XPS characterisation of carbon‐coated alumina support

Hybrid carbon–alumina supports, synthesised by pyrolysis of grafted 4,4′‐methylenebis‐(phenylisocyanate) moiety on the alumina surface, were characterised by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The recorded Al 2p and C 1s envelopes showed asymmetry that decreased with an increase in carbon loading. In all experimental Al 2p envelopes, the high‐energy individual components at 75.3–75.9 eV were present along with the low‐energy component at 74.0 eV typical for Al₂O₃. In the case of the C 1s envelope, the component around 284.3–284.4 eV and three high‐energy individual components at 285.9–286.0, 288.0–288.3 and 290.1–290.6 eV were observed. The presence of the high‐energy Al 2p components can be explained considering the occurrence of a steady‐state charging of the different parts of insulating alumina supports. The component around 284.3–284.4 eV in C 1s envelopes can be attributed to carbon, which constitutes the coating and, hence, ensures surface conductivity. The component around 285.9–286.0 eV is connected with carbon in carbonaceous surface species, which do not form the conducting layer on the alumina support. Carbonaceous surface species associated with C? O, C?O and O?C? O groups in carbon coating can be also identified due to the presence of corresponding components in XPS spectra at 285.9–286.0, 288.0–288.3 and 290.1–290.6 eV. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selective Enzymatic Oxidation of Silanes to Silanols

Compared to the biological world's rich chemistry for functionalizing carbon, enzymatic transformations of the heavier homologue silicon are rare. We report that a wild‐type cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450_BM3 from Bacillus megaterium, CYP102A1) has promiscuous activity for oxidation of hydrosilanes to give silanols. Directed evolution was applied to enhance this non‐native activity and create a highly efficient catalyst for selective silane oxidation under mild conditions with oxygen as the terminal oxidant. The evolved enzyme leaves C?H bonds present in the silane substrates untouched, and this biotransformation does not lead to disiloxane formation, a common problem in silanol syntheses. Computational studies reveal that catalysis proceeds through hydrogen atom abstraction followed by radical rebound, as observed in the native C?H hydroxylation mechanism of the P450 enzyme. This enzymatic silane oxidation extends nature's impressive catalytic repertoire.     

Preparation of Carbon Nanotubes/Neutral Red Composite Film Modified Electrode and Its Catalysis on Rutin

Neutral red was directly electropolymerized onto the carbon nanotubes modified electrode. A polymerized neutral red/carbon nanotubes composite film was characterized by scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Well‐defined voltammetric responses are observed for [Fe(CN)₆]^4?/3? on the composite film modified glassy carbon electrode. And it's found that this modified electrode has good catalysis on the redox of rutin. Differential pulse voltammetry method was used to determinate the concentration of rutin and obtain a linear equation between the current and concentration in a certain range. The modified electrode is satisfied with us for its good sensibility and stability.     

Corrosion inhibition investigations of 3-acetylpyridine semicarbazone on carbon steel in hydrochloric acid medium

The corrosion inhibition efficiency of 3-acetylpyridine-semicarbazide (3APSC) on carbon steel (CS) in 1.0 M HCl solution has been investigated using weight loss measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization studies. The results show that inhibition efficiency on metal increases with the inhibitor concentration. 3APSC exhibited marked inhibition towards carbon steel in HCl medium even at low concentrations. The adsorption of inhibitor on the surfaces of the corroding metal obeys the Langmiur isotherm and thermodynamic parameters (K _ads, ?G _ads ⁰ ) were calculated. Activation parameters of the corrosion process (E _a, ?H* and ?S*) were also calculated from the corrosion rates. Polarization studies revealed that 3APSC act as a mixed-type inhibitor. Surface analysis of the metal specimens was performed by scanning electron microscopy.     

Effects of carbon filler on sorption and diffusion of gases through rubbery materials

Effects of carbon filler on the sorption and diffusion of carbon dioxide in natural rubber and in styrene-butadiene rubber have been studied. Sorption isotherms conform to Henry's law in unfilled rubber and to Langmuir's law in carbon black. The isotherms in filled rubber exhibit a combination of the two sorption modes. The Henry's law solubility parameter k_D increases with carbon filler content; the Langmuir saturation constant C′_A initially is constant with filler level, but then decreases abruptly when carbon particles begin to aggregate. The diffusion coefficient decreases with increasing filler content, presumably owing to geometric effects and to polymer chain immobilization in the interfacial regions.     

