(h4-Dibenzylideneacetone)pentamethylcyclopentadienylrhodium(I)

dibenzylideneacetone can act as a 1,4-diene in bonding to a single metal atom and this has been shown by the synthesis of (h⁴-dibenzylideneacetone)pentamethylcyclopentadienylrhodium(I).     

STRUCTURE OF DYE AGGREGATES AND THE MECHANISM(S) OF PHOTOSENSITIZATION OF AgBr*,†

Abstract— This paper reports the present conclusions of an extended investigation on photo-sensitization of silver bromide. A general molecular packing structure for dye aggregates on the AgBr (111) surface is proposed. This structure, along with the observed spectral absorption displacements of small aggregates, is used to elucidate the phenomena of antisensitization and supersensitization. Supersensitization is seen as a partitioning of large dye aggregates into small aggregates by a deliberately added second component or by gaps between the aggregates. This partitioning isolates antisensitizing dye in a small fraction of the aggregates and minimizes its effect. The smallest aggregates are least likely to contain an antisensitizer, and show the highest quantum efficiency for photoconductivity and photographic action. Photoconductivity measurements establish that supersensitization occurs before the electron appears in the AgBr phase.
The question of direct electron injection vs. energy transfer as mechanisms for AgBr photosensitization is examined in terms of radiationless transfer to surface Ag₂S on AgBr. The absorption of surface Ag₂S is shown to be adequate for acceptance of Förster transfer from the dye, and surface Ag₂S is known to be photographically active. However, this mechanism is inefficient, and inadequate to account for observed high efficiency infrared sensitization. Direct electron injection is seen as the more probable mechanism for efficient dye sensitization of AgBr.     

Multilevel structure of sludge flocs

In this work, the structure of two kaolin sludges and a waste activated sludge are investigated using both light-scattering and free-settling methods. Fractal dimensions estimated by the light-scattering and free-settling techniques (D(S) and D(F) respectively) differ significantly and support the hypothesis that naturally occurring aggregates possess a multilevel structure. A two-level floc structural model comprised of (i) a primary floc (of fractal dimension D(S)) consisting of primary particles and (ii) a secondary floc (of fractal dimension D(F)) consisting of the microflocs is proposed to interpret the experimental findings. The structural changes of sludge flocs before and after cationic flocculation are interpreted using the proposed two-level model.     

Detection and assessment of citrus tristeza virus antigens by computer-aided scanning densitometry

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) extracted from Etrog citron (C.medica L.) was immunoprecipitated. The immunoprecipitate was fractionated by SDS-PAGE and western blotted onto nitrocellulose. The CTV antigens were determined by immunoblot analysis using rabbit anti-CTV IgG, and the protein-band pattern exhibited on the nitrocellulose was assessed by soft-laser scanning densitometry. The densitometric tracing revealed the presence of bands that were not visible to the naked eye. Using the superimposition mode of the instrument, it was also revealed that the protein-band patterns of different CTV samples were not identical. Computer-aided soft-laser scanning densitometry proved to be a powerful approach in the detection and assessment of protein bands revealed on nitrocellulose immunoblots, which we were previously unable to do employing conventional methods.     

On the relocation of the amino functionality to the ethyl side chain in aminoglutethimide: Synthesis and aromatase-inhibitory activity of 3-(2′-N,N-diethyl-amino)ethyl-3-phenylpiperidine-2,6-dione

Aminoglutethimide [3-(4-aminophenyl)-3-ethylpiperidine-2,6-dione] has been used clinically in the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma. Inhibition of tumor growth is due to interference with estrogen biosynthesis. However, its action is not specific and its metabolism gives rise to toxic and non-inhibitory metabolites. We sought to explore the impact of relocating the amino group in aminoglutethimide to the ethyl side chain. To that end, we now report the synthesis and aromatase-inhibitory activity of 3-(2′-N,N-diethylamino)ethyl-3-phenylpiperidine-2,6-dione 5. The introduction of the amino functionality on the ethyl group is accomplished via reductive animation of aldehyde 8, prepared in three steps from benzyl cyanide. The synthetic route presented can be used for the preparation of related derivatives of aminoglutethimide.     

