Charge and Potential of the Diffuse Part of the Double Layer for Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Micelles in NaCl Solutions

A method is proposed for calculating the ψ_d potential of the diffuse part of the electrical double layer in micelles on the basis of data concerning the binding of counterions by these micelles, the composition of the intermicellar medium, and the association of surface-active ions. The charges of sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles in aqueous solutions at various concentrations of the surfactant and background electrolyte are determined by the potentiometric method. The calculated ψ_d values turned out to be much lower than the values of the electrokinetic potentials, thus allowing the conclusion that the slipping plane corresponding to the electrophoretic motion of micelles with respect to the intermicellar medium is localized in the dense part of the double layer.__________Translated from Kolloidnyi Zhurnal, Vol. 67, No. 3, 2005, pp. 410–415.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Us’yarov.     

Distribution of some elements in a solid - aqueous system: Mineral phosphate in contact with groundwater

The distribution of U, Th, Am, Eu, Cs, Sr and Ra in a solid-aqueous system, natural phosphate in contact with groundwater was investigated using g- and a-spectroscopy. The effect of contact time, pH, particle size of the solid phase, and the concentration of a concurrent element Ca, were studied. The results show that more than 98% of the actinide elements and europium are adsorbed by the solid phase under all conditions. The fission products Cs and Sr have different behaviors, depending on the experiment conditions. The behavior of Ra is closer to the actinides than to the fission products. There are small differences between the behaviors of the actinide elements, which can be interpreted by migration mechanism from the aqueous to the solid phase, i.e., adsorption or precipitation.     

Some lessons from the development of metal hydride chemistry in the light of hydrogen storage problems

The main trends of the chemistry of hydrides of transition metals and their alloys are briefly reviewed. “Sensational” hydrogen capacity data and the potential of some metal materials (metals, alloys, and quasi-crystals) and carbon nanomaterials in reversible hydrogen storage applications are critically analyzed. The significance of research in this field for hydrogen energy applications is underlined.     

A desorption mass spectrometry study of the interaction of cinnamic acid with a silica surface

The interaction of cinnamic acid with the surface of highly dispersed silica is studied. The mechanisms of adsorption, chemisorption, and thermal transformations of cinnamic acid on the silica surface are proposed. The kinetic parameters of the chemical reactions on the surface of silica are calculated.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the liquid-phase oxidation of tert-butyl phenylacetate

The oxidation of tert-butyl phenylacetate in ortho-dichlorobenzene at 140°C occurs with short chains. The primary nonperoxide reaction products (tert-butyl α-hydroxyphenylacetate, tert-butyl α-oxophenylacetate, and benzaldehyde) are formed by the decomposition of a hydroperoxide (tert-butyl α-hydroperoxyphenylacetate) and (or) by the recombination of peroxy radicals with and without chain termination. Benzaldehyde and tert-butyl α-hydroxyphenylacetate undergo radical chain oxidation in a reaction medium to result in benzoic acid and tert-butyl α-oxophenylacetate. Homolytic hydroperoxide decomposition is responsible for process autoacceleration and results in benzaldehyde, which is also formed from hydroperoxide by a nonradical mechanism, probably, via a dioxetane intermediate. Both of the reactions are catalyzed by benzoic acid. Benzoic acid has no effect on hydroperoxide conversion into tert-butyl α-oxophenylacetate, which most likely occurs as a result of hydroperoxide decomposition induced by peroxy radicals. The rate constants of the main steps of the process and kinetic parameters have been calculated by solving an inverse kinetic problem.     

