Rank annihilation factor analysis method for spectrophotometric study of second-order reaction kinetics

In this study several methods are described to determine the rate constant of a second-order reaction in the form of A+B→C. These approaches allow circumventing a rank deficiency inherent of a second-order reaction when the spectroscopic data is influenced by additional source of variance. Classically, to determine the unknown rate constant in this kind of systems, one needs to have extra knowledge about the system, including the spectra of the reactants or product and the exact kinetics. In the case of the presence of an unknown phenomenon in the data set that cannot be explained by the model, such as baseline drift, the estimated rate constant might be erroneous. Present work is a modification of the rank annihilation factor analysis (RAFA) algorithm by inclusion of I) pure spectra of reactants, or IIA) mean centering step, or IIB) mean spectrum. The proposed methods can interestingly be applied on a single kinetic run. The performances of the new methods have been evaluated by applying them to analysis of simulated and experimental data.     

Ceramicines E-I, new limonoids from Chisocheton ceramicus

Five new limonoids, ceramicines E-I (1-5), have been isolated from the bark of Chisocheton ceramicus. The structures and relative stereochemistry of them were fully elucidated based on 1D- and 2D-NMR data. Ceramicines E-I (1-5) exhibited moderate cell growth inhibitory activities on a range of cell lines (HL-60, A549, MCF7, and HCT116). The absolute structure of previously isolated ceramicine B (6) was also elucidated by circular dichroism (CD) and X-ray analysis.     

Numerical Simulation of Pressure-Swirl Spray Dispersion by Using Eulerian-Lagrangian Method

To gain a general understanding of atomization and sheet breakup processes, the interaction of pressure-swirl hollow-cone sprays and a quiescent medium was investigated computationally. The spray characteristics of Iso-octane (n-C₈H₁₈) with high pressure-swirl injector in the ambient conditions are modeled. The Linearized Instability Sheet Atomization (LISA) model has been used to describe the primary breakup processes of the spray. Sauter Mean Diameter, sheet thickness and exit velocity were computed as the results of primary breakup. Disintegration of large drops is simulated using Taylor analogy breakup (TAB) model in which the Rosin-Rammler distribution is used. Evaporation and collision models are deactivated in this study. The model considers the transient behavior of the pre-spray and steady-state behavior of the main spray for three various injection pressures and liquid mass flow rates. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons between the simulated and experimentally measured results were made. The numerical simulations can successfully demonstrate the spray characteristics, such as spray tip penetration, drop sizes and overall spray structure.     

One‐Pot Sequential Organocatalysis: Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of Trisubstituted Cyclohexanols

A highly diastereoselective (d.r. >99:1) and enantioselective (ee value up to 96 %) synthesis of trisubstituted cyclohexanols was achieved by using a one‐pot sequential organocatalysis that involved a quinidine thiourea‐catalyzed tandem Henry–Michael reaction between nitromethane and 7‐oxo‐hept‐5‐en‐1‐als followed by a tetramethyl guanidine (TMG)‐catalyzed tandem retro‐Henry–Henry reaction on the reaction products of the tandem Henry–Michael reaction. Through a mechanistic study, it has also been demonstrated that similar results may also be achieved with this one‐pot sequential organocatalysis by using the racemic Henry product as the substrate.     

Oxidative Diels-Alder reaction of 2, 5-dihydroxybenzoic acid with 1, 3-cyclopentadiene

The electrochemical oxidation of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (1) has been studied in the presence of 1,3-cyclopentadiene (2) as a diene in water/ethanol (40/60, v/v) mixture using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry. A plausible mechanism for the oxidation of 1 in the presence of 2 is presented. Compound 1 was converted into bis-adduct 5 via electrooxidation, Diels-Alder reaction of 2 to anodically generated 3,6-dioxocyclohexa-1,4-dienecarboxylic acid (1ox), decarboxylation reaction, electrooxidation and Diels-Alder reaction. The electrochemical synthesis of 5 was performed in a onepot reaction, without toxic reagents, at a carbon electrode in a simple cell using an environmentally friendly method.     

A DFT study on carbon-doping at different sites of (8, 0) boron nitride nanotube

A density functional theory study is carried out to investigate the geometries and electronic structure of pristine and carbon-doped (8, 0) single-walled boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). In order to understand the effect of impurities or doping on (8, 0) single-walled BNNT, we simulated C-doping in six different ways. Geometry optimizations reveal that in the considered models, B–N bond lengths are not significantly influenced by C-doping. Based on the quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis, charge density accumulation for axial B–N bond critical points (BCPs) of pristine BNNT is slightly larger than zigzag ones. However, due to C-doping at the B- or N-tips, the evaluated electron density tends to decrease slightly at both axial and zigzag B–N BCPs. Besides, results indicate that influence of C-doping on properties of the (8, 0) BNNT could be also detected by values of chemical shielding isotropy (σ _iso) and anisotropy (Δσ).     

