Thermodynamic guidelines for the design of bimetallic catalysts for oxygen electroreduction and rapid screening by scanning electrochemical microscopy. M-co (M: Pd, Ag, Au)

We propose guidelines for the design of improved bimetallic (and related) electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic media. This guide is based on simple thermodynamic principles assuming a simple mechanism where one metal breaks the oxygen-oxygen bond of molecular O(2) and the other metal acts to reduce the resulting adsorbed atomic oxygen. Analysis of the Gibbs free energies of these two reactions guides the selection of combinations of metals that can produce alloy surfaces with enhanced activity for the ORR when compared to the constituent metals. Selected systems have been tested by fabricating arrays of metallic catalysts consisting of various binary and ternary combinations of Pd, Au, Ag, and Co deposited on glassy carbon (GC) substrates. The electrocatalytic activity of these materials for the ORR in acidic medium was examined using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) in a new rapid-imaging mode. This was used to rapidly screen arrays covering a wide range of catalyst compositions for their activity for the ORR in 0.5 M H(2)SO(4). Using the SECM technique, we have identified combinations of metals with enhanced electrocatalytic activities when compared with the constituent, pure metals. Addition of Co to Pd, Au, and Ag clearly decreases the ORR overpotential, in agreement with the proposed model. Catalyst spots that exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity in the SECM screening technique were then examined using classical rotating disk electrode (RDE) experiments. The activity of carbon black supported catalyst mixtures on a GC RDE and the electrocatalytic activity determined using the SECM screening technique showed excellent agreement. C/Pd-Co electrodes (10-30% Co) exhibited remarkable activity for ORR catalysis, close to that of carbon-supported Pt.     

Supramolecular assembly of 2,7-dimethyldiazapyrenium and cucurbit[8]uril: a new fluorescent host for detection of catechol and dopamine

The formation of a highly stable inclusion complex between 2,7-dimethyldiazapyrenium (Me(2)DAP(2+)) and the cucurbit[8]uril host (CB8) was demonstrated by X-ray crystallography; MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry; and (1)H NMR, electronic absorption, and emission spectroscopy. The equilibrium association constant was determined to be 8.9(+/-0.2)x10(5) L mol(-1) from UV-visible data and 8.4(+/-1.5) x 10(5) L mol(-1) from fluorescence data. The Me(2)DAP(2+).CB8 inclusion complex acted as a host to bind compounds containing aromatic pi-donor moieties (D), such as catechol and dopamine. This point was demonstrated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, and electrochemical and emission measurements. Fluorescence detection of the Me(2)DAP(2+).D.CB8 ternary complexes was evident in aqueous solution and on the surface of silica particles, to which fluorescent diazapyrenium units had been covalently immobilized.     

Origin of the quadrupole splitting in the Mössbauer 57Fe spectrum of cubic (disordered) LiFeO2

The room-temperature Mössbauer ⁵⁷Fe spectrum of polycrystalline disordered cubic α-LiFeO₂ contains a quadrupole splitting |Δ_obs| of 0.65(2) mm/sec. This value is relatively large for an Fe atom in an essentially Fe³⁺_HS state. To account for its magnitude, the distribution of the electric-field gradient (EFG) values associated with the Fe atoms was investigated by means of exact geometric analysis involving the 12 nearest cation neighbors (model A) as well as large-scale computer simulation involving more distant cations (models B to E). It is found that (1) the major contribution to |Δ_obs| comes from the distribution of +1 and +3 charges among the 12 nearest cation neighbors of a reference Fe atom; (2) this contribution by itself largely accounts for |Δ_obs|; (3) the contribution from cations beyond the seventh-nearest neighbors is marginal; (4) displacing the oxygen atoms from their lattice sites toward adjacent Fe atoms produces a significant effect on the distribution of EFG values at a reference Fe atom, while incipient cation ordering appears to have a relatively small effect; and (5) the contribution of the EFG = 0 component to model |EFG| distributions will be overemphasized unless cations beyond the first-nearest neighbors are included in the EFG summation. The 144 distinct (up to rotation and reflection) Li¹⁺_12?kFe³⁺_k configurations on the coordination cuboctahedron of nearest cation neighbors (required for the examination of model A) are listed, together with their symmetries and multiplicities, and it is shown that the 144 configurations engender only 17 distinct |EFG| values. Observations are also made on various geometric aspects of calculating EFG at ⁵⁷Fe³⁺_HS on cubic lattices.     

A simple,rapid, and accurate fluorometric analysis of epinephrine in local anesthetic solutions

A method is presented for the fluorometric analysis of epinephrine contained in local anesthetic solutions. The method is simple, rapid, and accurate, and does not require separation techniques.     