Enantioselective reduction of ketophosphonates using chiral acid adducts with sodium borohydride

A method for asymmetric reduction of α-and β-ketophosphonates using a chiral complex prepared from sodium borohydride and D-or L-tartaric acid is developed. Reduction of α-or β-ketophosphonates by these reagents led to formation of corresponding (S)-or (R)-hydroxyphosphonates. Reduction of chiral di(1R,2S,5R)-menthylketophosphonates by the chiral complex NaBH₄/(R,R)-tartaric acid due to the dual compliant asymmetric induction resulted in increased stereoselectivity of the reaction and led to formation of the hydroxyphosphonates with ee 90% or higher. On the other hand, reduction of di(1R,2S,5R)-methylketophosphonates by the chiral complex NaBH₄/(S,S)-tartaric acid proceeded as non-compliant dual asymmetric induction and resulted in decreased reaction stereoselectivity leading to formation of hydroxyphosphonates with ～45–60% ee. The developed methodology was applied to the synthesis of (R)-phosphocarnitine in multigram amounts.     

Hydrodynamic, electrooptical, and conformational properties of fullerene-containing poly(2-vinylpyridines) in solutions

For C₆₀ fullerene-containing poly(2-vinylpyridines) synthesized by anionic polymerization, the molecular mass and hydrodynamic size of macromolecules in solutions have been determined by molecular hydrodynamics (translational diffusion and viscometry) and electrooptics in dilute benzene and THF solutions. Under the same conditions in the molecular mass range (9.8–123) × 10³, the hydrodynamic behavior of linear poly(2-vinylpyridines) and their molecular-mass dependences have been examined and the conformational characteristics of macromolecules have been established. The branching of macromolecules has been characterized by comparing the properties of star-shaped fullerene-containing and linear poly(2-vinylpyridines). With consideration of the hydrodynamic data interpreted within the framework of regular star model, it is inferred that on average three to four linear polymer chains with a molecular mass of (8 ± 3) × 10³ for each chain are attached to a fullerene core of C₆₀ in molecules of fullerene-containing poly(2-vinylpyridines). The specific Kerr constant of fullerene-containing poly(2-vinylpyridines) in dilute benzene solution is ?(14 ± 1) × 10^?12 cm⁵/[g (300 V)²]. As evidenced by the electrooptical data, the incorporation of fullerene into the polymer weakens self-association of macromolecules in solution.     

Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship: XIII. Properties of Aliphatic Alcohols

A simple quantitative structure-property relationship was used to calculate a set of properties of aliphatic alcohols including the boiling point; enthalpy of vaporization; heat capacity of liquids at constant pressure; entropy, enthalpy, and free energy of formation; free energy of transfer from the gas phase to water; distribution factor in the octanol-water system; dielectric constant; surface tension; viscosity; thermal conductivity; diamagnetic susceptibility; ionization potential; self-association index; distribution factor between the gas and hexadecane; distribution factor between water and dodecyl sulfate mixelles; solubility of HCl in alcohols; and solvatochromic parameter. The rate constants, activation entropies, and activation energies of the Menshutkin reaction in alcohols were also calculated. The calculated values are in good agreement with the experimental data. The suggested relationship well reproduces the proton affinites of a series of alcohols calculated by rigorous methods.     

Synthesis of the alleged structure of sclerophytin A. The setting of two oxygen bridges within the fused cyclodecanol B ring is not Nature's Way

[reaction: see text] The structure attributed to sclerophytin A, a cytotoxic soft coral metabolite, was synthesized in an enantioselective manner from (5S)-5-(d-menthyloxy)-2(5H)-furanone. The spectral properties and polarity of the synthetic product require that the structural assignment to the natural material be revised.     

Scale up of the mixer of a mixer-settler model used in a uranium solvent extraction process

Scale up relations were obtained for the mixer of a box type mixer-settler used in an uranium extraction process from chloridric leaches. Three box type mixers of different sizes and with the same geometry were used for batch and continuous-flow experiments. The correlations between the extraction rate and the specific power input,D/T ratio(=turbine diameter/mixer width) and residence time were experimentally determined. The results showed that the extraction rate increases with the power input at a constantD/T ratio equal to 1/3, remaining however, independent from the mixer size for a specific value of the power input. This behaviour was observed for power input values ranging from 100 to 750 W/m³.