Methanol synthesis from CO2-H2 and from CO-H2 under atmospheric pressure over Pd and Cu catalysts

Under atmospheric pressure, methanol was produced from CO₂–H₂ over Pd/ZnO and from CO–H₂ over Pd/MgO catalyst. Similar support effects were observed over Cu catalysts.     

Improved spectrophotometric determination of uranium(VI) with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol in the presence of benzyldimethylstearyltrimethylammonium chloride

An improved spectrophotometric determination of uranium(VI) is proposed using 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol(PAR) in the presence of benzyldimethylstearyltrimethylammonium chloride(BSTAC) as a cationic surfactant. The calibration graph is linear in the range of 0.3-60 microg/10 ml uranium(VI), measuring the absorbance at 550 nm. The reproducibility for 19.0 microg/10 ml uranium(VI) is 0.57%. The third-derivative method using the third-derivative distance (d(3)A/dlambda(3)) among lambda(1) 530 nm, lambda(3) 594 nm and lambda(2) 565 nm was also investigated.     

Mechanisms for CO production from CO2 using reduced rhenium tricarbonyl catalysts

The chemical conversion of CO(2) has been studied by numerous experimental groups. Particularly the use of rhenium tricarbonyl-based molecular catalysts has attracted interest owing to their ability to absorb light, store redox equivalents, and convert CO(2) into higher-energy products. The mechanism by which these catalysts mediate reduction, particularly to CO and HCOO(-), is poorly understood, and studies aimed at elucidating the reaction pathway have likely been hindered by the large number of species present in solution. Herein the mechanism for carbon monoxide production using rhenium tricarbonyl catalysts has been investigated using density functional theory. The investigation presented proceeds from the experimental work of Meyer's group (J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun.1985, 1414-1416) in DMSO and Fujita's group (J. Am. Chem. Soc.2003, 125, 11976-11987) in dry DMF. The latter work with a simplified reaction mixture, one that removes the photo-induced reduction step with a sacrificial donor, is used for validation of the proposed mechanism, which involves formation of a rhenium carboxylate dimer, [Re(dmb)(CO)(3)](2)(OCO), where dmb = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine. CO(2) insertion into this species, and subsequent rearrangement, is proposed to yield CO and the carbonate-bridged [Re(dmb)(CO)(3)](2)(OCO(2)). Structures and energies for the proposed reaction path are presented and compared to previously published experimental observations.     

Structural and dynamical aspects of alkylammonium salts of a silicodecatungstate as heterogeneous epoxidation catalysts

The structural and dynamical aspects of alkylammonium salts of a silicodecatungstate [(CH(3))(4)N](4)[γ-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] [C1], [(n-C(3)H(7))(4)N](4)[γ-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] [C3], [(n-C(4)H(9))(4)N](4)[γ-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] [C4], and [(n-C(5)H(11))(4)N](4)[γ-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] [C5] were investigated. The results of sorption isotherms, XRD analyses, and solid-state NMR spectroscopy show that facile sorption of solvent molecules, flexibility of structures, and high mobility of alkylammonium cations are crucial to the uniform distribution of reactant and oxidant molecules throughout the bulk solid, which are related to the high catalytic activities for epoxidation of alkenes.     

Cellulose Synthesized by Acetobacter Xylinum in the Presence of Acetyl Glucomannan

Acetobacter xylinum was cultured in Hestrin-Schramm medium (control medium) and Hestrin-Schramm medium containing acetyl glucomannan (mannan medium). Loose bundles of the cellulose microfibrils are formed in the mannan medium in contrast to the normal ribbons being produced in the control medium. Rapid-freeze and substitution method followed by metal-shadowing revealed the droplet-like structures around the microfibril synthesized in the mannan medium. The cellulose synthesized in the mannan medium was stained heavily by the periodic acid-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate (PATAg) method, while the cellulose synthesized in the control medium was not stained. X-ray diffractometry and FT-IR spectroscopy indicated that the addition of mannan induced a change in the crystal structure from the algal-bacterial type to the cotton-ramie type. Thus the presence of acetyl glucomannan in the medium prevents the assembly of cellulose microfibrils and changes the crystal structure of cellulose.     

QSAR and mode of action studies of insecticidal ecdysone agonists†

A series of our SAR and QSAR studies of synthetic moulting hormone agonists, dibenzoylhydrazines (DBH), exhibiting insecticidal/larvicidal activity are reviewed in this article. We prepared a number of analogues where various substituents are introduced into the two benzene rings of DBH and measured their biological activity using various biological systems. Larvicidal activity was against larvae of the rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis and the moulting hormone activity was in terms of the stimulation of N-acetylglucosamine incorporation in a cultured integument system of the same insect species. Binding affinity to the ecdysone receptor was assayed with intact Sf-9 cell lines in which the ADME processes are negligible as well as using receptor proteins obtained by in vitro translation of the responsible cDNA cloned from cell-free preparation of integumentary tissue of C. suppressalis. Variations in the biological activity indices were either correlated between two types of activity or correlated using physicochemical molecular and substituent parameters in terms of the classical QSAR. Comparisons among correlations and with recently revealed X-ray crystallographic findings clearly indicate the physicochemical meaning of parameters significant in the correlation equations to help understanding molecular mechanism of the moulting hormonal action.     

Adsorption of ammonia and water on functionalized edge-rich carbon nanofibers

The preparation, characterization and ammonia and water adsorption properties of edge-rich carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were studied, including platelet CNFs (PCNFs) and cup-stacked CNFs (CSCNFs). Since PCNFs and CSCNFs have many chemically active exposed edges, functionalization by oxidizing the edges was carried out by ozone stream and by nitric acid. Transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption isotherms and temperature-programmed desorption analysis showed that the nitric acid treatment partly destroyed the graphite structure of the PCNFs and created acid functional groups and micropores, whereas the ozone treatment created functional groups without damaging the structure. Ammonia adsorption isotherms clarified that NH₃ adsorption on PCNFs and CSCNFs occurred mainly on oxygen-containing groups, whereas the adsorption on activated carbon fibers (ACFs) occurred on both oxygen-containing groups and the carbon surface without the functional groups, and the CSCNFs showed larger amounts of adsorbed ammonia compared to the PCNFs. Especially at a relatively low pressure range (<0.2 atm), the PCNFs/CSCNFs/ACFs showed the same ammonia adsorption mechanism; that is, the one-to-one interaction between oxygen atoms in the functional groups and hydrogen atoms in ammonia molecules. In addition, the adsorption on the ACFs appeared to occur mainly by interaction with the carbon surface at relatively high pressure (0.3–1.0 atm). Our experimental results and previous findings suggest that NH₃ adsorption on PCNFs is due mainly to NH…O hydrogen bonding between oxygen-containing groups and ammonia rather than to chemical bonding.     

Photocycloaddition reaction of methyl 2- and 3-chromonecarboxylates with various alkenes

The irradiation of methyl 2- and 3-chromonecarboxylate in the presence of various alkenes afforded cyclobutane type adducts, whose structures were established by X-ray structural analysis. Methyl 2-chromonecarboxylate showed higher photochemical reactivity than methyl 3-chromonecarboxylate, in which endo adducts were yielded as major products.     

New Synthetic Method for Bicyclic Compounds Through a Sequence of Ene-Type Chlorination,Palladium Catalyzed Dehydrochlorination,and Intramolecular Diels-Alder Reaction

A sequence of ene-type chlorination, palladium catalyzed dehydrochlorination, and the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction afforded a new method for conversion of prenyl derivatives into bicyclic compounds.