The counterion releasing effect and the partition coefficient of branched alkanols in ionic micellar solution

In the micellar solution of SDS, the partition coefficient (K_x) of following branched alkanols at infinite dilution was determined by applying a differential conductivity method: the alkanols used were i-C_mH_2m+1OH (m=4-9, i=1-5) in which the position of OH group (i) shifts from an end to the center of a hydrocarbon chain. The method provides two significant quantities, d!/dX_am and dC_sf/dC_af in addition to K_x. The following results have been obtained. (1) The dependence of K_x on i indicates that the hydrophobicity of alkanol is weakened with increasing i, whereas the increase in m strengthens the hydrophobicity. (2) The degree of counterion disossiation of micelles (!) is accelerated by the solubilized alkanols in micelles (mole fraction: X_am) and the acceleration rate, d!/dX_am (=0.17), depends on neither m nor i. (3) In the bulk water, the monomerically dissolved alkanols (concentration: C_af) depresses the concentration of free monomer surfactant (C_sf), and the depressing rate, dC_sf/dC_af, in micellar solution is identical with the corresponding quantity, ((CMC/(C_a)_o at CMC.     

Ion-Pair Solvent Extraction of EDTA Anions with Tetraalkylammonium Ions in Various Organic Solvents

Summary.  The ion-pair solvent extraction behavior of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) anion by various tetraalkylammonium ions was investigated at 25.0 ± 0.1°C. The extraction of EDTA exceeded 90% from the basic aqueous solution into the organic solvents such as n-hexane and benzene derivatives containing tri-n-octylmethylammonium chloride, but EDTA was hardly extracted from acidic solution. Among the chemical species of EDTA in aqueous solution, edta ⁴⁻ is the most extractable one. On the other hand, the extraction of EDTA was less than 1% into chloroform and 1,2-dichloroethane even from the basic aqueous solution. The effect of the structure of alkylammonium ion was also examined. Tetra-n-hexylammonium and tetra-n-octylammonium ions could not extract EDTA even from the basic aqueous solution, while the use of tri-n-octylmethylammonium and di-n-lauryldimethylammonium ions enhances the extraction of EDTA. These results suggest that the steric hindrance in the ion-pair of alkylammonium and EDTA anion in the organic phase affects the extractability of EDTA containing ion-pair. The solution structure of ion-pair in the organic phase was calculated by MMFF force field and the steric effect in the ion-pair was also suggested. From the extraction constants obtained, the possibility of the extraction separation of EDTA has been shown. Present address: Chemistry Department, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China     

Efficient esterification of carboxylic acids and phosphonic acids with trialkyl orthoacetate in ionic liquid

An operationally simple, inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally friendly esterification of various carboxylic acids, phosphonic acids, and phosphinic acids with triethyl orthoacetate or trimethyl orthoacetate under neutral conditions in a typical room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, was successfully carried out to provide the corresponding ethyl esters or methyl esters in high yields.     

Halogen derivatives of m-phenylene(carbeno)nitrene: a switch in ground-state multiplicity

m-Phenylene-coupled carbenonitrenes [(3-nitrenophenyl)methylene (2-H), (3-nitrenophenyl)fluoromethylene (2-F), (3-nitrenophenyl)chloromethylene (2-Cl), (3-nitrenophenyl)bromomethylene (2-Br)] have been investigated computationally (with B3LYP, MCSCF, CASPT2, ROMP2, and QCISD(T) methods) and experimentally (with IR, UV, and ESR spectroscopy). For each species, five electronic states were considered. At the highest level of theory explored, the parent compound (2-H) has a quintet ground state, but its halogen derivatives (2-X, X = F, Cl, and Br) have triplet ground states. A linear relationship between the Q[bond]T energy gap of 2-X and the T-S gap of the corresponding phenylcarbenes 8-X is found, which can be helpful in rationalizing and predicting ground-state multiplicities in m-phenylene-linked carbenonitrenes and similar species. Precursors for the photochemical generation of 2-X (X = H, F, Cl, and Br) were synthesized and photolyzed in matrixes (Ar, triacetin) at low temperatures. IR (Ar, 13 K) and ESR (triacetin, 77 K) data are compatible with the generation of triplet halocarbenonitrenes 2-X, (X = F, Cl, and Br). All four compounds upon further irradiation undergo isomerization to substituted cyclopropenes 5-X (X = H, F, Cl, and Br), as suggested by their IR spectra.     

A multipolymer system for organocatalytic alcohol oxidation

A system involving two polymer-supported reagents for the selective and organocatalytic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes or ketones has been developed in which both polymeric reagents can be recovered and reused.     

Isothermal differential scanning calorimetry on an exothermic phenomenon during thermal decomposition of hydromagnesite 4 MgCO3 · Mg(OH)2 · 4 H2O

An exothermic phenomenon and a simultaneous rapid evolution of a small amount of carbon dioxide at ?500°C during thermal decomposition of hydromagnesite 4 MgCO₃ · Mg(OH)₂ · 4 H₂O was studied by isothermal DSCTG in a carbon dioxide atmosphere. It was quantitatively confirmed that the exothermic phenomenon was due to crystallization of MgCO₃ from the amorphous phase and that the evolution of carbon dioxide was due to decomposition of the MgCO₃ by the heat of crystallization (?3.4 kcal mole^?1.     

Detection of environmental chemicals by SPR assay using branched cyclodextrin as sensor ligand

We obtained the association constants Ka of estrogen (E2) and environmental chemicals by the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay using the immobilized mono-6-O-α-maltosyl-β-CD (G₂βCD) compared with the immobilized β-CD and the immobilized estrogen receptor (ER). The association behavior of G₂βCD was shown as a ER model compound. The calibration curve was determined by the initial rate of association depending on the various concentrations, and the minimum detectable concentrations in the order of parts per billion were calculated. The SPR assay has advantages that the pre-treatment of the sample is not necessary and the immobilized ligand is stable and useful for the repeated measurement.     

Purification of enzymes by high-speed gel filtration on TSK-GEL SW columns

The purification of enzymes was investigated by high-speed gel filtration on TSK-GEL G3000SWG columns packed with porous silica gel deactivated by chemically bonded hydrophilic compounds. Crude β-galactosidase from bacterial cells and commercial urease were purified ca. 15-fold in a single gel filtration. These enzymes were eluted within an hour from the column and the recoveries of enzymatic activity were almost 100% although the operation was carried out at room temperature (22°). Samples up to 100 mg could be applied to the column without loss of separation efficiency.     

Theory of the structural fluctuation of Au55 clusters

Stabilities and structural fluctuations of both neutral and charged Au₅₅ clusters are examined and discussed in relation to recent experimental observations of small gold particles with an electron microscope. Transition probabilities between the icosahedral and cuboctahedral structures are calculated according to the transition state theory using a model potential consisting of attractive many-body, repulsive pairwise and Coulomb parts. It is shown that for a neutral cluster the cuboctahedral structure has too short life time to be observed around room temperature and that, on the other hand, for more than 6-fold multiply charged clusters, both structures have life times of the order of 0.1 s around room temperature and, therefore, the transition between them can be observed.     

Methane partial oxidation to formaldehyde with oxygen over SiO2-supported molybdenum oxide catalysts

The formation rate of formaldehyde increases with increasing surface area of SiO₂ support, but the selectivity does not. From the characterization of catalysts using XRD, SEM and Raman spectroscopy, highly dispersed molybdenum oxide was considered to be much more active for the formation of formaldehyde than crystallite forms of MoO₃.