Selective liquid adsorption and structural properties of montmorillonite and its hexadecylpyridinium derivatives

Summary An X-ray diffraction method was used to study the structures of montmorillonites, the surfaces of which were covered to a systematically increasing extent with hexadecylpyridinium (HDP) cations. It was found that, depending on the degree of cover of the surface, the HDP cations form a mono- or bimolecular layer in the interlayer space. A detailed investigation was made of the selective sorption of binary mixtures on montmorillonite and on HDP-montmorillonites with different surface coverages. The adsorption excess isotherms were determined, as were the adsorption capacities from analysis of the isotherms, and also the equivalent specific surface areas.It was established that from benzene-n-heptane mixtures the benzene is adsorbed only on the external surface of montmorillonite, while in the case of organocomplexes it causes moderate disaggregation.From benzene, alcohols with different numbers of carbon atoms are also preferentially adsorbed on the internal surfaces of montmorillonite; with the rise in the number of carbon atoms, the extent of interlamellar adsorption decreases. In the case of HDP-montmorillonites in methanol-benzene mixtures, the adsorption capacity exhibits a monotonous increase with the degree of organopbility in the range under consideration. In the event of optimum organophility the disaggregation of the organocomplex is complete, and the equivalent specific surface area is 764-778 m² · g^–1. The swelling of the organocomplex, which can be characterized by X-ray diffraction measurement, is in close correlation with the interlamellar liquid adsorption. The results show modification of the surface of montmorillonite with HDP cations fundamentally determines the nature and extent of the selective liquid adsorption.

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Zusammenfassung Die Struktur von mit Hexadecyl-pyridinium(HDP)-Kationen im systematisch gesteigerten Maße bedeckten Montmorilloniten wurde mit der Röntgendiffraktions-Methode untersucht. Es wurde festgestellt, daß die HDP-Kationen, von der Bedeckung der Oberfläche abhängend, im Schichtzwischenraum eine mono- bzw. bimolekulare Schicht bilden. Die selektive Sorption binärer Gemische wurde an Montmorilloniten und an HDP-Montmorilloniten verschiedener Bedeckung eingehend untersucht. Es wurden die Adsorptionsisothermen von Flüssigkeitsgemischen und aus deren Analyse die Adsorptionskapazitäten und die äquivalenten spezifischen Oberflächen bestimmt.Es wurde festgestellt, daß aus Benzol-n-Heptan-Gemischen das Benzol nur an der äußeren Montmorillonite-Oberfläche adsorbiert wird, während es bei Organokomplexen eine mäßige Desaggregation verursacht. Die Adsorption von Alkoholen verschiedener Kohlenstoffzahl aus Benzol erscheint auch an inneren Montmorillonit-Oberflächen bevorzugt; mit zunehmender Kohlenstoffzahl nimmt das Ausmaß der interlamellaren Adsorption ab. Bei HDP-Montmorilloniten zeigt die Adsorptionskapazität aus Methanol-Benzol-Gemischen mit zunehmender Organophilität im untersuchten Gebiet eine monotone Steigerung. Im Falle optimaler Organophilität ist die Desaggregation vollständig, die äquivalente spezifische Oberfläche beträgt 764-778 m²/g. Die durch Röntgenn-diffraktionsmessung charakterisierbare Quellung des Organokomplexes steht mit der interlamellaren Flüssig-keitsadsorption in engern Zusammenhang. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, daß Charakter und Ausmaß der selektiven Flüssigkeitsadsorption durch die Modifizierung der Montmorillonit-Oberfläche mit HDP-Kationen grundlegend verändert wird.

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With 14 figures and 4 tables     

The esterase and peptidase activities of an elastolytic enzyme of Actinomyces rimosus

Summary 1. It has been shown that the values of K_m for the esterase activity of elastase ofActinomyces rimosus and for pancreatic elastase are of the same order of magnitude.2. The elastase ofActinomyces rimosus, unlike the pancreatic enzyme, is capable of hydrolyzing only the methyl ester of N-acetyltrialanine, and not the mono and di derivatives.3. It has been found that in the initial stage of the hydrolysis reaction it is mainly the ester bonds that are cleaved.Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. N. D. Zelinskii Institute of Organic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 693–695, September–October, 1977.     

The influence of seasonal changes in the concentration of trace elements in liver tissue of various wild animals determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Levels of some of the most essential minerals in liver tissue of wild animals living in game reserves in South Africa were studied by instrumental thermal neutron activation analysis and a Ge(Li) detector. In addition, some of the most important trace elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The distribution of the content of the various elements was followed for about two years and attempts have been made to explain the influence of seasonal fluctuations of the micronutrients determined.     

A study of deuterium exchange in adamantane carboxylic acids and alcohols under electron impact

The mass spectra of 1-adamantyl substituted carboxylic acids and alcohols with and without deuterated hydroxyl groups were studied. Deuterium exchange between functional group and adamantane nucleus was observed and a possible explantation of the phenomenon is given.     

