S-oxygenation of thiocarbamides I: Oxidation of phenylthiourea by chlorite in acidic media

The oxidation of 1-phenyl-2-thiourea (PTU) by chlorite was studied in aqueous acidic media. The reaction is extremely complex with reaction dynamics strongly influenced by the pH of reaction medium. In excess chlorite concentrations the reaction stoichiometry involves the complete desulfurization of PTU to yield a urea residue and sulfate: 2ClO2- + PhN(H)CSNH2 + H2O --> SO4(2-) + PhN(H)CONH2 + 2Cl- + 2H+. In excess PTU, mixtures of sulfinic and sulfonic acids are formed. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically by observing the formation of chlorine dioxide which is formed from the reaction of the reactive intermediate HOCl and chlorite: 2ClO2- + HOCl + H+ --> 2ClO2(aq) + Cl- + H2O. The complexity of the ClO2- - PTU reaction arises from the fact that the reaction of ClO2 with PTU is slow enough to allow the accumulation of ClO2 in the presence of PTU. Hence the formation of ClO2 was observed to be oligooscillatory with transient formation of ClO2 even in conditions of excess oxidant. The reaction showed complex acid dependence with acid catalysis in pH conditions higher than pKa of HClO2 and acid retardation in pH conditions of less than 2.0. The rate of oxidation of PTU was given by -d[PTU]/dt = k1[ClO2-][PTU] + k2[HClO2][PTU] with the rate law: -d[PTU]/dt = [Cl(III)](T)[PTU]0/K(a1) + [H+] [k1K(a1) + k2[H+]]; where [Cl(III)]T is the sum of chlorite and chlorous acid and K(a1) is the acid dissociation constant for chlorous acid. The following bimolecular rate constants were evaluated; k1 = 31.5+/-2.3 M(-1) s(-1) and k2 = 114+/-7 M(-1) s(-1). The direct reaction of ClO2 with PTU was autocatalytic in low acid concentrations with a stoichiometric ratio of 8:5; 8ClO2 + 5PhN(H)CSNH2 + 9H2O --> 5SO4(2-) + 5PhN(H)CONH2 + 8Cl- + 18H+. The proposed mechanism implicates HOCl as a major intermediate whose autocatalytic production determined the observed global dynamics of the reaction. A comprehensive 29-reaction scheme is evoked to describe the complex reaction dynamics.     

Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of N, N'-dimethylaminoiminomethanesulfinic acid by acidic bromate

The major metabolites of the physiologically active compound dimethylthiourea (DMTU), dimethylaminoiminomethansesulfinic acid (DMAIMSA), and dimethylaminoiminomethanesulfonic acid (DMAIMSOA) were synthesized, and their kinetics and mechanisms of oxidation by acidic bromate and aqueous bromine was determined. The oxidation of DMAIMSA is much more facile and rapid as compared to a comparable oxidation by the same reagents of the parent compound, DMTU. The stoichiometry of the bromate-DMAIMSA reaction was determined to be 2BrO 3 (-) + 3NHCH 3(NCH 3)CSO 2H + 3H 2O --> 3SO 4 (2) (-) + 2Br (-) + 3CO(NHCH 3) 2 + 6H (+), with quantitative formation of sulfate. In excess bromate conditions, the stoichiometry was 4BrO 3 (-) + 5NHCH 3(NCH 3)CSO 2H + 3H 2O --> 5SO 4 (2) (-) + 2Br 2 + 5CO(NHCH 3) 2 + 6H (+). The direct bromine-DMAIMSA reaction gave an expected stoichiometric ratio of 2:1 with no further oxidation of product dimethylurea (DMU) by aqueous bromine. The bromine-DMAIMSA reaction was so fast that it was close to diffusion-controlled. Excess bromate conditions delivered a clock reaction behavior with the formation of bromine after an initial quiescent period. DMAIMSOA, on the other hand, was extremely inert to further oxidation in the acidic conditions used for this study. Rate of consumption of DMAIMSA showed a sigmoidal autocatalytic decay. The postulated mechanism involves an initial autocatalytic build-up of bromide that fuels the formation of the reactive oxidizing species HBrO 2 and HOBr through standard oxybromine reactions. The long and weak C-S bond in DMAIMSA ensures that its oxidation goes directly to DMU and sulfate, bypassing inert DMAIMSOA.     

S-oxygenation of thiocarbamides. 3. Nonlinear kinetics in the oxidation of trimethylthiourea by acidic bromate

The oxidation of trimethylthiourea (TMTU) by acidic bromate has been studied. The reaction mimics the dynamics observed in the oxidation of unsubstituted thiourea by bromate with an induction period before formation of bromine. The stoichiometry of the reaction was determined to be 4:3, thus 4BrO(3)- + 3R(1)R(2)C=S+ 3H(2)O --> 4Br- + 3R(1)R(2)C=O + 3SO(4)(2-) + 6H+. This substituted thiourea is oxidized at a much faster rate than the unsubstituted thiourea. The oxidation mechanism of TMTU involves initial oxidations through sulfenic and sulfinic acids. At the sulfinic acid stage, the major oxidation pathway is through the cleavage of the C-S bond to form a reducing sulfur leaving group, which is easily oxidized to sulfate. The minor pathway through the sulfonic acid produces a very stable intermediate that is oxidized only very slowly to urea and sulfate. The direct reaction of aqueous bromine with TMTU was faster than reactions that form bromine, with a bimolecular rate constant of (1.50 +/- 0.04) x 10(2) M(-1) s(-1). This rapid reaction ensured that no oligooscillatory bromine formation was observed. The oxidation of TMTU was modeled by a simple reaction scheme containing 20 reactions.     

