Isomer‐dependent properties of poly(vinyl pyridine)‐based films grown on copper surfaces

The effect of poly(2‐vinyl pyridine) (P2VP) and poly(4‐vinyl pyridine) (P4VP) isomers on the growth of surface films on copper substrates was studied by electrochemical, spectroscopic, thermogravimentric, and microscopic methods. In acid environment (3% v/v acetic acid) and in the presence of KSCN, electrochemically generated copper cations reacted rapidly with SCN^? and P2VP or P4VP, yielding coordination compounds, which deposited onto copper surfaces as films. The characteristics of such polymer–metal complexes (films) were markedly isomer‐dependent. Cu(I)/P2VP/SCN^? complexes with monovalent cations and sulfur‐coordinated thiocyanate were obtained in the presence of P2VP, whereas the formation of Cu(II)/P4VP/SCN^? complexes with divalent cations and nitrogen‐coordinated thiocyanate was observed in the presence of P4VP. Interestingly, similar physical–chemical properties (electronic structure, stoichiometry, and thermal behavior) were observed for materials synthesized by electrochemical and chemical methods. These results suggest, therefore, that control over the surface properties of copper substrates can be achieved using electrosynthesized films based on different PVP isomers. Besides acting as effective protective barriers against aggressive media and thus reducing the metal dissolution (corrosion) kinetics, these materials are potentially attractive for other applications in which surface properties are paramount, such as in catalysis. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 215–225, 2009     

Confidence intervals and ellipsoids for estimable functions and estimable vectors in models with orthogonal block structure

Sub-models of mixed linear models are considered. The independence of these sub-models leads to sufficient statistics for the parameters relevant for their densities. Using pivot variables, confidence regions are obtained as well hypothesis testing for variance components, estimable functions, and estimable vectors. In addition, to compare the estimators and the models, we present the histograms with the empirical joint densities for positive and negative parts of the estimators. The figures, for the two-dimensional charts, contain the corresponding UMVUE and are all unimodal with the UMVUE near the mode. The nearness of the estimators and the modes validates the presented methodology and allows the safe use of induced densities. A numerical example applied to real data is presented.     

Volatile components of vine leaves from two Portuguese grape varieties (Vitis vinifera L.), Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz,analysed by solid-phase microextraction

The purpose of this work was to study the volatile composition of vine leaves and vine leaf infusion prepared from vine leaves collected at 30 and 60 days after grape harvest of two Vitis vinifera L. species. Eighteen volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in vine leaves and in vine leaf infusions. It was observed that the volatile compounds present in vine leaves are dependent on the time of harvest, with benzaldehyde being the major volatile present in vine leaves collected at 30 days after harvesting. There are significant differences in the volatile composition of the leaves from the two grape cultivars, especially in the sample collected at 60 days after grape harvest. This is not reflected in the volatile composition of the vine leaf infusion made from this two cultivars, the more important being the harvesting date for the volatile profile of vine leaf infusion than the vine leaves grape cultivar.     

Phosphodiester hydrolysis promoted by dinuclear iron(III) complexes

We report the reactivity of three binuclear non-heme Fe(III) compounds, namely [Fe₂(bbppnol)(μ-AcO)(H₂O)₂](ClO₄)₂ (1), [Fe₂(bbppnol)(μ-AcO)₂](PF₆) (2), and [Fe₂(bbppnol)(μ-OH)(Cl)₂]·6H₂O (3), where H₃bbppnol = N,N′-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N,N′-bis(2-methylpyridyl)–1,3-propanediamine-2-ol, toward the hydrolysis of bis-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate as models for phosphoesterase activity. The synthesis and characterization of the new complexes 1 and 3 was also described. The reactivity differences observed for these complexes show that the accessibility of the substrate to the reaction site is one of the key steps that determinate the hydrolysis efficiency.     

