Formatation of pore structure in tape-cast alumina membranes – effects of binder content and firing temperature

Disc type ceramic aluminium oxide membrane has been prepared by tape casting technique. Thickness of this single layer membrane is in the range 200–300 μm. Porosity and pore size distribution have been determined by mercury porosimetry. Polymeric binder content of the green tape and the firing temperature are found to have strong influence on the average pore size, pore size distribution and overall porosity. Higher binder content promotes agglomeration of the ceramic particles, which on firing leads to wider pore size distribution and formation of closed pores. Pore coarsening is observed with increasing firing temperature.     

Aromatic-aromatic interactions in crystal structures of helical peptide scaffolds containing projecting phenylalanine residues

Aromatic-aromatic interactions between phenylalanine side chains in peptides have been probed by the structure determination in crystals of three peptides: Boc-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-OMe, I; Boc-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-Val-Ala-Phe-Aib-OMe, II; Boc-Aib-Ala-Phe-Aib-Phe-Ala-Val-Aib-OMe, III. X-ray diffraction studies reveal that all three peptides adopt helical conformations in the solid state with the Phe side chains projecting outward. Interhelix association in the crystals is promoted by Phe-Phe interactions. A total of 15 unique aromatic pairs have been characterized in the three independent crystal structures. In peptides I and II, the aromatic side chains lie on the same face of the helix at i/i + 4 positions resulting in both intrahelix and interhelix aromatic interactions. In peptide III, the Phe side chains are placed on the opposite faces of the helix, resulting in exclusive intermolecular aromatic interactions. The distances between the centroids of aromatic pair ranges from 5.11 to 6.86 A, while the distance of closest approach of ring carbon atoms ranges from 3.27 to 4.59 A. Examples of T-shaped and parallel-displaced arrangements of aromatic pairs are observed, in addition to several examples of inclined arrangements. The results support the view that the interaction potential for a pair of aromatic rings is relatively broad and rugged with several minima of similar energies, separated by small activation barriers.     

Acidic peroxo salts. A new class of initiators for vinyl polymerization. I. Kinetics of polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by potassium monopersulfate catalyzed by Ag(I)

The kinetics of polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by KHSO₅ and catalyzed by Ag(I) have been investigated in an aqueous medium over the temperature range of 35–50°C. The rates of polymerization R_p have been calculated and studied with respect to monomer and initiator. The catalytic activity of various metal ions on the initiator has been determined from a comparison of R_p values. The effects of monomer, catalyst, neutral salts, various amines, and inhibitor (hydroquinone) on the initial rate as well as maximum conversion have been studied. From the kinetics results a suitable reaction scheme has been proposed.     

Separation of molybdenum from tungsten with di(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid ac extractant

The use of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) as an extractant for the separation of molybdenum from tungsten was examined with the help of molybdenum-99 and tungsten-187 as radiotracers. Effective separation was obtained when the aqueous phase contained phosphoric acid at pH 0.8–2 or pH 3–3.5, depending on the amounts of metal. The method is applicable to both tracer and milligram amounts of molybdenum. The structure of the extracted species was examined by infrared spectroscopy.     

Doubly excited3Se,3De and3Ge states of two-electron atomic systems

Summary Time-dependent perturbation theory has been applied to calculate the doubly excited triplet statesNsns:³S^e,Npnp:³D^e andNdnd:³G^e (N=2, 3, 4,n=N+1, ... ,5) for He, Li⁺, Be²⁺ and B³⁺. A time-dependent harmonic perturbation causes simulataneous excitation of both the electrons with a change of spin state. The doubly excited energy levels have been identified as the poles of an appropriately constructed linearized variational functional with respect to the driving frequency. In addition to the transition energies, effective quantum numbers of these doubly excited states have been calculated and analytic representations of their wave functions are obtained. These are utilized to estimate the Coulomb repulsion term for these states which checks the consistency of the wave functions. These wave functions may also be used for calculating other physical properties of the systems.     

Exchange of mercury between mercuric ions and methylmercuric nitrate

The rate constant for the exchange between Hg²⁺ and CH₃Hg⁺ ions in a Cl-free 1NH₂SO₄ solution at 25°C was measured with²⁰³Hg as a radiotracer and separation of the two compounds by liquid extraction of the organic species into benzene from a NaCl- or NaI-solution.     

Sulfated nanozirconia: an investigation on acid-base properties and n-butane isomerization activity

Hydrated zirconia was synthesized by an organo-inorganic route employing surfactant and was sulfated using aqueous ammonium persulfate, followed by drying at 110 degrees C. The sample thus obtained was calcined at 600 degrees C to obtain sulfated zirconia and was characterized by several physicochemical methods. Crystallite sizes of sulfated zirconia were calculated from X-ray line broadening using the Debye-Scherer equation and were found to be in the range of 25 nm. When pretreated in air, the catalyst was found to exhibit butane isomerization activity at a temperature as low as 35 degrees C under atmospheric pressure. It showed conversion as high as 37% at 100 degrees C under normal pressure when pretreated in air, whereas nitrogen-pretreated catalyst showed zero activity under similar conditions. NH(3) and CO(2) temperature-programmed desorption studies on air- and helium-pretreated samples indicated that the catalyst surface changes appreciably during air pretreatment. Results on butane isomerization in conjunction with TPD studies suggest that zirconium-oxy sites play an important role in butane activation during the reaction.     

A mild, highly selective and remarkably easy procedure for deprotection of aromatic acetates using ammonium acetate as a neutral catalyst in aqueous medium

Ammonium acetate was found to catalyze efficiently the selective deprotection of aromatic acetates in the presence of various sensitive functionalities in aqueous methanol under neutral conditions at room temperature to yield the corresponding phenols in excellent yields. The method has been utilized for deprotection of acetates of several naturally occurring bioactive phenolic compounds and for preparation of venkatasin, a natural coumarino-lignan, from the anticancer compound cleomiscosin A.     

Spectroscopic and structural features of small thiocarbonyl molecules in low-lying excited states: Further applications of a variant of the orthogonal gradient method

Structural parameters of a set of five thiocarbonyl molecules in the lowest nπ* states are calculated by using a generalized orbital optimization algorithm (a variant of the orthogonal gradient method) in an INDO MCSCF framework. Transition energies, singlet-triplet splittings, planar inversion barriers, and dipole moments in nπ* states of different spin multiplicities are reported. Predicted structural features agree reasonably well with available experimental or theoretical data. Some interesting trends are noted in the computed inversion barrier heights, singlet-triplet splittings, and dipole moments in nπ* states.     

Studies on the exchange characteristics of [Co(NH3)6]3+ in amberlite IRC-50

Summary The exchange of Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺-ions on amberlite IRC-50 resin has been studied at room temperature. For this exchange process the cations are effective in the order: Cs⁺<Rb⁺<K⁺<Na⁺<Li⁺<NH₄ ⁺<Mg²⁺ <Ca²⁺<H⁺ and (C₂H₅)₄N<(CH₃)₄N⁺ ≪Cetyltrimethylammonium-ion <Cetylpyridinium-ion. The logarithm of the selectivity coefficient gives linear graphs when plotted against the radius of the hydrated ions or the reciprocals of theDebye-Hückel parameter?.