Solving chromatographic challenges in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry using multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares

Multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares (MCR–ALS) analysis is proposed to solve chromatographic challenges during two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC?×?GC–TOFMS) analysis of complex samples, such as crude oil extract. In view of the fact that the MCR–ALS method is based on the fulfillment of the bilinear model assumption, three-way and four-way GC?×?GC–TOFMS data are preferably arranged in a column-wise superaugmented data matrix in which mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) are in its columns and the elution times in the second and first chromatographic columns are in its rows. Since m/z values are common for all measured spectra in all second-column modulations, unavoidable chromatographic challenges such as retention time shifts within and between GC?×?GC–TOFMS experiments are properly handled. In addition, baseline/background contributions can be modeled by adding extra components to the MCR–ALS model. Another outstanding aspect of MCR–ALS analysis is its extreme flexibility to consider all samples (standards, unknowns, and replicates) in a single superaugmented data matrix, allowing joint analysis. In this way, resolution, identification, and quantification results can be simultaneously obtained in a very fast and reliable way. The potential of MCR–ALS analysis is demonstrated in GC?×?GC–TOFMS analysis of a North Sea crude oil extract sample with relative errors in estimated concentrations of target compounds below 6.0 % and relative standard deviations lower than 7.0 %. The results obtained, along with reasonable values for the lack of fit of the MCR–ALS model and high values of the reversed match factor in mass spectra similarity searches, confirm the reliability of the proposed strategy for GC?×?GC–TOFMS data analysis.      

Effect of alkyl group on the structure of heterodinuclear Zn(II)–Cu(II) and Zn(II)–Ni(II) complexes derived from unsymmetrical phenol-based dicompartmental macro-acyclic ligands

A series of mono- and heterodinuclear macro-acyclic complexes of [ZnLCu(II)]²⁺ and [ZnLNi(II)]²⁺ were synthesized by a stepwise procedure. The phenol-based macro-acyclic dicompartmental ligands (L^2?) possess contagious hexadentate (N₄O₂) and tetradentate (N₂O₂) coordination sites, where in the mononuclear complexes [ZnL(H⁺)₂]²⁺ the latter site containing two alkyl-imine donor groups (ethyl or isopropyl) is attached to the azomethine moieties. The alkyl group(s) is eliminated upon introduction of the second metal (II) ion into N₂O₂ coordination site as a result of steric crowding of the alkyl groups along with the lack of flexibility associated with the imine groups. When the second metal ion is Cu(II) and R = isopropyl, the both of them are eliminated but when R = Et only one ethyl group is removed. However, in case of Ni(II) as the second metal ion, the both alkyl groups are eliminated regardless of the nature of the alkyl group. The origins of the structural variations are discussed. The prepared complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance measurements, X-ray crystallography, IR, NMR and UV–Vis spectroscopies.     

Preparation of Anatase Hollow TiO2 Spheres and Their Photocatalytic Activity in the Photodegradation of Chlorpyrifos

Hollow anatase titania (TiO₂) spheres were synthesized using fructose and tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄, TBT) as the precursors via the conventional hard template method. The morphological, structural and thermal properties of the products were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG‐DTA), Brunauer? Emmett? Teller (BET) surface area analysis and diffuse reflectance ultraviolet visible (DR UV? Vis) spectroscopy. XRD revealed that the hollow TiO₂ prepared was in the anatase phase and the BET surface area measured was about 22 m² g^?1. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized hollow anatase TiO₂ in the photodecomposition of chlorpyrifos was 18.67 % higher than that obtained using commercial TiO₂.     

Type-II InAs/GaSb photodiodes and focal plane arrays aimed at high operating temperatures

Recent efforts to improve the performance of type II InAs/GaSb superlattice photodiodes and focal plane arrays (FPA) have been reviewed. The theoretical bandstructure models have been discussed first. A review of recent developments in growth and characterization techniques is given. The efforts to improve the performance of MWIR photodiodes and focal plane arrays (FPAs) have been reviewed and the latest results have been reported. It is shown that these improvements has resulted in background limited performance (BLIP) of single element photodiodes up to 180 K. FPA shows a constant noise equivalent temperature difference (NEDT) of 11 mK up to 120 K and it shows human body imaging up to 170 K.