Elements of the topology of the region of the existence of the metastable states of a two-component vapor

Entire regions of the metastable states for binary and single-component systems were constructed. It was established that the regions include temperature intervals from absolute zero to critical temperatures, and from vapor—condensate equilibrium to the conditions of spinodal decomposition of supersaturated vapor in the system. Algorithms for determining the regions of metastable states are presented. The data obtained on their basis are noted to coincide qualitatively with known results. Correlations found earlier are employed to calculate the critical pressures and temperatures for the binary systems in the study.     

An improvement of the resolution of the identity approximation for the formation of the Coulomb matrix

A straightforward modification of the resolution of the identity (RI) approximation to the Coulomb interaction is described. In the limit of basis sets that are dominated by high angular momentum functions the observed speedups in realistic test systems reach a factor of 2 compared to the standard RI algorithm, and a factor of up to 300 compared to the standard algorithm to form the Coulomb matrix. More moderate savings on the order of 0-20% are obtained for the more commonly used smaller basis sets. A series of test calculations is reported to illustrate the efficiency of the algorithm.     

On the nature of the anhydride of the lactam of guanidinoglutaric acid

When glutamic acid is amidinated, guanidinoglutaric acid is formed. This is readily converted by boiling in water to its lactam [2-imino-4-oxo-5-(3′-propane acid) imidazolidine; GGAL]. In the present study GGAL is dehydrated to form a second lactam, anhydro-GGAL (AGGAL), with trifluoroacetic anhydride. The molecular weight of this compound was ascertained gravimetrically by precipitation with flavianic acid and by mass spectrography to be 153.14. UV and infrared spectra and hydrogen and ¹³C NMR studies determined its structure as an imidazolidine ring fused to a pyrrol ring, 2-imino-4-oxo-imidazolidine-1,5-pyrrolidone-8. On paper electrophoresis, GGAL traveled to the anode, while AGGAL traveled to the cathode. On TLC plates (butanol 60, H₂O 25, acetic 15), the R_f value of GGAL was 0.42 and that of AGGAL was 0.38, confirming that AGGAL was more basic than GGAL. The preparation of 1,3-di-(phenylcarbamoyl)-GGAL is also described.     

FTIR study of the mode of binding of the reactants on the Pd nanoparticle surface during the catalysis of the Suzuki reaction

In the Suzuki reaction between phenylboronic acid and iodobenzene catalyzed by palladium nanoparticles, our previous studies suggested that the phenylboronic acid adsorbs on the nanoparticle surface and then interacts with the iodobenzene that is present in solution. In the present study, FTIR is used to examine the change in the vibrational frequencies of phenylboronic acid in films with and without the addition of palladium nanoparticles. The large change in the B-O stretching frequency of phenylboronic acid from 1348 to 1376 cm(-1) in the presence of sodium acetate and palladium nanoparticles strongly suggests that the mode of binding of phenylboronic acid to the Pd nanoparticle surface involves a B-O-Pd type of bonding. Shifts in the B-C stretching mode and the out-of-plane phenyl C-C ring deformation bands associated with phenylboronic acid provide additional confirmations of the binding process. It is also shown that the phenylboronic acid needs to be in the deprotonated form in the presence of sodium acetate (phenylboronate anion) to bind to the palladium nanoparticle surface. No changes in the characteristic bands of iodobenzene were observed in films made in the presence of the palladium nanoparticles. The FTIR studies provide proof of the mode of binding that occurs in the nanoparticle surface for the first time and also confirms the mechanism of the Suzuki reaction that we proposed previously.     

Investigation of the influence of the polarity of the solvent on the composition of the extractive substances and post-extraction residues of the bark ofAbies sibirica

The chemical compositions of the initial bark of the Siberian firAbies sibirica and of the solid residues after extraction with carbon dioxide, water, and alcohol have been studied. On successive extraction, the yield of extractive substances amounted to 25.05% of the absolutely dry bark. The carbon dioxide, aqueous, and alcoholic extracts obtained have been investigated. The carbon dioxide extract was found to contain 34.97% of essential oil, while only traces of it were detected in the aqueous and alcoholic extracts.Krasnoyarsk State Technological Academy. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 42–45, January–February, 1996. Original article submitted August 14, 1995.     

