On the complex formation equilibria between dioxouranium(VI) and sulfate ions

The complexation equilibria between UO2(2+) and SO4(2-) ions have been studied at 25 degrees C in the ionic medium 3 M NaClO4 by potentiometry, by spectrophotometry and by solubility measurements of UO2(IO3)2. The potentiometric investigation was carried out with the Hg-Hg2SO4(s)-SO4(2-) half-cell and glass electrode in the sulfate concentration range 0.005 to 0.07 M. The optical absorbances in the UV-visible region and the solubility data cover the ligand concentration range 0.005 to 0.3 M. The data could be explained by assuming the complexes and equilibrium constants [Table: see text]. The constants in the infinite dilution reference state, log beta1o = 3.08 +/- 0.15 and log beta2o = 4.28 +/- 0.15, estimated by assuming the validity of the specific interaction theory, are practically coincident with literature data.     

Mono-N-methylation of functionalized anilines with alkyl methyl carbonates over NaY faujasites. 4. Kinetics and selectivity

[reaction: see text] In the presence of NaY faujasite as the catalyst, the reaction of bifunctional anilines (1-4: XC6H4NH2; X = OH, CO2H, CH2OH, and CONH2) with methyl alkyl carbonates [MeOCO2R': R' = Me or MeO(CH2)2O(CH2)2] proceeds with a very high mono-N-methyl selectivity (XC6H4NHMe up to 99%), and chemoselectivity as well, with other nucleophilic functions (OH, CO2H, CH2OH, CONH2) fully preserved from alkylation and/or transesterification reactions. Aromatic substituents, however, modify the relative reactivity of amines 1-4: good evidence suggests that, not only steric and electronic effects, but, importantly, direct acid-base interactions between substituents and the catalyst are involved. Weakly acidic groups (OH, CH2OH, CONH2, pKa > or = 10) may help the reaction, while aminobenzoic acids (pKa of 4-5) are the least reactive substrates. The solvent polarity also affects the reaction, which is faster in xylene than in the more polar diglyme. The mono-N-methyl selectivity is explained by the adsorption pattern of reagents within the zeolite pores: a B(Al)2 displacement of the amine on methyl alkyl carbonate should occur aided by the geometric features of the NaY supercavities. Different factors account for the reaction chemoselectivity. Evidence proves that the polarizability of the two nucleophilic terms (NH2 and X groups) of anilines is relevant, although adsorption and confinement phenomena of reagents promoted by the zeolite should also be considered.     

Tetraacetylethylene and nitrile oxides: Synthesis of spirofuranisoxazoles

trans and cis-3-Hexen-2,5-dione, 2 , reacted with nitrile oxides to give 4,5-dihydroisoxazoles 3a-c with the trans configuration. On the contrary the reaction between 3,4-diacetyl-3-hexen-2,5-dione, 1 , with nitrile oxides yielded 3-aryl-8,9-diacetyl-7-hydroxy-7-methyl-1,6-dioxa-2-azaspiro[4.4]nona-3,8-dienes 9a-e. The reaction is completely regiospecific. The cycloadducts show ring-open chain tautomerism.     

The electric birefringence of polyelectrolytes: an electrokinetic approach

We discuss the Kerr constant of a polyelectrolyte solution in the dilute regime. We show that the birefringence induced in a suspension of nonspherical polyelectrolytes by an external electric field probes the electrokinetic properties of the suspension. This is because the Kerr constant is directly connected to the electric torque exerted on the particles, and therefore contains information on the induced dipole, similarly to the other electrokinetic techniques. The article is a guideline for the development of an electrokinetic theory of the electric birefringence of polyelectrolytes. We compare two different methods to derive the Kerr constant of the polyelectrolyte solution. The first method uses an expression for the electric torque which is obtained through electrostatics, and yields a Kerr constant which has the same frequency dependence as the anisotropy of the real part of the polarizability of the dressed particle (that is, of the particle plus surrounding ions). The second method assigns an effective value of the induced electric dipole per particle by using the theory of the dielectric enhancement, and gives a Kerr constant proportional to the anisotropy of the real part of the dielectric constant of the suspension. The two methods give a considerably different frequency dependence of the Kerr constant: we suggest that the expression obtained by the second method is more capable of correctly describing the main features of the experimental results obtained with polyelectrolytes having small shape anisotropy.     

Supramolecular microcontact printing and dip-pen nanolithography on molecular printboards

The transfer of functional molecules onto self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by means of soft and scanning-probe lithographic techniques-microcontact printing (muCP) and dip-pen nanolithography (DPN), respectively-and the stability of the molecular patterns during competitive rinsing conditions were examined. A series of guests with different valencies were transferred onto beta-cyclodextrin- (beta-CD-) terminated SAMs and onto reference hydroxy-terminated SAMs. Although physical contact was sufficient to generate patterns on both types of SAMs, only molecular patterns of multivalent guests transferred onto the beta-CD SAMs were stable under the rinsing conditions that caused the removal of the same guests from the reference SAMs. The formation of kinetically stable molecular patterns by supramolecular DPN with a lateral resolution of 60 nm exemplifies the use of beta-CD-terminated SAMs as molecular printboards for the selective immobilization of printboard-compatible guests on the nanometer scale through the use of specific, multivalent supramolecular interactions. Electroless deposition of copper on the printboard was shown to occur selectively on the areas patterned with dendrimer-stabilized gold nanoparticles.     

