Microcalorimetric Compatibility Testing of the Constituents of Combustible Materials and Casting Composite Explosives

The method of microcalorimetric compatibility testing of the constituents of combustible materials and casting composite explosives is based on the change in power when separately measuring the different materials involved, and their mixture, during isothermal treatment. The experimental power-time curve for the mixture was compared to the hypothetical curve constructed from the results of the measurements of individual materials. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Activity of acetamide in acetamide-calcium nitrate melt solutions

Activity coefficients of acetamide in acetamide-calcium nitrate melt solutions were determined from cryoscopic data in the concentration range O to 0.151 mole fraction of calcium nitrate. Enthalpies of melting and melting point depressions were obtained from DSC measurements. Melt solutions were obtained from two crystalline forms of acetamide. Eutectic formation was observed in both crystalline forms. Heat capacity of pure acetamide in the two forms was measured in the temperature range 20 to 100°C. Activity coefficients obtained for molten acetamide from two sets of cryoscopic data were in good agreement. Change of activity coefficients with calcium nitrate concentration indicate strong association between solvent and solute and water-like acting of molten acetamide.     

Carbonised polyaniline and polypyrrole: towards advanced nitrogen-containing carbon materials

Polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPY) undergo carbonisation in an inert/reduction atmosphere and vacuum, yielding different nitrogen-containing carbon materials. This contribution reviews various procedures for the carbonisation of PANI and PPY precursors, and the characteristics of obtained carbonised PANI (C-PANI) and carbonised PPY (C-PPY). Special attention is paid to the role of synthetic procedures in tailoring the formation of C-PANI and C-PPY nanostructures and nanocomposites. The review considers the importance of scanning and transmission electron microscopies, XPS, FTIR, Raman, NMR, and EPR spectroscopies, electrical conductivity and adsorption/desorption measurements, XRD, and elemental analyses in the characterisation of C-PANIs and C-PPYs. The application of C-PANI and C-PPY in various fields of modern technology is also reviewed.     

Tits form numbers

We define the relative Tits form number W(G, V) of a valued bigraph G at a vertex v and derive some basic properties. We give a detailed analysis of the case when W (G,V) ≥½. The properties of these numbers were used without proof in the classification of Auslander algebras of finite representation type [IPTZ]     

Stereospecific ligands and their complexes. IV: Synthesis,characterization and cytotoxicity of novel platinum(IV) complexes with ethylenediamine-N,N′-di-S,S-2-propanoate and halogenido ligands: Crystal structure of s-cis-[Pt(S,S-eddp)Cl2]·4H2O and uns-cis-[Pt(S,S-eddp)Br2]

The syntheses of two novel platinum(IV) complexes of formula [PtX₂(S,S-eddp)]·nH₂O (S,S-eddp = ethylenediamine-N,N′-di-S,S-2-propanoate ion, X = chlorido (1) or bromido (2), n = 4, 0) are reported. The complexes have been obtained by direct reaction of corresponding potassium hexahalogenidoplatinate(IV) with neutralized ethylenediamine-N,N′-di-S,S-2-propanoic acid (H₂-S,S-eddp). The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The spectroscopically predicted geometrical configurations of the obtained complexes were confirmed by X-ray analyses of the crystal structures of the s-cis-[Pt(S,S-eddp)Cl₂]·4H₂O and uns-cis-[Pt(S,S-eddp)Br₂]. These complexes displayed significantly lower in vitro cytotoxicity in comparison to cisplatin.     

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity of palladium(II) complexes with some alkyl derivates of thiosalicylic acids: Crystal structure of the bis(S-benzyl-thiosalicylate)-palladium(II) complex, [Pd(S-bz-thiosal)2]

S-Alkyl (R = benzyl, methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl) derivatives of thiosalicylic acid and the corresponding palladium(II) complexes were prepared and their structures were proposed on the basis of infrared, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The cis geometrical configurations of the isolated complexes were proposed on the basis of an X-ray structural study of the bis(S-benzyl-thiosalicylate)-palladium(II), [Pd(S-bz-thiosal)₂] complex.Antimicrobial activity of the tested compounds was evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) in relation to 26 species of microorganisms. The tested ligands, with a few exceptions, show low antimicrobial activity. The palladium(II) complexes, [Pd(S-R-thiosal)₂], have statistically significant higher activity than the corresponding ligands. The complexes [Pd(S-et-thiosal)₂] and [Pd(S-pro-thiosal)₂] displayed the strongest activity amongst the all tested compounds. The palladium(II) complexes show selective and moderate antibacterial activity and significant antifungal activity. The most sensitive were Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus.     

The effect of different types of carbon blacks on the rheological and thermal properties of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber

The influence of two types of carbon black filler N330 and N990 (primary particle size 46 nm and >230 nm) on elastomeric composites based on acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) have been investigated. The activation energy (E _a) were determined from two high temperature rheokinetic curves (T ₁ = 180 °C and T ₂ = 190 °C). For tensile testing, the compounds with different content of carbon black were vulcanized in a hydraulic press at 150 °C. The stress-strain experiments were performed before and after ageing the specimens in an air-circulating oven at 100 °C for 168 h. The thermal degradation and thermal stability of carbon black filled NBR rubber was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere at a heating rate of 10 °C/min.     

X-ray structural analysis, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of newly synthesized salicylic acid derivatives

New salicylic (2-hydroxybenzoic) acid derivatives 1–6 were prepared by conventional heating or microwave irradiation of a mixture consisting of methyl salicylate and the corresponding amino alcohol (2,2′-dihydroxydiethylamine, 2,2′,2″-trihydroxytriethylamine or N-phenyl-2,2′-dihydroxydiethylamine) and metallic sodium as catalyst. For compounds 1, 3, and 5 X-ray structure analysis was performed, as well as molecular mechanics calculations (MMC), to define their conformation in terms of their energy minima. Comparison of crystal and MMC structures for these three compounds (1, 3, and 5) revealed that the intramolecular hydrogen bonds play an important role, stabilizing conformation of the most part of the molecule. The antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of the synthesized derivatives were evaluated in a series of in vitro tests. The newly synthesized compounds exhibited strong activity against hydroxyl radical, as well as promising lipid peroxidation inhibition. The study showed that the electronic effects of the groups at the N atom are responsible for neutralization of the OH radical, i.e., antioxidant activity. Compounds 1–3 exhibited sub-micromolar cytotoxicity against HeLa S3, whereas compounds 1, 3 and 5 efficiently inhibited the growth of PC3 cells.