Mono- and Di-valent Salts as Modifiers of PEO-PPO-PEO Block Copolymer Interactions with Silica Nanoparticles in Aqueous Dispersions

Colloidal stabilization of nanoparticle dispersions is central to applications including coatings, mineral extraction, and dispersion of oil spills in oceanic environments, which often involves oil-mineral-aggregates (OMAs). We have an ongoing interest in the modulation of amphiphile micellization and adsorption behavior in aqueous colloidal dispersions in the presence of various additives. Here we evaluate the effect of added salts CaCl₂, MgCl₂, and NaCl on the micellization and adsorption behavior of the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer Pluronic P105 (EO₃₇PO₅₆EO₃₇). In 0.10 wt% silica nanoparticle (10.6 nm average diameter) dispersion, adsorbed block copolymer layer formation begins at a critical surface micelle concentration (csmc) of 0.02 wt%, well below the critical micellization concentration of Pluronic P105 in water. Dye solubilization experiments demonstrate an increase in the csmc upon addition of each salt. Each added salt reaches a level of maximum effectiveness in its ability to disfavor Pluronic P105 adsorption at the silica surface. These peak levels occur at concentrations of 0.005, 0.03, and 0.05 M for CaCl₂, MgCl₂, and NaCl, respectively, in the presence of 0.10 wt% silica nanoparticles. We explain these results in the context of an electrostatic displacer mechanism and discuss possible connections to OMA-dispersant formation.     

Studies on the feasibility of production of57Co by alpha bombardment of Mn and Ni targets

We have studied the feasibility of producing⁵⁷Co (271.3 d) via the⁵⁵Mn(, 2n)⁵⁷Co reaction (⁵⁵Mn–100%). The thick target yield of⁵⁷Co in the 28 to 18 MeV energy region was measured as 3.87 Ci/Ah. However, the proximity and overlap of the excitation functions for (, n), (, 2n) and (, 3n) reactions on⁵⁵Mn are such that the production of pure⁵⁷Co in high yields free of⁵⁸Co (70.8 d) and⁵⁶Co (78.8 d) has not been feasible. We have also studied a new method for ancillary production of⁵⁷Co via the reactions⁵⁸Ni(, p)⁵⁷Co and during the course of producing⁶²Zn by⁶⁰Ni(, 2n)⁶²Zn reaction. In this case the yield of⁵⁷Co of reasonable purity has been up to 1 Ci/Ah.     

Anion Storage Chemistry of Organic Cathodes for High-Energy and High-Power Density Divalent Metal Batteries

Multivalent batteries show promising prospects for next-generation sustainable energy storage applications. Herein, we report a polytriphenylamine (PTPAn) composite cathode capable of highly reversible storage of tetrakis(hexafluoroisopropyloxy) borate [B(hfip)₄] anions in both Magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) battery systems. Spectroscopic and computational studies reveal the redox reaction mechanism of the PTPAn cathode material. The Mg and Ca cells exhibit a cell voltage >3 V, a high-power density of ∼∼3000 W kg⁻¹ and a high-energy density of ∼∼300 Wh kg⁻¹, respectively. Moreover, the combination of the PTPAn cathode with a calcium-tin (Ca−Sn) alloy anode could enable a long battery-life of 3000 cycles with a capacity retention of 60 %. The anion storage chemistry associated with dual-ion electrochemical concept demonstrates a new feasible pathway towards high-performance divalent ion batteries.     

Electrochemistry and Spin-Crossover Behavior of Fluorinated Terpyridine-Based Co(II) and Fe(II) Complexes

Due to their ability to form stable molecular complexes that have tailor-made properties, terpyridine ligands are of great interest in chemistry and material science. In this regard, we prepared two terpyridine ligands with two different fluorinated phenyl rings on the backbone. The corresponding Co^II and Fe^II complexes were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray structural analysis, electrochemistry and temperature-dependent SQUID magnetometry. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses at 100 K of these complexes revealed Co−N and Fe−N bond lengths that are typical of low spin Co^II and Fe^II centers. The metal centers are coordinated in an octahedral fashion and the fluorinated phenyl rings on the backbone are twisted out of the plane of the terpyridine unit. The complexes were investigated with cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry. All complexes show a reversible oxidation and several reduction processes. Temperature dependent SQUID magnetometry revealed a gradual thermal SCO behavior in two of the complexes, while EPR spectroscopy provided further insights on the electronic structure of the metal complexes, as well as site of reduction.     

