30 years of research in thermal analysis and calorimetry

The research in thermal analysis and calorimetry, conducted by the author over the period 1964 to 1993, is summarised and concisely reviewed. The major investigations have focussed on thermal analysis studies of coordination compounds, particularly the metal dithiocarbamate complexes. A significant solution calorimetric study of some metal dithiocarbamate complexes has also been undertaken. DSC has been applied to determine the sublimation enthalpies of many metal dithiocarbamate and metal pentane-2,4-dionate complexes and solution calorimetry has been applied to study the thermochemistry of the latter group of complexes. Thermal analysis investigations of several inorganic molten salt systems have been initiated. Thermometric titrimetry has been applied to study metal-macrocyclic ligand systems in aqueous media and particularly those systems of environmental significance. Temperature calibration standards for TMA have been proposed and TMA has been applied to study the mechanical properties of several common inorganic compounds. DTA has been applied to study a wide variety of phenols and has subsequently been applied as an analytical technique to determine the components of solid state phenol mixtures. Thermometric titrimetry has been applied to determine the phenolic content of wines. A comprehensive thermal analysis study of Australian brown coal has been undertaken, involving the DSC determination of coal specific energy, a TG/DTA study of the coal pyrolysis and combustion processes and a TG/DTA and EGA study of the cation catalytic effect on the coal pyrolysis process. Thermal analysis and calorimetric techniques have been extensively publicised and promoted by the publication of specialist reviews, the presentation of symposia review papers and the oral presentation of short courses, particularly in the SE Asian region. This review essentially reveals the diversity of possible application of thermal analysis and calorimetric techniques and the primary significance of thermodynamic data in the fundamental rationalisation of chemical phenomena.     

Plasma chromatography of heroin and cocaine with mass-identified mobility spectra.

Plasma chromatography detects and identifies compounds in trace quantities at atmospheric pressure through characteristic positive and negative mobility spectra. To facilitate use of the technique to detect gas chromatographic effluents, a number of reference mobility spectra for different classes of compounds have been reported. Reference spectra for two more compounds, heroin and cocaine, are presented in this study. The primary ions found in these mobility spectra were determined to be M+, (M - H2)+, and (M - CH3CO2)+ for heroin and M+, (M - C6H5CO2)+ and (M - C6H5CO2 - CO2CH3)+ for cocaine using a directly interfaced plasma chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The identified ions agree closely with those predicted in the ion mobility spectra using mass-mobility correlation data coupled with chemical ionization mass spectrometry data. Also, an independent check demonstrating the reliability of reduced mobility values reported in earlier reference spectra was made.     

Photon-induced dissociation with a four-sector tandem mass spectrometer

The feasibility of using photodissociation of protonated peptide molecules to sequence specific fragment ions with a 193-nm pulsed laser beam in a magnetic deflection tandem mass spectrometer of EBEB configuration was demonstrated. Although the short pulse (15 ns) and low repetition rate (100 Hz) of the excimer laser permitted the irradiation of only ～ 0.02% of the (M + H)⁺ ions exiting MS-1, a photon-induced decomposition spectrum of the heptapeptide angiotensio III (M _r 930.5) was produced that was practically the same (but with better signal-to-noise ratio) as that generated by collision-activated dissociation at the same low duty cycle. Because of the low and pulsed fragment ion currents, an array detector was used to record the spectra. A dependence between laser power and abundance of fragment ions was observed (increased power increases the relative abundance of ions of low mass). Laser power was varied from 6 to 80 mJ. Formation of fragment ions from a large peptide (melittin, M, 2844.75) was also observed. The results permit the design of modifications that may increase the fragment ion yield to 10% or higher, which would make photon-induced decomposition a useful method for magnetic deflection mass spectrometers.     

Selectivity enhancement of a metal-sensitive flame ionization detector for capillary gas chromatography

A novel modification of a hydrogen-atmosphere flamo ionization detector (HAFID) is presented which attenuates response to hydrocarbon compounds, significantly enhancing selectivity towards organometallic compounds by more than an order of magnitude. Chromatograms of an organometallic compound test mixture and regular leaded gasoline are presented to depict the specificity of the response.     

Exploring CH-activation pathways in bifunctional zirconocene/borane systems

The dimethylsilanediyl-bridged ansa-zirconocene dichloride 1, that contains a pendent allyl substituent at a Cp-ring, adds HB(C(6)F(5))(2) to the vinyl group to yield the bifunctional zirconocene/borane complex 2. Substituted benzimidazoles were added to the strongly electrophilic borane moiety as protective groups, which allowed subsequent chloride versus -CH(2)SiMe(3) exchange at zirconium to take place by treatment with the respective alkyllithium reagent. Alternatively, the introduction of active sigma-ligands at zirconium is carried out first, followed by the hydroboration reaction. This route was followed for the synthesis of the diphenyl-ansa-zirconocene/borane complex 12. Complex 12 reacts slowly in solution by intramolecular electrophilic attack of the borane at its adjacent Cp-ring, followed by deprotonation using a [Zr]-Ph group to yield the zwitterionic complex 14 featuring a borata-tetrahydroindenyl moiety as part of the ansa-metallocene framework. Complex 14 was characterized by X-ray diffraction. It adds PMe(3) at zirconium to yield 15. Thermolysis of 12 with excess PMe(3) leads to the formation of the (aryne)zirconocene complex 18, which is stabilized by PMe(3) coordination to zirconium and PMe(3) addition to boron. N-Methylbenzimidazole adds to the -B(C(6)F(5))(2) unit of 12 to give the 1:1 adduct 19. Thermolysis of 19 at 80 degrees C in benzene solution in the presence of one additional equivalent of N-methylbenzimidazole results in deprotonation of the substrate to yield the sigma-N-methylbenzimidazolyl zirconium complex 20 (as a mixture of two diastereoisomers). An additional N-methylbenzimidazole ligand is bonded to the B(C(6)F(5))(2) unit in this product.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of [Au2Pd14(μ3-CO)7(μ2-CO)2(PMe3)11](PF6)2—An icosahedrally-based high nuclearity mixed metal cluster

[Au₂Pd₁₄(₃-CO)₇(₂-CO)₂(PMe₃)₁₁](PF₆)₂ has been synthesized from [Pd₈(CO)₈(PMe₃)₇] and AuCl(PCy₃) in the presence of TIPF₆. It has been characterised on the basis of mass spectrometry, infrared and NMR spectroscopy, and a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The structure is based on a palladium-centered Au₂Pd₁₁ icosahedron which shares an edge with a Pd₅ trigonal bipyramid.This paper is dedicated to Larry Dahl on his 65th Birthday—his enthusiasm and achievements in cluster chemistry have inspired us all for more than 30 years.