High pressure Raman studies of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and CuTCNQ

The high-pressure Raman studies of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) single crystals and polycrystalline CuTCNQ are presented in this paper. TCNQ shows a phase transition at 22 kbar, a pressure higher than reported earlier. CuTCNQ undergoes a first order phase transition at 30 kbar, which is characterized by the abrupt disappearance of all the Raman bands.     

Micellar effects on the electrochemistry of dopamine and its selective detection in the presence of ascorbic acid

The electrochemistry of dopamine (3-hydroxytyramine) was studied by cyclic voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles at different pH. The anodic peak potential (E(pa)) and peak current (I(pa)) were found to be remarkably dependent on the charge and the concentration of the surfactant. The E(pa) and I(pa) change abruptly around the critical micellar concentration (CMC) of the surfactants and reach a plateau above the CMC. The E(pa) at the plateau shifts to more positive values in the cationic CTAB micellar solution, e.g. from 180 mV vs SCE in aqueous solution at pH 6.8 to 410 mV in CTAB micelle, whilst it shifts to less positive values in the anionic SDS micellar solution, e.g. 150 mV at pH 6.8. Therefore, the overlapped anodic peaks of dopamine and ascorbic acid in the mixture of the two compounds in aqueous solutions can be separated in CTAB micelles since the micelle shifts the E(pa) of ascorbic acid to less positive values. The two peaks are separated by ca. 400 mV at pH 6.8 in CTAB micelle, hence dopamine can be determined in the presence of 100 times excess of ascorbic acid. In SDS micelle and in the presence of ascorbic acid, the I(pa) of dopamine is greatly enhanced due to the catalytic oxidation of the latter that enables quantitative determination of both compounds.     

A new route to semirigid poly(amide-ester)s with ordered structure

Four novel semirigid poly(amide-ester)s having the same ordered amide-amide-ester-ester (-AAEE-) and the same or the different phenyl structure were synthesized from the various combination of active acylamide of benzotriazole (HBT) such as 1,1′-(isophthaloyl)bisbenzotriazole (IPBBT) and 1,1′-(terephthaloyl)bisbenzotriazole (PBBT) with diols such as N,N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)isophthamide (HEIPA) and N,N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)terephthamide (HEPTA) which prepared from the selective N-acylation of IPBBT or PBBT with aminoethanol in excellent yield at room temperature. Before the preparation of diol monomers, a model reaction of selective N-acylation was also completed from active monoacylamide of benzotriazole, 1-benzoylbenzotriazole with aminoethanol. The ordered structure of poly(amideester)s were characterized by infrared (IR) and NMR spectra. On the bases of different reactivity between selective N-acylation and O-acylation of active acylamide of benzotriazole, poly(amide-ester)s having the ordered AAEE and the same phenyl structure were also readily synthesized from the IPBBT or PBBT with aminoethanol under mild conditions by one-bath process.     

Kinetic modelling of the thermal oxidation of polyisoprene elastomers. Part 1: Unvulcanized unstabilized polyisoprene

The thermal oxidation of an unvulcanized, unstabilized polyisoprene rubber (IR) has been studied in the 40-140 °C temperature range. Ageing was monitored by FTIR determination of double bonds and carbonyl groups, mass uptake measurement, and weight average molar mass determination. A mechanistic scheme based on the standard scheme for radical chain oxidation, but taking into account the diversity of initiation processes and the existence of inter- and intramolecular radical additions to double bonds, was built. The kinetic model derived from this scheme is composed of seven differential equations to be solved in discrete thickness layers to take into account the kinetic control by oxygen diffusion. This system was numerically solved using a Matlab program dedicated to stiff systems of differential equations. The elementary rate constants and other kinetic parameters were then determined from experimental data, using an inverse approach. A set of physically reasonable parameter values was obtained, thus allowing us to envisage lifetime predictions at low temperature (long term). The results led to observations difficult to make from classical analytical studies, for instance the predominance of bimolecular hydroperoxide decomposition among other initiation modes or the competition between intermolecular hydrogen abstraction and intramolecular addition of peroxy radicals to double bonds.     

