A cationic surfactant-induced selective etching strategy for the synthesis of organosilica hollow nanospheres

The simple and effective synthesis of well-defined organosilica hollow nanospheres (OHNSs) for fundamental research and practical applications is still a significant challenge. In this work, a facile “cationic surfactant-induced selective etching” strategy was developed for the fabrication of hollow thiocyanatopropyl silsesquioxanes (thiocyanatopropyl-SQ), mercaptopropyl silsesquioxane (mercaptopropyl-SQ) from cyanoethyl-SQ@thiocyanatopropyl-SQ and cyanoethyl-SQ@mercaptopropyl-SQ, respectively. The experiments demonstrated that cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) had remarkable influence on the formation of hollow structure and could accelerate the etching process significantly. A formation mechanism initiated by the adsorption of cationic surfactant followed by the etching of inner core with NH₃·H₂O was proposed. Hollow thiocyanatopropyl-SQ and mercaptopropyl-SQ with various shell thickness could be prepared by manipulating the amount of CTAB. And large-scale OHNSs were obtained at appropriate concentration of CTAB through this strategy. Moreover, this strategy might be further extended to fabricate OHNSs with other worthy functional groups.

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Decompaction of cationic gemini surfactant-induced DNA condensates by beta-cyclodextrin or anionic surfactant

Compaction of DNA by cationic gemini surfactant hexamethylene-1,6-bis-(dodecyldimethylammoniumbromide) (C12C6C12Br2) and the subsequent decompaction of the DNA-C12C6C12Br2 complexes by beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) or sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) have been studied by using zeta potential and particle size measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM), isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC), and circular dichroism. The results show that C12C6C12Br2 can induce the collapse of DNA into densely packed bead-like structures with smaller size in an all-or-none manner, accompanied by the increase of zeta potential from highly negative values to highly positive values. In the decompaction of the DNA-C12C6C12Br2 complexes, beta-CD and SDS exhibit different behaviors. For beta-CD, the experimental results suggest that it can remove the outlayer hydrophobically bound C12C6C12Br2 molecules from the DNA-C12C6C12Br2 complexes by inclusion interaction, and the excess beta-CD may attach on the complexes by forming inclusion complexes with the hydrocarbon chains of the electrostatically bound C12C6C12Br2 that cannot be removed. The increase of steric hindrance due to the attachment of beta-CD molecules results in the decompaction of the DNA condensates though the true release of DNA cannot be attained. However, for SDS, the experimental results suggest that it can realize the decompaction and release of DNA from its complexes with C12C6C12Br2 due to both ion-pairing and hydrophobic interaction between SDS and C12C6C12Br2.     

Expected and unexpected intramolecular cationic cyclizations

Cationic cyclizations of N-phenacyl-4-aryl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridines and related compounds were studied, and structures I products formed were elucidated using NMR spectroscopy.Institute for Drug Research, Ltd. H-1045 Budapest, Berlini-u 47-49, Hungary. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1367–1372, October, 1995. Original article submitted August 24, 1995.     

Multiphoton dissociation of molecules with low power cw infrared lasers: collisional enhancement of dissociation probabilities

Multiphoton dissociation of C₃F⁺₆ is observed using low intensity cw CO₂ laser radiation. Ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) techniques are used to store ions for irradiation. Ion storage times up to 2 s are used. Multiphoton dissociation is observed at laser intensities below 100 W cm^?2 and at pressures below 10^?5 Torr. Only the lowest energy decomposition of C₃F⁺₆, to give C₂⁺₄ and CF₂, is observed. Multiphoton dissociation probabilities show a sharp wavelength dependence in contrast to typical pulsed laser multiphoton dissociation experiments. The photodissociation spectrum of C₃F⁺₆ is similar to the infrared absorption spectrum of neutral C₃F₆ at both low and high resolution. Collisions between C₃F⁺₆ and unreactive buffer gases (Ar, N₂, SF₆) are seen to enhance multiphoton dissociation, while collisions with C₃F₆ deactive the laser excited species. The results are discussed in terms of mechanisms for slow multiphoton dissociation.     

Interaction of monovalent cationic drugs with montmorillonite

The aim of this study was to compare the adsorption of various organic drugs and a well-studied surfactant. The organic drugs used were promethazine chloride [10-(2-dimethylammonium) propylfenothiazine chloride] and buformin hydrochloride (1-butylbiguanidine chloride). The surfactant was benzalkonium chloride (N-tridecyl-N-benzyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride). Different amounts of drug solutions were added to montmorillonite suspensions, either separately (simple system) or in combination (competitive system) under the same conditions, and the organocomplexes formed were investigated. The organic molecule with the short alkyl chain adsorbed to yield monolayer coverage, whereas the aromatic molecule and the surfactant formed a pseudotrimolecular arrangement. In the competitive system, the larger organic molecules (having the same charge) displaced the smaller one from the interlayer space. The intercalation of molecules in the interlayer space was investigated by X-ray diffraction measurements. Received: 30 November 2000 Revised: 20 December 2001 Accepted: 26 October 2001     

Unimolecular dissociation of HOCl: unexpectedly broad distribution of rate constants

The dissociation of HOCl in its electronic ground state is investigated by means of quantum dynamics calculations (filter diagonalization and harmonic inversion of the autocorrelation function) and an ab initio potential energy surface. At threshold, the state-resolved rate constants are scattered over seven orders of magnitude, which is significantly broader than the distribution predicted by random matrix theory. This remarkable state specificity is the fingerprint of the regular dynamics of HOCl even at high energies.     

