Interactions of silver halide sols with hydrolyzed hafnium species

Summary Coagulation and reversal of charge effects of freshly prepared and heated solutions of hafnium tetrachloride have been studied as a function of the p_H using aged silver halide sols and solsin statu nascendi. It was shown that the critical coagulation concentration and the critical stabilization concentration (due to charge reversal) increased with increasing p_H. These observations have been related to the hydrolysis of the hafnium ion. At p_H values above 4 essentially the entire amount of hafnium is present in the form of the neutral soluble, species Hf(OH)₄. This accounts for the inability of the hafnium solutions to reverse the charge of the sols at higher p_H values. The adsorption measurements carried out with the aid of the radioactive isotope¹⁸¹Hf showed that the neutral hydrolyzed species are strongly adsorbed on negatively charged silver iodide particles. The adsorbed amounts of hafnium on a AgI sol are considerably larger than in the case of charged hydrolyzed ions (such as hydrolyzed thorium ions) on a similar sol. This is explained by the ability of the neutral hafnium species, Hf(OH)₄. to form a close-packed adsorbed layer. The results confirm previous findings that the enhanced adsorption of hydrolyzed ions is caused by the presence of the hydroxyl group, whereas the ionic charge plays a negligible role in this case.

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Zusammenfassung Die Koagulations- und Umladungserscheinungen von frisch dargestellten und durch Erwärmung gealterten Lösungen von Hafniumchlorid wurden an Silberhalogenid-Solen in der Abhängigkeit vom p_H untersucht. Es wurde festgestellt, daß die kritische Koagulationskonzentration und die kritische Stabilisationskonzentration (die Umladungsgrenze) mit steigendem p_H höher werden. Diese Beobachtungen wurden durch die Hydrolyse des Hafnium-Ions erklärt. Wenn p_H>4 ist, bestcht nahezu die ganze Menge von Hafnium als neutrale, gelöste Hf(OH)₄ Moleküle. Damit wird es erklärt, daß die Silberhalogenid-Teilchen bei höheren p_H-Werten durch Hafniumsalze nicht umgeladen werden können. Die mittels des radioaktiven Isotopen¹⁸¹Hf durchgeführten Messungen zeigten, daß die neutralen Hf(OH)₄ — Moleküle stark an den negativ geladenen Silberjodid-Teilchen adsorbiert sind. Die adsorbierte Menge per Mol von AgI ist beträchtlich größer als die Menge der geladenen, hydrolysierten Ionen (wie z. B. ThOH³⁺), die an dem gleichen Sol bestimmt wurde. Dieser Effekt ist leicht erklärt, da man mit den neutralen adsorbierten Molekülen eine fest gepackte Adsorptionsschicht bilden kann. Diese Resultate bestätigen die früheren Befindungen, daß die höhere Adsorptionsfähigkeit der hydrolysierten Ionen durch die Hydroxylgruppe verursacht wird, während die Ionenladung eine zu vernachlässigende Rolle spielt.

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Supported by the U.S. Army Research Office (Durham), Grant No. DA-ARO (D)-31-124-G 656.

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Part of a PhD Thesis byL. J. Stryker, supported by a NASA Traineeship.     

Determination of aristolochic acid by capillary zone electrophoresis

A simple and rapid capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method for the determination of aristolochic acid (AA) in dietary supplements and selected herbs is described. A clear separation of AA from other sample constituents was achieved within 5 minutes without any sample clean up. A mixture of 20 mM-morpholinethanesulphonic acid+10 mM-BisTrisPropane+0.2% hydroxyethylcelullose in 10% methanol serves as a background electrolyte. The linearity, accuracy, intra-assay and detection limit of the developed method are 200–6000 ng/mL, 95–103%, 3.5%, and 50 ng/ml, respectively. Ease of use, sufficient sensitivity and low running cost are the most important attributes of the CZE method. The proposed CZE method was compared with HPLC.     

Studies of the soluble part of oxidised coals

Soluble products obtained from the oxidation of four types of coal, each characterised by different degree of coalification and different degree of sulphur content, are studied. The coals are oxidised with peracetic acid (PAA) and nitric acid. Analyses are performed by Atmospheric Pressure-Temperature Programmed Reduction (AP-TPR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The soluble products contain much more sulphur than the insoluble products of oxidation. The products obtained from the reaction with HNO₃ contain higher amounts of inorganic sulphur compounds, while those obtained from the reaction with PAA are characterised by an increased content of organic sulphur species.     

Synthesis of novel tryptamine and β-carboline derivatives via palladium-catalyzed reaction of bromotryptamine with organic boronic acids

New tryptamine 5, 7 and β-carboline derivatives 3 were preparated by palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction of 5-bromotryptamine 1 with aryl boronic acids. Dedicated to Professor András Lipták on his 70^th birthday.     

Xyloketal G,a Novel Metabolite from the Mangrove Fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xylaria sp.</Emphasis> 2508

A novel metabolite 1, named xyloketal G, was isolated from cultures of marine derived mangrove fungus Xylaria sp. 2508. Its structure was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data.__________Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 22–23, January–February, 2005.     

