Whey proteins eluted reversed phase gradients

The behavior of bovine whey proteins in Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) systems has been investigated. The Linear Solvent Strength (LSS) model has been applied to the separation of these proteins studying how their retention time and band broadening change when different gradient parameters are modified. From our results it is deduced that the LSS model describes the behaviour of the whey proteins in RP-HPLC. Also, it seems that t_s (the retention time for non-retained solutes) depends on the size of these proteins. The good fit observed between experimental data and the equations deduced from the LSS model allows the prediction of a gradient shape that permits a rapid analysis of the above mentioned proteins.     

The molecular structure of 2-methylbenzotriazole (2MeBzTr) in connection with the x-ray structure of 2MeBzTr.HBF4.H2O

The fluoroborate of 1H-2-methylbenzotriazolium monohydrate crystallizes in the Pbca space group [Z = 8, a = 16.734(3), b = 19.153(9), c = 6.937(1) Å], The hydrogen bond network between the three molecules, 2MeBzTr, HBF₄ and H₂O, corresponds to a situation intermediate between the fluoroborate of a protonated benzotriazole (BF4^?.2MeBzTrH⁺) and a neutral benzotriazole hydrogen-bonded to fluoroboric acid (HBF₄,2MeBzTr). The behaviour of the title compound in solution is also intermediate between these two extreme situations. Thus, the present compound is one of the rare examples of a proton solvated only by very weak hydrogen bond acceptors.     

(Fluoren-9-ylidene)methanedithiolato complexes of platinum: synthesis, reactivity, and luminescence

Platinum(II) complexes with (fluoren-9-ylidene)methanedithiolato and its 2,7-di-tert-butyl- and 2,7-dimethoxy-substituted analogues were obtained by reacting different chloroplatinum(II) precursors with the piperidinium dithioates (pipH)[(2,7-R2C12H6)CHCS2] [R = H (1a), t-Bu (1b), or OMe (1c)] in the presence of piperidine. The anionic complexes Q2[Pt{S(2)C=C(C12H6R(2)-2,7)}2] [R = H, (Pr(4)N)(2)2a; R = t-Bu, (Pr4N)(2)2b, (Et4N)(2)2b; R = OMe, (Pr4N)(2)2c] were prepared from PtCl(2), piperidine, the corresponding QCl salt, and 1a-c in molar ratio 1:2:2:2. In the absence of QCl, the complexes (pipH)(2)2b and [Pt(pip)(4)]2b were isolated depending on the PtCl(2):pip molar ratio. The neutral complexes [Pt{S2C=C(C12H6R(2)-2,7)L(2)] [L = PPh(3), R = H (3a), t-Bu (3b), OMe (3c); L = PEt(3), R = H (4a), t-Bu (4b), OMe (4c); L(2) = dbbpy, R = H (5a), t-Bu (5b), OMe (5c) (dbbpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridyl)] were similarly prepared from the corresponding precursors [PtCl2L2] and 1a-c in the presence of piperidine. Oxidation of Q(2)2b with [FeCp2]PF6 afforded the mixed Pt(II)-Pt(IV) complex Q2[Pt2{S2C=C[C12H6(t-Bu)(2)-2,7]}4] (Q(2)6, Q = Et4N+, Pr4N+). The protonation of (Pr4N)(2)2b with 2 equiv of triflic acid gave the neutral dithioato complex [Pt2{S2CCH[C12H6(t-Bu)(2)-2,7]}4] (7). The same reaction in 1:1 molar ratio gave the mixed dithiolato/dithioato complex Pr4N[Pt{S2C=C[C12H6(t-Bu)(2)-2,7]}{S2CCH[C12H6(t-Bu)(2)-2,7]}] (Pr(4)N8) while the corresponding DMANH+ salt was obtained by treating 7 with 2 equiv of 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene (DMAN). The crystal structures of 3b and 5c.CH2Cl2 have been solved by X-ray crystallography. All the platinum complexes are photoluminescent at 77 K in CH2Cl2 or KBr matrix, except for Q(2)6. Compounds 5a-c and Q8 show room-temperature luminescence in fluid solution. The electronic absorption and emission spectra of the dithiolato complexes reveal charge-transfer absorption and emission energies which are significantly lower than those of analogous platinum complexes with previously described 1,1-ethylenedithiolato ligands and in most cases compare well to those of 1,2-dithiolene complexes.     

Long-range flow-induced alignment of self-assembled rosette nanotubes on Si/SiOx and poly(methyl methacrylate)-coated Si/SiOx

Helical rosette nanotubes are obtained through the self-assembly of low molecular weight synthetic modules in water. Here we demonstrate that despite their dynamic nature, these materials respond very well to directional fluid flow and assume long-range order on flat substrates. Persistence length, order, and packing of the rosette nanotubes were found to depend dramatically on the surface properties of both the substrate and the nanotubes and vary from well-ordered long-range 2D films to bundled nanotubes or amorphous conglomerates. While flow-induced long-range alignment of dynamic nanostructures is unprecedented, the chemical tunability of the rosette nanotubes is anticipated to offer a versatile means for investigating the basis of interfacial forces in self-assembled organo-silicon devices and their effect on the stability and physical properties of organic nanostructures on electroactive surfaces.     

