A note on differentiability of the cluster density for independent percolation in high dimensions

The cluster density function of independent percolation in ad-dimensional lattice is considered. For eachn, it is shown that(p) has finitenth leftderivative at critical probabilityp _c ifd is sufficiently large. This result agrees with the Bethe lattice approximation, where thenth one-sided derivative of(p) is bounded atp _c for alln.     

Syntheses and properties of 4-hydroxy-3,5-dibromobenzyl phosphonates and their flame-retarding effects on ABS copolymer

4-Hydroxy-3,5-dibromobenzyl phosphonates (HDBBP) were synthesized by reacting phosphites with 4-hydroxy-3,5-dibromobenzyl bromide (HDBBB) which was prepared in advance by photobromination of 2,6-dibromo-p-cresol (DBPC) produced by bromination of p-cresol. In the reactions between HDBBB and phosphites, the rate of formation of dimethyl 4-hydroxy-3,5-dibromobenzyl phosphonate (HDBBP_m) was greater than that of diphenyl 4-hydroxy-3,5-dibromobenzyl phosphonate (HDBBP_P); however, quantitative yields for both products were obtainable. The addition of HDBBP as bromine and phosphorus containing flame-retardants to ABS copolymer showed better results than the addition of the same amount of brominated compound, or mixtures of both two compounds. It was also proved that compound containing both bromine and phosphorus exhibited more apparent synergistic effects on flame retardancy than the mixtures of brominated compound and phosphorous containing compound     

Effect of film thickness on the electro-reduction of molecular oxygen on electropolymerized cobalt tetra-aminophthalocyanine films

We studied the electrocatalytic activity of cobalt tetra-aminophthalocyanine (CoTAPc) for the reduction of molecular oxygen (O₂) on adsorbed monomeric and on electropolymerized films of different thicknesses on glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The polymeric films, denoted poly-CoTAPc, were first characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and it appears that the types of phenomena revealed to be occurring depend less on the film thickness in basic than in acid media. For O₂ reduction, the results showed that poly-CoTAPc is more active than the monomeric CoTAPc adsorbed on GC. Indeed, rotating ring-disk electrode data showed that polymeric CoTAPc promotes the four-electron reduction of O₂ to water in parallel to a two-electron reduction to give peroxide. On monomeric and thin films of poly-CoTAPc, a two-electron reduction mechanism predominates. In basic media the activity increases very slightly with thickness, whereas in acid media this increase is more pronounced. This parallels the observed behavior revealed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.     

Sorption of uranium by non-living water hyacinth roots

Summary Many studies have shown that water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) roots can be used to accumulate high concentrations of organic as well as inorganic pollutants. They are currently used to remediate aquatic environments and aqueous solutions. In the present study, sorption of uranium from aqueous solutions by using dried roots of water hyacinth has been investigated. The sorption of uranium was examined as a function of initial concentration, pH, weight of roots and contact time. Five different concentrations 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 μg ^. ml^-1 were used. Sorption proves to be very rapid and depend on pH, weight of roots and concentration of uranium. Maximum sorption capacity of water hyacinth roots was 64,000 U⁶⁺ μg/g. The sorption of uranium by water hyacinth roots follows a Langmuir isotherm.     

Synthesis of monodisperse polymers from proteins

Proteins are functional biopolymers; viewed as molecules, they are also monodisperse polyamides with chemically reactive side chains. This paper describes the use of proteins as starting materials for the synthesis of monodisperse polymers with nonbiological functionalities attached to the side chains. It demonstrates the complete derivatization of amine groups (lysine side chains and N-termini) on three different proteins by addition of activated carboxylate reagents in aqueous solutions containing sodium dedecyl sulfate (SDS), under denaturing conditions. Several different acylating reagents were used to generate derivatized proteins; the resulting compounds constitute a new class of monodisperse, semisynthetic polymers, having the potential for wide variation in the structure of the backbone and of the side chains. Modification of lysozyme on a gram scale demonstrated that the method can generate useful quantities of material.     

Comparative studies of the photoinduced reactions in the Mg+-SCNC2H5 and Mg+-NCSC2H5 complexes

The photoinduced reactions of the complexes Mg+-SCNC2H5 and Mg+-NCSC2H5 are studied comparatively in the spectral range of 230-440 nm. One-photon excitation of the complexes through the Mg+ chromophore (3 2P <-- 3 2S) gives rise to the evaporative fragment as well as the molecular activation and charge transfer products. The action spectra of the complexes consist of three broad peaks for Mg+-SCNC2H5 and two for Mg+-NCSC2H5, which accord with the structures obtained from quantum mechanics calculations. These calculations reveal two association isomers for Mg+-SCNC2H5: one is with Mg+ being linked to the S atom and the other to the N atom. The former is more stable than the latter by only 0.23 eV. Both of the isomers have been shown to exist in the complex source employed in our experiments. On the other hand, only one stable structure is found for the complex Mg+-NCSC2H5 characterized by the Mg+-N linkage. In general, the photofragments are dominated by Mg+ at lambda > 400 nm, which decreases with decreasing wavelength accompanied by the increase in other photoproducts. In addition, the branching ratios of Mg+ to other photoproducts are nearly constant in the short wavelength region but decrease with decreasing wavelength. The observed photoreactions have been reasonably explained.     

Catalysis by methyltrioxorhenium(VII): reduction of hydronium ions by europium(II) and reduction of perchlorate ions by europium(II) and chromium(II)

The title reactions occur stepwise, the first and fastest being MeReO3 + Eu2+ --> Re(VI) + Eu3+ (k298 = 2.7 x 10(4) L mol(-1) s(-1)), followed by rapid reduction of Re(VI) by Eu2+ to MeReO2. The latter species is reduced by a third Eu2+ to Re(IV), a metastable species characterized by an intense charge transfer band, epsilon410 = 910 L mol(-1) cm(-1) at pH 1; the rate constant for its formation is 61.3 L mol(-1) s(-1), independent of [H+]. Yet another reduction step occurs, during which hydrogen is evolved at a rate v = k[Re(IV)][Eu2+][H+](-1), with k = 2.56 s(-1) at mu = 0.33 mol L(-1). The 410 nm Re(IV) species bears no ionic charge on the basis of the kinetic salt effect. We attribute hydrogen evolution to a reaction between H-ReVO and H3O+, where the hydrido complex arises from the unimolecular rearrangement of Re(III)-OH in a reaction that cannot be detected directly. Chromium(II) ions do not evolve H2, despite E(Cr) degrees approximately E(EU) degrees. We attribute this lack of reactivity to the Re(IV) intermediate being captured as [Re(IV)-O-Cr(III)]2+, with both metals having substitutionally inert d3 electronic configurations. Hydrogen evolution occurs in chloride or triflate media; with perchlorate present, MeReO2 reduces perchlorate to chloride, as reported previously [Abu-Omar, M. M.; Espenson, J. H. Inorg. Chem. 1995, 34, 6239-6240].