Depolarised Rayleigh light scattering in argon layer confined between graphite plains: MD simulation

The interaction-induced light scattering many-body correlation functions and their spectra in a thin argon layer located between two parallel graphite walls have been investigated by molecular dynamics simulation method. The calculations have been performed for three different distances between graphite plates. Our simulations show the increased intensity of the interaction-induced light scattering spectra at low frequencies for argon atoms in confined space, in comparison to the bulk (unconfined) sample. Moreover, we show a substantial dependence of the interaction-induced light scattering correlation functions of argon on the distances between graphite walls, that is, on the density of argon layer. The mean square displacement and related diffusion coefficient of argon atom in the confined space has been also investigated. Moreover, the structural feature of the thin layer has been studied by calculating the argon density profile, perpendicular to the graphite walls. An interesting observation is the development of a fluid phase in the innermost region of the confined argon layer.     

Note on the Harmonic Approximation in the Treatment of Entanglement: N Cold Trapped Ions

We study a one-dimensional system composed of N charged bosons confined in an external harmonic potential. In the limit of a strong interaction between the particles, we apply the harmonic approximation and derive an integral representation for the purity of the one-particle reduced density matrix, enabling an easy determination of the asymptotic entanglement. Results for the dependence of the asymptotic linear entropy on N are provided and discussed in detail for the first time.     

Chiral benzisoselenazolones: conformational analysis based on experimental and DFT calculated Se NMR

A series of new enantiomeric N-substituted benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones were prepared from 2-(chloroseleno)benzoyl chloride and 9-amino-deoxyquinine (both 9-native and 9-epi) as well as the other chiral primary amines. The ⁷⁷Se NMR parameters for the obtained benzisoselenazolones were measured and theoretically calculated at the DFT level of theory using B97-2 hybrid functional and cc-pVTZ basis set. The DFT ⁷⁷Se chemical shifts for the lowest energy conformers were in agreement with the experimental data, while the conformers of higher energy showed markedly worse fit. Interestingly, the preferred conformation for 2-(1-arylalkyl)-benzisoselenazolones is the gauche type (Se–N–C–H≈±180°), and it is in agreement with those observed in crystals (X-ray). The calculation predicts a much higher sensitivity for the ⁷⁷Se chemical shift of the conformation than for the corresponding ¹³C data. In the ⁷⁷Se NMR spectra of chiral benzisoselenazolones with added racemic or l-N-Boc-phenylglycine, chiral discrimination could not be observed mostly due to signal broadening. In the ¹H NMR spectra, the benzisoselenazole derived from epi-9-amino-deoxyquinine induced splittings of the amino acid signals, thus allowing for discrimination of the enantiomers.     

An Approach to Transfer Methods from HPLC to UHPLC Techniques in Some Carbapenems

Stability-indicating LC methods were developed and validated for the quantitative determination of doripenem, meropenem and tebipenem in the presence of their degradation products formed during forced degradation studies. Isocratic HPLC and UHPLC separations were performed with a core–shell Kinetex 1.7, 2.6 and 5 µm, all C18, 100A, 100 × 2.1 mm columns and the mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and 12 mmol L^?1 ammonium acetate in different ratios. The flow rates of the mobile phase were: 0.5 mL min^?1 for 1.7 µm column, and 1.0 mL min^?1 for 2.6 and 5 µm ones. Detection wavelength was 298 nm and temperature was set at 30 °C. All analysed drugs were exposed to stress conditions which caused their hydrolysis and thermal degradation. The methods were validated by evaluation of linearity, accuracy, precision, selectivity and robustness. Proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of investigated antibiotics during kinetic studies in aqueous solutions and in the solid state. The advantages of chromatographic procedures which are based on the use of C18 stationary phases with different particle sizes in the analysis of selected carbapenems were discussed.     

