Semiclassical statistical mechanics of two-dimensional hard-body fluids

The problem of calculating the thermodynamic properties of two-dimensional semiclassical hard-body fluids is studied. Explicit expressions are given for the first-order quantum corrections to the free energy, equation of state, and virial coefficients. The numerical results are calculated for the planar hard dumbbell fluid. Significant features are the increase in quantum corrections with increasing eta and increasing L*=L/sigma(0).     

Binary interaction parameter kij for calculating the second cross-virial coefficients of mixtures

The binary interaction parameters, k_ij, of 119 mixtures were determined by fitting the second cross-virial coefficients of mixtures with correlations for pure compounds [L. Meng, Y.Y. Duan, L. Li, Fluid Phase Equilib. 226 (2004) 109–120; L. Meng, Y.Y. Duan, Fluid Phase Equilib., 258 (2007) 29–33] and classical mixing rules. The mixtures included nonpolar/polar (associated), polar/polar, quantum/nonpolar (quantum) binaries. Very simple correlations for k_ij of H₂O/n-alkane, CO/nonpolar and quantum/nonpolar (quantum) binaries were successfully developed. The results show that the present correlations can accurately predict the second cross-virial coefficients.     

Room temperature ionic liquids and their mixtures—a review

Room temperature ionic liquids are salts that are liquid at room temperature and their use as catalysts and catalytic support has been studied extensively. They are also being considered as “green solvents” for various separation processes. Recent measurements reported on the properties of pure ionic liquids and their mixtures, including gas and liquid solubility in common organic solvents will be reviewed. While some property values are in good agreement, some show large differences. These values will be compared and reasons for the discrepancies will be conjectured. Since traditional approaches to predicting the properties of fluid liquids require extensive LLE and VLE measurements, alternative predictive methods need to be explored. The predictions of the properties of mixtures of ionic liquids using COSMOtherm, an approach based on unimolecular quantum chemical calculations of the individual molecules, will be presented.     

Singlet-oxygen generation from A2E

Singlet-oxygen generation was measured in solutions containing equilibrium mixtures of the retinal lipofuscins, 2-[2, 6-dimethyl-8-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)- 1E,3E,5E,7Eoctatetraenyl]-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-[4-methyl-6(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-1E,3E,5E-hexatrienyl]-pyridinium (A2E) and double bond isomer of A2E (iso-A2E), using steady-state irradiation and using cholesterol as a singlet-oxygen trap. The amount of singlet oxygen generated by equilibrium mixtures of A2E and iso-A2E was compared with that generated by tetraphenylporphine (TPP) under the same conditions. Studies were carried out in ethanol-d6, acetone-d6, 80% cyclohexane-d(12)-20% acetone-d6 (vol/vol) and hexafluorobenzene. Using 420 nm irradiation and assuming a singlet-oxygen quantum yield of 0.60 +/- 0.12 for TPP, the singlet-oxygen quantum yields were 0.8 +/- 0.3 x 10(-3), 1.2 +/- 0.4 x 10(-3), 2 +/- 1 x 10(-3) and 4 + 1 x 10(-3), respectively. In acetone-d6, the quantum yields were smaller at longer wavelengths, with values of 0.3 +/- 0.1 x 10(-3) and 0.4 +/- 0.2 x 10(-3) at 461 and 493 nm, respectively. Singlet-oxygen generation was greatest in solvents with the lowest dielectric constants. In view of the relatively small quantum yields, the contribution of singlet-oxygen generation to the phototoxic properties of A2E and of iso-A2E will require further study.     

Reactive uptake of O3 by multicomponent and multiphase mixtures containing oleic acid

