Carbon-carbon coupling on tetrahedral iridium clusters: X-ray molecular structures and multinuclear NMR studies of the two isomeric forms of [Ir4(CO)6(μ3-η-HCCPh)(μ2-η-C4H2Ph2)(μ-PPh2)2]

The reactions of [HIr₄(CO)₉(Ph₂PCCPh)(μ-PPh₂)] (1) or [Ir₄(CO)₈(μ₃-η²-HCCPh)(μ-PPh₂)₂] (2) with HCCPh gave two isomeric forms of [Ir₄(CO)₆(μ₃-η²-HCCPh)(μ₂-η⁴-C₄H₂Ph₂)(μ-PPh₂)₂] (3 and 4) in good yields as the only products. These compounds were characterized with analytical and spectroscopic data including ¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P NMR (1 and 2D) spectroscopy and their molecular structures were established by X-ray diffraction studies. Compounds 3 and 4 exhibit the same distorted butterfly metal polyhedral arrangement of metal atoms with two μ-PPh₂ that occupy different positions in the structures of the two isomers. Both molecules contain a HCCPh ligand bonded in a μ₃-η²-// mode to one of the wings of the butterfly and a metallacyclic ring, which resulted from head-to-tail coupling, in the case of [Ir₄(CO)₆(μ₃-η²-HCCPh){μ₂-η⁴-(H)CC(Ph)C(H)C(Ph)}(μ-PPh₂)₂] (3) and tail-to-tail coupling, in that of [Ir₄(CO)₆(μ₃-η²-HCCPh){μ₂-η⁴-(H)CC(Ph)C(Ph)C(H)}(μ-PPh₂)₂] (4), and which is linked to two metal atoms of the second wing of the butterfly.     

HUMANN-based system to identify benzimidazole fungicides using multi-synchronous fluorescence spectra: An ensemble approach

In this paper, we approach, using neural computation and ensemble systems, a pattern classification problem in fluorescence spectrometry, the resolution of difficult multi-fungicide mixtures (overlapping), specifically the benzimidazole fungicides, benomyl, carbendazim, thiabendazole and fuberidazole. These fungicides are compounds of an important environmental interest. Because of this, from an analytical point of view, it is interesting to develop sensitive, selective and simple methods for their determination. Fluorescence spectrometry has proven to be a sensitive and selective technique for determination of many compounds of environmental interest, but in some cases it is not enough. HUMANN is a hierarchical, unsupervised, modular, adaptive neural net with high biological plausibility, which has shown to be suitable for identification of these fungicides and organochlorinated compounds of environmental interest. We propose two modular artificial intelligent systems, with a structure of pre-processing and processing stage, a multi-input HUMANN-based system, using multi-fluorescence spectra as input to the system, and a HUMANN-ensemble system. We analyze the optimal configuration of inputs and the ensemble in order to obtain better results. We study such figures as precision and sensitivity of the method. Our proposal is a smart, flexible and effective complementary method, which allows reducing the analytical and/or computational complexity of the analysis. Figure Stages in identification of benzimidazole fungicides Based on a contribution presented at the XIII International Symposium on Luminescence Spectrometry held in Bologna, Italy from Sept. 7–11, 2008.     

Degradation behavior and kinetic study of ABS polymer

The degradation kinetics of the ABS terpolymer (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) was investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis. The samples were heated from 30 to 900°C in nitrogen atmosphere applying three different heating rates: 5, 10 and 20°C min⁻¹. The Vyazovkin model-free kinetic method was used to calculate the activation energy (E) of the degradation process as a function of conversion and temperature. Between 20 and 80% of conversion, E was calculated and the figures were: for ABS GP, E is 204.5±11.5 kJ mol⁻¹ (medium value); for ABS HI, E is 239.0±9.8 kJ mol⁻¹; for ABS HH, E is 242.4±5.4 kJ mol⁻¹.     

Mechanism for basic hydrolysis of N-nitrosoguanidines in aqueous solution

A kinetic study was carried out on the hydrolysis of two N-nitrosoguanidines, 1-nitroso-1-methyl-3-tolylsulfonylguanidine (TSGNO) and 1-nitroso-1-methyl-3-benzoylguanidine (BCGNO). We observed an absence of buffer catalysis using H(2)PO(4)(-)/HPO(4)(2)(-), H(3)BO(3)/H(2)BO(3)(-), and HCO(3)(-)/CO(3)(2)(-) regulators and a complex dependency of the rate constant on the pH. We discovered the existence of three simultaneous reaction paths: spontaneous decomposition of the neutral form of the N-nitrosoguanidine, decomposition of the monoanion, and decomposition through the form of the dianion. The analysis of the kinetic data has allowed us to obtain the acidity constant for the formation of the monoanion of the N-nitrosoguanidine, with values of p = 11.5. The reaction rate for the process through the monoanion, k(2), decreases as the acidity increases. The application of the principle of nonperfect synchronization shows that the basicity and reactivity do not correlate when there exists a possibility of stabilization of the negative charge by resonance. This behavior is consistent with the mechanism E1cB whereby the stabler the negative charge, the slower the elimination reaction. When dealing with the case of the elimination through the neutral form we observe that the reaction rate increases together with the capacity of stabilization of the positive charge on the nitrogen atom adjacent to the imino group. For the reaction through the dianion we used a maximum value of k(3) = 10(10) s(-)(1) to estimate the value of p for the formation of the dianion of the N-nitrosoguanidine, obtaining values of p < 24.     

