Assessment of evolution of loss on ignition matter during heating of iron ores

Ironmaking involves reduction of iron ores to metallic iron using coke, coal or gas as reductants. Although different iron ore reduction processes exist, prior to each reduction type, commonly, the hydroxyl and clay materials present in the iron ores undergo decomposition as a first stage. The mass loss during decomposition of these materials is termed as Loss on Ignition (LOI). The aim of this work is to apply a computer aided thermoanalytical technique to evaluate five different iron ore types during decomposition of the LOI matter and determine associated decomposition temperature ranges and heats of reactions. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TG) were also incorporated to support the analysis interpretation. Three distinctive temperature ranges of decomposition of iron ore LOI matter were detected. The first region was associated with dehydration of the hygroscopic moisture at a temperature range between 100 and 150 °C. The second region occurred at a temperature range between 260 and 425 °C during which strongly bonded water was released and the OH groups associated with primarily iron oxyhydroxides were fractured. The third range, which occurred at a temperature range of 530 and 605 °C, was related to decomposition of the aluminosilicate clay materials.     

Synthesis and characterisation of polymeric materials consisting of {Fe2(CO)5}-unit and their relevance to the diiron sub-unit of [FeFe]-hydrogenase

By using "click" chemistry between a diazide and a diiron model complex armed with two alkynyl groups, two polymeric diiron complexes (Poly-Py and Poly-Ph) were prepared. The two polymeric complexes were investigated using infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), M?ssbauer spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry (Poly-Py only, due to the insolubility of Poly-Ph). To probe the coordinating mode of the diiron units in the two polymeric complexes, two control complexes (3 and 4) were also synthesised using a monoazide. Complexes 3 and 4 were well characterised and the latter was further crystallographically analysed. It turns out that in both complexes (3 and 4) and the two polymeric diiron complexes, one of the two iron atoms in the diiron unit coordinates with one of the triazole N atoms. Our results revealed that both morphologies and properties of Poly-Py and Poly-Ph are significantly affected by the organic moiety of the diazide. Compared to the protonating behaviour of the complexes 3 and 4, Poly-Py exhibited proton resistance. In electrochemical reduction, potentials for the reduction of the diiron units in Poly-Py and hence its catalytic reduction of proton in acetic acid-DMF shifted by over 400 mV compared to those for complexes 3 and 4. It is likely that the polymeric nature of Poly-Py offers the diiron units a "protective" environment in an acidic medium and more positive reduction potential.     

Precipitation and selective extraction of human serum endogenous peptides with analysis by quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry reveals posttranslational modifications and low-abundance peptides

The endogenous peptides of human serum may have regulatory functions, have been associated with physiological states, and their modifications may reveal some mechanisms of disease. In order to correlate levels of specific peptides with disease alongside internal standards, the polypeptides must first be reliably extracted and identified. Endogenous blood peptides can be effectively enriched by precipitation of the serum with organic solvents followed by selective extraction of peptides using aqueous solutions modified with organic solvents. Polypeptides on filter paper were assayed with Coomasie brilliant blue binding. The polypeptides were resolved by detergent tricine polyacrylamide electrophoresis and visualized by diamine silver staining. Peptides in the extracts were collected by C18 and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) quadrupole time-of-flight MS/MS. Peptides were resolved as multiple isotopic peaks in MS mode with mass deviation of 0.1 Da or less and similar accuracy for fragments. The sensitivity of MS and MS/MS analysis was estimated to be in the picomolar range or less. The peptide composition of the extracts was dependent on solvent formulation. Multiple peptides from apolipoproteins, complement proteins, coagulation factors, and many others were identified by X!Tandem with high mass accuracy of peptide ions and fragments from collision-induced dissociation. Many previously unreported posttranslational modifications of peptides including phosphorylations, oxidations, glycosylations, and others were detected with high mass accuracy and may be of clinical importance. About 4,630 redundant peptides were identified with 99% confidence separately, and together some 1,251 distinct proteins were identified with 99% confidence or greater using the Paragon algorithm.     

Constant activity of glutamine synthetase after morphine administration versus proteomic results

Glutamine synthetase is a key enzyme which has a regulatory role in the brain glutamate pool. According to previously published proteomic analysis, it was shown that the expression level of this enzyme is affected by morphine administration. In our study, we examined the activity of glutamine synthetase in various structures of rat brain (cortex, striatum, hippocampus and spinal cord) that are biochemically and functionally involved in drug addiction and antinociception caused by morphine. We were not able to observe any significant changes in the enzyme activity between morphine-treated and control samples despite previously reported changes in the expression levels of this enzyme. These findings stressed the fact that changes observed in the expression of particular proteins during proteomic studies may not be correlated with its activity.     