Mechanism of the [C7H7]+ ion formation in the electron impact induced fragmentation of 3-dimethylamino-1-phenylpropanone (Mannich's base)

The genesis of the [C₇H₇]⁺ ion in the mass spectrum of 3-dimethylamino-1-phenylpropanone (Mannich's base) hydrochloride has been studied by ¹³C and deuterium labelling and by application of metastable transitions. It has been shown that this ion is formed from [M ? OH]⁺, involving non-adjacent carbon atoms.     

Achieving Adaptive Aromaticity in Cyclo[10]carbon by Screening Cyclo[n]carbon (n=8−24)

Discovery of species with adaptive aromaticity (being aromatic in both the lowest singlet and triplet states) is particularly challenging as cyclic species are generally aromatic either in the ground state or in the excited state only, according to Hückel's and Baird's rules. Inspired by the recent realization of cyclo[18]carbon, here we demonstrate that cyclo[10]carbon possesses adaptive aromaticity by screening cyclo[n]carbon (n=8?24), which is supported by nucleus‐independent chemical shift (NICS), anisotropy of the current‐induced density (ACID), π contribution of electron localization function (ELF_π) and electron density of delocalized bonds (EDDB) analyses. Further study reveals that the lowest triplet state of cyclo[10]carbon is formed by in‐plane ππ* excitation. Thus, the major contribution to the aromaticity from out‐of‐plane π molecular orbitals does not change significantly in the lowest singlet state. Our findings highlight a crucial role of out‐of‐plane π orbitals in maintaining aromaticity for both the lowest singlet and triplet states as well as the aromaticity dependence on the number of the carbon in cyclo[n]carbon.     

Use of [13C]/[12C] ratios as an indicator of the role of microorganisms in protection of plants from the phytotoxic action of naphthalene

Using molecular and isotopic mass spectrometry, we investigated the toxic effect of naphthalene as a representative of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on plants growing under sterile conditions and plants inoculated with microorganisms capable and incapable of naphthalene degradation. Tobacco plants of the Samsun variety were grown in a closed gas-nutrient system on a mineral medium with sucrose as a carbon source. Naphthalene used as a toxicant at a concentration of 5.2 × 10^?4% contained ¹³C isotope whose amount was characterized by the value δ¹³C = +281.4 ± 0.6‰ relative to the PDB standard and differed from that of sucrose, the main source of carbon (δ¹³C = ?12.0 ± 0.1‰). Degradation of naphthalene was determined by the inclusion of its carbon in metabolic CO₂ and plant tissues (the root, stem, leaves). The effect of naphthalene on plants was indicated by the rates of O₂ production and CO₂ uptake during the light period as compared with the dark period of exposure. A decrease of the toxic effect of naphthalene on plants was observed only at the inoculation of plants with Pseudomonas aureofaciens BS1393 rhizosphere bacteria bearing plasmid pBS216, which controls the naphthalene biodegradation ability. The occurrence of other heterotrophic microorganisms incapable of naphthalene degradation had no similar protective effect.     

Study of sorption and bactericidal properties of carbon adsorbents and fullerenes

Disinfection properties of activated carbons and C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes, as introduced into the structure of the activated carbon and in the form of aqueous dispersions, are studied. The most efficient method was determined for the modification of activated carbon with fullerenes. It was shown that the presence of a modifier intensifies suppression of microorganism growth in an aqueous medium without reducing its absorption characteristics.     

Some new aspects of bonding in cyclopropane

The peculiar properties of the three-membered ring in cyclopropane are partially due to characteristic relaxation effects of the carbon orbitals in the molecule. AO contraction in the two strongly C? C bonding MO's of A type is essential for the stability of the C₃ ring, whereas AO expansion in the E'-type HOMO contributes to the π character of the peripheral C? C bonds.     

Radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by an enolizable ketone–carbon black system

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by an enolizable ketone (R₁? CO? CH₂? CO? R₂)-carbon black system was investigated. Although enolizable ketone itself could not do so, the polymerization of MMA was initiated by enolizable ketone in the presence of carbon black. In addition, a chloranil-enolizable ketone system was able to initiate the polymerization of MMA. It was found that the enol form of the ketone and quinonic oxygen groups on the carbon black surface played an important role in the initiation system; namely, it was considered that the polymerization was begun by the ketone radical (R₁? CO? CH? CO? R₂) formed by a one-electron transfer reaction from enolate ion to quinonic oxygen groups. The effect of solvent on the process was also studied. The rate of the polymerization increased, depending on the solvent used, in the following order: benzene < 1,4-dioxane < dimethyl sulfoxide < N,N-dimethylformamide < N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Furthermore, it became apparent that during the polymerization poly(methyl methacrylate) was grafted onto the carbon black surface (grafting ratio was ca. 40% when benzene was used as solvent) and the carbon black obtained gave a stable colloidal dispersion in organic solvent.     

