Matrix-isolation-FTIR spectroscopy with an integrating sphere

The use of an integrating sphere for the measurement of absorption spectra of thin films is described. The thin film (for example a rare gas matrix) is grown directly on the inside surface of the sphere. Multiple reflections inside the integrating sphere lead to significant enhancement of weak absorptions of the film, increasing the sensitivity of such measurements.     

Amide interactions in chlorinated solvents

Enthalpies of solution and of transfer of amides for the solvents chloroform (CHCl₃), methylenechloride (CH₂Cl₂), carbontetrachloride (CCl₄), cyclohexane (C₆H₁₂), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), and ethylacetate (EtOAc) have been used to isolate and quantify the solvation interactions of amides in chlorinated solvents. Specific interactions at the aminde carbonyl and N–H groups have been identified. An analysis of the transfer enthalpies of pyrrole and methylpyrrole from cyclohexane to the chlorinated solvents shows that specific interactions between the pyrroles and these solvents are similar in nature. A means of calculating differences in the transfers of different solutes between the same solvent pair is given.Work done at Lebanon Valley College.     

Ab initio and DFT calculations on the initial step in thiamin catalysis

The diphosphate ester (ThDP) of thiamin (vitamin B₁) is an important cofactor of enzymes within the carbohydrate metabolism. The initial reaction step shared by all ThDP-dependent enzymes is the deprotonation of the C2–H of the thiazolium ring. The replacement of the 4′-amino group by a hydroxyl one in the pyrimidine ring leads to the oxy-ThDP analogue which is known as an antagonist in thiamin catalysis.

Ab initio and DFT calculations on the MP2/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-31G* level were performed to study the proton relay function in thiamin and oxythiamin systems. Both MP2 and B3LYP calculations show significant differences of the reaction coordinate of the ylide formation in the systems. Tautomers, protonated and deprotonated species of both systems show different trends regarding their stability. The influence of correlation effects on the results is discussed by comparison with the HF-SCF/6-31G* data. Frequency calculations on the B3LYP/6-31G* level were performed to characterize the minima and transition state structures, respectively.     

Polymer dispersions from catalytic polymerization in aqueous systems

By contrast to traditional free radical emulsion polymerization, catalytic polymerization allows for polymer microstructure control. In terms of polymerizable monomers, both techniques are largely complementary. Since the beginning of this decade, an increasing number of reports on polyolefin, polybutadiene, polyalkenamer, polynorbornene, polyketone, and polyacetylene dispersions prepared by catalytic polymerization in disperse aqueous systems has appeared. This contribution reviews the preparation of these dispersions, their colloidal properties, particle formation mechanisms, particle morphologies, and polymer microstructures.     

IBX-mediated alpha-hydroxylation of alpha-alkynyl carbonyl systems. A convenient method for the synthesis of tertiary alcohols

[reaction: see text] IBX (o-iodoxybenzoic acid) is an excellent reagent for the alpha-hydroxylation of alpha-alkynyl carbonyl compounds without giving dehydrogenation products. The convenient procedure proves to be useful for the construction of a variety of tertiary alcohols (55-91%) under mildly acidic conditions.     

Aromatisierung von cytclohexenon-derivaten über selenorganische zwischenstufen

Reaction of the hydroaromatic compounds ($\text{1a}$) and ($\text{3a}$) with lithium-diisopropylamide followed by phenylselenenyl chloride gives the selenides ($\text{1b}$) and ($\text{1c}$) resp. ($\text{3b}$), which form exclusively the phenols ($\text{4}$) resp. ($\text{6}$) after oxidation with 3-chloroperbenzoic acid in the presence of 3,5-dimethoxyaniline ($\text{7a}$).     

Pure and doped lanthanum cobaltites obtained by combustion method

We report the synthesis of La_1−xSr_xCoO₃ nanopowders by solution combustion method using metal nitrates and -alanine (alanine method) or urea (urea method) as fuel. The influence of metal nitrates/organic substance molar ratio and the type of fuel was investigated. The isolated complex precursors were characterized by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), FT-IR spectra and DTA–TG analysis. The La_1−xSr_xCoO₃ (x = 0–0.3) powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX), as well as by specific surface area measurements. XRD patterns indicate the formation of single-phase LaCoO₃ (rhombohedral) when as-synthesized powders were calcined at 873 K, 3 h in the case of the alanine method and at 1073 K, 3 h for urea-based system. Also, strontium doped lanthanum cobaltites obtained by both methods at 1273 K are single phase with rhombohedral perovskite-like structure as XRD data have proved. SEM investigation of pure and doped lanthanum cobaltites reveal that the samples prepared by both methods have fine particles with tendency of agglomerates formation with different shapes, spongy aspect and high porosity. La_1−xSr_xCoO₃ nanopowders obtained by alanine method have larger specific surface area values than those prepared by urea method.     

Nonlinear desingularization in certain free-boundary problems

We consider a nonlinear, elliptic, free-boundary problem involving an initially unknown setA that represents, for example, the cross-section of a steady vortex ring or of a confined plasma in equilibrium. The solutions are characterized by a variational principle which allows us to describe their behaviour under a limiting process such that the diameter ofA tends to zero, while the solutions degenerate to the solution of a related linear problem. This limiting solution is the sum of the Green function of the linear operator and of a smooth function satisfying the boundary conditions. Mathematically speaking, this limiting process, that we call nonlinear desingularization, is a novel kind of bifurcation phenomenon since the nonlinear effect here involves smoothing the singularity of the associated linear problem.Research partially supported by A FOSR and NSF grants     

Absorbance Changes by Aromatic Amino Acid Side Chains in Early Rhodopsin Photointermediates

Abstract— Absorbance changes were monitored from 250 to 650 nm during the first microsecond after photolysis of detergent suspensions of bovine rhodopsin at 20°C. Global analysis of the resulting data produced difference spectra for bathorhodopsin, BSI and lumirhodopsin which give the change in absorbance of the aromatic amino acid side chains in these photointermediates relative to rhodopsin. These spectra show that the significant bleaching of absorbance near 280 nm, which has been seen previously for the lumirhodopsin, metarhodopsin I and metarhodopsin II intermediates, extends to times as early as bathorhodopsin. Because no corresponding absorbance increase is observed in the 250-275 nm region, the earliest bleaching of the 280 nm absorbance in rhodopsin is attributed to disruption of a hyperchromic interaction affecting Trp²⁶⁵. Partial decay of this 280 nm bleaching as bathorhodopsin converts to BSI takes place maximally near 290 nm, where Trp²⁶⁵ has been shown to absorb, and could be due to the ring of the retinylidene chromophore resuming a position at the BSI stage that reestablishes the hyperchromic interaction with Trp²⁶⁵. A subsequent change in the 250-300 nm region, which has no counterpart in the visible chromophore bands, indicates the possible presence of a protein-localized process as lumirhodopsin is formed.     

A Short Synthesis of (−)-Carbovir

(–)-Carbovir ((–)- 1 ) was synthesized via the cyclic carbonate 2 in four steps starting from enantiomerically enriched (–)-(S)-(cyclopent-2-enyl)methanol ((–)- 3 ).