Mechanism of Electrical Percolation of w/o Microemulsions Formed by Nonionic Surfactants

A study was carried out on the mechanism of electrical conductivity percolation of H₂O/C₁₆EO₂₀/n-butanol/heptane microemulsions. Electrical conductivity, UV-vis spectroscopy and FTIR spectra were used to study the diluted “dry” microemulsions with the mass ratio of C₁₆EO₂₀/n-butanol/heptane = 3:3:4. The results of electrical conductivity showed that the percolation occurred around φ_w = 20 wt% and the transition of w/o microemulsions to bicontinueous microemulsions happened when φ_w = 45 wt%. From the UV-vis absorption spectra, it was found that the absorption of methyl orange (MO) in microemulsions shifted red than that of in oil phase, but the maximal absorption peak (λ_max) remained unchanged when φ_w > 20 wt%. It implied that the position of MO solubilized in microemulsions was unvaried after free water appeared in the core. FTIR spectra revealed that the OH band of water in microemulsions moved to high frequency at low φ_w (< 20 wt%) and became broader at high φ_w. It indicated that the added water only caused the hydration of EO at low φ_w, the hydration completed when φ_w > 20 wt% and then the residual water entered into the core with properties similar to bulk water. The presence of free water as ions exchange medium will cause the electrical conductance increased. The percolation appeared after the hydration of EO completed.     

Kinetics for the Reaction between Potassium Ferricyanide and Cobalt Chloride in Aqueous Solution and Microemulsion

The kinetics for the reaction between potassium ferricyanide (K₃Fe(CN)₆) and cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) in aqueous solution and water/bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccianate (AOT)/isooctane microemulsions were studied by three-wavelength spectrophotometry at 298.2 K. The second-order rate constants (k₂) were calculated from the time dependence of the concentration of reactant K₃Fe(CN)₆. The result showed that the reaction rates in water/AOT/isooctane microemulsions were slower than that in the aqueous solution, and k₂ decreased with molar ratio (ω) of water to AOT in microemulsions, which was interpreted by the transition state theory and confirmed that the reaction took place at the interfaces of the microemulsion water pools.     

Kinetics of the Oxidation of Phenylhydrazine by [Fe(CN)6]3− in Water‐in‐Oil Microemulsions

The oxidation reaction of phenyl hydrazine (Phh) by hexacyanoferrate ([Fe(CN)₆]^3?) has been studied in water‐in‐oil (w/o) microemulsion media. The kinetic profile of the reaction was investigated as a function of [Phh], droplet size, and droplet concentration. Comparison of the kinetic profiles of the reaction in microemulsion, water‐urea, and water‐AOT‐urea media indicates that the kinetic profile of the reaction in microemulsion shows a behavior similar to that of the reaction in water‐AOT‐urea medium at 4 M urea. An initial increase and then a decrease in k_obs is observed with increasing molar ratio, W_o(=[H₂O]/[AOT]) at constant [AOT] (=0.4 M), whereas k_obs decreases upon increasing the AOT concentration at constant molar ratio.     

Growth of silica nanoparticles in methylmethacrylate-based water-in-oil microemulsions

The mechanism of silica particle formation in monomer microemulsions is studied using dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and conductivity measurements. The hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in methylmethacrylate (MMA) microemulsions (MMA = methylmethacrylate) is compared with the formation of SiO₂ particles in heptane microemulsions. Stable microemulsions without cosurfactant were found for MMA, the nonionic surfactant Marlophen NP10, and aqueous ammonia (0.75 wt%). In the one-phase region of the ternary phase diagram, the water/surfactant ratio (R _w) could be varied from 6 to 18. The DLS and SAXS measurements show that reverse micelles form in these water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions. The minimum water-to-surfactant molar ratio required for micelle formation was determined. Particle formation is achieved from the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of TEOS. According to atomic force microscopy measurements of particles isolated from the emulsion, the particle size can be effectively tailored in between 20 and 60 nm by varying R _w from 2–6 in heptane w/o microemulsions. For MMA-based microemulsions, the particle diameter ranges from 25 to 50 nm, but the polydispersity is higher. Tailoring of the particle size is not achieved with R _w, but adjusting the particle growth period produces particles between 10 and 70 nm.     

