Crossed beam reaction of phenyl and D5-phenyl radicals with propene and deuterated counterparts--competing atomic hydrogen and methyl loss pathways

We conducted the crossed molecular beams reactions of the phenyl and D5-phenyl radicals with propylene together with its partially deuterated reactants at collision energies of ~45 kJ mol(-1) under single collision conditions. The scattering dynamics were found to be indirect and were mainly dictated by an addition of the phenyl radical to the sterically accessible CH(2) unit of the propylene reactant. The resulting doublet radical isomerized to multiple C(9)H(11) intermediates, which were found to be long-lived, decomposing in competing methyl group loss and atomic hydrogen loss pathways with the methyl group loss leading to styrene (C(6)H(5)C(2)H(3)) and the atomic hydrogen loss forming C(9)H(10) isomers cis/trans 1-phenylpropene (CH(3)CHCHC(6)H(5)) and 3-phenylpropene (C(6)H(5)CH(2)C(2)H(3)). Fractions of the methyl versus hydrogen loss channels of 68 ± 16% : 32 ± 10% were derived experimentally, which agrees nicely with RRKM theory. As the collision energy rises to 200 kJmol(-1), the contribution of the methyl loss channel decreases sharply to typically 25%; the decreased importance of the methyl group loss channel was also demonstrated in previous crossed beam experiments conducted at elevated collision energies of 130-193 kJ mol(-1). The presented work highlights the interesting differences of the branching ratios with rising collision energies in the reaction dynamics of phenyl radicals with unsaturated hydrocarbons related to combustion processes. The facility of forming styrene, a common molecule found in combustion against the elusiveness of forming the cyclic indane molecule demonstrates the need to continue to explore the potential surfaces through the combinative single collision experiment and electronic structure calculations.     

Synthesis of cyclic α-hydrazino acids

Synthesis of five-, six-, seven-, eight-, and nine-membered cyclic α-hydrazino acids from a common starting material ‘diethylmalonate’ with 26, 16, 34, 13.5, and 13.33% overall yields is described. Sequential allylation or homoallylation and electrophilic amination followed by cyclization gave the desired rings. The methyl esters of eight- and nine-membered rings were synthesized by RCM and the corresponding free acids were generated after hydrolysis in the presence of 1 M BBr₃ solution in DCM.     

Preconcentration and recovery of uranium and thorium from Indian monazite sand by using a modified fly ash bed

Adsorption of uranium, as UO₂ ²⁺, and thorium, as Th⁴⁺, has been studied using a modified fly ash bed. Effects of pH and various ions like La³⁺, Fe³⁺, Ce⁴⁺, SiO₃ ^2- etc., have been examined. Synthetic mixtures of UO₂ ²⁺ and Th⁴⁺ in different concentrations were passed through the bed and eluted separately with various selective reagents viz. ammonium carbonate, sodium carbonate and acetic acid-sodium hydroxide buffer. Separations of these elements at ppm level are shown to be very effective. The separation of uranium and thorium in the presence of lanthanides in monazite sand has been studied successfully. In the analysis of monazite sand, the oxalate precipitation has been avoided. The method is simple and of very low cost. The modified fly ash bed can also be used to remove uranium from contaminated water.     

Measurement of the neutron capture cross-section of 238U using the neutron activation technique

The ²³⁸U(n, ??)²³⁹U reaction cross-section at average neutron energy of 3.7?±?0.3?MeV from the ⁷Li(p, n)⁷Be reaction has been determined using activation and off-line ??-ray spectrometric technique. The ²³⁸U(n, ??)²³⁹U and ²³⁸U(n, 2n)²³⁷U reaction cross-sections at average neutron energy of 9.85?±?0.38?MeV from the same ⁷Li(p, n)⁷Be reaction have been also determined using the above technique. The experimentally determined ²³⁸U(n, ??)²³⁹U and ²³⁸U(n, 2n)²³⁷U reaction cross-sections were compared with the evaluated data of ENDF/B-VII, JENDL-4.0, JEFF-3.1 and CENDL-3.1. The experimental values were found to be in general agreement with the evaluated value based on ENDF/B-VII, and JENDL-4.0 but not with the JEFF-3.1 and CENDL-3.1. The present data along with literature data in a wide range of neutron energies were interpreted in terms of competition between different reaction channels including fission. The ²³⁸U(n, ??)²³⁹U and ²³⁸U(n, 2n)²³⁷U reaction cross-sections were also calculated theoretically using the TALYS 1.2 computer code and were also found to be in agreement experimental data.     

