The kinetics of hydrogen peroxide initiated polymerisation of methacrylamide

A kinetic study of the aqueous polymerisation of methacrylamide initiated by hydrogen peroxide has shown that the polymerisation proceeds in two stages. The rate of polymerisation up to about 16% conversion is represented by the equation

Within this period, the hydrogen peroxide is completely consumed and a hydroperoxide of methacrylamide is formed. Subsequently this hydroperoxide initiates polymerisation.     

Systematic optimization of micellar electrokinetic chromatographic separation of flavonoids

Summary A simple and rapid systematic optimization scheme was described for the micellar electrokinetic chromatographic separation of a group of flavonoids. The scheme employed an interpretative optimization approach to predict the optimum conditions for the separation of a group of flavonoids by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. By performing a set of nine pre-planned experiments conducted over the maximum working range for the system, global optimum separation conditions could be determined. To validate the optimization procedure, additional experiments were performed using the optimum experimental conditions derived from the optimization scheme. The results showed that satisfactory separation of all the peaks could be obtained. In addition, the application of the method in micropreparative micellar electrokinetic chromatography of the flavonoids was demonstrated.     

Simple alkenes as substitutes for organometallic reagents: nickel-catalyzed, intermolecular coupling of aldehydes, silyl triflates, and alpha olefins

A nickel-catalyzed method for the three-component coupling of alkenes (ethylene and alpha olefins), aldehydes, and silyl triflates is described, and this process represents the first catalytic method for coupling aldehydes and alkenes to give allylic alcohol derivatives. Conceptually, the alkene functions as a replacement for an alkenylmetal reagent.     

In-situ derivatisation of degradation products of chemical warfare agents in water by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis

A new analytical procedure was developed for the extraction of degradation products of chemical warfare agents from water and for in-situ derivatisation prior to analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). With this new procedure, degradation products of the chemical warfare agents can be analysed and identified without going through laborious sample preparation. Parameters such as fiber selection, pH, salt content, derivatisation temperature, extraction and derivatisation periods, and sequence of adsorption/derivatisation were experimented with, to optimise the efficiency of this method. The detection limit is in the ppb to sub-ppb range with GC-MS in the full scan mode. Based on six injections of the devised procedure, a relative standard deviation from 10-35% can be achieved, depending on the compound. This method was demonstrated during the 4th International Interlaboratory Proficiency Test organised by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to be comparable to existing recommended operating procedures for verification of degradation products of chemical warfare agents.     

Persulphate initiated polymerisation of methacrylamide—I: Kinetics and molecular weight dependences

A kinetic study of the aqueous persulphate initiated polymerisation of methacrylamide has shown that the rate of polymerisation is represented by the equation $\text{R}{}_{\mathrm{p}}\text{= k [}\text{M}\text{] [}\text{I}\text{]}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ where the overall rate constant, $\text{k = 1.3 × 10}{}^9\text{exp}\text{(?18,400/}\text{RT}\text{) 1}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{mol}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?</mtext><mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{s}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$. Chain transfer with monomer, where C_M = 5.4 × 10^?3 at 60°, is shown to be the dominant transfer step. Comparison with kinetic studies of the analogous acrylamide polymerisation shed doubt on the ‘cage effect’ interpretation of complex orders with respect to monomer. An alternative explanation is proposed.     

Efficient dehalogenation of polyhalomethanes and production of strong acids in aqueous environments: water-catalyzed O--H-insertion and HI-elimination reactions of isodiiodomethane (CH2I-I) with water

A combined experimental and theoretical study of the ultraviolet photolysis of CH2I2 in water is reported. Ultraviolet photolysis of low concentrations of CH2I2 in water was experimentally observed to lead to almost complete conversion into CH2(OH)2 and 2HI products. Picosecond time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy experiments in mixed water/acetonitrile solvents (25%-75% water) showed that appreciable amounts of isodiiodomethane (CH2I-I) were formed within several picoseconds and the decay of the CH2I-I species became substantially shorter with increasing water concentration, suggesting that CH2I-I may be reacting with water. Ab initio calculations demonstrate the CH2I-I species is able to react readily with water via a water-catalyzed O--H-insertion and HI-elimination reaction followed by its CH2I(OH) product undergoing a further water-catalyzed HI-elimination reaction to make a H2C=O product. These HI-elimination reactions produce the two HI leaving groups observed experimentally and the H2C=O product further reacts with water to produce the other final CH2(OH)2 product observed in the photochemistry experiments. These results suggest that CH2I-I is the species that reacts with water to produce the CH2(OH)2 and 2HI products seen in the photochemistry experiments. The present study demonstrates that ultraviolet photolysis of CH2I2 at low concentration leads to efficient dehalogenation and release of multiple strong acid (HI) leaving groups. Some possible ramifications for the decomposition of polyhalomethanes and halomethanols in aqueous environments as well as the photochemistry of polyhalomethanes in the natural environment are briefly discussed.     