Dissipative Particle Dynamics Study of Interfacial Properties and the Effects of Nonionic Surfactants on Hydrocarbon/Water Microemulsions

The aim of this work was to apply dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) mesoscopic simulations to study the interfacial orientation and the effect of the nonionic surfactant, hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₆), on different (oil (dodecane)/water) microemulsion systems. The Hildebrand-solubility-parameter model and Flory–Huggins/Hansen-solubility-parameter (FH/HSP) model were combined to evaluate the DPD interaction parameter (a_ij) where the solubility parameters (δ_i) as DPD input parameters were preliminary validated by all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) results and experimental data. The interfacial property dependence of dodecane/water/C₁₂E₆ system on the oil/water (o/w) ratio and on the concentration of surfactant and orientation at the interface were investigated. It was found that the surfactant addition reduced the IFT of o/w interfaces and this reduction was more efficient for water-in-oil microemulsions (o/w ≤ 1).     

Micellar and Mixed-Micellar Effects on Alkaline Hydrolysis of tris(1,10–phenanthroline)iron(II): Kinetic Exploration

The kinetics of alkaline hydrolysis of tris(1,10–phenanthroline)iron(II) has been studied in the presence of nonionic and mixed nonionic–ionic micellar media at 308 K. The effects of mixed-micellar environments of nonionic with ionic surfactants (C₁₂E₂₃/ATABs and C₁₂E₂₃/SDS) on the hydrolytic rate have been studied. The rate decreases monotonically with an increment of [C₁₂E₂₃]_T (total Brij 35 concentration) at constant [^?OH]₀ and has been discussed with the pseudo-phase micellar model. The rate also decreases with [C₁₂E₂₃]_T at a continuous addition of ionic surfactants (ATABs and SDS). The observed rate constant k_obs follows the empirical relation: k_obs = (k₀ + θK [C₁₂E₂₃]_T)/(1 + K [C₁₂E₂₃]_T) (where θ and K are empirical constants). The values of θ remain unaffected, whereas K decreases nonlinearly with [ATABs]_T in a mixed C₁₂E₂₃?ATAB micellar system. But the k_obs in a mixed C₁₂E₂₃–SDS micellar system is much lower than that of the C₁₂E₂₃–ATAB system and do not comply with any micellar kinetic models.     

Kinetic Study of Complex Formation of by 2‐Nitroso‐1‐naphthol with Cobalt (II) Ion in Presence of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide Surfactant

The kinetic complex formation of 0.001 M 2‐nitroso‐1‐naphthol (NAPH)with 0.01 M cobalt (II) ion (Co²⁺) in aqueous in presence of 0.02 M NaOH at 30°C in aqueous and/or in and 0.002 M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) have been studied using spectrophotometer at 430 nm. The present data showed that the reaction is first‐order with respect to [Co²⁺]_T and NAPH. Also, k _obs have constant values within concentration 0.015–0.05 M of NaOH and decreases with increase of concentration of CTAB to 0.002 M, then, k _obs have constant values up to 0.005 M. The rate of the reaction in the presence of micelles has been explained with the pseudo‐phase model of the kinetics. Association constants of Co²⁺ and NAPH to CTAB micelle have been calculated. The activation parameters ΔH* and ΔS* have been obtained. The increase of reaction rate with sodium benzoate (C₇H₅O₂Na) also has been discussed.     

Direct NMR Spectroscopic Observation of a Lanthanide-Coordinated Water Molecule whose Exchange Rate Is Dependent on the Conformation of the Complexes

A large difference in the exchange rate of the coordinated water molecule is seen in solution for the diastereoisomers M and m of a europium(III ) complex with an octadentate, neutral macrocyclic ligand (k_ex( M )<k_ex( m )). This finding is of high relevance to the design of more efficient contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging.     

