Self aggregation of binary mixtures of sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers in aqueous solution

The mixed micelles of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) with Brij35 and Brij 97 were studied separately by fluorescence measurement using pyrene as fluorescent probe. In the range of 0–1.0 mole fraction (X) of added SDS to Brij solutions, the cmc value of the mixed micelles varies from 0.085 to 8 mmol with Brij 35 and 0.04 to 8 mmol with Brij 97. The aggregation number also changes. A measure of the stability of mixed micelles is also presented. The interaction parameter ₁₂ and the chain–chain contribution parameter (B₁) are extracted from the analysis of the results. This parameter B₁ is related to the standard free energy change associated with the introduction of one ionic species into a nonionic micelle coupled with the release of one nonionic species from the micelle. The clouding behaviour of Brij 97 in the presence of SDS was investigated and the associated thermodynamic parameters of clouding were generated and discussed.     

Comparison of micro- and mesoporous inorganic materials in the uptake and release of the drug model fluorescein and its analogues

The uptake of the three species of the drug model fluorescein (fluorescein sodium salt (FNa), fluorescein free acid (F), and fluorescein diacetate (FDA)) by zeolite NaX and the mesoporous zeotype MCM-41 was investigated as well as their release rates into solutions at pH 7 and pH 4.5. UV/Vis analysis was carried out at a wavelength of 490 nm. Uptakes of the sodium salt of 9 % for zeolite X and 14 % for MCM suggest little penetration of the pores. The use of ethanol as the loading solvent for F resulted in little uptake for both zeolitic materials due to the successful competition of the ethanol for binding sites. Use of acetone (weaker proton acceptor) as loading solvent significantly improved the uptake of F to 17 % and 12 % for zeolite X and MCM, respectively, whilst the uptake of FDA in acetone increased still further to 22 % and 17 % for zeolite X and MCM, respectively. Generally there was a large initial release of the fluorescein analogues from the surface of the zeolites with very little further increase over time. The prescence of an esterase enzyme in the release medium of FDA tripled the release from MCM to 15 % but left the release from zeolite X unaffected at 6 %. The results obtained show that uptake of fluorescein and its analogues is dependent on the loading solvent used, the amount released is influenced by not only the solvent but the pH and the presence of enzymes in the release medium.     

Ligand-switchable directing effects of tethered alkenes in nickel-catalyzed additions to alkynes

Nickel-catalyzed reductive couplings of aldehydes with alkynes that contain tethered olefins are described, in which the degree and sense of regioselectivity are controlled by the length of the tether and the presence or absence of an additive. When the alkyne and alkene are separated by four bonds, very high (>95:5) regioselectivities are observed. Use of a monodentate phosphine as an additive leads to formation of the opposite regioisomer in equal and opposite selectivity (5: >95). These results provide strong evidence for an interaction between the remote alkene and the metal center during the regioselectivity-determining step and suggest that reactions with and without an additive proceed via fundamentally distinct mechanisms.     

Chemical reactions of double bonds in activated carbon: microwave and bromination methods

The reaction of localised C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds on the surface of activated carbons has been shown to be an effective method of chemical modification especially using microwave-assisted reactions.     

Spectrophotometric and direct-reading methods for the analysis of gas phase peroxyacetic acid

A new method for the determination of peroxyacetic acid (PAA) in gas phase samples is described. It is based on the oxidation of ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonate) by PAA with formation of a radical cation which is characterized by four strong absorption maxima between 405 nm and 810 nm. These allow for sensitive spectrophotometric determination of the peracid. The selectivity of the method towards hydrogen peroxide is strongly dependent on the sampling method used. Impinger sampling and sampling based on the use of coated solid sorbents (test tubes) was performed. Limits of detection are 10(-8) mol, limits of quantification are 5 x 10(-8) mol, the linear range consists of 1.5 concentration decades in both cases. Using ABTS-coated test tubes above 1 x 10(-7) mol, direct reading of the results is possible and may be used as rapid screening method for the PAA concentration.     