Selective, controllable, and reversible aggregation of polystyrene latex microspheres via DNA hybridization

The directed three-dimensional self-assembly of microstructures and nanostructures through the selective hybridization of DNA is the focus of great interest toward the fabrication of new materials. Single-stranded DNA is covalently attached to polystyrene latex microspheres. Single-stranded DNA can function as a sequence-selective Velcro by only bonding to another strand of DNA that has a complementary sequence. The attachment of the DNA increases the charge stabilization of the microspheres and allows controllable aggregation of microspheres by hybridization of complementary DNA sequences. In a mixture of microspheres derivatized with different sequences of DNA, microspheres with complementary DNA form aggregates, while microspheres with noncomplementary sequences remain suspended. The process is reversible by heating, with a characteristic "aggregate dissociation temperature" that is predictably dependent on salt concentration, and the evolution of aggregate dissociation with temperature is observed with optical microscopy.     

Crystallographic studies and structural systematics of the C2c alkali metal metavanadates

Four compounds in the system (Li, Na)VO₃ were synthesized and their structures refined in the space group $\text{C2}\text{c}$. Site population analysis showed that their compositions are (Na_0.5Li_0.5)VO₃, (Na_0.62Li_0.38)VO₃, (Na_0.71Li_0.29)VO₃ and (Na_0.84Li_0.16)VO₃. All have the structure of LiVO₃ and α-NaVO₃ which are related to the $\text{C2}\text{c}$ silicate pyroxenes. Structural data of eight compounds in the system (K, Na, Li)VO₃ were compiled, and correlations were established by multiple regression analyses between the effective ionic radii r_M1 and r_M2 of the alkali metal ions and various structural parameters. The size of the M2 site and the relative displacement of the (VO₃)_∞ chains are found to depend primarily on r_M2 only. The size of the M1 site and the amount of chain rotation are affected by both r_M1 and r_M2. Changes in lattice parameters are related to the chain movements. The anomalous chain configuration of LiVO₃ is also discussed.     

Tetrapyrrole derivatives substituted with ferrocenylethynyl moieties. synthesis and electrochemical studies

Up to eight redox-active ferrocenyl units have been incorporated, through the unsaturated ethynyl linkers, on the periphery of a series of cyclic tetrapyrrole derivatives including zinc(II) phthalocyanine and 2,3-naphthalocyanine, and nickel(II) meso-diphenylporphyrin. The synthesis of the former two macrocycles 4 and 7 involves the Sonogashira coupling reaction of ferrocenylethyne with 4,5-dichlorophthalonitrile (1) or 6,7-dibromonaphthalonitrile (5), respectively, followed by a base-promoted cyclization. The meso-bis(ferrocenylethynyl)porphyrin 11 has been prepared from the dibromo analogue 10 also by a palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction. These novel macrocyclic compounds have been spectroscopically and electrochemically characterized. As revealed by cyclic voltammetry, the ferrocenyl moieties appear to be electrochemically independent in these complexes and there is no significant electronic coupling among the iron(II) centers.     

Selection rules for Raman scattering from eigenmodes of spherical nanoparticles

The elastic vibrations of spherical nanoparticles have been widely studied by Raman scattering. However, there exist more than one set of selection rules for Raman scattering from these vibrations. For instance, Kanehisa has stated that only torsional modes with angular momentum l = 2 are Raman-active, while Tanaka et al. proposed that spheroidal modes of even l and torsional modes of odd l are Raman-active. These contradict selection rules of Duval which states that only spheroidal modes of l = 0 or 2 are Raman-active. Our present calculations based on a macroscopic model show that all torsional modes have vanishing intensity in the Raman spectrum.