Chemistry of thienopyridines. VII. Mechanistic studies on the synthesis of thieno[2,3-c] pyridine by thermolytic cyclization

A study was made of the formation of thieno[2,3-c]pyridine (1) from hydrogen sulfide and 4-vinylpyridine in a flow system at 630°. 2-(4-Pyridyl)ethanethiol and bis-2-(4-pyridyl)ethyl sulfide were found to be likely intermediates. Based on these studies, there was devised a two-step practical preparative method for I (optimum overall yield 58%) which consists of preliminary conversion of 4-vinylpyridine to benzyl 2-(4-pyridyl)ethyl sulfide and subsequent thermolysis (at 605°) of this substance.     

The composition of the evolved gases from the thermal decomposition of certain metal sulfates

By the use of TG—MS, the thermal dissociation of anhydrous CuSO₄ and Al₂(S0₄)₃ was found to proceed according to the reactions:

followed by the reactions:

No SO₃ was indicated in the dissociation of alunite. The sulfate ion appears to dissociate by at least two different mechanisms although the parameter which controls the mechanisms has not been elucidated.     

A thermochemical study of acid-base interactions in aqueous solutions of citric acid

The heat effects of interaction of a solution of citric acid with HNO₃ and KOH were measured calorimetrically at 298.15 K and ionic strengths of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 (KNO₃). The heat effects of acid dissociation were calculated using the universal HEAT program. The standard thermodynamic characteristics of step dissociation of citric acid were determined.     

In situ soft X-ray studies of ethylene oxidation mechanisms and intermediates on the Pt(111) surface

In situ studies of ethylene oxidation on Pt(111) have been performed using a powerful combination of fluorescence yield soft X-ray methods for temperatures up to 600 K and oxygen pressures up to 0.01 Torr. Absolute carbon coverages have been determined both in steady-state and dynamic catalytic conditions on the Pt(111) surface. Fluorescence yield near-edge spectroscopy (FYNES) and temperature-programmed fluorescence yield near-edge spectroscopy (TP-FYNES) experiments above the carbon K edge were used to identify the structure and bonding of the dominant surface species during oxidation. TP-FYNES experiments of preadsorbed ethylene coverages in oxygen pressures up to 0.01 Torr indicate a stable intermediate is formed over the 215-300 K temperature range. By comparing the intensity of the C-H sigma resonance at the magic angle with the intensity in the carbon continuum, the stoichiometry of this intermediate has been determined explicitly. Based on calibration with known C-H stoichiometries, the intermediate has a C(2)H(3) stoichiometry for oxygen pressures up to 0.01 Torr, indicating oxydehydrogenation occurs before skeletal oxidation. FYNES spectra at normal and glancing incidences were performed to characterize the structure and bonding of this intermediate. Using FYNES spectra of ethylene, ethylidyne, and acetylene as reference standard, this procedure indicates the oxidation intermediate is tri-sigma vinyl. Thus, oxidation of ethylene proceeds through a vinyl intermediate, with oxydehydrogenation preceding skeletal oxidation.     

Polynuclear nonfused bis(1,3,4-oxadiazole)-containing systems

Nonfused bis-1,3,4-oxadiazoles were synthesized by reaction of 5-substituted mono-and bis-tetrazoles with mono-and dicarboxylic acid chlorides. The results of kinetic studies showed that the transformation of tetrazoles into 1,3,4-oxadiazoles is accelerated by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude on addition of a catalytic amount of dimethylformamide, triethylamine, or pyridine.     

The effect of preparation procedure and composition of water-ethanol suspensions of amorphous silica on their aggregative stability and kinetics of coagulation

The method of flow ultramicroscopy is employed to study the effect of the composition and preparation procedure of dilute water-ethanol suspensions of two samples of amorphous silica (fractionated fused quartz and monodisperse amorphous silica) on the kinetics of their coagulation. It is revealed that all suspensions prepared by the addition of silica powders to water-ethanol mixtures with ethanol contents of 96 and 40 vol % are stable with respect to aggregation, as the suspensions prepared by the addition of aliquots of concentrated dispersions of the aforementioned silica samples in 96% ethanol aged for different time periods to water-ethanol mixtures containing 96 vol % ethanol. At a 40-vol % content of ethanol in the mixture, the coagulation whose character (including “superfast” coagulation) substantially depends on the time of aging of initial concentrated silica dispersions occurs. Furthermore, kinetic studies are performed for the coagulation of dilute silica suspensions prepared by the addition of silica powders to water-ethanol solutions containing 40 vol % of ethanol and traces (<1 ppm) of poly(ethoxysilane), poly(acrylic acid), and a supernatant prepared by the centrifugation of concentrated silica dispersion in 96% ethanol aged for more than 3 months. It is found that the addition of aliquots of the aforementioned ethanol solutions to silica suspensions in 40% ethanol, which are initially stable with respect to aggregation, causes their superfast coagulation.