Correlation between the fluorescent response of microfluidity probes and the water content and viscosity of ionic liquid and water mixtures

Accurate data on transport properties such as viscosity are essential in plant and process design involving ionic liquids. In this study, we determined the absolute viscosity of the ionic liquid + water system at water mole fractions from 0 to 0.25 for three 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide. In each case, the excimer to monomer ratio for 1,m-bis(1-pyrenyl)alkanes (m= 3 or 10) was found to increase linearly with the mole fraction of water. Of the probes studied only PRODAN and rhodamine 6G, both of which have the ability to participate in hydrogen bonding, exhibited Perrin hydrodynamic behavior in the lower viscosity bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imides. As a result, these probes allow for the extrapolation of the absolute viscosity of the ionic liquid mixture from the experimental fluorescence steady-state polarization values.     

Elucidation of the structure of quindolinone,a minor alkaloid of cryptolepis sanguinolenta: Submilligram 1H-13c and 1H-15N heteronuclear shift correlation experiments using micro inverse-detection

Elucidation of minor natural product structures has been significantly augmented by inverse-detection; further improvement has been afforded by the development of micro inverse-detection probes. We report here the elucidation of the structure of a new alkaloid, quindolinone (5H, 10H-indolo[3,2-b]quinolin-11-one), from the West African plant Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. All nmr data for this minor, preparative hplc-isolated alkaloid, including ¹H-¹⁵N one? bond heteronuclear shift correlation (HMQC) data, were recorded on an 800 μg sample of the alkaloid dissolved in 140 μl of 100% d₆-DMSO using a 400 MHz spectrometer.     

Infrared-optical properties of vapour-deposited metal films

Spectroscopic infrared ellipsometry was applied to determine the optical constants of thin metal layers deposited on dielectric substrates such as glass or CaF(2). The layers were produced by evaporating gold or silver in a vacuum, and the coverage, that is the deposited mass per area, was chosen in the range 80-1200 mg m(-2) for gold, which refers to thicknesses in the lower nanometer range; in the case of the specifically lighter silver, about half the coverage was applied. At low coverage a metal island structure is obtained, which gives rise to surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). Depending on the coverage, the deposited films exhibit either dielectric or metallic optical properties. Atomic force microscopy and conductivity measurements complement the spectroscopic observation.     

Bilayer studies in mixedn-decanol/n-tetradecanol complexes ofn-decylammonium beidellite

Complexes have been prepared by treatment ofn-decylammonium beidellite with mixtures ofn-decanol andn-tetradecanol with different concentrations. Measurements of the basal spacings of the obtained complexes have been performed in a wide range of temperatures. Three different bilayer phases have been established between (20 and 70°C: the _i(C₁₀) phases (=bilayers ofn-decyl chains); the _i(C₁₀/C₁₄) phases (=mixed bilayers ofn-decyl andn-tetradecyl chains in molar ratio approximately 1:1) and the _i(C₁₄) phases (=bilayer ofn-tetradecy 1 chains with then-decylammonium ions included). In all bilayer phases the chains stand perpendicular to the silicate interfaces. In definite concentration ranges two of the phases coexist, i.e., miscibility gaps occur, which disappear at temperatures higher than the temperature of the _i/ transition. The miscibility gaps are reversible with temperature. The composition of the intercalated bilayers has been studied by HPLC of the excess alkanol mixture separated from the beidellite complexes after the equilibrium has been reached. There is preferential adsorption of one of two alkanols from the mixture, which is in agreement with the observed miscibility gaps. The space filling problem as well as the structure of the three bilayer phases observed have been discussed.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of acetatobis(triphenylphosphine)dicarbonylmanganese(I), (CH3CO2)Mn(CO)2[P(C6H5)3]2: An organometallic complex containing a chelating acetate ligand