Ethylbenzene to chemicals: Catalytic conversion of ethylbenzene into styrene over metal-containing MCM-41

Isomorphously substituted (MeDM) and impregnated metal-containing MCM-41 (MeO_x/IM) catalysts, in which Me = Co, Cu, Cr, Fe or Ni, have been prepared. Structural and textural characterizations of the catalysts were performed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), chemical analysis, Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), N₂ adsorption isotherms and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and Cr⁴⁺/Cr³⁺ species were found over the catalysts as cations incorporated in the MCM-41 structure (MeDM) or highly dispersed oxides on the surface (MeO_x/IM). The MeDM catalysts exhibited a good performance in the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with CO₂. However, MeO_x/IM catalysts had a low performance in styrene production (activity less than 15 × 10^?3 mmol h^?1 and selectivity for styrene less than 80%) due to the high reducibility of the metals species. However, Ni²⁺ or Fe³⁺ coordinated with the MCM-41 framework, as well as NiO_x and Fe₂O₃ extra-framework species, is continuously oxidized by the CO₂ to maintain the active sites for dehydrogenating ethylbenzene. Deactivation studies on the FeDM sample showed that Fe³⁺ species produced active sp² carbon compounds, which are removed by CO₂; the referred sample is catalytically selective for styrene and stable over 24 h of reaction. In contrast, highly active Ni²⁺ and Ni⁰ species produced a large amount of polyaromatic carbonaceous deposits from styrene, as identified by TPO, TG and Raman spectroscopy. An acid–base mechanism is proposed to operate to adsorb ethylbenzene and abstract the β-hydrogen. CO₂ plays a role in furnishing the lattice oxygen to maintain the Fe³⁺ active sites in the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to form styrene.     

Holo- and hemidirected lead(II) in the polymeric [Pb(4)(mu-3,4-TDTA)2(H2O)2]*4H2O complex. N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate ligands derived from o-phenylenediamines as sequestering agents for lead(II)

The coordinating ability of the ligands 3,4-toluenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (3,4-TDTA), o-phenylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (o-PhDTA), and 4-chloro-1,2-phenylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (4-Cl-o-PhDTA) (H4L acids) toward lead(II) is studied by potentiometry (25 degrees C, I = 0.5 mol x dm(-3) in NaClO4), UV-vis spectrophotometry, and 207Pb NMR spectrometry. The stability constants of the complex species formed were determined. X-ray diffraction structural analysis of the complex [Pb4(mu-3,4-TDTA)4(H2O)2]*4H2O (1) revealed that 1 has a 2-D structure. The layers are built up by the polymerization of centrosymmetric [Pb4L2(H2O)2] tetranuclear units. The neutral layers have the aromatic rings of the ligands pointing to the periphery, whereas the metallic ions are located in the central part of the layers. In compound 1, two types of six-coordinate lead(II) environments are produced. The Pb(1) is coordinated to two nitrogen atoms and four carboxylate oxygens from the ligand, whereas Pb(2) has an O6 trigonally distorted octahedral surrounding. The lead(II) ion is surrounded by five carboxylate oxygens and a water molecule. The carboxylate oxygens belong to four different ligands that are also joined to four other Pb(1) ions. The selective uptake of lead(II) was analyzed by means of chemical speciation diagrams as well as the so-called conditional or effective formation constants K(Pb)eff. The results indicate that, in competition with other ligands that are strong complexing agents for lead(II), our ligands are better sequestering agents in acidic media.     

Capillary zone electrophoretic determination of tosufloxacin and trovafloxacin in urine

Summary A simple and rapid capillary zone electrophoretic method with UV detection has been developed for determination of tosufloxacin and trovafloxacin. The separation was performed in fused-silica capillaries (57 cm length × 75μm i.d.); the running buffer was 35mm borate + 35mm phosphate buffer solution, pH 8.6, containing 6% (v/v) acetonitrile. The applied potential was 15 kV, the temperature 30°C, and detection was at 262 nm. Piromidic acid was used as the internal standard. Response was linearly dependent on concentration in the range 1.0–120.0 μg mL⁻¹ and the detection limit was 0.2 μg mL⁻¹ for both compounds. The analysis was highly reproducible (RSD between 3.41 and 1.25%). The method was applied to the determination of tosufloxacin and trovafloxacin in human and rat urine. The method was validated by using HPLC as a reference method. Recovery was between 96.8 and 102%.     

Phenomenological and neural-network modeling of cephalosporin C production bioprocess

Cephalosporin C production process withCephalosporium acremonium ATCC 48272 in synthetic medium was investigated and the experimental results allowed the development of a mathematical model describing the process behavior. The model was able to explain fairly well the diauxic phenomenon, higher growth rate during the glucose-consumption phase, and the production occurring only in the sucrose-consumption phase. Moreover, the process was simulated utilizing the neural-networks technique. Two feed-forward neural-networks with one hidden layer were employed. Both models, phenomenological and neural-networks based, satisfactorily describe the bioprocess. The difficulties in determining kinetic parameters are avoided when neural networks are utilized.     

Synthesis of a Benzannulated Pyrrolizidine by a Copper‐Catalyzed Intramolecular α‐Arylation Reaction

A synthetic route to the pyrrolo[1,2‐a]indole ring system (benzannulated pyrrolizidine) involving a base‐induced intramolecular aza‐Michael reaction as the key C? N bond‐forming penultimate step, followed by a Cu‐catalyzed intramolecular α‐arylation reaction, to provide the tricyclic framework over six steps is described.     

Kinetics of dehydration and textural characterizations of selectively leached vermiculites

Acid leaching of aluminosilicates is an interesting procedure for preparing high surface porous silica. Thermal behavior of vermiculite leached with a nitric acid solution at various concentrations was studied by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. Activation energies of the dehydration process in selected temperature zones were determined by two different methods: Ozawa–Flynn–Wall and Friedman. The material obtained was characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption at 77 K to relate them to the estimated activation energies.