Kinetics and mechanisms of crystal growth and diffusion in a glass-forming liquid

Extensive data on the viscosity, covering 15 orders of magnitude, and crystal growth rate, covering seven orders of magnitude, of liquid diopside (CaO.MgO.2SiO(2)) were collected in a wide range of undercoolings from 1.10T(g) to 0.99T(m) (T(g) is the glass transition temperature and T(m) the melting point). The raw growth rate data were corrected for the increased interfacial temperature produced by the heat released during crystallization. A detailed analysis confirms that growth mediated by screw dislocations reasonably explain the experimental data in these wide ranges of temperatures and growth rates. Effective diffusion coefficients were calculated from crystal growth rates and from viscosity, and were then compared with measured self-diffusion coefficients of silicon and oxygen in diopside melt. The results show that oxygen and silicon control the diffusion dynamics involved in crystal growth and viscous flow. This study not only unveils the transport mechanism in this complex liquid, but also validates the use of viscosity (through the Stokes-Einstein or the Eyring equations) to account for the kinetic term of the crystal growth expression in a wide range of temperatures.     

MEMBRANE IONIC CURRENT PHOTOMODIFICATION BY ROSE BENGAL AND MENADIONE: ROLE OF SINGLET OXYGEN

Abstract: Photosensitized modification of ionic leak current and potassium current was studied in frog cardiac atrial cells using whole cell patch clamp techniques. Rose bengal (RB) and menadione (MQ) were used as photosensitizers. Separate photophysical studies of the photosensitizers in deuterium oxide solution demonstrated that MQ did not produce singlet oxygen as evidenced by the lack of luminescence at 1270 nm, whereas RB was an efficient singlet oxygen generator. Both photosensitizers sensitized block of potassium current in atrial cells, and both sensitized an increase of ionic leak current. However, when photosensitizer concentrations and illumination intensities were adjusted to match the rate of block of potassium current by the two photosensitizers, there were dramatic differences in leak current increase, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Menadione sensitized a much slower increase in leak current than did RB. Further, the leak current sensitized by MQ had a more positive reversal potential than that sensitized by RB, suggesting a less potassium-selective leak current pathway. The results suggest that, while the effects of singlet oxygen and non-singlet oxygen modification of cell membranes may be similar, there may also be significant differences in the resulting membrane permeabilities. The results also demonstrate that MQ and RB may be useful agents to study the role of singlet oxygen versus non-singlet oxygen modification of biological systems.     

1,3-Diphospholene-4-ylidene chromium (tungsten) pentacarbonyl complexes formed by CO insertion into the ring of a 1,3-diphosphacyclobutane-2,4-diyl-2-ide-complexes of a phosphanyl carbene or a phosphonium ylide?

Reaction of the 1,3-diphosphacyclobutane-2,4-diyl-2-ide 1 with chromium or tungsten hexacarbonyl afforded the anionic complexes [cyclo-[P(Mes*)-C(SiMe(3))-P(Mes*)-C(O)-C[M(CO)(5)]]](-) (3 a,b: M=Cr, W) by the formal insertion of CO into the four membered ring. Computational analysis suggests that this reaction proceeds via two intermediates that can be formulated as a cyclic metal acyl and an acyclic ketenyl complex. The anionic complexes 3 a,b further reacted with electrophiles to afford the neutral complexes [cyclo-(P(Mes*)-C(SiMe(3))-P(Mes*)-C(OR)-C[M(CO)(5)])] (4 a,b: M=Cr, W, R=Me; 5, 6: M=Cr, R=SiMe(3), H). All products were characterized by standard spectroscopic (NMR and MS) techniques, and 4 a,b further by extensive one- and two-dimensional multinuclear ((1)H, (13)C, (31)P, (183)W) NMR studies. From these investigations, an unequivocal assignment of chemical shifts and coupling constants was derived, confirming unusually large shielding for the formal carbenic carbon atoms which exceed even those in complexes of imidazoyl carbenes. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of 3 a, 4 a,b, and 5 revealed that all of these compounds contain planar P(2)C(3) rings. The phosphorus atoms are slightly pyramidal, and the carbon-metal distances (C-Cr 218 pm, C-W 230 pm) suggest low bond orders. Comparison of the structural parameters of 3 a with those of the O-substitution products 4 a, 5 revealed substantial changes in endocyclic P-C bond lengths and the degree of pyramidal character of bonding at the phosphorus atoms. In line with the spectroscopic and computational results, these effects were interpreted in terms of a considerable reorganization of pi electrons in the ring, which induces a substantial degree of aromatic character in the neutral complexes 4-6.     

