Infrared spectra of the C2H2-(OCS)2 van der Waals complex: observation of a structure with C2 symmetry

Infrared spectra of the C(2)H(2)-(OCS)(2) trimer are studied by means of direct infrared absorption spectroscopy. The van der Waals complexes are generated in a supersonic slit-jet apparatus and probed using a rapid-scan tunable diode laser in the region of the ν(1) fundamental vibration of the OCS monomer. Two infrared bands are analyzed for the lowest energy isomer of the trimer, which has C(2) symmetry and is experimentally observed here for the first time. A relatively strong band centered at 2068.93 cm(-1) is assigned as the out-of-phase vibrations of the pair of equivalent OCS monomers. This band is blue-shifted relative to the free OCS monomer but with a reduced shift as compared with the analogous vibration of the nonpolar OCS dimer. A weaker red-shifted band observed at 2049.64 cm(-1) establishes the nonplanarity of the OCS dimer subunit within the trimer. Spectra for three isotopologues in addition to the normal form are used to help define an experimental structure, which agrees well with past and present semiempirical calculations.     

Synthesis of 2‐Aryl‐1‐arylmethyl‐1H‐1,3‐benzimidazole Derivatives Using Silica‐bonded Propyl‐S‐sulfonic Acid as Recyclable Solid Acid Catalyst

A highly selective synthesis of 2‐aryl‐1‐arylmethyl‐1H‐1,3‐benzimidazoles from the reaction of o‐phenylenediamine and aromatic aldehydes in the presence of silica‐bonded propyl‐S‐sulfonic acid (SBSSA) at 80°C in water in good to excellent yields was developed.     

Molecular simulation of non-equilibrium methane hydrate decomposition process

We recently performed constant energy molecular dynamics simulations of the endothermic decomposition of methane hydrate in contact with water to study phenomenologically the role of mass and heat transfer in the decomposition rate [S. Alavi, J.A. Ripmeester, J. Chem. Phys. 132 (2010) 144703]. We observed that with the progress of the decomposition front temperature gradients are established between the remaining solid hydrate and the solution phases. In this work, we provide further quantitative macroscopic and molecular level analysis of the methane hydrate decomposition process with an emphasis on elucidating microscopic details and how they affect the predicted rate of methane hydrate decomposition in natural methane hydrate reservoirs. A quantitative criterion is used to characterize the decomposition of the hydrate phase at different times. Hydrate dissociation occurs in a stepwise fashion with rows of sI cages parallel to the interface decomposing simultaneously. The correlations between decomposition times of subsequent layers of the hydrate phase are discussed.     

Li-NMR study of the stoichiometry, stability and exchange kinetics of Li ion with 12-Crown-4, 15-Crown-5 and cryptands C222, C221 and C211 in 50% ionic liquid-acetonitrile mixtures

⁷Li-NMR spectroscopy was used to study the complexation of Li⁺ ion with 12C4, 15C5, C222, C221, C211 in acetonitrile (AN) and its 50% (wt/wt) mixtures with two new room temperature ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (EMim PF₆) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMim BF₄) at 298 K. Excluding the cases of Li⁺-C211 in all solvents and Li⁺-C221 in AN and 50% (wt/wt) AN-EMim PF₆, in other cases, the exchange between free and 1:1 complexed Li⁺ was fast on the NMR time scale and only a single population average ⁷Li signal was observed. Formation constants of the resulting 1:1 complexes were evaluated by computer fitting of the chemical shift-mole ratio data and integration of two ⁷Li signals. All complexes in EMim PF₆ were found to be more stable than those in EMim BF₄. ⁷Li-NMR line-shape analysis was used to determine the kinetic parameters and the mechanism for the chemical exchange of Li⁺ between the free and 1:1 complex with C221 in 50% (wt/wt) AN-EMim PF₆ mixtures solution. By comparing our study with the previous one, it is derived that, increasing the percentage of ion liquid in acetonitrile, changes the mechanism and decrease the exchange rate constant of Li⁺ ion between free and complex sites.     

