Crystal structure of potassium tetramethylammonium hexacyanocobaltate(III) trihydrate: K3(Me4N)3[Co(CN)6]2·3H2O

The structure of K₃(Me₄N)₃[Co(CN)₆]₂·3H₂O has been determined from three-dimensional X-ray diffraction data. The unit cell is formed by parallel layers of cobalt octahedra [CoC₆] and potassium octahedra, [K(1)N₅O(1)], separated byc/2. In each layer both types of octahedra are located alternatively. The [MeN₄]⁺ tetrahedra are located in the cavities between the two layers of octahedra. The crystal structure of this compound is the first example of its type. TMC 2483     

Square-wave voltammetric determination of cefoperazone in a bacterial culture,pharmaceutical drug,milk, and urine

Use of square-wave voltammetry (SWV) for determination of cefoperazone (CFPZ) in some buffers, bacterial culture, urine, and milk is described. CFPZ provides a specific voltammetric signal which is affected by pH and solution components. Determination of CFPZ in Britton–Robinson buffer, pH 4.4, is sensitive with a low detection limit (about 0.5 nmol L^–1). In a more complex medium (bacterial 2YT medium, pH 7.2) the detection limit was approximately 1.5 mol L^–1. We provide evidence that SWV is a suitable and quick method for CFPZ determination in a culture of living bacteria without separation of biomass. We have found big differences between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in cultivation in the presence of CFPZ, depending on time. When CFPZ is cleaved by penicillinase, a new SWV peak b appears at more positive potentials. This peak rises both with increasing concentration of enzyme and with cleavage time while the original CFPZ peak is simultaneously decreasing. We determined the concentration of CFPZ in the drug Pathozone by the standard addition method and achieved good agreement with the declared value of CFPZ in the drug. With a simple pretreatment procedure it is possible to determine CFPZ in milk; for urine no pretreatment was required. Using SWV we could detect CFPZ concentrations as low as 500 nmol L^–1 in bovine milk and human urine.     

Trehalose-based cyclodextrin analogs: cyclotrehalans (CTs)

A new concept for the de novo synthesis of artificial glyconanocavities is presented. The use of alternating α,α′-trehalose building blocks and (thio)urea segments allows the efficient synthesis of a new family of cyclooligosaccharides, namely cyclotrehalans (CTs), featuring a convex-shaped cavity with an apolar environment. CTs are designed to exhibit molecular inclusion abilities similar to that of cyclodextrins (CDs). Contrary to CDs, CTs expose the monosaccharide β-face to the inner cavity, while the (thio)urea tethers provides some conformational adaptability. High-yielding syntheses of a series of CTs and a preliminary evaluation of their inclusion properties are reported.     

Ultrafast collective dynamics in the charge-density-wave conductor K(0.3)MoO(3)

Low-energy coherent charge-density wave excitations are investigated in blue bronze (K(0.3)MoO(3)) and red bronze (K(0.33)MoO(3)) by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. A linear gapless, acousticlike dispersion relation is observed for the transverse phasons with a pronounced anisotropy in K(0.33)MoO(3). The amplitude mode exhibits a weak (opticlike) dispersion relation with a frequency of 1.67 THz at 30 K. Our results show for the first time that the time-resolved optical technique provides momentum resolution of collective excitations in strongly correlated electron systems.     

Rapid determination of aliphatic amines in water samples by pressure-assisted monolithic octadecylsilica capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometry

A pressure-assisted capillary chromatography-mass spectrometry method based on the use of a monolithic octadecylsilica (ODS) capillary is proposed for the determination of aliphatic amines. A 25 mM citric acid buffer containing 10% methanol is used as running electrolyte. Separation is achieved by simultaneously applying a capillary electrophoresis (CE) voltage of 13 kV and an overimposed pressure of 8 bar. The use of pressure is required to ensure stable electrospray conditions. Analysis times are reduced by using a capillary column consisting of a 30 cm long monolithic silica capillary column bound with ODS and a fused-silica capillary column also 30 cm long. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of low-molecular-weight aliphatic amines in tap and river water. The analysis of real samples requires cleanup and preconcentration, which can be performed automatically by inserting a minicolumn in the replenishment system of the commercial instrument.     