Spin exchange between transition metal complexes and nitroxyl radicals in nonaqueous media

New complexes of diaza- and tetraaza-containing crown ethers, viz., 1,10-diaza-18-crown-6 (1), 1,4,8,12-tetraazacyclopentadecane (2), 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (3), and 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane 1,4,8,11-tetrachloride tetraacetic acid tetrahydrate (4), with the divalent copper and nickel ions and the Cl^–, Br^–, ClO₄ ^–, NO₃ ^–, and AcO^– counterions were synthesized. The exchange interactions of these compounds and paramagnetic copper and nickel salts with the TEMPO radical in MeOH—CHCl₃ binary mixtures of different compositions were studied. The plots of the linewidths of the hyperfine coupling components of TEMPO vs. concentration of the ions and temperature show that the frequency of diffusion collisions is the rate-limiting step for spin exchange (strong exchange regime). A strong dependence of the exchange rate constant (k _ex) on the crown ether and counterion structure was found. The isotropic hyperfine coupling constants (a _Cu) and g factors (g _i ) were measured for the Cu^II complexes with the crown ethers. In the case of the crown ether complexes 1—3 with CuCl₂, the a _Cu constant decreases linearly with an increase in g _i = g _i – 2.0023 in the series 3 < 2 < 1, whereas k _ex increases linearly in the same series with a decrease in the contact HFC on the Cu^II nucleus (K) and a decrease in covalence of bonding. For the complexes of 2 with Cu^II and different axial ligands (counterions), k _ex increases in the series Cl^– < ClO₄ ^– AcO^– Br^–; < NO₃ ^–. In the case of the complexes of 2 with NiCl₂, k _ex increases in the series 1 < 4 < 3 2. For the Cu^II and Ni^II salts with the Cl^–, ClO₄ ^–, and NO₃ ^– anions, the k _ex values are almost independent of the anion nature. The correlation of the k _ex values with the electron-spin parameters of the complexes is discussed.     

Cationic polymerization of styrenes by activated covalent species. Direct 1H-NMR observation of complexes of 1-phenylethyl acetates with lewis acids

Complexes of boron trichloride, boron tribromide, and ethylaluminumdichloride with various acetates were directly observed by ¹H-NMR. Complexes of secondary and tertiary acetates which model macromolecular active species in polymerization of styrene and isobutene are stable at ?75°C, but decompose at temperatures above ?30°C to yield corresponding chlorides or bromides. The stability of complexes depends on the Lewis acid, the alkyl group in the ester, and the structure of acetate. Rates of the bimolecular exchange of complexes with excess acetate were calculated from dynamic NMR to be k_ex = 2 × 10¹ L mol^?1 s^?1 (?65°C) and k_ex = 5 × 10⁴ L mol^?1 s^?1 (?75°C) for 1-phenylethyl acetate with BCl₃ and EtAlCl₂, respectively.     

Evaluation and Optimization of Water-in-Oil Microemulsion Using Ternary Phase Diagram and Central Composite Design

In the present study, water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions were prepared, evaluated, and optimized using pseudoternary phase diagram and central composite design (CCD). Ternary phase diagrams were designed to determine the microemulsion region whereas face-centered CCD helped in the determination of the effect of variables like oil type and surfactant ratio on globule size and viscosity of w/o microemulsion. The design exhibited that the factors have statistically significant effects (p < 0.0001) on the selected responses. The actual responses showed excellent agreement with the predicted values as suggested by the CCD with lower residual standard error. Similarly, the optimized values were found within the range as predicted by the model. Furthermore, other characteristics of microemulsions like pH, conductivity, refractive index, and transmittance were also analyzed. Overall, the primary objective of the research was to fabricate water-in-oil microemulsions which could facilitate effective delivery of hydrophilic molecules and drugs.     