Release of cationic drugs from loaded clay minerals

The adsorption of promethazine chloride [10-(2-dimethylammonium propyl) fenothiazine chloride] and buformin hydrochloride (1-butylbiguanidine chloride) on montmorillonite was studied in previous work. The present article focuses on the desorption of these molecules from their organocomplexes in a medium of artificial intestinal juice (pH 7.0 ± 0.1) at the temperature of the human body (37 ± 0.5 °C). The desorption was investigated by kinetic studies, basal spacing measurements and Fourier transform IR studies. Important quantitative differences were observed: buformin, which adsorbed in a monolayer coverage, exhibited a very high desorption rate, whereas promethazine formed a pseudotrilayer arrangement and showed a lower dissolution rate. Received: 20 January 2001 Accepted: 8 March 2001     

Solvent enhancement of reaction selectivity: a unique property of cationic chiral dirhodium carboxamidates

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition reactions of nitrones with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes catalyzed by a cationic chiral dirhodium(II,III) carboxamidate with (R)-menthyl (S)-2-oxopyrrolidine-5-carboxylate ligands in toluene increase reaction rates, give optimum regioselectivities, and enhance stereoselectivities compared to the same reactions performed in traditionally used halocarbon solvents. Rate and enantioselectivity enhancements were also obtained in hetero-Diels-Alder and carbonyl-ene reactions performed in toluene over those obtained in dichloromethane using the diastereomeric chiral cationic dirhodium(II,III) carboxamidate with (S)-menthyl (S)-2-oxopyrrolidine-5-carboxylate ligands. These enhancements are attributed to diminished or absent association of toluene with the catalyst which lessens the relative importance of the uncatalyzed background reaction, and they may also be a consequence of different coordination angles for aldehyde association with rhodium in the different solvent environments. Overall, the enhancement of reaction rates and selectivities with cationic chiral dirhodium(II,III) carboxamidates in toluene suggests broad applications for them in Lewis acid catalyzed reactions.     

On the propagation rate constants of cationic polymerizations

The concepts employed to explain polymerizations by ionizing radiations are used for a critical examination of the concepts involved in interpreting the kinetics of chemically initiated cationic polymerizations. It is explained how the interactions of the propagating carbenium ions with the solvent, monomer, and anion can result in the formation of up to six distinct unpaired species and several kinds of ion pairs; therefore, the consumption of the monomer can be governed simultaneously by many rate constants. Only one of these can have any general theoretical use, and suggestions are made for how it can be measured. For the first time, it is shown that the ion‐pairing process must involve a ligand displacement and so resembles the amination of the Ag⁺ ion, for example, in an aqueous solution by NH₃, rather than an association of inert ions of unchanging identity. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2537–2544, 2002     

Enhanced stabilization of emulsions due to surfactant-induced nanoparticle flocculation

We have shown recently (Binks, B. P.; Rodrigues, J. A.; Frith, W. J. Langmuir 2007, 23, 3626) that, for mixtures of negatively charged silica nanoparticles and cationic surfactant, oil-in-water emulsions are most stable to creaming and coalescence at conditions of maximum flocculation of particles by surfactant in aqueous dispersions alone. Here, we extend the idea using positively charged silica particles in mixtures with anionic surfactant.     

Analytical models for state-specific diatomic dissociation rate coefficients

Two analytical models are presented to approximate the temperature dependent, rotationally-averaged vibrational-state-specific dissociation rate coefficient for collisions between diatomic molecules and rare gas atoms at combustion temperatures. The new models are derived by making simplifying approximations to a more detailed theoretical model recently reported in the literature. For accuracy, the first model requires, for a given collision pair, knowledge of the maximum vibrational quantum number, a single vibrational-rotational energy and an interaction parameter for dissociation, all of which are tabulated in this article for collisions of Ar with p-H₂, O₂, N₂, and CO. This is in contrast to the recently reported theoretical model, which requires knowledge of all vibrational-rotational energies below the dissociation threshold, in addition to the interaction parameter for dissociation. The second model is simpler and more general than the first, but less accurate. To completely specify this model, knowledge of only the hard sphere cross section, and the characteristic temperatures for vibration and dissociation is required. The two analytical models are shown to agree well with the published theoretical values, with the accuracy of each model increasing with increasing temperature. The present models provide an accurate and efficient means of computing thousands or millions of rate coefficients for use in numerical simulations of combustion processes that couple kinetic equations with the governing equations of fluid dynamics. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis of cationic and anionic drugs in methanol