Über den Nachweis und die Bestimmung des Schädlingsbekämpfungsmittels E 605 in der gerichtlichen Chemie

Zusammenfassung Es wird gezeigt, daß sich Insektizide auf der Basis der Ester der Thiophosphorsäure (E 605) aus biologischem Material mittels Wasser-dampfdestillation auf verhältnismäßig einfache Weise abscheiden lassen. Im Destillat erfolgt die Bestimmung nach Ausäthern und Lösen des Rückstandes in Äthanol durch Messen der Lichtabsorption im UV. Hierbei zeigt sich, daß die rechnerische Eliminierung der Störstoffe bei geringeren Konzentrationen der Ester leichter ist als bei hohen.Durch Messung der Lichtabsorption im IR läßt sich, genügende Konzentration vorausgesetzt, entscheiden, welcher Ester vorliegt.

---

Summary It was shown that insecticides based on the ester of thiophosphoric acid (E 605) can be separated in relatively simple fashion from biological material by means of steam distillation. The distillate is shaken out with ether and the residue dissolved in ethanol and the determination is accomplished by measuring the absorption in ultraviolet light. It was found that the computational elimination of the interfering materials is easier at lower concentrations of the ester than when higher concentrations are present. By measuring the light absorption in infrared, it is possible to decide which ester is present, provided the concentration is high enough.

---

Résumé On montre que les insecticides se séparent d'une manière relativement simple de l'élément biologique par un entraînement à la vapeur d'eau sur la base de l'ester de l'acide thiophosphorique (E 605). Le dosage s'effectue sur le distillat d'après l'épuisement à l'éther et la solubilité du résidu dans l'éthanol et la mesure de l'absorption lumineuse dans l'ultraviolet. On en déduit que l'élimination calculée de la substance gênante est plus facile pour les faibles concentrations de l'ester que pour les grandes. En mesurant l'absorption de la lumière dans l'infrarouge, on peut savoir de quel ester il s'agit pour des concentrations supposées suffisantes.

     

The Influence of Bromine Adsorption on Copper Electrodeposition on Polycrystalline Gold Electrodes Modified with Self-Assembled Monolayers

The influence of bromine adsorption on copper electrodeposition on a polycrystalline gold electrode modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been investigated by chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry. It was found that the deposition potential of copper was shifted negatively due to the SAMs. The hydrogen bond interaction between omega-carboxyl thiols decreased the defect density of the SAMs and significantly retarded the deposition of copper. The presence of bromide anions also shifted the potential more negatively through adsorption into the defects of SAMs. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Computer simulation of particle separation based on non-equilibrium swelling

Steric/hyperlayer field-flow fractionation (FFF) is an established analytical technique for separating and characterizing particles in the 1-100 microns diameter range. The separation can be based on differences in size, density, shape and mechanical properties of the particles. In the course of an analysis of the water transporter system of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and one of their high permeability mutants, the first successful attempt was made to use the steric/hyperlayer FFF system for the purpose of separating particles based on a time-dependent property, namely, the differential swelling of the two cell types. The present study was undertaken to simulate numerically the separation and suggest selection of operating conditions to minimize repetitive experiments. The computer simulation was developed using Maple V, a symbolic computing environment. It is shown that the model is able to predict an optimal velocity of carrier buffer that maximizes resolution. Predicted velocity/resolution pairs are in good agreement with available experimental data. Empirical models for the lift forces encountered in such FFF experiments, and for the zone broadening observed in work with cell sized particles, form the basis for this model.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ab initio</Emphasis> study of small coinage metal telluride clusters Au<Subscript>n</Subscript>Te<Subscript>m</Subscript> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">n,m</Emphasis> = 1, 2)

The geometries of the most stable isomers of gold telluride systems AuTe, Au₂Te, and AuTe₂ are determined using the MP2 method. The aspect of gold—telluride interaction, the electron correlation, and relativistic effects on geometry and stability are investigated at the MP2 and CCSD(T) theoretical levels. The results show that the electron correlation and relativistic effects are responsible not only for gold—gold attraction but also for additional gold—telluride interaction. The gold—telluride interaction is strong enough to modify the known pattern of bare gold clusters. Both effects are essential for determining the geometry and relative stability of this type of systems.