Properties of nanometric and micrometric multilayered films made of three conducting polymers

The electrochemical, electrical and morphological properties of multilayered films formed by alternated layers of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), polypyrrole, and poly[N-(2-cyanoethyl)pyrrole], which were prepared by electrochemical layer-by-layer deposition, have been investigated and compared with those of multilayered films formed by two conducting polymers. Results indicate that the electrochemical behavior of the films formed by three conducting polymers depends on the micrometric or nanometric thickness of the layers. Thus, the electroactivity increases until the thickness of these films reaches a threshold value (∼2 μm), while the electrostability of the films is very remarkable when their thickness is close to ∼4 μm or higher. On the other hand, comparison between multilayered systems made of two and three conducting polymers indicates that the third component introduces heterogeneity in the interfaces between consecutive layers, reducing the ability to store charge. Among the latter, multilayered films formed by poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and polypyrrole have been found to be particularly electroactive and electrostable. The surface morphology and topography of the layers have been used to rationalize the electrochemical properties of the different materials.     

Methane Activation by Platinum: Critical Role of Edge and Corner Sites of Metal Nanoparticles

Complete dehydrogenation of methane is studied on model Pt catalysts by means of state‐of‐the‐art DFT methods and by a combination of supersonic molecular beams with high‐resolution photoelectron spectroscopy. The DFT results predict that intermediate species like CH₃ and CH₂ are specially stabilized at sites located at particles edges and corners by an amount of 50–80 kJ mol^?1. This stabilization is caused by an enhanced activity of low‐coordinated sites accompanied by their special flexibility to accommodate adsorbates. The kinetics of the complete dehydrogenation of methane is substantially modified according to the reaction energy profiles when switching from Pt(111) extended surfaces to Pt nanoparticles. The CH₃ and CH₂ formation steps are endothermic on Pt(111) but markedly exothermic on Pt₇₉. An important decrease of the reaction barriers is observed in the latter case with values of approximately 60 kJ mol^?1 for first C? H bond scission and 40 kJ mol^?1 for methyl decomposition. DFT predictions are experimentally confirmed by methane decomposition on Pt nanoparticles supported on an ordered CeO₂ film on Cu(111). It is shown that CH₃ generated on the Pt nanoparticles undergoes spontaneous dehydrogenation at 100 K. This is in sharp contrast to previous results on Pt single‐crystal surfaces in which CH₃ was stable up to much higher temperatures. This result underlines the critical role of particle edge sites in methane activation and dehydrogenation.     

Can Na(2)[B(12)H(12)] be a decomposition product of NaBH(4)?

We synthesized Na(2)[B(12)H(12)] by a solid state procedure and thermal decomposition of Na[B(3)H(8)], and calculated from a first-principles approach the thermodynamic and structural properties. In particular, the calculated enthalpy of formation of the monoclinic structure, at T = 0 K, of -1086.196 kJ mol(-1) showed that it is a very stable compound. Therefore, in case it were formed during the thermal decomposition of NaBH(4), it would be rather considered a product, which, in addition, prevents the subsequent re-hydrogenation process because of its low reactivity to hydrogen. We reported the isotherms of absorption of H(2), O(2), and H(2)O, calculated both theoretically and experimentally.     

Pressurised liquid extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from gas and particulate phases of atmospheric samples

Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) was applied to determine the atmospheric levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the gas and particulate phases. The method involved high‐volume air sampling with quartz fibre filters (QFFs) and polyurethane foam (PUF) plugs and analytes were subsequently extracted from the samples by PLE, and determined with GC‐MS. We optimised the PLE conditions for the solvent, the number of cycles and extraction temperature. Recoveries were higher than 90% for most compounds. Method LODs and LOQs were between 0.001 and 0.02 ng/m³ and between 0.01 and 0.05 ng/m³. Air samples were taken from a site in the region of Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain, where one of the largest petrochemical complexes in southern Europe is located. The total concentration of PAHs were from 6.7 to 27.66 ng/m³, with predominant levels of PAHs appearing in the gas phase (48–81%), and an average level of benzo[a]pyrene, the most carcinogenic PAH, of 0.86 ng/m³.     

First-order t-norm based fuzzy logics with truth-constants: Distinguished semantics and completeness properties

This paper aims at being a systematic investigation of different completeness properties of first-order predicate logics with truth-constants based on a large class of left-continuous t-norms (mainly continuous and weak nilpotent minimum t-norms). We consider standard semantics over the real unit interval but also we explore alternative semantics based on the rational unit interval and on finite chains. We prove that expansions with truth-constants are conservative and we study their real, rational and finite chain completeness properties. Particularly interesting is the case of considering canonical real and rational semantics provided by the algebras where the truth-constants are interpreted as the numbers they actually name. Finally, we study completeness properties restricted to evaluated formulae of the kind , where φ has no additional truth-constants.     