Synthesis of 1,2,4,5‐Tetrasubstituted Imidazoles Using Sulfuric Acid ([3‐(3‐Silicapropyl)sulfanyl]propyl]ester as a Recyclable Solid Acid

Sulfuric acid ([3‐(3‐silicapropyl)sulfanyl]propyl]ester (SASPSPE) is used as a recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of 1,2,4,5‐tetrasubstituted imidazoles. A range of various polysubstituted imidazoles was synthesized via four‐component condensation of benzil, aldehydes, amines, and ammonium acetate in the presence of SASPSPE under solvent‐free conditions at 140°C. The heterogeneous catalyst was recycled for five runs on the reaction of benzil, 4‐methylbenzaldehyde, benzyl amine, and ammonium acetate without losing its catalytic activity.     

A very simple method to synthesize nano-sized manganese oxide: an efficient catalyst for water oxidation and epoxidation of olefins

Nano-sized particles of manganese oxides have been prepared by a very simple and cheap process using a decomposing aqueous solution of manganese nitrate at 100 °C. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction spectrometry have been used to characterize the phase and the morphology of the manganese oxide. The nano-sized manganese oxide shows efficient catalytic activity toward water oxidation and the epoxidation of olefins in the presence of cerium(iv) ammonium nitrate and hydrogen peroxide, respectively.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure Study of Diethyl Aryl(benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐ylamino)methyl Phosphonates

A three‐component synthesis of α‐aminophosphonate is described from a reaction between aldehydes, 2‐aminobenzothiazole, and triethyl phosphite in the presence of InCl₃ as a catalyst under solvent‐free conditions for the generation of the particular α‐aminophosphonates. These products have two potentially biologically active parts, aminophosphonate and benzothiazole. This method offers advantages such as short reaction times, good yields, solvent‐free conditions, and easy workup with the green aspects by avoiding toxic catalysts and solvents. The crystal structure of 4b has been determined by X‐ray crystallography. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with cell parameters a = 21.9285(5) Å, b = 10.3221(2) Å, c = 18.5979(5) Å, β = 108.759(3)°, V = 3985.99(18) ų, D_calc = 1.301 mg m⁻³, and Z = 8. The final R value is 0.0501 for 3741 reflections. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 24:58–65, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com . DOI 10.1002/hc.21063     

Spectroscopic Study of Some Alkali and Alkaline Earth Complexes with Benzo Crown Ethers in Ethanol Solution

The interaction between Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions and benzo crown ethers B15C5, DB18C6, DB21C7, DB24C8 and DB30C10 in ethanol solution has been studied spectrophotometrically at 25°C. The formation constants for 1:1 complexes were determined by computer fitting of the resulting UV-absorbance-mole ratio data. In the case of all crown ethers used, K⁺ ion was found to form the most stable complexes. The observed selectivities of different benzo crowns for the cations used are discussed in terms of the cavity-cation size ratio, number of the donating oxygens participating in the cation binding, conformations of the free and complexed ligands and ionic solvation.     

Kinetic component of the correlation energy density functional: a quantitative description from information theory

In the framework of information theory, a new method to determine T _c , the kinetic energy component of the correlation energy density functional for atoms, is presented. This approach is based on Shannon entropy and information energy that are obtained by fractional occupation probabilities of natural atomic orbitals. It is indicated that the calculated Shannon entropy using discrete probabilities is an increasing function while information energy is a decreasing function of the number of electrons. An expression is proposed with explicit dependence on the Shannon entropy or information energy and atomic number for the purpose. Applications of formulas for estimation of T _c values for neutral atoms up to Xe and their first positive and negative ions are then examined and validity of the proposed approach is numerically verified.     

On the utility of momentum space in the density functional theory description of the steric effect

This paper assesses the utility of momentum space in the density-based quantification of the steric effect proposed by Liu [J. Chem. Phys. 126, 244103 (2007)], which is based on a new energy partition scheme where the total electronic energy is decomposed into contributions from three independent effects: steric, electrostatic, and the fermionic quantum. The steric energy defined in this way is repulsive, exclusive, and extensive and intrinsically linked to Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules. In this work, the plausibility of defining and computing steric energies using momentum densities according to this scheme is confirmed from numerical tests. Moreover, we found that the correlation between the experimental scales of the steric energies and theoretical values computed from momentum densities is even better than the same correlation with theoretical estimations obtained from position densities.