Synthesis and characterisation of the water soluble bis-phosphine complex [Ru(η6-cymene)(PPh2(o-C6H4O)-κ2-P,O)(pta)]+ and an investigation of its cytotoxic effects

Metal complexes bearing phosphine ligands are attracting increasing attention for their applications in medicinal chemistry. In particular, organometallic ruthenium-phosphine complexes have been found to exhibit promising antitumour activity. The synthesis, anticancer activity and reactivity of a novel bis-phosphine complex, [Ru(η⁶-cymene)(PPh₂(o-C₆H₄O)-κ²-P,O)(pta)]Cl (pta = 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1.]decane), is presented. The complex appears to exhibit its anticancer effect via a different mechanism to other ruthenium-arene pta complexes with labile co-ligands.     

Reactivity of the tethered alkyl uranium bonds of (η5:κ1-C5Me4SiMe2CH2)2U

Uranium-carbon bond reactivity has been investigated with the bis(tethered silylalkyl) uranium metallocene (η⁵:κ¹-C₅Me₄SiMe₂CH₂)₂U, 1. Tert-butyl nitrile, ^tBuCN, inserts into both of the tethered U-C bonds to produce the bis(tethered ketimide) complex [η⁵:κ¹-C₅Me₄SiMe₂CH₂C(^tBu)N]₂U, 2, which has unusually bent U-N-C bond angles. Carbon dioxide also inserts into both U-C bonds of 1 yielding the bis(tethered carboxylate) (C₅Me₄SiMe₂CH₂CO₂)₂U, 3. Neither PhCCPh nor PhCCH insert into the U-C bonds, but PhCCH cleaves the silylalkyl tethers in 1 to generate (C₅Me₄SiMe₃)^1? ligands in the complex (C₅Me₄SiMe₃)₂U(CCPh)₂, 4.     

Comparison of the molecular structures of five benzene derivatives as determined independently by gas-phase electron diffraction in two different laboratories: a perspective

The merits and limitations of gas-phase electron diffraction as a technique for determining accurately the structures of small organic molecules are demonstrated by comparing the molecular structures of five benzene derivatives studied in two different laboratories. The existence of many possible representations of the structure of a molecule (r _a, r _g, r _α, r _α⁰, r _e, …), implying differences in the physical meaning of geometrical parameters, is discussed in some detail as it may cause difficulties in a comparison. Also illustrated are different ways of estimating and expressing uncertainties in the geometrical parameters from a gas-phase electron diffraction study.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of novel 2-benzimidazolylthioureas: adducts of natural isothiocyanates and 2-amino-1-methylbenzimidazole

Adducts of natural allyl, phenethyl, and benzyl isothiocyanates and 2-amino-1-methylbenzimidazole were synthesized. After optimization of the reaction conditions, the target 2-benzimidazolylthioureas were obtained in reasonable yields. The detailed molecular and crystal structures of these compounds were characterized by spectroscopic and X-ray methods. Spectral analysis demonstrated that N-(1-methylbenzimidazolyl)-N′-allylthiourea, N-(1-methylbenzimidazolyl)-N′-benzylthiourea, and N-(1-methylbenzimidazolyl)-N′-phenethylthiourea exist in solution in an unprecedented three tautomeric forms, whose structures were corroborated unambiguously.     

Study of <Emphasis Type="Italic">cis</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis> isomerization mechanism of 3,3′-azobenzene disulphonate in the lowest singlet and triplet electronic states by density functional theory

Abstract  

The cis–trans isomerization pathways of 3,3′-azobenzene disulphonate in the S₀ and T₁ states are studied by DFT method at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. In the S₀ state, the cis–trans isomerization concerns the complex pathway that is characterized by the inversion of one NNC angle combined with rotation around the NC bond, and the three sequential transition states are also found on the potential energy profile. Therefore, the cis–trans isomerization of 3,3′-azobenzene disulphonate can be understood in terms of a pathway involving successive rotation, inversion, and rotation processes. The energy barrier of the S₀ state is 22.79 kcal mol⁻¹. In the T₁ state, the isomerization mainly concerns the rotational pathway around the NN double bond, and the two isomers are connected through only one transition state. The isomerization of the T₁ state is related to a lower energy barrier, 5.02 kcal mol⁻¹, but requires a change in spin-multiplicity.