VLE of CO2 + glycerol + (ethanol or 1-propanol or 1-butanol)

Vapour-liquid equilibrium of CO₂ + [0.00871 glycerol + 0.99129 (ethanol or 1-propanol or 1-butanol)] mixtures was measured at the temperatures of 313.15 K and 333.15 K, and close to the critical line, at pressures up to 12 MPa. On the liquid side, the bubble points measured for these ternary mixtures follow closely the behaviour of VLE reported by several authors for the corresponding binary mixtures without glycerol. On the vapour side, however, dew points for the ternary mixtures deviate significantly from VLE results for the binaries. A correlation of the results obtained for the CO₂ + glycerol + ethanol mixture with the Peng-Robinson equation of state, admitting quasi-binary behaviour, equally yields good agreement on the liquid side, and significant deviations on the vapour side.     

From micelle supramolecular assemblies in selective solvents to isoporous membranes

The supramolecular assembly of PS-b-P4VP copolymer micelles induced by selective solvent mixtures was used to manufacture isoporous membranes. Micelle order in solution was confirmed by cryo-scanning electron microscopy in casting solutions, leading to ordered pore morphology. When dioxane, a solvent that interacts poorly with the micelle corona, was added to the solution, polymer-polymer segment contact was preferential, increasing the intermicelle contact. Immersion in water gave rise to asymmetric porous membranes with exceptional pore uniformity and high porosity. The introduction of a small number of carbon nanotubes to the casting solution improved the membrane stability and the reversibility of the gate response in the presence of different pH values.     

Evaluation of grinding methods for pellets preparation aiming at the analysis of plant materials by laser induced breakdown spectrometry

It has been demonstrated that laser induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) can be used as an alternative method for the determination of macro (P, K, Ca, Mg) and micronutrients (B, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn) in pellets of plant materials. However, information is required regarding the sample preparation for plant analysis by LIBS. In this work, methods involving cryogenic grinding and planetary ball milling were evaluated for leaves comminution before pellets preparation. The particle sizes were associated to chemical sample properties such as fiber and cellulose contents, as well as to pellets porosity and density. The pellets were ablated at 30 different sites by applying 25 laser pulses per site (Nd:YAG@1064 nm, 5 ns, 10 Hz, 25 J cm⁻²). The plasma emission collected by lenses was directed through an optical fiber towards a high resolution echelle spectrometer equipped with an ICCD. Delay time and integration time gate were fixed at 2.0 and 4.5 μs, respectively. Experiments carried out with pellets of sugarcane, orange tree and soy leaves showed a significant effect of the plant species for choosing the most appropriate grinding conditions. By using ball milling with agate materials, 20 min grinding for orange tree and soy, and 60 min for sugarcane leaves led to particle size distributions generally lower than 75 μm. Cryogenic grinding yielded similar particle size distributions after 10 min for orange tree, 20 min for soy and 30 min for sugarcane leaves. There was up to 50% emission signal enhancement on LIBS measurements for most elements by improving particle size distribution and consequently the pellet porosity.     

Non-oxo vanadium(IV) alkoxide chemistry: solid state structures, aggregation equilibria and thermochromic behaviour in solution

The reversible thermochromic behaviour of homoleptic [{V(OR)(4)}(n)] complexes in solution [R = Pr(i) (product I), Bu(s) (B(s)), Nep (N) and Cy (C)] is accounted for the existence of an aggregation equilibrium involving dimeric and monomeric species in which vanadium(iv) is respectively five- and four-coordinate. Bulky R groups such as Bu(t) and Pe(t) (tert-pentoxide) prevent aggregation and therefore give rise to exclusively mononuclear compounds (B(t) and P(t), respectively) that are not thermochromic. The complexes and their temperature-dependent interconversion were characterised by single crystal X-ray diffractometry, magnetic susceptibility measurements and electronic, FTIR and EPR spectroscopies in a wide temperature range. Equilibrium constants and enthalpy and entropy changes for the dimerization reactions have been determined and compared with literature data.