New substrates in the ferroin-catalyzed bromate system in aqueous-organic mixed media

A large number of substrates have hitherto been employed in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (B-Z) oscillatory system in pure aqueous medium. A systematic study of aromatic bromate oscillators is limited by solubility problem relating to the compounds and the brominated derivatives. The use of aqueous-organic mixed media for the oscillatory study is found to be highly useful for the study of water insoluble substances. A comparative study of the oscillatory behavior of gallic acid as substrate in pure aqueous as well as in a number of mixed media have been made in order to ascertain the suitability of mixed media in oscillatory systems. The alteration of oscillatory characteristics in the presence of organic solvent can be understood in terms of the Field-Koros-Noyes (FKN) mechanism. The oscillatory behavior of seventeen new substrates in the ferroin-catalyzed bromate system in 20% (v) acetonitrile is also presented and discussed in this communication. The reactivity of structurally related substrates has been correlated to the structure in terms of the relevant oscillatory parameters. The use of aqueous-organic mixed media in oscillatory systems would enable the investigation of new classes of substrates since getting them into the solution phase would no longer be a limitation. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Pressure-induced structural transitions in PbI2: A high-pressure Raman and optical absorption study

The effect of pressure on the 2H and 4H polytype of PbI₂ has been investigated by Raman and optical absorption spectroscopy, using the diamond anvil cell. The 2H-polytype undergoes pressure-induced phase transitions at 5 kbar and near 30 kbar. The 4H-polytype exhibits phase transitions near 8 kbar and above 30 kbar. The Raman modes abruptly change at these pressures. The optical absorption edge shifts red at the rate of 15±1 MeV/kbar in the 2H-PbI₂ and at the rate of 7 MeV/kbar in phase II. The latter phase is most likely to possess a 3d-structure and not a layer type. The possible structures for the high pressure phases are discussed.     

Probing possible left- and right-handed poly(dinucleotide) helical conformations from (n–h) plots. models for polysequential nucleotides

Introducing the concept of the “dinucleotide” as the helical repeat, theoretical attempts have been made to determine possible single and double stranded helical structures by using helical parameter calculations and model building investigations. By virtue of its flexible framework, the dinucleotide repeat offers a much greater scope of finding new secondary structural forms for nucleic acids. Considering only those conformations which show tendency for at least partial base overlap as does the dinucleotide helical repeat, it has been possible to predict poly(dinucleotide) helical models in which successive phosphodiesters as well as nucleotide conformations alternate. More important, the recently found left-handed Z-type polynucleotide helix is characterized rather uniquely on the helical parameter plot. The results further suggest the possibility of other Z-type helices obtainable by alternative conformations for the exocyclic C4'–C5' bond and sugar pucker. Near neighbor long range conformational correlations between the dinucleotide repeat and the phosphodiester linking them have been established similar to poly(mononucleotide) helices. Need for considering higher repeats such as trinucleotide has been suggested to obtain models for looped out helical conformations.     

Observing capillarity in hydrophobic silica nanotubes

The development of template-synthesized silica nanotubes has created a unique opportunity for studying confined fluids by providing nanometer-scale containers in which the inner diameter (i.d.) and surface chemistry can be systematically and independently varied. An interesting question to be answered is the following: do solvents wet nanometer-scale tubes in the same way they wet ordinary capillaries? To answer this question, we have conducted studies to explore the wettability of the hydrophobic interiors of individual nanotubes. In these studies, single nanotubes with i.d.'s of either 30 or 170 nm were investigated over a range of water/methanol mixtures. These studies provide a direct route for comparing wetting phenomena in nanotubes with conventional macroscopic theories of capillarity. Our observations reveal four important aspects of capillary wetting in the 30-170 nm regime, a size range where the application of the Young-Laplace theory has not been experimentally investigated for hydrophobic pores. They are (i) a sharp transition between wetting and nonwetting conditions induced by addition of a cosolvent, (ii) invariance of this transition between nanotubes of 30 and 170 nm pore diameter, (iii) failure of the Young-Laplace equation to accurately predict the cosolvent's (methanol) mol fraction where the transition occurs, and (iv) reversibility of the observed wetting. The first two aspects conform to conventional capillarity (Young-Laplace), but the latter two do not. These measurements were complemented with ensemble experiments. The difference between theory and experiment is likely due to reliance on macroscopic values of contact angles or to liquid-phase instability within the hydrophobic pore.     

Structure-reactivity correlation in bromate oscillatory systems in aqueous-acetonitrile mixed medium

The oscillatory behavior of eight substrates has been studied in the uncatalyzed and catalyzed [Mn(II) and ferroin] bromate systems in aqueous-acetonitrile mixed medium. The reactivities of structurally related compounds are correlated using their oscillatory characteristics. The exchange current density values of the redox couples involved play a vital role in deciding the oscillatory characteristics of the system.     

Determining the resolution of Laplace inversion spectrum

In experiments involving decaying signals, it is often desirable to analyze the data as a sum of exponential decays using the Laplace inversion method. However, Laplace inversion is an ill-conditioned problem, and it is difficult to ascertain the stability of the reconstruction method and resolution of the resulting spectrum. This paper provides an easily computed approximate bound of the resolution and offers guidelines on how to design experiments to improve the spectral resolution.     

Water-soluble dendrimers as photochemical reaction media: chemical behavior of singlet and triplet radical pairs inside dendritic reaction cavities

Water-soluble poly(alkyl aryl ether) dendrimers have been explored for their use as hosts of organic substrates in aqueous media. Prototypical photoreactions, namely, photo-Fries reaction of (a) 1-naphthyl benzoate and (b) 1-naphthyl phenyl ester and alpha-cleavage reaction of (a) dibenzyl ketones and (b) benzoin alkyl ethers, have been examined. We find that a dendritic microenvironment not only restricts the mobility of radical intermediates but also rigidly encapsulates the substrate, intermediates, and products from "leaking" to the bulk environment. Comparative studies of the same photoreactions in micellar media demonstrate that dendritic media offer much better constrainment than the micelles.     

Adsorption of Nitrogen, Oxygen and Argon on Na-CeX Zeolites

Commercial type X zeolites (Linde 13X) are nitrogen selective. Oxygen is the less abundant component in air; hence oxygen selective sorbents are desired for air separation. Mixed Na-Ce type X zeolites containing different ratios of Ce³⁺/Na⁺ ions are prepared by partial ion exchange of commercial X zeolite. The adsorption isotherms of nitrogen, oxygen and argon are measured and the pure-component selectivity ratios are compared and analyzed against commercial zeolites (13X) for air separation. Oxygen selectivity over nitrogen (1.5) and argon (4.0) are seen for mixed Na-Ce type X zeolite (Si/Al = 1.25; Ce³⁺/Na⁺ < 4.0) from Henry's constant determined from low pressure adsorption measurements. The oxygen and nitrogen isotherms cross over for mixed Na-Ce type X zeolite (Si/Al = 1.25; Ce³⁺/Na⁺ < 4.0), and the pressure at which cross they over increases as Ce³⁺/Na⁺ approaches 1. The oxygen selectivity as claimed in the patent by N.V. Choudary, R.V. Jasra, and S.G.T. Bhat (US Patent no. 6,087,289, 2000) is seen only at very low pressures in the volumetric adsorption measurement and the hydrogen treatment of the Ce-exchanged samples have no effect on the adsorption characteristics.