Study of the influence of the graphite powder particle size on the structure of the Sonogel-Carbon materials

In this paper, the influence of carbon particles size on structure and on electrochemical and physical properties of the Sonogel-Carbon electrodes, with respect to Sonogel materials without graphite, have been studied. The materials have been characterized electrochemical and structurally; several Sonogel-Carbon materials were synthesized using different types of graphite powder as massive modifiers, adding in some cases other modifiers, such as octadecyl (C18) and polyethyleneglycol (PEG). Differential pulse voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry were the voltammetric techniques employed to evaluate the electrochemical behaviour; Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and Infrared Spectroscopy were the techniques employed to realize the superficial/structural characterization of the materials. The results obtained in both studies were very useful to explain the structure of the Sonogel-Carbon materials. Furthermore, they allowed to conclude that electrodes based on RW-B and UF graphites show very similar electrochemical behaviours and internal structures.     

Determination of the mechanism of the oxidation of the trichloromethyl radical by the photolysis of chloral in the presence of oxygen

The photooxidation of chloral was studied by infrared spectroscopy under steady-state conditions with irradiation of a blackblue fluorescent lamp (300 nm < λ < 400 nm, λ_max = 360 nm) at 296 ± 2 K. The products were hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and phosgen. The kinetic results reveal that the reaction proceeds via chain reaction of the Cl atom: The results lead to the conclusion that mechanism (B) is confirmed to be more likely than mechanism (A), which was favored at one time by Heicklen for the mechanism of the oxidation of trichloromethyl radicals by oxygen molecules: The ratio of the initial rates of CO and CO₂ formation gave k₇/k₆ = 4.23M^?1, and the lower limit of reaction (5) was found to be 3.7 × 10⁸M^?1 sec^?1.     

Computational rationalization of the dependence of the enantioselectivity on the nature of the catalyst in the vanadium-catalyzed oxidation of sulfides by hydrogen peroxide

A computational study with the IMOMM(Becke3LYP:MM3) method is carried out on the mechanism of the enantioselective reaction of complex V(O)(L)(OOH), L= bulky tridentate Schiff base, and bis(tert-butyl) disulfide. The reaction with a given L ligand A is first systematically studied: different conformers of the catalyst are optimized, and the large number of associated transition states are systematically searched. The study is then extended to the geometry optimization of selected transition states associated to other ligands B, C, and D, similar to A but differing in the nature of certain substituents R1, R2, R3. The experimental trends in selectivity for catalysts based on ligands A to D are faithfully reproduced by the calculations. Analysis of the computational results leads finally to the formulation of a simple model that can explain one of the most remarkable aspect of this reaction, namely the large effect on enantioselectivity of ligands seemingly far from each other in the catalyst.     

Effects of the composition of the reaction mixture and the nature of the template on the structure of mesoporous aluminosilicates formed in the presence of lecithin

It has been established that supramolecular structures of lecithin can act as templates in the synthesis of mesoporous aluminosilicates. Mesoporous substances, with pore dimensions up to 100 Å and biporous materials can be obtained when various combinations of lecithin with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide or octadecylamine are used as template agents in the aluminosilicate system.     

The computation of the representation matrices of the generators of the unitary group

A method is presented for the efficient computation of the representation matrices of the unitary group, U(n) in the Gelfand—Tsetlin basis (corresponding to the usual spin-symmetry adapted basis for an N electron CI). The present scheme is conceptually and computationally attractive in that it is formulated directly in terms of Weyl tableaux and also that it permits simultaneous basis vector generation and matrix element evaluation. In addition the basis vectors are ordered so that subsequent restriction to the three dimensional rotation group is facilitated. An illustrative example is also presented.Taken in part from a thesis submitted to the University of London in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD.     

