Cyclometallated Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes with a trithiacrown ligand

We report the synthesis and full characterization for a series of cyclometallated complexes of Pt(II) and Pd(II) incorporating the fluxional trithiacrown ligand 1,4,7-trithiacyclononane ([9]aneS3). Reaction of [M(C insertion mark N)(micro-Cl)]2 (M = Pt(II), Pd(II); C insertion mark N = 2-phenylpyridinate (ppy) or 7,8-benzoquinolinate (bzq)) with [9]aneS3 followed by metathesis with NH4PF6 yields [M(C insertion mark N)([9]aneS3)](PF6). The complexes [M(C insertion mark P)([9]aneS3)](PF6) (M = Pt(II), Pd(II); Cinsertion markP = [CH2C6H4P(o-tolyl)2-C,P]-) were synthesized from their respective [Pt(C insertion mark P)(micro-Cl)]2 or [Pd(C insertion mark P)(micro-O2CCH3)]2 (C insertion mark P) starting materials. All five new complexes have been fully characterized by multinuclear NMR, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopies in addition to elemental analysis, cyclic voltammetry, and single-crystal structural determinations. As expected, the coordinated [9]aneS3 ligand shows fluxional behavior in its NMR spectra, resulting in a single 13C NMR resonance despite the asymmetric coordination environment of the cyclometallating ligand. Electrochemical studies reveal irreversible one-electron metal-centered oxidations for all Pt(II) complexes, but unusual two-electron reversible oxidations for the Pd(II) complexes of ppy and bzq. The X-ray crystal structures of each complex indicate an axial M-S interaction formed by the endodentate conformation of the [9]aneS3 ligand. The structure of [Pd(bzq)([9]aneS3)](PF6) exhibits disorder in the [9]aneS3 conformation indicating a rare exodentate conformation as the major contributor in the solid-state structure. DFT calculations on [Pt([9]aneS3)(ppy)](PF6) and [Pd([9]aneS3)(ppy)](PF6) indicate the HOMO for both complexes is primarily dz2 in character with a significant contribution from the phenyl ring of the ppy ligand and p orbital of the axial sulfur donor. In contrast, the calculated LUMO is primarily ppy pi* in character for [Pt([9]aneS3)(ppy)](PF6), but dx2-y2 in character for [Pd([9]aneS3)(ppy)](PF6).     

Solvation in pure liquids: what can be learned from the use of pairs of indicators?

The solvation of six solvatochromic probes in a large number of solvents (33-68) was examined at 25 degrees C. The probes employed were the following: 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (RB); 4-[(E)2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePM; 1-methylquinolinium-8-olate, QB; 2-bromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr, 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl pyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (WB); and 2,6-dibromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr(2), respectively. Of these, MePMBr is a novel compound. They can be grouped in three pairs, each with similar pK(a) in water but with different molecular properties, for example, lipophilicity and dipole moment. These pairs are formed by RB and MePM; QB and MePMBr; WB and MePMBr(2), respectively. Theoretical calculations were carried out in order to calculate their physicochemical properties including bond lengths, dihedral angles, dipole moments, and wavelength of absorption of the intramolecular charge-transfer band in four solvents, water, methanol, acetone, and DMSO, respectively. The data calculated were in excellent agreement with available experimental data, for example, bond length and dihedral angles. This gives credence to the use of the calculated properties in explaining the solvatochromic behaviors observed. The dependence of an empirical solvent polarity scale E(T)(probe) in kcal/mol on the physicochemical properties of the solvent (acidity, basicity, and dipolarity/polarizability) and those of the probes (pK(a), and dipole moment) was analyzed by using known multiparameter solvation equations. For each pair of probes, values of E(T)(probe) (for example, E(T)(MePM) versus E(T)(RB)) were found to be linearly correlated with correlation coefficients, r, between 0.9548 and 0.9860. For the mercyanine series, the values of E(T)(probe) also correlated linearly, with (r) of 0.9772 (MePMBr versus MePM) and 0.9919 (MePMBr(2) versus MePM). The response of each pair of probes (of similar pK(a)) to solvent acidity is the same, provided that solute-solvent hydrogen-bonding is not seriously affected by steric crowding (as in case of RB). We show, for the first time, that the response to solvent dipolarity/polarizability is linearly correlated to the dipole moment of the probes. The successive introduction of bromine atoms in MePM (to give MePMBr, then MePMBr(2)) leads to the following linear decrease: pK(a) in water, length of the phenolate oxygen-carbon bond, length of the central ethylenic bond, susceptibility to solvent acidity, and susceptibility to solvent dipolarity/polarizability. Thus studying the solvation of probes whose molecular structures are varied systematically produces a wealth of information on the effect of solute structure on its solvation. The results of solvation of the present probes were employed in order to test the goodness of fit of two independent sets of solvent solvatochromic parameters.     

