Structural determination of carvone, a component of spearmint, by means of gas electron diffraction augmented by theoretical calculations

The molecular structure and conformation of carvone, a compound with a minty odor, were investigated by means of gas electron diffraction supported by theoretical calculations. Electron diffraction patterns were recorded by heating the nozzle up to 128 °C to obtain enough scattering intensity. The infrared spectrum was also measured by using an absorption cell with a path length of 10 m. The obtained molecular scattering intensities were analyzed with the aid of theoretical calculations and infrared spectroscopy. It was revealed that the experimental data are well reproduced by assuming that carvone consists of a mixture of three conformers that have the isopropenyl group in the equatorial position and mutually differ in the torsional angle around the single bond connecting the ring and the isopropenyl group. It was also found that the puckering amplitude of the ring of carvone is close to those of menthol and isomenthol, a minty compound and its nonminty isomer. The determined structural parameters (r_g and ∠_α) of the most abundant conformer of carvone are as follows: 〈r(C-C)〉=1.520(3) Å; 〈r(CC)〉=1.360(5) Å; r(CO)=1.225(5) Å; 〈r(C-H)〉=1.104(4)Å; 〈∠CC-C〉=121.1(5)°; 〈∠C-C-C〉=110.4(5)°; ∠C-CO-C=117.1(14)°; 〈∠C-C-H〉=111.1(13)°. Angle brackets denote average values and parenthesized values are the estimated limits of error (3σ) referring to the last significant digit.     

Enhancement of electronic excitation energy transfer in the colloidal crystals of colloidal silica suspensions doped with fluorescent dyes

The efficiency of electronic excitation energy transfer from photo-excited rhodamine 110 (Rh110, energy donor) to rhodamine B (RhB, energy acceptor) in an exhaustively deionized colloidal silica suspension has been studied. This colloidal suspension shows Bragg reflection due to the formation of colloidal crystals and the Bragg-peak wavelength is controllable by the volume fraction of the silica spheres. When the Bragg-peak wavelength matches with the fluorescence band of Rh110, a depletion was observed in the Rh110 fluorescence spectrum. This means the fluorescence of Rh110 is partially trapped due to the Bragg reflection inside the crystal lattice. In the coexistence of RhB, the enhancement of RhB fluorescence intensity was observed. These facts clearly indicate the trapped photon energy of Rh110 is efficiently transferred to RhB within the colloidal crystals. The quantitative measurements showed that the enhancement of the transfer efficiency is 20% (or slightly more) in the present experimental conditions.     

Non-destructive determination of spontaneously fissioning nuclides by neutron coincidence counting using multichannel time spectroscopy

A non-destructive method for determining the amount of actinoids has been developed. The method is based on thermal neutron coincidence counting and employs a selective detection of neutrons resulting from the spontaneous fission of actinoids. The detection system is described in detail and the measurement results of²⁴⁴Cm as an example are presented. The results show that the measured fission rate of²⁴⁴Cm is consistent with the fission rate calculated from ENDF/B-V data and that the amount of²⁴⁴Cm can be determined within about 5% accuracy even in the presence of a large amount of actinoids, for example, up to 2.6·10⁶, 3.6·10⁴, or 1.6·10³ times in the mass ratio of²³⁹Pu,²⁴¹Am, or²⁴⁰Pu to²⁴⁴Cm, respectively.     

Synthesis and metal-ion binding properties of monoazathiacrown ethers

Synthetic procedures for monoazathiacrown ethers were explored, and monoazatrithia-12-crown-4, monoazatetrathia-15-crown-5, and monoazapentathia-18-crown-6 were obtained in moderate yields by the reaction of bis(2-chloroethyl)amine with the appropriate dithiols in the presence of lithium hydroxide in THF. To evaluate metal-ion binding properties of the monoazathiacrown ethers by solvent extraction, lipophilic dodecyl and dodecanoyl groups were incorporated onto the monoazathiacrown ethers. The solvent extraction experiments suggested that monoazathiacrown ethers have Ag(+) and Hg(2+) selectivities and that the relative selectivity between Ag(+) and Hg(2+) depends on their nitrogen atom properties and numbers of sulfur atoms reflecting the respective affinities of nitrogen and sulfur atoms to Hg(2+) and Ag(+). An interesting ability to bind Mg(2+) was observed in the case of N-dodecyl monoazatrithia-12-crown-4.     

Substituent effects on the kinetics for the chemiluminescence reaction of 6-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3(7H)-ones (Cypridina luciferin analogues): support for the single electron transfer (SET)-oxygenation mechanism with triplet molecular oxygen

Kinetics of chemiluminescence reactions of 2-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3(7H)-one (1c, Cypridina luciferin analogue) and substituent effects of the 6-aryl group of derivatives 1 strongly suggest that the rate-determining step is a single electron transfer from an anion derived from 1 to a triplet molecular oxygen (O₂) in the oxygenation process.     

Excess molar heat capacities of ((<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>)-(+)-α-pinene+(<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-(-)- α-pinene) at temperatures between 293.15-308.15 K

Summary {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1250\deff0\deflang1038\deflangfe1038\deftab708{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset238{\*\fname Times New Roman;}Times New Roman CE;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs20 New explanations are given for two types of irregular thermogravimetric (TG) data. A TG relationship between mass and temperature is derived on the basis of migration behavior of bubbles generated in bulk of sample system, and superposed on that derived on the basis of kinetics of the 4\super th\nosupersub order event, which is superposed on the experimental TG data obtained from three reference papers. This suggests that these TG data are reflecting migration of bubbles. A dependence of TG behavior on heating rate, which is contrary to usual that, is shown and is explained in terms of event-rate determination by boiling. \par }     

Synthesis and cation-binding properties of poly-and bis(thiacrown ether)s

Poly- and bis(thiacrown ether) derivatives in which some oxygen atoms of benzocrown ether moiety are replaced by sulfur atoms have been synthesized. Their cation-binding abilities were investigated by using the solvent extraction method. The poly- and bis(benzothiacrown ether)s showed great affinity for silver ion, being more excellent in the affinity than the corresponding monocyclic analogs. They, however, possess very poor cation-binding ability for alkali and alkaline-earth metal ions. The poly- and bis(thiacrown ether)s also bind mercuric ions effectively, whereas the corresponding monomeric analogs do not at all.