Tribocharging in a rotating shaft–oil–lip seal system for different engine base oils,additive, and their blends

The paper presents the results of experiments on tribocharging of different mineral, semisynthetic, and synthetic base oils and their blends with additives. An antiwear additive ZDDP (zinc dialkyldithiophosphate) is tested when added to base oils in different percentages by weight. Experiments are carried out on the specially built experimental facility to be a simplified model of an engine crankcase in whose interior an earthed metal shaft rotates at given angular velocities. The potential of a stiffening ring of a lip seal is measured directly with an electrometer. The potential is a measure of tribocharging in a rotating shaft–oil–lip seal system, friction junction, and especially between both interfaces: shaft surface–oil and oil–lip of a lip seal. The experimental results are presented in the form of some characteristics that are relationships of the potential induced in the stiffening ring with oil's temperature for different angular shaft's velocities and additives, contents. The oil's temperature ranges from 60 to 110 °C and is controlled automatically. The angular velocities of a shaft used are 500 and 1500 rpm. The additive contents in the blends with different base oils are 0.1 and 0.2%. The pure base oils of all the types and some lip seals are also examined. Moreover, the influence of an external DC electric field applied between the earthed shaft and the stiffening ring on the braking torque of the shaft is examined for a range of temperatures of the pure oils and their blends with the additive used, angular velocities, and additive contents. The electric field is produced while applying the high DC voltage of both polarities between the shaft and the ring. The absolute value of the voltage is in a range from 500 to 1500 V.     

A range of spin-crossover temperature T1/2>300 K results from out-of-sphere anion exchange in a series of ferrous materials based on the 4-(4-imidazolylmethyl)-2-(2-imidazolylmethyl)imidazole (trim) ligand, [Fe(trim)2]X2 (X=F, Cl, Br, I): comparison of experimental results with those derived from density functional theory calculations

The synthesis and characterization of [FeII(trim)2]Cl2 (2), [FeII(trim)2]Br2MeOH (3), and [FeII(trim)2]I2MeOH (4), including the X-ray crystal structure determinations of 2 (50 and 293 K) and 4 (293 K), have been performed and their properties have been examined. In agreement with the magnetic susceptibility results, the M?ssbauer data show the presence of high-spin (HS) to low-spin (LS) crossover with a range of T1/2 larger than 300 K (from approximately 20 K for [FeII(trim)2]F2 (1) to approximately 380 K for 4). All complexes in this series include the same [Fe(trim)2]2+ complex cation: the ligand field comprises a constant contribution from the trim ligands and a variable one originating from the out-of-sphere anions, which is transmitted to the metal center by the connecting imidazole rings and hydrogen bonds. The impressive variation in the intrinsic characteristics of the spin-crossover (SCO) phenomenon in this series is then interpreted as an inductive effect of the anions transmitted to the nitrogen donors through the hydrogen bonds. Based on this qualitative analysis, an increased inductive effect of the out-of-sphere anion corresponds to a decreased SCO temperature T1/2, in agreement with the experimental results. Electronic structure calculations with periodic boundary conditions have been performed that show the importance of intermolecular effects in tuning the ligand field, and thus in determining the transition temperature. Starting with the geometries obtained from the X-ray studies, the [FeII(trim)2]X2 complex molecules 1-4 have been investigated both for the single molecules and the crystal lattices with the local density approximation of density functional theory. The bulk geometries of the complex cations deduced from the X-ray studies and those calculated are in fair agreement for both approaches. However, the trend observed for the transition temperatures of 1-4 disagrees with the trend for the spin-state splittings ES (difference EHS-ELS between the energy of the HS and LS isomers) calculated for the isolated molecules, whereas it agrees with the trend for ES calculated with periodic boundary conditions. The latter calculations predict the strongest stabilization of the HS state for the fluoride complex, which actually is essentially HS above T=50 K, while the most pronounced stabilization of the LS state is predicted for 4, in line with the experimental results.     

