Simultaneous spectrofluorimetric determination of the rare earths with calcein

The reactivity of the fluorescent reagent calcein with the trivalent cations of the rare earths has been spectrofluorimetrically studied in aqueous solution. Optimum excitation and emission wavelengths were 492-497 and 519-522 nm, respectively. Optimum pH was in the range 6.0-9.2. The stoichiometry of the complexes was 1:1. A direct, rapid and sensitive method for the determination of rare earth mixtures has been proposed with a detection limit of 4.49x10(-8) M and a coefficient of variation of 0.82%.     

Tetranuclear manganese(II) complexes of thiacalixarene macrocycles with trigonal prismatic six-coordinate geometries: synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties

Two tetranuclear manganese(II) complexes [Mn(II)4(thiaS)2] (1) and [Mn(II)4(thiaSO)2] (2) have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions in methanol with p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene (thiaS) and p-tert-butylsulfinylthiacalix[4]arene (thiaSO). For both complexes, the structure has been established from single-crystal X-ray diffraction. [Mn4(thiaS)2].H2O (1) crystallizes in the orthorhombic Immm (No. 71) space group with the following parameters: a = 18.213 (5) angstroms, b = 19.037 (5) angstroms, c = 29.159 (5) angstroms, V = 10110 (4) angstroms3, and Z = 4. [Mn4(thiaSO)2].H2O (2) crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/m (No. 12) space group with the following parameters: a = 33.046(1) angstroms, b = 19.5363 (8) angstroms, c = 15.7773 (9) angstroms, beta = 115.176 (2) degrees, V = 9218.3 (8) angstroms3, and Z = 4. The two complexes are neutral and are best described as manganese squares sandwiched between two thiacalixarene macrocycles. In both complexes, each manganese center is six-coordinated in a trigonal prismatic geometry with four phenoxo oxygen atoms plus two sulfur atoms for 1 or two oxygen atoms from SO groups for 2. The two tetranuclear complexes exhibit identical magnetic behaviors resulting from antiferromagnetic interactions between the four manganese centers. The simulation of the magnetic susceptibility was done considering a single exchange-coupling constant between the manganese(II) ions, J (H = -J(S1S2 + S2S3 + S3S4 + S1S4)). The best fits give the same result for the two complexes: g = 1.94 and J = -5.57 cm(-1).     

Semiclassical calculations with nuclear model potentials in the ħ-resummation approach

The single-particle densityρ(r) of a system of fermions can be calculated in a tractable way as the Laplace inverse of the Bloch density describing the system. The complex integrals involved can be solved very easily by the saddle-point method. The semiclassical nature of this approach is illustrated in the simple example of the single-particle level density of a harmonic oscillator potential. It is then applied to calculate the total energy of particles in different mean field potentials. The exact Bloch density being generally unknown, different approximate forms are used in our calculations which correspond to a partial resummation of the Wigner-Kirkwood?-expansion. The resulting local densities reproduce the exact density distributions on the average, without quantal oscillations. They are well defined everywhere, even beyond the classical turning point, in contrast to the original Wigner-Kirkwood approach.     

Effects of substituted ligands on the mobility of complexed anions

From conductance and viscosities measurements on Pr₄NCl, Et₄NBr, and AgNO₃ in acetonitrile and Et₃NBr in nitrobenzene, the Walden products of the anion at infinite dilution were determined in presence of various concentrations of substituted benzoic acids. From these data it was possible to compute the values of the Walden products of the once complexed anions and to estimate the order of magnitude of the Walden products of twice complexed anions. Stokes' law is not obeyed, and the Walden products are not proportional to the third root of the molar volume of the complexed ions, as a consequence of their lack of sphericity. The assumption that the drag force which acts on the ions is proportional to the volume of the substituents results in a linear expression between the reciprocals of the Walden products and the molar volume of the ligands. The experimental results fit this expression within the limits of the experimental errors, and the slopes of the lines are nearly the same for all the anions and for the two solvents studied here, namely, 2.5×10^–4 ohm-cm^–5 mole-cP^–1.     

A Lead‐Selective Membrane Electrode Based Upon a Phosphorylated Hexahomotrioxacalix[3]Arene

Solvent extraction of a mixture of Pb^II, Mn^II, Fe^III, Co^II, Ni^II and Cd^II in aqueous perchlorate medium by a phosphorylated hexahomotrioxacalix[3]arene (calix‐3) in dichloromethane shows a significant selectivity towards lead ions. The ligand can also be incorporated into a membrane to provide a new lead ion‐selective electrode (Pb^II‐ISE). A plasticized PVC membrane containing 30% PVC, 53.5% ortho‐nitrophenyloctylether (NPOE), 4.5% sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) and 12% ionophore was directly coated on a graphite rod. This sensor gave a good Nernstian response of 29.7 ± 0.7 mV decade^?1 over a concentration range of 1 × 10^?8 – 1 × 10^?4 M of lead ions, independent of pH in the range 3‐7, with a detection limit of 0.4 × 10^?8 M. The dynamic response time of the electrode to achieve a steady potential was very fast and found to be less than 7 s. The selectivity relative to Ag⁺, NH₄⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Fe³⁺, La³⁺, Sm³⁺, Dy³⁺, Er³⁺, Y³⁺ and Th⁴⁺ was examined. The electrode exhibits adequate stability with good reproducibility (with a slope of 29.6 ± 1.5 mV for 8 weeks). The characteristics of the sensor are compared with those of a tetraphosphorylated calix[4]arene (calix‐4) based Pb^II‐ISE, reported recently. The electrode was successfully used as an indicator electrode for a potentiometric titration of a lead solution using a standard solution of EDTA. The applicability of the sensor for lead ion measurements in various synthetic samples was also investigated.     

