Working Methods Paper: Critical considerations with respect to the identification of tin species in the environment

Biogeochemical pathways of tin species in the environment are still controversial, e.g. with regard to methylation and transmethylation phenomena, owing to the fact that the identification of methylated tin-compounds is often difficult. The previous tentative identification of a mixed methylbutyltin compound in sediment and biological samples by GC/AAS after hydride generation gave an illustration of this problem. This compound was previously identified in sediments by other authors and also suspected to occur in a contaminated sediment sample from the Boyardville Marina, France. The retention time obtained by GC/AAS corresponded to the actual retention time of a mixed methylbutyltin calibrant. However, additional checks demonstrated that the compound detected was actually monophenyltin. This evidence was produced by a thorough analysis of a selected sediment sample by alternative techniques such as GC/AAS and GC/AES after pentylation, GC/FPD and GC/MS. The results presented highlight the need for a full identification of compounds to avoid mis-interpretation.     

Space–time integrated least squares: a time‐marching approach

A time‐marching formulation is derived from the space–time integrated least squares (STILS) method for solving a pure hyperbolic convection equation and is numerically compared to various known methods. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geometric modeling of homoepitaxial CVD diamond growth: I. The {1 0 0}{1 1 1}{1 1 0}{1 1 3} system

Plasma-assisted CVD homoepitaxial diamond growth is a process that must satisfy many stringent requirements to meet industrial applications, particularly in high-power electronics. Purity control and crystalline quality of the obtained samples are of paramount importance and their optimization is a subject of active research. In the process of such studies, we have obtained high purity CVD diamond monocrystals with unusual morphologies, namely with apparent {1 1 3} stable faces. This phenomenon has led us to examine the process of CVD diamond growth and build up a 3D geometrical model, presented here, describing the film growth as a function of time. The model has been able to successfully describe the morphology of our obtained crystals and can be used as a predictive tool to predetermine the shape and size of a diamond crystal grown in a given process configuration. This renders accessible control of desirable properties such as largest usable diamond surface area and/or film thickness, before the cutting and polishing manufacture steps take place. The two latter steps are more sensitive to the geometry of the growth sectors, which will be addressed in a companion paper.Our model, applicable to the growth of any cubic lattice material, establishes a complete mapping of the final morphology state of growing diamond, as a function of the growth rates of the crystalline planes considered, namely {1 0 0}, {1 1 1}, {1 1 0}, and {1 1 3} planes, all of which have been observed experimentally in diamond films. The model makes no claim as to the stability of the obtained faces, such as the occurrence of non-epitaxial crystallites or twinning. It is also possible to deduce transient behavior of the crystal morphology as growth time is increased. The model conclusions are presented in the form of a series of diagrams, which trace the existence (and dominance) boundaries of each face type, in presence of the others, and where each boundary crossing represent a topology change in terms of number of faces, edges and vertices. We validate the model by matching it against crystals published in the literature and illustrate its predictive value by suggesting ways to increase usable surface area of the diamond film.     

Relationship between the longitudinal relaxation rates of water protons and of well defined paramagnetic centers at low temperature in hydrated vermiculite

A good agreement has been observed between the proton longitudinal relaxation rate in the two and one layer hydrate of the Na-Llano vermiculite, the location of the Fe³⁺ paramagnetic centers within the octahedral and tetrahedral layers of the lattice and the electronic longitudinal relaxation rate using the dipolar electronic—proton spin interaction. The water content influences noticeably the electronic longitudinal relaxation time.     

The determination of10B by prompt proton spectrometry

Boron was analysed in ore and glass samples by prompt proton spectrometry, using deuterons of 2.7 MeV to coincide with a region where the excitation function of the¹⁰B(d, p)¹¹B reaction did not vary appreciably with energy. Targets of approximately 300 μg/cm² thick of powdered samples were prepared by centrifugation. Concentrations down to 0.2% were determined. Possible interference by other elements, particularly nitrogen, magnesium and titanium, was investigated.     

Regioselective uncatalysed hydrophosphination of alkenes: a facile route to P-alkylated phosphine derivatives

The synthesis of alkylarylphosphines is easily carried out by hydrophosphination of unactivated alkenes under mild thermal activation; gram scale amounts of products can be prepared by this simple methodology.     

