Benzene elimination from reformate gasoline by high pressure hydrogenation in a fixed-bed reactor

The reduction of benzene from benzene-rich real gasoline fractions has been studied in a high-pressure fixed-bed reactor using a Pt/TiO₂ catalyst. It was found that the yield of this process decreases with the toluene content in the feedstock, but it is independent of the kind of the saturated hydrocarbons. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Graftlike interpolymer complexes from poly(2‐vinylpyridine) and end‐sulfonic acid polystyrene and polyisoprene: Intermediates to noncovalently bonded block copolymer‐like micelles

The complexation between narrow molecular weight distribution poly(2‐vinylpyridine) (P2VP) and polystyrene (suPS) or polyisoprene (suPI) end‐functionalized with one sulfonic acid group was examined in tetrahydrofuran dilute solutions by a combination of static and dynamic laser light scattering. Both apparent weight‐average molecular weight (M_w,app) and hydrodynamic radius (R_h) of the complexes exhibited a maximum at a certain molar ratio of suPS chains to P2VP monomeric units. This indicated that the P2VP backbone may be saturated by the grafted end‐functionalized chains because of repulsion between the grafted chains. By changing the molar mass of P2VP from 100,000 to 30,000 g/mol, the values of M_w,app and R_h decreased. When suPI was used instead of suPS, similar trends were observed. In the latter case, it was possible to prepare block copolymer‐like micelles by transferring the P2VP/suPI blend solutions in decane, which is a selective solvent for PI. The non‐covalent‐bonded polymeric micelle characteristics were investigated as a function of sulfonic acid/2‐vinylpyridine units ratio as well as temperature. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2454–2461, 2003     

Rhodium complexes with the chelating and binucleating ligands P(CH2CH2Py)nPh3-n (Py = 2-pyridyl; n = 1,2): structures and fluxional behavior

Several rhodium(I) complexes of the type [RhX(CO)(PePy2)], [Rh(diene)(PePy)]+, and [Rh(diene)(PePy2)]+ (PePyn = P(CH2CH2Py)nPh3-n; Py = 2-pyridyl; n = 1, 2) have been prepared. The two former are square planar; the latter are pentacoordinated for diene = tetrafluorobenzobarrelene or norbornadiene (confirmed by X-ray diffraction), but an equilibrium of 4- and 5-coordinate isomers exists in solution for diene = 1,5-cyclooctadiene. The fluxional behavior of all these complexes is studied by NMR spectroscopy. The complex [Rh(NBD)(PePy2)]PF6.Cl2CH2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with a = 8.455(1) A, b = 18.068(3) A, c = 19.729(3) A, beta = 99.658(3)degrees, and Z = 4. The complexes [Rh(diene)(PePy2)]+ react with CO to give the dimeric complex [Rh2(CO)2[P(CH2CH2Py)2Ph]2](BF4)2 with the pyridylphosphine acting as P,N-chelating and P,N-bridging.     

Synthesis of thiolate-protected silver nanocrystal superlattices from an organometallic precursor and formation of molecular di-<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkyldisulfide lamellar phases

Abstract  

Silver nanocrystal superlattices (NCSs) stabilized by hexadecanethiol have been prepared through reduction of [Ag(hexadecanethiolate)] _n , formed in situ by reaction of the organometallic precursor [Ag(C₆F₅)] and hexadecanethiol. The nanostructures have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Several reaction parameters such as solvent (anisole or toluene), reaction temperature (150 or 120 °C) or silver:thiol ratio (1:1 or 2:1) have been studied. The NCSs are formed by silver nanoparticles which sizes range from 3.7 to 5.1 nm, depending on the reaction conditions. The formation a of lamellar phase of di-n-hexadecyldisulfide by oxidation of the hexadecanethiolate ligands bonded to Ag(I) is detected by XRD.     

Unpaired electrons at the second‐order reduced density matrix level: Covalent bonding,and coulomb and fermi correlations in closed shell systems

