Education in analytical chemistry in the U.S.S.R.

Analytical Chemistry is taught at over 600 schools of higher education in the U.S.S.R. Contents of general and special courses are described in this article. The main problems and objectives of education at universities are mentioned.     

Polymer battery R&D in the U.S.

Polymer electrolytes that have been developed for battery applications fall into two general classes, neat or “pure” polymer and plasticized or gel in which the polymer is combined with a conducting organic electrolyte. The polyethylene oxide (PEO) and its modifications are typical of the “pure” polymer electrolytes. They have poor conductivity at room temperatures, but at elevated temperatures, their conductivity is of the order of 10⁻³ to 10⁻⁴ S/cm. The PEO electrolytes have found application in the high temperature (>60°C) lithium metal anode battery systems. The high temperature necessary for good operation makes them unsuitable for use in small consumer appliances. The polymer electrolyte battery development activities have resulted in several high performance battery systems now just entering the market. Not all of the developments have resulted in commercial cell production. The commercialization activities of high performance lithium‐ion (Li‐Ion) batteries have been based on two general plastic polymer systems: poly‐vinylidene difluoride‐hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVdF‐HFP) and polyacrylates. The polymer cells are expected to have advantages in manufacturing, flexibility, thin cell formats and lightweight packaging. Important parameters in PVdF gel electrolyte performance include the electrolyte type (combination of organic carbonates), temperature, and HFP copolymer content. Li‐Ion coin cells fabricated with a polyolefin separator with either liquid electrolyte or with the PVdF gel polymer electrolyte have equivalent performance.     

Catalysis in aprotic solvents. Effect of the polarity of the catalyst.

The catalytic constants for the $\text{n}$-butylaminolysis of sultones in aprotic-apolar solvents are linearly correlated with a combination of the hydrogen-bonding parameter and the polarity parameter of the catalyst.     

粤北产五味子科植物风沙藤的化学成分研究I.

从粤北产五味子科植物风沙藤(Schisandra viridis A. C. Sm.)的根和茎中, 分到三个新的联苯环辛二烯木脂素化合物, 它们的结构和构型通过光谱分析和化学转变得以证实, 并分别命名为: 五脂酮(Schisanlignone)C(1), D(2)和五脂醇(schisan-lignaol)D(3)。     

Radical Ions in the Pentalene Series. Part. I. 1,3,5-tri-t-butylpentalene

The ESR. spectra of the radical anion and cation of 1, 3, 5-tri-t-butylpentalene (II) have been reexamined under higher resolution. With the assistance of the ENDOR. technique, the coupling constants of all protons in II?. and II?. could be determined. The experimental data agree satisfactorily with the values predicted by the simple MO model which suggests that the π-spin distributions in II?. and II?. should not strongly differ from those in the corresponding radical ions of parent pentalene (I). As in the case of other non-alternant hydrocarbons, the proton coupling constants for II?. are very sensitive to experimental conditions, due to the association of the radical anion with its counterion. Spectra of II?. taken at low temperatures (down to 133 and 163 K for ESR. and ENDOR., respectively) have not revealed specific line-broadening which could arise from the bond shift between the two Kekulé-structures of pentalene.     

Nitroazines. 3. Nitroacetonitrile in the synthesis of nitroazines

Azolo-annelated nitro-1,2,4-triazines have been obtained by the cyclization, thermally or under the action of acids, of the products of the coupling of diazopyrazoles or diazo-1,2,4-triazoles with nitroacetonitrile.For communication 2, see [1].Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 682–688, May, 1985.     

Substitution in the hydantoin ring. Part IX. N-cyanohydantoins

The N₁-and N₃-cyanohydantoins, a new series of derivatives, were prepared by reaction of the parent hydantoin with a base and a cyanogen halide. Analysis of ir, pmr, and mass spectral data allowed the assignment of ring position-3 to the cyano group in derivatives IIa,b of 1,3-unsubstituted hydantoins. 3-Cyanohydantoins can transfer the cyano substituent to strong nucleophiles via an addition-elimination process.     

Organometallic synthesis in the furazan series. 2. Furazanylethanes

The reactions of Li derivatives of methylfurazans with electrophilic reagents and oxidants were investigated. A series of functionalized furazanylethane derivatives were prepared.     

Improvements in the thin-layer chromatography of natural products. I. Thin-layer chromatography of the aflatoxins.

During the period which has elapsed since the aflatoxins were first isolated, one of the main problems has been the separation of the individual aflatoxins in pure form from aflatoxin-containing extracts. This separation has been best effected by thin-layer chromatography, and in this paper we describe how some of the difficulties may be overcome by using an appropriate combination of solvent system and silica gel preparation. For the examination of aflatoxin-containing extracts from the mycelia of Aspergillus flavus moulds, an initial freeze-drying step has been found to improve appreciably the quality of the chromatograms obtained.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls in the environment.

This review surveys the problems arising from the release of PCBs into the environment from the point of view of the analytical chemist. These problems are very complex and interdependent and so it is essential to recognize their mutual links rather than to separate one problem from another (sources of contamination, fate in the environment, toxic properties and particular capabilities, limitations and purposes of analytical methods). Prominent attention should be paid in the future to congener-specific analyses of "toxic" congeners using high-resolution gas chromatography and to toxicity-assessing biological methods.