Formation and stability of a nitric oxide donor: S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine

The formation, reaction dynamics, and detailed kinetics and mechanism of the reaction between nitrous acid and N-acetylpenicillamine (NAP) to produce S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) was studied in acidic medium. The nitrous acid was prepared in situ by the rapid reaction between sodium nitrite and hydrochloric acid. The reaction is first order in nitrite and NAP. It is also first order in acid in pH conditions at or slightly higher than the pK(a) of nitrous acid. In lower pH conditions, the catalytic effect of acid quickly saturates. Higher acid concentrations also induce a faster decomposition rate of the SNAP, thus precluding the quantitative formation of SNAP from HNO2 and NAP. Both HPLC and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry techniques proved that SNAP was the sole product produced. No nitrosation occurred on the secondary amine center in NAP, and only the thiol group reacted to form the nitrosothiol. Cu(I) ions were found to be effective SNAP-decomposition catalysts. Cu(II) ions had no effect on the stability of SNAP. Ambient oxygen in reaction solutions was found to have no effect on initial rates of formation of SNAP, products obtained, and stability of SNAP. The formation of SNAP occurs through two distinct pathways. One involves the direct reaction of NAP and HNO2 to form SNAP and eliminate water, and the second pathway involved the initial formation of the nitrosyl cation, NO+, which then nitrosates the thiol. The bimolecular rate constant for the reaction of NAP and HNO2 was derived as 2.69 M(-1) s(-1), while that of direct nitrosation by the nitrosyl cation was 3.00 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1). A simple reaction network made up of four reactions was found to be sufficient in simulating the formation kinetics and acid-induced decomposition of SNAP.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of 4‐methyl‐3‐thiosemicarbazide by acidic bromate

The oxidation of 4‐methyl‐3‐thiosemicarbazide (MTSC) by bromate and bromine was studied in acidic medium. The stoichiometry of the reaction is extremely complex, and is dependent on the ratio of the initial concentrations of the oxidant to reductant. In excess MTSC and after prolonged standing, the stoichiometry was determined to be H₃CN(H)CSN(H)NH₂ + 3BrO₃^? → 2CO₂ + NH₄⁺ + SO₄^2? + N₂ + 3Br^? + H⁺ (A). An interim stoichiometry is also obtained in which one of the CO₂ molecules is replaced by HCOOH with an overall stoichiometry of 3H₃CN(H)CSN(H)NH₂ + 8BrO₃^? → CO₂ + NH₄⁺ + SO₄^2? + HCOOH + N₂ + 3Br^? + 3H⁺ (B). Stoichiometry A and B are not very different, and so mixtures of the two were obtained. Compared to other oxidations of thiourea‐based compounds, this reaction is moderately fast and is first order in both bromate and substrate. It is autocatalytic in HOBr. The reaction is characterized by an autocatalytic sigmoidal decay in the consumption of MTSC, while in excess bromate conditions the reaction shows an induction period before autocatalytic formation of bromine. In both cases, oxybromine chemistry, which involves the initial formation of the reactive species HOBr and Br₂, is dominant. The reactions of MTSC with both HOBr and Br₂ are fast, and so the overall rate of oxidation is dependent upon the rates of formation of these reactive species from bromate. Our proposed mechanism involves the initial cleavage of the C? N bond on the azo‐side of the molecule to release nitrogen and an activated sulfur species that quickly and rapidly rearranges to give a series of thiourea acids. These thiourea acids are then oxidized to the sulfonic acid before cleavage of the C? S bond to give SO₄^2?, CO₂, and NH₄⁺. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 237–247, 2002     

A host-guest optical sensor for aliphatic amines based on lipophilic cyclodextrin

A host-guest optical sensor for the determination of aliphatic amines as exemplified by octylamine is proposed. It is based on the reversible fluorescence enhancement of heptakis(2,6-di-O-isobutyl)-β-cyclodextrin(DOB-β-CD) hosting tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) immobilized in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane by aliphatic amine extracted from aqueous phase into membrane phase. The optimum membrane contained 1.15 wt % TPP, 6.15 wt % DOB-β-CD as sensing reagent and other membrane materials. The fluorescence enhancement of the membrane resulted from the formation of a stable three-component complex among DOB-β-CD, TPP, and aliphatic amines. With the optimum conditions described, the fluorescence response of the sensor to octylamine shows a good correlation with the theoretically derived equation in the range 1.0 × 10^–6 to 8.0 × 10^–4 mol/L. The response characteristics including reversibility, response time, reproducibility and lifetime and selectivity of this optical device are also discussed in detail. This sensor has also been applied for the determination of octylamine in water samples containing interferents with satisfactory recovery.     