γ-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles Covered with Glutathione-Modified Quantum Dots as a Fluorescent Nanotransporter

The present paper describes the synthesis, characterization, and utilization of multi-functional magnetic conjugates that integrate optical and magnetic properties in a single structure for use in many biomedical applications. Spontaneous interaction with eukaryotic cell membrane (HEK-239 cell culture) was determined using fluorescence microscopy, and fluorescence analyses. Both, differences in excitation, and emission wavelength were observed, caused by glutathione intake by cells, resulting in disintegration of core–shell structure of quantum dots, as well as adhesion of conjugate onto cell surface. When compared with quantum dots fluorescent properties, HEK-239 cells with incorporated nanoconjugate exhibited two excitation maxima (λ _ex = 430 and 390 nm). Simultaneously, application of ideal λ _ex for quantum dots (λ _ex = 430 nm), resulted in two emission maxima (λ = 740 and 750 nm). This nanoconjugate fulfills the requirements of term theranostics, because it can be further functionalized with biomolecules as DNA, proteins, peptides or antibodies, and thus serves as a tool for therapy in combination with simultaneous treatment.

     

A kinetic and mechanistic study of dinuclear Pt(II) 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine compounds bridged with polyethyleneglycol ether flexible linkers

A series of dinuclear Pt(II) complexes bridged with polyethyleneglycol ether of the type [ClPt(tpy)O(CH₂CH₂O)_n(tpy)PtCl]Cl₂ where n = 1 (Ptdteg), 2 (Ptdtdeg), 3 (Ptdtteg), 4 (Ptdttteg), and linker-free complex, (Ptdt) (where tpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine), were synthesized and characterized to investigate the role of bridging polyethyleneglycol ether linker on the substitution reactivity of dinuclear Pt(II) complexes. Substitution reactions were studied using thiourea nucleophiles, viz. thiourea (TU), 1,3-dimethyl-2-thiourea (DMTU), 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-2-thiourea (TMTU) under pseudo-first-order conditions as a function of concentration and temperature by conventional stopped-flow reaction analyzer. The reactions gave single exponential fits following the rate law k_obs = k₂[Nu]. Introduction of polyethyleneglycol ether linker decreases the electrophilicity of the platinum center and the whole complex. The results obtained indicate that the rate of substitution is controlled by both electronic and steric hindrance which increases with the length of the linker. Experimental results are supported by density functional theory calculations and structures obtained at B3LYP/LANL2DZ level. The order of the reactivity of the nucleophiles is TU > DMTU > TMTU. The magnitude and the size of the enthalpy of activation and entropy of activation support an associative mode of mechanism, where bond formation in the transition state is favored.     

Water-Exchange Mechanism of Tetraaquapalladium(II). A Variable-Pressure and Variable-Temperature Oxygen-17 NMR Study

Water exchange of square-planar Pd(H₂O)²₄⁺ has been studied as a function of temperature (240 to 345 K) and pressure (0.1 to 260 MPa, at 324 K) by measuring the ^17/O-FT-NMR line-widths of the resonance from coordinated water at 27.11 and 48.78 MHz. The following exchange parameters were obtained: k²⁹⁸_ex = (560 ± 40) s^?1, ΔH* = (49.5 ± 1.9) kJ mol^?1, ΔS* = – (26 ± 6) J K^?1 mol^?1 and ΔV* = – (2.2 ± 0.2) cm³ mol^?1. The values refere to an aqueous perchlorate medium with an ionic strength between 2.0 and 2.6 m and a perchloric-acid concentration between 0.8 and 1.7 m, and are interpreted in terms of an associative (a) activation for the exchange. The exchange rate for Pd(H₂O)²₄⁺ is 1.4 × 10⁶ times faster than for Pt(H₂O)²₄⁺ at 298 K. A comparison with reactions between other nucleophiles and Pd(H₂O)²₄⁺ is also made.     

