Rate constants of the reaction of NO3 with CH3I measured with use of cavity ring-down spectroscopy

We have applied cavity ring-down spectroscopy to a kinetic study of the reaction of NO3 with CH3I in 20-200 Torr of N2 diluent at 298 K. The rate constant of the reaction of NO3 + CH3I was determined to be (4.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(-13) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) in 100 Torr of N2 diluent at 298 K and is pressure-independent. This reaction may significantly contribute to the formation of reactive iodine compounds in the atmosphere.     

Transient natural convection induced by electrodeposition of Li+ ions onto a lithium metal vertical cathode in propylene carbonate

Transient natural convection caused by Li⁺ electrodeposition at constant current along a vertical Li metal cathode immersed in a 0.5 M LiClO₄–PC (propylene carbonate) electrolyte was compared with that by Cu²⁺ ion electrodeposition in aqueous CuSO₄ solution. The concentration profile of the Li⁺ ions was measured in situ by holographic interferometry. The interference fringes start to shift with time at a higher current density. The concentration boundary layer thickness for Li⁺ ions was successfully determined. With the progress of electrodeposition, the density difference between the electrolyte at the cathode surface and the bulk electrolyte increased to induce upward natural convection of the electrolyte. The electrolyte velocity was measured by monitoring the movement of tracer particles. The measured transient behavior of the ionic mass and momentum transfer rates normalized with respect to the steady-state value was numerically analyzed. Transient natural convection along a vertical cathode due to Li metal electrodeposition can be reasonably explained by boundary layer theory, similar to the case of Cu electrodeposition in aqueous CuSO₄ solution.     

Variation of hydrogen‐bonded networks in hexa­fluoro­phosphate salts of amidate‐bridged dirhodium(II,III) complexes with axial aqua ligands

In diaqua­tetra‐μ‐acetamidato‐κ⁴N:O;κ⁴O:N‐di­rhodium(II,III) hexa­fluoro­phosphate, [Rh₂(C₂H₄NO)₄(H₂O)₂]PF₆, and diaqua­tetra‐μ‐acetamidato‐κ⁴N:O;κ⁴O:N‐di­rho­dium(II,III)hexa­fluoro­phosphate dihydrate, [Rh₂(C₂H₄NO)₄(H₂O)₂]PF₆·2H₂O, the cations and anions lie on inversion centers. Diaqua­tetra‐μ‐propionamidato‐κ⁴N:O;κ⁴O:N‐dirhodium(II,III) hexa­fluoro­phosphate dihydrate, [Rh₂(C₃H₆NO)₄(H₂O)₂]PF₆·2H₂O, and diaqua­tetra‐μ‐butyramidato‐κ⁴N:O;κ⁴O:N‐dirhodium(II,III) hexa­fluoro­phosphate, [Rh₂(C₄H₈NO)₄(H₂O)₂]PF₆, crystallize with two crystallographically independent complexes that lie on inversion centers. In all of the structures, the dirhodium units are hydrogen bonded to one another. The hydrogen‐bonded networks vary with the alkyl substituents.     

Photochemical modification of diamond films: introduction of perfluorooctyl functional groups on their surface

Photolysis of perfluoroazooctane with diamond films led the chemical modification of the surface to introduce perfluorooctyl functional groups, confirmed by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements. Diamond films modified with fluorine moieties showed improved frictional property and reduction of surface energy, as evaluated by contact angle to water, compared with a pristine diamond film. The contact angle and friction coefficient of chemically modified diamond film are 118 degrees and 0.1, respectively. The results of the value of the contact angle depending on irradiation times are consistent with those of the F/C ratio of fluorinated diamond films by monitoring with XPS.     

Electronic spectrum of a photochromic diarylethene derivative in a supersonic free jet. Internal conversion from S2(1B) to S1(2A)

The fluorescence excitation and dispersed fluorescence spectra of the open-ring isomer of 1,2-bis(3-methyl-2-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene have been measured in a supersonic free jet. No vibronic structure has been observed in the excitation spectrum. The intensity of fluorescence gradually increases with the excitation energy in the 25,500–28,700 cm⁻¹ region, indicating that the geometry of the molecule substantially changes upon photoexcitation. The dispersed fluorescence spectrum is anomaly Stokes-shifted with respect to the excitation energy, suggesting that the S₂(1B) state is initially excited followed by rapid internal conversion from the S₂(1B) to S₁(2A) state. The fluorescence is due to the S₁(2A)–S₀(1A) transition. Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G^** level have been carried out to investigate stable conformations responsible for the observed spectra.     