Synthetic magnetic opals

We present studies of novel nanocomposites of BiNi impregnated into the structure of opals as well as inverse opals. Atomic force microscopy and high resolution elemental analyses show a highly ordered structure and uniform distribution of the BiNi filler in the matrix. These BiNi-based nanocomposites are found to exhibit distinct ferromagnetic-like ordering with transition temperature of about 675 K. As far as we know there exists no report in literature on any BiNi compound which is magnetic.     

Travelling wave in the chlorite-thiourea reaction

The oxidation of thiourea by chlorite within the pH range of 2 to 5.5 has been found to produce a single wave of chlorine dioxide in unstirred solutions. The wave has been studied in narrow tubes of varying diameters and in petri dishes. The wave appears after an induction period that depends on the acid concentration, the [ClO₂^?]/[CS(NH₂)₂] ratio, the temperature, and the diameter of the tube. The wave starts from the surface in a tube and from the edges in a petri dish. The rate of wave movement is proportional to the ratio and the acid concentration. Barium chloride and starch were used as indicators. The wave could be initiated electrochemically and by addition of a drop of solution containing chlorine dioxide. The chlorine dioxide is produced by the oxidation of chlorite by hypochlorous acid.     

Oxyhalogen-sulfur chemistry: kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of N-acetylthiourea by chlorite and chlorine dioxide

The oxidation reactions of N-acetylthiourea (ACTU) by chlorite and chlorine dioxide were studied in slightly acidic media. The ACTU-ClO(2)(-) reaction has a complex dependence on acid with acid catalysis in pH > 2 followed by acid retardation in higher acid conditions. In excess chlorite conditions the reaction is characterized by a very short induction period followed by a sudden and rapid formation of chlorine dioxide and sulfate. In some ratios of oxidant to reductant mixtures, oligo-oscillatory formation of chlorine dioxide is observed. The stoichiometry of the reaction is 2:1, with a complete desulfurization of the ACTU thiocarbamide to produce the corresponding urea product: 2ClO(2)(-) + CH(3)CONH(NH(2))C=S + H(2)O --> CH(3)CONH(NH(2))C=O + SO(4)(2-) + 2Cl(-) + 2H(+) (A). The reaction of chlorine dioxide and ACTU is extremely rapid and autocatalytic. The stoichiometry of this reaction is 8ClO(2)(aq) + 5CH(3)CONH(NH(2))C=S + 9H(2)O --> 5CH(3)CONH(NH(2))C=O + 5SO(4)(2-) + 8Cl(-) + 18H(+) (B). The ACTU-ClO(2)(-) reaction shows a much stronger HOCl autocatalysis than that which has been observed with other oxychlorine-thiocarbamide reactions. The reaction of chlorine dioxide with ACTU involves the initial formation of an adduct which hydrolyses to eliminate an unstable oxychlorine intermediate HClO(2)(-) which then combines with another ClO(2) molecule to produce and accumulate ClO(2)(-). The oxidation of ACTU involves the successive oxidation of the sulfur center through the sulfenic and sulfinic acids. Oxidation of the sulfinic acid by chlorine dioxide proceeds directly to sulfate bypassing the sulfonic acid. Sulfonic acids are inert to further oxidation and are only oxidized to sulfate via an initial hydrolysis reaction to yield bisulfite, which is then rapidly oxidized. Chlorine dioxide production after the induction period is due to the reaction of the intermediate HOCl species with ClO(2)(-). Oligo-oscillatory behavior arises from the fact that reactions that form ClO(2) are comparable in magnitude to those that consume ClO(2), and hence the assertion of each set of reactions is based on availability of reagents that fuel them. A computer simulation study involving 30 elementary and composite reactions gave a good fit to the induction period observed in the formation of chlorine dioxide and in the autocatalytic consumption of ACTU in its oxidation by ClO(2).     

A host-guest optical sensor for aliphatic amines based on lipophilic cyclodextrin

A host-guest optical sensor for the determination of aliphatic amines as exemplified by octylamine is proposed. It is based on the reversible fluorescence enhancement of heptakis(2,6-di-O-isobutyl)-β-cyclodextrin(DOB-β-CD) hosting tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) immobilized in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane by aliphatic amine extracted from aqueous phase into membrane phase. The optimum membrane contained 1.15 wt % TPP, 6.15 wt % DOB-β-CD as sensing reagent and other membrane materials. The fluorescence enhancement of the membrane resulted from the formation of a stable three-component complex among DOB-β-CD, TPP, and aliphatic amines. With the optimum conditions described, the fluorescence response of the sensor to octylamine shows a good correlation with the theoretically derived equation in the range 1.0 × 10^–6 to 8.0 × 10^–4 mol/L. The response characteristics including reversibility, response time, reproducibility and lifetime and selectivity of this optical device are also discussed in detail. This sensor has also been applied for the determination of octylamine in water samples containing interferents with satisfactory recovery. Received: 21 November 1999 / Revised: 10 January 2000 / Accepted: 15 January 2000