Polyether—phosphinite for One—phase Catalysis Coupled with Two—phase Separation

Polyether moiety was introduced to the phosphinite and the phosphinite modified rhodium complex formed in situ was highly active in the hydroformylation of higher olefins in organic monophase system. After reaction, on cooling to room temperature,the catalyst could precipitate out from organic phase and was easily separated by decantation and reused six times without obvious decreasing in activity.     

Amplitude and phase fluctuation modes in the smectic Cα* phase of an antiferroelectric compound

Dielectric measurements have been carried out on the chiral smectic C_α (SmC_α*) phase of a MHPOBC analogous compound. Two relaxation modes have been observed in this phase for planar orientation of the molecules. One process has been observed at frequency lower than that of the soft mode of the chiral smectic A (SmA*) phase. This relaxation process is connected with the helicity of the SmC_α* phase. In the high‐frequency region, another relaxation process has been observed in the SmC_α* phase for which bias field dependence is similar to that of the soft mode at the SmA*–SmC* phase transition. The experimental observations are in agreement with a recently proposed dielectric theory for the SmC_α* phase and theoretical dielectric results obtained by numerical simulations. Thus, we report here experimental verification of two theoretically predicted dielectric modes in the SmC_α* phase.     

Vapor phase composition and radical polymerization—how the gas phase influences the kinetics of heterophase polymerization

The outcome of radical styrene heterophase polymerization depends strongly on the composition of the gas phase. Data of a comprehensive experimental study show that the effect of the gas phase is quite a complex one and strongly influenced by the nature of the gas, the homogeneity or heterogeneity of the polymerization system, and the kind of initiator. Evidence is presented that the influence of air goes beyond the simple action of oxygen which can cause deceleration or acceleration of the reaction. The experimental results show that the optimum polymerization conditions are obtained in the absence of any foreign gas.     

Reaction-induced phase separation in rubber-modified epoxy resin

The phase separation mechanism,and structure development during curing of epoxy with a novel liquid rubber-ZR were investigated by time-resolved light scattering,optical microscope and differential scanning calonmetry (DSC) The mixture loaded with curing agent was a single-phase system in the early stage of curing.When the cure reaction proceeded,phase separation took place via the spinodal decomposition induced by polymerization of epoxy resin.This was supported by the characteristic change of light scattering profile with curing time.Cure reaction plays an important role in the progress of phase separation.The bigger the cure reaction rate is,the longer periodic distance will be.The overall two-phase structure was basically locked in when the conversion approached 80% estimated by DSC,and finally the co-continuous two-phase structure was successfully obtained.     

Electrochemical formation and phase control of Mg-Li alloys

The electrochemical formation of Mg-Li alloys was investigated in a molten LiCl-KCl(58-42 mol%)eutectic melt at 723 K. The cyclic voltammogram for a Mo electrode showed that the electroreduction of Li~ proceeds in a single step and the deposition potential of Li metal was -2.40 V(vs.Ag/AgCl).For Mg electrode,the electroreduction of Li~ takes place at less cathodic potential than that at the Mo electrode which was caused by the formation of Mg-Li alloys.Phase of the deposited Mg-Li alloys could be controlled by the electrolysis potential,and the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed thatα-Mg andβ-Li phases were obtained at -2.35 and -2.55 V,respectively.     

Solid–liquid phase diagrams of binary mixtures

This study investigates the sorption of toluene and naphthalene by a sodium bentonite (BFN), an organoclay (WS35) and by their respective iron oxide hydrate composites Mag_BFN and Mag_S35. The organic matter content of WS35 and Mag_S35, determined by thermogravimetry, was used to obtain their organic matter sorption coefficients, which show that they are effective sorbents to remove organic contaminants from water, with a higher selectivity for naphthalene than for toluene sorption. The main iron oxide phase present in Mag_BFN and Mag_S35 is maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃), which allows these sorbents to be separated from the effluent by a magnetic separation process after use.     

