A RISM approach to the liquid structure and solvation properties of ionic liquids

We test for the first time the performance of the reference interaction site model (RISM) to predict the liquid structure and solvation of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) represented with different degrees of accuracy. The model gives satisfactory results, proposing itself as a possible method to explore and to describe at a chemically realistic level the solvation shell in ionic liquids, which is believed to play a fundamental role in the static electronic and vibrational properties of these systems.     

Influence of the interaction between hydrogen sulfide and ionic liquids on solubility: experimental and theoretical investigation

The solubility of H(2)S in a series of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([bmim](+)) based ionic liquids (ILs) with different anions, chloride, tetrafluoroborate ([BF(4)](-)), hexafluorophosphate ([PF(6)](-)), triflate ([TfO](-)), and bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfonylimide ([Tf(2)N]-), and in a series of [Tf(2)N] ILs with different cations, i.e., N-alkyl-N'-methylimidazolium, 2-methyl-N-methyl-N'-alkyimidazolium, N-alkylpyridinium, N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium, and N-alkyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium has been determined using medium-pressure NMR spectroscopy. The observed solubilities are significantly higher than those reported for many other gases in ILs, suggesting the occurrence of specific interactions between H2S and the examined ILs. Quantum chemical calculations have been used to investigate at a molecular level the interaction between H2S and the [bmim](+)-based ILs.     

Evidence for the intermediacy of Wheland-Meisenheimer complexes in SEAr reactions of aminothiazoles with 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan

Reactions of DNBF with a series of 2-aminothiazoles (1 a-f) to afford thermodynamically stable C-bonded sigma-adducts have been investigated in acetonitrile. A most significant finding emerged on recording NMR spectra immediately after mixing of equimolar amounts of DNBF and the unsubstituted 2-aminothiazole (1 a) in Me2SO: namely, that the formation of 9 a is preceded by that of a short-lived intermediate species X. From the 1H NMR parameters characterizing this intermediate, as well as the dependence of its lifetime on the experimental conditions-the presence of excess DNBF over 1 a increases the lifetime of X while an excess of base (1 a) accelerates its conversion into 9 a--it is convincingly demonstrated that the structure of X combines the presence of a positively charged Wheland complex moiety (with regard to the thiazole ring) with that of a negatively charged Meisenheimer complex moiety (with regard to the benzofuroxan system). So far, only one intermediate of this type (noted WM) has been successfully characterized, in the reactions of DNBF with 1,3,5-tris(N,N-dialkylamino)benzenes. Among the key features supporting the intermediacy of X along the reaction coordinate leading to 9 a is the fact that the reactions of DNBF with 1 a in the presence of an alcohol (MeOH, EtOH, nPrOH) produce new adducts arising from the addition of an alcohol molecule to the thiazole moiety of WM-1 a. Reflecting the presence of three chiral centres, these species are formed as mixtures of several diastereomers that could all be characterized in their racemic forms in ethanol. These findings generalize the previous report on the formation of Wheland-Meisenheimer carbon-carbon complexes in homocyclic series.     

Molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction method for the high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of fungicide pyrimethanil in wine

A method for molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) of the fungicide pyrimethanil from wine samples has been investigated. The molecular imprinted polymer was obtained by iniferter-mediated grafting on porous chloromethylated polystyrene beads, using methacrylic acid as the functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker. The imprinted beads were evaluated for use as a solid-phase extraction sorbent, in order to develop the extraction protocol in aqueous standards and red wine samples. The optimised extraction protocol resulted in a reliable MISPE method suitable for HPLC analysis (stationary phase: Cromolith Performance C18 column, 100 mm x 4.6 mm; mobile phase: acetonitrile-water (3:2, v/v), flow-rate: 1.00 ml/min; detection 270 nm). It was selective for pyrimethanil and the related pyrimidinic fungicides cyprodinil and mepanipyrim, while the non-pyrimidinic fungicides benalaxyl, chlozolinate, furalaxyl, iprodione, metalaxyl, nuarimol, procymidone and vinclozolin were not extracted. Recoveries performed on a wine matrix spiked with pyrimethanil at three different concentration levels were reproducible and were in good agreement with the recoveries performed on buffer, coming out between 80 and 90% (85+/-7.0% at 0.50 microg/ml, 79+/-1.6% at 2.0 microg/ml and 87+/-5.6% at 20 microg/ml). Preconcentration and quantitative extraction of pyrimethanil from wine samples was shown to be feasible down to 0.1 microg/ml.     

Solid-phase extraction of ochratoxin A from wine based on a binding hexapeptide prepared by combinatorial synthesis

In this paper we describe the preparation of a hexapeptide library by combinatorial synthesis and the identification of a peptide with sequence Ser-Asn-Leu-His-Pro-Lys, which showed good affinity (K(eq)=3.4 x 10(4) M(-1)) towards the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA). An immunoaffinity-like stationary phase supporting such a hexapeptide was used to develop a solid-phase extraction method for the quantification of OTA in wine samples at concentration levels down to 0.10 microg l(-1). Several different wine samples fortified with OTA at 2 and 4 microg l(-1) levels showed recovery of 94.7% and 98.4% at 2.0 and 4.0 microg l(-1), respectively, without any effect on the extraction efficiency of the matrix. The efficacy of this approach was successfully tested by comparison with an immunoaffinity extraction performed on commercial cartridges.     

