Microwave-assisted synthesis and electrochemical characterization of α-MnO2 as catalyst for lithium-air batteries

A novel preparation path for the synthesis of MnO₂-based wire-shaped catalyst material for lithium-air electrodes is presented. The electrode was prepared with direct laser-transfer, which is solvent free and considered environmental benign. High specific charge, 869 and 2978 A h kg^?1, was achieved for the total mass of one electrode and carbon content, respectively. The electrode faded about 11% of the initial specific charge after 60 cycles.     

Influence of TiO_2 on the electrochemical performance of pasted typeβ-nickel hydroxide electrode in alkaline electrolyte

Nickel hydroxide was used as the positive electrode material in rechargeable alkaline batteries, which plays a significant role in the field of electric energy storage devices. β-nickel hydroxide(β-Ni(OH)_2 ) was prepared from nickel sulphate solution using potassium hydroxide as a precipitating agent. Pure β-phase of nickel hydroxide was confirmed from XRD and FT-IR studies. The effects of TiO_2 additive on the β-Ni(OH)_2 electrode performance are examined. The structure and property of the TiO_2 added β-Ni(OH)_2 were characterized by XRD, TG-DTA and SEM analysis. A pasted–type electrode is prepared using nickel hydroxide powder as the main active material on a nickel sheet as a current collector. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies were performed to evaluate the electrochemical performance of the β-Ni(OH)_2 and TiO_2 added β-Ni(OH)_2 electrodes in 6 M KOH electrolyte. Anodic(Epa) and cathodic(Epc)peak potentials are found to decrease after the addition of TiO 2 into β-Ni(OH)_2 electrode material. Further,addition of TiO_2 is found to enhance the reversibility of the electrode reaction and also increase the separation of the oxidation current peak of the active material from the oxygen evolution current. Compared with pure β-Ni(OH)_2 lectrode,TiO_2 added β-Ni(OH)_2 electrode is found to exhibit higher proton diffusion coefficient(D) and lower charge transfer resistance. These findings suggest that the TiO_2 added β-Ni(OH)_2 electrode possess improved electrochemical properties and thus can be recognized as a promising candidate for the battery electrode applications.     

One-step synthesis and characterization of tree-like branched α-Si3N4 nano/submicron-structures by pyrolysis of a polymer precursor

Tree-like branched α-Si₃N₄ single-crystalline nano/submicron-structures were successfully synthesized in one step simply by catalytic pyrolysis of a powder mixture of an amorphous preceramic polymer (polyhydridomethylsilazane) and FeCl₂ (as catalyst). The growth processes of the trunks and branches of the as-prepared structures were both controlled by vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. The luminescent behavior of the structures was also reported and discussed. An intensive photoluminescence, with peaks at 1.82, 2.16, 2.78, 3.24 and 3.97 eV, was observed.     

Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of polydiphenylamine

Electrochemical oxidation of diphenylamine(DPA)in acetonitrile solution producedan adhesive conducting polydiphenylamine(PDPA)film on the electrode,which exhibited multiplecolour variation in a wide range of potential.The polymer was characterized by cyclic voltam-merry,FTIR and ESR.The results indicate that the electropolymerization of diphenylamine per-forms via the 4,4＇C—C phenyl-phenyl coupling mechanism.FTIR,ESR and conductivity mea-surements for the different states of PDPA show that polydiphenylamine can be reversibly dopedand dedoped either chemically or electrochemically.It is evidenced also that there are paramagneticspecies—polarons in PDPA supposed to be the current carrier.     

Organocatalytic synthesis of α-hydroxy and α-aminophosphonates

A new and highly flexible procedure is described for the synthesis of α-amino- and α-hydroxy phosphonates. In the presence of a catalytic amount of oxalic acid (10 mol %), trimethyl phosphite reacts with aldehydes or imines (generated in situ from an aldehyde and an amine) to yield the corresponding coupled products in good yield.     