Synthesis and characterisation of bis(pentafluorophenyl)antimony(V) cations, [(C6F5)2SbL3]

Pentacoordinate complex cations of the general formula [(C₆F₅)₂SbL₃]³⁺ stabilized as solid salts in combination with tetraphenylborate (BPh₄), tetrafluorobroate (BF₄) anions, where L=DMSO, Ph₃AsO, PyO, DMF, α-, β- and γ-picoline have been isolated. The newly formed complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance measurements, solid-state IR and and NMR. From these results, a five-fold coordination around antimony was required.     

1:1 Hetero‐assembly of 2‐amino­pyrimidine and (+)‐camphoric acid

In the title cocrystal, 2‐aminopyrimidine–(+)‐camphoric acid (1/1), C₄H₅N₃·C₁₀H₁₆O₄, the 2‐amino­pyrimidine forms two eight‐membered hydrogen‐bonded rings with two different camphoric acid mol­ecules. This results in infinite wave‐like chains of mol­ecules in which neighbouring chains are connected by weak C—H?O contacts. The five‐membered ring in the acid mol­ecule adopts a half‐chair conformation.     

Ruthenium complexes of 2-[(4-(arylamino)phenyl)azo]pyridine formed via regioselective phenyl ring amination of coordinated 2-(phenylazo)pyridine: isolation of products,X-ray structure,and redox and optical properties

Aromatic ring amination reactions in the ruthenium complex of 2-(phenylazo)pyridine is described. The substitutionally inert cationic brown complex [Ru(pap)(3)](ClO(4))(2) (1) (pap = 2-(phenylazo)pyridine) reacts smoothly with aromatic amines neat and in the presence of air to produce cationic and intense blue complexes [Ru(HL(2))(3)](ClO(4))(2) (2) (HL(2) = 2-[(4-(arylamino)phenyl)azo]pyridine). These were purified on a preparative TLC plate. The X-ray structure of the new and representative complex 2c has been solved to characterize them. The results are compared with those of the starting complex, [Ru(pap)(3)](ClO(4))(2) (1). The transformation 1 --> 2 involves aromatic ring amination at the para carbon (with respect to the diazo function) of the pendant phenyl rings of all three coordinated pap ligands in 1. The transformation is stereoretentive, and the amination reaction is regioselective. The extended ligand HL(2) coordinates as a bidentate ligand and chelates to ruthenium(II) through the pyridine and one of the azo nitrogens. The amine nitrogen of this bears a hydrogen atom and remains uncoordinated. Similarly, the amination reaction on the mixed-ligand complex [Ru(pap)(bpy)(2)](ClO(4))(2) produces the blue complex [Ru(HL(2))(bpy)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (3) as anticipated. The reactions of [RuCl(2)(dmso)(4)] and [Ru(S)(2)(L)(2)](2+) (dmso = dimethyl sulfoxide, S = labile coordinated solvent, L = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and pap) with the preformed HL(2) ligand have been explored. The structure of the representative complex [RuCl(2)(HL(2a))(2)] (5a) is reported. It has the chlorides in trans configuration while the pyridine as well as azo nitrogens are in cis geometry. Optical spectra and redox properties of the newly synthesized complexes are reported. All the ruthenium complexes of HL(2) are characterized by their intense blue solution colors. The lowest energy transitions in these complexes appear near 600 nm, which have been attributed to intraligand charge-transfer transitions. For example, the lowest energy visible range transition in [Ru(HL(2b))(3)](2+) appears at 602 nm and its intensity is 65 510 M(-1) cm(-1). All the tris chelates show multiple-step electron-transfer processes. In [Ru(HL(2))(3)](2+), six reductions waves constitute the complete electron-transfer series. The electrons are believed to be added successively to the three azo functions. In the mixed-ligand chelates [Ru(HL(2))(pap)(2)](2+) and [Ru(HL(2))(bpy)(2)](2+) the reductions due to HL(2), pap, and bpy are observed.     