Pressure induced structural phase transitions—A review

The contemporary status of experimental as well as theoretical advances within the special view of structural phase transitions is reviewed. A brief outline of phase transitions and its classification is presented first. High-pressure experimental techniques developed for studying the structural phase transitions and elastic properties are reviewed. The complete set of theoretical and experimental data obtained is for the group II–IV alkaline earth chalcogenides. Here the authors review the currently used calculations and high-pressure behavior of these materials and the theoretical work that has been done on them.      

Orbital phase in Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions

We investigated the electronic structures of the transition states of the oxidative addition, transmetalation, and reductive elimination steps in the catalytic cycle of the title reaction. The frontier orbital theory was surprisingly found to be applicable whereas any d orbitals of transition metals can be a main component of frontier orbitals because of their close energies. Visualizing the actually calculated HOMO and LUMO of the two parts of the transition structure of each step clearly demonstrated their orbital phase matching in favor of overlapping. The HOMO for the transmetalation step suggests that electron-donating ability of the carbon–metal bond of organometallic compounds (RMX) could control the reactivities of related cross-coupling reactions. The energies of the molecular orbitals having large amplitudes of the C–M bonding orbitals of RMX explain why the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction needs a base while the Kumada–Tamao and Negishi reactions take place without any bases.     

High-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in the identification and determination of phase I and phase II drug metabolites

Applications of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) techniques coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the identification and determination of phase I and phase II drug metabolites are reviewed with an emphasis on recent papers published predominantly within the last 6 years (2002–2007) reporting the employment of atmospheric pressure ionization techniques as the most promising approach for a sensitive detection, positive identification and quantitation of metabolites in complex biological matrices. This review is devoted to in vitro and in vivo drug biotransformation in humans and animals. The first step preceding an HPLC-MS bioanalysis consists in the choice of suitable sample preparation procedures (biomatrix sampling, homogenization, internal standard addition, deproteination, centrifugation, extraction). The subsequent step is the right optimization of chromatographic conditions providing the required separation selectivity, analysis time and also good compatibility with the MS detection. This is usually not accessible without the employment of the parent drug and synthesized or isolated chemical standards of expected phase I and sometimes also phase II metabolites. The incorporation of additional detectors (photodiode-array UV, fluorescence, polarimetric and others) between the HPLC and MS instruments can result in valuable analytical information supplementing MS results. The relation among the structural changes caused by metabolic reactions and corresponding shifts in the retention behavior in reversed-phase systems is discussed as supporting information for identification of the metabolite. The first and basic step in the interpretation of mass spectra is always the molecular weight (MW) determination based on the presence of protonated molecules [M+H]⁺ and sometimes adducts with ammonium or alkali-metal ions, observed in the positive-ion full-scan mass spectra. The MW determination can be confirmed by the [M-H]^- ion for metabolites providing a signal in negative-ion mass spectra. MS/MS is a worthy tool for further structural characterization because of the occurrence of characteristic fragment ions, either MS ⁿ analysis for studying the fragmentation patterns using trap-based analyzers or high mass accuracy measurements for elemental composition determination using time of flight based or Fourier transform mass analyzers. The correlation between typical functional groups found in phase I and phase II drug metabolites and corresponding neutral losses is generalized and illustrated for selected examples. The choice of a suitable ionization technique and polarity mode in relation to the metabolite structure is discussed as well.     

Enantioseparation of five racemic N-alkyl drugs by reverse phase HPLC using sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin as a chiral mobile phase additive

Analytical enantioseparations of five N-alkyl drugs, fluoxetine hydrochloride, labetalol, venlafaxine hydrochloride, trans-paroxol, and atropine sulfate, were investigated by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography with sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin as chiral mobile phase additive. Effects of various factors such as composition of mobile phase, concentration of cyclodextrins, and column temperature on retention and enantioselectivity were studied. Apparent formation constant between methanol, acetonitrile, and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin were determined to be 2.90 × 10⁻³ and 1.00 × 10⁻⁴ L mmol⁻¹ under 25°C using UV-spectrophotometry. Van't Hoff plots were used to investigate thermodynamic parameters for enantiomers–stationary phase interaction and formation of inclusion complex. Two retention models were employed individually for evaluation of inclusion complexation between five racemates and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin. The second model with complex adsorption was more accord with the retention behavior of fluoxetine hydrochloride, labetalol, and venlafaxine hydrochloride enantiomers, while the first model was more consistent with the retention behaviors of trans-paroxol and atropine sulfate. In the selected mobile phase, stoichiometric ratio for both of inclusion complex was found to be 1:1.     