Formation of β-nickel hydroxide plate-like structures under mild conditions and their optical properties

Nanostructural β-nickel hydroxide (β-Ni(OH)₂) plates were prepared using the microwave–hydrothermal (MH) method at a low temperature and short reaction times. An ammonia solution was employed as the coordinating agent, which reacts with [Ni(H₂O)₆]²⁺ to control the growth of β-Ni(OH)₂ nuclei. A trigonal β-Ni(OH)₂ single phase was observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, and the crystal cell was constructed with structural parameters and atomic coordinates obtained from Rietveld refinement. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images revealed that the samples consisted of hexagonal-shaped nanoplates with a different particle size distribution. Broad absorption bands assigned as transitions of Ni²⁺ in oxygen octahedral sites were revealed by UV–vis spectra. Photoluminescence (PL) properties observed with a maximum peak centered in the blue-green region were attributed to different defects, which were produced during the nucleation process. We present a growth process scheme of the β-Ni(OH)₂ nanoplates.     

C-H activation by a mononuclear manganese(III) hydroxide complex: synthesis and characterization of a manganese-lipoxygenase mimic?

Lipoxygenases are mononuclear non-heme metalloenzymes that regio- and stereospecifically convert 1,4-pentadiene subunit-containing fatty acids into alkyl peroxides. The rate-determining step is generally accepted to be hydrogen atom abstraction from the pentadiene subunit of the substrate by an active metal(III)-hydroxide species to give a metal(II)-water species and an organic radical. All known plant and animal lipoxygenases contain iron as the active metal; recently, however, manganese was found to be the active metal in a fungal lipoxygenase. Reported here are the synthesis and characterization of a mononuclear Mn(III) complex, [Mn(III)(PY5)(OH)](CF(3)SO(3))(2) (PY5 = 2,6-bis(bis(2-pyridyl)methoxymethane)pyridine), that reacts with hydrocarbon substrates in a manner most consistent with hydrogen atom abstraction and provides chemical precedence for the proposed reaction mechanism. The neutral penta-pyridyl ligation of PY5 endows a strong Lewis acidic character to the metal center allowing the Mn(III) compound to perform this oxidation chemistry. Thermodynamic analysis of [Mn(III)(PY5)(OH)](2+) and the reduced product, [Mn(II)(PY5)(H(2)O)](2+), estimates the strength of the O-H bond in the metal-bound water in the Mn(II) complex to be 82 (+/-2) kcal mol(-)(1), slightly less than that of the O-H bond in the related reduced iron complex, [Fe(II)(PY5)(MeOH)](2+). [Mn(III)(PY5)(OH)](2+) reacts with hydrocarbon substrates at rates comparable to those of the analogous [Fe(III)(PY5)(OMe)](2+) at 323 K. The crystal structure of [Mn(III)(PY5)(OH)](2+) displays Jahn-Teller distortions that are absent in [Mn(II)(PY5)(H(2)O)](2+), notably a compression along the Mn(III)-OH axis. Consequently, a large internal structural reorganization is anticipated for hydrogen atom transfer, which may be correlated to the lessened dependence of the rate of substrate oxidation on the substrate bond dissociation energy as compared to other metal complexes. The results presented here suggest that manganese is a viable metal for lipoxygenase activity and that, with similar coordination spheres, iron and manganese can oxidize substrates through a similar mechanism.     

Glycol modified titanosiloxane as molecular precursor for homogenous titania–silica material: synthesis and characterization

Ti(OPrⁱ)₄ reacts with HOSi(O^tBu)₃ in anhydrous benzene in 1:1 and 1:2 molar ratios to afford alkoxy titanosiloxane precursors, [Ti(OPrⁱ)₃{OSi(O^tBu)₃}] (A) and [Ti(OPrⁱ)₂{OSi(O^tBu)₃}₂] (B), respectively. Further reactions of (A) or (B) with glycols in 1:1 molar ratio afforded six complexes of the types [Ti(OPrⁱ)(O–G–O){OSi(O^tBu)₃}] (1A–3A) and [Ti(O–G–O){OSi(O^tBu)₃}₂] (1B–3B), respectively [where G = (CH₂)₂ (1A, 1B); (CH₂)₃ (2A, 2B) and {CH₂CH₂CH(CH₃)} (3A, 3B)]. Both (A) and (B) are liquids while all the other products are viscous liquids which get solidified on ageing. Cryoscopic molecular weight measurements of the fresh products indicate their monomeric nature. FAB mass studies of (A) and (B) also indicate monomeric nature. However, FAB mass spectra of the two representative solids (1A) and (2B) suggest dimeric behavior of the glycolato derivatives. (A) distills at 85 °C/5 mm while other products get decomposed even under reduced pressure. TG analyses of (A), (B), (1A), and (1B) suggest formation of titania–silica materials at 200 °C for (A) and (B) and 350 °C for (1A) and (1B). The products have been characterized by elemental analyses, FTIR and ¹H, ¹³C & ²⁹Si-NMR techniques. All these products are soluble in common organic solvents indicating a homogenous distribution of the components on the molecular scale. The Si/Ti ratio of the oxide may be controlled easily by the composition of the starting precursors. Hydrolysis of the glycol modified derivative, (1A) by the Sol–Gel technique affords the desired homogenous titania–silica material, TiO₂·SiO₂ in nano-size while, the precursor (A) yields a non-stiochiometric silica doped titania material. However, pyrolysis of (A) yields nano-sized crystallites of TiO₂·SiO₂. All these materials were characterized by FTIR, powder XRD patterns, SEM images, and EDX analyses.     