Nuclear inelastic scattering and Mössbauer spectroscopy as local probes for ligand binding modes and electronic properties in proteins: vibrational behavior of a ferriheme center inside a β-barrel protein

In this work, we present a study of the influence of the protein matrix on its ability to tune the binding of small ligands such as NO, cyanide (CN(-)), and histamine to the ferric heme iron center in the NO-storage and -transport protein Nitrophorin 2 (NP2) from the salivary glands of the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus. Conventional M?ssbauer spectroscopy shows a diamagnetic ground state of the NP2-NO complex and Type I and II electronic ground states of the NP2-CN(-) and NP2-histamine complex, respectively. The change in the vibrational signature of the protein upon ligand binding has been monitored by Nuclear Inelastic Scattering (NIS), also called Nuclear Resonant Vibrational Spectroscopy (NRVS). The NIS data thus obtained have also been calculated by quantum mechanical (QM) density functional theory (DFT) coupled with molecular mechanics (MM) methods. The calculations presented here show that the heme ruffling in NP2 is a consequence of the interaction with the protein matrix. Structure optimizations of the heme and its ligands with DFT retain the characteristic saddling and ruffling only if the protein matrix is taken into account. Furthermore, simulations of the NIS data by QM/MM calculations suggest that the pH dependence of the binding of NO, but not of CN(-) and histamine, might be a consequence of the protonation state of the heme carboxyls.     

161Dy Time‐Domain Synchrotron Mössbauer Spectroscopy for Investigating Single‐Molecule Magnets Incorporating Dy Ions

Time‐domain synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy (SMS) based on the Mössbauer effect of ¹⁶¹Dy has been used to investigate the magnetic properties of a Dy^III‐based single‐molecule magnet (SMM). The magnetic hyperfine field of [Dy(Cy₃PO)₂(H₂O)₅]Br₃?2 (Cy₃PO)?2 H₂O?2 EtOH is with B₀=582.3(5) T significantly larger than that of the free‐ion Dy^III with a ⁶H_15/2 ground state. This difference is attributed to the influence of the coordinating ligands on the Fermi contact interaction between the s and 4f electrons of the Dy^III ion. This study demonstrates that ¹⁶¹Dy SMS is an effective local probe of the influence of the coordinating ligands on the magnetic structure of Dy‐containing compounds.     

Dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements of passive layer cracking under static tensile stresses

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy allows the examination of corrosion susceptibility and resistance for different construction materials, in particular the determination of the properties of their passive films. This technique makes possible the analysis of electrochemical processes in time domain, including rapid phenomena such as changes in the properties of passive films, but it has never been used for passive layer cracking examination. In many cases, fracture of the passive film under tensile stresses leads to stress corrosion cracking. Therefore, investigations of passive layer cracking on austenitic stainless steels under tensile stresses facilitate the understanding of the mechanism of stress corrosion cracking in these common engineering materials. The effect of static tensile stresses on the passive film cracking behaviour of type 304L stainless steel immersed in 0.5 M NaCl solution at room temperature has been investigated. This paper presents the impedance spectra obtained for 304L stainless steel samples at different potential values.Contribution to the 3rd Baltic Conference on Electrochemistry, Gdansk-Sobieszewo, Poland, 23–26 April 2003Dedicated to the memory of Harry B. Mark, Jr. (28 February 1934–3 March 2003)     

Betaine and Carnitine Derivatives as Herbicidal Ionic Liquids

This study focused on the synthesis and subsequent characterization of herbicidal ionic liquids based on betaine and carnitine, two derivatives of amino acids, which were used as cations. Four commonly used herbicides (2,4‐D, MCPA, MCPP and Dicamba) were used as anions in simple (single anion) and oligomeric (two anions) salts. The obtained salts were subjected to analyzes regarding physicochemical properties (density, viscosity, refractive index, thermal decomposition profiles and solubility) as well as evaluation of their herbicidal activity under greenhouse and field conditions, toxicity towards rats and biodegradability. The obtained results suggest that the synthesized herbicidal ionic liquids displayed low toxicity (classified as category 4 compounds) and showed similar or improved efficacy against weed compared to reference herbicides. The highest increase was observed during field trials for salts containing 2,4‐D as the anion, which also exhibited the highest biodegradability (>75 %).     

Borderline between E1cB and E2 mechanisms. Chlorine isotope effects in base-promoted elimination Reactions.

The chlorine leaving group isotope effect has been measured for the base-promoted elimination reaction of 1-(2-chloro-2-propyl)indene (1-Cl) in methanol at 30 degrees C: k(35)/k(37) = 1.0086 +/- 0.0007 with methoxide as the base and k(35)/k(37) = 1.0101 +/- 0.0001 with triethylamine (TEA) as the base. These very large chlorine isotope effects combined with large kinetic deuterium isotope effects of 7.1 and 8.4, respectively, are consistent not with the irreversible E1cB mechanism proposed previously (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1977, 99, 7926) but with the E2 mechanism with transition states having large amounts of hydron transfer and very extensive cleavage of the bond to chlorine.     

