A new electrolytic dissolution of aluminum alloys and determination of some constituents by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

The new electrolytic dissolution in batch of aluminum alloys samples as grains or turns and the determination of Fe, Cu, Mn, Mg, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb and Ti by ICP OES was investigated. In on-line electrodissolution procedures described in the literature, samples were restricted to be in the form of solid blocks or plates with one polished flat face. Here, the sample was loaded in the barrel of a modified disposable syringe (the anodic semi-cell) and pressed with a modified plunger fitted with a platinum disk to establish electrical contact with the analyte. This arrangement was introduced in a beaker containing the electrolyte (1 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃) and a platinum wire as the cathode. The resulting solution from electrodissolution (0.6 A) was used for the ICP OES determinations. The influence of the aluminum concentration increase on the determination of the elements was evaluated. Electrodissolution of certified reference materials and commercial samples revealed relative errors lower than 10% for the elements Fe, Cu, Mg, Ni, Cr, Zn and Ti (when their content is above 0.1%). Higher inaccuracies (>10%) were observed for Mn and for Fe in B.C.S. 268/1 reference material certified. The proposed method presented a relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) lower or circa 10% to all of the elements (except Pb). In comparison with traditional acid dissolution, the proposed electrodissolution method is relatively fast (about 30 min), it is clean (there is no projection of solution) and simple (heating and fumes exhaust system were not necessaries).     

Comparison of zinc and cadmium plasma parameters produced by laser-ablation

We report the measurement of the zinc and cadmium plasma parameters produced by the fundamental, second, and third harmonics of the neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet laser. The excitation temperature has been determined from the Boltzmann plot method, whereas the electron number density is estimated from the Stark broadened profile of several spectral lines. The temporal evolution of the plasma has also been investigated. Besides, we present experimental relative transition probabilities of the Zn (4s5s ³S₁ → 4s4p ³P_0,1,2) and Cd (5s6s ³S₁ → 5s5p ³P_0,1,2) triplets and compare our data with that listed in the National Institute of Standards and Technology database. The experiments have been performed in air but also in He, Ne and Ar atmosphere to study the effects of ambient gas environment on the emission intensity of the atomic and ionic lines and on the plasma parameters.     

Analysis of the effects of catalytic bleaching on cotton

Hydrogen peroxide can be catalyzed to bleach cotton fibers at temperatures as low as 30°C by incorporating dinuclear tri-μ-oxo bridged manganese(IV) complex of the ligand 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (MnTACN) as the catalyst in the bleaching solution. The catalytic system was found to be more selective under the conditions applied than the non-catalytic H₂O₂ system, showing better bleaching performance while causing slightly lower decrease in degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose. In order to gain fundamental knowledge of the bleach effect on cotton fibers and cellulose as its main component, especially after catalytic bleaching, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was used to study surface chemical effects. The Washburn method was applied to investigate wetting properties, and liquid porosity was used to obtain pore volume distribution (PVD) plots. Parallel analyzes performed on model cotton fabric, i.e. “clean” cotton fabric stained with morin - a pigment regularly found in native cotton fiber, helped to differentiate between pigment oxidation and other bleaching effects produced on the (regular) industrially scoured cotton fabric. Bleaching was not limited to the chemical action but also affected cotton fiber capillary parameters most likely due to the removal of non-cellulosic materials as well as chain-shortened cellulose.     

Investigation of the Interactions of β‐Peptides with DNA Duplexes by Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy

The interaction of β‐peptides with the DNA duplexes of dA₂₀dT₂₀ and a GCN4‐binding CRE sequence was examined. To gauge the factors that govern these interactions, two β‐pentadecapeptides, 1 and 2 , a β‐dodecapeptide, 3 , three β‐decapeptides, 4 – 6 , three β‐heptapeptides, 7 – 9 , and β‐octaarginine 10 were designed and synthesized. The β‐peptides were conceived to adopt a β‐peptide 3₁₄ helix, in which the side chains at position i and i + 3 are aligned vertically along one side of the helix. The side chains of Lys, Asn, and Arg were positioned such that potential H‐bonding sites were created for a helical conformation to interact with the base pairs of DNA. CD Analysis showed that β‐peptides 1, 2 , and 10 interacted with dA₂₀dT₂₀. In addition, β‐peptides 1 and 2 showed significant interaction with a DNA‐duplex 20mer containing the ATF/CREB recognition sequence for the regulatory protein GCN4. It is impossible, at this stage of the investigation, to make a safe proposal about the actual nature of the interaction of the structures(s) of the complexes, the formation of which is suggested by the CD spectra reported herein.     