The accidental but intriguing synthesis of acetatobis(triphenylphosphine)dicarbonylmanganese(I), (CH₃CO₂)Mn(CO)₂[P(C₆H₅)₃]₂, has been accomplished by the reaction of NaMn(CO)₅ with (CH₃)₃SiCl followed by the addition of triphenylphosphine and acetic acid. A three-dimensional single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis has shown an octahedral-like molecule containing a symmetrically oxygen-chelating acetate group, the first such group to be reported in a metal carbonyl complex. The two triphenylphosphine ligands occupy mutually trans positions with the two carbonyl ligands possessing the remaining cis sites in the octahedral complex. The compound crystallizes with four molecules in a monoclinic unit cell of space group symmetry $\text{P}\text{2}{}_1\text{c}$ and of dimensions a = 17.744(2) Å, b = 9.692(1) Å, c = 20.004(2) Å, and β = 106.195(4)°. The relatively long MnO(acetate) bond lengths [2.066(6) and 2.069(7) Å] and the relatively short MnCO bond lengths [1.701(12) and 1.760(13) Å] and the relatively short MnP(C₆H₅)₃ bond lengths [2.260(3) and 2.275(3) Å], compared to the corresponding MnCO and MnP(C₆H₅)₃ bond lengths in other manganese carbonyl triphenylphosphine complexes, are rationalized on the basis that the acetate ligand in this molecule functions primarily as a σ-donor.     

Enzymatic surface modification of Kevlar fibers

Horseradish peroxidase catalyzed grafting of acrylamide (AM) onto Kevlar fibers has been studied. The modified fiber has been characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis and the grafting yield. From the SEM micrographs, the surface of the grafted Kevlar fiber is rougher than that of the untreated fiber, and the elemental analysis indicated that the nitrogen content of the treated fibers is higher than that of the untreated fiber. All the results suggested that AM must have been grafted onto the Kevlar surface through HRP-mediated radical initiated grafting reaction. The probably mechanism of HRP catalyzed grafting of AM onto Kevlar surface is proposed.     

Unusual solid-state behavior in a neutral [2]catenane bearing a hydrolyzable component

A template-directed strategy to forming a bis(diimide) macrocycle through an intermediate asymmetric [2]catenane is reported. Saponification of the ester linkages within the crown ether component is much slower in the mechanically interlocked structure when compared to the free crown. The predominance of a single translational isomer leads to a dimeric structure, resulting in the generation of infinite channels within the crystal lattice. [structure: see text]     

Structure Elucidator: a versatile expert system for molecular structure elucidation from 1D and 2D NMR data and molecular fragments

StrucEluc is an expert system that allows the computer-assisted elucidation of chemical structures based on the inputs of a series of spectral data including 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectra. The system has been enabled to allow a chemist to utilize fragments stored in a fragment database as well as user-defined fragments submitted by the chemist in the structure elucidation process. The association of fragments in this way has been shown to dramatically speed up the process of structure generation from 2D NMR data and has helped to minimize or eliminate the need for user intervention thereby further enabling the vision of automated elucidation. The use of fragments has frequently transformed very difficult 2D NMR elucidation challenges into easily solvable tasks. A strategy to utilize molecular fragments has been developed and optimized based on specific challenging examples. This strategy will be described here using real world examples. Experience gained by solving more than 150 structure elucidation problems from a variety of literature sources is also reviewed in this work.     

Electrospun cellulose acetate fibers: effect of solvent system on morphology and fiber diameter

This paper reports an investigation of the effects of solvent system, solution concentration, and applied electrostatic field strength (EFS) on the morphological appearance and/or size of as-spun cellulose acetate (CA) products. The single-solvent systems were acetone, chloroform, N,N -dimethylformamide (DMF), dichloromethane (DCM), methanol (MeOH), formic acid, and pyridine. The mixed-solvent systems were acetone–DMAc, chloroform–MeOH, and DCM–MeOH. Chloroform, DMF, DCM, MeOH, formic acid, and pyridine were able to dissolve CA, forming clear solutions (at 5% w/v), but electrospinning of these solutions produced mainly discrete beads. In contrast, electrospinning of the solution of CA in acetone produced short and beaded fibers. At the same solution concentration of 5% (w/v) electrospinning of the CA solutions was improved by addition of MeOH to either chloroform or DCM. For all the solvent systems investigated smooth fibers were obtained from 16% (w/v) CA solutions in 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 (v/v) acetone–DMAc, 14–20% (w/v) CA solutions in 2:1 (v/v) acetone–DMAc, and 8–12% (w/v) CA solutions in 4:1 (v/v) DCM–MeOH. For the as-spun fibers from CA solutions in acetone–DMAc the average diameter ranged between 0.14 and 0.37 μm whereas for the fibers from solutions in DCM–MeOH it ranged between 0.48 and 1.58 μm. After submersion in distilled water for 24 h the as-spun CA fibers swelled appreciably (i.e. from 620 to 1110%) but the physical integrity of the fibrous structure remained intact.