Characterisation of selenium compounds in rye seedling biomass using <Superscript>75</Superscript>Se-labelling/SDS-PAGE separation/γ-scintillation counting,and HPLC-ICP-MS analysis of a range of enzymatic digests

In the present study, selenium-enriched plant biomass was investigated to evaluate the ability of rye seedlings to take up, and assimilate, inorganic selenium. Two different analytical approaches were used. Electrophoretic separation (SDS-PAGE) of proteins extracted from ⁷⁵Se-labelled biomass was used to investigate the biotransformation of selenite into organic forms of the element. Ion-pair chromatography coupled with ICP-MS detection was chosen for the analysis of selenium species, enzymatically extracted from the plant biomass. The results of three enzymatic hydrolysis procedures and three sequential enzymatic extractions procedures are compared. The most effective single extraction was proteolysis (using protease type XIV), giving an overall extraction efficiency of 48%. However, for combinations of enzymes, the most effective was cellulase (Trichoderma viride) followed by sequential extraction of the solid pellet using protease type XIV, giving an extraction efficiency of 70%. The complementary data from the electrophoretic fractionation of proteins, and the HPLC separation of Se-species in the proteolytic digests, reveal the existence of large number of selenium-containing compounds in the rye seedling plant biomass. The results showed the complete biotransformation of inorganic selenium into organic forms during germination of the rye seedlings. HPLC-ICP-MS analysis of extracts from the plant biomass did not show the presence of selenate or selenite. At the time of this study, the lack of suitable organic-MS facilities meant that it was not possible to characterise them fully. However, the data does show that a combination of different enzymes, rather than just the commonly-used protease, should be considered when developing an extraction strategy for selenium in different food types to those already reported in the literature.     

Site-selective detection of vibrational modes of an iron atom in a trinuclear complex

Nuclear inelastic scattering (NIS) experiments on the trinuclear complex [⁵⁷Fe{L-N₄(CH₂Fc)₂} (CH₃CN)₂](ClO₄)₂ have been performed. The octahedral iron ion in the complex was labelled with ⁵⁷Fe and thereby exclusively the vibrational modes of this iron ion have been detected with NIS. The analysis of nuclear forward scattering (NFS) data yields a ferrous low-spin state for the ⁵⁷Fe labelled iron ion. The simulation of the partial density of states (pDOS) for the octahedral low-spin iron(II) ion of the complex by density functional theory (DFT) calculations is in excellent agreement with the experimental pDOS of the complex determined from the NIS data obtained at 80 K. Thereby it was possible to assign almost each of the experimentally observed NIS bands to the corresponding molecular vibrational modes.     

Two‐Step Spin Transition in a 1D FeII 1,2,4‐Triazole Chain Compound

A thermochromic 1D spin crossover coordination (SCO) polymer [Fe(βAlatrz)₃](BF₄)₂ ? 2 H₂O ( 1? 2 H₂O), whose precursor βAlatrz, (1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl‐propionate) has been tailored from a β‐amino acid ester is investigated in detail by a set of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared, and Raman measurements. An hysteretic abrupt two‐step spin crossover (T_1/2^↓=230 K and T_1/2^↑=235 K, and T_1/2^↓=172 K and T_1/2^↑=188 K, respectively) is registered for the first time for a 1,2,4‐triazole‐based Fe^II 1D coordination polymer. The two‐step SCO configuration is observed in a 1:2 ratio of low‐spin/high‐spin in the intermediate phase for a 1D chain. The origin of the stepwise transition was attributed to a distribution of chains of different lengths in 1? 2 H₂O after First Order Reversal Curves (FORC) analyses. A detailed DFT analysis allowed us to propose the normal mode assignment of the Raman peaks in the low‐spin and high‐spin states of 1? 2 H₂O. Vibrational spectra of 1? 2 H₂O reveal that the BF₄^? anions and water molecules play no significant role on the vibrational properties of the [Fe(βAlatrz)₃]²⁺ polymeric chains, although non‐coordinated water molecules have a dramatic influence on the emergence of a step in the spin transition curve. The dehydrated material [Fe(βAlatrz)₃](BF₄)₂ ( 1 ) reveals indeed a significantly different magnetic behavior with a one‐step SCO which was also investigated.