The usual one‐electron populations in atomic orbitals of closed shell systems are split into unpaired and paired at the (spin‐dependent) second‐order reduced density matrix level. The unpaired electron in an orbital is defined as the “simultaneous occurrence of an electron and an electron hole of opposite spins in the same spatial orbital,” which for simplicity is called “electropon.” The electropon population in a given orbital reveals whether and to what degree the Coulomb correlations, and hence, the chemical bonding between this orbital and the remaining orbitals of the system are globally favorable or unfavorable. The interaction of two electropons in two target orbitals reveals the quality (favorable or unfavorable) and the strength of the covalent bonding between these orbitals; this establish a bridge between the notion of “unpaired electrons” and the traditional covalent structure of valence‐bond (VB) theory. Favorable/unfavorable bonding between two orbitals is characterized by the positive/negative (Coulomb) correlation of two electropons of opposite spins, or alternatively, by the negative/positive (Fermi) correlation of two parallel spin electropons. A spin‐free index is defined, and the relationship between the electropon viewpoint for chemical bonding and the well‐known two‐electron Coulomb and Fermi correlations is established. Benchmark calculations are achieved for ethylene, hexatriene, benzene, pyrrole, methylamine, and ammonia molecules on the basis of physically meaningful natural orbitals. The results, obtained in the framework of both orthogonal and nonorthogonal population analysis methods, provide the same conceptual pictures, which are in very good agreement with elementary chemical knowledge and VB theory. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An MINLP retrofit approach for improving the flexibility of heat exchanger networks

A mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model for the retrofit of heat exchanger networks (HENs) in order to improve their flexibility is presented in this paper. As stream flowrates and inlet temperatures and/or heat transfer coefficients are allowed to vary within either specified ranges or discrete sets, a multiperiod hyperstructure network representation is developed based on critical operating conditions (i.e. periods of operation) that limit the network's flexibility. This multiperiod hyperstructure includes all possible network configurations. Structural modifications, such as new stream matches, exchanger reassignments, splitting and mixing of streams are explicitly modeled either considering one-to-one or one-to-many assignment of heat exchangers to stream matches. Energy recovery and utility consumption are not predetermined but are optimized as part of a total annualized cost along with the structural modification cost in the objective function. Thus, trade-offs between operating and retrofit investment costs to improve the flexibility of a HEN are accounted for. The resulting large scale MINLP is solved with the application of the Generalized Benders Decomposition. The proposed multiperiod retrofit model can be included in a general framework to improve the operability of heat exchanger networks.     

High resolution and low-temperature photoelectron spectroscopy of an oxygen-linked fullerene dimer dianion: C(120)O(2-)

C(120)O comprises two C(60) cages linked by a furan ring and is formed by reactions of C(60)O and C(60). We have produced doubly charged anions of this fullerene dimer (C(120)O(2-)) and studied its electronic structure and stability using photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. High resolution and vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectra were obtained at 70 K and at several photon energies. The second electron affinity of C(120)O was measured to be 1.02+/-0.03 eV and the intramolecular Coulomb repulsion was estimated to be about 0.8 eV in C(120)O(2-) on the basis of the observed repulsive Coulomb barrier. A low-lying excited state ((2)B(1)) was also observed for C(120)O(-) at 0.09 eV above the ground state ((2)A(1)). The C(120)O(2-) dianion can be viewed as a single electron on each C(60) ball very weakly coupled. Theoretical calculations showed that the singlet and triplet states of C(120)O(2-) are nearly degenerate and can both be present in the experiment. The computed electron binding energies and excitation energies, as well as Franck-Condon factors, are used to help interpret the photoelectron spectra. A C-C bond-cleaved isomer, C(60)-O-C(60) (2-), was also observed with a higher electron binding energy of 1.54 eV.     

Optimization of separation in two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography by adjusting phase system selectivity and using programmed elution techniques

The overall peak capacity in comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatographic (LC x LC) separation can be considerably increased using efficient columns and carefully optimized mobile phases providing large differences in the retention mechanisms and separation selectivity between the first and the second dimension. Gradient-elution operation and fraction-transfer modulation by matching the retention and the elution strength of the mobile phases in the two dimensions are useful means to suppress the band broadening in the second dimension and to increase the number of sample compounds separated in LC x LC. Matching parallel gradients in the first and second dimension eliminate the necessity of second-dimension column re-equilibration after the independent gradient runs for each fraction, increase the use of the available second-dimension separation time and can significantly improve the regularity of the coverage of the available retention space in LC x LC separations, especially with the first- and second-dimension systems showing partial selectivity correlations. Systematic development of an LC x LC method with parallel two-dimensional gradients was applied for separation of phenolic acids and flavone compounds. Several types of bonded C18, amide, phenyl, pentafluorophenyl and poly(ethylene glycol) columns were compared using the linear free energy relationship method to find suitable column combination with low correlation of retention of representative standards. The phase systems were optimized step-by-step to find the mobile phases and gradients providing best separation selectivity for phenolic compounds. The optimization of simultaneous parallel gradients in the first and second dimension resulted in significant improvement in the utilization of the available two-dimensional retention space.