Determination of ethyl sulfate--a marker for recent ethanol consumption--in human urine by CE with indirect UV detection

A CE method for the determination of the ethanol consumption marker ethyl sulfate (EtS) in human urine was developed. Analysis was performed in negative polarity mode with a background electrolyte composed of 15 mM maleic acid, 1 mM phthalic acid, and 0.05 mM cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at pH 2.5 and indirect UV detection at 220 nm (300 nm reference wavelength). This buffer system provided selective separation conditions for EtS and vinylsulfonic acid, employed as internal standard, from urine matrix components. Sample pretreatment of urine was minimized to a 1:5 dilution with water. The optimized CE method was validated in the range of 5-700 mg/L using seven lots of urine. Intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy values, determined at 5, 60, and 700 mg/L with each lot of urine, fulfilled the requirements according to common guidelines for bioanalytical method validation. The application to forensic urine samples collected at autopsies as well as a successful cross-validation with a LC-MS/MS-based method confirmed the overall validity and real-world suitability of the developed expeditious CE assay (sample throughput 130 per day).     

A Heterotetranuclear [NiIIReIV3] single-molecule magnet

The reaction of [ReIVCl4(ox)]2- and fully solvated Ni2+ ions in a MeCN/i-PrOH mixture affords the heterotetranuclear complex (NBu4)4[Ni{ReCl4(ox)}3] where the rhenium precursor acts as a bidentate ligand toward the nicke(II) ion through the oxalate group. The mixed 3d-5d species exhibits intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling and it behaves like a single-molecule magnet.     

Palladium(II) and platinum(II) organometallic complexes with the model nucleobase anions of thymine, uracil, and cytosine: antitumor activity and interactions with DNA of the platinum compounds

Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes with the anions of the model nucleobases 1-methylthymine (1-MethyH), 1-methyluracil (1-MeuraH), and 1-methylcytosine (1-MecytH) of the types [Pd(dmba)(mu-L)]2 [dmba = N,C-chelating 2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl; L = 1-Methy, 1-Meura or 1-Mecyt] and [M(dmba)(L)(L')] [L = 1-Methy or 1-Meura; L' = PPh(3) (M = Pd or Pt), DMSO (M = Pt)] have been obtained. Palladium complexes of the types [Pd(C6F5)(N-N)(L)] [L = 1-Methy or 1-Meura; N-N = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmeda), 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), or 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (Me2bpy)] and [NBu4][Pd(C6F5)(1-Methy)2(H2O)] have also been prepared. The crystal structures of [Pd(dmba)(mu-1-Methy)]2, [Pd(dmba)(mu-1-Mecyt)]2.2CHCl3, [Pd(dmba)(1-Methy)(PPh3)].3CHCl3, [Pt(dmba)(1-Methy)(PPh3)], [Pd(tmeda)(C6F5)(1-Methy)], and [NBu4][Pd(C6F5)(1-Methy)2(H2O)].H2O have been established by X-ray diffraction. The DNA adduct formation of the new platinum complexes synthesized was followed by circular dichroism and electrophoretic mobility. Atomic force microscopy images of the modifications caused by the platinum complexes on plasmid DNA pBR322 were also obtained. Values of IC50 were also calculated for the new platinum complexes against the tumor cell line HL-60. All the new platinum complexes were more active than cisplatin (up to 20-fold in some cases).     

Analysis of odorous trichlorobromophenols in water by in-sample derivatization/solid-phase microextraction GC/MS

The simultaneous determination of several odorous trichlorobromophenols in water has been carried out by an in-sample derivatization headspace solid-phase microextraction method (HS-SPME).The analytical procedure involved their derivatization to methyl ethers with dimethyl sulfate/NaOH and further HS-SPME and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) determination. Parameters affecting both the derivatization efficiency and headspace SPME procedures, such as the selection of the SPME fiber coating, derivatization–extraction time and temperature, were studied. The commercially available polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) 100 μm and Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (CAR-PDMS-DVB) fibers appeared to be the most suitable for the simultaneous determination of these compounds. The precision of the HS-SPME/GC/MS method gave good relative standard deviations (RSDs) run-to-run between 9% and 19% for most of them, except for 2,5-diCl-6-Br-phenol, 2,6-diCl-3-Br-phenol and-2,3,6-triBr-phenol (22%, 25% and 23%, respectively). The method was linear over two orders of magnitude, and detection limits were compound dependent but ranged from 0.22 ng/l to 0.95 ng/l. The results obtained for water samples using the proposed SPME procedure were compared with those found with the EPA 625 method, and good agreement was achieved. Therefore, the in-sample derivatization HS-SPME/GC/MS procedure here proposed is a suitable method for the simultaneous determination of odorous trichlorobromophenols in water.