A General Strategy Toward pH-Resistant Phenolic Fluorophores for High-Fidelity Sensing and Bioimaging Applications

Aryl alcohol-type or phenolic fluorophores offer diverse opportunities for developing bioimaging agents and fluorescence probes. Due to the inherently acidic hydroxyl functionality, phenolic fluorophores provide pH-dependent emission signals. Therefore, except for developing pH probes, the pH-dependent nature of phenolic fluorophores should be considered in bioimaging applications but has been neglected. Here we show that a simple structural remedy converts conventional phenolic fluorophores into pH-resistant derivatives, which also offer “medium-resistant” emission properties. The structural modification involves a single-step introduction of a hydrogen-bonding acceptor such as morpholine nearby the phenolic hydroxyl group, which also leads to emission bathochromic shift, increased Stokes shift, enhanced photo-stability and stronger emission for several dyes. The strategy greatly expands the current fluorophores’ repertoire for reliable bioimaging applications, as demonstrated here with ratiometric imaging of cells and tissues.     

Recent advances on heterocyclic compounds with antiviral properties

Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds - In recent years several important viral infections have emerged and antiviral chemotherapeutic agents are not sufficiently effective in clinic, leading to...     

Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis and Antituberculosis Screening of Some 4‐((3‐(Trifluoromethyl)‐5,6‐dihydro‐[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐a]pyrazin‐7(8H)‐l)methyl)benzenamine Hybrids

In the present investigation, a series of 4‐((3‐(trifluoromethyl)‐5,6‐dihydro‐[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐a]pyrazin‐7(8H)‐yl)methyl)benzenamine analogs 6a–o were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR (¹H and ¹³C), and mass spectra. All newly synthesized compounds 6a–o were prepared under conventional and microwave irradiation methods. These compounds obtained in higher yields and in shorter reaction times in the microwave irradiation method when compared with the conventional method. Synthesized compounds 6a–o were inspected for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇Ra using an established XTT reduction menadione assay. Among the screened compounds, 6i (IC₅₀: 1.82 μg/mL), 6j (IC₅₀: 1.02 μg/mL), and 6k (IC₅₀: 1.59 μg/mL) showed excellent activity. Furthermore, compound 6i showed MIC₉₀ value of 16.02 μg/mL. In summary, the results indicate the identification of some novel, selective, and specific inhibitors against M. tuberculosis that can be explored further for the potential antitubercular drug.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the anation of (αβ)-hydroxo(tetraethylenepentamine)cobalt(III) by thiosulfate, the base hydrolysis of the (sulfur-bonded) thiosulfato(tetraethylenepentamine)-cobalt(III) and photochemistry of oxygen and sulfur-bonded thiosulfato complexes

Summary The reaction of ()-(tetren)CoOH²⁺ with S₂O ₃ ^2- in the 7.25–8.28 pH range at 20–40 °C yielded S- (yellow) and O- (purple) bonded thiosulfato(tetren)cobalt(III) complexes, the former in larger quantities. The rate determining step is preceded by diffusion-controlled ion-pair [(tetren)CoOH²⁺,S₂O ₃ ^2- ] formation. Replacement of coordinated OH^- by S₂O ₃ ^2- is interpreted in terms of an internal conjugate base mechanism: (tetren)CoOH²⁺ (tetren-H)CoOH ₂ ²⁺ , the reactive amido conjugate base being generated by intramolecular proton transfer from the coordinated NH site.In acid medium the S-bonded (tetren)Co(S₂O₃)⁺ is highly stable to redox decomposition, in contrast to its pentaammine analogue. The complex however, undergoes base hydrolysis yielding the corresponding hydroxo complex. The rate and activation parameters for the base hydrolysis have been reported. Photolysis of O- and S-bonded isomers of [(tetren)CoS₂O₃]⁺ in acidic medium at 254 and 313 nm, respectively, yielded aquation products accompanied by some decomposition of S₂O ₃ ^2- .