New Series Exhibiting Pure Enantiotropic Nematic Reentrant Compounds at Atmospheric Pressure

Some derivatives of an homologous series of 4-aIkoxy-benzoyloxy-4′-cyanotolanes are synthesized. Two of them exhibit a stable nematic reentrant phase at atmospheric pressure.     

Estimation of radon and thoron caused dose at exraction and processing sites of mineral sand mining area in Vietnam (HA TINH province)

Mineral sands are mined in several countries to supply to the titanium and zircon producing industries. Coastal black mineral sands usually contain, besides ilmenite (FeTiO₃) and rutile (TiO₂), radioactive minerals such as zircon (ZrSiO₄) and monazite (RePO₄). Radon and thoron activity concentration originated from natural radioactive contents of the black mineral sand was monitored at the extraction and processing for black minerals in the coastal areas of Ha Tinh Province, one of the around 40 coastal mineral sand deposits in Vietnam. The survey was carried out with the Raduet chambers made by Radosys Ltd—Hungary. The obtained results for 25 investigated points show that the measured values are not high in the residential houses and in case of the sand extraction site as well. At the titanium processing plant the measured values were higher than outside the facility (Radon: 18–55 Bq/m³ with average of 34 Bq/³ and Thoron 33–118 Bq/m³ with average of 58 Bq/m³) but still comparable to the average concentration of the world published by UNSCEAR. The typical outdoor levels of radon and thoron gas are each of the order of 10 Bq/m³. Although the radon concentrations were low in the zircon and titanium processing plants, the thoron concentrations in the houses for separating rutile and zircon were very high. At zircon processing factory, the thoron concentration could reach 2,931 Bq/m³ and the estimated annual effective dose would be 21.4 mSv/a. Intervention has to be taken in order to reduce the thoron level in this factory since the level of thoron and its progenies corresponding to an annual occupational effective dose is beyond the action level of 6 mSv/a.     

Effects of composition and transparency on photo and radioluminescence of Y2O3:Eu complexes

A solid state-based method using a hot reaction chamber is applied to the synthesis of Y₂O₃:Eu particles containing Eu from 0 to 5 mol%. The produced powders are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as well as photoluminescence (PL) and radioluminescence tests. TEM and XRD results revealed the powder to be mono-disperse and in the form of a solid solution. The PL of Y₂O₃:Eu powder depends on both the concentration quenching effect (due to an excess of Eu concentration) and the surface luminescence effect (depicted by a higher surface area induced by the large phosphor concentration in the solution or smaller particle sizes). A ²²Na gamma source is used to compare the recorded count rates for four Y₂O₃:Eu scintillator materials with different concentrations of Eu. Each scintillator composition is examined in four forms: solid pellets with a high volume porosity and three aqueous solutions of Y₂O₃:Eu particles of the different scintillator materials at concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 mg/mL. The radioluminescence results indicated that increasing the transparency and/or the amount of Eu mol% of the scintillators increases the net average counts.     

Automated capillary electrophoresis with on-line preconcentration by solid phase extraction using a sequential injection manifold and contactless conductivity detection

An extension of a capillary electrophoresis instrument coupled to a sequential injection analysis manifold was developed for automated measurements with on-line solid-phase extraction preconcentration. An in-house built capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector was employed for sensitive detection with narrow capillaries of 25 μm internal diameter. The system was assembled into standardized 19 in. frames and racks for easy transport and mobile deployment. The system can be left running unattendedly without manual intervention with good operation stability. To demonstrate the application of the system, a method for the determination of four drugs, namely ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen and bezafibrate, was developed with enrichment factors of up to several hundreds. Detection of the drug residues down to the nM-scale was found possible and the method was found suitable for the detection of ibuprofen in the waste water of a hospital in Hanoi.     

Synthesis of melicodenines C,D and E

A synthesis of the unusual cyclobutane-quinolinone alkaloids melicodenines C, D and E by intermolecular [2+2] cycloaddition is described.     