Bestimmung von Metallspuren in Polymeren mit Hilfe der Atom-Absorptionsspektrophotometrie

Zusammenfassung Die Atom-Absorptionsspektrophotometrie erlaubt die schnelle und genaue Bestimmung von Metallen in Polymeren, und zwar sowohl im ppm- als auch im Prozentbereich. Bei löslichen Polymeren werden vorzugsweise 2%ige Lösungen untersucht. Polymere, die in keinem geeigneten Lösungsmittel löslich sind, werden mit H₂SO₄/H₂O₂ aufgeschlossen. für flüchtige Metallverbindungen wird eine Umfällmethode mit anschließender Anreicherung der Metallspuren beschrieben. Untersucht werden Polystyrol, Celluloseester, Polyacrylnitril, ABS-Polymere, Polycarbonat, Polyvinylchlorid und seine Copolymeren, Polyamid, Polyäther, Wolle und Baumwolle. Nachweisgrenzen und günstigste Konzentrationsbereiche für die Elemente Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, B, Al, Si, Sn, Pb, Sb, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ti, Fe und Ni werden angegeben.

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Determination of trace metals in polymers by atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry allows quick and exact determination of both ppm and percent quantities of metals in polymers. Preferably 2% solutions of soluble polymers are analyzed. Polymers insoluble in a suitable solvent are ashed in H₂SO₄/H₂O₂. For volatile metal compounds a double precipitating method followed by enrichment of trace metals is described. The following polymers are studied: polystyrene, cellulose esters, polyacrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-terpolymers, polycarbonate, Polyvinylchloride and its copolymers, polyamide, polyether, wool, and cotton. Detection limits and most favourable concentration ranges are reported for the elements Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, B, Al, Si, Sn, Pb, Sb, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ti, Fe, and Ni.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. K. Hansen zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.

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An dieser Stelle sei Herrn Dr. A. Reichle, dem Leiter des Wissenschaftlichen Laboratoriums der Farbenfabriken Bayer AG, Werk Dormagen, für seine Unterstützung gedankt.Den Herren K. Schumann und W. Kremer danke ich für ihre sorgfältige experimentelle Mitarbeit.     

Model complexes for metallated polythiophenes: gold(I) and palladium(II) complexes of bis(diphenylphosphino)oligothiophenes

The preparations of two new phosphinothiophene ligands, 3,3'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,2'-bithiophene (dppbt; 1) and 3,3' "-dihexyl-3',3' '-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,5':2',2' ':5' ',2' "-quaterthiophene (hdppqt; 2) are reported. Oxidation of 1 gives 3,3'-bis(diphenylphosphine oxide)-2,2'-bithiophene (3), and the crystal structure of this compound was determined. Pd(II) and Au(I) complexes of these ligands have been synthesized and characterized. Crystal structures of [(dppbt)PdCl(2)] (1-Pd), [(hdppqt)PdCl(2)] (2-Pd), [(dppbt)(AuCl)(2)] (1-Au), and [(hdppqt)(AuCl)(2)] (2-Au) were obtained. [(dppbt)(AuCl)(2)] crystallized in two solid-state forms; crystals grown from CH(2)Cl(2)/Et(2)O show a gold-gold interaction of 3.3221(4) A, but from CH(2)Cl(2)/toluene, the molecule crystallizes as a toluene adduct (1-Au-tol) and does not show any gold-gold interaction. All the complexes were characterized via UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, and the effect of the metal on the energy of the pi-pi transition and oxidation potential was determined. These data are correlated to the interannular torsion angles in the oligothienyl groups from the crystal structure studies.     

The oxime bond formation as an efficient tool for the conjugation of ruthenium complexes to oligonucleotides and peptides

A convenient method for the conjugation of ruthenium complex on oligonucleotides and peptides through chemoselective oxime linkage is reported. Novel Ru(II) complexes sustaining an aminooxy containing ligand were prepared and efficiently coupled with the oligonucleotides and peptides functionalized with the complementary reactive aldehyde group. The method described herein could be a useful tool for preparing a broad range of metal complex-oligonucleotide and peptide conjugates.     

Halogenation in Fungi: What Do We Know and What Remains to Be Discovered?

In nature, living organisms produce a wide variety of specialized metabolites to perform many biological functions. Among these specialized metabolites, some carry halogen atoms on their structure, which can modify their chemical characteristics. Research into this type of molecule has focused on how organisms incorporate these atoms into specialized metabolites. Several families of enzymes have been described gathering metalloenzymes, flavoproteins, or S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) enzymes that can incorporate these atoms into different types of chemical structures. However, even though the first halogenation enzyme was discovered in a fungus, this clade is still lagging behind other clades such as bacteria, where many enzymes have been discovered. This review will therefore focus on all halogenation enzymes that have been described in fungi and their associated metabolites by searching for proteins available in databases, but also by using all the available fungal genomes. In the second part of the review, the chemical diversity of halogenated molecules found in fungi will be discussed. This will allow the highlighting of halogenation mechanisms that are still unknown today, therefore, highlighting potentially new unknown halogenation enzymes.