The heterogeneous reaction of O3 with lauric acid/oleic acid (LA/OA) mixtures and myristic acid/oleic acid (MA/OA) mixtures were studied as a function of composition, physical state, and microstructure at 298 K. Lauric acid and myristic acid are both alkanoic acids, whereas oleic acid is an alkenoic acid. Additionally, we investigated the uptake of O3 by multicomponent mixtures that closely represent the composition of meat-cooking aerosols. These measurements were performed with a rotating-wall flow-tube reactor coupled to a chemical ionization mass spectrometer. The reactive uptake coefficients (gamma) of O3 on liquid LA/OA and MA/OA solutions range from 4 x 10(-4) to 7.2 x 10(-4). The gamma values measured for solid-liquid LA/OA and MA/OA mixtures (which consist of solid LA or solid MA in equilibrium with a liquid) range from 2 x 10(-5) to 1.7 x 10(-4). These experiments show that only 7% solid by mass in the solid-liquid mixture can decrease gamma by an order of magnitude compared to the liquid mixtures. The gamma values for solid-liquid mixtures that closely represent the composition of meat-cooking aerosols range from 1.6 x 10(-5) to 6.9 x 10(-5). We found that gamma of solid-liquid mixtures depends on the microstructure of the mixtures, which in turn depends on the method of preparing the films. Furthermore, experiments employing solid-liquid mixtures show an increase in gamma with increasing film age. This can be explained either by the formation of a nonequilibrium phase followed by its relaxation to the stable phase or by Ostwald's ripening, which refers to a change in the solid microstructure due to a tendency to minimize the total surface free energy of the solid. We used the obtained gamma values to estimate OA lifetimes for polluted atmospheric conditions. For liquid solutions, the lifetimes were on the order of a few minutes. The lifetimes derived for solid-liquid mixtures are up to 75 min, significantly longer than for liquid solutions. Our study emphasizes the effect of the physical state and microstructure of multicomponent mixtures on the heterogeneous chemistry.     

Photophysical Properties of 7‐(diethylamino)Coumarin‐3‐carboxylic Acid in the Nanocage of Cyclodextrins and in Different Solvents and Solvent Mixtures

The photophysical properties of 7‐(diethylamino) coumarin‐3‐carboxylic acid (7‐DCCA) were studied in cyclodextrins (α, β, γ,‐CDs), different neat solvents and solvent mixtures by using steady state absorption, emission and time‐resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. We have observed that with gradual increase in concentration of β‐CD the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime decreased in a regular pattern whereas with gradual increase in concentration of γ‐CD the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime gradually increased. With addition of urea, the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime of 7‐DCCA in CDs increased. Binding constant calculation shows that 7‐DDCA forms 1:1 complex with β‐CD and with γ‐CD it forms 1:1 and 1:2 (guest:host) inclusion complex. We proposed that the dye molecule formed capping complex with β‐CD by means of hydrogen bonding and after addition of urea the hydrogen bonding network broke down and part of dye molecule entered inside the cavity of β‐CD. The photophysics of 7‐DCCA was studied in dioxane‐water mixture and ethylene glycol‐acetonitrile mixture to know the effect of polarity and viscosity of the media. The photophysics of 7‐DCCA was also studied in different neat solvents. It was found that the photophysics of 7‐DCCA depended on the structural feature of the solvents and solvent mixtures.     

A crossover from metal to plasma in dense fluid hydrogen

Thermodynamic properties in dense fluid hydrogen are studied by using a density-functional theory for electron-proton binary mixtures that is called quantal hypernetted-chain (QHNC) integral equation. A nonlocal approximation for the exchange-correlation potential in a finite-temperature Kohn-Sham equation is presented. Results obtained from the QHNC with the nonlocal approximation are compared with those obtained from the QHNC with a local density approximation. Temperature variation of thermodynamic quantities between 10(4) and 10(6) K are investigated along an isochor specified by a dimensionless density parameter of rs=0.5. These quantities obtained from the QHNCs show that a crossover from metal to plasma occurs around a temperature of T=1.78 x 10(5) K. Electrical resistivity Re of the dense fluid hydrogen evaluated from a Ziman formula [The Properties of Liquid Metals, edited by S. Takenohi (Wiley, New York, 1973)] extended to finite temperature is about 0.7 muOmega cm at T=10(4) K. The dense fluid hydrogen at the temperature can be considered as a metallic fluid, because the value is smaller than typical values of Re in alkali metals at room temperature. The Re slightly increases with the temperature increase, and the temperature valuation of Re is monotonic. We clearly show that the contribution from the electronic excited states plays an important role for the sharp crossover from the metal to the plasma, and that the crossover is interpreted as a crossover from degenerate electron gas to nondegenerate electron gas.     

Self-assembly of multinuclear coordination species with chiral bipyridine ligands: silver complexes of 5,6-CHIRAGEN(o,m,p-xylidene) ligands and equilibrium behaviour in solution

