Ab-initio molecular dynamics based on non-local density functional procedure with Gaussian basis; study of structural and temperature behaviour of metallic clusters

An ab-initio molecular dynamics procedure without precalculation of the Born-Oppenheimer energy surface based on an iterative non-local density functional method employing Gaussian atomic basis has been developed. Analytical gradients are calculated and used for the propagation of nuclei. Sufficiently long trajectories can be calculated at an acceptable computational cost, allowing for analysis of dynamical behaviour of small metallic clusters. This is illustrated on an example of the Li₈ cluster. Temperature behaviour of different type of isomers has been investigated. Calculated power spectra allow to identify the presence of more than one isomeric forms along the given trajectories.     

Electrocatalysis by foreign metal monolayers: Oxidation of formic acid on platinum

It was demonstrated that some foreign metal monolayers formed by underpotential deposition have pronounced catalytic effects on the oxidation of formic acid on platinum. The explanation of these effects was sought within the framewor of existing data on the formic acid oxidation and the underpotential deposition. It was found that the catalytic effect of foreign metal monolayers originates in the decrease of hydrogen adsorption thus preventing the formation of the main poisoning species COH. At the same time these experiments confirm the previously postulated mechanism of formation of the poisoning species involving adsorbed hydrogen.     

Sensitive stripping voltammetry of heavy metals by using a composite sensor based on a built-in bismuth precursor

A new graphite-epoxy composite electrode (GECE) containing Bi(NO(3))(3) as a built-in bismuth precursor for simultaneous and individual anodic stripping analysis of heavy trace metals like lead and cadmium is reported. The developed Bi(NO(3))(3)-GECE is compatible with bismuth film electrodes reported previously including the composite electrodes (Bi-GECE) recently reported by our group. Bi(NO(3))(3)-GECE displays the ability for the detection of both individual and simultaneous determination of heavy trace metals and exhibits well defined, reproducible and sharp stripping signals. The sensitive response is combined with the minimal toxicity of Bi(NO(3))(3). This novel sensor would be an appropriate alternative tool to sensors using bismuth in solution during their utilization in environmental quality monitoring as well as other applications.     

Optimization of the TLC Separation of Seven Amino Acids

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A ternary mobile phase for thin-layer chromatographic separation and identification of seven amino acids on microcrystalline...     

Investigation of suitable digestion methods for the determination of total phosphorus in soils

Total phosphorus in five soils with different compositions which were obtained from different places were extracted by using Na(2)CO(3) fusion, HClO(4) digestion, HClO(4) + HNO(3) digestion, HF + HClO(4) digestion or NaOBr oxidation methods. In order to test the suitability of the HF + HClO(4) digestion the results obtained by this method were compared with the others above, especially the Na(2)CO(3) fusion which is accepted as a standard method. The phosphorus amount found with the HF + HClO(4) digestion method were almost the same as the phosphorus amount by the Na(2)CO(3) fusion method, while the superiority in extracting phosphorus when compared to other methods were obvious. The methods used in the study were evaluated according to the recovery of total phosphorus, ease of application and rapidity with which they were performed. Orthophosphate in the soil extracts was determined by the molybdenum blue colour method. The relationships between methods are examined statistically.     

Do solid surface potential barriers retard convoy peak electrons?

Using a coaxial cylindric electron spectrometer and an electrostatic ion energy analyzer in tandem, a direct measurement of the difference of the energy of convoy peak electron and the electron equivalent ion energy of protons emerging from the downstream surface of C, Au and Al foils is performed in the proton energy range from 60 to 250 keV. This measurement is made possible using the accepted evidence that for a gas target these energies are equal. It is found that also for the beam foil convoy peak electrons, within an experimental average uncertainty of about ±0.1 eV, there is no difference between these energies. If one accepts that the origin of convoy electrons is from inside the solid, the conclusion is that no retardation by the solid surface potential barrier, which is of the order of a few eV, is observed. This is attributed to the strong electron-ion Coulomb interaction which almost completely overshadows the force exerted on the electron by the field of the surface barrier.     

New synthetic routes to cationic rhenium tricarbonyl bipyridine complexes with labile ligands

Triflate abstraction from the complex [Re(OTf)(CO)(3)(bipy)] (1) using the salt NaBAr'(4) (Ar' = 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) in dichloromethane solution in the presence of L = PPh(3), NCMe, NCPh, imines, ketones, Et(2)O, THF, MeOH, and MeI affords cationic complexes [Re(L)(CO)(3)(bipy)](+) as their BAr'(4)(-) salts. The new complexes have been characterized spectroscopically and, for [Re(eta(1)-O=C(Me)R)(CO)(3)(bipy)]BAr'(4) (R = CH(3), 6a; R = Ph, 6b), and [Re(THF)(CO)(3)(bipy)]BAr'(4) (9), also by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compared with conventional methodologies, the route reported here allows the coordination of a broader range of weakly coordinating ligands and requires considerably milder conditions. On the other hand, the reactions of lithium acetylides with [Re(THF)(CO)(3)(bipy)]BAr'(4) (9) can be used for the high-yield syntheses of rhenium alkynyls [Re(Ctbd1;CR)(CO)(3)(bipy)] (R = Ph, 12; R = SiMe(3), 13). Complex 9 was found to catalyze the aziridination of benzylideneaniline with ethyl diazoacetate.     

High yield synthesis and reactivity of a phosphinidene bridged dimolybdenum complex

Protonation of [Mo2Cp2(mu-H)(mu-PHR*)(CO)4] (Cp = eta5-C5H5, R* = 2,4,6-C6H2tBu3) with HBF4.OEt2 gives the hydridophosphinidene complex [Mo2Cp2(mu-H)(mu-PR*)(CO)4]BF4, which is easily deprotonated with H2O to give the known phosphinidene complex [Mo2Cp2(mu-PR*)(CO)4] in 95% yield. Reaction of the latter with I2 gives the unsaturated phosphinidene complex [Mo2Cp2I2(mu-PR*)(CO)2], which exhibits an intermetallic distance of 2.960(2) A. Irradiation of solutions of [Mo2Cp2(mu-PR*)(CO)4] with UV light gives a mixture of the triply bonded [Mo2Cp2(mu-PR*)(mu-CO)2] and the hydridophosphido derivative [Mo2Cp2(mu-H){mu-P(CH2CMe2)C6H2tBu2}(CO)4] as major species. The latter complex results from an intramolecular C-H bond cleavage from a tBu group and has been characterized by spectroscopy and an X-ray study. Irradiation in the presence of HCC(p-tol) results in the insertion of the alkyne into the Mo-P bond to give [Mo2Cp2{mu-eta1:eta2,kappa-C(p-tol)CHPR*}(CO)4] structurally characterized through an X-ray study.     

Enantiomers of sterically hindered n-aryl-4-pyridones: Chromatographic enrichment and thermal interconversion

N-Aryl-4-pyridones 1–6 were synthesized by condensation of the corresponding 4-pyrone with anilines. The enrichment of the enantiomers was achieved by liquid chromatography on triacctylcellulose, enantiomeric purities of(+)-1 and (+ )-2 being measured by ¹H-NMR in the presence of an optically active auxiliary. Barriers to partial rotation about the C-N bond in 1-4 were determined and compared with corresponding biphenyls.     

The modulating possibilities of dicarbollide clusters: optimizing the Kharasch catalysts

exo-Cluster dicarbollides substitution has allowed tuning of the E degrees (Ru(II)/Ru(III)) potential to obtain the best-performing Kharasch catalyst. We postulate that this is possible through the to-and-fro electron movement between the boron cluster and the sulfonium moieties.