Electronic spectroscopy and ionization potential of UO2 in the gas phase

The electronic spectroscopy of UO(2) has been examined using multiphoton ionization with mass-selected detection of the UO(2) (+) ions. Supersonic jet cooling was used to reduce the spectral congestion. Twenty-two vibronic bands of neutral UO(2) were observed in the range from 17,400 to 32,000 cm(-1). These bands originated from the U(5fphi(u)7ssigma(g))O(2) X (3)Phi(2u) and (3)Phi(3u) states. The stronger band systems are attributed to metal-centered 7p<--7s transitions. Threshold ionization measurements were used to determine the ionization potentials of UO and UO(2). These were found to be higher than the values obtained previously from electron impact measurements but in agreement with the results of recent theoretical calculations.     

Uronic (hexenuronic) acid profile of ethanol–alkali delignification of giant reed Arundo donax L.

The effect of process variables on uronic acids (UAs) and hexenuronic acids (HexAs) in the annual crop Arundo donax L. during ethanol–alkali pulping has been examined. A substantial loss of UA moieties (up to 90%) was observed by the end of pulping (target kappa number 18) performed with 25% NaOH and 40% EtOH (by volume) within the temperature range of 130–150 °C. At the same time, the progressive formation of HexA in pulp was detected from the early phases of delignification. The proportion of HexA in the residual UA of the final pulp was found to be 84%, indicating almost complete conversion of 4-O-methylglucuronic acid side groups (MeGlcA) of heteroxylan into HexA. The kinetics of UA degradation and HexA formation has been described in terms of three consecutive first-order reaction stages. The overall rate of UA degradation was one order higher than the rate of UA conversion into HexA. The values of apparent activation energy were estimated as 68.6 and 94.7 kJ mol^–1, respectively. The reaction medium alkalinity was shown to be the controlling factor for UA and HexA stability during ethanol–alkali pulping. An increase in alkali charge from 5% to 35% (as NaOH) led to UA loss of 40%, but promoted HexA formation from 11.8 to 20.1 mol g^–1. The addition of organic solvent to the alkaline pulping solution had a similar effect, and about 10% of UA was lost and the content of HexA increased from 6.9 to 10.9 mol g^–1 with an increase in ethanol proportion in the liquor from 20% to 60%.     

Anion exchange in trimethyl‐ and triphenyltin complexes with chromogenic ligands: solution equilibria and colorimetric anion sensing

A series of organotin(IV) compounds R₃Sn(A) where R = Me or Ph and A is a chromogenic nitrophenolate ligand were prepared and studied as possible colorimetric sensors for anions (F⁻, Cl⁻, Br⁻, AcO⁻, H₂PO₄⁻). Equilibrium constants for a complete set of reactions between R₃Sn(A) with A = 2‐amino‐4‐nitrophenolate (ANP) or 4‐nitrophenolate and anions (X⁻) involving formation of complexes R₃Sn(A)(X)⁻ and substitution products R₃Sn(X) and R₃Sn(X)₂⁻ were determined by UV‐vis and ¹H NMR titrations in MeCN and DMSO. The binding selectivity was AcO⁻ > F⁻ > H₂PO₄⁻ > Cl⁻ ≫ Br⁻ in both solvents and both for R = Me and Ph with higher affinity for R = Ph. Compounds with A = ANP were found to have the optimum properties as anion sensors allowing optical detection of F⁻, AcO⁻ and H₂PO₄⁻ anions in the 5–100 µM range by appearance of an intense absorption band of free ANP resulting from its substitution with the analyte. Selectivity and affinity of anion interactions with R₃Sn(ANP) are similar to those for thiourea receptors, but the organotin receptor produces a much larger naked eye detected optical signal, operates equally well in nonpolar and polar solvents and tolerates the presence of up to 20% vol. of water in DMSO. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two new steroidal saponins, hylodoside A and novaeguinoside Y, from the starfish Leptasterias hylodes reticulata and Culcita novaeguineae (juvenile)

New steroid glycosides, hylodoside A (1) and novaeguinoside Y (2), along with previously known polyhydroxylated steroids (3-7) were isolated from the ethanolic extracts of the starfish Leptasterias hylodes reticulata and Culcita novaeguineae (juvenile). The structures have been elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR spectra (1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY-45, 1D-TOCSY, HSQCGP, ROESY, HSQC and HMBCGP) and mass spectrometry. Compound 3 was shown to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus up to 10% from the control at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. Steroids 1, 2 and 5 showed moderate hemolytic activity in the mouse erythrocytes assay. Compounds 3, 4 and 6 displayed pH-depended hemolytic properties.     