The complexation reactions between Ag- and a series of enantiopure ligands belonging to the CHIRAGEN (from CHIRAlity GENerator) family (L1, L2, L3, based on (-)-5,6-pinene bipyridine) have been studied in solution. It has been shown that the length of the bridge plays a fundamental role in the self-assembly processes leading to different compounds: mononuclear complexes (with L3), mixtures of polynuclear complexes (with L2) and circular helicates (with L 1). Although the absolute configuration of the chiral centres in all three ligands is the same, the metal-centred chirality of L3 (delta) is inverted with respect to that in the other two complexes with L1 and L2 (delta). The metal configuration is thus opposite in the mononuclear complex with respect to the polynuclear species. Detailed thermodynamic studies were carried out for the Ag+ and L1 ligand system by 1H and 109Ag NMR spectroscopy (as a function of concentration, temperature and pressure). At low temperature and high pressure, the [Ag6L1(6)]6+ hexanuclear circular helicate forms a tetranuclear circular helicate [Ag4L1(4)]4+: 2[Ag6L1(6)]6+ <=> 3 [Ag4L1(4)]4+. The thermodynamics parameters, obtained by temperature and pressure variation, have the following values: K298 = (8.7 +/- 0.7) x 10(-5) mol x kg(-1), deltaHo = -15.65 +/- 0.8 kJ x mol(-1), deltaSo = -130.2 +/- 3 J x mol(-1) x K(-1) and deltaVo(256 K)= -160 +/- 12 cm3 x mol(-1). The reaction volume calculated according to Connolly's method indicates that the calculated structure of [Ag4L1(4)]4+ is plausible. Both the signs and large magnitudes of deltaSo and deltaVo are counterintuitive, yet can be understood by modelling methods.     

The bromination of acetone. Application to multicomponent kinetic determinations

A very simple kinetic method is proposed for the resolution of mixtures of acetone and a second component. It is based on the reaction, at constant temperature, between bromine and acetone. This reaction can be regarded, under certain conditions, as pseudo-zero-order on the bromine concentration. To show the possibilities of the method, mixtures of acetone (between 2 and 20 x 10(-4) mol L(-1)) and either hydroquinone (between 0.4 and 2.2 x 10(-4) mol L(-1)) or resorcinol (between 0.1 and 10.7 x 10(-4) mol L(-1)) have been used with the concentration ratios [acetone]:[hydroquinone] ranging between 0.5 and 50 and [acetone]:[resorcinol] ranging between 2.8 and 200. No systematic errors were found to exist (90% confidence level) and random errors were mainly under 5%. The method can be extended to mixtures of acetone and a second component whose reaction with bromine is fast (phenols, aromatic amines, etc.).     

Ultrabright supramolecular beacons based on the self-assembly of two-photon chromophores on metal nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles coated with a self-assembled layer of approximately 2500 chromophoric alkylthiol ligands, that exhibit a huge per particle two-photon absorption cross section (2.7 x 10-45 cm4 s photon-1) and a high fluorescence quantum yield (0.33), are reported. Polyfunctionalized variants of these nanoparticles have been produced that show reasonable solubility in water/ethanol mixtures. By virtue of the large number of tethered chromophores, these particles act as strongly two-photon absorbing nanobeacons and may have applications in fluorescence imaging and sensing.     

Surface-modified CdS quantum dots as luminescent probes for sulfadiazine determination

A novel, sensitive and convenient determine technology based on the quenching of the fluorescence intensity of functionalized CdS quantum dots by sulfadiazine was proposed. Luminescent CdS semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) modified by thioglycollic acid (TGA) were synthesized with the microwave method. The modified CdS QDs are water-soluble, stable and highly luminescent. The possible mechanism for the reaction was also discussed. When sulfadiazine was added into the CdS QDs colloid solution, the surface of CdS QDs generates the electrostatic interaction in aqueous medium, which induces the quenching of fluorescence emission at 489 nm. Under optimum condition, the fluorescence intensity versus sulfadiazine concentration gave a linear response according Stern-Volmer equation with an excellent 0.9981 correlation coefficient. The linearity range of the calibration curve was 1.2 x 10(-5) to 2.13 x 10(-3) mol L(-1). The limit of detection (3delta) is 8.0 micromol L(-1). The relative standard deviation for five determinations of 0.13 x 10(-3)mol L(-1) sulfadiazine is 1.4%. The concentrations of sulfadiazine injections were determined by the proposed method with a satisfactory result.     

On-line coupling of size-exclusion chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis via a reversed-phase C18 trapping column for the determination of peptides in biological samples

Since biologically active peptides usually exhibit their effects in low concentrations, the development of sensitive analytical methods has become a challenge. In this paper, a multidimensional system is presented, consisting of a size-exclusion chromatographic (SEC) separation followed by a trapping procedure on a 4 mm x 3 mm ID reversed-phase C18 (RP18) column with subsequent elution of the trapped fraction and separation by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The system has been tested with mixtures of six enkephalins and albumin, mimicking biological matrices such as plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. After separation of albumin from the enkephalins in the SEC dimension a heart-cut of 200 micro L, containing the enkephalin peak, is taken, concentrated on the RP18 microcolumn and, after elution with a 20 micro L plug of 80% acetonitrile, electrokinetically injected into the CZE system, where stacking and separation is achieved. While validation shows generally good linearity and reproducibility, the quantitation limit with UV detection is acceptable (2.5 micro g/ mL with an injection volume of 50 micro L).     

