Poly(ethyleneimine) as reducing and stabilizing agent for the formation of gold nanoparticles in w/o microemulsions

This paper is focused on the use of branched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) as reducing as well as stabilizing agent for the formation of gold nanoparticles in different media. The process of nanoparticle formation was investigated, in the absence of any other reducing agents, in microemulsion template phase in comparison to the nucleation process in aqueous polymer solution.

On the one hand, it was shown that the polyelectrolyte can be used for the controlled single-step synthesis and stabilization of gold nanoparticles via a nucleation reaction and particles with an average diameter of 7.1 nm can be produced.

On the other hand, it was demonstrated that the polymer can also act as reducing and stabilizing agent in much more complex systems, i.e. in water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion droplets. The reverse microemulsion droplets of the quaternary system sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)/toluene–pentanol (1:1)/water were successfully used for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The polymer, incorporated in the droplets, exhibits reducing properties, adsorbs on the surface of the nanoparticles and prevents their aggregation. Consequently, nanoparticles of 8.6 nm can be redispersed after solvent evaporation without a change of their size.

Nevertheless, the polymer acts already as a “template” during the formation of the nanoparticles in water and in microemulsion, so that an additional template effect of the microemulsion is not observed.

The particle formation for both methods is checked by means of UV–vis spectroscopy and the particle size and size distribution are investigated via dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).     

Cation selective ion channels formed by macrodiolide antibiotic elaiophylin in lipid bilayer membranes

The macrodiolide antibiotic elaiophylin (1) forms stable, long-lasting cation selective ion channels in planar lipid bilayer membranes prepared from soybean phosphatidylcholine. Current of the single ion channel displayed two sublevels corresponding to the two substates of the channel conductance: a slow substate, with about 5 s of mean dwell time in the open state at 40% level of the total amplitude conductance, and a fast substate of higher conductance with dwell times in the open and closed state of about 0.1 s. Amplitude conductances of the single ion channels in 200 mM of LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl and CsCl were 75, 140, 220, 240 and 226 pS, and the conductance was linear function of the electrolyte concentration. Ratios of cation to anion permeabilities of the channel for NaCl and KCl were 8+/-2 and >24, respectively. A molecular model of the channel structure is suggested.     

Some new aspects of a HPLC-method for the determination of traces of formaldehyde in air

Summary A practicable method was developed for the routine determination of formaldehyde in air. Formaldehyde is sampled in small sampling tubes filled with Chromosorb P, coated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (= DNPH). The sorbent is extracted with acetonitrile, and the different DNPhydrazones were separated by reversed-phase HPLC. UV-detection at = 345 nm was compared with electrochemical detection. The detection limit was 100 pg for UV- and 50 pg for electrochemical detection with a linear range of more than 3 decades, respectively. For the determination of formaldehyde in air the detection limit is 10 ppb with an average recovery of 99.3% and an estimated relative standard deviation S of 1.5%. This method was compared with the sampling by impingers using the same separation and detection method.

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Einige neue Aspekte einer HPLC-Methode zur Spurenbestimmung von Formaldehyd in Luft

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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. G. Tölg on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Electrolysis in calorimetry

The procedure used by many electrochemists in calculating enthalpy in calorimetric measurements of electrolysis reactions is compared to a purely thermodynamic approach, using the data published by Fleischmannet al. [J. Electroanal. Chem., 287 (1990) 293.] as a case study.The set of excess values dH _ex/dt=dH _obs/dt -dH_calo/dt obtained with the former procedure was neither correlated to any of the experimental parameters nor to the set of values found using thermodynamics. The latter, smaller by factors of up to two orders of magnitude, are shown to follow an expression of the form dH _ex/dt=–kI exp (–E _a/RT) with an activation enthalpy of about 85 kJ·mol^–1. It is suggested that recombination of electrolysis gases may account for this.

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Zusammenfassung Das von vielen Elektrochemikern verwendete Verfahren zur Berechnung der Enthalpie in kalorimetrischen Messungen an Elektrolysereaktionen wurde unter Anwendung der von Fleischmann et.al. in einer Fallstudie [J. Electroanal. Chem., 287 (1990) 293.] veröffentlichten Angaben mit einer rein thermodynamischen Näherung verglichen.Eine Reihe von mit der ersten Methode erhaltenen überschu\werten dH _ex/dt=dH _obs/dt-dH _calc/dt korrelierte weder mit den experimentellen Parametern noch mit den entsprechenden, thermodynamisch gefundenen Werten. Letztere, um etwa zwei Grö\enordnungen kleinere Werte konnten durch die Gleichung dH _ex/dt= -kI exp (-E _a/RT) mit einer Aktivierungsenthalpie von etwa 85 kJ·mol^–1 beschrieben werden. Es wird deshalb nahegelegt, da\ dies einer Rekombinierung der Elektrolysegase zugeschrieben werden kann.

