Kinetics of the thermal decomposition of dinitramide

The kinetic regularities of the thermal decomposition of dinitramide in aqueous solutions of HNO₃, in anhydrous acetic acid, and in several other organic solvents were studied. The rate of the decomposition of dinitramide in aqueous HNO₃ is determined by the decomposition of mixed anhydride of dinitramide and nitric acid (N₄O₆) formed in the solution in the reversible reaction. The decomposition of the anhydride is a reason for an increase in the decomposition rates of dinitramide in solutions of HNO₃ as compared to those in solutions in H₂SO₄ and the self-acceleration of the process in concentrated aqueous solutions of dinitramide. The increase in the decomposition rate of nondissociated dinitramide compared to the decomposition rate of the N(NO₂)₂ ⁻ anion is explained by a decrease in the order of the N−NO₂ bond. The increase in the rate constant of the decomposition of the protonated form of dinitramide compared to the corresponding value for neutral molecules is due to the dehydration mechanism of the reaction. For Part 1, see Ref. 1. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 41–47, January, 1998.     

A study of the process of lignification of one-year willow wood

Conclusions 1. The content of lignin in the wood ofSalix viminalis andSalix acutifolia increases with the growth of the shoots during shortened days and also in drier climatic periods.2. The monosaccharides, glucose, fructose, and arabinose take part in the synthesis of the lignin of young wood ofSalix viminalis andSalix acutifolia. The formation of lignin of one-year willow wood takes place from May to January (with a maximum in June–July). The content of methoxyl groups in it gradually rises.Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Vol. 5, No. 6, pp. 546–550, 1969     

Evaluation of toxicity level of the polluted eco-system for an industrial city of Pakistan

The indiscriminate discharge of untreated industrial effluents and solid wastes into the open environment poses a serious threat to the ecosystem. Gujranwala is an industrial city of Pakistan wherein a large number of different industries are situated and majority of them are not equipped with proper recycling or effluent treatment plants. Unfortunately, untreated industrial effluents are locally used for the irrigation purposes which may result in higher concentrations of toxic metals in the crops and vegetables. Therefore, prime objective of the present study was to determine concentrations of toxic metals in the polluted soils, vegetables and crops grown in the vicinity of industrial areas using neutron activation analysis technique. The results obtained showed higher values of toxic metals in the studied samples. The observed highest concentration of As (0.94 ± 0.06) in spinach, Br (69 ± 9) in turnip, Co (0.83 ± 0.01) in millet, Cr (51.7 ± 4.2) in wheat, Mn (76.2 ± 7.3) in tomato, Sb (0.5 ± 0.06) in rice, Cl (31698 ± 3921) and Se (3.4 ± 0.4) in carrot. These values are higher than those reported in the literature.     

Dependence of the thermodynamic characteristics of the complexation of alanine-18-crown-6 on the composition of water-ethanol solvent

Standard thermodynamic parameters (Δ_r G○, Δ_r H○, TΔ_r S○) for the complexation reaction of 18-crown-6 ether (18C6) with D,L-alanine (Ala) in mixed water-ethanol (H₂O-EtOH) solvents are calculated from the data of calorimetric titrations performed at T = 298.15 K. It is established that an increase in the concentration of EtOH in mixed solvent leads to a rise in stability and an increase in the exothermicity of [Ala18C6] molecular complex formation; changes in the energetics of reaction upon a change in the solvent composition are determined by changes in the solvation state of 18C6, which is typical of the reactions of molecular complex formation of 18C6 with D,L-alanine and glycine in water-organic solvents.     

Re-examination of the Kinetics of the Thermal Dehydroxylation of Goethite

The kinetics of thermal dehydroxylation of aluminuous goethites [1] synthesised from a ferrous salt has been re-examined using the general reaction order kinetic law. The utilised data processing was based on the procedures employed by dissolution kinetics. Recalculation of the activation energies E_A of the dehydroxylation yielded the values 130, 132, 128, and 123 kJ mol⁻¹ for pure goethite, goethite with 10, 20, and 30 mol% Al substitution, respectively. The values of E_A are in a good agreement with those given for goethite in literature. The E_A values are linearly related with the chemically bound excess H₂O/OH⁻ in the crystal lattice that is apparently influenced by Al substitution. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influence of the Degree of Dehydroxylation of Kaolinite on the Properties of Aluminosilicate Glasses