UV photolysis of α-cyclohexanedione in the gas phase

Ultraviolet absorption spectrum of α-cyclohexanedione (α-CHD) vapor in the wavelength range of 220-320 nm has been recorded in a 1 m long path gas cell at room temperature. With the aid of theoretical calculation, the band has been assigned to the S(2) ← S(0) transition of largely ππ* type. The absorption cross section at the band maximum (～258 nm) is nearly 3 orders of magnitude larger compared to that for the S(2) ← S(0) transition of a linear α-diketo prototype, 2,3-pentanedione. The photolysis was performed by exciting the sample vapor near this band maximum, using the 253.7 nm line of a mercury vapor lamp, and the products were analyzed by mass spectrometry as well as by infrared spectroscopy. The identified products are cyclopentanone, carbon monoxide, ketene, ethylene, and 4-pentenal. Geometry optimization at the CIS/6-311++G** level predicts that the carbonyl group is pyramidally distorted in the excited S(1) and S(2) states, but the α-CHD ring does not show dissociative character. Potential energy curves with respect to a ring rupture coordinate (C-C bond between two carbonyl groups) for S(0), S(1), S(2), T(1), T(2), and T(3) states have been generated by partially optimizing the ground state geometry at DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G** level and calculating the vertical transition energies to the excited states by TDDFT method. Our analysis reveals that the reactions can take place at higher vibrational levels of S(0) as well as T(1) states.     

Studies on the phase behavior and solubilization of the microemulsion formed by surfactant-like ionic liquids with ɛ–β-fish-like phase diagram

The phase behavior and the solubilization of the microemulsion systems surfactant-like ionic liquids 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C₁₆mimBr), 1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C₁₄mimBr), or 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C₁₂mimBr)/alcohol/alkane/brine have been studied with ɛ–β-fish-like phase diagram method at 40 °C and an oil-to-water mass ratio of 1:1. From the ɛ–β-fish-like phase diagram, the physicochemical parameters, such as the mass fraction of alcohol in the hydrophile–lipophile-balanced interfacial layer (A ^S), and the solubilities of ionic liquid (S ^O) and alcohol (A ^O) in alkane phase, were calculated. The solubilization of the microemulsion system has been discussed based on the ɛ–β-fish-like phase diagram. The smaller the oil molecule, the longer the alcohol chain length, and the larger the NaCl concentration in water, the larger the solubilization of the microemulsion system. In this paper, the solubilization of the microemulsion stabilized by both C₁₂mimBr and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (sodium dodecyl sulfate) was also investigated with the ɛ–β-fish-like phase diagram. The unequimolar composite of anionic and cationic surfactants can avoid the sedimentation aroused by the strong electrostatic attraction, and an obvious synergism effect in solubilization was obtained.     

Direct and indirect photoinduced gas–liquid phase transitions

The condensation of supersaturated vapors of various substances in air under UV irradiation in a cloud chamber has been studied. The irradiation and subsequent photodissociation greatly facilitate the condensation of vapors in comparison with unirradiated mixtures, wherein both a vapor that directly absorbs radiation (direct photoinduced phase transition) and, for example, water vapor in the presence of photodissociating impurities (indirect photoinduced transition) can be condensed.     

