Enantioselective epoxidation of terminal olefins by chiral dioxirane

[see reaction]. This paper describes an enantioselective epoxidation of terminal olefins using chiral ketone 3 as catalyst and Oxone as oxidant. Up to 85% ee has been obtained.     

1,4-dioxane as a solvent in spectroscopy and photochemistry

Commercially available 1,4-dioxane, even of spectroscopic grade, contains various impurities that arise mostly from reaction of the solvent with oxygen. Aspects relevant to the spectroscopy and photochemistry of the dioxane/oxygen system are discussed. Methods of purification and storage of the solvent are presented.     

A new insight on the structural changes of linear quadrupole liquids

Molecular-dynamics simulations for linear quadrupole liquids are presented. The study is carried out for two different molecular lengths at constant density and a number of temperatures and quadrupole moments. All the simulated thermodynamic states correspond to the condensed phases and some of them show typical features of a solid structure. Furthermore, a change on the preferred intermolecular orientation in the liquid phase is observed from a shifted parallel molecular arrangement to a perpendicular orientation as the quadrupole raises. This change depends on the quadrupole moment as well as on the molecular length and is put in relation with the solid structure of different "diatomic" molecules such as nitrogen, ethane, and acetylene. The appearance of a plastic solid phase at low quadrupole moment and density is also justified. A thoroughly discussion about the availability of classical perturbation theories for this kind of systems is presented.     

Effect of pressure on oxygen enrichment of liquid crystalline cellulose ether membranes at elevated temperature

Cholesteric liquid crystalline triheptyl cellulose (THC)/ethyl cellulose binary blend membranes were prepared and the effect of pressure on their oxygen enrichment at elevated temperature was investigated using a constant pressure-variable volume method. The oxygen enrichment increased with the increase of transmembrane pressure difference or with slight increase of the THC content in the blend membranes. The oxygen concentration through the membranes increased linearly with decreasing pressure ratio. Air was directly separated through a 17 m-thick THC/EC(1.5/98.5) membrane to prepare an oxygen-enriched air containing 39.5% oxygen at the flux of 6.99×10^–4 cm³ (STP)/s.cm² at the pressure difference of 0.43 MPa and 85 °C.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Novel Organic—Inorganic Hybrid Compound {[Cu（2,2′—bpy）2]2—Mo8O26}

A novel organic-inorganic hybrid compound {[Cu(2,2′-bpy)2]2Mo8O26} has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group, Pna21,with a=2.4164(5),b=1.8281(4),c=1.1877(2)nm,V=5.247(2)nm^3,Z=4,and final R1=0.0331,wR2=0.0727.The structure consists of discrete {[Cu(2,2′-bpy)2]2Mo8O26} clusters,constructed from a β-octamolybdate subunit[Mo8O26]^4- covalently bonded to two [Cu(2,2′-bpy)2]^2 coordination complex cations via bridging oxo groups.In addition,the spectroscopic properties and thernal behavior of this compound have been investigated by spectroscopic techniques (UV-vis,IR,Raman and EPR spectra) and TG analysis.     

Concentration effects in gel permeation chromatography : IV. Contribution of viscosity phenomena and macromolecular expansion

The changes in elution volumes with the changes in the concentration of an injected polymer solution are caused by several contributing effects. Under model conditions, it is possible to assume only the effect of a viscosity gradient in a zone moving along the column and the effect of the concentration dependence of the hydrodynamic volume of a macromolecular coil. The non-Gaussian shape of the zone and the dependence of the width of the elution curve on concentration are factors that complicate the theoretical treatment of concentration effects. The described physico-chemical model allows to evaluate the ratio of mentioned two contributions in the concentration dependence of elution volumes. According to this model, the contribution of the concentration dependence of the hydrodynamic volume does not exceed about 20% of the total change in elution volume with the varying concentration under real experimental conditions. The efficiency of the columns used and the total injected volume of the polymer solution affect this ratio only negligibly. It is obvious from a comparison with earlier results that these conclusions are not fundamentally changed even by the revised model of the concentration dependence of the swelling factor.     

