Synthesis and Complexing Properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N,N</Emphasis>′-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl) Diaza Crown Ethers

The stability constants of complexes of 12-, 15-, and 18-membered diaza crown ethers, N,N′-dimethyl diaza crown ethers, and N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) diaza crown ethers with alkali and alkaline-earth metal ions in 95% aqueous methanol at 25°C were determined. The stability of the complexes of unsubstituted diaza crown ethers with alkali metal cations is low, probably because of stabilization of the exo,exo conformation of the ligands due to interaction of the nitrogen lone electron pairs with the solvent. The complexes with the double-charged cations are appreciably more stable. N,N′-Dimethyl diaza crown ethers form stable complexes with all the ions studied. As compared to the dimethyl derivatives, N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) diaza crown ethers form more stable complexes with the Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Ba²⁺ ions, which is due to participation of the side hydroxyethyl groups in the coordination.__________Translated from Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii, Vol. 75, No. 4, 2005, pp. 665–669.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Kulygina, Vetrogon, Basok, Luk’yanenko.     

Spectrophotometric method for the determination of sorbic acid in various food samples with iron(III) and 2-thiobarbituric acid as reagents

A simple, rapid and accurate spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of sorbic acid in various food samples based on the oxidation of sorbic acid by iron(III) at 100 degrees C to malonaldehyde, which then reacts with 2-thiobarbituric acid to form a reddish brown product. The optimum experimental conditions for colour development have been assessed. Absorbance measurements were made at 529 nm in the presence of 0.4% m/V citric acid. The calibration graph was linear for 0-6 micrograms ml-1 of sorbic acid with a slope of 0.131 A micrograms-1 ml. The recoveries of sorbic acid at concentrations of 164-557 micrograms ml-1 ranged from 96 to 103%. The relative standard deviations of ten replicate determinations of sorbic acid in a synthetic cream soda sample spiked with 573 micrograms ml-1 of sorbic acid and in an onion juice sample containing 82 micrograms ml-1 of sorbic acid were 1.6 and 1.9%, respectively. Interferences from several common food additives can be minimised by extracting sorbic acid with diethyl ether and then back-extracting the acid with sodium hydrogen carbonate. The method has been applied successfully to the determination of sorbic acid in a wide range of food samples including beverages, cake, cake mate, garlic bread sprinkle, onion juice, oyster flavoured sauce and grenadine syrup.     

Reaction of substituted iron phthalocyanines with dioxygen in acidic medium

The reaction of acidic form of the substituted icon phthalocyanine complex (3-PhS- 5-Bu^t)⁴pcFe (pcFe) with dioxygen in o-dichlorobenzene in the presence of dichloroacetic acid (HX) was investigated. The oxidation of HpcFeX gives the corresponding radical cation, which was confirmed by the stoichiometry of reduction of the product formed in this reaction with a two-electron reducing agent. The kinetic equation obtained on the basis of dependences of the oxidation rate on the HpcFeX, HX, and O₂ concentrations are consistent with the reaction mechanism that implies the formation of a HpcFeX complex with O₂ and its transformation to give a radical cation under the action of HX.Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1592–1597, August, 2004.     

Thermoactivated creep and stress relaxation in Cd + 0·08 at% Sn single crystals

The activation area of plastically deformed Cd + 0·08 at% Sn single crystals was determined from differential creep test and stress relaxation at temperatures 78 K, 200 K and 295 K. The activation areaA depends on the resolved shear stress, ,A ^{* –r} wherer is dependent on temperature and the testing method used. For temperatures above 0·3T _m recovery during stress relaxation should be considered.     

The NNTMM code: Mathematical modeling, optimization, and data analysis through neural networks

The concept, functional capabilities, graphic interface, and application technology for the NNTMM code (Neural Network Tool for Mathematical Modeling), designed for analyzing large amounts of experimental and computational data in an interactive mode, are described. The software can be used to solve a wide range of applied problems where automated extraction of meaningful information from randomly presented data is required, along with data classification, clear representation of established relationships and dependences, analysis of parameter importance, and prediction. Examples of using the NNTMM code to analyze data in controlled nuclear fusion problems are presented.     

Recent advances in the homogeneous polymerisation of olefins mediated by nickel complexes

A brief overview is presented on recent advances in the application of nickel coordination complexes as mediators of olefin polymerisation; in some cases involving stereo-regular polymer formation where appropriate. Emphasis is also given on recent findings concerning di- and tri-nuclear Ni clusters with details on ethylene, methyl methacrylate or styrene-based monomer polymerisations.     

Nitroxide‐Mediated Polymerization of Bio‐Based Farnesene with a Functionalized Methacrylate

Farnesene (Far) is a bio‐based terpene monomer that is similar in structure to commercially used dienes like butadiene and isoprene. Nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP) is adept for the polymerization of dienes, but not particularly effective at controlling the polymerization of methacrylates using commercial nitroxides. In this study, Far is statistically copolymerized with a functional methacrylate, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), by NMP using N‐succinimidyl modified commercial BlocBuilder (NHS‐BB) initiator. Reactivity ratios are determined to be r _Far = 0.54 ± 0.04 and r _GMA = 0.24 ± 0.02. The ability of the poly(Far‐stat‐GMA) chains to reinitiate for chain extension with styrene showed a clear shift in molecular weight and monomodal distribution. Copolymerizations using a new alkoxyamine, Dispolreg 007 (D7), is explored as it is shown to homopolymerize methacrylates, but not yet reported for statistical copolymerizations. Bimodal molecular weight distributions are observed when an equimolar ratio of Far and GMA is copolymerized with D7 due to slow decomposition of the initiator, but chain ends are active as shown by successful chain extension with styrene. Both NHS‐BB and D7 initiators are used to synthesize poly[Far‐b‐(GMA‐stat‐Far)] and poly(Far‐b‐GMA) diblock copolymers. While the NHS‐BB initiated polymer chains have lower dispersity, D7 exhibits more linear polymerization kinetics and maintains more active chain ends.