A Simple Method for Determining the Critical Micellar Concentration of a Surfactant

This paper will present a simple method for critical micellar concentration (cmc) determination based on light scattering using a turbidimeter. The method does not require the optical clarification of the surfactant solution. The surfactant solutions were prepared from distilled water after boiling. Distinct cmc values were observed for polyoxyethylene mono n-dodecylether, sodium taurodeoxycholate and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The cmc values obtained using the turbidity method were compared with cmc values obtained by the surface tension method and with data given in the literature. Values obtained by our simple method have comparable accuracy with data obtained from more elaborate experiments.     

Efficient Procedure for the Preparation of 2-Bromofuran and Its Application in the Synthesis of 2-Arylfurans

A simple, straightforward, and scalable procedure for the preparation of 2-bromofuran using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in dimethylformamide (DMF) is reported. The described preparation is conducted on a 20 to 50 g scale and does not require extractive workup procedures or chromatographic purifications. To illustrate the synthetic applications of 2-bromofuran, palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling reactions of the prepared 2-bromofuran with various aryl boronic acids were investigated, and moderate to good yields of 2-arylfurans were obtained.     

Solvation of the Carbonyl Compound as a Predominant Factor in the Diastereofacial Selectivity of Nucleophilic Addition

Temperature-dependent selectivity in nucleophilic additions is affected by the solvent. The inversion temperature (marked with arrows in the graph) that appears in the nonlinear Eyring plots of ln (anti/syn) versus temperature for the addition of butyllithium to an O-protected alpha-hydroxy aldehyde 1 does not depend on nucleophiles (nBuLi (black triangle), tBuLi (*)), but on the solvent. Its value can be obtained from a plot of the (13)C NMR chemical shift of C=O versus temperature. TBDMS=tBuMe(2)Si.     

Application of the tetraphenylphosphonium tetraphenylborate (TPTB) assumption to the thermodynamic properties of solvated ions in dimethylsulfoxide

The extra-thermodynamic tetraphenylphosphonium tetraphenylborate assumption has been tested for dimethylsulfoxide using ATR FTIR spectroscopy. Solute-affected DMSO spectra show that, contrary to the TPTB assumption, the charge density on BPh(4)(-) and Ph(4)P(+) ions is sufficiently high to influence the DMSO molecules orientation with respect to the cation and to the anion. Apparently, the Ph(4)P(+) cation does not affect the structure of DMSO whereas the BPh(4)(-) anion clearly breaks it up. Our results indicate that the TPTB extra-thermodynamic assumption is not a sound basis for splitting thermodynamic values obtained for DMSO solutions into ionic contributions.     

Some particular aspects of the low-temperature oxidation of methane initiated by nitric acid

During methane oxidation initiated by nitric acid or nitrogen dioxide, it is possible to observe, under certain conditions of temperature, initiator content, and flow rates, the formation of an adiabatic “temperature peak.” Because the maximum temperature of the peak does not exceed the initial temperature of the reactor by more than 220°C, the recorded temperature-increase curves were used for a kinetic interpretation. The obtained kinetic parameters (overall n and E) agree with the values reported in the literature for isothermal methane oxidation and suggest that the overall mechanism does not change in the conditions of “temperature peak.”     

Resolution of GPC columns

A resolution index for gel-permeation chromatograph (GPC) columns is defined by the relation log (RI) = αW, where RI is the resolution index, α is the slope of the calibration curve of logarithm of molecular weight against peak position for narrow polymer fractions, and W is the width of the GPC curves for narrow fractions. This resolution index is calculated approximately for several GPC columns individually and in series combinations by using data obtained on narrow fractions of polystyrene. The index increases with number of columns and with flow rate over a limited range of flow rate, does not vary much with solvent, and does not correlate well with plate count obtained with low molecular weight molecules. It is believed that the resolution index provides an improved indication of the performance of GPC columns.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping of glutathiyl radicals by PBN in the presence of cyclodextrins and by PBN attached to beta-cyclodextrin