Adaptation of a commercial ion selective fluoride electrode to a tubular configuration for analysis by flow methodologies

The determination of fluoride ions in water samples is accomplished by using a tubular flow through detector constructed by drilling a channel through a commercially available LaF(3) crystal electrode in such a way that the original contacts of the non-modified unit are maintained. Its performance when incorporated in both FIA and SIA systems was evaluated and the results show that the tubular unit retains the characteristics of the non-modified electrode. In SIA conditions an extended linear range of response and lower detection limit were achieved when compared with the electrode performance in FIA conditions. These aspects together with the additional advantage of low sample and reagent consumptions in SIA when compared to FIA, makes the incorporation of the proposed tubular ISE in a SIA system the preferred approach for on line determination and monitoring of fluoride content in natural water samples.     

Comparison of direct solid sampling and slurry sampling for the determination of cadmium in wheat flour by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Two analytical methods for the determination of cadmium in wheat flour by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry without prior sample digestion have been compared: direct solid sampling analysis (SS) and slurry sampling (SlS). Besides the conventional modifier mixture of palladium and magnesium nitrates (10 μg Pd + 3 μg Mg), 0.05% (v/v) Triton X-100 has been added to improve the penetration of the modifier solution into the solid sample, and 0.1% H₂O₂ in order to promote an in situ digestion for SS. For SlS, 30 μg Pd, 12 μg Mg and 0.05% (v/v) Triton X-100 have been used as the modifier mixture. Under these conditions, and using a pyrolysis temperature of 800 °C, essentially no background absorption was observed with an atomization temperature of 1600 °C. About 2 mg of sample have been typically used for SS, although as much as 3-5 mg could have been introduced. In the case of SlS multiple injections had to be used to achieve the sensitivity required for this determination. Calibration against aqueous standards was feasible for both methods. The characteristic mass obtained with SS was 0.6 pg, and that with SlS was 1.0 pg. The limits of detection were 0.4 and 0.7 ng g⁻¹, the limits of quantification were 1.3 and 2.3 ng g⁻¹ and the relative standard deviation (n = 5) was 6-16% and 9-23% for SS and SlS, respectively. The accuracy was confirmed by the analysis of certified reference materials. The two methods were applied for the determination of cadmium in six wheat flour samples acquired in supermarkets of different Brazilian cities. The cadmium content varied between 8.9 ± 0.5 and 13 ± 2 ng g⁻¹ (n = 5). Direct SS gave results similar to those obtained with SlS using multi-injections; the values of both techniques showed no statistically significant difference at the 95% confidence level. Direct SS was finally adopted as the method of choice, due to its greater simplicity, the faster speed of analysis and the better figures of merit.     

Determination of volatile and non-volatile nickel and vanadium compounds in crude oil using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after oil fractionation into saturates, aromatics, resins and asphaltenes

In recent work, it has been shown that electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS) can be used to differentiate between volatile and non-volatile nickel and vanadium compounds in crude oil. In the present work, the distribution of these two groups of compounds over different fractions of crude oil was investigated. For this purpose two crude oil samples were separated in two steps: firstly, the asphaltenes were precipitated with n-heptane, and secondly, the maltenes were loaded on a silica column and eluted with solvents of increasing polarity. The four fractions of maltenes eluted from silica column were: F1, saturated and light aromatics; F2, polyaromatics; F3, resins; and F4, polar compounds. Fractions F1 and F2 were further investigated using gas chromatography, and all fractions were characterized by CHN analysis, confirming the increase of aromatics in the fractions 2, 3, 4 and asphaltenes. For the determination of Ni and V by ET AAS, oil-in-water emulsions were prepared. The speciation analysis was carried out measuring without chemical modifier (stable compounds) and with 20 μg palladium (total Ni and V) and the volatile fraction was calculated by difference. The limits of detection were 0.02 μg g⁻¹ and 0.06 μg g⁻¹, for Ni and V, respectively, based on an emulsion of 2 g of oil in 10 mL. The volatile species of Ni and V were associated with fractions F3 and F4, while only thermally stable Ni and V was precipitated in part together with the asphaltenes.     

