V2O5/TiO2 Catalytic Xerogels Raman and EPR Studies

Raman spectroscopy and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) studies were performed on a series of V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalysts prepared by a modified sol-gel method in order to identify the vanadium species. Two species of surface vanadium were identified by Raman measurements, monomeric vanadyls and polymeric vanadates. Monomeric vanadyls are characterized by a narrow Raman band at 1030 cm^–1 and polymeric vanadates by two broad bands in the region from 900 to 960 cm^–1 and 770 to 850 cm^–1. The Raman spectra do not exhibit characteristic peaks of crystalline V₂O₅. These results are in agreement with those of X-ray Diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) previously reported (C.B. Rodella et al., J. Sol-Gel Sci. Techn., submitted). At least three families of V⁴⁺ ions were identified by EPR investigations. The analysis of the EPR spectra suggests that isolated V⁴⁺ ions are located in sites with octahedral symmetry substituting for Ti⁴⁺ ions in the rutile structure. Magnetically interacting V⁴⁺ ions are also present as pairs or clusters giving rise to a broad and structureless EPR line. At higher concentration of V₂O₅, a partial oxidation of V⁴⁺ to V⁵⁺ is apparent from the EPR results.     

Penetration and interactions of the antimicrobial peptide, microcin J25, into uncharged phospholipid monolayers

Microcin J25 forms stable monolayers at the air-water interface showing a collapse at a surface pressure of 5 mN/m, 220 mV of surface potential, and 6 fV per squared centimeter of surface potential per unit of molecular surface density. The adsorption of microcin J25 from the subphase at clean interfaces leads to a rise of 10 mN/m in surface pressure and a surface potential of 220 mV. From these data microcin appears to be a poor surfactant per se. Nevertheless, the interaction with the lipid monolayer further increase the stability of the peptide at the interface depending on the mode in which the monolayer is formed. Spreading with egg PC leads to nonideal mixing up to 7 mN/m, with hyperpolarization and expansion of components at the interface, with a small excess free energy of mixing caused by favorable contributions to entropy due to molecular area expansion compensating for the unfavorable enthalpy changes arising from repulsive dipolar interactions. Above 7 mN/m microcin is squeezed out, leaving a film of pure phospholipid. Nevertheless, the presence of lipid at 10 and 20 mN/m stabilize further microcin at the interface and adsorption from the subphase proceeds up to 30 mN/m, equivalent to surface pressure in bilayers.     

On the reaction of Ph2PNHPPh2 with RNCS (R=Et, Ph, p-NO2C6H4): preparation of the zwitterionic ligand EtNHC(S)Ph2P==NPPh2C(S)NEt (HSNS) and the zwitterionic metalate [(SNS)Rh(CO)

The reaction of Ph(2)PNHPPh(2) (PNP) with RNCS (Et, Ph, p-NO(2)(C(6)H(4))) gives addition products resulting from the attack of the P atoms of PNP on the electrophilic carbon atom of the isothiocyanate. When PNP is reacted with EtNCS in a 1:2 molar ratio, the zwitterionic molecule EtNHC(S)PPh(2)==NP(+)Ph(2)C(S)N(-)Et (HSNS) is obtained in high yield. HSNS can be protonated (H(2)SNS(+)) or deprotonated (SNS(-)), behaving in the latter form as an S,N,S-donor pincer ligand. The reaction of HSNS with [(acac)Rh(CO)(2)] (acac=acetylacetonate) affords the zwitterionic metalate [(SNS)Rh(CO)]. Other products can be obtained depending on the R group, the PNP/RNCS ratio (1:1 or 1:2), and the reaction temperature. The proposed product of the primary attack of PNP on RNCS, Ph(2)PN==PPh(2)C(S)NHR (A), cannot be isolated. Reaction of A with another RNCS molecule leads to 1:2 addition compounds of the general formula RNHC(S)PPh(2)==NP(+)Ph(2)C(S)N(-)R (1), which can rearrange into the non-zwitterionic product RNHC(S)PPh(2)==NP(S)Ph(2) (2) by eliminating a molecule of RNC. Two molecules of A can react together, yielding 1:1 PNP/RNCS zwitterionic products of the formula RNHCH[PPh(2)==NP(S)Ph(2)]PPh(2)==NP(+)Ph(2)C(S)N(-)R (3). Compound 3 can then rearrange into RNHCH[PPh(2)==NP(S)Ph(2)](2) (4) by losing a RNC molecule. When R=Et (a), compounds 1 a, 2 a (HSNS), and 4 a have been isolated and characterized. When R=Ph (b), compounds 2 b and 4 b can be prepared in high yield. When R=p-NO(2)C(6)H(4) (c), only compound 3 c is observed and isolated in high yield. The crystal structures of HSNS, [(SNS)Rh(CO)], and of the most representative products have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods.     