Reconstitution of Motor Proteins through Molecular Assembly

What is the most favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group?The most favorite and original chemistry developed in my research group is about the reconstitution of motor proteins in artificially designed and assembled units.It is based on the molecular assembly technique,but the method is different from the conventional approach.     

Computational determination of effects of electric fields upon “trigger linkages” of prototypical energetic molecules

For five prototypical energetic molecules (nitrobenzene, methyl azide, methyl nitrate, nitromethane, and dimethylnitramine), we examine computationally the effects of external electric fields upon their “trigger linkage” bonds, the breaking of which is believed to play a key role in detonation initiation. The bonds are, respectively, C? NO₂, N? N₂, O? NO₂, C? NO₂, and N? NO₂. The calculations are at the B3PW91/6–31G** level. We find that fields along these bonds that reinforce the molecules' intrinsic polarities also lower their energies and increase the bonds' stretching vibration frequencies. This suggests a strengthening of the bonds. Fields in the opposite direction do the reverse. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009     

Decarbonylation of complex iridium carbonyls in solution: A problem in chemical dynamics

The kinetics of decarbonylation of [Ir(CO)(dp)₂]Cl and [IrCl(CO)₂(Ph₃P)₂] has been studied in different solvents, at temperatures between ?25° and +70°C, by means of reactors of defined fluid dynamics which allow a separation to be made between “physical” and “chemical” rate constants. Chemical rate constants have been found to depend markedly on the diffusion coefficients of carbon monoxide in the various solvents. The process of decarbonylation has been described, for both reactions, by the sequence: structural isomerization, characterized by a very low preexponential factor, decomposition of the less stable isomer against the solvent's barrier, and diffusion of carbon monoxide to the gas–liquid interface. The kinetic problems involved in the determination of rate constants and their implications have been emphasized.     

Frontispiece: What Are We Missing by Not Measuring the Net Charge of Proteins?

The net electrostatic charge (Z) of a folded protein in solution represents a bird's eye view of its surface potentials—including contributions from tightly bound metal, solvent, buffer, and cosolvent ions—and remains one of its most enigmatic properties. Few tools are available to the average biochemist to rapidly and accurately measure Z at pH≠pI. Tools that have been developed more recently seem to go unnoticed. Most scientists are content with this void and estimate the net charge of a protein from its amino acid sequence, using textbook values of pK_a. Thus, Z remains unmeasured for nearly all folded proteins at pH≠pI. When marveling at all that has been learned from accurately measuring the other fundamental property of a protein—its mass—one wonders: what are we missing by not measuring the net charge of folded, solvated proteins? A few big questions immediately emerge in bioinorganic chemistry. When a single electron is transferred to a metalloprotein, does the net charge of the protein change by approximately one elementary unit of charge or does charge regulation dominate, that is, do the pK_a values of most ionizable residues (or just a few residues) adjust in response to (or in concert with) electron transfer? Would the free energy of charge regulation (ΔΔG_z) account for most of the outer sphere reorganization energy associated with electron transfer? Or would ΔΔG_z contribute more to the redox potential? And what about metal binding itself? When an apo-metalloprotein, bearing minimal net negative charge (e.g., Z=−2.0) binds one or more metal cations, is the net charge abolished or inverted to positive? Or do metalloproteins regulate net charge when coordinating metal ions? The author's group has recently dusted off a relatively obscure tool—the “protein charge ladder”—and used it to begin to answer these basic questions.     

Gel-assisted synthesis of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles and application for electrochemical determination of L-tryptophan

Anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) were synthesized with and without gelatin via the sol-gel method. The TiO₂-NPs were characterized by a number of techniques, such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The particle sizes of the TiO₂-NPs prepared with and without gelatin were ～13 and ～17 nm, respectively. The main advantage of using gelatin as a stabilizing agent is that it provides long-term stability for nanoparticles by preventing particles agglomeration. The results indicated that gelatin was a reliable green stabilizer, which can be used as a polymerization agent in the sol-gel method for synthesis of tiny size TiO₂-NPs. Moreover, the composite film was prepared by synthesized TiO₂-NPs nanoparticles and multi wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) on glassy carbon electrode (TiO₂-MWNT/GCE). The TiO₂-MWNT/GCE responded linearly to L-tryptophan (L-Trp) in the concentration of 1.0 × 10^?6 to 1.5 × 10^?4 M with detection limit of 5.2 × 10^?7 M at 3 using amperometry. The studied sensor exhibited good reproducibility and long-term stability.     

