Identification of a chemical indicator of the rupture of 1,4-β-glycosidic bonds of cellulose in an oil-impregnated insulating paper system

In this study, headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry has been used to assess the volatile by-products generated by the ageing of oil-impregnated paper insulation of power transformers. Sealed-glass ampoules were used to age under oxidative conditions 0.5-g specimens of insulating paper in 9 mL of inhibited mineral oil in a temperature range of 60–120 °C and moisture of 0.5, 1 and 2% (w/w). A linear relationship between one of the oil-soluble degradation by-products, i.e. methanol, and the number of ruptured 1,4-β-glycosidic bonds of cellulose, regardless of the type of paper (ordinary Kraft or thermally-upgraded (TU) Kraft paper), was established for the first time in this field. Ageing at 130 °C of model compounds of the Kraft paper constituents (α-cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and two cellulosic breakdown by-products (D-(+)-glucose and 1,6-anhydro-β-d-glucopyranose) confirmed that the α-cellulose degradation was mostly responsible for the presence of this molecule in the system. Furthermore, additional 130 °C-tests with six different papers and pressboard samples under a tight control of initial moisture indicated that at least one molecule of methanol is formed for each rupture of 1,4-β-glucosidic bond of the molecular chains. Stability tests showed that the ageing indicator is stable under the oxygen and temperature conditions of open-breathing transformers. The presence of methanol was detected in 94% of oil samples collected from over than 900 in-service pieces of equipment, confirming the potential for this application. Lastly, the tests have shown that oil-oxidation by-products and TU-nitrogenous agents modify the methanol partitioning coefficients in the paper/oil/air system, which makes their study essential over a range of field conditions encountered by power transformers. Results are presented and discussed in comparison with 2-furfuraldehyde, which is the current reference in the domain.     

The determination of lead and nickel by atomic-absorption spectrometry with a flameless wire loop atomizer

In an extension of studies of flameless atomizers for atomic-absorption spectrometry, an electrically heated tungsten-rhenium alloy wire loop was examined. Reduction of metallic salts to ground-state metal atoms was accomplished with the high temperature produced by the loop. Lead and nickel were investigated. Experimental parameters such as wavelength, slit width, atomization temperature and sheathing gas flow rate were optimized. Absolute detection limits of 6.6·10^?10 and 1.2·10^?10, and absolute sensitivities of 7·10^?10 and 8·10^?11 g of lead, were established for unenclosed and enclosed cells, respectively. The interferences of twenty cations and sixteen anions were studied; foreign cations generally enhanced the lead absorption by retarding its vaporization, allowing the slow detection system to respond more efficiently. Nickel was investigated as a representative less volatile metal; an absolute detection limit of 1.6·10^?9 and an absolute sensitivity of 9·10^?10 g of nickel were established.     

Isocamphananaloge mandelsäure

The synthesis of some new potentially, nitrogenefree spasmolytics is described. Formally the benzene nucleus in some mandelic acid esters, known by their mild spasmolytic activity, is substituted for the isocamphane bicyclus by a) SeO₂ oxidation of 1-(3,3-Dimethyl-2-exo-norbornyl)-ethanone (5) to the corresponding ketoaldehyde6, b) oxidation of6 to the isocamphane analogous mandelic acid4 and c) esterification of derivatives of4 with isoamylalcohol and benzylalcohol. Attemps to dehydrate the methylester7 to camphenylideneacetic acid methylester (12) by various methods failed, probably because of the ring strain.

Teil der Diplomarbeit vonB. Blach, Universität Wien 1981.     

Ferrocenderivate LX. Rationelle synthesen der ferrocen-1,1′-dicarbonsäure sowie von isomeren methyl-, phenyl-ferrocen- und [3]ferrocenophan-mono- und -1,1′-di-carbonsäuren

Mono- or 1,1′-bis-acylation of ferrocene, its mono and 1,1′-dimethyl and phenyl derivatives and of [3]ferrocenophane with o-chlorobenzoyl chloride/AlCl₃ affords the corresponding (isomeric) chlorobenzoyl ferrocenes in high yields which can be separated by column, layer or high pressure liquid chromatography and in the case of the monomethylferrocene monoketones also by crystallization. The cleavage of the (o-chlorobenzoyl)ferrocenes by potassium-t-butoxide (and traces of water) yields the corresponding ferrocene carboxylic acids except for the α-phenyl derivatives in almost quantitative yields, thus offering a very convenient access to these acids. In all cases the isomer distribution and thereby the relative site reactivities were determined.     