Quantum delocalization of benzene in the ring puckering coordinates

The effect of quantum mechanical delocalization of atomic nuclei on the conformation of the six‐membered ring structure in two hydrocarbons, cyclohexane and benzene, is investigated using ab initio path integral approach. A striking feature of benzene species is revealed using ring puckering coordinate representation, which demonstrates that the zero point motion of the heavy atom skeleton dominates over the out‐of‐plane thermal motions of the ring. Even more unexpected is the fact, that this is true not only at low temperature of 150 K, at which such behavior would not be surprising, but also at room temperature, where the nuclear quantum effects are usually of lesser importance, especially in the case of such heavy nuclei as carbon. In view of this finding the planar conformation of benzene, whose equilibrium (T = 0 K) geometry results from the well‐known properties of the electronic structure, can be elucidated also at nonzero temperature. According to our simulations, it appears as a consequence of quantum delocalization of the carbon nuclei rather than a trivial time average over the classical configurations of the puckered ring. This interesting behavior is contrasted with the clearly nonplanar structure of cyclohexane, whose ring puckering states can be unequivocally assigned even if the nuclear delocalization is taken into account. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

NMR and DFT calculation study on structures of 2‐[2‐nitro‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]cyclohexane‐1,3‐dione (NTBC) and its two metabolites isolated from urine of patients suffering from tyrosinemia type I

2‐[2‐Nitro‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]cyclohexane‐1,3‐dione (NTBC) is an active component of nitisinone, a medicine against tyrosinemia type I. Using ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy it has been found that in the urine of patients treated with nitisinone two compounds possessing CF₃ group are always present. They have been isolated by using TLC technique and identified as 4‐hydroxy‐2‐[2‐nitro‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]cyclohexane‐1,3‐dione and 5‐hydroxy‐2‐[2‐nitro‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]cyclohexane‐1,3‐dione, the latter being previously unknown. The constitution, tautomerism and stereochemistry of these compounds have been thoroughly investigated using ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy supported by theoretical calculations. Molecular structures have been optimized using density functional theory (DFT) with PBE1PBE functional and 6‐31G* basis set. In NMR parameter calculations, the larger 6‐311++G(2d,p) basis set has been used. At both calculation stages, the polarizable continuum model of the solvent has been employed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ag[Fe(CO)5]2+: A Bare Silver Complex with Fe(CO)5 as a Ligand

Attempts to prepare Fe(CO)₅⁺ from Ag[Al(OR^F)₄] (R^F=C(CF₃)₃) and Fe(CO)₅ in CH₂Cl₂ yielded the first complex of a neutral metal carbonyl bound to a simple metal cation. The Ag[Fe(CO)₅]₂⁺ cation consists of two Fe(CO)₅ molecules coordinating Ag⁺ in an almost linear fashion. The ν(CO) modes are blue‐shifted compared to Fe(CO)₅, with one band above 2143 cm^?1 indicating that back‐bonding is heavily decreased in the Ag[Fe(CO)₅]₂⁺ cation.     

Stress Degradation Studies of Tebipenem and a Validated Stability-Indicating LC Method

A inexpensive and rapid isocratic LC method has been developed for the quantitative determination of tebipenem—a new β-lactam antibiotic. Stress degradation studies were performed on tebipenem in acidic (0.2 N hydrochloric acid) and basic (0.02 N sodium hydroxide) solutions, in a solution with oxidizing agent (3 % hydrogen peroxide), and in the solid state, during thermolysis and photolysis. For a chromatographic separation of tebipenem and its degradation products, a C-18 stationary phase and 12 mM ammonium acetate-acetonitrile (96:4 v/v) were used. A quantitative determination of tebipenem was carried out by using a PDA detector at 298 nm, with a flow rate of 1.2 mL min^?1. The linear regression analysis for the calibration plots showed a good linear relationship (r = 0.999) in the concentration range 0.041–0.240 mg mL^?1. The method demonstrated good precision (1.14–1.96 % RSD) and recovery (99.60–101.90 %). The limits of detection and quantitation were 9.69 and 29.36 μg mL^?1, respectively. The analysis of tebipenem reactivity was supported by quantum chemical calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT). The analysis of the electron density of the HOMO and LUMO of tebipenem suggested the possibility of electron transport in the molecule during the degradation of bi-cyclic 4:5 fused penem rings.     

