Immobilization of oxomolybdenum species in a layered double hydroxide pillared by 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylate anions

A Zn,Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) with Zn/Al = 1.45 and containing nitrate anions was prepared by coprecipitation and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Zn K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS), thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR and FT Raman spectroscopy, and (27)Al MAS NMR spectroscopy. Three Zn...O and four Zn...M (M = Zn, Al) shells could be fitted to the low-temperature (40 K) EXAFS spectrum, in accordance with a model for an ordered cationic sheet. The nitrate anions were easily exchanged by 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylate anions, resulting in an increase in the basal spacing from 9 to 18 A. The basal spacing of the pillared derivative indicates that the anions are arranged with their longest dimension nearly perpendicular to the host layers. This material exhibits a high encapsulating ability, as evidenced by its interaction with a dichloromethane solution of the dioxomolybdenum(VI) complex MoO(2)Cl(2)(THF)(2). A material with a metal loading of 11.2 wt % was obtained. Molybdenum K-edge EXAFS analysis could not substantiate the formation of a supported complex of the type MoO(2)Cl(2)(N-N) but instead indicated the formation of unidentate-bridged entities of the type [O(2)Mo-O-MoO(2)] with a metal-metal separation of 3.29 A. The molybdenum-containing LDH was active as a catalyst for the liquid-phase epoxidation of cis-cyclooctene, 1-octene, and trans-2-octene using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxygen source, yielding the corresponding epoxides as the only products. For reactions carried out with no additional solvent (other than n-decane) or in the presence of 1,2-dichloroethane, the solid catalyst could be recycled with no major loss of activity. Other tests confirmed that the systems functioned as true heterogeneous catalysts.     

The selection of layer thicknesses to control acoustic radiation force profiles in layered resonators

Ultrasonic standing waves can be used to generate radiation forces on particles within a fluid. A number of authors have derived detailed representations of these forces but these are most commonly applied using an approximation to the energy distribution based upon an idealized standing wave within a mode based upon rigid boundaries. An electro-acoustic model of the acoustic energy distribution within a standing wave with arbitrary thickness boundaries has been expanded to model the radiation force on an example particle within the acoustic field. This is used to examine the force profile on a particle at resonances other than those predicted with rigid boundaries, and with pressure nodes at different positions. A simple analytical method for predicting modal conditions for combinations of frequencies and layer thickness characteristics is presented, which predicts that resonances can exist that will produce a pressure node at arbitrary positions in the fluid layer of such a system. This can be used to design resonators that will drive particles to positions other than the center of the fluid layer, including the fluid/solid boundary of the layer, with significant potential applications in sensing systems. Further, the model also predicts conditions for multiple subwavelength resonances within the fluid layer of a single resonator, each resonance having different nodal planes for particle concentration.     

F8BINOL, an electronically perturbed version of BINOL with remarkable configurational stability

[structure: see text] Substitution of hydrogens by fluorines at the 5, 5', 6, 6', 7, 7', 8, and 8' positions of BINOL strongly affects distribution of electron density within the biaryl skeleton but has a very small influence on the torsion angle. The most important consequence of this structural alteration is the dramatic increase in configurational stability of homochiral F8BINOL.     

A tits alternative for groups that are residually of bounded rank

In this short note a Tits alternative for certain kinds of groups which are residually of rank at mostr is obtained. The main theorem states that ifG is a group that is residually (locally (soluble-by-finite) of rankr), then eitherG is locally (soluble-by-finite) orG contains a non-abelian free subgroup. The third author would like to thank the School of Mathematics at the University of Wales, Cardiff for its hospitality whild part of this work was being done.     

Groups with the Weak Maximal Condition on Non-permutable Subgroups

Let G be a group with the weak maximal condition on non-permutable subgroups. We prove that if G is a generalized radical group then G is either quasihamiltonian or a soluble-by-finite minimax group.     

Dimerisation and reactivity of HCCCCFc at ruthenium centres

In contrast to the simple diynyl complexes formed in reactions between HCCCCFc and MCl(dppe)Cp∗; (M = Fe, Ru), an analogous reaction with RuCl(PPh₃)₂Cp∗; in the presence of KPF₆ and dbu resulted in dimerisation of the diyne at the Ru centre to afford a mixture of [Ru{η¹,η²-C(CCFc)C(L)CHCCCHFc}(PPh₃)Cp∗]PF₆ (L = dbu 1, PPh₃2). Similar reactions with RuCl(PR₃)₂L gave [Ru{η¹,η²-C(CCFc)C(dbu)CHCCCHFc}(PR₃)L]PF₆ (L = Cp, R = Ph 3, m-tol 4; L = η⁵-C₉H₇, R = Ph 5). The reaction between 3 and I₂, followed by crystallization of the paramagnetic product from MeOH, afforded the dicationic [Ru{C(CCFc)C(dbu)CHC(OMe)C(OMe)CHFc}(PPh₃)Cp](I₃)₂6. The molecular structures of 2·2CH₂Cl₂ and 6.S (S = 2CH₂Cl₂, C₆H₆) were determined by single-crystal XRD studies.     

The porosity, acidity, and reactivity of dealuminated zeolite ZSM-5 at the single particle level: the influence of the zeolite architecture

A combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM), high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR‐SEM), focused‐ion‐beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB‐SEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM), and UV/Vis and synchrotron‐based IR microspectroscopy was used to investigate the dealumination processes of zeolite ZSM‐5 at the individual crystal level. It was shown that steaming has a significant impact on the porosity, acidity, and reactivity of the zeolite materials. The catalytic performance, tested by the styrene oligomerization and methanol‐to‐olefin reactions, led to the conclusion that mild steaming conditions resulted in greatly enhanced acidity and reactivity of dealuminated zeolite ZSM‐5. Interestingly, only residual surface mesoporosity was generated in the mildly steamed ZSM‐5 zeolite, leading to rapid crystal coloration and coking upon catalytic testing and indicating an enhanced deactivation of the zeolites. In contrast, harsh steaming conditions generated 5–50 nm mesopores, extensively improving the accessibility of the zeolites. However, severe dealumination decreased the strength of the Brønsted acid sites, causing a depletion of the overall acidity, which resulted in a major drop in catalytic activity.     

Tissue-Specific stem cell differentiation in an in vitro airway model

The respiratory tract is the primary site of exposure to airborne compounds, with the bronchial epithelium providing one of the first lines of defence. A growing need exists for an accurate in vitro model of the bronchial epithelium. Here, normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells cultured at an air/liquid interface create a fully differentiated, in-vivo-like model of the human bronchial epithelium. Developmental characterisation includes (i) trans-epithelial electrical resistance, (ii) morphology and (iii) bronchial cell specific stains/markers. It is concluded that the basal/progenitor cells create a pseudo-stratified, mucociliary NHBE model containing basal, serous, Clara, goblet and ciliated cells, reflective of the normal human bronchial epithelium (days 24-33 ALI culture).