‘You caught me off guard’: Probing the futures of complex engineered nanomaterials

This paper applies principles and methods from the framework of anticipatory governance to the case of what the National Research Council calls “complex engineered nanomaterials” (CENM). This framework does not aim to generate crystal ball visions or definitive answers, but rather provides guidance for uncovering, understanding, and addressing social, ethical, environmental, and policy issues that stem from emerging technologies. Thus, in anticipation of increased CENM research, CENM products, and their different governance challenges, we aim to lay the groundwork for the anticipatory governance of CENMs by mapping out what—according to the engineers and scientists, we interviewed who are working at the research level of these CENMs—will be the main issues and themes that we need to pay attention to in the near future. The structured interviews focused on three groups of questions: (1) potential and/or actual applications and/or products from the participant’s research; (2) environmental health and safety issues pertaining to both the participant’s research and CENMs generally; and (3) the future of CENMs. Without a foundational understanding to build on, social scientists, policymakers, and regulatory agencies will be at a loss about how to govern CENMs before they are widely implemented in society.     

Field measurements of bottom boundary layer processes and sediment resuspension in the Changjiang Estuary

2,4-Bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-6-methoxyl-1,3,5-triazine(bpt) has been synthesized by using a new, simple and general method with high yields. Reactions of bpt with Ni(ClO₄)₂·6H₂O and Zn(ClO₄)₂·6H₂O in methanol gave mononuclear complex [Ni(bpt)₂]· (ClO₄)₂·H₂O and ternary complex [Zn(mpt)₂(dmp)](ClO₄)₂ respectively, where mpt (2,4-dimethoxy-6-(3,5-dimethyl- pyrazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine) and dmp(3,5-dimethylpyrazole) are the alcoholysis products of bpt in the presence of Zn²⁺ ion. A possible mechanism for this catalytic reaction was proposed. X-ray crystal structure for ligand bpt, Ni and Zn complexes are reported. The protonated form of the ligand bpt crystallizes as its perchlorate salt including one molecule of water, [Hbpt·H₂O·ClO₄]. The proton is located on one pyrazole N-atom. [Hbpt·H₂O·ClO₄], in which [Hbpt]⁺ is in cis-cis conformation, are packed in slipped stacks of approximately parallel layers. The Π -Π overlap interactions between the non-protonized pyrazoles of the adjacent layers give a zigzag arrangement of the planar aromatic [Hbpt]⁺ molecules. In [Ni(bpt)₂](ClO₄)₂·H₂O, bpt are meridionally three-coordinated with Ni²⁺. The coordination sphere around Ni²⁺ is a slightly distorted square bipyramid, where four pyrazole nitrogen atoms occupy the basal positions and two triazine nitrogen atoms the apical one. In [Zn(mpt)₂(dmp)](ClO₄)₂, the Zn atom is coordinated with a pair of bidentate mpt ligands and one monodentate dmp ligand, forming a distorted trigonal bipyramid, where the two triazine nitrogen atoms of mpt and one nitrogen atom of dmp occupy the basal positions, and the two pyrazole nitrogen atoms of mpt the apical one.     

Application of the Spherical Harmonic Model to the ν(CO) Vibrational Spectra of Some Fe(CO)4 and M(CO)5 (M=Cr, W) Transition Metal Cluster Carbonyl Species

When the Fe(CO)₄ and M(CO)₅ (M=Cr, W) groups are co-ordinated in C_3v and C_4v fashion, respectively, in transition metal carbonyl cluster species they contain two sets of non-symmetry related carbonyl groups. In the application of the spherical harmonic model (SHM) to the interpretation of the infrared spectra of these compounds it proves necessary first to treat these as for a normal, isolated, M(CO)₄ or M(CO)₅ group and then apply the SHM. This recognition gives insights into the general application of the SHM.