Chemiluminescent determination of vanadium in steel

Summary A chemiluminescent method for the determination of vanadium in steel with cinchomeronic hydrazide as analytical reagent is proposed. The optimum conditions are pH 11.75 (phosphate buffer), 1.0×10^–3 mol/l cinchomeronic hydrazide, 6.6×10^–3 mol/l hydrogen peroxide and 2.8×10^–3 mol/l V(IV). The maximum chemiluminescent emission is obtained at 420 nm. A linear relationship exists in the range of 0.04–1.00 g/ml of V(IV) with a 3.6% variation coefficient at 0.50 g/ml of V(IV) level for ten replicates. Cobalt(II), copper(II) and chromium(VI) show strong interference and a chloroform extraction procedure with -benzo-inoxime is recommended to avoid these interferences. This method has been applied to determine vanadium in a certified steel with excellent results.Presented at Euroanalysis VII     

From calcium interaction to calcium electrochemical detection by [(C5H5)Fe(C5H4COCH=CHC6H4NEt2)] and its two novel structurally characterized derivatives

[(C(5)H(5))Fe(C(5)H(4)COCH=CHC(6)H(4)NEt(2))] (1) has been electrochemically evaluated toward different cations in solution. Calcium sensing by this compound and its two new derivatives [(C(5)H(5))Fe(C(5)H(4)CO(CH=CH)(2)C(6)H(4)NMe(2))] (2) and [(C(5)H(5))Fe(C(5)H(4)CH=CHCOCH=CHC(6)H(4)NEt(2))] (3) that exhibit a conjugated link between the ferrocene unit and the nitrogen atom has been thoroughly examined. Compounds 2 and 3 have been structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The three related protonated species [1H][BF(4)] (4), [2H][BF(4)] (5), and [3H][BF(4)] (6) have been isolated in a good yield. NMR experiments clearly established that calcium interaction occurs in the vicinity of the carbonyl group, and mass spectrometry studies confirmed that this interaction, which involves several ligand-Ca(2+) adducts, is complex. A combination of electrochemical and NMR experiments highlighted an original salt influence on the electrochemical calcium sensing result.     

Thermolysis and Chemiluminescence of Monocyclic 1,2,4-Trioxan-5-ones

The 3,6-substituted 1,2,4-trioxan-5-ones 11 – 14 , on heating to 170–200°, underwent unimolecular thermolysis to generate electronically excited singlet ketones with an efficiency of ca. 0.2%. The chemiluminescence quantum yields (?oS_CL) depended on the nature of the 6-substitutents and increased linearly with temperature. The Arrhenius activation energies were obtained by measuring the rate of decay of luminescence and determined as 22.9, 30.4, 35.6, and 34.2 kcal/mol for 11 – 14 , respectively. Step analysis of the chemiluminescence of 14 afforded an average activation energy of 44.3 kcal/mol. This latter result is explicable in terms of two decomposition paths, higher and lower in energy, leading to excited and ‘dark’ products, respectively. The thermolysis of trioxanones 12 – 14 lacking a H-atom at the 6-position is interpreted as involving successive rupture of the peroxide bond, excision of ketone at the 3-substituted end, and loss of CO₂, to finally produce ketone originating from the 6-position (see Scheme 4).     

Synthesis, characterization and electrochemical studies of the heterometallic diclusters [{Fe2(μ-CO)(CO)6(μ-PPh2)Au}2(diphosphine)] (diphosphine=dppm, dppip, dppe, dppp)

Treatment of [(ClAu)₂(diphosphine)] {diphosphine=bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm), bis(diphenylphosphino)isopropane (dppip), 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe), 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp)} with two equivalents of the anion [Fe₂(μ-CO)(CO)₆(μ-PPh₂)]⁻ in the presence of TlBF₄ gives the new heterometallic diclusters [{Fe₂(μ-CO)(CO)₆(μ-PPh₂)Au}₂(diphosphine)] that have been isolated and characterized. Their ³¹P-NMR spectra show different patterns as a function of the diphosphine ligand. The electrochemical behavior of these compounds has been investigated and compared with that of the mono- [Fe₂(μ-CO)(CO)₆(μ-PPh₂)(μ-AuPPh₃)] and tricluster [{Fe₂(μ-CO)(CO)₆(μ-PPh₂)Au}₃(triphos)] derivatives.     

A genetic algorithm for the automated generation of small organic molecules: Drug design using an evolutionary algorithm

Rational drug design involves finding solutions to large combinatorial problems for which an exhaustive search is impractical. Genetic algorithms provide a novel tool for the investigation of such problems. These are a class of algorithms that mimic some of the major characteristics of Darwinian evolution. LEA has been designed in order to conceive novel small organic molecules which satisfy quantitative structure-activity relationship based rules (fitness). The fitness consists of a sum of constraints that are range properties. The algorithm takes an initial set of fragments and iteratively improves them by means of crossover and mutation operators that are related to those involved in Darwinian evolution. The basis of the algorithm, its implementation and parameterization, are described together with an application in de novo molecular design of new retinoids. The results may be promising for chemical synthesis and show that this tool may find extensive applications in de novo drug design projects.