The degree of dehydroxylation of kaolinite, D_TG and D_IR, respectively, is characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The relation between DTG and DIR based on the infrared absorptions at 3600–3700, 915, 810, and 540 cm⁻¹ is established. Three regions can clearly be distinguished: the dehydroxylation region (D_TG<0.9), the metakaolinite region (0.9<D_TG<1) and the ‘spinel’ region(D_TG=1). The effect of the degree of dehydroxylation of kaolinite on the amount of reactive material is measured by the reaction enthalpy, ΔH, of the low-temperature reaction of the dehydroxylated kaolinite with a potassium silicate solution using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). |ΔH| increases almost linearly with DTG in the dehydroxylation region. In the metakaolinite region, ΔH and thus the amount of reactive material, becomes constant. |ΔH| is sharply decreasing when metakaolinite transforms into other phases in the ‘spinel’ region. No significant differences in the reactivity of the dehydroxylates is detected with DSC. According to FTIR, the use of partially dehydroxylated kaolinite is not influencing the molecular structure of the low-temperature synthesized aluminosilicates, but residual kaolinite is retrieved as an additive. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Exploration of the potential application of plutonium isotopes in source identification of sandstorm in the atmosphere of Beijing

Plutonium (Pu) is an anthropogenic radionuclide which mainly derived from atmospheric nuclear tests in the environment. In this study, the Pu isotopes (²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu) in aerosol samples collected during the sandstorm and non-sandstorm period were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and the behavior of Pu was studied. The activity concentrations of ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu in the aerosol samples of Beijing were ranged from 0.62 nBq/m³ to 99.6 nBq/m³ for ²³⁹Pu and 3.51 nBq/m³ to 60.23 nBq/m³ for ²⁴⁰Pu, respectively. ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu concentrations exhibited a remarkable seasonal variation trend, with the higher results showed in spring, and the relatively lower concentrations in winter. The observed higher concentration of ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu detected in sandstorm samples further indicated Pu was closely related to the occurrence of sandstorms. The global fallout characteristics of ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios (average 0.20, ranging from 0.16 to 0.27) in aerosol samples indicating that global fallout was the major source of Pu in the atmosphere. Using aluminum (Al) as an indicator of soil resuspension, significant positive correlation between ²³⁹Pu and Al (r² = 0.934), ²⁴⁰Pu and Al (r² = 0.525) revealed that soil resuspension was a primary source of atmospheric Pu in Beijing. These results implied that the combination of ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu and Al could be used as the potential tracer of sandstorm.     

Thermochemical study of the solvation of alkanes in mixtures of methanol with butyl alcohol isomers

A calorimetric method was applied at 25 °C to measure the enthalpies of dissolution of cyclohexane, heptane, and decane in the methanol-n-butanol mixed solvent and hexadecane in mixtures of methanol withn-, iso-, andtert-butyl alcohols. The standard enthalpies of dissolution of alkanes were determined. It was shown that the equation proposed in the literature for calculation of the enthalpies of dissolution of alkanes in mixtures with nonspecific intermolecular solvent-solvent interactions describes satisfactorily the enthalpies of dissolution of alkanes in mixtures of methanol withn- andiso-butyl alcohols. It was suggested that there is no preferential solvation of alkanes by one of the mixed solvent components in the MeOH−BuⁿOH and MeOH−BuⁱOH mixtures; in the MeOH−Bu^tOH system, the composition of alkane solvation shell differs slightly from the solvent composition in the bulk. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 271–274, February, 1999.     

Mechanism of acid hydrolysis of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine

The hydrolysis kinetics of the chitin monomer, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, in HCl, HClO₄, and H₃PO₄ was studied in relation to the acid concentration. The rate constants of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine deacetylation and D(+)-glucosamine formation in HClO₄ and H₃PO₄ were determined for the first time. The rate of the acetamide bond hydrolysis in N-acetyl-D-glucosamine depends on the concentrations of hydrogen ions and water. The nucleophilicity of the acid residues does not affect the rate of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine hydrolysis.     