Positron annihilation studies of poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) gel in mixed solvents

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy was used to characterize the reentrant volume‐phase‐transition behavior of poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) hydrogel in an ethanol/water mixed solvent. The polymer gel was synthesized with γ irradiation. The ortho‐positronium lifetime (τ₃) in the gel slowly increased with an increase in the ethanol content in the mixed solvent. τ₃ was not influenced by the volume phase transition. The ortho‐positronium intensity decreased with the collapse of the gel in an approximately 10% ethanol/water mixture. When swelled in pure ethanol, τ₃ initially increased with the solvent amount in the gel, showing the destruction of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and the relaxation of polymer chains. The lower critical solution temperature of the gel in the 10% ethanol/water mixture was lower than that in pure water, and τ₃ for various solvent contents showed behavior similar to that seen in pure solvent. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1028–1036, 2002     

Self-assembly and odd-even effects of cis-unsaturated carboxylic acids on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

The self-assembly of several cis-unsaturated carboxylic acids of the structure cis-CH3(CH2)p-1CH=CH(CH2)m-1COOH on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) was studied. The impact of the interior cis-CH=CH group and the molecular chain length on their self-assembled structures was considered. Due to the cis conformation of the -HC=CH- group in the interior of these molecules, they display self-assembled structures significantly different from saturated acids with all-trans configurations. As an example of the class of molecules cis-CH3(CH2)p-1CH=CH(CH2)2n-1COOH (p not equal 2n) (p=8, n=7), cis-CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)13COOH self-assembles into two kinds of enantiomer domains with opposite 2-D chirality. Due to the steric restriction of the interior cis-HC=CH group, all chains with acid groups are packed at the same side of a lamella, a head-to-head arrangement which is different from the head-to-tail packing of saturated all-trans acids. However, cis-CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)8COOH, considered as one example of the group cis-CH3(CH2)p-1CH=CH(CH2)2n-2COOH (p not equal 2n-1) (p=8, n=5), does not form any stable self-assembled domain, consistent with the molecular arrangement model. This difference in self-assembly behavior between cis-CH3(CH2)p-1CH=CH(CH2)2n-1COOH (p not equal 2n) and cis-CH3(CH2)p-1CH=CHC2n-2COOH (p not equal 2n-1) shows an odd-even chain-length effect of cis-CH3(CH2)p-1CH=CH(CH2)m-1COOH (p not equal m, m=2n or 2n-1). For another category of molecules, cis-unsaturated acids with equal numbers of all-trans carbon atoms on both sides of the cis-CH=CH group, cis-CH3(CH2)m-1CH=CH(CH2)m-1COOH (m=2n or 2n-1), display another odd-even effect. cis-CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH, one example of cis-CH3(CH2)2n-1-CH=CH(CH2)2n-1COOH (n=4), is predicted to form both an enantiomer and a nonchiral racemic structure, which is in accordance with the experimental observation of its self-assembled monolayer. However, cis-CH3(CH2)2n-2CH=CH(CH2)2n-2COOH does not form a stable self-assembled domain due to the same steric repulsion as that seen in the cis-CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)8COOH structure. These odd-even effects demonstrate that molecular self-assembly can be significantly tailored by slightly changing the molecular chain length.     

Synthesis of SnO2 nanostructures by ultrasonic-assisted sol–gel method

Fluorine doped SnO₂ nanostructures were grown using ultrasonic assisted sol–gel method. The gel was obtained by dissolving stannous chloride in methanol with ammonium fluoride as dopant followed by irradiation with ultrasonic vibrations. Obtained samples were characterized by structural, morphological and optical studies. All the peaks in the X-ray diffractograms are identified and indexed as tetragonal cassiterite structure. Negative slope of Williamson–Hall plots indicates compressive strain. Particle size of SnO₂ nanostructures is decreases with increases in concentration of fluorine doping. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies confirm the formation of ring like porous structures and then hollow tube like growth with increase in the fluorine concentration. Peaks in Raman spectra also indicate strong confinement in SnO₂ particles. Distinct peaks in the PL spectra make the structure suitable for photovoltaic applications.