Jod-spezifischer Detektor für einen Gas-Chromatographen

The In-flame detector earlier applied to the specific chlorine (359.9 nm) and bromine (372.7 nm) analysis has now been employed for the iodine determination at 409.9 nm. It is shown that the resolution power of a GC column can be improved by such a specific detector. After calibration quantitative measurements of the iodine contents of the GC fractions are possible. The detection limits are 0.01–1.4 μg of iodine.     

Stereochimie de l'hydrogenation des (±) Δ3(3a)-hydrindenones-4. Comparaison avec le cas de la (+) methyl-3 Δ3(3a)-hydrindenone-4 et de ses dioxolannes

We show that the four studied 4-hydrindenones (with or without a methyl substituant at C3 or C7a) give by hydrogenation on Raney nickel or on Pd/C, in various solvants, the cis 4-hydrindanones, by a kinetically controlled process. During the hydrogenation, the double bond can migrate only in the positions conjugated to the carbonyl group.In contrast, when the carbonyle is protected as a dioxolanne, the double bond is free to migrate around the five membered ring. In spite of this mobility the optical purity of the saturated dioxolannes formed is high. In the case of the (+)3-methyl Δ^3(3a) 4-hydrindenone, the enantiomeric hydrindanones $\text{9a}$ obtained by direct hydrogenation or with isomerization of the double bond are not the same. Therefore, the optical purity of the product is low, but its value allows an estimation of the relative importance of the two reaction pathways.     

Biotinylation: A nonradioactive method for the identification of cell surface antigens in immunoprecipitates

A nonradioactive method was employed to detect different cell membrane antigens on human polymorphonuclear granulocytes, monocytes and platelets. We compared the reactivity of one monoclonal antibody, N1III10, assumed to be FcγRII-specific by functional assays, with other well-characterized monoclonal antibodies and human sera. Intact cells were incubated with biotin N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide ester which preferentially reacts with lysine residues in polypeptides. Biotin-labeled cells were lysed and the antigen was isolated from the cell lysate by immunoprecipitation with the antibody bound to Protein A-Sepharose. The precipitates were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred onto nitrocellulose membrane, and visualized by a streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase system with a suitable substrate. Using this biotin-labeling system we could show that N1III10 detects a 40 kDa antigen on monocytes and platelets, comparable to that expected of FcγRII monoclonal antibodies.     

Chemical algebra. II: Discriminating pairing products

The algebra of stereogenic pairing equlibria is presented in a very general context. Starting from the notions of fuzzy subgroup and conjugacy link, chemical pairing constants between molecular speciesu andv having a skeletal symmetry groupG are formulated as pairing products on aG-Hilbert space. Discriminating pairing productsK are defined by the conditions: K 1 and K = 1 the representative vectors of the paired species areG-equivalent. WhenG has only two elements, the pairing product is always discriminating. For several skeletal symmetries, if the vectors are enantiomorphic (v = u, ² =e, G), thenK is greater than 1 and reaches 1 only ifu is achiral: chirality indexes and general permutational indexes are then defined fromK(u u). The general model is illustrated by some examples.     

Chemical algebra. IV: “Length” of transformation pathways between skeletal analogs

Even if the eq. of completely G-invariant distance extensions derived from a pairing product is not resolved, a distance is defined by means of a metric obtained by differential resolution. Under specified conditions, the linear element solution do² is homogeneous to square coordinate differentials. Integration of da along a curve of E affords a length relative to doe. Boundaries of the curve represent skeletal analogs u and v, whereas inner points represent intermediates in the transformation u v, where the ligand parameters are supposed to vary continuously: a stereogenic pairing equilibrium between infinitesimally close skeletal analogs is assumed. If the curve runs orthogonal to a unit representation space of G, the length is infinite and the curve might be regarded as a fractal transformation pathway. The thermodynamic gap D_p is always shorter than the kinetic distance of the metric do².