The reaction of the glutathiyl radical (GS*) with a widely used spin trap N- tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone (PBN) has been studied in the presence of various methylated beta-cyclodextrins and with PBN covalently bound to dimethylated beta-cyclodextrin (PBN-DIMEB) and permethylated beta-cyclodextrin (PBN-TRIMEB). Scavenging rate constants for GS* by PBN were obtained in the presence of randomly methylated cyclodextrin (RAMEB) and PBN-TRIMEB and found to be close to the rate constant previously measured for PBN. RAMEB and 2,6-di- O-Me-beta-cyclodextrin (DIMEB) were found to be the most efficient in the increasing PBN/GS* lifetime, by a factor of 5.5 for RAMEB and 6.8 for DIMEB compared with the lifetime of PBN/GS*. It is concluded that the presence or "attachment of" beta-cyclodextrins does not influence the scavenging rate constant of GS* but it does lead to stabilization of the spin adducts formed.     

Mechanistic interpretation of the redox behaviour of diphenylamine

The oxidative mechanism of diphenylamine does not seem to involve the formation of diphenylbenzidine or diphenylbenzidine green (DBG) as intermediates, but these are observed in the reduction of diphenylbenzidine violet. The diphenylbenzidine green is generally obtained as an insoluble solid. It is a free radical. It is concluded that for kinetic reasons the different oxidation products of diphenylamine may not necessarily appear together nor in fixed generic sequence in an oxidation or reduction reaction but may be obtained individually under appropriate experimental conditions. The decay of diphenylbenzidine violet seems to involve a disproportionation reaction to give DBG, rather than a polymerization reaction.     

Determination of rank by median absolute deviation (DRMAD): a simple method for determining the number of principal factors responsible for a data matrix

Median absolute deviation (MAD) is a well‐established statistical method for determining outliers. This simple statistic can be used to determine the number of principal factors responsible for a data matrix by direct application to the residual standard deviation (RSD) obtained from principal component analysis (PCA). Unlike many other popular methods the proposed method, called determination of rank by MAD (DRMAD), does not involve the use of pseudo degrees of freedom, pseudo F‐tests, extensive calibration tables, time‐consuming iterations, nor empirical procedures. The method does not require strict adherence to normal distributions of experimental uncertainties. The computations are direct, simple to use and extremely fast, ideally suitable for online data processing. The results obtained using various sets of chemical data previously reported in the chemical literature agree with the early work. Limitations of the method, determined from model data, are discussed. An algorithm, written in MATLAB format, is presented in the Appendix. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanistic pathways for the photoisomerization reaction of the anchored,tethered chromophore of the photoactive yellow protein and its mutants

We show by way of physical organic reasoning that the currently known photochemical results of the chromophore of photoactive yellow protein (PYP) are consistent with that expected of a least volume-demanding process for an anchored, tethered chromophore. The primary photoreaction, interestingly, does not appear to involve a hula-twist process. However, the latter might be involved during subsequent transition of dark intermediates. Absorption data of intermediates obtained from a microsecond time-resolved spectroscopic study of three PYP mutants (E46Q, T50V and R52Q) are consistent with the above analyses.     

二氧化钛表面包覆氧化硅纳米膜的热力学研究

热力学计算结果表明,氧化硅的临界成核半径为2.8nm.由起伏引起的核胚如果小于2.8nm则不会形成晶核而继续生长.上述热力学分析虽然是半理想化的,但是非常有效.可以找到这样一个体系,其溶液条件不发生均匀成核,而是异相表面成核.这在理论上为氧化硅包覆在二氧化钛表面形成均匀膜而不生成单独的氧化硅相提供了可能.     

A formal mathematical legalization of the “exponential” debye—hückel theory

By linearization of the Poisson—Boltzmann equation in a different way from that usually followed, the negativity of the pair correlation functions of like-charged ions can be avoided. The expression thus obtained for the pair correlation functions yields values very close to the exponential Debye—Hückel (DHX) approximation. Since these new pair correlation functions leave the DH charge distribution analytically intact, their use does not violate the electroneutrality condition which the DHX does.     

Reaction of arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates with allyl methacrylate in the presence of the thiocyanate anion

Allyl 2-thiocyanato-2-methyl-3-arylpropionates were obtained by the reaction of arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates with allyl methacrylate in a water-acetone (1: 5) medium, involving thiocyanatoarylation by the C=C bond of the methacrylic fragment. Under the examined conditions, the allylic fragment of the biunsaturated compound does not react.     

