cobalt, oxygen, silicon, and aluminum. The X-ray diffraction indicates a partial crystallization of cobalt oxide and the formation of new phases. N₂ adsorption-desorption measurement shows a high-specific surface area for the modified material (579 m² g^?1), with Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) pore diameters in the range (3–8 nm). The cyclic voltammetry indicates a typical faradic process, and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy exhibits Warburg diffusion at low frequencies. The charge-discharge curve shows a clear improvement in the charge capacity of the modified material compared to CoO_x, due to the increased specific surface area. The galvanostatic charge-discharge tests of the modified electrode exhibit a typical battery behavior preceded by a pseudo-capacitive phenomenon.