The application of the OTA of kerogen to the evaluation of the rockmass heating

Oxyreactive thermal analysis (OTA) carried out in the conditions of full access of oxygen to each reacting particle of the sample investigated is a suitable method for the determination of important properties of the organic matter dispersed in the rocks. Its results may be easily evaluated to the form of values to be used in a clear diversification and classification system of organic matter/kerogen, as well as to the evaluation of its transformation process in a rockmass. The OTA also enables the distinguishing of the transformation stages and the investigation of the results of the gaseous products liberation from organic matter and kerogen. The OTA method may be applied as a complementary one for the Rock Eval analysis and be used for the organic geochemical and bituminological studies for geological bitumen prospecting.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Integral intensities of the absorption bands of the skeletal vibrations of the heteroaromatic ring in the IR spectra of the furanoquinoline alkaloids

1. The integral intensities of the bands of the skeletal vibrations of the heteroaromatic ring in the 1480–1630-cm⁻¹ region of eight furanoquinoline alkaloids have been measured. 2. A connection has been found between the values of ΣA and the structures of the furanoquinoline alkaloids and their derivatives which enables such a series of heteroaromatic compounds to be identified: It has been shown that the introduction of an -OCH₃ group into the γ position of the pyridine nucleus leads to a marked rise (almost twofold) in the value of ΣA;     

On the role of the conserved aspartate in the hydrolysis of the phosphocysteine intermediate of the low molecular weight tyrosine phosphatase

The usual rate-determining step in the catalytic mechanism of the low molecular weight tyrosine phosphatases involves the hydrolysis of a phosphocysteine intermediate. To explain this hydrolysis, general base-catalyzed attack of water by the anion of a conserved aspartic acid has sometimes been invoked. However, experimental measurements of solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects for this enzyme do not reveal a rate-limiting proton transfer accompanying dephosphorylation. Moreover, base activation of water is difficult to reconcile with the known gas-phase proton affinities and solution phase pK(a)'s of aspartic acid and water. Alternatively, hydrolysis could proceed by a direct nucleophilic attack by a water molecule. To understand the hydrolysis mechanism, we have used high-level density functional methods of quantum chemistry combined with continuum electrostatics models of the protein and the solvent. Our calculations do not support a catalytic activation of water by the aspartate. Instead, they indicate that the water oxygen directly attacks the phosphorus, with the aspartate residue acting as a H-bond acceptor. In the transition state, the water protons are still bound to the oxygen. Beyond the transition state, the barrier to proton transfer to the base is greatly diminished; the aspartate can abstract a proton only after the transition state, a result consistent with experimental solvent isotope effects for this enzyme and with established precedents for phosphomonoester hydrolysis.     

Effect of the size of the charged group on the properties of alkoxylated NFCs

The impact of the size of the charged group on the properties of alkoxylated NFC was studied by two chloroalkyl acid reagents. It was found that the employment of the larger 2-chloropropionic acid reagent leads to improved properties, e.g. higher fraction of nano-sized materials, and significantly better redispersion as compared to when the smaller monochloroacetic acid was employed. The differences in the impacts of the different reagents were hypothesized to be due to a more efficient disruption of the cohesion between the nanofibrils when a larger charged group was employed.     

Use of the method of metastable defocusing for the analysis of the processes involved in the fragmentation of lycoctonine bases

The metastable transitions in the mass spectra of 21 lycoctonine bases have been studied by the method of metastable defocusing (MD). It has been established that as a criterion of the monotypicity of single-stage fragmentation reactions it is possible to use a linear dependence of the relative intensities of the metastable peaks (MPs) on the stability of the daughter ion. In the MD spectra of the ions formed in several stages, to characterize the generality of the breakdown reactions, in addition to the intensities of the MPs, the accurate positions of their maxima and the general shape of the curve are important.     