Influences of Quantum Mechanically Mixed Electronic and Vibrational Pigment States in 2D Electronic Spectra of Photosynthetic Systems: Strong Electronic Coupling Cases

In 2D electronic spectroscopy studies, long‐lived quantum beats have recently been observed in photosynthetic systems, and several theoretical studies have suggested that the beats are produced by quantum mechanically mixed electronic and vibrational states. Concerning the electronic‐vibrational quantum mixtures, the impact of protein‐induced fluctuations was examined by calculating the 2D electronic spectra of a weakly coupled dimer with the Franck‐Condon active vibrational modes in the resonant condition [Fujihashi et al., J. Chem. Phys.­ 2015 , 142, 212403.]. This analysis demonstrated that quantum mixtures of the vibronic resonance are rather robust under the influence of the fluctuations at cryogenic temperatures, whereas the mixtures are eradicated by the fluctuations at physiological temperatures. However, this conclusion cannot be generalized because the magnitude of the coupling inducing the quantum mixtures is proportional to the inter‐pigment electronic coupling. In this study, we explore the impact of the fluctuations on electronic‐vibrational quantum mixtures in a strongly coupled dimer with an off‐resonant vibrational mode. Toward this end, we calculate energy transfer dynamics and 2D electronic spectra of a model dimer that corresponds to the most strongly coupled bacteriochlorophyll molecules in the Fenna‐Matthews‐Olson complex in a numerically accurate manner. The quantum mixtures are found to be robust under the exposure of protein‐induced fluctuations at cryogenic temperatures, irrespective of the resonance. At 300 K, however, the quantum mixing is disturbed more strongly by the fluctuations, and therefore, the beats in the 2D spectra become obscure even in a strongly coupled dimer with a resonant vibrational mode. Further, the overall behaviors of the energy transfer dynamics are demonstrated to be dominated by the environment and coupling between the 0 0 vibronic transitions as long as the Huang‐Rhys factor of the vibrational mode is small. The electronic‐vibrational quantum mixtures do not necessarily play a significant role in electronic energy transfer dynamics despite contributing to the enhancement of long‐lived quantum beating in the 2D spectra.     

Near UV quantum yields for rotenone and piperonyl butoxide

Rotenone and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) mixtures, so-called "synergized" rotenone, are invaluable in fisheries management where they are used to protect the habitat of endangered, native species and promote desirable gamefish populations. Continued use of synergized rotenone is threatened by inadequate control of persistence in surface water, especially where drinking water supplies are impacted. The photochemical kinetics of these chemicals were studied in the laboratory with a goal to better understand their fate in natural water. Disappearance quantum yields (phi) were determined in polychromatic light from fluorescent lamps emitting maximally at 350 nm. Rotenone, PBO and trifluralin, an actinometer, were irradiated as aqueous solutions at 25 or 50 microg L(-1) and the piscicides were determined by electrospray-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (ESI-LC-MS). In the photoreactor rotenone and PBO photodegraded with first-order half-lives of 500 and 220 min, respectively, and corresponding quantum yields of 0.00015 and 0.034. Rotenone absorbs sunlight strongly, while PRO does not. Differences in spectal overlap tended to counteract the disparities in phi and, in general, mathematical modeling indicates moderately rapid direct photolysis rates for both substances in surface water.     

Electron transfer from aromatic amino acids to triplet quinones

The photoreduction of 1,4-benzoquinone, 1,4-naphthoquinone, 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ) and several methylated or halogenated derivatives in argon-saturated acetonitrile-water mixtures by indole, N-acetyltryptophan and N-acetyltyrosine was studied by time-resolved UV-vis spectroscopy using 20 ns UV laser pulses. The quinone triplet state is quenched by the aromatic amino acids and the rate constants are (1-5)x10(9)M(-1)s(-1). The semiquinone radical anion Q.(-) is the major observable transient after electron transfer from amino acids to the quinone triplet state. Termination of Q.(-) and amino acid derived radicals takes place in the mus-ms range. The effects of structure and other specific properties of quinones and amino acids are discussed. The radicals are subjects of intercept with oxygen, whereby hydrogen peroxide is eventually formed. The quantum yield of oxygen uptake Phi(-O2) as a measure of formation of hydrogen peroxide increases with increasing amino acid concentration, approaching Phi(-O2) for AQ in air-saturated solution.     