The actual mobilities and dissociation constants of acidic and basic pharmaceuticals were determined in methanol. Actual mobilities were derived from the dependence of the effective mobilities of the analytes on the pH of the methanolic background electrolyte solution (pH(MeOH)). The pKa values of the pharmaceuticals in methanol (pK(a,MeOH)) were calculated by non-linear curve fitting to the measured mobility values. It was found that the shift in pKa value (when compounds were transferred from water to methanol) increased with the acidity of the analyte. The average pKa shift for compounds exhibiting acidic properties in water was ca. 5.5 units, and the shift for basic compounds about 2 units. As was shown for a mixture of beta-blockers, the calculated actual mobilities and pKa values can be utilised in the optimisation of pH conditions for separation. The practical value of the method was illustrated by the analysis of urine samples.     

Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the dissociation energies of three-electron hemibonded radical cationic dimers

We report variational and diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (VMC and DMC) calculations of the dissociation energies of the three-electron hemibonded radical cationic dimers of He, NH3, H2O, HF, and Ne. These systems are particularly difficult for standard density-functional methods such as the local-density approximation and the generalized gradient approximation. We have performed both all-electron (AE) and pseudopotential (PP) calculations using Slater-Jastrow wave functions with Hartree-Fock single-particle orbitals. Our results are in good agreement with coupled-cluster CCSD(T) calculations. We have also studied the relative stability of the hemibonded and hydrogen-bonded water radical dimer isomers. Our calculations indicate that the latter isomer is more stable, in agreement with post-Hartree-Fock methods. The excellent agreement between our AE and PP results demonstrates the high quality of the PPs used within our VMC and DMC calculations.     

The rate of dissociation of allyl iodide in shock waves

The rate of decomposition of allyl iodide has been measured from 742plusmn;K to 1068±K and from 169 to 1429 torr using a shock tube method in which the disappearance of allyl iodide and the appearance of iodine are followed simultaneously. The kinetics are first order in allyl iodide and probably are slightly dependent upon total pressure. Mathematical modeling shows that they are compatible with a mechanism consisting of three reactions: The experiments yield the rate constant k₁, the high-pressure limiting value of which is found to be in reasonable agreement with that predicted using the methods of Benson and O'Neal [1].     

Quantum equilibrium structure for strong nonadiabatic coupling: Reaction rate enhancement

The quantum reactive flux correlation function is computed for a two-level system using an expression for the quantum equilibrium structure appropriate for strong nonadiabatic coupling, in conjunction with quantum–classical Liouville dynamics. The magnitude of the quantum mechanical enhancement of the reaction rate as a result of strong nonadiabatic coupling is studied. The reaction rate is found to increase strongly with an increase in the nonadiabatic coupling strength as well as with a decrease in the temperature. Equilibrium quantum effects increase the ground-state contribution to the rate constant but these effects decrease the excited-state contribution.     

Fluorescence enhancement of several hallucinogenic drugs in cyclodextrin media

The fluorescence characteristics of selected hallucinogenic drugs dissolved in solutions of α-cyclodextrin and β-cyclodextrin are reported. Fluorescence intensity enhancements in cyclodextrin media relative to aqueous solution range from 1.2 to 4.0, probably because inclusion of the drugs into cyclodextrin increases the quantum yield. Calibration graphs are linear over 2–3 orders of magnitude; limits of detection are 6–13 μg l^?1 for ibogaine and N,N-dimethyltryptamine. The mescaline derivatives show limits of detection in the 0.8–1.4 ppm range. The role of cyclodextrin in enhancing the fluorescence intensities and some of the criteria for this fluorescence enhancement are discussed.     

State-to-state dissociation rate coefficients in electronically excited diatomic gases

In the present Letter, state dependent dissociation rate coefficients in diatomic gases with non-equilibrium vibrational and electronic excitation and chemical reactions are studied. A widely used Treanor–Marrone model is generalized to take into account state-to-state vibrational and electronic distributions. The influence of electronic excitation on the rate of dissociation from various electronic states of CO molecules is estimated.     

Protein association with circular DNA: rate enhancement by nonspecific binding

An analytical solution for the nonspecific-binding-facilitated diffusion-controlled rate of association of a protein with a specific site on a circular DNA is derived. Nonspecific binding is modeled by a short-range attractive surface potential. The protein undergoes diffusion in the bulk solution and in the surface layer. The association rate for a circular DNA is compared to the counterpart for a linear DNA, in which the ends of the surface layer are treated as reflecting. As expected, when the DNA length is long, the shape of the DNA does not affect the association rate. For a shorter length, the association rate for the linear DNA is modestly higher than the circular counterpart. The higher rate of the linear DNA is possibly due to its more open shape, which affords it a higher ability to draw the protein from the bulk to its surface. The analytical solution is verified by Brownian dynamics simulations.