Sign of excited state nuclearg-factors using gamma detected NMR/ON

Integral nuclear orientation and conventional CW NMR/ON studies using parity conserving gamma radiation can yield the nuclear moment μ, g and hence the nuclear spin, I, of the radioactive parent nuclei, but not the sign of g. In principle, the sign of g is accessible using parity non conserving beta radiation but is technically difficult; also, some nuclei decay without particle emission. We describe a novel spin echo NMR/ON technique that overcomes these previous difficulties and allows determination of the sign of the g-factor using gamma radiation.     

Gamma radiation-initiated polymerization of styrene at high pressure. IV. Emulsion polymerization with nonionic emulsifier

The effects of pressure, irradiation dose rate, and emulsifier concentration on the rate of polymerization of styrene emulsions stabilized with a nonionic surfactant, Teric GX13, were investigated. Results differed from those previously obtained with anionic surfactants and did not follow Smith–Ewart kinetics. The controlling influence of the surfactant at the particle–water interface on the reaction was demonstrated and results could be interpreted in terms of the Medvedev equation. Using this equation, we determined a value for the activation volume for chain propagation, ΔV, as ?18.7 cm³ mol^?1. This value is the same as that for pure styrene and emulsions that follow Smith–Ewart kinetics.     

Sol-Gel Processing by Aging and Pore Creator Addition for Porous Silica Antireflective Coatings

An antireflective film produced by incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the sol is compared to one produced using an aged sol. Incorporation of organic polymer in the precursor solution is a more effective method of increasing the porosity of films and transmittance of the glass substrate. Combination of aging and PEG addition increases the potential for the creation of uniformly porous structures. Aging at high oxide concentration enhances condensation and forms large silica particles containing continuous isolated silanol sites which favor PEG adsorption via hydrogen bonding. Film morphology is affected by phase separation in both the sol and during drying of film. Coating uniformity was improved by minimising phase separation during drying. This was achieved by increasing PEG adsorption by silica sol. Using this technique, coated glass with maximum transmittance of 99.7% can be produced by a simple single step coating.     

A case for linear agostic interactions: identification by DFT calculation in a complex of Ta containing a uniquely caged triphenylmethyl C-H hydrogen

Reaction of one equivalent of tris(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy)methane with TaCl5 in CH2Cl2 along with Et3N gave a solid which on prolonged crystallisation led to a small quantity of crystalline material. An X-ray crystal structure determination showed one crystal was [TaCl3[[OC6H2(CMe3)2-2,4]3CH]]- Et2NH2+.3C6H6.1.5H2O with the anion consisting of three chloro ligands and three phenoxides of the tripodal ligand about the tantalum centre. The triphenylmethyl group proton was located and refined and was found to be enclosed in a cage making contacts of 2.09(8), 2.09(8) and 1.89(12)A with the phenoxide ligand oxygens consistent with weak C-H bond hydrogen bonding. The hydrogen atom points at the tantalum atom at a distance of 2.14(11) A from it, the TaH-C angle is 166 degrees and the C-H bond distance is 1.04(12) A. DFT calculations at the B3LYP level indicate that where a hydrogen atom is attached to the triphenylmethyl carbon on the inside of the cage, there is good agreement with the crystal structure. The C-H bond points directly at the tantalum centre and an NBO analysis indicates there is significant overlap of the triphenylmethyl C-H bond electron density in a linear sense with an "unfilled" metal d orbital. Based on the NBO analysis, the C-HTa overlap would appear to be an example of a linear agostic interaction under the definition of agostic bonding.     

Intermolecular hydroacylation: high activity rhodium catalysts containing small-bite-angle diphosphine ligands

Readily prepared and bench-stable rhodium complexes containing methylene bridged diphosphine ligands, viz. [Rh(C(6)H(5)F)(R(2)PCH(2)PR'(2))][BAr(F)(4)] (R, R' = (t)Bu or Cy; Ar(F) = C(6)H(3)-3,5-(CF(3))(2)), are shown to be practical and very efficient precatalysts for the intermolecular hydroacylation of a wide variety of unactivated alkenes and alkynes with β-S-substituted aldehydes. Intermediate acyl hydride complexes [Rh((t)Bu(2)PCH(2)P(t)Bu(2))H{κ(2)(S,C)-SMe(C(6)H(4)CO)}(L)](+) (L = acetone, MeCN, [NCCH(2)BF(3)](-)) and the decarbonylation product [Rh((t)Bu(2)PCH(2)P(t)Bu(2))(CO)(SMePh)](+) have been characterized in solution and by X-ray crystallography from stoichiometric reactions employing 2-(methylthio)benzaldehdye. Analogous complexes with the phosphine 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde are also reported. Studies indicate that through judicious choice of solvent and catalyst/substrate concentration, both decarbonylation and productive hydroacylation can be tuned to such an extent that very low catalyst loadings (0.1 mol %) and turnover frequencies of greater than 300 h(-1) can be achieved. The mechanism of catalysis has been further probed by KIE and deuterium labeling experiments. Combined with the stoichiometric studies, a mechanism is proposed in which both oxidative addition of the aldehyde to give an acyl hydride and insertion of the hydride into the alkene are reversible, with the latter occurring to give both linear and branched alkyl intermediates, although reductive elimination for the linear isomer is suggested to have a considerably lower barrier.     

An efficient synthesis and substitution of 3-aroyl-2-bromobenzo[b]furans

A convenient method for the synthesis of 2-bromo-3-aroyl-benzo[b]furans from readily accessible precursors has been developed. The 2-bromo group has been employed as a versatile synthetic handle in both palladium-mediated couplings and direct nucleophilic substitutions to give access to a wide range of 2-substituted-3-aroyl-benzo[b]furans.     

