Dependence of kinetics of copper sulfate pentahydrate dehydration on water vapor pressure

The dependence of the growth rate v_g of nuclei during CuSO₄·5H₂O dehydration upon water vapor pressure P_H2O has been investigated. At small P_H2O (less than 1 Torr at 50°C), v_g falls rapidly with decreasing P_H2O, and simultaneously v_g anisotropy disappears. At P_H2O = 1–9 Torr, v_g for elliptic and round nuclei is constant and independent of P_H2O. The influence of initially keeping the samples in water vapor upon the kinetics of the following dehydration has been studied. Treatment by water vapor leads to slowing of dehydration and increasing its degree of transformation. On the basis of data obtained a kinetic interpretation of the Topley-Smith effect has been proposed.     

Thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

This review represents an attempt to summarize literature data on thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate. The mechanism of thermal decomposition and various factors which influence on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate are discussed.     

The oxygen-rich carboxide series: COn (n = 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8)

The lowest-energy isomers of the high-order carboxide series, COn (n = 3-8), have been elucidated via ab initio quantum chemical calculations. The structures of the lowest order of these (3 and 4) are in close agreement with previous calculations and with experimental data. The structures of the higher-order species are elucidated and correlated to the previous structures, showing similarities in structure and reactivity pathways. The reaction energies of the formation of all products are shown to be related. Exothermic pathways of formation often involve a C2v form of CO2, which was shown to be metastable. The newly identified species could be intermediates in atmospheric reactions. The calculated vibrational frequencies and IR intensities may be used to identify these metastable species.     

Structure of the Na(x)Cl(x+1) (-) (x=1-4) clusters via ab initio genetic algorithm and photoelectron spectroscopy

The application of the ab initio genetic algorithm with an embedded gradient has been carried out for the elucidation of global minimum structures of a series of anionic sodium chloride clusters, Na(x)Cl(x+1) (-) (x=1-4), produced in the gas phase using electrospray ionization and studied by photoelectron spectroscopy. These are all superhalogen species with extremely high electron binding energies. The vertical electron detachment energies for Na(x)Cl(x+1) (-) were measured to be 5.6, 6.46, 6.3, and 7.0 eV, for x=1-4, respectively. Our ab initio gradient embedded genetic algorithm program detected the linear global minima for NaCl(2) (-) and Na(2)Cl(3) (-) and three-dimensional structures for the larger species. Na(3)Cl(4) (-) was found to have C(3v) symmetry, which can be viewed as a Na(4)Cl(4) cube missing a corner Na(+) cation, whereas Na(4)Cl(5) (-) was found to have C(4v) symmetry, close to a 3x3 planar structure. Excellent agreement between the theoretically calculated and the experimental spectra was observed, confirming the obtained structures and demonstrating the power of the developed genetic algorithm technique.     

Ab initio energies and tunneling lifetimes of the doubly charged AH2+ (A = Mg—Ar) diatomics

Potential energy curves for the ground and low-lying excited states of the AH²⁺ (A = Mg—Ar) dications have been calculated using high-level ab initio methods with large atomic orbital basis sets. Quasi-bound potential energy curves with local minima and deprotonation barriers have been found for most of the dications studied. The energies, tunneling lifetimes, and widths of the quasi-bound states have been calculated by numerical solution of the radial Schrodinger equation using the Numeov method. All these dications except ArH²⁺ have low-lying states which support quasi-bound vibrational states. The ArH²⁺ dication has a ²∏_i potential energy curve with a minimum so shallow that it does not support any quasi-bound vibrational states. Results of our calculations are compared with previous ab initio calculations and available experimental data. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Arachno, nido, and closo aromatic isomers of the Li6B6H6 molecule