Improvement of stability of a Fe/Mg/Al2O3 catalyst for the decomposition of methane in the presence of O2/CO2

The stability of an Fe/Al₂O₃ catalyst in the methane decomposition in the presence of O₂/CO₂ was found to be improved by the addition of Mg into the catalyst (Mg/Fe=1/1 wt ratio), probably due to suppression of carbon deposition even under CH₄/ O₂/CO₂ (80/10/5 vol. ratio) conditions. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ruthenium-mediated regio- and stereoselective alkenylation of pyridine

A novel alkenylation reaction of pyridine is developed. Heating a cationic ruthenium vinylidene complex [CpRu(=C=CHR)(PPh(3))(2)]PF(6) in pyridine at 100-125 degrees C for 24 h affords (E)-2-alkenylpyridine. Initially, pyridine coordinates to ruthenium by displacement of one of the phosphine ligands. Then, [2 + 2] heterocycloaddition occurs to form a four-membered ruthenacyclic complex. Deprotonation of the beta-hydrogen affords a neutral pi-azaallyl complex. Protonolysis furnishes the product. As a result, a vinylidene group is inserted into the alpha C-H bond of pyridine. The alkenylation reaction is made catalytic in ruthenium by the use of (alkyn-1-yl)silane as the vinylidene source. Treatment of (alkyn-1-yl)trimethylsilane with pyridine in the presence of a cationic ruthenium complex [CpRu(PPh(3))(2)]PF(6) affords the corresponding (E)-2-alkenylpyridine in good yield in a regio- and stereoselective manner.     

Self-organization and photoreactivity of anthryl dendron having perfluoroalkyl chains at the terminals

A newly designed anthryl dendron having perfluoroalkyl chains at terminals showed thermotropic liquid crystallinity, which was characterized using polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The anthryl dendron forms S_B phase at room temperature below 53 °C, at which temperature a phase transition to Col_rd takes place. In a fluorous solvent, regioselective photodimerization of the anthryl dendron occurred to give head-to-head photodimers, although photodimerization in the S_B phase and chloroform gave both head-to-head and head-to-tail photodimers.     

Effector-assisted refolding of recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator produced in escherichia coli

Recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (r-tPA), expressed in Escherichia coli cells in an aggregated form, was solubilized with a strong chaotrope in the absence of any reducing agent. The solubilized molecule was reactivated by a procedure that was developed to mimic the physiological conditions optimal for the functional folding and activity of the native protein. The use of partially purified fibrinogen, as a source of fibrin (the effector), is shown to facilitate the reactivation process and increase its yield by at least a factor of two. The yield of the process is also shown to be particularly dependent on the recombinant protein concentration. At a concentration level of 3-3.7 mg r-tPA/L in the reactivation mixture, up to a 90% yield of activity was obtained. Purification of the activated form of r-tPA was achieved with a two-step column-chromatography scheme. This included a gel filtration step on a Sephadex G-50 column followed by an affinity chromatography step on a lysine-sepharose column. The product was composed of roughly equal amounts of one-chain and two-chain t-PA. The feasibility of using a two water-soluble polymeric phase system, with a centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC), in scaling up the reactivation process or the purification step was also evaluated.     

Synthesis and properties of polyacetylenes with adamantyl groups

Three disubstituted acetylenes with an adamantyl group—1-(p-adamantylphenyl)-2-chloroacetylene (ClpAdPA), 1-(p-adamantylphenyl)-1-propyne (pAdPP), and 1-(p-adamantylphenyl)-2-phenylacetylene (pAdDPA)—polymerized in good yields in the presence of MoCl₅- or TaCl₅-based catalysts. The highest weight-average molecular weights of poly(ClpAdPA), poly(pAdPP), and poly(pAdDPA) reached 3.6 × 10⁵, 1.1 × 10⁶, and 6.0 × 10⁶, respectively. The polymers were yellow to white solids and completely soluble in toluene, chloroform, and so forth. These polymers thermally were fairly stable, and the onset temperatures of weight loss in air were over 360 °C. Poly(pAdPP) and poly(pAdDPA) provided free-standing films by solution casting, and their oxygen permeability coefficients (P_O2) at 25 °C were 8.6 and 55 barrers [1 barrer = 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ cm³ · (STP) · cm/(cm² · s · cm Hg)], respectively, which are relatively small compared to those of other substituted polyacetylenes. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4546–4553, 1999