Facile synthesis of comb,star, and graft polymers via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization

Reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has been shown to be a facile means of synthesizing comb, star, and graft polymers of styrene. The precursors required for these reactions were synthesized readily from RAFT‐prepared poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) and poly(styrene‐co‐vinylbenzyl chloride), which gave intrinsically well‐defined star and comb precursors. Substitution of the chlorine atom in the vinylbenzyl chloride moiety with a dithiobenzoate group proceeded readily, with a minor detriment to the molecular weight distribution. The kinetics of the reaction were consistent with a living polymerization mechanism, except that for highly crowded systems, there were deviations from linearity early in the reaction due to steric hindrance and late in the reaction due to chain entanglement and autoacceleration. A crosslinked polymer‐supported RAFT agent was also prepared, and this was used in the preparation of graft polymers with pendant polystyrene chains. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2956–2966, 2002     

Gamma radiation-initiated polymerization of styrene at high pressure. II. Chain termination

The pressure dependence of the termination rate constant k_t for the free radical polymerization of monomers such as styrene is a function of polymer chain length, chain stiffness, and monomer viscosity, all of which influence the rate of segmental diffusion of an active radical chain end out of the coiled polymer chain to a position in which it can react with a proximate radical. Although k_t is not sensitive to changes in chain length, the large increase in molecular weight is responsible for a significant reduction in k_t at high pressures. For most of the common vinyl polymers, which exhibit some degree of chain stiffness, k_t is inversely proportional to a fractional power of the monomer viscosity because it depends in part on the resistance of chain segments to movement and in part on the influence of viscosity in controlling diffusion of the chain ends. The fractional exponent appears to increase with pressure and this is interpreted as evidence that the polymer chains become more flexible in a more viscous solvent. Because the fractional exponent is higher for more flexible chains, the value of the activation volume for chain termination is an indication of the degree of flexibility of the polymer chains, provided that the monomer is a good solvent for the polymer and that chain transfer is negligible.     

The Calculator as a Cognitive Tool: Upper-Primary Pupils Tackling a Realistic Number Problem

This paper examines the idea that the arithmetic calculator can act as a cognitive tool, supporting the amplification or reorganisation of systems of thought. It analyses how a structured sample of pupils in the last year of English primary education, with differing degrees of experience of a ’calculator-aware‘ number curriculum, tackled a realistic number problem, focusing on their use of calculator, written and mental modes of computation. Examples were found in which use of the calculator helped pupils to work with unusual problem representations, and to adopt solution strategies in which they focused on planning and monitoring computations executed by the machine. For most pupils, however, other issues were more salient. First, there was an important dissonance between pupils‘ conception of division and the calculator‘s operationalisation of it, although some cases showed how further experiment or computation with the machine could help to make appropriate connections. Second, while the calculator made it possible to redistribute computation from human to machine, important limitations arose from the transience of the calculator‘s record of operations and results. The observations suggest the importance of developing pupils‘ skill in making effective use of the calculator beyond single, simple computations; and the need to help pupils apprehend the relationship between mathematical concepts and their operationalisation in the machine. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ir(PCy3)2(H)2(H2B-NMe2)]+ as a latent source of aminoborane: probing the role of metal in the dehydrocoupling of H3B⋅NMe2H and retrodimerisation of [H2BNMe2]2

The Ir^III fragment {Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂}⁺ has been used to probe the role of the metal centre in the catalytic dehydrocoupling of H₃B?NMe₂H ( A ) to ultimately give dimeric aminoborane [H₂BNMe₂]₂ ( D ). Addition of A to [Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂(H₂)₂][BAr^F₄] ( 1 ; Ar^F=(C₆H₃(CF₃)₂), gives the amine‐borane complex [Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂(H₃B?NMe₂H)][BAr^F₄] ( 2 a ), which slowly dehydrogenates to afford the aminoborane complex [Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂(H₂B? NMe₂)][BAr^F₄] ( 3 ). DFT calculations have been used to probe the mechanism of dehydrogenation and show a pathway featuring sequential BH activation/H₂ loss/NH activation. Addition of D to 1 results in retrodimerisation of D to afford 3 . DFT calculations indicate that this involves metal trapping of the monomer–dimer equilibrium, 2 H₂BNMe₂ ? [H₂BNMe₂]₂. Ruthenium and rhodium analogues also promote this reaction. Addition of MeCN to 3 affords [Ir(PCy₃)₂(H)₂(NCMe)₂][BAr^F₄] ( 6 ) liberating H₂B? NMe₂ ( B ), which then dimerises to give D . This is shown to be a second‐order process. It also allows on‐ and off‐metal coupling processes to be probed. Addition of MeCN to 3 followed by A gives D with no amine‐borane intermediates observed. Addition of A to 3 results in the formation of significant amounts of oligomeric H₃B?NMe₂BH₂?NMe₂H ( C ), which ultimately was converted to D . These results indicate that the metal is involved in both the dehydrogenation of A , to give B , and the oligomerisation reaction to afford C . A mechanism is suggested for this latter process. The reactivity of oligomer C with the Ir complexes is also reported. Addition of excess C to 1 promotes its transformation into D , with 3 observed as the final organometallic product, suggesting a B? N bond cleavage mechanism. Complex 6 does not react with C , but in combination with B oligomer C is consumed to eventually give D , suggesting an additional role for free aminoborane in the formation of D from C .