V2O5/TiO2 Catalytic Xerogels Raman and EPR Studies

Raman spectroscopy and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) studies were performed on a series of V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalysts prepared by a modified sol-gel method in order to identify the vanadium species. Two species of surface vanadium were identified by Raman measurements, monomeric vanadyls and polymeric vanadates. Monomeric vanadyls are characterized by a narrow Raman band at 1030 cm^–1 and polymeric vanadates by two broad bands in the region from 900 to 960 cm^–1 and 770 to 850 cm^–1. The Raman spectra do not exhibit characteristic peaks of crystalline V₂O₅. These results are in agreement with those of X-ray Diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) previously reported (C.B. Rodella et al., J. Sol-Gel Sci. Techn., submitted). At least three families of V⁴⁺ ions were identified by EPR investigations. The analysis of the EPR spectra suggests that isolated V⁴⁺ ions are located in sites with octahedral symmetry substituting for Ti⁴⁺ ions in the rutile structure. Magnetically interacting V⁴⁺ ions are also present as pairs or clusters giving rise to a broad and structureless EPR line. At higher concentration of V₂O₅, a partial oxidation of V⁴⁺ to V⁵⁺ is apparent from the EPR results.     

Carboxylate-bridged copper(II)-lanthanide(III) complexes [(Cu(3)Ln(2)(oda)(6)(H(2)O)(6)).12H(2)O](n)(Ln = Dy,Ho, Er,Y; oda = oxydiacetate)

The hydrothermal reaction of Ln(2)O(3) (Ln = Dy and Ho), Cu(OAc)(2).2H(2)O, and oxydiacetic acid in the approximate mole ratio of 1:3:8 resulted in the formation of two new members of the isostructural series of polymers formulated as [(Cu(3)Ln(2)(oda)(6)(H(2)O)(6)).12H(2)O](n), crystallizing in the hexagonal crystal system, space group P6/mcc (No. 192). Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibilities and EPR spectra are reported for the heterometallic compounds Cu-Dy 1, Cu-Ho 2, Cu-Er 3, and Cu-Y 4. The results are discussed in terms of the structure of the compounds, the electronic properties of the lanthanide ions, and the exchange interactions between the magnetic ions.     

Miniemulsion copolymerization of styrene–methyl methacrylate

Miniemulsion copolymerization of 50 : 50 weight fraction of styrene–methyl methacrylate monomer, using hexadecane as the cosurfactant, was carried out in both unseeded and seeded polymerizations. Effects of the hexadecane concentration and the ultrasonification time on the conversion–time curves and particle size of the final latex were investigated for unseeded polymerization. The kinetic and particle size distribution results showed that an increase in hexadecane concentration and ultrasonification time cause faster polymerization rate and smaller particle size. The mechanism of mass transport from miniemulsion droplets to polymer particles was also investigated for seeded polymerization. For this purpose a monomer miniemulsion was mixed with a fraction of a previously prepared miniemulsion latex particles prior to initiation of polymerization, using residual oil-soluble initiator in the seed latex. The concentration of hexadecane and a water-insoluble inhibitor (2,5 di-tert-butyl hydroquinone) in the miniemulsions were the main variables. Seeded polymerizations were also carried out in the presence of miniemulsion droplets containing a water-insoluble inhibitor and water-soluble initiator. The inhibitor concentration and the agitation speed during the course of polymerization were the experimental variables. The kinetic and particle size results from these seeded experiments suggested that collision between miniemulsion droplets and polymer particles may play a major role in the transport of highly water-insoluble compounds.     

Synthesis, solid-state structure, and bonding analysis of the beryllocenes [Be(C5Me4H)2], [Be(C5Me5)2], and [Be(C5Me5)(C5Me4H)

The beryllocenes [Be(C(5)Me(4)H)(2)] (1), [Be(C(5)Me(5))(2)] (2), and [Be(C(5)Me(5))(C(5)Me(4)H)] (3) have been prepared from BeCl(2) and the appropriate KCp' reagent in toluene/diethyl ether solvent mixtures. The synthesis of 1 is facile (20 degrees C, overnight), but generation of decamethylberyllocene 2 demands high temperatures (ca. 115 degrees C) and extended reaction times (3-4 days). The mixed-ring beryllocene 3 is obtained when the known [(eta(5)-C(5)Me(5))BeCl] is allowed to react with K[C(5)Me(4)H], once more under somewhat forcing conditions (115 degrees C, 36 h). The structures of the three metallocenes have been determined by low-temperature X-ray studies. Both 1 and 3 present eta5/eta1 geometries of the slip-sandwich type, whereas 2 exhibits an almost regular, ferrocene-like, sandwich structure. In the mixed-ring compound 3, C(5)Me(5) is centrally bound to beryllium and the eta(1)-C(5)Me(4)H ring bonds to the metal through the unique CH carbon atom. This is also the binding mode of the eta(1)-ring of 1. To analyze the nature of the bonding in these molecules, theoretical calculations at different levels of theory have been performed on compounds 2 and 3, and a comparison with the bonding in [Be(C(5)H(5))(2)] has been made. As for the latter molecule, energy differences between the eta5/eta5 and the eta5/eta1 structures of 2 are very small, being of the order of a few kcal mol(-1). Constrained space orbital variations (CSOV) calculations show that the covalent character in the bonding is larger for [Be(C(5)Me(5))(2)] than for [Be(C(5)H(5))(2)] due to larger charge delocalization and to increased polarizability of the C(5)Me(5) fragment.     