Inhibition of the anthraquinone photosensitised oxidation of polypropylene by a hindered piperidine stabiliser: A spectroscopic study

A hindered piperidine stabiliser, bis{2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl}-sebacate, has been found to inhibit the photo-sensitising effect of anthraquinone in polypropylene. On flash photolysis in n-hexane solution transient formation due to the semi-quinone radical (AH·) at 370 nm and subsequent formation of the hydroquinone (9,10-dihydroxyanthracene (AH₂) were found to be effectively inhibited by the corresponding nitroxyl radical but not by the amine. The absence of the hydroquinone photoproduct was confirmed using fluorescence spectroscopy. With the aid of phosphorescence spectroscopy it is concluded that the nitroxyl radical is the effective stabilising species and operates by a radical scavenging mechanism to form the hydroxylamine, and not by excited state quenching.     

Anion binding by fluorescent biimidazole diamides

Six 2,2'-biimidazoles with various amide groups at the 4- and 4'-positions were prepared from 5-propyl-1H-imidazole-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester. In the final step of the synthesis, biimidazole C2-C2' bond formation was accomplished in 33-45% yield by palladium(0)-catalyzed homocoupling of the corresponding 2-iodoimidazoles. Four of the biimidazoles were studied by X-ray diffraction. In the solid state, all display coplanar imidazole rings, an anti relationship of amide groups, and intramolecular (NH(amide).N(imid)) and intermolecular (NH(imid).O(amide)) hydrogen bonding. In CH(2)Cl(2), the emission intensity of the biimidazoles is quenched by the presence of dihydrogenphosphate and chloride anions, but no shifts in lambda(emiss) are observed. Binding constants for 1:1 biimidazole-anion complexation (K(assoc)) are on the order of 10(4) M(-)(1) for H(2)PO(4)(-) and Cl(-). One of the receptors (bearing 3,5-difluorobenzylamides) is selective for chloride. The participation of the amide NH atoms in anion binding was established by (1)H NMR.     

Irreversible cleavage of a carbene-rhodium bond in Rh-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes: implications for catalysis

Despite the generally accepted belief that carbene-metal bonds are strong and do not dissociate, the reaction of Rh-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes with triphenylphosphine in dichloroethane was determined to take place via cleavage of the Rh-carbene bond. The products of this reaction are Wilkinson’s catalyst and a bisimidazolium salt derived from reaction between dichloroethane and two equivalents of the carbene. The implications of this reaction for catalysis are significant since the carbene complex shows lower activity than Wilkinson’s catalyst in hydrogenation reactions. In non-halogenated solvents, the catalyst shows higher stability, such that the rate of exchange with free phosphine could be measured, and was determined to be ca. 10 times slower than in Wilkinson’s catalyst.     

Synthesis, characterization, and structure of cyclopenta[c]thiophenes and their manganese complexes

1,3-Diaryl-4H-cyclopenta[c]thiophenes are efficiently prepared from 1,2-diaroylcyclopentadienes by use of Lawesson's reagent. eta5-Cyclopenta[c]thienyl complexes, [Mn(eta5-SC7H3-1,3-R2)(CO)3] (R = Me, Ph), are prepared in high yield by ligand substitution reactions of [MnBr(CO)5] with [SnMe3(SC7H3-1,3-R2)]. Alternatively, thiation with P4S10/NaHCO3 converts [Mn{eta5-1,2-C5H3(COR)2)(CO)3] to [Mn(eta5-SC7H3-1,3-R2)(CO)3] (R = Ph, 4-tolyl, 4-MeOC6H4, benzo[2,3-b]thienyl). The molecular structures of complexes with R = Me, Ph show planar eta5-cyclopenta[c]thienyl ligands, with the manganese atom slightly displaced away from the ring-fusion bond.     

Electrochemical study on screen-printed carbon electrodes with modification by iron nanoparticles in Fe(CN)<Subscript>6</Subscript><Superscript>4−/3−</Superscript> redox system

The remarkable enhancement of electron transfer on screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) with modification by iron nanoparticles (Fe_nano), coupled with Fe(CN)₆ ^4−/3− redox species, was characterized with an increase of electroactive area (A _ea) at electrode surface together with a decrease of heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k°) in the system. Hence, Fe_nano-Fe(CN)₆ ³⁻ SPCEs with deposition of glucose oxidase (GOD) demonstrated a higher sensitivity to various glucose concentrations than Fe(CN)₆ ³⁻/GOD-deposited SPCEs. In addition, an inhibited diffusion current from cyclic voltammograms was also observed with an increase in redox concentration and complicated the estimation of A _ea. Further analysis by the electrochemical impedance method, it was shown that this effect might be resulted from the electrode surface blocking by the products of activated complex decomposition.     

Photo-stabilising action of a polymeric hindered piperidine compound in polypropylene film: Influence of processing

The effect of a phenolic antioxidant on the photo-stabilising performance of a polymeric hindered piperidine compound in polypropylene has been examined using infra-red and ESR spectroscopic techniques. Processing history is shown to play a dominant rôle in controlling the photo-stabilising performance of these systems. Whilst the antioxidant gave enhanced performance, in most cases its effect is antagonistic. The ESR results suggest that maximum stabilisation is associated with the conversion of the amine to the substituted hydroxylamine and not the nitroxyl radical.