Thermodynamic properties of tetrachlorocyclopropene

A facility is described which incorporates the use of electronic microbalances to follow gravimetric changes due to the formation or spallation of surface oxides on metals or alloys during high temperature oxidation. The outputs from the balances are fed into a data acquisition system which allows easy collection and analysis of the data from more than one microbalance.The sensitivity of the technique is illustrated by reference to the measurements of oxidation and spallation on a 20Cr/25Ni/Nb stabilised stainless steel oxidised in flowing CO₂ based gas at 1 atmosphere pressure and 850°C.     

Monte Carlo molecular simulation of the hydration of K-montmorillonite at 353 K and 625 bar

Monte Carlo molecular simulations of the hydration of K-saturated Wyoming-type montmorillonite at constant stress in the NPzzT ensemble and at constant chemical potential in the grand canonical muVT ensemble, under basin-like conditions of 353 K and 625 bar, show a strong tendency of the K+ ions to adhere to the siloxane surface, forming predominant inner-sphere complexes with tetrahedral oxygen atoms and adsorbed water molecules. Simulations in the grand canonical ensemble predict that none of the K-montmorillonite hydrates, the one-, two-, and three-layer hydrates, are stable in this environment of high depth, temperature, and pressure. The most nearly stable configuration corresponds to the one-layer hydrate, characterized by a d001 spacing of 12.75 A, the adsorbed water being 60 molecules/layer or 180.83 mg of H2O/g of clay, an internal energy of -22.73 kcal/mol, an interlayer density of 0.365 g/mL, and a pressure tensor, Pzz, of 1999.9 bar. The interlayer structure consists of two close layers of water molecules 0.50 A from the midplane, with broad shoulders on the sides, the protons oriented toward the midplane and the siloxane surfaces, and the K+ ions close to the clay surfaces and on the interlayer midplane.     

Surfactant/nonionic copolymer interaction: a SLS, DLS, ITC, and NMR investigation

The interactions between an oxyphenylethylene-oxyethylene nonionic diblock copolymer with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) have been studied in dilute aqueous solutions by static and dynamic light scattering (SLS and DLS, respectively), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and 13C and self-diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. The studied copolymer, S20E67, where S denotes the hydrophobic styrene oxide unit and E the hydrophilic oxyethylene unit, forms micelles of 15.6 nm at 25 degrees C, whose core is formed by the styrene oxide chains surrounded by a water swollen polyoxyethylene corona. The S20E67/SDS system has been investigated at a copolymer concentration of 2.5 g dm(-3), for which the copolymer is fully micellized, and with varying surfactant concentration up to approximately 0.15 M. When SDS is added to the solution, two different types of complexes are observed at various surfactant concentrations. From SLS and DLS it can be seen that, at low SDS concentrations, a copolymer-rich surfactant mixed micelle or complex is formed after association of SDS molecules to block copolymer micelles. These interactions give rise to a strong decrease in both light scattering intensity and hydrodynamic radius of the mixed micelles, which has been ascribed to an effective reduction of the complex size, and also an effect arising from the increasing electrostatic repulsion of charged surfactant-copolymer micelles. At higher surfactant concentrations, the copolymer-rich surfactant micelles progressively are destroyed to give surfactant-rich-copolymer micelles, which would be formed by a surfactant micelle bound to one or very few copolymer unimers. ITC data seem to confirm the results of light scattering, showing the dehydration and rehydration processes accompanying the formation and subsequent destruction of the copolymer-rich surfactant mixed micelles. The extent of interaction between the copolymer and the surfactant is seen to involve as much as carbon 3 (C3) of the SDS molecule. Self-diffusion coefficients corroborated light scattering data.     

Thermodynamic study of the effect of ethanol on two amphiphilic penicillins

The effect of ethanol on the thermodynamic properties on two anionic amphiphilic penicillins, cloxacillin and dicloxacillin, has been investigated. Cloxacillin and dicloxacillin are two molecules that are similar structurally, differing only by an additional chlorine atom on the phenyl ring of dicloxacillin. The penicillins can be considered as hydrotropes if we considered that the term comprises hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that form aggregates by a stacking mechanism as is the case of both penicillins. By means of ultrasound velocities and densities, we have calculated the apparent molar volumes and adiabatic compressibilities. The critical concentrations, cc, and partition coefficients, K, have been determined, the latter using an indirect method based on the pseudophase model with the help of apparent molar data. This method has the advantage of allowing one to calculate the distribution coefficients at concentrations of the solubilizate below the saturation. The standard molar energy of Gibbs change, DeltaG0, on transfer from the aqueous to the micelar phase was calculated from the partition coefficient. The effect of the alcohol involves a slight decrease of the critical concentration because of a headgroup repulsion decrease. The enthalpies of dilution of dicloxacillin in a mixture of water and 15% w/v of ethanol were calculated. The aggregation process is more exothermic in ethanol that in pure water.     