Synthèse de spiro-pyrazolines par cycloaddition du diazométhane sur des sucres insaturés ramifiés. Influence de l'isomérie géométrique sur l'orientation de la réaction Communication préliminaire

The orientation of the cycloaddition of diazomethane on unsaturated branchedchain sugars has been studied. For 3-C-cyanomethylidene-3-deoxy-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glycero-tetrofuranose the orientation was ‘normal’ and did not depend on the configuration at the double bond. The same situation prevailed with derivatives of 3-deoxy-1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-3-C-methylidene-α-D-xylo-hexofuranose. For the 3-C-acylmethylidene- and the 3-C-cyanomethylidene-3-deoxy-1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-ribo-hexofuranoses, the trans-(H–C(3′)–C(2))-isomer gave the ‘normal’ cycloadduct whereas the cis-isomer gave predominantly the αabnormal spiro-pyrazoline. This observation represents the first instance where the regioselectivity of a cycloaddition reaction is affected by the geometrical isomerism of the dipolarophile. The most probable explanation of the phenomenon is the conformational perturbation about the C(4)--C(5) bond of the unsaturated sugars induced by a change in the configuration at C(3). The consequence of that ‘conformational transmission’ of a difference in configuration at C(3) is that the steric crowding on the cis- than in the trans-isomer. Several novel examples of a new series of C-glycosylidenic derivatives, the spiro-pyrazolines, are described.     

Déconjugaison d'énones dérivées de sucres Communication préliminaire

Deconjugation of sugars enones. Preliminary Communication Branched-chain sugar enones 1 and 2 ( R = Ac) deconjugated toposelectively (only the E isomers reacting) to 3 . The same phenomenon was noted in the case of Z- 4 which gave E- 5 . The kinetic parameters of these reactions favored a concerted mechanism, i.e. a [1, 5]-sigmatropic shift.     

On the hydrolysis of the dioxouranium(VI) ion in sulfate solutions

The formation of ternary UO2(2+)-(OH-)-SO4(2-) complexes has been studied at 25 degrees C in 3 M NaClO4 ionic medium by measurements with a glass electrode. The solutions had uranium concentrations between 0.3 and 30 mM, sulfate between 20 and 200 mM, and 1.66 < or = [SO4(2-)]/[U(VI)] < or = 300. The hydrogen ion concentration ranged from 10(-3) M to incipient precipitation of basic sulfates. This occurred, depending on the metal concentration, at [H+] between 10(-4) and 10(-5.3) M. In the interpretation of the data the stabilities of binary complexes were assumed from independent sources. The data could be explained with the mixed complexes and equilibria (beta(pqr)(3sigma) refers to pUO2(2+) + qH2O + rSO4(2-) <==> (UO2)p(OH)q(SO4)r(2p-q-2r) + qH+): logbeta222 = -2.94 +/- 0.03, logbeta341 = -9.82 +/- 0.06, logbeta211 = -0.30 +/- 0.09, logbeta212 = 1.09 +/- 0.09, logbeta351 = -15.04 +/- 0.09 and logbeta462 = -14.40 +/- 0.06. The fit could be improved by including UO2OH+ with logbeta110 = -5.1 +/- 0.1. The identity of the minor species remains, however, an open question.     

Improved determination of taurine by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with integrated pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-IPAD)

The advantages of the high selectivity of high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) and the sensitive response of taurine at a gold electrode with integrated pulsed amperometric detection (IPAD) have been combined, in order to establish a new analytical method for its determination in real matrices. Potential-time settings of the potential waveform were optimized in order to get the highest amperometric response. The separation of taurine in milk samples was achieved using an alkaline eluent (100 mM NaOH) containing 1 mM Ba(OAc)₂ and a column temperature of 15 °C. The inherent merits of using a barium-modified eluent, in terms of taurine separation and detection, are demonstrated. The enhancement in sensitivity under these experimental conditions makes it suitable for taurine determination in milk. Indeed, this method allows high recovery of taurine and satisfies the necessary requirements with respect to accuracy, repeatability and sensitivity with a detection limit of 50 nmol/L, which corresponds to 2.5 pmol. The taurine content in milk samples of some common mammals was evaluated, including human milk. In goats milk, the taurine content ranged from 46 to 91 mg/L, whereas human and buffalo milk samples exhibited an average content of 18 mg/L and 23 mg/L, respectively.     

On the complex formation equilibria between iron (III) and sulfate ions

The equilibria have been investigated at 25 degrees C in 3 M NaClO4 using potentiometry, glass and redox Fe3+/Fe2+ half-cells, and UV optical absorptiometry. The concentration of the reagents was chosen in the intervals: 10(-4) < or = [Fe(III)] < or = 5.10(-3) M, 0.01 < or = [SO4(2-)]tot < or = 0.65 M. The value of [H+] was kept at 0.1 M or more to reduce the hydrolysis of the Fe3+ ion to less than 1%. Auxiliary constants, corresponding to the formation of Fe(II)-sulfate complexes and to the association of H+ with SO4(2-) ions, were taken from previous determinations. The experimental data could be explained with the equilibria [formula: see text] Equilibrium constants at infinite dilution, log beta 101 degrees = 3.82 +/- 0.17, log beta 102 degrees = 5.75 +/- 0.17 and log beta 111 degrees = 3.68 +/- 0.35, have been evaluated by applying the specific interaction theory.