Liquid–liquid crystalline phase separation in biomolecular solutions

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and liquid crystalline (LC) ordering are ubiquitous phenomena in nature, in a variety of biomolecular solutions. Here, we review instances in DNA, nanocellulose, and other systems, where they occur together, leading to the formation of liquid–liquid crystalline phase separation (LLCPS), and we highlight analogies, differences, recent advances, and open questions. Remarkably, the intrinsic fluid yet ordered nature of LC, combined with the spatial confinement induced by LLPS, leads to peculiar biomolecular compartments suitable for a broad range of applications, ranging from material science to synthetic biology. We argue that tools from the LC field help to address still unexplained processes such as the onset of phase transitions in intracellular biomolecular condensates.     

Programmed co-assembly of DNA-peptide hybrid microdroplets by phase separation

Biopolymers, including DNA and peptides have been used as excellent self-assembling building blocks for programmable single-component or hybrid materials, due to their controlled molecular interactions.However, combining two assembling principles of DNA-based programmability and peptide-based specific molecular interactions for hybrid structures to microscale has not yet been achieved. In this study,we describe a hybrid microsystem that emerges from the co-assembly of DNA origami structure and s...     

Organoboron luminophores with extremely strong dual–phase emissions

Developing efficient dual–phase emission emitters upon organoboron luminophores remains a formidable challenge due to the ubiquitous self–absorption and deleterious π-π interactions from aromatic structure. Here, a new family of benzothiazole–enolate–based organoboron luminophores (HN1–4) with effective dual–phase emission was constructed. HN4 showed almost the highest quantum yield (QY) among this type of compound so far. The three-ring–fused rigid skeleton and moderate intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect ensured that HN4 could give rise to extremely strong emission in any solution (QY up to 99%). X-ray crystallographic analysis showed that the twisted core structure constructed by the boronic coordination of two penta-fluorobenzene of HN4 was responsible for intense emission in the solid state (QY up to 68%). Besides, HN4 exhibited a unique response to mechanical force accompanied by a reversible change of the QY. We believe that this strategy provides beneficial inspiration and methodology to design materials with high emissive quantum yield that can be used in a variety of luminescent events.     

High-resolution mapping of phase behavior in a ternary lipid mixture: do lipid-raft phase boundaries depend on the sample preparation procedure?

For some time now, we have been using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based strategy to conduct high-resolution studies of phase behavior in ternary lipid-raft membrane mixtures. Our FRET experiments can be carried out on ordinary, polydisperse multilamellar vesicle suspensions, so we are able to prepare our samples according to a procedure that was designed specifically to guard against artifactual phase separation. In some respects (i.e., the number and nature of two-phase regions observed), our phase diagrams are consistent with those in previously published reports. However, in other respects (i.e., overall size of miscibility gaps, phase boundary locations and their dependence on temperature), there are clear differences. Here, we present FRET data taken in dioleoylphosphatidylcholine/dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/cholesterol (DOPC/DPPC/Chol) mixtures at 25.0, 35.0, and 45.0 degrees C. Comparisons between our results and previously reported phase boundaries suggest that lipid-raft mixtures may be particularly susceptible to demixing effects during sample preparation.     

Y-Ba-Cu-O mixed oxides for production of diphenols in liquid-solid phase

Superconductor mixed oxides were often used as catalysts at higher temperature in gas phase oxidations, and considered not suitable for lower temperature reactions in the liquid-solid phase; here the catalysis of YBa2Cu3O7+x and Y2BaCuO5+x in the phenol hydroxylation at lower temperature with H2O2 as oxygen donor was studied, and found that the superconductor YBaCu3O7±x has no catalytic activity for phenol hydroxylation, but Y2BaCuO5±x does, even has better catalytic activity and stability than most previously reported ones. With the studies of catalysis of other simple metal oxides and perovskite-like mixed oxides, a radical substitution mechanism is proposed and the experimental facts are explained clearly, and draw a conclusion that the perovskite-like mixed oxides with (AO)(ABO3) and (AO)2(ABO3) structure have better catalytic activity than the simple per-ovskite oxides with (ABO3)3 structure alone, and (AO) structure unit is the key for the mixed oxides to have the phenol hydroxylation activity.