Study of hydration of two cements of different strengths

Main hydration products of two cement pastes, i.e. CSH-gel, portlandite (P) (and specific surface S) were studied by static heating, and by SEM, TEM and XRD, as a function of cement strength (C-33 and C-43) hydration time (th) and subsequent hydration in water vapour.Total change in mass on hydration and air drying, M_o, increased with strength of cement paste and with hydration time. Content of water escaping at 110 to 220°C, defined as water bound with low energy, mainly interlayer and hydrate water, was independent on cement strength but its content increased with (th). Content of chemically bound (zeolitic) water in CSH-gel, escaping at 220-400°C, was slightly dependent on strength and increased with (th). It was possibly derived from the dehydroxylation of CSH-gel and AFm phase. Portlandite water, escaping at 400-500°C, was independent on cement strength and was higher on longer hydration. Large P crystals were formed in the weaker cement paste C-33. Smaller crystals were formed in C-43 but they increased with (th). Carbonate formated on contact with air (calcite, vaterite and aragonite), decomposed in cement at 600-700^oC. It was high in pastes C-33(1 month) and C-43(1 month), i.e. 5.7 and 3.3%, respectively; it was less than 1% after 6 hydration months (low sensitivity to carbonation) in agreement with the XRD study showing carbonates in the air dry paste (1month), and its absence on prolonged hydration (6 months) and on acetone treatment. Water vapour treatment of (6 months) pastes or wetting-drying increased this sensitivity.Nanosized P-crystals, detected by TEM, could contribute to the cement strength; carbonate was observed on the rims of gel clusters.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Quantum-chemical study of active centers of cationic polymerization of olefins in the presence of aluminum halide complexes with proton-donors

The CNDO/2 and MINDO/3 methods have been used in a quantum-chemical study of interaction of complexes R_nAlCl_3–n·H₂O (or ROH) with olefins, with the aim of elucidating the formation mechanism and structure of the active centers in the cationic polymerization of ethylene, propylene, and isobutylene. It has been established that in the case of complexes Al(C₂H₅)Cl₂·-ROH, regardless of the nature of the base, both proton-donor and carbocation activities are manifested. Two types of active centers are formed. The results obtained in this work are in accord with previously published results from theoretical and experimental studies, and they offer a means for mapping out approaches to the solution of problems in regualting the catalytic activity of complexes, and also problems in the nature of the terminal groups in the macromolecules of the polymeric products that are formed.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 12–20, January–February, 1992.     

Modification of properties of ion-exchange membranes. IV. Change of transport properties of cation-exchange membranes by various polyelectrolytes

A change in electrodialytic transport properties of various cation exchange membranes was observed after the membranes had been adsorbed or ion-exchanged with various cationic polyelectrolytes. Transport properties measured in this report were the relative transport number of calcium ion to sodium ion P^Ca_Na, the current efficiency of cations, and the electric resistance of the membrane during the electrodialysis. Weakly basic and strongly basic cationic polyelectrolytes of various molecular weights were used. Though P^Ca_Na of any cation exchange membrane decreased by the adsorption or ion exchange of any cationic polyelectrolyte, the degree of the decrease in P^Ca_Na changed with species and molecular weight of polyelectrolytes and species of cation-exchange membranes. Weakly basic polyelectrolytes and low molecular weight, strongly basic polyelectrolytes were effective in producing a marked decrease in P^Na_Ca of any cation exchange membrane. The effect of strongly basic polyelectrolytes of high molecular weight on P^Ca_Na was weak in most cases. However, if it was possible to make the polyelectrolyte adhere to the surface of the membrane to form a compact coiled structure, any cationic polyelectrolyte was effective in producing a remarkable decrease in P^Ca_Na of any cation-exchange membrane.     

Description of structures in terms of polyhedrapacking

The structures of alloys can be described in terms of polyhedrapacking. We studiedall structure types found in the binary systemsT ⁵ orT ⁶ withB ³ orB ⁴ (T ⁵: V, Nb, Ta;T ⁶: Cr, Mo, W;B ³: Al, Ga, In, Tl;B ⁴: Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) elements. Most of the structures examined until now could be built up with one or two polyhedra, only in a few cases more than two polyhedra are required. It is found that there are two types: a three-dimensional distribution of discrete polyhedra sharing corners, edges or faces and a layer-like distribution. This model proved valid for all structure types studied. Classification of the structures according to their polyhedrapacking criteria is introduced (Table 1). Table 2 includes the coordination numbers of all atoms in the studied structures.     

Phospholipids of the seeds of two species of Erysimum

Summary The phospholipid complexes of the seeds ofErysimum diffusum andE. sylvestris have been investigated. It has been found that the amount of phospholipids in the seeds ofE. diffusum is lower than in those ofE. sylvestris, but their qualitative compositions are similar. The fatty-acid compositions of the triglycerides and of the total phospholipids of the two plants investigated have been studied. It has been established that the total phospholipids of the species ofErysimum under consideration and individual fractions of them differ by the degree of saturation and the qualitative and quantitative composition of the acids that they contain and, consequently, the phospholipids present in greatest amount differ in their molecular compositions.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 623–627, September–October, 1977.     

