Acid digestion of geological and environmental samples using open-vessel focused microwave digestion

The application of open vessel focused microwave acid digestion is described for the preparation of geological and environmental samples for analysis using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The method is compared to conventional closed-vessel high pressure methods which are limited in the use of HF to break down silicates. Open-vessel acid digestion more conveniently enables the use of HF to remove Si from geological and plant samples as volatile SiF4, as well as evaporation-to-dryness and sequential acid addition during the procedure. Rock reference materials (G-2 granite, MRG-1 gabbros, SY-2 syenite, JA-1 andesite, and JB-2 and SRM-688 basalts) and plant reference materials (BCR and IAEA lichens, peach leaves, apple leaves, Durham wheat flour, and pine needles) were digested with results comparable to conventional hotplate digestion. The microwave digestion method gave poor results for granitic samples containing refractory minerals, however fusion was the preferred method of preparation for these samples. Sample preparation time was reduced from several days, using conventional hotplate digestion method, to one hour per sample using our microwave method.     

The effect of substituents on the extraction behavior of hydroxamic acids

The extraction behavior of several alkyl-substituted hydroxamic acids in chloroform solution with several metal ions is described. Among the N-phenylacylhydroxamic acids used, those with o-alkyl substituents on either the phenyl or acyl ring generally do not extract metals, apparently because of steric problems at the O=CNO^? chelation site. An improved synthesis of substituted hydroxamic acids is reported.     

Mecanismes de Fragmentation de l'Oxazole

The fragmentation mechanisms of oxazole have been studied in detail on using various experimental techniques (refocusing of metastable ions, deuteration, AP measurements) and by theoretical calculations.     

Genotoxic properties of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone, a compound formed on irradiation of food containing fat

When food containing fat is treated by ionizing radiation, a group of 2-alkylcyclobutanones is formed. These components contain the same number of carbon atoms as their precursor fatty acids and the alkyl group is located in ring position 2. Thus, from palmitic acid 2-dodecylcyclobutanone is derived. To date, there is no evidence that the cyclobutanones occur in unirradiated food. Therefore, these components cannot be considered inherent to food, and for questions pertaining to risk assessment of irradiated food it would be advisable to determine the genotoxic and toxic potentials of cyclobutanones. Measurements of DNA damage in cells exposed to 2-dodecylcyclobutanone, employing the single cell microgel electrophoresis technique, have been carried out. In vitro experiments using rat and human colon cells indicate that 2-docylcyclobutanone in the concentration range of about 0.30 – 1.25 mg/ml induces DNA strand breaks in the cells. Simultaneously, a concentration related cytotoxic effect is observed as was determined by trypan blue exclusion. To which extent these in vitro findings are of relevancy for the in vivo human exposure situation needs to be investigated in further studies. In vivo tests in rats are in progress.     

Synthesis of trans-1,2-diphenyl-3,4-bis[4-(2,6-diphenyl-4H- pyranylidenyl)]cyclobutane: correction and structure proof

The reaction of phenyl lithium acetylide ($\text{2}$) with 2,6-diphenylpyrylium perchlorate ($\text{1}$) is solvent dependent. With diethyl ether as solvent, the isolated product differed from that previously reported and is reassingned as 2,6-diphenyl-4-phenylacetylenyl-4$\text{H}$-pyran ($\text{5}$). On the other hand, in THF the title compound ($\text{6}$) was obtained; its structure confirmed by single-crystal x-ray crystallography.     

Unraveling Water Structure Inside and Between Nanocapsules

Among Achim Müller's prolific crystal structure database, we have selected two crystalline phases in order to perform a whole and complete characterization of water structure at the nanometer scale. The first chosen example involves the Na₃(NH₄)₁₂[Mo₅₇Fe₆(NO)₆O₁₇₄(OH)₃(H₂O)₂₄] 76H₂O compound synthesized and characterized in 1994. Some very interesting yet unnoticed water clusters may be evidenced in the voids generated by the stacking of the polyanionic units. Among them, we have been able to characterized a pure water crown (H₂O)₁₈, a loose association of three strongly solvated ammonium ions [H₃N–HOH₂]⁺ mediated by two water dimers and one water molecule, a perfectly planar alternating six-member ring [(NH₄)₃(H₂O)₃]³⁺, a puckered chair-shaped hexagonal ring [(NH₄)₂(H₂O)₄]³⁺ and two triangular pyramidal water tetramers (H₂O)₄. It was also shown that the crown and the chair ring was involved through further hydrogen bonding into the formation of a quite novel supramolecular layer modeling the structure of water in contact with a polyelectrolyte. The second example involves the (gua)₃₂[Mo₁₃₂O₃₇₂(H₂O)₇₂(SO₄)₁₀(H₂PO₂)₂₀(gua)₂₀]nH₂O compound synthesized and characterized in 2002. Here, we provide for the first time a complete structural analysis of all the various hydrogen bond patterns encountered in this system. Among them we may cite, an intramolecular web covering the internal cavity, an intramolecular finite system involving the guanidinium cations and the nine-member ring pores of the Mo₁₃₂ shell and a central pure water cluster of one hundred water molecules. In this last case, the evolution of the hydrogen bond strengths on a per H-bond basis or within supramolecular aggregates ([H₂O]₂₀, [H₂O]₄₀, and [H₂O]₁₀₀) is quantitatively studied from standpoints involving both geometry (H–OO bond angles distribution) and energy (partition functions). A survey of other crystalline phases involving water clusters is also presented. It is hoped that the study of these new clusters in a very next future will allow us to solve the well-known water puzzling behaviors.     