Studies on the rate of isotopic oxygen exchange between [Re(py)4O2]+ and solvent water

The rate of oxygen exchange between trans-[Re(py)₄O₂]⁺ and solvent water in pypyH⁺ buffer solution follows simple first-order kinetics and both oxygens are equivalent. The half-life for isotopic oxygen exchange is about 12 h at a pH of 5.0, 25°C, and [py] = 0.10 M. The observed rate constant for exchange increases with acidity, in the pH range 4 to 6, decreases with [py], and is nearly independent of ionic strength. A small but significant increase of k_obs occurs with increasing complex concentration. The rate of exchange follows the rate equation k_obs/2 = k₀ + k₁/[py] with k₀ = 1.4 × 10^?5(2) s^?1 and k₁ = 4.7 × 10^?7(1) M, s^?1 at 25°C. The activation parameters for the reaction at pH = 7.15 (predominately the k₀ term) are: ΔH* = +137.(1) kJ/M and ΔS* = +126.(1) J/MK. The pH effect and complex concentration effect are discussed in mechanistic terms. These results are compared to those found for [Re(en)₂O₂]⁺ and [Re(CN)₄O₂]^3?.     

Oil-Water Partitioning of a Synthetic Tetracarboxylic Acid as a Function of pH

The oil-water partitioning of a synthetic tetraacid acting as a model compound for indigenous C₈₀-C₈₂ ARN acids has been studied as a function of pH, ionic strength and type of monovalent counterion. Experimental data obtained with ultraviolet-visible and HPLC/UV analyses have been fitted to thermodynamic models based on one, two or four dissociation steps to obtain o/w partition coefficients (K _wo ) of the fully protonated acid between chloroform and aqueous solutions, and its apparent acidity constant(s), pK _a. As the study is conducted above the CMC of the tetraacid, in general high apparent acidity constants were obtained in the range from 6 to 8 resulting from micellization equilibria. K _wo values were obtained in the range from 10^?3 to 10^?4, and decreasing with increasing salinity. At 50 mM K⁺, no conclusions could be made regarding the number of distinguishable dissociation steps, while at higher ionic strength (184 mM and 452 mM K⁺) and at 184 mM Na⁺ a model with two dissociation steps provided good fits to the experimental data. The first step was found to be given by a pK _a ≈ 6.6–6.8 and the second dissociation step at pK _a values ≈ 7.8–8.3. The two-step mechanism supports previous results obtained by potentiometric titrations. No significant difference in the o/w behavior was observed when changing the counterion from potassium to sodium. The main partitioning of the tetraacid in the aqueous phase occurred above pH 8, where the fully deprotonated acid was formed.     

Kinetic and mechanistic studies of the reactivity of iron(IV) TAMLs toward organic sulfides in water: resolving a fast catalysis versus slower single-turnover reactivity dilemma

TAML complex is oxidized by H₂O₂ or ^tBuOOH in water at pH < 10 into the corresponding iron(IV) μ-oxo-bridged dimer 2, which oxidizes readily ring-substituted thioanisoles p-XC₆H₄SMe (X=H, MeO, Me, Cl, CN) into the corresponding sulfoxides with regeneration of 1. The oxidation studied under pseudo-first-order conditions using the stopped-flow technique by monitoring the fading of the 420-nm band of 2 follows hyperbolic kinetics according to the rate law k_obs = ab[p-XC₆H₄SMe]/(1 + b[p-XC₆H₄SMe]) at pH 8 and 25 °C. Parameters a, b, and ab all decrease for electron-poorer thioanisoles and the Hammett value ρ?~?1 has been found for ab, which can be associated with the second-order rate constants for oxidation of thioanisoles by 2. The kinetics of oxidation of p-NO₂C₆H₄SMe by H₂O₂ catalyzed by 1 has been studied under steady-state conditions. Covering the concentration of 1 in a 100-fold range has revealed that though first-order kinetics in 1 is observed at low catalyst concentrations (below 10^?6 M), there is a significant negative deviation from linearity at [1]?>?10^?6 M. The latter was rationalized by the equilibrium between the monomeric and dimeric Fe^IV species 2 M???M–M (K_d), both being able to oxidize p-NO₂C₆H₄SMe with rate constants k_m and k_d which were found to be (13?±?1)?×?10⁴ and (0.32 ± 0.01)?×?10⁴ M^?1 s^?1, respectively. The difference in the rate constants is the key for resolving the dilemma of faster catalysis versus slower single-turnover reactivity of TAML activators in water.     