Electroanalytical Study of Prussian Blue Modified Glassy Carbon Paste Electrodes

Two types of glassy carbon (GC) powder (i.e., Sigradur K and Sigradur G) have been mixed with mineral oil to obtain glassy carbon paste electrodes (GCPE's). The electrochemical behavior of such electrodes at different percentages of glassy carbon has been evaluated with respect to the electrochemistry of ferricyanide as revealed with cyclic voltammetry and the best paste composition was chosen. GC was then modified with Prussian Blue (PB), mixed at different percentages with unmodified GC and with a fixed amount of mineral oil in order to obtain PB modified glassy carbon paste electrodes (PB‐GCPE's). PB‐GCPE's with different percentages of GC modified with PB (PB‐GC) were compared and the dependence on the amount of PB on their performances was evaluated by studying the parameters of cyclic voltammetry (i.e., current peak, ΔE_p, anodic and cathodic current ratio, charge density) and the amperometric response to H₂O₂. Data interpretation based on the GC surface area is presented. GCPE's with a selected amount of PB‐GC were then tested as H₂O₂ probes and all the analytical parameters together with the dependence on pH were evaluated. Some preliminary experiments with these electrodes assembled as glucose, lysine and lactate biosensors are also reported.     

Prediction of molecular weight distributions in branched polymers

A theoretical treatment of long branching in radical polymerization in a continuous stirred tank reactor is presented. The treatment takes into account radical termination by disproportionation and/or combination, transfer to polymer and/or additive of low molecular weight, residence time, and injection of polymer. In the absence of added polymer, the molecular weight distribution depends upon four parameters which can be expressed as P?_n and ratios of the rate of polymerization to the rate at which radicals (a) leave the reactor, (b) combine, and (c) transfer to polymer. The kinetic equations were converted into a differential equation which was solved numerically to give polymer and radical moments. An analytical solution is presented for the case where combination is absent. P?_w/P?_n is predicted to increase smoothly in a markedly exponential manner with increasing polymer transfer, combination, P?_n, and mean residence time. At no stage do any of the moments become infinite unless the residence time is infinite. For polymers of wide distribution, the second and higher radical moments can exceed the corresponding polymer moments so that most of the large molecules leave the reactor as radicals. Beasley's and Nicolas's treatments are shown to be limiting cases at low polymer transfer.     

Dielectric Study of Charge-transfer Complexes in Binary and Ternary Systems at 35°C

Abstract

The measurements of dielectric constant of a number of binary and ternary mixtures of butyl acetate, butyl alcohol, quinoline, pyridine and o-cresol in carbon tetrachloride and benzene have been made at 35°C. Molecular interaction of these aromatic compounds have been studied in terms of variations in parameters; ‘dipole moment’ (μ), ‘interaction dielectric constant’ (δ?), ‘molecular polarisation’ (P) and ‘excess polarisation’ (P_E ). The dipole moment has been calculated using Hysken's method, the interaction dielectric constant utilizing the equation of ideal mole fraction law and excess polarisation using the theory of Erap and Glasstone. The positive values of δ?₁₂ for binary mixtures of quinoline and butyl acetate in carbon tetrachloride and benzene have been attributed to the formation of charge transfer complexes. The negative values of δ?₁₂ and δ?₁₂₃ with pyridine suggest that charge transfer interaction is weakened by pyridine in its binary and ternary mixtures. The plot between the excess polarisation value and the product of mole fractions yielded a straight line passing through the origin showing the formation of charge transfer complexes.     

Submerged Arc Breakdown of Methylene Blue in Aqueous Solutions

Low voltage, low energy submerged pulsed arcs between a pair of carbon or iron electrodes with a pulse repetition rate of 100?Hz, energies of 2.6?C192?mJ and durations of 20, 50 and 100???s were used to remove methylene blue (MB) contamination from 30?ml aqueous solutions. The MB concentration decreased exponentially with rates of 0.0006?C0.0143?s^?1 during processing with the carbon electrode pair. With the iron electrodes, the MB concentration initially decreased faster (0.030?s^?1) than with the carbon electrodes, but later saturated. However when microparticles produced with the iron electrodes were periodically filtered, the high removal rate was maintained. Under these conditions, the volume of water which can be treated per unit energy expenditure was much higher with the submerged arc than with other plasma processes. A kinetic model based on MB degradation by OH· radicals formed by the discharge was formulated. The higher initial MB removal rate with iron electrodes is explained by additional OH· production from Fenton??s reaction between Fe⁺⁺ and H₂O₂ produced by the discharge. This rate is maintained if the eroded iron particles are filtered, but if eroded iron particles accumulate, degradation slows down and stops, possibly because the iron particles catalytically decompose H₂O₂ and hence stops Fenton??s reaction, and either directly or via increased Fe⁺⁺ dissolved from the particles, scavenge the OH· radicals.