Probing the Reactivity of the Potent AgF2 Oxidizer. Part 2: Inorganic Compounds

The reactivity of Ag^IIF₂ towards forty two inorganic compounds containing oxo‐ and chloro‐ ligands, has been investigated. Five families of compounds were studied: (i) binary oxides of metals and nonmetals, (ii) ternary salts of inorganic oxo acids, (iii) concentrated or anhydrous oxo‐ acids, (iv) binary and ternary chlorides and (v) oxochlorides. At low temperatures up to 200 °C AgF₂ readily oxidizes HgO, B₂O₃, PbO₂, As₂O₅, Ag₂SO₄, LiBO₂, K₂CO₃, KVO₃, Ag₂WO₄, and AgMnO₄ with concomitant oxygen evolution. In the same conditions V₂O₅, CrO₃, MoO₃, WO₃, CuO, Tl₂O₃, I₂O₅, Re₂O₇, K₂SO₄, HgSO₄, KSO₃F, KNO₃, KClO₄, KIO₄, BaCrO₄, KMnO₄ and KReO₄ resist the action of AgF₂ but many of these compounds get oxidized at higher temperatures (up to nearly 300 °C). Substantial inertness of sulfates, chromates, nitrates, perchlorates, permanganates and perrhenates suggests that one might attempt to synthesize salts of divalent silver with these anions. AgF₂ vigorously reacts with H₂SO₄ (fuming, 30% SO₃), HSO₃Cl (100%), HClO₄ (70%), and HNO₃ (fuming, 100%) at room temperature yielding salts of Ag^I and O₂; for HClO₄ and HNO₃ pre‐cooled to ?35 °C metastable perchlorate / nitrate complexes of Ag^II are obtained. Anhydrous HSO₃F behaves similar to HSO₃CF₃ (see Part 1 of this series) yielding slow methathetical conversion of AgF₂ without concomitant redox reaction. Majority of chlorides and oxochlorides studied (AgCl, AuCl₃, KAuCl₄, WCl₆, WOCl₄, MoOCl₄, MoO₂Cl₂) react with AgF₂ at temperatures below 160 °C. Reaction with SiCl₄ (in contrast to CCl₄) is violent and very exothermic at room temperature. Liquid CrO₂Cl₂ (at room temperature) and solid WO₂Cl₂ (up to 180 °C) are kinetically inert to AgF₂. We do not observe intercalation of AgF₂ with various redox—inert oxo‐ and chloro‐ Lewis bases at the experimental conditions.     

Hydrogen peroxide as a reductant of hexacyanoferrate(III) in alkaline solutions: kinetic studies

The kinetics of hexacyanoferrate(III) reduction by hydrogen peroxide in strongly alkaline media leading to hexacyanoferrate(II) ion have been studied spectrophotometrically within the wavelength range 300–500 nm. The reaction obeys a simple pseudo-first-order rate expression under the applied conditions, namely, a large excess of the reductant and OH⁻ anion concentrations, and a low oxidant concentration. The linear dependences of the pseudo-first-order rate constant on OH⁻ and H₂O₂ concentrations are consistent with the rate law of the form: where and are the second- and the pseudo-third-order rate constants for the electron transfer from HO₂ ⁻ and O₂ ²⁻ to [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻, respectively. The apparent activation parameters determined at 0.4 M NaOH are as follows: ΔH ^# = (18.0 ± 1.0) kJ mol⁻¹ and ΔS ^# = (−155 ± 3.5) J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹. The possible mechanism of the reaction is discussed.