Book Review

Abstract

A Guide to Organophosphorus Chemistry, by Louis D. Quin, an internationally recognized authority, published by John Wiley and Sons (http://www.wiley.com/chemistry) ISBN 0-471-31824-8, $94.95, 394pp.

Aminophosphonic and Aminophosphinic Acids: Chemistry and Biological Activity. Editors: Valery P. Kukhar (Ukrainian Academy of Sciences) and Harry R Hudson (University of North London). Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester, UK, on 31 March, 2000. ISBN 0 471-89149-5, 175.00 Pounds sterling, 634 pages.

Phosphorus Ylides. Chemistry and Application in Organic Synthesis, by Oleg I. Kolodiazhnyi. Published by Wiley-VCH, 1999, ISBN 3-527-29531-3, 220SF, 555 pages.     

Reinforcement of Natural Rubber from Hydroxyl-Terminated Liquid Natural Rubber Grafted Carbon Black. I. Grafting of Acyl Chloride Capped Liquid Natural Rubber onto Carbon Black

Abstract

This paper deals with the grafting of acyl chloride capped liquid natural rubber (LNR–COCl) onto carbon black by the reaction of the acyl chloride group with the phenolic hydroxyl group on the surface. LNR–COCl was prepared by the reaction of hydroxyl-terminated liquid natural rubber (HTNR) with adipoyl dichloride. The percentage of grafting was estimated to be 18–21% depending on the grafting temperature and the molecular weight of HTNR used. It increased with an increase in the molecular weight of LNR–COCl. The LNR grafted onto carbon black was investigated by IR spectroscopy and by hydrolysis with a dilute THF solution of KOH. It was shown that LNR grafted onto the carbon black surface with ester bonds.     

Dimerisation and complexation of 6-(4′-t-butylphenylamino)naphthalene-2-sulphonate by β-cyclodextrin and linked β-cyclodextrin dimers

This study shows that stereochemical factors largely determine the extent to which 6-(4′-t-butylphenylamino)-naphthalene-2-sulphonate, BNS^?  and its dimer, (BNS^? )₂, are complexed by β-cyclodextrin, βCD, and a range of linked βCD dimers. Fluorescence and ¹H NMR studies, respectively, show that BNS^?  and (BNS^? )₂ form host–guest complexes with βCD of the stoichiometry βCD.BNS^?  (10^? 4 K ₁ = 4.67 dm³ mol^? 1) and βCD.BNS₂ ^2 ?  (10^? 2 K ₂′ = 2.31 dm³ mol^? 1), where the complexation constant K ₁ = [βCD.BNS^? ]/([βCD][BNS^? ]) and K ₂′ = [βCD. (BNS^? )₂]/([βCD.BNS^? ][BNS^? ]) in aqueous phosphate buffer at pH 7.0, I = 0.10 mol dm³ at 298.2 K. (The dimerisation of BNS^?  is characterised by 10^? 2 K _d = 2.65 dm³ mol^? 1.) For N,N-bis((2^AS,3^AS)-3^A-deoxy-3^A-β-cyclodextrin)succinamide, 33βCD₂su, N-((2^AS,3^AS)-3^A-deoxy-3^A-β-cyclodextrin)-N′-(6^A-deoxy-6^A-β-cyclodextrin)urea, 36βCD₂su, N,N-bis(6^A-deoxy-6^A-β-cyclodextrin)succinamide, 66βCD₂su, N-((2^AS,3^AS)-3^A-deoxy-3^A-β-cyclodextrin)-N′-(6^A-deoxy-6^A-β-cyclodextrin)urea, 36βCD₂ur, and N,N-bis(6^A-deoxy-6^A-β-cyclodextrin)urea, 66βCD₂ur, the analogous 10^? 4 K ₁ = 11.0, 101, 330, 29.6 and 435 dm³ mol^? 1 and 10^? 2 K ₂′ = 2.56, 2.31, 2.59, 1.82 and 1.72 dm³ mol^? 1, respectively. A similar variation occurs in K ₁ derived by UV–vis methods. The factors causing the variations in K ₁ and K ₂ are discussed in conjunction with ¹H ROESY NMR and molecular modelling studies.