The use of microemulsion for determination of sodium and potassium in biodiesel by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A new method for F AAS determination of sodium and potassium in biodiesel using water-in-oil microemulsion as sample preparation is proposed. The method was investigated for biodiesel produced from different sources, as soybean, castor and sunflower oil and animal fat and was also applied for vegetable oils. The optimized condition for microemulsion formation was 57.6% (w/w) of n-pentanol, 20% (w/w) of biodiesel or vegetable oil, 14.4% (w/w) of Triton X-100 and 8% (w/w) of water (aqueous standard of KCl or NaCl in/or diluted HNO₃). The optimized instrumental parameters were: aspiration rate of 2 mL min⁻¹ and the flame composition of 0.131 of C₂H₂/air ratio. For comparison purpose, the determination of sodium and potassium were also carried out according to European norms (EN 14108 and EN 14109, respectively). These norms are applied for determination of sodium and potassium in fatty acid methylic ester samples and consist in the sample dilution using organic solvent and determination by F AAS. The stability of microemulsified aqueous standards and samples was investigated and it was found to be stable for at least 3 days while the organic standard diluted with xylene showed a decrease around of 15% in the analytical signal in 1 h. The limits of detection were 0.1 μg g⁻¹ and 0.06 μg g⁻¹ and the obtained characteristic concentrations were 25 μg L⁻¹ and 28 μg L⁻¹ for sodium and potassium, respectively. The proposed method presented two times better limits of detection and better precision (0.4–1.0%) when compared with the dilution technique (1.5–4.5%). The accuracy of the method was evaluated through recovery tests and comparison with the results obtained by dilution technique. The recoveries ranged from 95% to 115% for biodiesel and 90% to 115% for vegetable oil samples. Comparison between the results obtained for biodiesel by both methods showed no significant differences at the 95% confidence level according to a Student's t-test. This study shows that the proposed method based on microemulsion as sample preparation can be applied as an efficient alternative for sodium and potassium determination in biodiesel samples.     

Semi-empirical topological index: development of QSPR/QSRR and optimization for alkylbenzenes

The semi-empirical topological index, I(ET), was developed and optimized to describe the chromatographic retention of alkylbenzenes on the squalane stationary phase. The simple linear regression between the chromatographic retention and the proposed index, for 122 alkylbenzenes studied, is of good quality (determination coefficient, r(2)=0.9996, standard deviation, S.D.=5.5, and leave-one-out cross-validation correlation coefficient, r(CV)(2)=0.9996). The predictive ability of I(ET) was also verified for stationary phases with two different polarities (SE-30 and Carbowax 20 M), and good results were obtained, especially for the stationary phase with low polarity, showing that the specific molecular interactions occur on highly polar phases. The I(ET) was applied to construct quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models for representative properties such as boiling point, Bp(degrees C), octanol/water partition coefficient, log P, van der Waals volume (V(W)) and molar refractivity (R(M)). Satisfactory quality QSPR models were obtained with Bp, V(W) and R(M) showing that the molecular size and dispersive forces are dominating factors with respect to the chromatographic retention.     

Flow injection spectrofluorimetric determination of carvedilol mediated by micelles

We propose a novel evanescent wave scattering imaging method using an objective-type total internal reflection system to image and track single gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in solution. In this imaging system, only a millimeter-scale hole is employed to efficiently separate GNPs scattering light from the background reflected beam. The detailed experimental realization of the imaging system was discussed, and the effect of the hole size on imaging was investigated. We observed that the hole diameters from 2.5 to 4 mm are suitable to perform the scattering imaging by adjusting the incidence angle. The technology was successfully applied to track single gold nanoparticles in solution and on live cell membrane via the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody. Compared to total internal fluorescence microscopy, the resonance light scattering detection has no photobleaching or blinking inherent to fluorescent dyes and quantum dots. Compared to conventional dark-field microscopy, the evanescent wave illumination can be conveniently applied to study membrane dynamics in living cells. Additionally, the objective-based configuration provides a free space above the coverslip, and allows imaging and concomitant manipulation of live cells in culture by microinjection, patch-clamping, AFM and other techniques.     

Synthesis of vinyl sulfides via hydrothiolation of alkynes using Al2O3/KF under solvent-free conditions

We present here a clean, solvent-free hydrothiolation of alkynes using solid supported catalyst (Al₂O₃/KF). This efficient and improved method selectively furnishes the corresponding anti-Markovnikov vinyl sulfides in good to excellent yields. The method is applicable for aliphatic and aromatic thiols and the catalytic system can be re-used up to two times without previous treatment and with comparable activity.     

Effects of gamma irradiation on poly(vinyl chloride)/polystyrene blends: Investigation of radiolytic stabilization and miscibility of the mixture

Commercial polystyrene (PS) has been studied as a modifier for commercial poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) when it was submitted to gamma irradiation. PVC/PS blends were prepared with 100/0, 95/05 and 90/10 compositions. Results for gamma-irradiated (⁶⁰Co) blends are reported and changes in viscosity-average molar mass (M_v) were analyzed. The study showed that the addition of PS into PVC decreased by 73% (95/05) and 79% (90/10) the number of scissions/100 eV in the dose range of 25-100 kGy. Viscosity analyses by the Pan et al. criterion and analyses of FT-IR spectra in the C-Cl vibration region showed negligible intermolecular interactions between the components of PVC/PS blends. However when the films of blends were irradiated to 50 kGy, certain intermolecular interactions were observed by the viscosity method. The addition of PS to PVC and the main scission effect induced by gamma irradiation decreased crosslink density of blends causing changes in the elongation of break and Young's modulus.