Theoretical analysis of the terahertz spectrum of the high explosive PETN.

The experimental solid-state terahertz (THz) spectrum (3 to 120 cm(-1)) of the high explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN, C(5)H(6)N(4)O(12)) has been modeled using solid-state density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Solid-state DFT, employing the BP density functional, is in best qualitative agreement with the features in the previously reported THz spectrum. The crystal environment of PETN includes numerous intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions that contribute to large (up to 80 cm(-1)) calculated shifts in molecular normal-mode positions in the solid state. Comparison of the isolated-molecule and solid-state normal-mode calculations for a series of density functionals reveals the extent to which the inclusion of crystal-packing interactions and the relative motions between molecules are required for correctly reproducing the vibrational structure of solid-state THz spectra. The THz structure below 120 cm(-1) is a combination of both intermolecular (relative rotations and translations) and intramolecular (torsions, large amplitude motions) vibrational motions. Vibrational-mode analyses indicate that the first major feature (67.2 cm(-1)) in the PETN THz spectrum contains all of the optical rotational and translational cell modes and no internal (molecular) vibrational modes.     

Tropiporphyrins, cycloheptatrienyl analogues of the porphyrins: synthesis, spectroscopy, chemistry, and structural characterization of a silver(III) derivative

Tripyrranes were condensed with 1,3,5-cycloheptriene-1,6-dicarbaldehyde in TFA-CH(2)Cl(2) to give, following oxidation with 0.1% aqueous ferric chloride solutions, a series of tropiporphyrins 9. These cycloheptatrienyl analogues of the porphyrins show strong diatropic ring currents by proton NMR spectroscopy where the internal CH gives a resonance at -7.3 ppm, although the meso-protons are not shifted as far downfield as most aromatic porphyrinoid systems. These data indicate that the seven-membered ring distorts the porphyrinoid macrocycle and decreases the overall diatropicity in tropiporphyrins. Addition of trace amounts of TFA to solutions of 9 affords the corresponding aromatic monocations, and at higher acid concentrations a nonaromatic dication is generated. The dication has undergone C-protonation at one of the meso-bridges and has lost the plane of symmetry present in the parent system. This species shows significant downfield shifts to the cycloheptatrienyl protons, indicating that this unit has taken on tropylium character. Tropiporphyrin 9a underwent a Diels-Alder cycloaddition with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in refluxing xylenes to give modest yields of the related adduct. The Diels-Alder adduct 17 showed an increased diatropic ring current where the internal proton shifted beyond -9 ppm, and this indicates that the [18]annulene substructure has flattened out compared to 9a. Diimide reduction of 9a afforded a dihydrotropiporphyrin that also showed a stronger ring current. Tropiporphyrins 9 were also shown to react with silver(I) acetate in the presence of DBU in refluxing pyridine to give the corresponding silver(III) organometallic derivatives. The meso-protons for these metal complexes give proton NMR chemical shift values similar to those for the parent tropiporphyrins, indicating that the macrocycle is still distorted, but the external olefinic protons are shifted downfield compared to 9. A diphenyl-substituted silver(III) derivative 18b was further characterized by X-ray crystallography. This shows that the cycloheptatriene unit takes on a highly twisted geometry that distorts the overall conformation of the porphyrinoid macrocycle.     

Studies on nitroaromatic compound degradation in modified Fenton reactions by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS-MS)

Degradation products resulting from modified Fenton reactions with the nitroaromatic compounds trinitrotoluene (TNT) and trinitrobenzene (TNB) were identified by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS-MS). Several hydroperoxide adducts were tentatively identified as initial, one-electron reduction products of TNT and tandem mass spectrometry confirmed their structure. A transformation pathway of TNT, resulting from reactions with oxygen radical species generated by the modified Fenton reaction, was proposed.     

Polypeptide‐based nanocomposite: Structure and properties of poly(L‐lysine)/Na+‐montmorillonite

The feasibility of constructing polymer/clay nanocomposites with polypeptides as the matrix material is shown. Cationic poly‐L‐lysine · HBr (PLL) was reinforced by sodium montmorillonite clay. The PLL/clay nanocomposites were made via the solution‐intercalation film‐casting technique. X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy data indicated that montmorillonite layers intercalated with PLL chains coexist with exfoliated layers over a wide range of relative PLL/clay compositions. Differential scanning calorimetry suggests that the presence of clay suppresses crystal formation in PLL relative to the neat polypeptide and slightly decreases the PLL melting temperature. Despite lower crystallinity, dynamic mechanical analysis revealed a significant increase in the storage modulus of PLL with an increase in clay loading producing storage modulus magnitudes on par with traditional engineering thermoplastics. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 2579–2586, 2002     

Enantioselective partial reduction of 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles via a chiral protonation approach

[reaction: see text] The partial reduction of 2,5-pyrrole diester 1 followed by enantioselective protonation in situ to furnish synthetically useful building blocks is described. An enantiomeric excess of up to 74% was achieved using (-)-ephedrine and related analogues as chiral proton sources. The pyrroline product obtained could be recrystallized to give enantiomerically pure material.     

