The mass spectra of (trimethylstannyl)x methanes: Occurrence of tin-carbon double bonds

The mass spectra of (Me₃Sn)_nCH_4?n, where n varies from 1 to 4, (Me₃Sn)₂CClX, where X equals H, Cl, Br or I, together with some tetraalkyltin compounds and Me₃SnCCl₃, are presented. Comparisons with mass spectra of the silicon analogs¹ show a large number of similarities, including the appearance of allylic ions which require Group IV metal to carbon π-bonding. Multiple rearrangements are observed with the halogenated tin compounds which bring the α-halogen into direct bonding with the tin atom.     

Volumes of activation for the reactions of Pentacyanocobaltate(III) Complexes in aqueous solution

The volumes of activation in cm³ mol^?1 for the aquation of Co(CN)₅X^3? were determined at 40°C and μ = 1 M (NaClO₄) to be + 7.8 ± 0.5 for X = Cl^?, + 7.6 ± 0.6 for X = Br^?, + 14.0 ± 0.7 for X = I^?, and + 16.8 ± 0.5 for X = N₃^? (0.1 M HClO₄), respectively. The volumes of activation for the aquation of Co(CN)₅Cl^3? at μ = 0.1 M are + 10.0 ± 0.6 cm³ mol^?1 and ± 9.1 ± 0.3 cm³ mol^?1 at 40°C and 25°C, respectively. The corresponding values for the anation of Co(CN)₅OH₂^2? (at 40°C) and μ = 1 M by Br^?, I^?, and NCS^? are +8.4 ± 1.0, +9.4 ± 1.6, and +8.2 ± 0.9 cm³ mol^?1, respectively. These data are discussed in terms of a dissociative (D) mechanism.     

6- and 7-aryl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-b]-1,2,4-triazines. Synthesis and characterization

Synthetic methods for the preparation of 6-aryl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-b]-1,2,4-triazines ( 1 ) and the 7-aryl isomers ( 2 ) are described. Compounds 1 were prepared from aryl glyoxaldoximes 76 via 6-aryl-1,2,4-triazin-3(2H)ones ( 75 ). A simple procedure for the preparation of the 7-aryl isomers was effected using arylglyoxals 11 and the triazoles ( 4, 12a and 12b ). However, complete regioselectivity was not realized in all cases, especially when the triazoles were substituted at the C-5 position. A regiospecific synthesis of the 7-aryl isomers 2 was developed via the 3-methylthio-5-aryl-1,2,4-triazines ( 61 ). The structure of the parent 6-phenyl derivative 5 was confirmed by x-ray crystallography.     

The dissociation quotients of formic acid in sodium chloride solutions to 200°C

The dissociation quotients of formic acid were measured potentiometrically from 25 to 200°C in NaCl solutions at ionic strengths of 0.1, 0.3 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 mol-kg^–1. The experiments were carried out in a concentration cell with hydrogen electrodes. The resulting molal acid dissociation quotients for formic acid, as well as a set of infinite dilution literature values and a calorimetrically-determined enthalpy of reaction, were fitted by an empirical equation involving an extended Debye Hückel term and seven adjustable parameters involving functions of temperature and ionic strength. This regressional analysis yielded the following thermodynamic quantities for 25°C: logK=–3.755±0.002, H^o=–0.09±0.15 kJ-mol^–1, S^o=–72.2±0.5 J-K^–1-mol^–1, and C _p ^o =–147±4 J-K^–1-mol^–1. The isocoulombic form of the equilibrium constant is recommended for extrapolation to higher temperatures.     

Surface films and metallurgy related to lubrication and wear

The nature of the tribological surface is identified and characterized with respect to adhesion, friction, wear, and lubricating properties. Surface analysis is used to identify the role of environmental constituents on tribological behavior. The effect of solid to solid interactions for metals in contact with metals, ceramics, semiconductors, carbons, and polymers is discussed. The data presented indicate that the tribological surface is markedly different than an ideal solid surface. The environment is shown to affect strongly the behavior of two solids in contact. In certain instances, the environment can dominate surface characteristics. With metals in contact with metals, adhesion is found to be related to the cohesive binding energy. Strong adhesive bonding occurs for metals in contact with ceramics, semiconductors, carbons, and polymers. Bond strength at the interface is, with some exceptions, stronger than the bond strength of the cohesively weaker of the two materials. Many different surface properties of metals and alloys influence tribological performance. These include (1) surface energy, (2) crystallographic orientation, (3) amorphous versus the crystalline state, (4) grain boundaries, (5) texturing of the surface, (6) crystal structure, and (7) order-disorder transformations. At sufficiently high loads or sliding velocities, metals or alloy surfaces are shown to undergo recrystallization effecting tribological properties. The chemical valency, d-valence-bond characteristics, of metal surfaces affect adhesion, friction, and wear. The greater the percent d-bond character, the lower the friction and wear. The ideal tensile and shear strengths of simple transition metals correlate with friction coefficients. Results presented also show that small amounts of alloying elements in base metals can alter markedly adhesion, friction, and wear by segregating to the solid surface.     