About compensation effect by thermal decomposition of some catalyst precursors

Summary In order to obtain catalysts, the thermal decomposition of the precursors is a compulsory step. However, kinetic analysis of the decomposition data obtained under non-isothermal conditions lead very seldom to the intimate reaction mechanism. There is also a lack of information because in non-isothermal kinetics, the compensation effect, is rather a rule and unfortunately a source of debate. In order to discriminate between these processes, and the influence of conversion, respectively temperature on the reaction rate, the NPK (non-parametric kinetic - Sempere and Nomen) method was used. This method is based on the singular value decomposition algorithm (SVD) applied on the matrix of reaction rate at corresponding conversion and temperature. This method allows a less speculative determination of the conversion functions and of the kinetic parameters.     

Determination of gas-oil miscibility conditions by interfacial tension measurements

Processes that inject gases such as carbon dioxide and natural gas have long been and still continue to be used for recovering crude oil from petroleum reservoirs. It is well known that the interfacial tension between the injected gas and the crude oil has a major influence on the efficiency of displacement of oil by gas. When the injected gas becomes miscible with the crude oil, which means that there is no interface between the injected and displaced phases or the interfacial tension between them is zero, the oil is displaced with maximum efficiency, resulting in high recoveries. This paper presents experimental measurements of interfacial tension between crude oil and natural gases (using a computerized drop shape analysis technique) as a function of pressure and gas composition at the temperature of the reservoir from which the crude oil was obtained. The point of zero interfacial tension was then identified from these measurements by extrapolation of data to determine minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) and minimum miscibility composition (MMC). The gas-oil miscibility conditions thus obtained from interfacial tension measurements have been compared with the more conventional techniques using slim-tube tests and rising-bubble apparatus as well as predictive correlations and visual observations. The miscibility pressures obtained from the new VIT technique were 3-5% higher than those from visual observations and agreed well with the slim-tube results as well as with the correlations at enrichment levels greater than 30 mol% C2+ in the injected gas stream. The rising bubble apparatus yielded significantly higher MMPs. This study demonstrates that the VIT technique is rapid, reproducible, and quantitative, in addition to providing visual evidence of gas-oil miscibility.     

Accurate determination of pyridine-poly(amidoamine) dendrimer absolute binding constants with the OPLS-AA force field and direct integration of radial distribution functions

OPLS-AA force field and direct integration of intermolecular radial distribution functions (RDF) were employed to calculate absolute binding constants of pyridine molecules to amino group (NH2) and amide group hydrogen atoms in and first generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimers in chloroform. The average errors in the absolute and relative association constants, as predicted with the calculations, are 14.1% and 10.8%, respectively, which translate into ca. 0.08 and 0.06 kcal/mol errors in the absolute and relative binding free energies. We believe that this level of accuracy proves the applicability of the OPLS-AA, force field, in combination with the direct RDF integration, to reproducing and predicting absolute intermolecular association constants of low magnitudes (ca. 0.2-2.0 range).     

Dimeric iron n-confused porphyrin complexes

A dimeric iron N-confused porphyrin, [Fe(NCTPP)]2 was obtained from the anaerobic reaction of Fe(NCTPP)Br with NaSePh while under aerobic conditions a hydroxo bridged iron dimer with Na bridging the outer-N atoms was obtained and oxygenation occurred on the inner core pyrrolic carbon to form a novel ONCTPP porphyrinic ring.     

Specific heat and Lindemann-like parameter of metallic clusters: mono- and polyvalent metals

The Brownian-type molecular dynamics simulation is revisited and applied to study the thermal and geometric properties of four mono- and two polyvalent metallic clusters. For the thermal property, we report the specific heat at constant volume CV and study the solid-liquid-like transition by scrutinizing its characteristic. For the geometric property, we calculate the root mean square relative bond-length fluctuation delta as a function of increasing temperature. The thermal change in delta reflects the movement of atoms and hence is a relevant parameter in understanding the phase transition in clusters. The simulated results for the CV of alkali and aluminum clusters whose ground state structures exhibit icosahedral symmetry generally show one phase transition. In contrast, the tetravalent lead is quite often seen to exhibit two phase transitions, a premelting process followed by a progressive melting. In connection with the premelting scenario, it is found here that those (magic number) clusters identified to be of lesser stability (among other stable ones) according to the second energy difference are clusters showing a greater possibility of undergoing premelting process. This energy criterion applies to aluminum clusters nAl=28 and 38. To delve further into the thermal behavior of clusters, we have analyzed also the thermal variation of deltaT and attempted to correlate it with CV(T). It turns out that the premelting (if exist) and melting temperatures of the smaller size clusters (n less, similar 50) extracted from CV do not always agree quantitatively with that deduced from delta.