The Cubic-Two-State Equation of State: Cross-associating mixtures and Monte Carlo study of self-associating prototypes

A new equation of state for associating fluids has recently been presented by Medeiros and Tellez-Arredondo, the Cubic-Two-State Equation of State (CTS EoS) [Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 47 (2008) 5723]. This equation arises from the coupling of the Soave–Redlich–Kwong EoS (SRK) with an association term from a two-state association model. The CTS EoS is polynomial in volume and it is able to describe vapor pressures and molar volume of associating fluids such as water, alcohol and phenol, among others. The equation is also able to describe the liquid–vapor equilibria of their mixtures with alkanes. In this paper, the physical and thermodynamic foundations of the CTS EoS are further investigated. In order to verify its applicability for cross-associating systems, the equation was employed in the prediction of phase equilibria behavior of binary alcohol–alcohol and water–alcohol mixtures. Very good agreement between predictions and experimental phase equilibria data was obtained with very simple combining rules and only one adjustable binary parameter. No additional parameters were necessary to describe ternary systems. With the purpose of checking the model's hypothesis and limitations, the two-state association term was coupled with the hard sphere Carnahan–Starling EoS, forming the CS-TS equation and the association characteristic parameters were determined theoretically for prototype association fluids. Monte Carlo NPT simulations of such fluids were performed and the results were compared with the equation's predictions. The CS-TS was able to describe qualitatively the pvT$pvT$ behavior of the prototype; nevertheless, it is not as accurate as those predictions obtained from the combination CS with Wertheim's association term. It seems that, when adjusting parameters of the CTS EoS to real substances, the discrepancies between the predicted and the real association contribution are dissipated among other adjustable parameters, specially on the dispersive term of the SRK equation. Finally, it is shown that CTS EoS isotherms can only have one or three real bigger roots than the co-volume for positive pressures, similar to cubic equations of state, and then it has the desirable form to describe vapor–liquid phase equilibria of associating compounds mixtures.     

Modeling phase equilibria of alkanols with the simplified PC-SAFT equation of state and generalized pure compound parameters

The simplified PC-SAFT equation of state has been applied to liquid–liquid, vapor–liquid and solid–liquid equilibria for mixtures containing 1- or 2-alkanols with alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, CO₂ and water. For the alkanols we use generalized pure compound parameters. This means that two of the physical pure compound parameters, m (segment number) and σ (segment diameter), are obtained from linear extrapolations, since m and mσ³, increase linearly with respect to the molar mass, and moreover, the two association parameters (association energy and association volume) were assumed to be constant for all alkanols. Only the dispersion energy is fitted to experimental data. Thus it is possible to estimate parameters for several 1- and 2-alkanols. The final aim is to develop a group contribution approach for PC-SAFT which is suitable for complex compounds, considering that the motivation of this project is to obtain a thermodynamic model which can be used in the development of sophisticated products such as pharmaceuticals, polymers, detergents or food ingredients. One of the severe limitations in applying SAFT-type equations of state to these compounds is that the procedure for obtaining the pure compound parameters is usually based on fitting to saturated vapor pressure and liquid density data over an extended temperature range. However, such data are rarely available for complex compounds. To verify the new pure compound parameters, comparisons to ordinary optimized alkanol parameters, where all five pure compound parameters were fitted to experimental liquid density and vapor pressure data, were made. The results show that the new generalized alkanol parameters from this work perform at least as well as other alkanol parameter sets.     

Thiourea linked peracetylated glucopyranosyl–anthraquinone conjugate as reversible ON–OFF receptor for fluoride in acetonitrile

A new thiourea linked peracetylated glucopyranosyl–anthraquinone conjugate (L) has been synthesized and characterized. The binding properties of L have been studied with nineteen different anions. The L exhibited selective chromogenic as well as fluorescent chemosensor property toward F⁻ by a ∼13-fold increase in the emission intensity upon binding with F⁻. The minimal detection limit for F⁻ is 185 ± 5 ppb in acetonitrile. Interaction of F⁻ led to a bathochromic shift of 80 nm in the absorption band. An INHIBIT logic gate has been proposed using the output obtained from the fluorescence studies. The structure of the species formed upon the interaction of F⁻ with L has been established by DFT computations.     