We analyzed chemical bonding in low-lying isomers of the recently computationally predicted B(6)H(6)Li(6) molecule. According to our calculations the benzene-like B(6)H(6)Li(6) (D(2h), (1)A(1g)) arachno structure with the planar aromatic B(6)H(6)(6-) anion is the most stable one. A nido isomer with two aromatic B(6)H(6)(4-) (pentagonal pyramid) and Li(3)(+) (triangular) moieties, which can be considered as derived from the global minimum structure through a two-electron intramolecular transfer from B(6)H(6)(6-) to three Li(+) cations, was found to be 10.7 kcal/mol higher in energy. A closo isomer with three aromatic moieties (octahedral B(6)H(6)(2-) and two Li(3)(+)) was found to be 31.3 kcal/mol higher in energy than the global minimum. Another isomer with three aromatic moieties (two B(3)H(3)(2-) and Li(3)(+)) was found to be substantially higher in energy (74.4 kcal/mol). Thus, the intramolecular electron transfers from the highly charged B(6)H(6)(6-) anion to cations are not favorable for the B(6)H(6)Li(6) molecule, even when a formation of three-dimensional aromatic B(6)H(6)(2-) anion and two sigma-aromatic Li(3)(+) cations occurs in the closo isomer.     

Theoretical Evidence of Aromaticity in X3 − (X = B, Al, Ga) Species

We investigated the electronic structure and chemical bonding of the B₃ ^–, Al₃ ^–, and Ga₃ ^– anions, and the gas phase NaB₃, NaAl₃, and NaGa₃ molecules. We found that the ground state of the neutral gas phase salts contains an equilateral triangular anion interacting with a Na⁺ cation. The B₃ ^–, Al₃ ^–, and Ga₃ ^– anions possess two delocalized electrons and are found to be aromatic. The triangular anions have been shown to be related to recently synthesized organometallic compound containing an aromatic -Ga₃ ^2– unit, but they are differ from them by four valence electrons. The reason for earlier appearance of the -orbital in the B₃ ^–, Al₃ ^–, and Ga₃ ^– anions is discussed.     

Solid-phase mechanochemical incorporation of a spin label into cellulose

Samples of cellulose labeled with stable nitroxyl radicals were prepared by mechanochemical synthesis. The samples were studied by IR and EPR spectroscopies, X-ray phase analysis, and electron microscopy. The EPR spectral patterns indicate a uniform distribution of “grafted” paramagnetic centers over the cellulose macromolecular chains. X-Ray diffraction patterns obtained and the results of crystallinity index calculations for the samples showed that strong bonding of spin labels causes changes in the cellulose structure up to nearly complete amorphization of the material. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1127–1130, May, 2005.     

Mechanism of thermal decomposition of lead thiosulphate

The thermal decomposition of lead thiosulfate (LTS) was studied by various methods: X-ray phase analysis, IR and ESR spectroscopy, etc. A mechanism of thermal decomposition is suggested, including rupture of the S-S bond and the formation of radicals. According to the mechanism, the reaction rate can be enhanced in the presence of the PbS phase. The formation of PbS is the cause of the topochemical character of the reaction. The composition of the thermolysis products of LTS containing a radioactive isotope of sulfur is predicted.

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Zusammenfassung Die thermische Zersetzung von Bleithiosulfat PbS₂O₃ wurde durch Röntgenphasenanalyse, IR- und ESR-Spektroskopie und Thermogravimetrie untersucht. Ein Mechanismus der thermischen Zersetzung wird angegeben, der über die Trennung von S-S-Bindungen und die Bildung von Radikalen verläuft. Nach diesem Mechanismus wird die Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit in Gegenwart der PbS-Phase beschleunigt, was den topochemischen Charakter der Reaktion bedingt.Für die Verteilung radioaktiven Schwefels auf die Zersetzungsprodukte unterschiedlich markierten (PbS^*SO₃ bzw. PbSS^*O₃) Bleithiosulfats wird eine Vorhersage gemacht.

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, - . , S—S . , . . , .

     

Energies of optical excitations and ionization potentials for hydrocarbons with multiple bonds according to results of the DVM-Xα calculations

The electronic structure of the C₂H₂, C₂H₄, and trans-C₄H₆ molecules is calculated using the discrete variational X_α-method (DVM -X_α). The calculated energies of optical excitations and ionization potentials are compared with both experimental data and results of other nonempirical methods. We conclude that DVM -X_α is a reliable method for investigating the electronic structure of polyenes.