Polymerizable siloxane precursors having in-chain perfluoroalkyl groups

The synthesis and polymerization of several silphenylene siloxane polymer precursors containing a perfluoroalkylsegment in the backbone was carried out. The molecular weight characteristics of polymers from 1,3-bis[p(-hydroxydimethylsilyl)phenyl]hexafluoropropane and 1,3-bis[p(-dimethylaminodimethylsilyl)phenyl]hexafluoropropane were studied as a function of polymerization conditions. Polymers containing the dodecafluorohexane chain segment were also prepared. Polymers having inherent viscosities of 0.55 to 0.9 were obtained. The polymers crosslinked at room temperature to thermoset elastomers which were characterized by improved thermal and oxidative stability over dimethylsilicones. Room temperature swelling of the experimental polymers hydrocarbon solvents was also much lower than that of dimethylsilicones. The polymers containing the (CF₂)₃ and (CF₂)₆ linkages had glass transition points of ?12°C and ?34°C, respectively.     

Energy and momentum conserving methods of arbitrary order for the numerical integration of equations of motion

Summary Conventional numerical methods, when applied to the ordinary differential equations of motion of classical mechanics, conserve the total energy and angular momentum only to the order of the truncation error. Since these constants of the motion play a central role in mechanics, it is a great advantage to be able to conserve them exactly. A new numerical method is developed, which is a generalization to arbitrary order of the discrete mechanics described in earlier work, and which conserves the energy and angular momentum to all orders. This new method can be applied much like a corrector as a modification to conventional numerical approximations, such as those obtained via Taylor series, Runge-Kutta, or predictor-corrector formulae. The theory is extended to a system of particles in Part II of this work.     

Electronic structure of strongly correlated systems: recent developments in multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory and multiconfiguration nonclassical-energy functional theory

Strong electron correlation plays an important role in transition-metal and heavy-metal chemistry, magnetic molecules, bond breaking, biradicals, excited states, and many functional materials, but it provides a significant challenge for modern electronic structure theory. The treatment of strongly correlated systems usually requires a multireference method to adequately describe spin densities and near-degeneracy correlation. However, quantitative computation of dynamic correlation with multireference wave functions is often difficult or impractical. Multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT) provides a way to blend multiconfiguration wave function theory and density functional theory to quantitatively treat both near-degeneracy correlation and dynamic correlation in strongly correlated systems; it is more affordable than multireference perturbation theory, multireference configuration interaction, or multireference coupled cluster theory and more accurate for many properties than Kohn–Sham density functional theory. This perspective article provides a brief introduction to strongly correlated systems and previously reviewed progress on MC-PDFT followed by a discussion of several recent developments and applications of MC-PDFT and related methods, including localized-active-space MC-PDFT, generalized active-space MC-PDFT, density-matrix-renormalization-group MC-PDFT, hybrid MC-PDFT, multistate MC-PDFT, spin–orbit coupling, analytic gradients, and dipole moments. We also review the more recently introduced multiconfiguration nonclassical-energy functional theory (MC-NEFT), which is like MC-PDFT but allows for other ingredients in the nonclassical-energy functional. We discuss two new kinds of MC-NEFT methods, namely multiconfiguration density coherence functional theory and machine-learned functionals.

This feature article overviews recent work on active spaces, matrix product reference states, treatment of quasidegeneracy, hybrid theory, density-coherence functionals, machine-learned functionals, spin–orbit coupling, gradients, and dipole moments.     

Seed Priming with Devosia sp. Cell-Free Supernatant (CFS) and Citrus Bioflavonoids Enhance Canola and Soybean Seed Germination

Climate change, environmental pollution and associated abiotic stresses are beginning to meaningfully affect agricultural production worldwide. Salt stress is, however, one of the most important threats that significantly impairs plant growth and development. Plants in their early growth stages such as seed germination, seed emergence and early seedling growth are very sensitive to salt stress. Among the range of sustainable techniques adopted to improve seed germination and early plant growth is seed priming; however, with the use of ecofriendly substances, this is one of the most effective and economically viable techniques to improve seed tolerance against such environmental stresses. For instance, priming with appropriate non-synthetic compounds including microbial biostimulants are prominent ways to sustainably address these challenges. Therefore, in this research, by using the “priming technique”, two biostimulants were tested for their potential as sustainable approaches to improve canola and soybean seed germination under salt stress and optimal growth conditions. Canola and soybean seeds were primed with flavonoids extracted from citrus fruits (flavopriming) and cell-free supernatant (CFS; produced by a novel strain of Devosia sp.—SL43), alone and in combination, and exposed to low–higher levels of salt stress and ideal growth conditions. Both biostimulants showed promising effects by significantly improving seed germination of soybean and canola under both ideal and stressful conditions. However, increases in seed germination were greater under salinity stress as flavonoids and CFS with stress amelioration effects showed substantial and statistically significant improvements in seed germination under varying levels of salt stress. In addition, combinations (mixtures) of both biostimulants were tested to determine if their effects might be more additive or multiplicative than the individual applications. However, results suggested incompatibility of both biostimulants as none of the combinations showed better results than that of the individual applications of either flavonoids or CFS. Conceivably, the use of flavonoids and this novel Devosia sp. CFS could be significant plant growth enhancers, perhaps much better than the few other biostimulants and bacterial-based compounds currently in use.