Substitutional carbon defects in silicon: A quantum mechanical characterization through the infrared and Raman spectra

The infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of eight substitutional carbon defects in silicon are computed at the quantum mechanical level by using a periodic supercell approach based on hybrid functionals, an all electron Gaussian type basis set and the CRYSTAL code. The single substitutional C _s case and its combination with a vacancy (C _sV and C _sSiV) are considered first. The progressive saturation of the four bonds of a Si atom with C is then examined. The last set of defects consists of a chain of adjacent carbon atoms C, with i = 1–3. The simple substitutional case, C _s, is the common first member of the three sets. All these defects show important, very characteristic features in their IR spectrum. One or two C related peaks dominate the spectra: at 596 cm⁻¹ for C _s (and C _sSiV, the second neighbor vacancy is not shifting the C _s peak), at 705 and 716 cm⁻¹ for C _sV, at 537 cm⁻¹ for C and C (with additional peaks at 522, 655 and 689 for the latter only), at 607 and 624 cm⁻¹, 601 and 643 cm⁻¹, and 629 cm⁻¹ for SiC, SiC, and SiC, respectively. Comparison with experiment allows to attribute many observed peaks to one of the C substitutional defects. Observed peaks above 720 cm⁻¹ must be attributed to interstitial C or more complicated defects.     

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography coupled with atomic fluorescence spectrometric detection Effect of the denaturation on the determination of thiolic proteins

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography coupled online with chemical vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HIC-CVGAFS) has been optimized for the analysis of thiolic proteins in denaturing conditions. Proteins are pre-column simultaneously denatured and derivatized in phosphate buffer solution containing 8.0 mol dm⁻³ urea and p-hydroxymercurybenzoate (PHMB) and the derivatized denatured proteins are separated on a silica HIC Eichrom Propyl column in the presence of 8.0 M urea in the mobile phase. Post-column online reaction of derivatized denatured proteins with bromine, generated in situ by KBr/KBrO₃ in HCl medium, allowed the fast conversion of the uncomplexed PHMB and of the PHMB bound to proteins to inorganic mercury also in presence of urea. Hg²⁺, present in solution as Hg²⁺-urea complex, is selectively detected by AFS in a Ar/H₂ miniaturized flame after sodium borohydride reduction to Hg. Under optimized conditions, online bromine treatment gives a 100±2% recovery of both free and protein-complexed PHMB. Denatured glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase, trioso phosphate isomerase and β-lactoglobulin have been examined. As the sensitivity and limit of detection of proteins in the HIC-CVGAFS apparatus depends on number of SH groups reacting with PHMB, the denaturation process, which increases the number of PHMB-reactive thiolic groups in proteins, improves the analytical performances of the described system in protein analysis. The detection limit for the denatured proteins examined was found in the range of 10⁻¹⁰-10⁻¹² mol dm⁻³, depending on the considered protein, with linear calibration curves spanning over four decades of concentration.     

Stereochemical features of the physical and chemical interactions of singlet oxygen with enecarbamates

Oxazolidinone-substituted enecarbamates represent a mechanistically rich system for the study of stereoelectronic, steric, and conformational effects on stereoselectivity and mode selectivity in (1)O(2) [2 + 2] and ene reactions. Photooxygenation of these enecarbamates with (1)O(2) leads to diastereomerically pure dioxetanes that decompose to yield an oxazolidinone carbaldehyde and one of the two enantiomers of methyldesoxybenzoin in enantiomeric excess. Stereoselectivity originates at the allylic stereocenter, a result supported by quenching studies, computational analysis, and deuterium solvent isotope effects. [reaction: see text]     

Elucidating interactions of ionic liquids with polymer films using confocal Raman spectroscopy

We report on the molecular interactions between room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) and Nafion and PDMS membranes, proving that in contact with these polymers RTILs behave like electrolytes rather than solvents.     