Silver/silver bromide/polypyrrole nanoparticles obtained by microemulsion photopolymerization in the presence of a cationic surfactant

Conductive silver/silver bromide/polypyrrole nanoparticles were obtained by photopolymerization in o/w microemulsions of pyrrole monomer in the presence of silver nitrate as electron acceptor and dopant under UV light irradiation. The microemulsions were prepared using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as cationic surfactant. The particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV/Vis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was observed from SEM analysis that spherical particles can be obtained by this procedure with relatively narrow particles sizes distributions and average particle diameters of the silver cores (Dp) between 39 and 46 nm, which decreases as the surfactant concentration is increased. The conductivities of the resulting materials were between 0.12 and 0.40 S/m. Formation of cores of Ag and AgBr were observed from the XRD analysis, which was ascribed to the reduction of Ag⁺ to Ag⁰ and to reaction of Ag⁺ with the counterion of CTAB surfactant, respectively.     

Properties of surfactant monolayers in relation to microemulsion phase behaviour

The relationship between the properties of surfactant monolayers at oil-water interfaces and the phase behaviour in bulk of mixtures of oil + water + surfactant is discussed. Such monolayer properties include the spontaneous curvature, c_o the interfacial tension, I γ, the elasticity K (or rigidity) associated with the mean curvature, and the elasticity K associated with the Gaussian curvature. The model system chosen for investigation is the anionic surfactant AOT + aqueous NaCl + n-alkane at 20°C. In such systems, inversion of microemulsion type from oil-in-water (o/w) to water-in-oil (w/o) is possible with increasing electrolyte concentration. The tension, γ, passes through an ultralow minimum value at conditions corresponding to the formation of three phases. Using small angle neutron scattering, we have determined the structure of surfactant-rich third phases (c_o ~ 0) formed with the different alkanes. Lamellar phases consisting of surfactant monolayers separated alternately by oil and water appear with short alkanes, whereas L₃ and bicontinuous phases form in systems containing longer alkanes. The bending elasticity K has been measured for planar monolayers at the oil-water interface by ellipsometry. K is independent of salt concentration but depends markedly on alkane chain length N, falling from ~ 1 k_BT for N < 11 to ~0.1 k_BT for N = 14. This is discussed in terms of the differing extents of oil penetration into the surfactant chains. Higher rigidities favouring lamellar phases and lower rigidities favouring bicontinuous microemulsions are in line with the theoretical predictions of de Gennes and Taupin. Estimates of the constant K have been obtained in droplet microemulsions (w/o) from a knowledge of their size, K and γ. The sign of the constant is in agreement with the geometry of the phases formed in three phase systems. Finally, the ideas and concepts developed in the oil-water systems described above are used to explain the wetting behaviour by alkanes of AOT monolayers at the air-water surface.     

Kinetic Cooperativity in Human Pancreatic Glucokinase Originates from Millisecond Dynamics of the Small Domain

The hallmark of glucokinase (GCK), which catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose during glycolysis, is its kinetic cooperativity, whose understanding at atomic detail has remained open since its discovery over 40 years ago. Herein, by using kinetic CPMG NMR spectroscopic data for 17 isoleucine side chains distributed over all parts of GCK, we show that the origin of kinetic cooperativity is rooted in intramolecular protein dynamics. Residues of glucose‐free GCK located in the small domain displayed distinct exchange behavior involving multiple conformers that are substantially populated (p>17 %) with a k_ex value of 509±51 s^?1, whereas in the glucose‐bound form these exchange processes were quenched. This exchange behavior directly competes with the enzymatic turnover rate at physiological glucose concentrations, thereby generating the sigmoidal rate dependence that defines kinetic cooperativity.