Detailed experimental and kinetic modeling study of 3-carene pyrolysis

3-Carene is an important potential biofuel with properties similar to the jet-propellant JP-10. Its thermal decomposition and combustion behavior is to date unknown, which is essential to assess its quality as a fuel. A combined experimental and kinetic modeling study has been conducted to understand the initial decomposition of 3-carene. The pyrolysis of 3-carene was investigated in a jet-stirred quartz reactor at atmospheric pressure, at temperatures varying from 650 to 1050 K, covering the complete conversion range. The decomposition of 3-carene was observed to start around 800 K, and it is almost complete at 970 K. Online gas chromatography shows that primarily aromatics are generated which suggests that 3-carene is not a good fuel candidate. The potential energy surface for the initial decomposition pathways determined by KinBot shows that a hydrogen elimination reaction dominates, giving primarily cara-2,4-diene. Next to this molecular pathway, radical pathways lead to aromatics via ring opening. The kinetic model was automatically generated with Genesys and consists of 2565 species and 9331 reactions. New quantum chemical calculations at the CBS-QB3 level of theory were needed to calculate rate coefficients and thermodynamic properties relevant for the primary decomposition of 3-carene. Both the conversion of 3-carene and the yields of the primary products (ie, benzene and hydrogen gas) are well predicted with this kinetic model. Rate of production analyses shows that the dominant pathways to convert 3-carene are hydrogen elimination reaction and radical chemistry.     

Efficient synthesis of branched poly(acrylic acid) derivatives via postpolymerization modification

The utility of pentafluorophenyl esters for the selective introduction of functional units and branch points in well-defined poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) derivatives is demonstrated using a combination of controlled radical polymerization and postpolymerization modification. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer enables the synthesis of well-defined copolymers—poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate-co-tert-butyl acrylate)—with the active ester repeat units serving as attachment points for reaction with primary amines, specifically tris(2-(t-butoxycarbonyl)ethyl)methyl amine (Behera's amine). Deprotection using trifluoroacetic acid removes both the backbone and side chain t-butyl esters to give a series of branched PAA derivatives containing novel tricarboxylic acid side chains that are well suited to complexation and multidentate interactions. Surprisingly, the active ester homopolymer is shown to have the highest reactivity with Behera's amine when compared to copolymers with lower incorporation of pentafluorophenyl esters, suggesting an intriguing interplay of neighboring group effects and steric interactions. The ability to tune the efficiency of postpolymerization modification gives a library of PAA derivatives.     

A Mechanistically and Operationally Simple Route to Metal–N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Complexes

We have been puzzled by the involvement of weak organic and inorganic bases in the synthesis of metal–N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes. Such bases are insufficiently strong to permit the presumed required deprotonation of the azolium salt (the carbene precursor) prior to metal binding. Experimental and computational studies provide support for a base-assisted concerted process that does not require free NHC formation. The synthetic protocol was found applicable to a number of transition-metal- and main-group-centered NHC compounds and could become the synthetic route of choice to form M–NHC bonds.     

Determination of a novel antifibrotic small molecule GDC‐3280 in human plasma and urine by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to support its first‐in‐human clinical trial

A specific and robust LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of GDC‐3280 in human plasma and urine. The nonspecific binding associated with urine samples was overcome by the addition of CHAPS. The sample volume was 25 μL for either matrix, and supported liquid extraction was employed for analyte extraction. d6‐GDC‐3280 was used as the internal standard. Linear standard curves (R² > 0.9956) were established from 5.00 to 5000 ng/mL in both matrices with quantitation extended to 50,000 ng/mL through dilution. In plasma matrix, the precision (RSD) ranged from 1.5 to 9.9% (intra‐run) and from 2.4 to 7.2% (inter‐run); the accuracy (RE) ranged from 96.1 to 107% (intra‐run) and from 96.7 to 104% (inter‐run). Similarly, in urine the precision was 1.5–6.2% (intra‐run) and 1.9–6.1% (inter‐run); the accuracy was 83.1–99.3% (intra‐run) and 87.1–98.3% (inter‐run). Good recovery (>94%) and negligible matrix effect were achieved in both matrices. Long‐term matrix stability was established for at least 703 days in plasma and 477 days in urine. Bench‐top stability of 25 h and five freeze–thaw cycles were also confirmed in both matrices. The method was successfully implemented in GDC‐3280's first‐in‐human trial for assessing its pharmacokinetic profiles.     

Inertial subgradient extragradient algorithms with line-search process for solving variational inequality problems and fixed point problems

Numerical Algorithms - In this paper, basing on the subgradient extragradient method and inertial method with line-search process, we introduce two new algorithms for finding a common element of...     

Luminescent Graphene-Based Materials via Europium Complexation on Dipyridylpyridazine-Functionalized Graphene Sheets

Graphene-based materials exhibit outstanding physical properties and so are potentially applicable in a great variety of fields. Unlike their corresponding oxides, graphite and graphene are not prone to functionalization. Diels–Alder reactions are among the scarce reactions that they can occur without disrupting their conjugated sp² systems. Herein, the reaction between graphite and 3,6-di(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine under different conditions affords several graphene-based materials consisting of dipyridylpyridazine-functionalized few-layer graphene, multilayer graphene and graphite, the sheets of which act as ligands for the grafting of a europium complex. These three materials show strong red emission under 365 nm UV radiation. Their emitting particles can be visualized by confocal microscopy. The rich coordination chemistry of dipyridylpyridazine ligands has potential novel properties for similarly functionalized graphene-based materials grafted with other metal complexes.     

Water and oil signal assignment in low-moisture mozzarella as determined by time-domain NMR T2 relaxometry

A time-domain ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry method was elaborated for the rapid microstructural characterization of mozzarella cheese. For this purpose, there is a strong need to know how the experimentally determined T₂ relaxation time distribution can be related to specific constituents in mozzarella. In this study, a detailed investigation is offered for fresh and aged low-moisture mozzarella cheese, often applied as a pizza cheese, by application of both a conventional Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) sequence and a free-induction decay CPMG (FID-CPMG) sequence. The relaxation behavior was further elucidated by addition of deuterium oxide and by mild heat treatment of samples. The relaxation times of water protons in mozzarella were found to range from a few microseconds to some tens of milliseconds (in aged mozzarella) or to about hundred milliseconds (in fresh mozzarella). The upper limit of the T₂ distribution can even be extended to the seconds range upon releasing water protons from the mozzarella matrix using a mild heat treatment or upon addition of deuterated water. Both stimuli also provided evidence for the absorption of water into the cheese matrix. The potential release and uptake of water demonstrated that mozzarella acts as a very dynamic system during production and storage. The detected differences in the behavior of the water fraction between fresh and aged low-moisture mozzarella might be utilized to study the influence of either production and/or storage conditions on the cheese ripening process.