Assessment of the Fe-Sn-Zn phase diagram at 450°C

The Fe-Sn-Zn system is of interest because Sn is one element added to the Zn galvanizing bath to overcome the drawbacks due to the presence of Si in semi-killed steels. This work has been undertaken with the aim to understand the tin effect on the microstructure and the layers growth in batch galvanized coatings on low alloyed steels. Various experimental techniques such as metallography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) are used in order to characterize the microstructure and the properties of such coatings elaborated in a zinc bath enriched with tin. Solidification phenomena and layers growth mechanisms during galvanization are explained by means of the ternary phase diagram Fe-Sn-Zn at 450°C. The Calphad method allows to obtain this phase diagram from the three optimized binary phase diagrams Fe-Sn, Fe-Zn and Sn-Zn and some experimental data inside the ternary Fe-Sn-Zn system.     

Ar n HF van der Waals clusters revisited. I. New low-energy isomeric structures for n=6-13

New low-lying isomeric structures of Ar(n)HF clusters are reported for n=6-13. They were determined using simulated annealing and evolutionary programming, for pairwise additive intermolecular potential energy surfaces. New global minima were found for the clusters with n=7, 10, 11. The new lowest-energy structure of Ar(7)HF and several new local minima for n=6, 7 clusters have the HF bound on a threefold surface site, consistent with the recent spectroscopic data for Ar(n)HF clusters in helium nanodroplets. A new type of low-energy local minima were determined for n=9-13 clusters.     

Enthalpies of formation of methoxybenzoic acids and their dependence on structure

The energy of combustion of 2,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid has been determined using a static bomb calorimeter. The vapor pressures of the compound have been measured over a 18 K temperature interval by the Knudsen effusion technique. Heat capacity measurements betweenT=270 K andT=338 K were carried out by DSC. From these experimental results the standard molar enthalpies of combustion, sublimation, and formation in the crystalline and gaseous state at the temperature 298.15 K have been derived. With this compound, the series of mono- and dimethoxy-benzoic acids have been completed. Their_f H _m ^o values were expressed by an additive relationship, taking into account the number of methoxy groups and the number of all 1,2 interactions: an accuracy of 3.3 kJ·mol^–1 was achieved. In an alternative approach the substituent effect of the methoxy groups was evaluated within the framework of isodesmic reactions. The effect of disubstitution was referred to mono derivatives and the excess energy—the so-called buttressing effect—was evaluated (2–24 kJ· mol^–1 for individual bis derivatives). These values were explained in terms of the conformation of the methoxy group around the C_ar-O bond.     

Influence of medium on the kinetics of oxidation of iron(II) ion with t-butyl hydroperoxide

The oxidation of iron(II) with tert-butyl hydroperoxide was investigated in the absence of oxygen in water, methanol, and the dichloromethane—methanol solvent mixture (φ_r = 2:1). The oxidation rate depends on solvent polarity; measured in the presence of SCN⁻ at constant 0.8 mmol dm⁻³ HCl, the rate constant increases with the polarity decrease passing from water and methanol to the dichloromethane—methanol solvent mixture. Further, in non-aqueous solutions at this acid concentration the rate constant was higher than the rate constant in the presence of Cl⁻ only. The oxidation rate measured in the [FeCl]²⁺ complex in dichloromethane—methanol was slow in acidic medium and increased by decreasing the acid concentration. Approaching the physiological pH conditions the rate constant attained the value of an order of magnitude of 10³ dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹, while very little alteration of stoichiometry of the oxidation reaction was observed. The rate constant measured in the presence of Cl⁻ strongly depends on electrolyte concentration at concentrations less than 0.5 mmol dm⁻³ HCl, both in MeOH and the solvent mixture. Based on these results, a possible mechanism of the influence of solvent, acidity, and ligand type on the rate constant is discussed. We assume that the oxidation proceeds by an inner-sphere mechanism considering that the breakdown of the successor inner-sphere complex forming reactive alkoxyl radicals is probably the rate-limiting step. Presented at the 20th International Conference on the Coordination and Bioinorganic Chemistry organized by the Slovak Chemical Society, Slovak University of Technology, Comenius University, and the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Smolenice Castle, 5–10 June 2005.     

Determination of calcium in silicate rocks by potentiometric titration with ethyleneglycol-bis-(2-Aminoethylether)tetraacetic acid and a calcium-selective electrode

The method reported for the determination of calcium in silicate rocks involves titration with ethyleneglycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)tetraacetic acid (EGTA) to a potentiometric end-point. A Crytur calcium-selective electrode is used; the selectivity constants (K_ca,x) are less than 10^-3 for Mg, Ba, Sr, K and Na. The method can be used for calcium contents of 2% or higher (and exceptionally for lower contents), in the presence of up to 60% Mg, 33% AI, 17% Fe, 5% Ba, 5% Ti, and 2.5% Mn. Al, Fe and Ti are masked with sulphosalicylic acid, barium is precipitated as its sulphate, and manganese is bound as its cyanide complex. If the magnesium content is less than that of calcium, EDTA can be used as titrant, magnesium being masked with acetylacetone.