Influence of size and shape effects on the high-pressure solubility of n-alkanes: Experimental data, correlation and prediction

(Solid + liquid) phase equilibria (SLE) of (n-hexadecane, or n-octadecane + 3-methylpentane, or 2,2-dimethylbutane, or benzene) at very high pressures up to about 1.0 GPa have been investigated at the temperature range from T = (293 to 353) K. The thermostated apparatus for the measurements of transition pressures from the liquid to the solid state in two component isothermal solutions was used. The pressure-temperature-composition relation of the high pressure (solid + liquid) phase equilibria, polynomial based on the general solubility equation at atmospheric pressure was satisfactorily used. Additionally, the SLE of binary systems (n-hexadecane, or n-octadecane + 3-methylpentane, or 2,2-dimethylbutane, or benzene, or n-hexane or cyclohexane) at normal pressure was discussed. The results at high pressures were compared for every system to these at normal pressure. The influence of the size and shape effects on the solubility at 0.1 MPa and high pressure up to 600 MPa was discussed.The main aim of this work was to predict the mixture behaviour using only pure components data and cubic equation of state in the wide range of pressures, far above the pressure range which cubic equations of state are normally applied to. The fluid phase behaviour is described by the corrected SRK-EOS and the van der Waals one fluid mixing rules.     

Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of aqueous N-acetyl-d-glucosamine at temperatures from 278.15 K to 368.15 K and of aqueous N-methylacetamide at temperatures from 278.15 K to 393.15 K at the pressure 0.35 MPa

We determined apparent molar volumes V_? from densities measured with a vibrating-tube densimeter at 278.15 ? (T/K) ? 368.15 and apparent molar heat capacities C_p,? with a twin fixed-cell, differential, temperature-scanning calorimeter at 278.15 ? (T/K) ? 363.15 for aqueous solutions of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine at m from (0.01 to 1.0) mol · kg⁻¹ and at p = 0.35 MPa. We also determined V_? at 278.15 ? (T/K) ? 368.15 and C_p,? at 278.15 ? (T/K) ? 393.15 for aqueous solutions of N-methylacetamide at m from (0.015 to 1.0) mol · kg⁻¹ and at p = 0.35 MPa. Empirical functions of m and T for each compound were fitted to our results, which are then compared to those for N,N-dimethylacetamide. Estimated values of Δ_rV_m(m, T) and Δ_rC_p,m(m, T) for formation of aqueous N-acetyl-d-glucosamine from aqueous d-glucose and aqueous acetamide are calculated and discussed.     

Critical parameters for isobutane determined by the image analysis

(p, ρ, T) Measurements and visual observations of the meniscus for isobutane were carried out carefully in the critical region over the range of temperatures: −15 mK ? (T − T_c) ? 35 mK, and of densities: −7.5 kg · m⁻³ ? (ρ − ρ_c) ? 7.5 kg · m⁻³ by a metal-bellows volumometer with an optical cell. Vapor pressures were also measured at T = (310, 405, 406, 407, and 407.5) K. The critical point of T_c and ρ_c was determined by the image analysis of the critical opalescence which is proposed in this study. The critical pressure p_c was determined to be the pressure measurement at the critical point. Comparisons of the critical parameters with values given in the literature are presented.     

Experimental measurement and modeling of solubility of LiBr and LiNO3 in methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol and 1-butanol

The solubility of lithium bromide and lithium nitrate in solvents methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol and 1-butanol were measured in the range between 298.15 and 338.15 K using an analytical gravimetric method. An empirical equation was used to fit the experimental solubilities and the Pitzer model with inclusion of Archer's ionic strength was used for the calculation of osmotic coefficients. The experimental data of system pressures (p) for the correlation of LiBr + ethanol, LiBr + 2-propanol at T (298.15-333.15 K) and LiNO₃ + ethanol at T (298.15-323.15 K) were obtained from published literatures. Moreover, the parameters of the Pitzer model were re-correlated and were used to predict mean ion activity coefficients. A procedure was also presented to predict the solubility products of salts in pure organic solvent.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of monoclinic calcium apatites: A universal equation of state

Molecular dynamics simulations of monoclinic (P2₁/b) hydroxy- and chlorapatite were undertaken in the range 498 K < T < 1298 K, and for pressures up to 7.5 GPa. The all-atom Born–Huggins–Mayer force field, that had been previously used to successfully describe the room temperature isotherms of both compounds, was also used in this work. The isothermal sets of p–V data generated by simulation were each fitted to the three-parameter form of the isothermal Parsafar and Mason equation of state (EoS) with an accuracy better than 0.07%. Taking the temperature dependence of the coefficients into account, it was found that the MD data are satisfactorily reproduced by the universal EoS. The isothermal compressibility coefficient dependence with pressure can be described by a linear relation.     