Contributions to the determination of histamine rate by measuring out the histamine-orthophthalaldehyde complex in the absorption and fluorescence

Histamine is an important compound from a physiological point of view, but it is toxic since the absorption of low amounts of histamine can cause abdominal pains accompanied with vomiting. Why we have developed a new method for histamine analysis in order to improve Lerke and Bell method. From the absorption spectra, we showed that the stoichiometry of the complex histamine-orthophthalaldehyde (OPA) is 1:1. From the emission spectra, it was observed that the complex fluorescence is inhibited in acidic medium. In alkaline medium, an exaltation of fluorescence was observed, but the complex histamine-OPA was unstable. Nevertheless, kinetic study showed that good linear correlations between the fluorescence maxima of the formed complex and the histamine concentration could be obtained in this alkaline medium.     

Preparation and mechanical properties of thermal energy storage microcapsules

A series of heat energy storage microcapsules was prepared using melamine-formaldehyde resin as the shell material and the mechanical properties of the shell were investigated. A phase change material whose melting point was 24 °C was used as core and the quantity of heat involved in phase transition was 225.5 J/g. Average diameter of the microcapsules varied from 5 to 10 μm, and the globular surface was smooth and compact. The mechanical properties of the shell were evaluated by observing the surface morphological structure change after application of pressure by means of scanning electron microscopy. When the mass ratio of the core and shell material is 3:1, a yield point of about 1.1×10⁵ Pa was found and when the compression was increased beyond this point the microcapsules showed plastic behavior. This has been attributed to the cross-link density and to the high degree of reaction of the shell material. Different yield points subsequently reflected differences in the mechanical behavior. It was also found that the mechanical intensity of double-shell microcapsules was better than that of single shelled ones.     

Consistent treatment of inter- and intramolecular polarization in molecular mechanics calculations

A protocol is described for the treatment of molecular polarization in force field calculations. The resulting model is consistent in that both inter- and intramolecular polarization are handled within a single scheme. An analytical formula for removing intramolecular polarization from a set of atomic multipoles for an arbitrary static structure or conformation is given. With the help of the intramolecular polarization, these permanent atomic multipoles can then be applied in modeling alternative conformations of a molecule. Equipped with this simple technique, one can derive transferable electrostatic parameters for peptides and proteins using flexible model compounds such as dipeptides. The proposed procedure is tested for its ability to describe the electrostatic potential around various configurations of the N-methylacetamide dimer. The effect of different intramolecular polarization schemes on the accuracy of a force field model of the electrostatic potential of alanine dipeptide is investigated. A group-based scheme for including direct intramolecular polarization is shown to be most successful in accounting for the conformational dependence of electrostatic potentials.     

Coagulation of silver halide sols by thorium nitrate in the presence of potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate

Summary When silver iodide, silver bromide and silver chloride solsin statu nascendi are coagulated by thorium nitrate in the presence of potassium nitrate, three coagulation maxima appear. Two of them are identical with maxima that are found in absence of KNO₃, denoted with (II) and (IV) in fig. 1. The new maximum appears in the stability region of recharged sols (III). It is believed that this maximum is also—as maximum (IV)—caused by the coagulation of recharged silver halide sols by nitrate ions. Appearance of two nitrate coagulation maxima is explained by different charge densities on sol particles at various concentrations of Th(NO₃)₄ where they are formed. The new maximum indicates a lower charge density of sol particles. The possibility that the new maximum could have been caused by ionic complex species between thorium and nitrate ions has been rejected for data are available that the equilibrium constant for such complexes is small. In the presence of K₂SO₄ the coagulation effects of thorium nitrate on silver halide sols are markedly different. In acidified solutions only one coagulation maximum appears at rather high thorium nitrate concentrations [∼ 10⁻³ N Th (NO₃)₄] and the sol remains negatively charged [up to ∼ 10⁻² N Th (NO₃)₄] This is explained by complex formation of Th-ions and sulfate ions whereby ionic species of lower charge are formed, which exert a weaker coagulation effect. In neutral solutions another maximum at lower concentration of Th (NO₃)₄ is formed which appears to be the usual coagulation maximum produced by hydrolyzed thorium ions. The antagonistic effects of the salt pair Th (NO₃)₄-K₂SO₄ upon the coagulation of silver halides has been discussed and we have concluded that the large effects repeatedly reported can be explained not by simple electrostatic effects of ions in solution but rather by the formation of complexes between Th- and SO₄-ions.