Analysis of sulphonamides using supercritical fluid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography has been used for the separation of mixtures of sulphonamides on silica and amino-bonded stationary phases utilizing carbon dioxide with methanol modifier as the mobile phase. The effect of modifier concentration, column pressure and modifier identity on retention was also studied. Packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (SFC-MS) of these mixtures utilizing both moving-belt and modified thermospray interfaces was also studied. The identification of sulphamethazine in a spiked porcine kidney extract was performed by SFC-MS using the moving-belt interface.     

Ion association in [bmim][PF6]/naphthalene mixtures: an experimental and computational study

Mixtures of room temperature ionic liquids (IL) with neutral organic molecules provide a valuable testing ground to investigate the interplay of the ionic and molecular-dipolar state in dense Coulomb systems at near ambient conditions. In the present study, the viscosity eta and the ionic conductivity sigma of 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim][PF6])/naphthalene mixtures at T = 80 degrees C have been measured at 10 stoichiometries spanning the composition range from pure naphthalene to pure [bmim][PF6]. The viscosity grows nearly monotonically with increasing IL mole fraction ( x), whereas the conductivity per ion displays a clear peak at x approximately 15%. The origin of this maximum has been investigated using molecular dynamics simulations based on a classical force field. Snapshots of the simulated samples show that the conductivity maximum is due to the gradual transition in the IL component from an ionic state at high x to a dipolar fluid made of neutral ion pairs at low x. At concentrations x < 0.20 the ion pairs condense into molecular-thin filaments bound by dipolar forces and extending in between nanometric droplets of IL. These results are confirmed and complemented by the computation of dynamic and transport properties in [bmim][PF6]/naphthalene mixtures at low IL concentration.     

Consistent experimental and theoretical evidence for long-lived intermediate radicals in living free radical polymerization

The cumyl dithiobenzoate (CDB)-mediated reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene at 30 degrees C is studied via both kinetic experiments and high-level ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The kinetic data clearly indicate the delayed onset of steady-state behavior. Such an observation is consistent with the slow fragmentation model for the RAFT process, but cannot be reconciled with the cross-termination model. The comprehensive failure of the cross-termination model is quantitatively demonstrated in a detailed kinetic analysis, in which the independent influences of the pre-equilibria and main equilibria and the possible chain length dependence of cross-termination are fully taken into account. In contrast, the slow fragmentation model can describe the data, provided the main equilibrium has a large fragmentation constant of at least 8.9 x 10(6) L mol(-1). Such a high equilibrium constant (for both equilibria) is consistent with high-level ab initio quantum chemical calculations (K = 7.3 x 10(6) L mol(-1)) and thus appears to be physically realistic. Given that the addition rate coefficient for macroradicals to (polymeric) RAFT agent is 4 x 10(6) L mol(-1) s(-1), this implies that the lifetime of the RAFT adduct radicals is close to 2.5 s. Since the radical is also kinetically stable to termination, it can thus function as a radical sink in its own right.     

A new method of Fourier-transform smoothing with ratio spectra derivative spectrophotometry

A new method which combines Fourier-transform smoothing with ratio spectra derivative spectrophotometry has been developed for analysis of binary and ternary mixtures. The method proposed has been applied to the simultaneous determination of a binary mixture of 0.974-2.026 x 10(-2) g L(-1) nitrate and nitrite and to a ternary mixture of 1.840-3.888 x 10(-3) g L(-1) histidine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. The relative standard derivations are between 0.07 and 5.3% for the former system, and between 0.5 and 7.3% for the latter. The results show that the method proposed is more accurate than multiple linear regression.     

四苯硼铵从H2O到H2O-TBA的ΔGΘt和介质效应

Solubilities of ammonium tetraphenylborate (NH4BPh4) in water-t-butyl alcohol (TBA) mixed solvents at 283.15,293.15,298.15,303.15 and 308.15K have been determined by spectrophotometry.The standard Gibbs energy of transfer (ΔGΘt) of NH4BPh4 from water to H2)-TBA mixtures and the primary medium effect of NH4BPh4 from 283.15 to 308.15K were studied.The results show that-ΔGΘt exhibits a complicated variation pattern with the increase in the mole fraction of TBA [x(TBA)] at the same temperature.When x(TBA)<0.06,-ΔGΘt increases very slowly with x(TBA),the-ΔGΘt increases rapidly with x(TBA) when x(TBA) from 0.06 to 0.2.For x(TBA)>0.2,the -ΔGΘtdecreases with increasing x(TBA).The largest value of -ΔGΘt occurs at x(TBA)=0.2.The main reason for this variation was analyzed and discussen.