Kinetics of the Formation of Goethite in the Presence of Sulfates and Chlorides of Monovalent Cations

The synthesis of goethite by oxidation of Fe²⁺in presence of metallic iron was undertaken in an aqueous medium containing indifferent salts such as Na₂SO₄, (NH₄)₂SO₄, NaCl, and NH₄Cl. Temperature and bubbling air rate were maintained, respectively, at 70°C and 1 L/min. The influence of anions and cations on the kinetics of each step of the process has been followed distinctly, the iron dissolution rate has been determined by the variation of the medium acidity, and the precipitation of goethite has been determined by gravimetric measurements. With respect to Cl⁻, the SO₄²⁻anion decreases the rate of the two reactions. NH₄⁺acts as an inhibitor when it is present at low concentrations and as an accelerator for higher concentrations; the limit corresponding to the change of NH₄⁺behavior depends on the nature of the counter ion. The reaction product is composed of pure goethite in the presence of sulfate salts, whereas a mixture of goethite and lepidocrocite, respectively, 60–70 and 40–30%, was observed in the presence of chloride salts.     

Alkaloids of four species of Argemone

The alkaloid compositions of four species of plants of the genusArgemone (A. mexicana L.,A. alba L.,A. platyceras Link et Otto., andA. hybrida) collected in the flowering phase in the Tashkent Botanical Garden have been studied. They have yielded 16 alkaloids. Corydine and isocorydine have been detected in plants of this genus for the first time, and O-methyl-platycerine has been found in nature for the first time.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 204–206, March–April, 1986.     

Loss of Acot12 contributes to NAFLD independent of lipolysis of adipose tissue

In this study, we hypothesized that deregulation in the maintenance of the pool of coenzyme A (CoA) may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Specific deletion of Acot12 (Acot12^−/−), the major acyl-CoA thioesterase, induced the accumulation of acetyl-CoA and resulted in the stimulation of de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver. KEGG pathway analysis suggested PPARα signaling as the most significantly enriched pathway in Acot12^−/− livers. Surprisingly, the exposure of Acot12^−/− hepatocytes to fenofibrate significantly increased the accumulation of acetyl-CoA and resulted in the stimulation of cholesterol biosynthesis and DNL. Interaction analysis, including proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) analysis, suggested that ACOT12 may directly interact with vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 33A (VPS33A) and play a role in vesicle-mediated cholesterol trafficking and the process of lysosomal degradation of cholesterol in hepatocytes. In summary, in this study, we found that ACOT12 deficiency is responsible for the pathogenesis of NAFLD through the accumulation of acetyl-CoA and the stimulation of DNL and cholesterol via activation of PPARα and inhibition of cholesterol trafficking.Subject terms: Gene expression, Disease model     

Study of kinetics of luminescence and triplet-triplet absorption of a mixture of europium and gadolinium chelate complexes in finely porous glass

Spectral and kinetic characteristics of luminescence of the Eu³⁺ complex EuTTA₃Phen (where TTA is thenoyltrifluoroacetone and Phen is 1,10-phenanthroline) and the triplet state ³TTA of the nonluminescent complex GdTTA₃ Phen, as well as mixtures of these complexes, have been studied in a CH₂Cl₂ solution, in finely porous glass (PG) filled with the solution, in a CH₂Cl₂ monolayer on the PG surface, and in the adsorbed state on the dry PG surface. The yields of Eu³⁺ luminescence and ³TTA for mixtures of the complexes in a solution, including the solution located in PG, correspond to those expected from the portion of the absorbed light. However, in the monolayer and on a dry PG surface, the luminescence yield observed is substantially higher and the ³TTA yield is lower than those expected, which is due to static energy transfer from the triplet states of TTA in the complex with Gd³⁺ to TTA in the complex with Eu³⁺ in mixed clusters of the complexes on the surface.     

Evaluation of heavy metal and elemental composition of particles in suspended matter of the Upper Course of the Lerma River

The metal distribution of Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb, and the elemental composition, morphology and relative abundance of particles have been evaluated in suspended matter of the Upper Course of the Lerma River in Mexico. The metal concentrations in the suspended matter decrease in the sequence: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu = Cr > Pb. The Fe and Mn concentrations in the suspended matter are produced principally by natural contributions whereas the Cu, Zn, Cr, and Pb concentrations are produced principally by anthropogenic contributions. In general, the particle groups decrease in the following sequence: aluminosilicate > silica > sulphur > metals > calcium > manganese > iron > calcium carbonate.