Correct bond order assignment in a molecular framework using integer linear programming with application to molecules where only non-hydrogen atom coordinates are available

We describe a method based on linear programming, for deducing the correct bond orders in small molecules, which only needs the sigma bonds connectivity and atom symbols as input. The procedure checks whether the current structure can be written as a valid Lewis structure by assigning double and triple bonds by translating the octet equations into an integer linear program that is solved by an external solver. The procedure was intensively tested on some ligands from the protein data bank as well as some other exotic molecules, for which first the hydrogen topology is generated by a standard procedure from literature. The most stable Lewis structure is retained for which hydrogen coordinates are generated.     

External calibration strategy for trace element quantification in botanical samples by LA-ICP-MS using filter paper

The use of reference solutions dispersed on filter paper discs is proposed for the first time as an external calibration strategy for matrix matching and determination of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn in plants by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The procedure is based on the use of filter paper discs as support for aqueous reference solutions, which are further evaporated, resulting in solid standards with concentrations up to 250 μg g⁻¹ of each element. The use of filter paper for calibration is proposed as matrix matched standards due to the similarities of this material with botanical samples, regarding to carbon concentration and its distribution through both matrices. These characteristics allowed the use of ¹³C as internal standard (IS) during the analysis by LA-ICP-MS. In this way, parameters as analyte signal normalization with ¹³C, carrier gas flow rate, laser energy, spot size, and calibration range were monitored. The calibration procedure using solution deposition on filter paper discs resulted in precision improvement when ¹³C was used as IS. The method precision was calculated by the analysis of a certified reference material (CRM) of botanical matrix, considering the RSD obtained for 5 line scans and was lower than 20%. Accuracy of LA-ICP-MS determinations were evaluated by analysis of four CRM pellets of botanical composition, as well as by comparison with results obtained by ICP-MS using solution nebulization after microwave assisted digestion. Plant samples of unknown elemental composition were analyzed by the proposed LA method and good agreement were obtained with results of solution analysis. Limits of detection (LOD) established for LA-ICP-MS were obtained by the ablation of 10 lines on the filter paper disc containing 40 μL of 5% HNO₃ (v v⁻¹) as calibration blank. Values ranged from 0.05 to 0.81  μg g⁻¹. Overall, the use of filter paper as support for dried aqueous standards showed to be a useful strategy for calibration and plant analysis by LA-ICP-MS.     

Determination of Periodic Trajectories of Dynamic Systems Subject to Switching Input Constraints

The present paper is concerned with the determination of periodic state trajectories of discrete-time dynamic systems resulting from the application of bidirectional on/off input sequences subject to switching constraints. The main contribution consists of characterizing the feasible input sequences and associated state trajectories in terms of a set of linear constraints involving integer variables. For practical purposes, the resulting solutions obtained by an integer linear solver can be evaluated in terms of engineering criteria such as amplitude or fuel expense in order to choose an appropriate trajectory to be used as target in a control law. A numerical example involving a double-integrator system is presented to illustrate the use of the proposed constraint formulation for the determination of feasible periodic state trajectories.     

Microwave-Assisted Preparation of Luminescent Inorganic Materials: A Fast Route to Light Conversion and Storage Phosphors

Luminescent inorganic materials are used in several technological applications such as light-emitting displays, white LEDs for illumination, bioimaging, and photodynamic therapy. Usually, inorganic phosphors (e.g., complex oxides, silicates) need high temperatures and, in some cases, specific atmospheres to be formed or to obtain a homogeneous composition. Low ionic diffusion and high melting points of the precursors lead to long processing times in these solid-state syntheses with a cost in energy consumption when conventional heating methods are applied. Microwave-assisted synthesis relies on selective, volumetric heating attributed to the electromagnetic radiation interaction with the matter. The microwave heating allows for rapid heating rates and small temperature gradients yielding homogeneous, well-formed materials swiftly. Luminescent inorganic materials can benefit significantly from the microwave-assisted synthesis for high homogeneity, diverse morphology, and rapid screening of different compositions. The rapid screening allows for fast material investigation, whereas the benefits of enhanced homogeneity include improvement in the optical properties such as quantum yields and storage capacity.     