Transfer hydrogenation processes to mu(3)-alkylidyne groups on the organotitanium oxide [Ti(3)Cp*O(3)

The photochemical treatment of mu(3)-alkylidyne complexes [[TiCp*(mu-O)](3)(mu(3)-CR)] (R=H (1), Me (2), Cp*=eta(5)-C(5)Me(5)) with the amines (2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3))NH(2), Et(2)NH, and Ph(2)NH and the imine Ph(2)C=NH leads to the partial hydrogenation of the alkylidyne moiety that is supported on the organometallic oxide, [Ti(3)Cp*O(3)], and the formation of new oxoderivatives [[TiCp*(3)(mu-CHR)(R'NR")] (R"=2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3), R'=H, R=H (3), Me (4); R'=R"=Et, R=H (5), Me (6); R'=R"=Ph, R=H (7), Me (8)) and [[TiCp*(mu-O)](3)(mu-CHR)(N=CPh(2))] (R=H (9), R=Me (10)), respectively. A sequential transfer hydrogenation process occurs when complex 1 is treated with tBuNH(2), which initially gives the mu-methylene [[TiCp*(mu-O)](3)(mu-CH(2))(HNtBu)] (11) complex and finally, the alkyl derivative [[TiCp*(mu-O)](3)(mu-NtBu)Me] (12). Furthermore, irradiation of solutions of the mu(3)-alkylidyne complexes 1 or 2 in the presence of diamines o-C(6)H(4)(NH(2))(2) and H(2)NCH(2)CH(2)NH(2) (en) affords [[TiCp*(mu-O)](3)(mu(3)-eta(2)-NC(6)H(4)NH)] (13) and [[TiCp*(mu-O)](3)(mu(3)-eta(2)-NC(2)H(4)NH)] (14) by either methane or ethane elimination, respectively. In the reaction of 1 with en, an intermediate complex [[TiCp*(mu-O)](3)(mu-CH(2))(NHCH(2)CH(2)NH(2))] (15) is detected by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Thermal treatment of the complexes 4-10 quantitatively regenerates the starting mu(3)-alkylidyne compounds and the amine R'(2)NH or the imine Ph(2)C=NH; however, heating of solutions of 3 or 4 in [D(6)]benzene or a equimolecular mixture of both at 170 degrees C produces methane, ethane, or both, and the complex [[TiCp*(mu-O)](3)[mu(3)-eta(2)-NC(6)H(3)(Me)CH(2)]] (16). The molecular structure of 8 has been established by single-crystal X-ray analysis.     

Equilibrium and kinetic aspects of the uptake of poly(ethylene oxide) by copolymer microgel particles of N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylic acid

The use of microgels for controlled uptake and release has been an area of active research for many years. In this work copolymer microgels of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and acrylic acid (AAc), containing different concentrations of AAc and also cross-linking monomer, have been prepared and characterized. These microgels are responsive to pH and temperature. As well as monitoring the equilibrium response to changes in these variables, the rates of swelling/de-swelling of the microgel particles, on changing either the pH or the temperature, have also been investigated. It is shown that the rate of de-swelling of the microgel particles containing AAc is much faster than the rate of swelling, on changing the pH appropriately. This is explained in terms of the relative mobilities of the H(+) and Na(+) ions, in and out of the particles. It was observed that the microgels containing AAc, at pH 8, de-swelled relatively slowly on heating to 50 degrees C from 20 degrees C. This is attributed to the resistance to collapse associated with the large increase in counterion concentration inside the microgel particles. The swelling and de-swelling properties of these copolymer microgels have also been investigated in aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solutions, of different MW (2000-300 000). The corresponding absorbed amounts of PEO from solution onto the microgels have also been determined using a depletion method. The results, as a function of AAc content, cross-linker concentration, PEO MW, pH, and temperature, have been rationalized in terms of the ease and depth of penetration of the PEO chains into the various microgel particles and also the H-bonding associations between PEO and either the -COOH of the AAc moeities and/or the H of the amide groups (much weaker). Finally, the adsorption and desorption of the PEO molecules in to and out of the microgel particles have been shown to be extremely slow compared to normal diffusion time scales for polymer adsorption onto rigid surfaces.