Determination of rhodium by thermal neutron activation analysis using g-ray spectrometry

Trace amounts of rhodium have been determined by thermal neutron activation analysis using both destructive and non-destructive methods. With a neutron flux of 10¹² n cm^-2 sec^-1 the lower limits of detection are about 0.1 μg and 0.01 μg, respectively. A rapid sodium-peroxide fusion followed by a pyridine extraction was used in the destructive method to separate the 4.4-mm ^104mRh from its matrix. The 44-sec¹⁰⁴Rh was used in the non-destructive method. Both radioactive isomers were measured by γ-ray spectrometry with a multichannel pulse height analyzer. The average time required per non-destructive analysis was 7 min while the chemical method averaged 20 min.     

Photoelectron-Spectroscopic Characterization of 3,4-Dimethyl-2,4-hexadienes

The He(Ia) photoelectron (PE) spectra of the (E,E)-, (E,Z)- and (Z,Z)-isomers of the title compound have been recorded to obtain information about their conformation in the gas phase. For a valid correlation with the PE data of other dienes it is necessary to take the potentials V(φ) for internal rotation and the corresponding conformer population densities P (φ) into account, as well as the rather complicated way wy in which the π^?1 ionization energy gap ΔI(φ) depends on the direct π-orbital interaction and the long-range ‘through-space’ interaction between the semi-localized methyl-group orbitals and the π-orbitals. These factors being taken into account, the mean twist angles, φ , compatible with the PE-spectroscopic results are φ (E,E) ≈? O° ± 30°, φ (E,Z) ≈? 80° or 110° within ± 15°, and φ (Z,Z) ≈? 85° to 105°. These results are in rough agreement with electron diffraction data by Traetteberg [15], other spectroscopic results and, for the (E, E)- and (Z,Z)-isomers, internal rotation potentials V(φ) previously calculated by Roth [17]. On the other hand the potential V (φ) proposed for the (E,Z)-isomer does not seem to be compatible with our findings.     

Dissociation constant of protonated tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane in N-methylpropionamide and related thermodynamic quantities from 10 to 55°C

The dissociation constant of protonated tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (tris·H⁺) in the solvent N-methylpropionamide (NMP) has been determined at intervals of 5°C from 10 to 55°C by measurement of the emf of cells without liquid junction using hydrogen and silver-silver chloride electrodes. At 25°C, pK _a was found to be 8.831, as compared with 8.075 in water. The standard changes in Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy for the dissociation process have been evaluated from the dissociation constant and its change with temperature. By comparison with similar data for the dissociation of tris·H⁺ in water, thermodynamic functions for the transfer from water to NMP have been derived. The dissociation process is isoelectric, and the solvent dielectric constant is high (=176 at 25°C). Consequently, electrostatic charging effects are expected to be minimal, and the change in dissociation constant depends primarily on solute-solvent interactions. The results, combined with transfer energies for HCl, tris, and tris·HCl from emf and solubility measurements, demonstrate that the decreased acidic strength of tri·H⁺ in NMP is attributable in large part to the fact that NMP is less effective than water in stabilizing tris and its salts.     

Stereochemistry-Odor Relationships in Enantiomeric Ambergris Fragrances

Twelve tricyclic ethers of the labdane and ent-labdane series, 5–16 , have been synthesized; compounds 6–15 are new. The intramolecular C₁₈-acetals 1–4 and the tricyclic ethers 5–16 were submitted to an olfactory test which was characterized by an exceptionally high percentage of ‘wrong’ answers (cf. Table 1, footnote b). For most compounds specific anosmia, rapidly ensuing fatigue and a high percentage of odor deviation were the most salient features. Pronounced ambergris-like odors were only noted in compounds of the labdane series, and were strongest in ethers 1, 5 and 15 , followed by the ethers 9 and 11 . In contrast, both labdane derivatives 3 and 7 were practically odorless. Their enantiomers 4 and 8 , on the other hand, have relatively strong odors which can only to a limited extent be associated with ambergris-type odors. The pairs of ethers 3/4 and 7/8 are the first recorded examples of optical antipodes in which only one isomer possesses olfactory properties.