On the diffusion of free carriers in β-rhombohedral boron

To determine the diffusion of untrapped carriers in β-rhombohedral boron, we constructed a feedback pico-ammeter based on pulse integration technique. This enabled measuring deviations from the bias in a 10⁹ Ω sample in the order of 1 nA with 0.7 ms time resolution. For the first time, we obtained the drift velocity of optically generated untrapped electron-hole pairs 106(20) cm s⁻¹ yielding for the band-determined diffusion coefficient and for the carrier mobility . Fitting Fick's second law to the measured trap-determined dispersion of carriers yields the ambipolar diffusion coefficient D^*=0.043(14) and 0.28(10) cm² s⁻¹ at 260 and 340 K, respectively. The thermal activation energy of 0.18 eV agrees with the well-known trapping levels in β-rhombohedral boron.     

Isobaric vapor–liquid equilibria for the n-hexane + 2-isopropoxyethanol and n-heptane + 2-isopropoxyethanol systems

Vapor–liquid equilibria (VLE) for the n-hexane + 2-isopropoxyethanol and n-heptane + 2-isopropoxyethanol (at 60, 80, and 100 kPa) systems were measured. Two systems present positive deviations from ideal behavior. And the system n-heptane + 2-isopropoxyethanol shows a minimum boiling azeotrope at all pressures. Experimented data have been correlated with the two term virial equation for vapor-phase fugacity coefficients and the three suffix Margules equation, Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC equations for liquid-phase activity coefficients. Experimental VLE data show excellent agreements with models.     

Effect of doping and temperature on the crystal structure of (V1−xMox)2O3 above and below the metal/insulator transition

The crystal structure of new molybdenum-doped vanadium sesquioxides (V_1−xMo_x)₂O₃ (0?x?0.20) has been studied at low temperature (10 K) and up to room temperature, through neutron and X-ray powder diffraction. The transition from insulating I- to metallic M-type phases, either by doping or thermally driven, is accompanied by an abrupt decrease of all interatomic distances. Within each structural type however, at 10 K, the effect of doping is essentially the same as at room temperature: it increases cation-oxygen distances, and decreases cation-cation distances, making the cationic coordination octahedra more regular. Thermal effects differ for each phase type: all interatomic distances normally increase in the M-type phase (but with different octahedral modifications depending on doping), but they decrease or remain constant in the I-type phase. This produces an unusual negative thermal expansion coefficient up to 5% at low temperature for the doped compounds.     

Using modulated DSC to investigate the origin of multiple thermal transitions in frozen 10% sucrose solutions

Modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) was used to investigate the effect of annealing on multiple thermal transitions in frozen aqueous sucrose solutions. Two thermal transitions were detected from the reversing heat flow. Here, to maintain consistency with terminology used in the practice of freeze-drying [1], the higher temperature is denoted, T^′g, and the lower transition is given the symbol, T^″g. The transition at low temperature is usually believed to be a true glass transition. However, the origin of the transition at high temperature is still highly controversial. Based upon a study of 10% sucrose solutions with different cooling histories and annealing conditions, we suggest that the transition at high temperature is also a glass transition. We conclude that the lower transition is a glass transition of a phase plasticized by a higher than equilibrium amount of unfrozen water, and the higher transition, T^′g, corresponds to a glass transition in a maximally freeze-concentrated solute phase.     

Isobaric vapor–liquid equilibria for the n-heptane + ethylene glycol monopropyl ether and n-octane + ethylene glycol monopropyl ether systems

Vapor–liquid equilibria (VLE) for the n-heptane + ethylene glycol monopropyl ether and n-octane + ethylene glycol monopropyl ether systems were measured. Isobaric VLE measurements of the associating fluid mixtures were conducted at several pressures (60 kPa, 80 kPa and 100 kPa) using Fischer VLE 602 equipment. The experimental data were correlated using a two-term virial equation for vapor-phase fugacity coefficients and the three suffix Margules equation, Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC models for liquid-phase activity coefficients. The results show good agreement with the variety of models.     

Mg-doping experiment and electrical transport measurement of boron nanobelts

We measured electrical conductance of single crystalline boron nanobelts having α-tetragonal crystalline structure. The doping experiment of Mg was carried out by vapor diffusion method. The pure boron nanobelt is a p-type semiconductor and its electrical conductivity was estimated to be on the order of 10^-3 (Ω cm)⁻¹ at room temperature. The carrier mobility of pure boron nanobelt was measured to be on the order of 10⁻³ (cm² Vs⁻¹) at room temperature and has an activation energy of ∼0.19 eV. The Mg-doped boron nanobelts have the same α-tetragonal crystalline structure as the pristine nanobelts. After Mg vapor diffusion, the nanobelts were still semiconductor, while the electrical conductance increased by a factor of 100-500. Transition to metal or superconductor by doping was not observed.     