Adhesion between graphite and modified polyester surfaces: a theoretical study

This study examines the adhesion of graphite to functionalized polyester surfaces using a range of qualitative and quantitative measures of theoretical adhesion. Modifications to the polyester surfaces include the addition of hydroxyl, carboxyl, or fluorine substituents with coverages of 0.4 and 0.9 groups per nm(2). In each case, the introduction of substituents to the surface of the polyester was calculated to lead to reduced adhesion to graphite. Effects of surface relaxation on adhesion are studied by employing different simulation protocols. The theoretical results suggest one mechanism to reduce adhesion to carbonaceous solids is to increase atomic roughness using strongly hydrophilic or alternatively strongly hydrophobic substituents.     

Die Veresterungsgeschwindigkeiten der Nitrobenzoesäuren in Äthylenglykol und der Naphtoesäuren in Glyzerin

Zusammenfassung Es werden die monomolekuren Geschwindigkeitskonstanten der durch Chlorwasserstoff katalysierten Veresterung der Nitrobenzoesäuren in Glykol und der Naphthoesäuren in Glyzerin bei 25° gemessen und als Funktionen der Wasser- (w) und Salzsäurekonzentration (c) des Mediums durch Intrapolationsformeln dargestellt.Diese Konstanten nehmen in wasserwarmem Glyzerin und Glykol und in wasserreicherem Glyzerin proportional der Chlorwasserstoffkonzentration zu, in wasserreicherem Glykol aber rascher, was mit früheren Beobachtungen übereinstimmt. Fürc=1/6 undw=0.065 ist das Verhältnis der monomolekularen Konstanten der Benzoesäure zu jenen dero-,m- undp-Nitrobenzoesäure und der- und-Naphthoesäure in Äthylalkohol 10.0540.570.700.391.00, in Glykol 10·0380·690·79, in Glyzerin 10·0680·630·800·610·93. Die sterische Hinderung durch die Orthosubstitution ist somit hier in Glyzerin kleiner, in Glykol größer als in Äthylalkohol. Daher wird auch die Orthonitrobenzoesäure in Glyzerin rascher als in Glykol verestert, während sonst meist das umgekehrte Verhältnis besteht.Bei geringem Wassergehalt sind die Veresterungsgeschwindigkeiten in beiden Medien kleiner als in Äthylalkohol, bei größerem aber größer wegen der weitaus stärkeren verzögernden Wirkung des Wassers in letzterem.Unter den Versuchsbedingungen findet praktisch vollständige Veresterung statt, so daß die Wiederverseifung nicht zu berücksichtigen ist.Bei 183° verläuft die Selbstveresterung der Naphthoesäuren in Glyzerin ebenso wie die der bisher gemessenen Säuren nach der Gleichung für sesquimolekulare Reaktionen, deren Konstanten in Glyzerin, das etwa zwei Mole Wasser im Liter enthält, um rund 20% kleiner sind als in ursprünglich absolutem. In letzterem sind sie bei der-Naphthoesäure neunmal, bei der-Naphthoesäure elfmal kleiner als bei der Benzoesäure, woraus geschlossen wird, daß diese in Glyzerin von 183° nicht nur stärker als die-, sondern auch als die-Naphthoesäure dissoziiert sein muß, falls es sich bei der Selbstveresterung hauptsächlich um eine Wasserstoffionenkatalyse handelt.In Glyzerin und Glykol bei 25° über die Geschwindigkeit der Chlorhydrinbildung ausgeführte Versuche bestätigen den Befund von Kailan und Goitein.     

The diazocarbene (CNN) molecule: characterization of the X 3Sigma- and A 3Pi electronic states

The ground (X (3)Sigma(-)) and first excited triplet (A (3)Pi) electronic states of diazocarbene (CNN) have been investigated systematically starting from the self-consistent-field theory and proceeding to the coupled cluster with single, double, and full triple excitations (CCSDT) method with a wide range of basis sets. While the linear X (3)Sigma(-) ground state of CNN has a real degenerate bending vibrational frequency, the A (3)Pi state of CNN is subject to the Renner-Teller effect and presents two distinct real vibrational frequencies along the bending coordinate. The bending vibrational frequencies of the A (3)Pi state were evaluated via the equation-of-motion coupled cluster (EOM-CC) techniques. The significant sensitivity to level of theory in predicting the ground-state geometry, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and associated infrared intensities has been attributed to the fact that the reference wave function is strongly perturbed by the excitations of 1pi-->3pi followed by a spin flip. At the highest level of theory with the largest basis set, correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple zeta (cc-pVQZ) CCSDT, the classical X-A splitting (T(e) value) was predicted to be 68.5 kcal/mol (2.97 eV, 24 000 cm(-1)) and the quantum mechanical splitting (T(0) value) to be 69.7 kcal/mol (3.02 eV, 24 400 cm(-1)), which are in excellent agreement with the experimental T(0) values, 67.5-68.2 kcal/mol (2.93-2.96 eV, 23 600-23 900 cm(-1)). With the EOM-CCSD method the Renner parameter (epsilon) and averaged bending vibrational frequency (omega(2)) for the A (3)Pi state were evaluated to be epsilon=-0.118 and omega(2)=615 cm(-1), respectively. They are in fair agreement with the experimental values of epsilon=-0.07 and nu(2)=525 cm(-1).     

Some difficulties in the application of the concept of density of states

The problem of defining N(E), the density of states, for molecular systems is discussed. It is shown that a numeric evaluation of N(E) is often only approximate, even for continuous data, and is not well defined for quantized systems. The application of the concept of density of states is discussed, particularly with regard to the RRKM theory of unimolecular reactions. The sum of states, W(E), and density of states curves are evaluated for several harmonic and anharmonic model systems and the results discussed in order to illustrate the foregoing considerations.