Polymerization (Polycondensation) of Alkanes over Fluosulfonic Acid and Antimony Pentafluoride

Several low molecular weight alkanes have been polymerized (polycondensed) over HSO₃ F-SbF₅ to yield a highly branched oily oligomer with a molecular weight range from the molecular weight of the monomer to around 700. The order of reactivity for butane and lower molecular alkanes is isobutane > n-butane > propane > ethane > methane. The reactivity is explained by the ease of attack of an acid proton derived from the acid on the alkane sigma bonds as well as the relative stability of the resulting cation formed. A cationic mechanism for this reaction is proposed.     

Tentative Identification of the Reactive Species in the Reaction of Cp2 TiCl2 with Salts of Diacids

The tentative identification of the reactive species in the condensation of Cp₂ TiCl₂ with salts of diacids to form titanium polysters is made. The reactive species are believed to be the same for both aqueous solution and interfacial systems, i.e., R -CO₂ ^? and Cp₂ Ti²⁺ with reaction occurring in the aqueous phase. The condensation of Cp₂ TiCl₂ with disodium terephthalate in interfacial systems occurs via a pseudo-first-order reaction:

Rate = K[Cp₂ TiCl₂] The rate-determining step (s) is believed to be diffusion of CP₂ TiCl₂ into the aqueous layer and/or hydrolysis of Cp₂ TiCl₂     

Monolithic columns in plant proteomics and metabolomics

Since “omics” techniques emerged, plant studies, from biochemistry to ecology, have become more comprehensive. Plant proteomics and metabolomics enable the construction of databases that, with the help of genomics and informatics, show the data obtained as a system. Thus, all the constituents of the system can be seen with their interactions in both space and time. For instance, perturbations in a plant ecosystem as a consequence of application of herbicides or exposure to pollutants can be predicted by using information gathered from these databases. Analytical chemistry has been involved in this scientific evolution. Proteomics and metabolomics are emerging fields that require separation, identification, and quantification of proteins, peptides, and small molecules of metabolites in complex biological samples. The success of this work relies on efficient chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques, and on mass spectrometric detection. This paper reviews recent developments in the use of monolithic columns, focusing on their applications in “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches, including their use as supports for immobilization of proteolytic enzymes and their use in two-dimensional and multidimensional chromatography. Whereas polymeric columns have been predominantly used for separation of proteins and polypeptides, silica-based monoliths have been more extensively used for separation of small molecules of metabolites. Representative applications in proteomics and in analysis of plant metabolites are given and summarized in tables.     

Multiple square wave voltammetry for analytical determination of paraquat in natural water, food, and beverages using microelectrodes

This paper reports on the use of multiple square wave voltammetry (MSWV) for analytical determination of paraquat herbicide at gold microelectrode (Au-ME) in different samples of natural water, food, and beverages. In this work, the MSWV consisted in a sequence of four pairs of potential pulse in the same step and the interval potential evaluated was of the 0.0 V at −1.2 V versus Ag/AgCl 3.0 mol L⁻¹. The paraquat herbicide presented two reduction peaks, in −0.69 V and −0.99 V, with profile of the redox process totally reversible, and the use of multiple pulses allowed a detection of nanomolar levels after the optimization of experimental and voltammetric conditions. Analytical curves were constructed for pulse potential frequency of 250 s⁻¹, pulse amplitude of 50 mV, scan increment of 2 mV and pulse number of 8 pulses in a same step. The two reduction peaks showed that the peak currents were found to be directly proportional to the pesticide concentration in the range comprised between 5.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ and 1.04 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹. With this, it was possible to determine detection limits (DL), which resulted in 0.044 μg L⁻¹ (0.044 ppb) and 0.146 μg L⁻¹ (0.146 ppb), respectively, for peak 1 and peak 2. DL results, obtained using MSWV, were 2–3 orders of magnitude lower (10⁻² to 10⁻³) less than those observed for traditional square wave voltammetry or published in literature, clearly pointing to the advantages arising from the possibility of using a MSWV for analytical purposes in contaminated matrices. In addition, the proposed methodology was applied in different samples of natural water, food and beverages without pre-treatment or pre-concentration step, where a recovery measurement indicated that the methodology could be employed to analyze paraquat in such matrices.     

Catalytic oxidation of phenol in aqueous media over CuZSM-12 zeolite?

Summary The catalytic oxidation of phenol over CuZSM-12 (SAR = 200) has been studied using a semi-batch slurry reactor at temperatures of 110; 120 and 130^oC, and acidic neutral and basic pH. At 130^oC, the phenol undergoes total conversion to carbon dioxide and water in 1.5 h. The kinetic parameters were evaluated using a modified homogeneous-heterogeneous model for the experimental data. Using this modified model, the activation energy for the catalytic oxidation process was ca. 90 kJ mol^-1.     