On the mechanism of the laccase-mediator system in the oxidation of lignin

In an effort to elucidate the role of phenolic and non-phenolic lignin subunits in a laccase mediator (LM) system, vanillyl alcohol was oxidized with laccase in the presence and absence of the mediator 1-hydroxybenzotriazol (HBT). Furthermore, the role of phenolic, aliphatic hydroxyl, and carboxylic acid moieties in lignin degradation was elucidated by selectively blocking them. The modified samples were then subjected to laccase and laccase-HBT treatments. On the basis of this data it was possible to establish the role of this mediator. HBT mediates the oxidation of lignin by inducing side-chain oxidation and oxygen-addition products rather than oxidative coupling reactions.     

Influence of the errors made in the measurement of the extra-column volume on the accuracies of estimates of the column efficiency and the mass transfer kinetics parameters

The influences of the errors made in the measurement of the extra-column volume of an instrument on the accuracies of the estimates made of the column efficiency and of the parameters of the mass transfer kinetics were investigated from an experimental point of view. A standard HP1090 apparatus (extra-column volume, approximately 50 micro L) was used to measure the efficiency of a Sunfire-C(18) RPLC column (column hold-up volume, approximately 1.50 mL). The first and second moments of the peaks of phenol (a retained compound) and of thiourea (a practically non-retained compound) were measured at six different temperatures between 22 and 78 degrees C, for flow rates between 0.10 and 4.70 mL/min (i.e., for linear velocities between 0.025 and 1.179 cm/s). Each series of measurements was successively made with the instrument being fitted with and without the column. The experimental HETP data must be corrected for the solute dispersion in the connected tubes in order properly to assess the true column efficiency. Even with a modern, high performance instrument, the dispersion of a non-retained compound is essentially due to the band broadening phenomena that take place in the extra-column volumes, the sum of all these extra-column band broadening contributions accounting for more than 80% of the total band broadening measured. The contribution of the sampling device is particularly deleterious since, for a 2 mu L injection, the maximum solute concentration in the peak that enters into the column is nearly ten-fold lower than that of the sample. Nevertheless, the impact of the extra-column volumes on the estimates of the kinetic parameters (e.g., molecular diffusion coefficient D(m) and effective particle diffusivity D(e)) remains negligible. Obviously, the relative error made on the column efficiency of a retained compound depends much on its retention factor. It decreases from 8 to 1% when the retention factor increases from 5 to 17.     

Synthesis of the ABC fragment of the pectenotoxins

[reaction: see text] A highly stereocontrolled synthesis of the C1-C16 ABC spiroacetal-containing fragment 5 of PTX7 (4) has been achieved. Appendage of the C ring to the AB fragment involved Wittig reaction of spiroacetal aldehyde 8 with a stabilized ylide 9 followed by displacement of allylic iodide 27 with a lithium acetylide to afford enyne 7. Fructose-derived chiral dioxirane and dihydroxylation were then used to introduce the correct functionality in the tetrahydrofuran C ring.     

On the mechanism of the photocyclization of azadienes

The photocyclization of azadienes to yield quinolines has been studied by means of CASPT2//CASSCF calculations. In order to study this extensive family of compounds, a minimal model system keeping the fundamental key features of this kind of compounds have been analyzed with the aim of explaining the general behavior of azadienes found experimentally. We show that, although several conformers of the reacting molecule are populated on the ground-state at room temperature, there is only one capable of successfully yield the products. It is shown that photocyclization takes place with fast relaxation in both S₂ and S₁ excited states, in agreement with the experimental lack of fluorescence. This fact, together with the presence of reaction paths that allow effective recovery of the starting molecule, explains not only the experimental photocyclization of azadienes under UV radiation, but also accounts for the low efficiency of the process. The mechanistic information obtained allows to provide an explanation of the found reaction outcome and to suggest some modifications to improve the synthetic utility of these reactions.     

Effect of the sequence of the introduction of foreign substances on the action of papain

Summary In general, aniline, aniline hydrochloride, aniline sulfate, and triethylamine act as inhibitors in the hydrolysis of casein or of a suspension of flour from grain of Cicer arietinum by means of papain. The order in which the enzyme and the substrate is added to the inhibitor often has a significant effect. As a rule, there is a greater retardation when the enzyme is added last to a complex of the substrate and the inhibitor.