An efficient synthesis,spectral characterization,antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities of novel α-hydroxyphosphonates and α-hydroxyphosphinates

A simple, novel, and an efficient synthesis of α-hydroxy phosphonates (3a–d) and phosphinates (5a–f) has been accomplished from febuxostat aldehyde (1) with various dialkylphosphites (2) and dialkylphosphinates (4) in the presence of 1, 4-dimethylpiperazine as a strong base with good to excellent yields (78%–95%) is reported. The structures of the title compounds were established by elemental analysis and spectral data (IR, ¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P NMR, and LC-MS). All the title compounds (3a–d) and (5a–f) were tested for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Bioassay results reveal that a few of the title compounds exhibited promising antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.     

Design and synthesis of α-carboxy phosphononucleosides

Rhodium catalyzed O-H insertion reactions employing α-diazophosphonate 20 with appropriately protected thymidine, uridine, cytosine, adenosine and guanosine derivatives leads to novel 5'-phosphononucleoside derivatives. Deprotection led to a novel series of phosphono derivatives bearing a carboxylic acid moiety adjacent to the phosphonate group with potential antiviral and/or anticancer activity. The phosphononucleosides bearing an α-carboxylic acid group are envisaged as potential diphosphate mimics. Conversion to mono- and diphosphorylated phosphononucleosides has been effected for evaluation as nucleoside triphosphate mimics. Most of the novel phosphononucleosides proved to be inactive against a variety of DNA and RNA viruses. Only the phosphono AZT derivatives 56-59 showed weak activity against HIV-1 and HIV-2.     

Silicon-containing esters of α-cyanoacrylic acid: synthesis and properties

A number of cyanoacetates have been synthesized: cyanoacetoxymethyitrimethylsilane (1), cyanoacetoxymethylpentamethyldisiloxane (2), cyanoacetoxyetoxymethylpentamethyldisiloxane (3). They were converted by the Knoevenagel reaction to novel esters of a-cyanoacrylic acid (4–13) containing silicon atoms in the ester groups and having the general formula RCH=C(CN)COOCH₂X (where R=H, 4-MeOC₆H₄, MeCH=CH, 2-furyl; X=SiMe₃, SiMe₂OSiMe₃, CH₂OCH₂SiMe₂OSiMe₃). These compounds are capable of copolymerization with esters of cyanoacrylic acid which are the precursors to adhesives for cold curing.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 949–952, May, 1993.     

α-Fe2O3 nanoflowers: synthesis,characterization, electrochemical sensing and photocatalytic property

Nanoflower structured α-Fe₂O₃ was synthesized by adding hexamine to an aqueous solution of ferrous sulphate followed by drying and annealing at 600 °C for 6 h. X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, Raman and DRS UV–visible absorption spectroscopy showed the formation of α-Fe₂O₃ with good crystalline nature. Field emission-scanning electron microscopy investigation revealed that the α-Fe₂O₃ has flower-like morphology, which is composed of nanorods. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to investigate their electrochemical sensing property towards uric acid (UA). α-Fe₂O₃ exhibited enhanced sensing behavior with respect to that of bare GCE. Additionally, the α-Fe₂O₃ nanoflowers exhibit better photocatalytic activity of up to 71.7 % against rhodamine B (RhB) in short time of 60 min under visible light irradiation. It is found that the smaller crystallite size and flower-like morphology play a vital role in allowing an interaction between α-Fe₂O₃ and UA or RhB dye which enhances both the electrochemical sensing and photocatalytic activity.     