Simultaneous gauche and Anomeric Effects in α-Substituted Sulfoxides

α-Substituted sulfoxides can experience both gauche and anomeric effects, since these compounds have the geometric requirements and strong electron donor and acceptor orbitals which are essential to make operative the hyperconjugative nature of these effects. Indeed, the title effects were calculated to take place for 1,3-oxathiane 3-oxide in polar solution, where dipolar effects are absent or at least minimized, while only the gauche effect is present in 2-fluorothiane 1-oxide. Since the fluorine atom is a suitable probe for structural analysis using NMR, the (1)J(CF) dependence on the rotation around the F-C-S═O dihedral angle of (fluoromethyl)methyl sulfoxide was evaluated; differently from 1,2-difluoroethane and fluoro(methoxy)methane, this coupling constant is at least not exclusively dependent on dipolar interactions (or on hyperconjugation). Because of the nonmonotonic behavior of the (1)J(CF) rotational profile, this coupling constant does not appear to be of significant diagnostic value for probing the conformations of α-fluoro sulfoxides.     

Determination of toxic elements in coal by ICP-MS after digestion using microwave-induced combustion

A microwave-induced combustion (MIC) procedure was applied for coal digestion for subsequent determination of As, Cd and Pb by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Hg using cold vapor (CV) generation coupled to ICP-MS. Pellets of coal (500 mg) were combusted using 20 bar of oxygen and ammonium nitrate as aid for ignition. The use of nitric acid as absorbing solution (1.7, 3.5, 5.0, 7.0 and 14 mol L⁻¹) was evaluated. For coal samples with higher ash content, better results were found using 7.0 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ and an additional reflux step of 5 min after combustion step. For coal samples with ash content lower than 8%, 5.0 mol L⁻¹ nitric acid was suitable to the absorption of all analytes. Accuracy was evaluated using certified reference material (CRM) of coal and spikes. Agreement with certified values and recoveries was better than 95 and 97%, respectively, for all the analytes. For comparison of results, a procedure recommended by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) was used. Additionally, a conventional microwave-assisted digestion (MAD) in pressurized vessels was also performed. Using ASTM procedure, analyte losses were observed and a relatively long time was necessary for digestion (>6 h). By comparison with MAD procedure, higher sample mass can be digested using MIC allowing better limits of detection. Additionally, the use of concentrated acids was not necessary that is an important aspect in order to obtain low blank levels and lower limits of detection, respectively. The residual carbon content in digests obtained by MAD and MIC was about 15% and <1%, respectively, showing the better digestion efficiency of MIC procedure. Using MIC it was possible to digest completely and simultaneously up to eight samples in only 25 min with relatively lower generation of laboratory effluents.     

1,2-Difluoroethane: the angular dependance on 1J(CF) coupling constants is independent of hyperconjugation

1,2-Difluoroethane is widely recognised to adopt a lower energy gauche rather than anti conformation; this gauche effect has its origin in hyperconjugation; however, surprisingly the (1)J(CF) coupling constant is not influenced by hyperconjugation; instead, its magnitude changes with the overall molecular dipole.     

{SL(2, \mathbb{R})} -invariant probability measures on the moduli spaces of translation surfaces are regular

In the moduli space ${{\mathcal {H}}_g}$ of normalized translation surfaces of genus g, consider, for a small parameter ρ > 0, those translation surfaces which have two non-parallel saddle-connections of length ? ρ. We prove that this subset of ${{\mathcal {H}}_g}$ has measure o(ρ ²) w.r.t. any probability measure on ${{\mathcal {H}}_g}$ which is invariant under the natural action of ${SL(2,\mathbb{R})}$ . This implies that any such probability measure is regular, a property which is important in relation with the recent fundamental work of Eskin–Kontsevich–Zorich on the Lyapunov exponents of the KZ-cocycle.