Kinetic Study of Propylene Hydrogenation over Pt/Al2O3 by Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization

Parahydrogen-induced polarization has been successfully used for a kinetic study of propylene hydrogenation over a Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst. It was shown that the reaction orders with respect to hydrogen are different for the pairwise and the non-pairwise hydrogen addition and are equal to 0.7 and 0.1, respectively. This observation of different reaction orders confirms the coexistence of different types of active sites which are responsible for the overall and the pairwise hydrogen addition to the propylene C=C double bond. Moreover, 0.7 reaction order with respect to H₂ for pairwise hydrogen addition indicates that the contribution of pairwise addition depends on the concentration of molecular hydrogen. Therefore, this observation can be developed into a practical tool for producing fluids with highly polarized nuclear spins by changing the hydrogen concentration.     

Non-conventional Behavior of a 2,1-Benzazaphosphole: Heterodiene or Hidden Phosphinidene?

Invited for the cover of this issue are Zoltán Benkő, Libor Dostál and co-workers at the University of Pardubice and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. The image depicts signs for the two different pathways representing the two differing reaction types which were clearly observed for 2,1-benzazaphosphole. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202101686 .     

Twist-bend nematics,liquid crystal dimers,structure–property relations

ABSTRACT

One of the current challenges in liquid crystal science is to understand the molecular factors leading to the formation of the intriguing twist-bend nematic phase (N_TB) and determine its properties. During our earlier hunt for the N_TB phase created on cooling directly from the isotropic phase and not the nematic phase, we had prepared 30 symmetric liquid crystal dimers. These had odd spacers and methylene links to the two mesogenic groups; desirable but clearly not essential features for the formation of the N_TB. Here, we report the phases that the dimers exhibit and their transition temperatures as functions of both the lengths of the spacer and the terminal chains. In addition we describe the transitional entropies, their optical textures, the X-ray scattering patterns and the ²H NMR spectra employed in characterising the phases. All of which may lead to important properties of the twist-bend nematic phase.     

Determination of Q and e Values by a Least Squares Technique

A more precise determination of Q and e values for vinyl monomers can be attained through the use of a linear least squares technique.     

Ionic Polymerization of α, α -Disubstituted Vinyl Monomers

Alkyl α-chloroacrylates and p-substituted α-methylstyrenes were investigated for the effect of polymerization conditions on tacticity, molecular weight, and distribution, and for the relationship between tacticity, glass temperature, and crystalline properties.