Effect of matrix domination in PANI interpolymer complexes with polyamidosulfonic acids

Various polyaniline (PANI) interpolymer complexes with polyacids in the form of molecular solutions were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of water-soluble poly-(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (flexible backbone), poly-p,p′-(2,2′-disulfoacid)-diphenylene-terephthalamide (t-PASA, rigid backbone), and their mixtures in different ratios. The complexes were characterized by UV-Vis-near infrared spectroscopy in solutions; also, the films’ drop-casts from these solutions were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, spectroelectrochemical, direct current (DC) conductivity, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. It was shown that the nature of polyacid affects the shape of spectra and the dynamics of their changes. The character of spectral changes during the matrix synthesis of PANI in the presence of mixtures of the rigid-chain and flexible-chain matrixes and the study of spectral properties of the obtained PANI solutions demonstrates the existence of the rigid-matrix domination effect in the process of formation of PANI interpolymer complexes. Spectral properties of the obtained PANI complexes with the mixtures of flexible-chain and rigid-chain polyacids of different ratios (3:1, 1:1, 1:3, and 1:6) are very similar to those ones for the complex with rigid-chain t-PASA. At the same time, there is a correlation between the electrical conductivity and morphology of the films of PANI complexes and their composition, the conductivity passing through a minimum for the complexes with the polyacid mixtures (6:1, 3:1, and 1:1).     

Eckart axis conditions and the minimization of the root-mean-square deviation: two closely related problems

We highlight the fact that the rotation matrix minimizing the root-mean-square deviation between two molecular conformations [W. Kabsch, Acta Cryst. A32, 922 (1976)] also satisfies the Eckart axis conditions [C. Eckart, Phys. Rev. 47, 552 (1935)].     

Novel enhanced applications of QSPR models: Temperature dependence of aqueous solubility

A model developed to predict aqueous solubility at different temperatures has been proposed based on quantitative structure–property relationships (QSPR) methodology. The prediction consists of two steps. The first one predicts the value of k parameter in the linear equation , where S_w is the value of solubility and T is the value of temperature. The second step uses Random Forest technique to create high‐efficiency QSPR model. The performance of the model is assessed using cross‐validation and external test set prediction. Predictive capacity of developed model is compared with COSMO‐RS approximation, which has quantum chemical and thermodynamic foundations. The comparison shows slightly better prediction ability for the QSPR model presented in this publication. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A very large diversity space of synthetically accessible compounds for use with drug design programs

We have constructed a very large virtual diversity space containing more than 10¹³ chemical compounds. The diversity space is built from about 400 combinatorial libraries, which have been expanded by choosing sizeable collections of suitable R-groups that can be attached to each link point of their scaffolds. These R-group collections have been created by selecting reagents that have drug-like properties from catalogs of available chemicals. As members of known combinatorial libraries, the compounds in the diversity space are in general synthetically accessible and useful as potential drug leads. Hence, the diversity space can be used as a vast source of compounds by a de novo drug design program. For example, we have used such a program to generate inhibitors of HIV integrase enzyme that exhibited activity in the micromolar range.     

Determination of the Mode of Free Radical Termination from Pulsed Laser Polymerization Experiments

The molecular‐weight distribution (MWD), obtained by pulsed laser polymerization (PLP) at the high termination rate limit has been considered for investigating termination kinetics. The proposed methodology takes into account both the composite model for termination and the chain‐length dependencies of propagation for short‐chain and long‐chain radicals. Power‐law expressions are used to represent propagation and termination of long‐chain radicals (where k and k represent the maximum “virtual” rate coefficients for monomeric radicals, and α and β capture the chain‐length dependencies for propagation and termination), with the combined value of (β − α) evaluated from the MWD, after correcting for the influence of the kinetics of short‐chain radicals. A novel method is also developed for determining the mode of termination, δ, from MWDs produced by PLP at the high termination rate limit. Simulations for methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization at 25 °C confirm that the method can be applied robustly in the presence of complicating factors such as chain transfer to monomer and SEC broadening. The analysis of an experimental MWD obtained for MMA polymerization at 25 °C results in estimates of 0.14 ± 0.03 for (β − α) and 0.75 ± 0.04 for δ.

     

Metal-containing monomers. Part 1. Spatial and electronic structures of cobalt(II) and nickel(II) complexes with acrylamide and of their polymers

Summary The spatial and electronic structures of the complexes [Co(AAm)₄(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₂ (1), Co(AAm)₄Cl₂ (2), [Ni(AAm)₄(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₂ (3) and Ni(AAm)₄Cl₂ (4), where AAm is acrylamide, and the products of their radical, frontal and post-grafting polymerization have been studied by electronic spectroscopy. The complexes (1), (3) and (4) were found to have pseudooctahedral structures in both the solid and solution phases. A change in the spatial structure of complex (2) was established in going from the crystal (tetragonally distorted octahedral) to solution (tetrahedral). The coordination environment of the metal centre does not change markedly during polymerization of the metal-containing monomers.