Synthesis And Utility Of α,α'-bis (Triethyl Ammonium Methylene Chloride) β-Phenyl Ethene in Hydroxide Ion Initiated Reactions—A New Multi-Site Phase Transfer Catalyst

A three step synthesis of novel ‘multi-site’ water soluble phase transfer catalyst viz., α,α′-bis(triethyl ammonium methylene chloride) β-phenyl ethene and its utility in various organic biphase reactions are described.     

Isotope branching and tunneling in O(3P)+HD-->OH+D; OD+H reactions

The O((3)P)+HD and O((3)P)+D(2) reactions are studied using quantum scattering calculations and chemically accurate potential energy surfaces developed for the O((3)P)+H(2) system by Rogers et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 104, 2308 (2000)]. Cross sections and rate coefficients for OH and OD products are calculated using accurate quantum methods as well as the J-shifting approximation. The J-shifting approach is found to work remarkably well for both O+HD and O+D(2) collisions. The reactions are dominated by tunneling at low temperatures and for the O+HD reaction the hydrogen atom transfer leading to the OH product dominates at low temperatures. Our result for the OH/OD branching ratio is in close agreement with previous calculations over a wide range of temperatures. The computed OH/OD branching ratios are also in close agreement with experimental results of Robie et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 134, 579 (1987)] at temperatures above 400 K but the theoretical results do not reproduce the rapid rise in the experimental values of the branching ratio for temperatures lower than 350 K. We believe that new measurements could resolve the long-standing discrepancy between experiment and theory for this benchmark reaction.     

Quantum mechanical investigation of rovibrational relaxation of H2 and D2 by collisions with Ar atoms

We report quantum mechanical calculations of cross sections and rate coefficients for rovibrational relaxation of H2 and D2 by collisions with Ar atoms over a wide range of temperatures including the ultracold limit. Limiting values of the rate coefficients for vibrational and rotational quenching at zero temperature were computed and sensitivity of the results to the choice of the interaction potential is investigated. We also demonstrate dramatic change in the behavior of the rate coefficients at low temperatures when the van der Waals potential supports a quasibound level very close to the dissociation threshold.     

Thermal degradation of polystyrene in the presence of hydrogen by catalyst in solution

For the first time, low temperature degradation (170-240 °C) of polystyrene in benzene is carried out in the presence of hydrogen using iron(III) oxide catalyst. The effect of temperature, catalyst loading and polymer loading on degradation are studied in hydrogen atmosphere. Degradation is also carried out at different initial hydrogen partial pressure. The time dependent molecular weight is calculated using viscosity average method. It is found that the degradation is enhanced considerably in the presence of hydrogen and followed random degradation chain scission. A random degradation kinetic model of Kelen [Kelen T. Polymer degradation. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company; 1983.] is used to estimate the degradation rate constants. Empirical correlations are proposed to account for the effect of catalyst loading and initial hydrogen partial pressure on degradation. The true thermal degradation rate constants are calculated using these proposed correlations at given catalyst loading and initial hydrogen partial pressure with varying temperature. The frequency factor and activation energy are also determined using Arrhenius equation considering the true thermal degradation rate constants.     

First principles study of small palladium cluster growth and isomerization

Structures and physical properties of small palladium clusters Pd_n up to n = 15 and several selected larger clusters were studied using density functional theory under the generalized gradient approximation. It was found that small Pd_n clusters begin to grow 3‐dimensionally at n = 4 and evolve into symmetric geometric configurations, such as icosahedral and fcc‐like, near n = 15. Several isomers with nearly degenerate average binding energies were found to coexist and the physical properties of these clusters were calculated. For several selected isomers, relatively moderate energy barriers for structural interchange for a given cluster size were found, implying that isomerization could readily occur under ambient conditions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Patents and literature

Protein engineering and site-directed mutagenesis is becoming immensely important in both fundamental studies and commercial applications involving proteins and enzymes in biocatalysis. Protein engineering has become a powerful tool to help biochemists and molecular enzymologists elucidate structure-function relationships in enzymic active sites, to understand the intricacies of protein folding and denaturation, and to alter the selectivity of enzymatic catalysis. Commercial applications of engineered enzymes are being developed to increase protein stability, widen or narrow substrate specificity, and to develop novel approaches for use of enzymes in organic synthesis, drug design, and clinical applications. In addition to protein engineering, novel expression systems have been designed to prepare large quantities of genetically engineered proteins. Recent US patents and scientific literature on protein engineering, site-directed mutagenesis, and protein expression systems related to protein engineering are surveyed. Patent abstracts are summarized individually and a list of literature references are given.     

Convergent and stereospecific synthesis of molecules containing alpha-functionalized guanidiniums via alpha-guanidino acids

To introduce chirality and functional groups adjacent to guanidiniums to modulate specificity and affinity in recognition, N,N'-bis(Boc)-alpha-guanidino acids were synthesized from alpha-amino acid methyl esters. Protected alpha-guanidino acids coupled to cyclohexylamine and trans-1,4-diaminocyclohexane in good yield and with retention of stereochemistry. Boc deprotection was conducted under mild acidic conditions (0.5 M HCl/EtOAc) to minimize epimerization. The deprotected guanidinium is configurationally stable under more acidic conditions. This approach represents a practical, convergent, stereospecific methodology to introduce chiral alpha-substituted guanidinium groups into molecules.     

Polymer-supported reagents. II. Kinetics of esterification of acrylic acid with n-butanol using polymer supported titanium tetrachloride as catalyst

Crosslinked poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-styrene) was prepared and functionalized with titanium tetrachloride to afford the corresponding poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-styrene)-titanium tetrachloride complex. This insoluble functionalized polymer-supported catalyst shows good catalytic activity for esterification reactions. In this article, the kinetics of esterification of acrylic acid with n-butanol is reported. The rate of formation of product depends on many experimental parameters, viz., stirring speed, concentration of acrylic acid, catalyst amount, temperature, percent active site, percent crosslinking, and mesh size of the polymer catalyst. The reaction rates were found to increase with increase in the stirring speed, concentration of acrylic acid, catalyst amount, and temperature, and decreases with increasing percentage crosslinking and mesh size of the polymer beads. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 727–733, 1997     

Power spectrum of density fluctuations in a finite reactive-diffusive system: resistance fluctuation spectroscopy

The measurement in thermal equilibrium of the vacancy contribution to the residual resistivity of metals has posed certain difficulties. The recent experiment of Celasco and co-workers represents a new, powerful approach to this problem, via the measurement of the power spectrum of the voltage noise generated by resistivity fluctuations. The latter originate in vacancy number fluctuations. We develop a theory for the power spectrum, incorporating three basic features. Vacancies can be annihilated in the material and they diffuse. Grain boundaries act as sources and sinks for vacancies. Both annihilation (a form of reaction) and diffusion are noisy processes. We therefore set up and solve a reactive-diffusive stochastic equation for the instantaneous density, with appropriatefinite boundary conditions. Assuming for simplicity that the grains are spherical, the power spectrum is evaluated exactly, in closed form. A detailed comparison with experiment is made. The physical origins of different time scales in the problem and the consequent frequency regimes in the power spectrum are analysed. Recognising the very general applicability of our theory, we also mention possible applications to other problems.