Diferrocenophosphaborin: A Planar‐Chiral,Redox‐Active and Anion‐Responsive Ambiphilic Ligand

A new class of Janus‐like ambiphilic ligands is introduced. The rigid diferrocene backbone in heterocycles 4‐SnP and 4‐BP creates an unprecedented chiral environment as demonstrated by multinuclear NMR and single‐crystal X‐ray studies. In addition, the ligands are redox‐responsive and the Lewis acidic borane moiety in 4‐BP can be exploited to further tune the properties: a clear decrease in the CO stretching frequency of a Vaska‐type Rh^I complex 5‐BP is observed upon addition of fluoride ions. Thus, the Lewis acid and Lewis base sites influence each other and their strength can be modulated by redox chemistry and anion binding.     

Determination of Antioxidant Activity of Hibiscus Flowers by Flow Injection Analysis with Chemiluminescence Detection

This study reports a simple and rapid method for the determination of the antioxidant activity of the phenolics present in plants of the Hibiscus genus. The protocol is based on the ability of the phenolic compounds to inhibit luminol chemiluminescence through the inactivation of free radicals in a flow injection system. Using the optimized operational conditions, the antioxidant activities of several phenolics were measured. The results were explained on the basis of structure–reactivity relationships. The antioxidant activities of dried flowers of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Hibiscus sabdariffa were evaluated. The protocol was validated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-hydrate free radical assay. The differences in the antiradical activities were explained based on the concentrations of total polyphenol and flavonoid concentrations determined by spectrophotometric methods. It was concluded that the chemiluminescence method was complementary for the evaluation of hydrophilic antioxidants in plants.     

Abatement of hydrocarbons by acid ZSM-5 and BETA zeolites under cold-start conditions

Simulated cold-start tests have been carried out to evaluate the performance of H-ZSM-5 and H-BETA zeolites as hydrocarbon traps under simulated gasoline car exhaust gases, paying special attention to the effect of water on their behaviour. It is concluded that the hydrothermal treatment of the zeolites in the acidic form contributes to the better performance of these materials as hydrocarbon traps since the stabilization of the zeolites takes place. Moreover, the decrease of the surface acidity of the zeolites results in an increase of the Si/Al ratio, which contributes to the decrease of the water affinity for adsorption sites. Thus, the competition with hydrocarbon molecules in the exhaust for the adsorption sites is reduced which increases their trap efficiency. The stabilized H-ZSM-5 is the zeolite that showed the best performance with a propene offset temperature of 240 °C, which should be high enough for the three-way catalyst to carry out its role as catalytic converter.     

Teachers’ conceptions of tangent line

In order to study the conceptions, and their evolutions, of the tangent line to a curve an updating workshop which took place in México was designed for upper secondary school teachers. This workshop was planned using the methodology of cooperative learning, scientific debate and auto reflection (ACODESA) and the conception-knowing-concept model (cK¢) developed mainly by Balacheff. In order to initiate the conceptions reorganization, an initial activity was made in the graphic frame; it seems optimal to start the debates without leading participants to failure. The mathematical core of the workshop was formed by an algebraic method to find tangents to algebraic curves which is close to Descartes’ method. The ACODESA methodology allowed some intense debates mainly concerning the local character of a tangent, generating the teachers’ cognitive unbalance which is a starting point for the refinement or transformation of their conceptions. On the other hand, the cK¢ model allows to understand the conceptions of participants and to analyze the evolution of their knowings.     

Aero-thermal investigation of a multi-splitter axial turbine

This paper reports the external convective heat transfer in an innovative low-pressure vane, designed with a multi-splitter configuration. Three aerodynamic airfoils are positioned in between larger structural vanes, replacing struts presently used in current aero-engines, which results in superior aerodynamic performance. Static pressure and heat flux measurements were carried out in the large compression tube facility of the von Karman Institute, using pneumatic taps and single-layered thin film gauges respectively. The steady and unsteady heat transfer distributions were obtained at representative conditions of modern aero-engines, with M_2,is close to unity and a Reynolds number of approximately 10⁶. This facility is specially suited to control the gas-to-wall temperature ratio that drives transition mechanisms. The heat transfer across the multi-splittered passages is confronted with correlations on ducts to further characterize the boundary layer status. The data will be used to guide code developers by verifying their boundary layer transition models, and designers by showing the areas of the vane where heat transfer is most sensitive to the off-design conditions.     

Mono‐ and Bis(pyrrolo)tetrathiafulvalene Derivatives Tethered to C60: Synthesis,Photophysical Studies,and Self‐Assembled Monolayers

A series of mono‐ (MPTTF) and bis(pyrrolo)tetrathiafulvalene (BPTTF) derivatives tethered to one or two C₆₀ moieties was synthesized and characterized. The synthetic strategy for these dumbbell‐shaped compounds was based on a 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction between aldehyde‐functionalized MPTTF/BPTTF derivatives, two different tailor‐made amino acids, and C₆₀. Electronic communication between the MPTTF/BPTTF units and the C₆₀ moieties was studied by a variety of techniques including cyclic voltammetry and absorption spectroscopy. These solution‐based studies indicated no observable electronic communication between the MPTTF/BPTTF units and the C₆₀ moieties. In addition, femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy revealed, rather surprisingly, that no charge transfer from the MPTTF/BPTTF units to the C₆₀ moieties takes place on excitation of the fullerene moiety. Finally, it was shown that the MPTTF–C₆₀ and C₆₀–BPTTF‐C₆₀ dyad and triad molecules formed self‐assembled monolayers on a Au(111) surface by anchoring to C₆₀.     

Tetra‐μ‐acetato‐κ8O:O′‐bis[(N1,N2‐di‐p‐anisylformamidine‐κN2)ruthenium(II)](Ru—Ru): an example of an axial bis‐adduct of {Ru2}4+ tetracarboxyl­ate with N‐donor ligands

The title compound, [Ru₂(C₂H₃O₂)₄(C₁₅H₁₆N₂O₂)₂], lies on a crystallographic inversion center and exhibits an Ru—Ru bond length of 2.2847 (8) Å. There are weak intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions between the N¹,N²‐di‐p‐anisylformamidine (HDAniF) ligands and the bridging acetate ligands. The molecule is one of the few examples of a crystallographically characterized axial bis‐adduct of a {Ru₂}⁴⁺ complex with two N‐donor ligands.     

Elastic scattering of neutrons on natPb at forward angles

Angular distributions were measured for neutron elastically scattered by ^natPb at 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4MeV at very forward angles. The mono-energetic neutron flux was produced at the tandem accelerator facility of the National Institute of Nuclear Research (ININ), Mexico, using the Associated Particle Technique (APT) in the D(d, n)³He reaction. Optical model predictions with best potential systematic show a fairly good agreement with our data, and also the need for a better understanding of the neutron scattering process at very small angles from the theoretical point of view.