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Zusammenfassung Die Koagulationseffekte des Thoriumnitrats in Anwesenheit von Kaliumnitrat und Kaliumsulfat an Silberhalogenid-Solenin statu nascendi wurden ausführlich untersucht. Wenn Silberhalogenid-Sole durch Thoriumnitrat-L?sungen koaguliert werden, bilden sich zwei Koagulationsmaxima (II und IV, Abb. 1). Bei sehr niedrigen Konzentrationen des Thoriumnitrats koaguliert das Thorium-Ion (oder Komplex) die negativen Silberhalogenid-Sole, w?hrend bei h?heren Thoriumnitrat-Konzentrationen die ungeladenen Sole durch die NitratIonen koaguliert werden. Zwischen den zwei Maxima besteht ein weites Gebiet der stabilen umgeladenen Sole (III). Unter dem Zusatz von konstanten Mengen des Kaliumnitrats wird in diesem Gebiet ein neues (drittes) Maximum gebildet (Abb. 2–5), das auch als Koagulationsmaximum identifiziert wurde. Es wird angenommen, da? dieses Maximum wieder eine Koagulation der umgeladenen Silberhalogenid-Sole durch Nitrat-Ionen darstellt. Das Auftreten von zwei Koagulationsmaxima, verursacht durch Nitrat-Ionen, wird durch die verschiedenen Ladungsdichten an Solteilchen in Gebieten der Thoriumnitrat-Konzentrationen, in denen Maxima erscheinen, erkl?rt. Die M?glichkeit eines Koagulationseffektes der komplexen Ionen zwischen Thorium und Nitrat wurde ausgeschlossen, da die Gleichgewichtskonstante solcher Komplexe ziemlich niedrig ist. In Anwesenheit von Kaliumsulfat sieht die Koagulationskurve für Silberhalogenid Sole sehr unterschiedlich aus (Abb. 6–8). In den mit Salpeters?ure (0,001N) versetzten Solen erscheint nur ein Maximum bei ziemlich hohen Thoriumnitrat-Konzentrationen [∼ 10⁻³ N Th (NO₃)₄], wobei die Solteilchen noch immer negativ sind. Da Thorium- und Sulfat-Ionen sehr stabile Ionen-Komplexe bilden, die eine niedrigere Valenz aufweisen, kann das Maximum als Folge der Koagulationseffekte solcher Komplexe an die Silberhalogenid-Sole angesehen werden. In neutralen L?sungen zeigt sich neben dem beschriebenen Maximum noch ein anderes Maximum bei niedrigerer Thoriumnitrat-Konzentration. Dieses Maximum, hervorgerufen durch die hydrolysierten Thorium-Ionen, scheint das „normale“ Koagulationsmaximum zu sein. Dieantagonistischen Effekte des Salzpaares Th (NO₃)₄-K₂SO₄ bei der Koagulation der Silberhalogenide wurden diskutiert, und es wurde geschlossen, da? die gro?en Effekte, die wiederholt ver?ffentlicht worden waren, sehr schwer nur durch die elektrostatischen Anziehungen zwischen den Ionen erkl?rt werden k?nnen. Die Komplexbildung zwischen Thorium- und Sulfat-Ionen wird für den sogenannten antagonistischen Effekt in diesem Falle als verantwortlich angesehen.

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Supported in part by U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Contract No. AT (30-1)-1801.