Dilute solution behaviour of progressively hydrolyzed polyacrylamide in water-N, N dimethylformamide mixtures

The intrinsic viscosities [η’s] of anionic (hydrolyzed; low and high carboxyl content) and nonionic polyacrylamide (unhydrolyzed) were measured in water-N, N dimethylformamide mixtures at various temperatures. Non-polyelectrolyte behavior of low carboxyl content polyacrylamide was observed in mixed solvent system. The plots of [η] vs. solvent composition in a mixed solvent system pass through minima for both high as well as low carboxyl content polymers but through a maximum for nonionic polyacrylamide. Observed minimum for charged polymers may be attributed to the loss of polymer sites available to interact with solvent for H-bonding interaction between neighboring amide and the acid groups. The maximum for nonionic polymer at the particular solvent composition arises for the most powerful cosolvent effect. Existence of two antagonistic effects is apparent in [η] values of nonionic polymer at various temperatures. Huggins constant (K_H) also indicates a significant variation of cosolvency as a function of solvent composition. Activation parameters of viscous flow were calculated using Frenkel-Eyring equation. The volume related parameter and the shape factor were also computed. Shape factor data indicate that polymer molecules are more or less rigid spheres and are not affected by temperature and composition of solvent.     

Modeling of the three-phase equilibrium in systems of the type water + nonionic surfactant + alkane

Liquid–liquid equilibria of systems water (A) + C_iE_j surfactant (B) + n-alkane (C) have been modeled by a mass-action law model previously developed and so far successfully applied to a series of binary water + C_iE_j systems and to the ternary system water + C₄E₁ + n-dodecane. These calculations provide the basis for the presented modeling. The aqueous systems give information about the association constants and the χ_AB-parameter of the Flory–Huggins theory and the ternary C₄E₁-system provides universal temperature functions for the χ_AC- and the χ_BC-parameter. The three-phase equilibrium for seven ternary C_iE_j systems (i = 6–12, j = 3–6) has been calculated by fitting one additional parameter for each of both temperature functions to the characteristic “fish-tail” point. The agreement with the experimental data is reasonably well. For systems with very small three-phase areas the results can considerably be improved by individual temperature functions that incorporate the experimental temperature maximum of the “fish” into the parameter fit. Based on the parameters of the system water + C₈E₄ + n-C₈H₁₈ the “fish-shaped” phase diagram of the system water + C₈E₄ + n-C₁₄H₃₀ was predicted reasonably well.     

Chromatographic retention prediction and octanol-water partition coefficient determination of monobasic weak acidic compounds in ion-suppression reversed-phase liquid chromatography using acids as ion-suppressors

Although simple acids, replacing buffers, have been widely applied to suppress the ionization of weakly ionizable acidic analytes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), none of the previously reported works focused on the systematic studies about the retention behavior of the acidic solutes in this ion-suppression RPLC mode. The subject of this paper was therefore to investigate the retention behavior of monobasic weak acidic compounds using acetic, perchloric and phosphoric acids as the ion-suppressors. The apparent octanol-water partition coefficient (K^″ow) was proposed to calibrate the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) of these weak acidic compounds, which resulted in a better linear correlation with log kw, the logarithm of the hypothetical retention factor corresponding to neat aqueous fraction of hydroorganic mobile phase. This log K^″ow−log kw linear correlation was successfully validated by the results of monocarboxylic acids and monohydrating phenols, and moreover by the results under diverse experimental conditions for the same solutes. This straightforward relationship not only can be used to effectively predict the retention values of weak acidic solutes combined with Snyder-Soczewinski equation, but also can offer a promising medium for directly measuring Kow data of these compounds via Collander equation. In addition, the influence of the different ion-suppressors on the retention of weak acidic compounds was also compared in this RPLC mode.     

Sequential injection analysis system for on-line monitoring of l-cysteine concentration in biological processes

A sequential injection analysis (SIA) system was developed to monitor the concentration of l-cysteine in biological processes on-line. It is based on the redox reaction of l-cysteine with iron(III) in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and the detection of the red-iron(II)-phen complex with a spectrophotometry. The system was fully automated using software written in the LabVIEW™ development environment. A number of system variables such as the flow rate of the carrier buffer solution, the volume ratio of the sample to the reagents, and the reaction coil length, etc., were evaluated to increase the sensitivity and performance of the SIA system. Under partially optimized operating conditions the performance of the SIA system was linear up to a concentration of l-cysteine of 1 mM (R² = 0.998) with a detection limit of 0.005 mM and a sample frequency of 15 hr⁻¹. The SIA system was employed to monitor the concentration of l-cysteine on-line in a continuously stirred reactor and a fermentation process of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The on-line monitored data were in good agreement with the off-line data measured by a HPLC with a fluorescence detector (n = 15, R² = 09899).