Metal-Containing Poly(Organophosphazenes)

Summary: In this paper we highlighted the general situation of metal containing poly(organophosphazenes) and we presented the status of the art in this area in terms of interactions between phosphazene materials and different types of metals. Possible practical utilization of the polymers obtained is also envisaged.     

Rotational coupling effects on the spin relaxation of free ferromagnetic clusters

A model based on resonant spin-rotation coupling is used to reproduce the magnetization of free iron clusters experimentally observed by Stern-Gerlach deflections. Due to the interaction with the rotating magnetocrystalline anisotropy field, the dynamics of the magnetic moment of the clusters cannot be explained only in terms of thermal relaxation. As in magnetic resonance experiments, modified Bloch equations can describe the interaction of the particle spin with the deflecting field and the rotating anisotropy field. The dependence of the magnetization on the rotational temperature of the clusters and the relaxation time is discussed.     

Detection of trace levels of atrazine using surface-enhanced Raman scattering and information visualization

The detection of trace amounts of pesticides is essential for the quality control of waters, particularly with their inevitable increasing use with the growing demand for food. In this study, we report on the detection of atrazine, a highly toxic herbicide, down to 5?×?10^?12 M, which is sufficient to monitor the quality of drinking water even according to the most stringent international regulations. Such detection was performed with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in atrazine incorporated into silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) colloids, with the SERS spectra being treated with Sammon’s mapping, an information visualization technique. In addition to providing a fingerprint of the atrazine molecules, SERS is advantageous in comparison with impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry applied to a sensor array of units made with layer-by-layer (LbL) films containing AgNPs and AuNPs. The combined use of SERS and information visualization methods is promising for monitoring water quality with regard to other pesticides, which may even approach single molecule detection.     

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Dioxygen at Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with a Novel Cobalt(III) Schiff's Base Complex

A carbon paste modified electrode with a new cobalt(III) Schiff's base complex (CPME) and its application to electrocatalytic activity for dioxygen reduction is developed. The electrochemical behavior and stability of the CPME as well as the two‐electron reduction of O₂ at the electrode were investigated using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and rotating disk electrode methods. At the CPME, the reduction of dioxygen to hydrogen peroxide occurs at potentials where it is not observed at a bare carbon paste electrode. The CPME exhibited potent and persistent electrocatalysis for O₂ reduction in acetate buffer solutions of pH 4.0 with an overpotential of about 800 mV lower than unmodified CPE and drastic increase in the peak current. The heterogeneous rate constant for the reduction of O₂ at the surface of CPME was determined by hydrodynamic voltammetry using the Koutecky–Levich plot. A possible catalytic mechanism is proposed and discussed.     

Development and application of methods using SPE,HPLC-DAD,LC-ESI-MS/MS and GFAAS for the determination of herbicides and metals in surface and drinking water

A preliminary study of the pollution in surface and drinking waters caused by herbicides and metals in the Municipal Water Supply System (CORSAN) in Rio Grande city, RS, Brazil, is reported. The occurrence of 5 herbicides and 9 metals was studied in surface and drinking water through the analysis of 2 sampling spots at CORSAN. The analytical determination was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE), high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for herbicides, and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) for metals. The concentrations of herbicides in the surface water were very low; however, the herbicide clomazone was detected in more than 50% of the samples analysed in concentration exceeding 1.0?µg L^?1. The concentration of metals was below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set by the Brazilian regulation.     

Orderly generation of half-regular symmetric designs via Rahilly families of pre-difference sets

Rahilly families of pre-difference sets have been introduced by Rahilly, Praeger, Street and Bryant as a tool for constructing symmetric designs. Using orderly generation, we construct Rahilly families for various groups up to equivalence. For each equivalence class we determine the isomorphism type of the corresponding design. Some designs may be new, whilst others were already known in which case we identify them. For each design we test whether it admits as an automorphism group a regular extension of one of the given groups. If this is the case, the pre-difference set for the given group is also a difference set for the regular extension. We prove that there are examples of designs with a Rahilly family of pre-difference sets for a group which do not admit a regular extension.     

Nickel–cobalt hydroxide catalysts for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to epoxides

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Nickel and cobalt bimetallic hydroxides, in which both metal cations present the same oxidation state, were synthesized and characterized by XRD, TGA, TEM, XPS,...     

The effect of intermolecular dipole-dipole interaction on Raman spectra of polyconjugated molecules: density functional theory simulations and mathematical models

In this work, we analyze the effect of intermolecular dipole-dipole interactions on Raman spectra of polyconjugated molecules. In particular, the behavior of push-pull polyenes has been studied. By means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations on isolated molecules and dimers, we have found that both the frequencies and intensities of the strongest Raman lines (R mode) are strongly influenced by intermolecular interactions. The results have been rationalized within the effective conjugation coordinate (ECC) theory developed in the past. The calculations for different configurations have also shown that the Raman spectra are sensible to different intermolecular geometries, thus implying a possible application of vibrational spectroscopy to the study of supramolecular properties of polyconjugated systems. The comparison with the available experimental spectra confirms the results obtained with the DFT computations. Finally, a very simple mathematical model is proposed for the prediction of the Raman frequencies of interacting systems. From the knowledge of just a few quantities for the isolated molecule and of some geometrical parameters, an estimate of the frequency of the dimers can be obtained. Despite its simplicity, this model gives results in very good agreement with DFT calculations carried out explicitly on dimers in several different arrangements.