     

Gerüstumlagerung eines α,β -ungesättigten γ,δ-Epoxiketons bei der Birch-Reduktion: Strukturaufklärung mittels 13C-INADEQUATE-NMR-Spektroskopie

Skeleton Rearrangement of an α-β-Unsaturated γ,δ-Epoxyketone during Birch Reduction: Structure Elucidation by Means of ¹³C-INADEQUATE-NMR Spectroscopy When the γ-epoxide 2 of β-ionone is treated under standard Birch-reduction conditions, unexpectedly a 70% combined yield of regioisomeric octalones 4 and 5 is isolated. These products unquestionably result form cleavage of the central epoxide C?C bond. The structure of compounds 4 and 5 could be determined by means of ¹³C-INADEQUATE-NMR spectroscopy.     

From allylic alcohols to aldols by using iron carbonyls as catalysts: computational study on a novel tandem isomerization-aldolization reaction

The tandem isomerization-aldolization reaction between allyl alcohol and formaldehyde mediated by [Fe(CO)3] was studied with the density functional B3LYP method. Starting from the key [(enol)Fe(CO)3] complex, several reaction paths for the reaction with formaldehyde were explored. The results show that the most favorable reaction path involves first an enol/allyl alcohol ligand-exchange process followed by direct condensation of formaldehyde with the free enol. During this process, formation of the new C-C bond takes place simultaneously with a proton transfer between the enol and the aldehyde. Therefore, the role of [Fe(CO)3] is to catalyze the allyl alcohol to enol isomerization affording the free enol, which adds to the aldehyde in a carbonyl-ene type reaction. Similar results were obtained for the reaction between allyl alcohol and acetaldehyde.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Silicium—Stickstoff-Verbindungen, 16. Mitt.: N-Silyl-carbonamide und N-Silyl-carbamidsäureester

Zusammenfassung Die durch direkte Silylierung von Carbonamidgruppen mit Halogensilanen nicht zugänglichen Verbindungen der Gruppierung R-CONHSiR₃ konnten durch Umsetzung von Säureamiden oder Säurechloriden mit Hexamethyldisilazan gewonnen werden. So wurden Derivate mit R=CH₃, C₂H₅, C₆H₅, CONHSiR₃ , OCH₃, OC₂H₅, OCH(CH₃)₂; R=CH₃ (vgl. Tab. 1) dargestellt und in ihren physikalischen und chemischen Eigenschaften näher studiert.Herrn Prof. Dr.A. Zinke zum 70. Geburtstag gewidmet.15. Mitt.:U. Wannagat undH. Kuckertz, Angew. Chem.74, 117 (1962).Auszug aus der DissertationJ. Pump, Techn. Hochsch. Aachen 1962.     

Influence of spectral and angular sensitivity on the readout of biological dosimeters

Biological systems used as biological dosimeters can possess different angular sensitivities from the detectors usually used in physical devices. A simple experimental setup has been developed and used to measure the angular sensitivity of uracil thin-layer biological dosimeters. Results of angular sensitivity measurements for uracil thin-layer dosimeters are presented using a Xe arc lamp as the UV source. According to the experiments described here, uracil thin-layer dosimeters show a cosine-type angular dependence. In several indoor experiments broadband UV meters are used to control the applied dose rate from a given artificial UV source. The experimental setup has been designed and used to verify experimentally the importance of spectral and angular sensitivity differences of biological and physical UV meters applied in biological experiments. Model calculations for two different irradiation systems, using different geometrical arrangements of artificial UV sources, are also presented. For these arrangements relative dose rates that could be measured with dosimeters of arbitrary spectral, but different angular sensitivity have been calculated.     

Determination of aliphatic amines in air by membrane enrichment directly coupled to a gas chromatograph

Summary A method is described for the determination of shortchain aliphatic amines in ambient air based on impinger sampling in dilute H₂SO₄, selective enrichment across a PTFE gas membrane and quantification by gas chromatography. The enrichment step is carried out in a flow system directly connected to the chromatograph. The separation is performed on a packed column with nitrogen selective detection. The enrichment per sample volume was in the range 7.3 to 8.2 mL^–1 for C₁–C₆ amines. Detection limits were ca 3–10 nM with enrichment of a 2.9 mL liquid sample. After impinger sampling of 5 m³ air in 10 mL absorption solution, this corresponds, to 0.4–0.8 ng/m³ (ca 0.2–0.5 ppt by volume) in air.