Regiospecific synthesis of α-chloro- and α-fluoro-1,2-diones

α-Chloro-1,2-diones and α-fluoro-1,2-diones were prepared from the corresponding α-chloroaldimines by a sequence of reactions involving cyanation to α-cyanoenamines, α-halogenation to form α-chloro- or α-fluoroimidoyl cyanides and addition of organolithium reagents across the nitrile moiety, followed by acidic hydrolysis. All steps are straightforward and occur without side reactions finally leading to regiospecifically chlorinated and fluorinated 1,2-diones in good yields.     

Nonaqueous synthesis and characterization of capped α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles from iron(III) hydroxy-oleate precursor

The synthesis of capped α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles from thermal treatment of iron (III) hydroxy-oleate in boiling organic solvents around 250 °C with retention of the integrity of the oleate units during the reaction process is reported. The formation of capped iron oxide particles is accomplished under aerobic conditions while the solvents used in the synthesis have strong influence on the nature and morphology of nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are studied by means of X-ray powder diffraction, IR and XPS while the morphology and particle size of nanocrystals are evaluated using SEM and TEM analysis suggesting the formation of monocrystalline α-Fe₂O₃ particles having cubical and spherical morphologies with sizes ranging from 20 to 30 nm. This organophilic material with oleate capping around the surfaces can be readily dispersed in organic solvents thus forming organosols. These organosols exhibit band-edge emission photoluminescence band both in toluene as well as in solid state while FT-IR analysis reveals formation oleate capped nanoparticles The XPS data indicate ferric state having doublet from Fe 2p_3/2 and Fe 2p_1/2 core-level electrons.     

Methods of synthesis and synthetic application of α-diazomethylphosphonates

Data on methods of synthesis and reactivity of α-diazomethylphosphonic acid esters are classified. Main approaches to obtain diazomethylphosphonate ester (the Seyferth—Gilbert reagent) as well as α-substituted diazomethylphosphonates are considered. The most important reactions of α-diazomethylphosphonates are discussed: [1+2] cycloaddition to alkenes, insertion into heteroatom—heteroatom bonds, reactions with aldehydes and ketones, being of interest as preparative methods to obtain cyclopropane phosphonates, α-substituted methylphosphonic esters and alkynes, correspondingly.     

Synthesis and characterization of α,ω-dichloro-polymethylphenylsilane

The synthesis of a functional polysilane, α,ω-dichloro-polymethylphenylsilane (α,ω-dichloro-PMPS), based on the Wurtz-type reductive coupling, has been considered. A study of some reaction parameters shows that both yield and molecular weight distribution of α,ω-dichloro-PMPS can be greatly influenced by the work-up conditions, reaction time, monomer concentration and temperature during the initiation of the polymerization. By varying the synthesis conditions, different ratios of high and low molecular weight fractions were obtained. Samples of different molecular weight were isolated by fractional precipitation of the crude polymers. The chlorine-end functionalization was confirmed by ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy and the concentration of end-groups was quantitatively determined by elemental analysis of chlorine.     

A straightforward synthesis of both enantiomers of α-vinylalanine and α-ethynylalanine

This report describes the synthesis of enantiomerically pure (S)- and (R)-α-vinylalanines and (S)- and (R)-α-ethynylalanines, four quaternary α-amino acids, using a straightforward synthetic route and starting from (S)- and (R)-N-Boc-N,O-isopropylidene-α-methylserinals.     

The synthesis and applications of α-zirconium phosphate

The synthesis of α-ZrP with a range of crystallinity is of high importance due to the different requirements in various applications.Nanosized crystalline α-ZrP is typically obtained by refluxing amorphous ZrP in concentrated H₃PO₄ solutions.Microcrystalline α-ZrP are obtained by direct precipitation in the presence of either HF or oxalic acid which are used as complexing agents for zirconium.These larger crystals are useful as ion-exchangers in column-type applications as ...