Synthesis and structure of the cluster ion pair [Ru3(CO)9[mu-P(NPri2)2]3][Ru6(CO)15(mu 6-C)[mu-P(NPri2)2]]. A theoretical overview of M3(mu-PR2)3 frameworks

The compound [Ru3(CO)9[mu-P(NPri2)2]3][Ru6(CO)15(mu 6-C)[mu-P(NPri2)2]] (1), obtained via the addition of PCl(NPri2)2 to K2[Ru4(CO)13], crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2l/c with a = 15.537(8) A, b = 36.151(16) A, c = 19.407(5) A, beta = 91.14(2) degrees, Z = 4, and R = 0.069 for 8006 observed reflections. The unit cell is unusual in that it contains both a typical octahedral Ru6 cluster anion (1a), featuring an encapsulated carbide, and a symmetrical phosphido bridge, in addition to a 50-electron trinuclear cluster cation [Ru3(CO)9[mu-P(NPri2)2]3]+ (1c). The latter, with approximate D3h symmetry, exhibits long Ru-Ru distances (> or = 3.15 A). Among the family of clusters with M3(mu-PR2)3 cores and different numbers of both electrons (TEC) and terminal ligands (LxLyLz), 1c is unique in that it is a 333 stereotype with 50 valence electrons. MO calculations permit us to predict the existence of redox congeners of 1c clusters and related 48e Re3 clusters. This work also presents a summary of the relationships between the electronic and the geometric structures for all known M3LxLyLz(mu-PR2)3 species. The basic stereochemical features are influenced by the total-electron count and, hence, by the degree of M-M bonding, as well as the remarkable flexibility of the phosphido bridging ligands. The mu-PR2 ligands need not necessarily lie in the M3 plane, and a wide range of M-P-M angles (as small as 72 degrees or as large as 133 degrees) have been observed.     

Anomalies in thorium adsorption on manganese dioxide

In this paper the authors present a study of the adsorption of thorium on manganese dioxide by batch equilibration and cartridge experiments. Some anomalies in the use of MnO₂ to concentrate thorium have been found. So the use of this technique is limited for the determination of thorium in natural waters.     

Kinetic modelling of the thermal oxidation of polyisoprene elastomers. Part 2: Effect of sulfur vulcanization on mass changes and thickness distribution of oxidation products during thermal oxidation

Thermal oxidation of sulfur vulcanized polyisoprene samples was studied by gravimetry and IR mapping of carbonyl groups (to determine the oxidized layer thickness (TOL)) at temperatures ranging from 60 to 150 °C in air. Oxidation appears noticeably lower than that for the starting non-vulcanized polyisoprene, revealing a stabilizing effect of sulfur-containing species. After a short period where mass loss presumably due to water evaporation predominates, the sample mass increases until a plateau corresponding to 6.3% (at 60 °C) to 0.5% (at 140 °C) mass gain. Practically no weight gain (∼0.1%) was observed at 150 °C. The mass uptake is due to oxygen grafting to the chains. TOL varies from about 4.6 mm (70 °C) to about 1 mm (150 °C).A kinetic model, derived from a mechanistic scheme of radical chain oxidation including stabilizing events due to hydroperoxide reduction by sulfur-containing groups and taking into account the diffusion-reaction coupling, was established and numerically resolved. The model predictions for mass changes and TOL values are in good agreement with experimental data.     

Detection of soil pollution by hydrocarbons using headspace-mass spectrometry and identification of compounds by headspace-fast gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The direct coupling of a headspace sampler with a mass spectrometer is proposed as a screening tool for the rapid detection of soil pollution by hydrocarbons from petroleum and derivatives. The samples are subjected to the headspace generation process, with no prior treatment, and the volatiles generated are introduced directly into the mass spectrometer, thereby obtaining a fingerprint of the sample analysed. Suitable treatment of the signal by chemometric techniques allows unequivocal characterisation of the different types of sample. The use of fast gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer detector coupled to the headspace sampler allows identification of the major hydrocarbons present in the mineral and organic polluted samples, interpretation of the results obtained, and demonstrates the analytical potential of headspace-mass spectrometry coupling.