Functional polymers and sequential copolymers by phase-transfer catalysis. 16. Influence of sequence distribution on the mesomorphic properties of thermotropic copolyethers containing 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl

Random and alternating thermotropic liquid-crystalline copolyethers have been synthesized from 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl and a 1/1 mol ratio of 1,5-dibromopentane and α,ω-dibromoalkanes by a two-phase (organic solvent-aqueous NaOH) phase-transfer-catalyzed polyetherification. Random copolyethers were prepared from α,ω-dibromoalkanes having six to twelve methylene units. Their phase behavior was compared with those of the perfectly alternating copolyethers containing five methylene units in one spacer and eight, nine, or eleven methylene units in the other, respectively. An odd-even dependence in thermal transitions has been observed in both oligomeric systems. In all cases, alternating copolyethers, even though comparatively lower in molecular weight, have given rise to higher melting and isotropization temperatures. Since the increase in the melting temperature is larger than the increase in the isotropization temperature, the thermal stability range of the mesophase has narrowed for alternating copolyethers with respect to their random copolyether counterparts.     

The electrodeposition of high-density,ordered arrays of Bi1-xSbx nanowires

Here we report the synthesis of dense arrays of Bi1-xSbx nanowires with >5 x 1010 nanowires/cm2. The individual wires are crystalline, relatively homogeneous, and highly textured in a 110 direction, with diameters of 40 nm and a composition of x = 12-15 atom % Sb. By tuning the solution concentrations and controlling the growth rate by controlling the potential, the composition, crystallinity, and morphology of the nanowires can be varied.     

Electrochemical reduction of uracil in dimethyl sulfoxide: Autoprotonation of the anion radical

The electrochemical reduction of uracil in dimethyl sulfoxide was investigated, using d.c.and a.c. polarography, cyclic voltammetry, and controlled potential electrolysis. Uracil is reduced in a one-electron step (E_1/2=?2.3 V); the apparent number of electrons transferred (n) decreases from one at infinite dilution to one-half at concentrations above 1mM. The concentration dependent n-value is due to proton transfer by the parent compound to the radical anion formed on reduction. Such a proton transfer, which has been observed for 2-hydroxypyrimidine, deactivates part of the uracil, which would otherwise be available for reduction, by formation of the more difficultly reducible conjugate base. The uracil anion forms insoluble mercury salts, producing two oxidation waves (E_1/2 of ?0.1 and ?0.3 V); the latter wave is due to formation of a passivating film on the electrode. Digital simulations indicate that the protonation rate exceeds 10⁵M^?1 s^?1 and that, at low uracil concentration, some of the free radical formed on protonation is further reduced. At concentrations exceeding 1 mM, all of the free radical dimerizes. The effect of added acids and base on the electrochemical behavior is described.     

Structural variations of potassium aryloxides

A series of potassium aryloxides (KOAr) were isolated from the reaction of a potassium amide (KN(SiMe(3))(2)) and the desired substituted phenoxide (oMP, 2-methyl; oPP, 2-iso-propyl; oBP, 2-tert-butyl; DMP, 2,6-di-methyl; DIP, 2,6-di-iso-propyl; DBP, 2,6-di-tert-butyl) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) or pyridine (py) as the following: [([K(mu(4)-oMP)(THF)][K(mu(3)-oMP)])(5)]( infinity ) (1), [[K(6)(eta(6),mu(3)-oMP)(4)(eta(6),mu(4)-oMP)(2)(py)(4)].[K(6)(eta(6),mu(3)-oMP)(6)(eta(6)-py)(4)]]( infinity ) (2), [K(mu(3)-oPP)](4)(THF)(3) (3), [K(4)(eta(6),mu(3)-oPP)(2)(mu(3)-oPP)(2)(py)(3)]( infinity ) (4), [K(mu(3)-oBP)(THF)](6) (5), [K(6)(eta(6),mu(3)-oBP)(2)(mu(3)-oBP)(4)(py)(4)]( infinity ) (6), [K(3)(eta(6),mu(3)-DMP)(2)(mu-DMP)(THF)]( infinity ) (7), [[K(eta(6),mu-DMP)(py)](2)]( infinity ) (8), [K(eta(6),mu-DIP)]( infinity ) (9), [K(eta(6),mu-DBP)]( infinity ) (10). Further exploration of the aryl interactions led to the investigation of the diphenylethoxide (DPE) derivative which was isolated as [K(mu(3)-DPE)(THF)](4) (11) or [K(mu(3)-DPE)(py)](4).py(2) (12) depending on the solvent used. In general, the less sterically demanding ligands (oMP, oPP, oBP, and DMP) were solvated polymeric species; however, increasing the steric bulk (DIP and DBP) led to unsolvated polymers and not discrete molecules. For most of this novel family of compounds, the K atoms were pi-bound to the aryl rings of the neighboring phenoxide derivatives to fill their coordination sites. The synthesss and characterization of these compounds are described in detail.     

Study of the neurotransmitter dopamine and the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine by electrospray ionization coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization combined with tandem mass spectrometry has been applied to a study of dopamine and 6-hydroxydopamine, an important neurotransmitter and a well-known neurotoxin, respectively. Both protonated and deprotonated molecules were observed for the two compounds. Upon collision-induced dissociation of protonated and deprotonated 6-hydroxydopamine molecules, the number of fragmentation pathways observed was greater than that observed with protonated and deprotonated dopamine molecules; the greater proclivity to fragment of the former is due to the 6-substituted hydroxyl group, which is para to the 3-OH group and ortho to the CH2CH2NH2 group. Furthermore, 6-hydroxydopamine showed a greater propensity to oxidize than did dopamine when sample solutions were kept uncovered in the air for 24 h prior to mass spectrometric examination. Radical structures of the four main oxidation products of 6-hydroxydopamine have been suggested on the basis of their product ion mass spectra; one or more of these oxidation products may be responsible for the cytotoxic property of 6-hydroxydopamine.