Visible and near-IR luminescence via energy transfer in rare earth doped mesoporous titania thin films with nanocrystalline walls

Selected photoluminescence in the wavelength range of 600-1540 nm is generated by energy transfer from a light-gathering mesostructured host lattice to an appropriate rare earth ion. The mesoporous titania thin films, which have a well-ordered pore structure and two-phase walls made of amorphous titania and TiO₂ nanocrystallites, were doped with up to 8 mol% lanthanide ions, and the ordered structure of the material was preserved. Exciting the titania in its band gap results in energy transfer and it is possible to observe photoluminescence from the crystal field states of the rare earth ions. This process is successful for certain rare earth ions (Sm³⁺, Eu³⁺, Yb³⁺, Nd³⁺, Er³⁺) and not for others (Tb³⁺, Tm³⁺). A mechanism has been proposed to explain this phenomenon, which involves energy transfer through surface states on titania nanocrystals to matching electronic states on the rare earth ions.     

Disk morphology and disk-to-cylinder tunability of poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(methyl acrylate)-b-polystyrene triblock copolymer solution-state assemblies

Disk and cylindrical micellar assemblies were formed through self-organization of poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(methyl acrylate)-b-polystyrene (PAA-b-PMA-b-PS) amphiphilic triblock copolymers with organic diamines as counterions in water/ tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent mixtures. The system was investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the assembled-state morphologies could be modified by alteration of the type and concentration of cationic diamine counterion undergoing interaction with the negatively charged, polyelectrolyte PAA corona block, the relative amount of water in the water/THF mixture, and the hydrophobic block chain length. Multivalency of the organic amine counterion was critical for disk formation. It was further demonstrated that a single block copolymer underwent disc-to-cylindrical micellar transitions reversibly with variation in the relative water/THF ratio. The ability to form disks beginning from either THF-rich or water-rich solutions indicated that the disk morphology was thermodynamically stable and that THF was important in keeping the micellar structure from becoming kinetically frozen. The nanoassemblies were produced having low size dispersities and were stable for at least one month. Intermediate structures between disks and cylinders were also observed, indicating two distinct kinetic pathways between the two micelle structures.     

Bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10-based cryptands, powerful hosts for paraquat derivatives

Four new bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10-based cryptands with different third bridges were prepared. Their complexes with paraquat derivatives were studied by proton NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray analysis. It was found that these cryptands bind paraquat derivatives very strongly. Specifically, a diester cryptand with a pyridyl nitrogen atom located at a site occupied by either water or a PF(6) anion in analogous complexes exhibited the highest association constant K(a) = 5.0 x 10(6) M(-1) in acetone with paraquat, 9000 times greater than the crown ether system. X-ray structures of this and analogous complexes demonstrate that improved complexation with this host is a consequence of preorganization, adequate ring size for occupation by the guest, and the proper location of the pyridyl N-atom for binding to the beta-pyridinium hydrogens of the paraquat guests. This readily accessible cryptand is one of the most powerful hosts reported for paraquats.     

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography and argentation chromatography of the minor capsaicinoids

An investigation of the liquid chromatography of the minor capsaicinoids in a commercial capsaicinoid mixture is reported. Twelve stationary phases including C₈, C₁₈, C₃₀, phenyl, and cation-exchange chemistries were examined in combination with isocratic aqueous methanol and aqueous acetonitrile mobile phases. A phenyl stationary phase and aqueous acetonitrile mobile phase baseline-resolved 7 of 11 capsaicinoids, and selected ion chromatograms (LC–ESI-MS) demonstrated this was the most effective reversed-phase separation. Argentation chromatography with an alkyl or phenyl column and aqueous silver nitrate–methanol mobile phase revealed the presence of the 6-ene-8-methyl and 6-ene-9-methyl homocapsaicin isomers and the absence of 7-ene-9-methyl homocapsaicin. A mixed phenyl–cation-exchange stationary phase (charged with silver ion) enabled unique and useful separations of the capsaicinoids.