Poly(caprolactone triol) as plasticizer agent for cellulose acetate films: influence of the preparation procedure and plasticizer content on the physico‐chemical properties

The influence of the plasticizer content and film preparation procedure on the morphology, density, thermal and mechanical properties of cellulose acetate (CA) films plasticized with poly‐(caprolactone triol) (PCL‐T), were studied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal mechanical analysis (TMA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) techniques were used. The films were prepared by dry‐casting CA and CA/PCL‐T in acetone or acetone/water solutions, which produced transparent and opaque films, respectively. In contrast to the transparent films, which were dense, the opaque films presented a porous morphology. However, the presence of PCL‐T reduced the opaque film porosity, increasing, in consequence, its bulk density. The TMA results revealed that PCL‐T reduced the glass transition temperature more significantly in the transparent than in opaque films. Only the transparent CA/PCL‐T films presented a melting temperature, that reduced with higher concentrations of PCL‐T, suggesting a higher ordering (crystallinity) when the films were prepared in the absence of water, as observed from WAXD curves. The mechanical properties also showed that the transparent films were more soft and tough than the opaque films. In summary, PCL‐T was a good plasticizer agent for CA films due to the presence of hydrogen bonds between the components (FT‐IR spectra). The presence of water in the dry casting process has a significant effect mainly on film morphology and mechanical properties. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solubility and partial molar volume of carbon dioxide and ethane in crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer

Experimental solubility and sorptive dilation data are reported for carbon dioxide and ethane in a crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide) (XLPEO) rubbery copolymer. Five different temperatures (253 ≤ T(K) ≤ 308) were considered, with a maximum gas pressure of 2.09 MPa (20.6 atm). The polymer was prepared by photopolymerization of a solution containing 70 wt % poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGMEA) and 30 wt % poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). Sorption isotherms were described by the Flory‐Huggins model. For each gas, the Flory‐Huggins interaction parameter was a decreasing function of temperature and did not show a composition dependence. Dilation and sorption data were combined to calculate the partial molar volume (PMV) of the gases in the polymer, which was an increasing function of temperature. Based on a comparison with literature data for a XLPEO homopolymer prepared from pure PEGDA over the same range of operating conditions, an effect of the network composition on both gas solubility and PMV was found. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 456–468, 2010     

A spectrophotometric flow procedure for the determination of cationic surfactants in natural waters using a solenoid micro-pump for fluid propulsion

An automatic flow-analysis procedure for spectrophotometric determination of cationic surfactants in surface water using a solenoid micro-pump for propelling solutions of reagents and sample is described. The proposed method is based on a ternary formation complex between chromazurol S, the Fe(III) ion, and the cationic surfactant. The flow network comprised four solenoid micro-pumps controlled by a microcomputer, which performed the sampling step by loading a reaction coil with sample and reagent solutions and displacing the sample zone through the analytical path. The system is simple, easy to operate, and very flexible, with sufficient sensitivity to determine cationic surfactants in water without any pre-concentration or separation step. After determining the best operational conditions, favourable features such as a linear response between 0.34 and 10.2?mg?L^?1 of surfactant (R?=?0.999), a relative standard deviation of 0.6% (n?=?11) for a sample containing 3.4?mg?L^?1 of surfactant, a detection limit of 0.035?mg?L^?1 of surfactant, and a sampling throughput of 72 determinations per hour were achieved. The system was used to determine cationic surfactant in river-water samples, and recovery values between 91 and 106% were achieved.     

Laser Mass Spectrometry of Organophosphorus Pesticides and Related Compounds

Abstract

Laser mass spectra obtained for 20 organophosphorus (OP) compounds were systematically evaluated for groups containing analogous structural features. Variations in fragmentation can be understood based on simple organic reactions. While detailed mechanistic interpretations of the laser mass spectra (LMS) were not possible, the qualitative features in the LMS obtained from five compounds, not in the original set, could be predicted based on the characteristics of the other OP compounds studied. The success of the prediction lends credence to the qualitative models developed for rationalizing the LMS. A specific feature in the LMS of aromatic thionophosphates is a thiono-thiolo rearrangement. Detailed investigation into the phenomena involved comparison of LMS obtained from aromatic thionophosphates with spectra from electron impact, chemical ionization, field desorption, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. These results led to the conclusion that the rearrangement in laser mass spectrometry must occur during volatilization while the molecule/ion is in the “cloud” present immediately above the laser impact area.     

Selective Monophosphorylation of Aliphatic Diamines

This article describes an improved method to synthesize phosphoramidic acid aminoalkyl esters from diamines by the adaptation of industrial patents. Four mono-phosphorylated products having amino sites were obtained in good a yield. Such compounds have potential coordination properties with transition metals and also potential biological activity.