X-ray photoelectron spectra of ruthenium(II) phthalocyanines

Summary The Ru 3d_5/2 and 3p_3/2 x-ray photoelectron spectra of mono-and non-chlorinated ruthenium phthalocyanines were measured and the collected data on the core-level binding energies of ruthenium have been used to assess the oxidation state of the metal and the composition of the macrocyclic ligands.     

Flow and evaporation cells for the detection of proteins on membranes with the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescent reaction in organic media

The high-energy intermediates generated in the reaction of bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate (TCPO) with H2O2 can excite electronically different fluorophores with a high quantum yield in organic solvents. We have previously applied this peroxyoxalate chemiluminescent reaction to the detection of proteins labeled with the fluorescent dye 2-methoxy-2,4-diphenyl-3(2H)-furanone (MDPF) on polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes. In this work, we have investigated the possibility to enhance the sensitivity of this detection method using specially designed cells in which the reagents TCPO and H2O2 in acetone are continuously renewed. In the flow cell, two syringes are used to renew the reagents in the reaction chamber containing the PVDF membrane with blotted proteins labeled with MDPF. In the evaporation cell, a fresh solution of reagents continuously replaces the volume of acetone evaporated in the reaction chamber. Both cells show a low emission background but the observed elution of proteins from the membrane produced by the flow of reagents in acetone limits the maximum sensitivity attainable with these cells. The best result (detection of 1 ng of MDPF-labeled protein) has been obtained with the evaporation cell.     

Underpotential deposition and anodic stripping voltammetry at mesoporous microelectrodes

Using the technique of liquid crystal templating a series of high surface area mesoporous platinum microelectrodes was fabricated. The underpotential deposition of metal ions at such electrodes was found to be similar to that at conventional platinum electrodes. The phenomena of underpotential deposition, in combination with the intrinsic properties of mesoporous microelectrodes (i.e. a high surface area and efficient mass transport) was exploited for the purpose of anodic stripping voltammetry. In particular the underpotential deposition of Ag(+), Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) ions was investigated and it was found that mesoporous microelectrodes were able to quantify the concentration of ions in solution down to the ppb range. The overall behaviour of the mesoporous electrodes was found to be superior to that of conventional microelectrodes and the effects of interference by surfactants were minimal.     

Sequential flow-injection determination of cyanide and weak metal—cyanide complexes with flow-through heterogeneous membrane electrodes

Free cyanide and cyanide present in weak complexes are determined by using two flow- through silver iodide/silver sulphide electrodes with an intervening gas diffusion unit. Under optimal conditions, the linear range is 10^?5?10^?3 mol dm^?3 cyanide, and the relative standard deviations are ca. 2%, with a sampling rate of 20 h^?1. Total cyanide can be determined in the presence of Zn(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) but results are low with Ni(II), Co(II) or Fe(III) present. Sulphide and thiocyanate must be absent.     

Anionic platinum complexes with 2-pyridylphosphines as ligands for rhodium: synthesis of zwitterionic Pt-Rh organometallic compounds

Bimetallic zwitterionic platinum(II)-rhodium(I) complexes of the type [(C(6)F(5))(3)Pt(micro-PPy(n)Ph(3)(-)(n)Rh(CO)(2))] and [(C(6)F(5))(3)Pt(micro-PPy(n)Ph(3)(-)(n)())Rh(diene))] (n = 2, 3; Py = 2-pyridyl) have been prepared. The P end of the bridging ligands (micro-PPy(n)Ph(3)(-)(n)) is always coordinated to the Pt center, while the N-donor ends chelate the Rh atom, giving metallacycles comparable to pyrazolylborate-Rh complexes. These metallacycles can adopt two conformations, either with the Pt complex in pseudoaxial position approaching the Rh center or with the Pt complex in a remote position. The preferred conformation depends on the steric hindrance at the rhodium center. In less sterically demanding Rh-carbonyl complexes the Pt moiety gets close to the Rh moiety as this brings closer the opposite charges of the zwitterion. For diene complexes mixtures of conformers are obtained. The X-ray structures of [(C(6)F(5))(3)Pt(micro-PPhPy(2))Rh(COD)] (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and [(C(6)F(5))(3)Pt(micro-PPhPy(2))Rh(CO)(2)] are reported.     

Radical grafting of carbon surfaces with alkylic groups by mediated oxidation of carboxylates

The mediated oxidation of tetrabutylammonium acetate and 4-nitrophenylacetate was carried out in acetonitrile on glassy carbon electrodes. It is discussed that direct oxidation of aliphatic carboxylates, which give rise to a carbocationic chemistry, cannot induce covalent grafting of the carbon surface, however surface grafting is possible by using ferrocene derivatives as electron transfer mediators. Density functional theory has been used to model a radical grafting involving methyl groups. In addition semiempirical calculations have been performed for 4-nitrobenzyl additions, and a new anchoring pattern, is proposed. Coverage factors have been calculated for both kinds of radicals. Both, experimental and theoretical results support the covalent attachment of methyl groups on the carbon surface and the formation of a highly compact monolayer which does not allow the permeation of reversible redox molecules as small as the molecular oxygen.