A kinetic study on the thermal behaviour of chitosan

The thermal behaviour of chitosan was studied by means of thermogravimetry, mass spectrometry and infrared spectrometry. Kinetic parameters were obtained by advanced kinetic evaluation (differential isoconversional analysis) from DSC curves, in non-isothermal conditions, at several heating rates, between 5 and 30°C min⁻¹. The results showed that the decomposition of chitosan does not follow a single mechanism because both the activation energy and the pre-exponential factor are not constant during the course of the reaction. A comparison with the results obtained by applying different conventional calculating methods is also shown.     

Regiospecificity in the synthesis of diaryl sulfones

The addition of arylsulfinic acids to 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone provides high yields of sulfones in a wide variety of solvents. The distribution of isomeric products obtained is strongly influenced by either (1) the acidity of aqueous solvents or (2) the water content of alcohol solvents. The distribution of isomeric products does not change in the various anhydrous, aprotic solvents examined.     

A molecular dynamics study of the correlations between solvent-accessible surface, molecular volume, and folding state

We analyzed the correlations between molecular volume, solvent-accessible surface, and folding state (secondary structure content) for unfolded conformers of alpha (holo- and apomyoglobin) and beta (retinal-binding protein) proteins and a small water-soluble alanine-rich alpha-helical peptide. Conformers with different degrees of folding were obtained using molecular dynamics at constant temperature and pressure with implicit solvent (dielectric constant adjustment) for all four systems and with explicit solvent for the single helix peptide. Our results support the view that unfolded conformations are not necessary extended, that volume variation is not a good indication of folding state and that the simple model of water penetrating the interior of the protein does not explain the increase in volume upon unfolding.     

Asymmetric synthesis and determination of the absolute configuration of FK584, an agent for the treatment of overactive detrusor

FK584[(-)-N-tert-butyl-4,4-diphenyl-2-cyclopentenylamine hydrochloride, (-)-4-HCl], a potential candidate for the treatment of overactive detrusor, was synthesized in a 4-step approach starting with Sharpless oxidation of cyclopentenol 6 (kinetic resolution). This epoxidation is a rare case in that the empirical rule does not work. Regio- and stereoselective introduction of tert-butylamine to the obtained epoxycyclopentanol 5 and subsequent conversion of the resulting diol to an olefin completed the synthesis. The absolute configuration of FK584 was determined to be S by X-ray crystallographic analysis of the salt of S-(+)-mandelic acid.     

Effect of pH on the reaction of tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(III) with amino-acids: Implications for their detection

A new technique for the detection of amino-acids is described, which is based on their chemiluminescence reaction with tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(III). The pH-dependence of this reaction has been investigated and found to be the key experimental parameter in application of this reaction as a detection technique. The chemiluminescence emission obtained is maximal at pH values higher than the N-terminal amino group pK(a) of the amino-acid. The background reaction between the ruthenium reagent and hydroxide ion does not occur with the same efficiency as the amino-acid reaction and the optimum signal to noise ratio is obtained at pH 10. A limit of detection of 30 picomole was found for valine and the response was shown to be linear over two orders of magnitude.     

A modular system for the synthesis of multiplexed magnetic resonance probes

We have developed a modular architecture for preparing high-relaxivity multiplexed probes utilizing click chemistry. Our system incorporates azide bearing Gd(III) chelates and a trialkyne scaffold with a functional group for subsequent modification. In optimizing the relaxivity of this new complex, we undertook a study of the linker length between a chelate and the scaffold to determine its effect on relaxivity. The results show a strong dependence on flexibility between the individual chelates and the scaffold with decreasing linker length leading to significant increases in relaxivity. Nuclear magnetic resonance dispersion (NMRD) spectra were obtained to confirm a 10-fold increase in the rotational correlation time from 0.049 to 0.60 ns at 310 K. We have additionally obtained a crystal structure demonstrating that modification with an azide does not impact the coordination of the lanthanide. The resulting multinuclear center has a 500% increase in per Gd (or ionic) relaxivity at 1.41 T versus small molecule contrast agents and a 170% increase in relaxivity at 9.4 T.