Excitation decay pathways of Lhca proteins: a time-resolved fluorescence study

Light-harvesting complex I (LHCI), which serves as a peripheral antenna for photosystem I (PSI) in green plants, consists mainly of four polypeptides, Lhca1-4. We report room temperature emission properties of individual reconstituted monomeric Lhca proteins (Lhca1, -2, -3, and -4) and dimeric Lhca1/4, performed by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. The emission quantum yields of the samples are approximately 0.12, 0.085, 0.081, 0.041, and 0.063 for Lhca1, -2, -3, -4, and the -1/4 dimer, respectively, which is considerably lower than the value of 0.22 found for light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), the main peripheral antenna complex of photosystem II in green plants. The decay components of LHCI proteins can be divided in two categories: Lhca1 and Lhca3 have decay times of 1.1-1.6 ns and 3.3-3.6 ns, and Lhca2 and Lhca4 have decay times of 0.7-0.9 ns and 3.1-3.2 ns. These categories seem to correlate with the pigment composition of the samples. All decay times are faster than that observed previously for LHCII. When the absolute emission yields and the lifetimes of the Lhca samples are combined, the overall emission properties of the individual Lhca proteins are expressed in terms of their emitting dipole moment strength. In the samples without extreme red states, that is, Lhca1 and Lhca2, the emitting dipole moment has a value close to unity (relative to monomeric chlorophyll in acetone), which is similar to that for LHCII, whereas, in the samples with the red-most state (F-730), that is, Lhca3, -4, and the -1/4 dimer, the emitting dipole moment has a value less than unity (0.6-0.8), which can be explained by mixing the red-most (exciton) state with a dark charge-transfer state, as suggested in previous PSI red pigment studies. In addition, we find a lifetime component of approximately 50-150 ps in all red-pigment-containing samples, which cannot be due to "slow" energy transfer, but is instead assigned to an unrelaxed state of the pigment-protein, which, on this time-scale, is converted into the final emitting state.     

Determination of the boiling-point distribution by simulated distillation from n-pentane through n-tetratetracontane in 70 to 80 seconds

This work presents the carrying out of boiling-point distributions by simulated distillation with direct-column heating rather than oven-column heating. Column-heating rates of 300 degrees C/min are obtained yielding retention times of 73 s for n-tetratetracontane. The calibration curves of the retention time versus the boiling point, in the range of n-pentane to n-tetratetracontane, are identical to those obtained by slower oven-heating rates. The boiling-point distribution of the reference gas oil is compared with that obtained with column oven heating at rates of 15 to 40 degrees C/min. The results show boiling-point distribution values nearly the same (1-2 degrees F) as those obtained with oven column heating from the initial boiling point to 80% distilled off. Slightly higher differences are obtained (3-4 degrees F) for the 80% distillation to final boiling-point interval. Nonetheless, allowed consensus differences are never exceeded. Precision of the boiling-point distributions (expressed as standard deviations) are 0.1-0.3% for the data obtained in the direct column-heating mode.     

Separation and analysis of glycyrrhizin, 18beta-glycyrrhetic acid and 18alpha-glycyrrhetic acid in liquorice roots by means of capillary zone electrophoresis

Glycyrrhizin is the main active compound of Glycyrrhiza glabra root extracts; according to recent studies, glycyrrhizin and its aglycon, glycyrrhetic acid, have interesting therapeutic properties. A new capillary electrophoretic method has been developed for the separation and quantification of glycyrrhizin, beta-glycyrrhetic acid and its isomer a-glycyrrhetic acid. Separation of the analytes was achieved in less than 3 min on a fused silica capillary, by injecting the samples at the short end of the capillary (effective length: 8.5 cm). The background electrolyte was composed of pH 10.0 carbonate buffer, methanol and ethylene glycol (80/10/10) and contained 0.4% beta-cyclodextrin; indomethacin was used as the internal standard. Diode array detection was used, with quantitative assays carried out at 254 nm. Linearity was found over the 5-200 and 2.5-100 microg mL(-1) concentration ranges for glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetic acid, respectively. This method has been applied to the determination of the analytes in different matrices (liquorice roots and commercial confectionery products), and to the purity control of beta-glycyrrhetic acid obtained from the hydrolysis of glycyrrhizin. When analysing beta-glycyrrhetic acid and its epimer in roots, the samples were purified by means of a suitable solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure with Oasis HLB cartridges, which granted good selectivity, eliminating matrix interference.