Aromatische Spirane, 23. Mitt.: Darstellung von unsymmetrisch substituierten Dimethyl-2,2′-Spirobiindan-1,1′-dionen

Summary Both spirodiketones7 and8 were obtained as a mixture (56:44) by treatment of dicarbonic acid5 with polyphosphoric acid (PPA).5 was accessible from dimethylester3, synthesized byretro-Claisen reaction between1 and2. In the same way,30 was obtainedvia 27. The preparation of the pure spiro compounds7 and8, resp., was achieved by aldol reaction between9 and10 or9 and16, resp. Short treatment of the resulting compounds11 and17 with diazomethane yielded the methylbenzoates12 and18. Prolonged reaction (several hours) gave the pyrazole compounds14 and19, resp., which were also obtained (several days) from phthalides14 and20. The latter were formed from the benzylidene compounds11 and17, resp., by heating.11 and17 (after hydrogenation to15a and21a) were cyclized either withPPA or thermically to the spiro compounds7 and8. The main product20 was cyclized thermically to8 after reduction with zinc to a mixture of21a and8 (20:75).

     

FT-Raman spectroscopy of the reaction of polybutadiene with mercapto-thiadiazoles

Mercapto-thiadiazoles having potential anti-wear behaviour are reacted with polymers with existing viscosity index-improving properties in order to produce materials which may find a use as multifunctional lubricant additives. 2,5-Dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole, 2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 2-methyl-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiadiazole were reacted with low MW polybutadiene containing vinyl-1,2, cis-1,4 and trans-1,4 (C=C) groups. The reactions were monitored using FT-Raman spectroscopy in order to determine quantitatively the consumption of the individual structural units when reacted with thiadiazoles. 2,5-Dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole reacted readily with the polybutadiene, achieving 80% reaction within a few hours. The thiadiazole reacted selectively with the order of addition being cis>vinyl>trans. 2-Amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 2-methyl-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole were found to react more slowly and hence to a lesser extent (40 and 25%, respectively) over a similar time scale.     

The Photochemistry of Ch3I in Various Matrices at Low Temperature

The photodissociation of methyl iodide in various matrices at low temperature was studied. The observed Raman spectra excited by 514.5 nm laser radiation showed that there were two different photolytically produced iodine species isolated in the matrices after illumination by a medium pressure mercury lamp. One species which was dominant at lower iodine concentrations and exhibited a progression with an ωe of 201 cm^?1, belonged to the matrix isolated iodine monomer (I₂). The other species, which was dominant at higher iodine concentrations with an ω_e of approximately 180 cm^?1, belonged to the iodine aggregate ((I₂)_n). Five progressions of resonance Raman or resonance fluorescence of these two species were also observed in the other matrices. The iodine aggregate in the methyl iodide matrix at 77 K was formed in a crystalline structure, while the photolytically generated iodine aggregate from CH₃I/Ar (2/3) matrix at 10 K, after illumination with a mercury lamp, was in amorphous form. The rearrangement of photolytically produced iodine aggregate in methyl iodide matrix was observed as a function of the duration of illumination. Local heating effects of the laser radiation might induce the iodine monomer to aggregate in matrices. The photodissociation mechanism of methyl iodide in matrices is also proposed.     

Spectroscopic characterization of alkaline earth uranyl carbonates

A series of alkaline uranyl carbonates, M[UO₂(CO₃)₃]·nH₂O (M=Mg₂, Ca₂, Sr₂, Ba₂, Na₂Ca, and CaMg) was synthesized and characterized by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) after nitric acid digestion, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). The molecular structure of these compounds was characterized by extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Crystalline Ba₂[UO₂(CO₃)₃]·6H₂O was obtained for the first time. The EXAFS analysis showed that this compound consists of (UO₂)(CO₃)₃ clusters similar to the other alkaline earth uranyl carbonates. The average U-Ba distance is 3.90±0.02 Å.Fluorescence wavelengths and life times were measured using time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The U-O bond distances determined by EXAFS, TRLFS, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy agree within the experimental uncertainties. The spectroscopic signatures observed could be useful for identifying uranyl carbonate species adsorbed on mineral surfaces.     

Spectroscopy, NMR and DFT studies on molecular recognition of crown ether bridged chiral heterotrinuclear salen Zn(II) complex

A barium-containing crown ether bridged chiral heterotrinuclear salen Zn(II) complex BaZn2L(ClO4)2, where L is a folded dinuclear chiral (R,R)-salen ligand, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR, UV-vis, IR, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, and mass spectra. As a folded dinuclear chiral host, its recognition with achiral guests (imidazole derivatives), rigid bidentate guest (1,4-diazobicyclo[2,2,2]octane, DABCO) and chiral guests (amino acid methyl esters) was investigated by means of UV-vis spectrophotometric titration, CD spectra. The association constants of D-amino acid methyl esters are found to be higher than those of their L-enantiomer. The sandwich-type binding of BaZn2L(ClO4)2-DABCO supramolecular assembly was specially studied via 1H NMR titration and 1H ROESY. To understand the recognition on molecular level, density functional theory (DFT) calculations on B3LYP/LanL2DZ were performed on the minimal energy conformations of host, guests, and host-guest complexes. The minimal energy conformations were obtained by molecular mechanics (MM) optimization and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results of single point energy, HOMO energy, and charges transfer were analyzed. The results of theoretical calculations are in good agreement with the experimental data.