Homo‐ and Copolymerization of Butadiene Catalyzed by an Bis(imino)pyridyl Vanadium Complex

Summary: The bis(imino)pyridyl vanadium(III ) complex [VCl₃{2,6‐bis[(2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃)NC(Me)]₂(C₅H₃N)}] activated with different aluminium cocatalysts (AlEt₂Cl, Al₂Et₃Cl₃, MAO) promotes chemoselective 1,4‐polymerization of butadiene with activity values higher than classical vanadium‐chloride‐based catalysts. The polymer structure depends on the nature of the cocatalyst employed. The MAO‐activated complex was also found to be active in ethylene‐butadiene copolymerization, producing copolymers with up to 45 mol‐% of trans‐1,4‐butadiene. Crystalline polyethylene and trans‐1,4‐poly(butadiene) segments were detected in these copolymers by DSC and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.

     

A new route to thiopyran S,S-dioxide derivatives via an overall ring-enlargement protocol from 3-nitrothiophene

(1E,3Z)-1-Aryl-4-methanesulfonyl-2-nitro-1,3-butadienes (8), derived from the initial ring-opening of 3-nitrothiophene (5), have been found to undergo a facile base-induced cyclization leading to thiopyran S,S-dioxides (9), thus furnishing a further example of effective ring-enlargement from 5- to 6-membered sulfur heterocycles. Compounds 9 are obtained as single racemic mixtures in satisfactory yields; they still contain a nitrovinylic moiety, which can be exploited for further modifications targeted to new derivatives endowed with either synthetic or pharmacological potentialities e.g., in the field of L-type Ca²⁺-channel blockers.     

Heterodimers based on CoPt3-Au nanocrystals with tunable domain size

We describe an approach to synthesize colloidal nanocrystal heterodimers composed of CoPt(3) and Au. The growth is based on the nucleation of gold domains on preformed CoPt(3) nanocrystals. It is a highly versatile methodology which allows us to tune independently the size of the two domains in each dimer by varying several reaction parameters. The statistical analysis of the distribution of the domain sizes in the dimers and the compositional mapping achieved by dark field imaging and energy dispersive spectroscopy confirm that the two domains in each dimer are indeed made of CoPt(3) and Au, respectively. Structural characterization by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that the two domains, both having cubic fcc Bravais lattice, can share a common {111}, {100}, or {110} facet, depending on the size of the initial CoPt(3) seeds. The magnetization measurements evidence a ferromagnetic CoPt(3) phase with a relatively low anisotropy as a consequence of their disordered crystalline structure, regardless of the presence of a Au tip. We believe that this prototype of nanocrystal dimer, which can be manipulated under air, can find several applications in nanoscience, as the Au section can be exploited as the preferential anchor point for various molecules, while the CoPt(3) domain can be used for magnetic detection.     

On the efficient evaluation of Fourier patterns for nanoparticles and clusters

Samples made of an isotropically oriented ensemble of atomic clusters or structures that are not large crystals (i.e. extended less than 10 periods in each direction) are at the frontier of today's material science and chemistry. Examples are nanoparticles, nanotubes, amorphous matter, polymers, and macromolecules in suspension. For such systems the computation of powder diffraction patterns (which may provide an efficient characterization) is to be performed the hard way, by summing contributions from each atom pair. This work deals with performing such computation in the most practical and efficient way. Three main points are developed: how to encode the enormous array of interatomic distances (which increase as the square or higher powers of the cluster diameter) to a much smaller array of equispaced values on a coarse grid (whose size increases linearly with the diameter); how to perform a fast computation of the diffraction pattern from this equispaced grid; how to optimize the grid step to obtain an arbitrarily small error on the computed diffraction pattern. Theory and examples are jointly developed and presented.     

Polyurethane foam chips combined with liquid chromatography in the determination of unmetabolized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons excreted in human urine

A method suitable for the determination of unmetabolized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) excreted at trace levels (ng/L) in human urine for the monitoring of exposure of the general population to PAH contamination was developed. PAHs were determined, after enrichment by solid-phase extraction on polyurethane foam (PUF) chips, by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Different parameters affecting analyte extraction to the PUF, including urine salting-out and organic additives, and optimization of conditions for clean-up and desorption have been investigated. Optimized conditions were 40 mL acidified urine sample, added with magnesium sulfate, tetrahydrofuran and a 2 cm3 PUF chip, and extracted by shaking at 30 rpm for 1 h at ambient temperature. Desorption was performed, after a clean-up step with diluted sodium hydroxide, using a small amount of diethyl ether. The recovery of PAH congeners from spiked urines was >90% in the 2-100 ng/L range; the detection limit was 0.1-0.5 ng/L, depending on the considered PAH congener; day-to-day precision, at 50 ng/L native PAH content, was CV = 10-20%. The proposed technique provides a simple, economical and effective procedure for the determination of trace amounts of unmetabolized PAHs excreted in human urine spot samples.