Absorption spectra and photochemistry of the toluene cation and benzyl radical in solid argon

Toluene diluted in argon subjected to continuous argon discharge radiation during condensation at 21 K revealed absorptions at 310.5 and 449.6 nm due to benzyl radical, and 317 nm due to a C₇7H₉ radical. A photosensitive 430 nm band, in agreement with photodissociation spectra of the toluene parent cation, is assigned to this species.     

On the determination of dynamic surface tensions by means of a modified bubble pressure method

A method for the determination of the dynamic surface tension of surfactant solutions is presented which allows to cover adsorption times down to 10 seconds. This method is based on the determination of the pressure inside two communicating bubbles. There is no deformation of the solution/air interface during the experimental procedure. Hence, in evaluating the kinetic data no surface area enlargement has to be taken into account. An automatically operating procedure should allow to cover adsorption times down to approximately one second and should improve the measuring accuracy substantially. Experimental investigations with aqueous n-decanoic acid solutions using the method proposed provided evidence that decanoic acid is adsorbed by a diffusioncontrolled mechanism.     

Synthesis and properties of the Co7Se8−xSx and Ni7Se8−xSx solid solutions

We report the synthesis and elementary properties of the Co₇Se_8−xS_x (x=0-8) and Ni₇Se_8−xS_x (x=0-7) solid solutions. Both systems form a NiAs-type structure with metal vacancies. In general, the lattice parameters decrease with increasing x, but in the Ni₇Se_8−xS_x system c increases on going from x=5 to 7. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show that all samples exhibit temperature-independent paramagnetism from 25-250 K. Samples within the Co₇Se_8−xS_x system, as well as Ni₇Se₈ and Ni₇SeS₇, were found to be poor metals with resistivities of ∼0.20 and ∼0.06 mΩ cm at 300 K, respectively. The Sommerfeld constant (γ) was determined from specific heat measurements to be ∼13 mJ/mol_CoK² and ∼7 mJ/mol_NiK² for Co₇Se_8−xS_x and Ni₇Se_8−xS_x, respectively.     

The phases of polymers as determined by NMR

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been used to study the morphology and dynamics in semicrystalline polymers. Dynamics may be observed through NMR relaxation rates that are sensitive to motions in the 1–10⁸ Hz range, or through modulation of anisotropic magnetic interactions, such as the chemical shift and dipole-dipole interactions. Morphological structure may be inferred through NMR measurements of polymer dynamics or investigated directly through studies of the magnetic interactions. Here, we discuss the study of morphological structure in semicrystalline polymers using NMR, and review results on poly(ethylene terephthalate) that address the question of the number of phases in this semicrystalline polymer.This work was funded by the Office of Naval Research.     

Sample preparation for the analysis of flavors and off-flavors in foods

Off-flavors in foods may originate from environmental pollutants, the growth of microorganisms, oxidation of lipids, or endogenous enzymatic decomposition in the foods. The chromatographic analysis of flavors and off-flavors in foods usually requires that the samples first be processed to remove as many interfering compounds as possible. For analysis of foods by gas chromatography (GC), sample preparation may include mincing, homogenation, centrifugation, distillation, simple solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, pressurized-fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, Soxhlet extraction, or methylation. For high-performance liquid chromatography of amines in fish, cheese, sausage and olive oil or aldehydes in fruit juice, sample preparation may include solvent extraction and derivatization. Headspace GC analysis of orange juice, fish, dehydrated potatoes, and milk requires almost no sample preparation. Purge-and-trap GC analysis of dairy products, seafoods, and garlic may require heating, microwave-mediated distillation, purging the sample with inert gases and trapping the analytes with Tenax or C18, thermal desorption, cryofocusing, or elution with ethyl acetate. Solid-phase microextraction GC analysis of spices, milk and fish can involve microwave-mediated distillation, and usually requires adsorption on poly(dimethyl)siloxane or electrodeposition on fibers followed by thermal desorption. For short-path thermal desorption GC analysis of spices, herbs, coffee, peanuts, candy, mushrooms, beverages, olive oil, honey, and milk, samples are placed in a glass-lined stainless steel thermal desorption tube, which is purged with helium and then heated gradually to desorb the volatiles for analysis. Few of the methods that are available for analysis of food flavors and off-flavors can be described simultaneously as cheap, easy and good.     

Antibody properties for chemically reversible biosensor applications

A recently reported fiber-optic sensor based on a homogeneous fluorescence energy-transfer immunoassay operates in a continuous, reversible manner to quantify the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin (5,5-diphenylhydantoin). The chemical kinetics of the two simultaneous antibody-hapten (analyte) and antibody-hapten (labeled indicator) reactions in the sensor are now modeled mathematically. Simulation shows that the chemical response time is controlled by the dissociation rate constant and is independent of the association rate constant, and that an equalibrium chemical response can be achieved in minutes. The sensitivity and dynamic range of the analyte concentration which can be measured depends on the ratio of dissociation rate constants for the labeled and unlabeled hapten reactions, and on the total concentration of reactants in the sensor. The relative concentration ratios of antibody to labeled hapten has little impact on the sensitivity or dynamic range of the system, but can be optimized to provide the maximum amount of labeled hapten availble for instrumental measurement.     

Rh(CO)2Cl]2-catalyzed domino reactions involving allylic substitution and subsequent carbocyclization reactions

[reaction: see text] Three novel domino reaction processes have been discovered and developed that employ the regioselective and stereoselective [Rh(CO)(2)Cl](2)-catalyzed alkylations of allylic trifluoroacetates with alpha-substituted sodiomalonates followed by an intramolecular Pauson-Khand annulation, a [5 + 2] cycloaddition, or a cycloisomerization. A unique aspect of the methodology is that a single catalyst is used to effect sequential transformations simply by increasing the temperature for the second reaction.     

Weakly coordinating anions HA2-generated from oxoanions A- and their conjugate acids. Coordination equilibria,ionic conductivities,and the structures of [Cu2(H(CH3SO3)2)4]n and [Cu(CO)(H(CF3CO2)2)]2

The coordination or ion pairing of the hydrogen-bonded anions H(CF3CO2)2- and H(CH3SO3)2- to NEt4+, Li+, Cu+, and/or Cu2+ was investigated. The structure of [Cu2(H(CH3SO3)2)4]n consists of centrosymmetric dimeric moieties that contain two homoconjugated (CH3SO2O-H...OSO2CH3)- anions per Cu2+ ion, forming typical Jahn-Teller tetragonally elongated CuO6 coordination spheres. The oxygen atoms involved in the nearly linear O-H...O hydrogen bonds (O...O approximately 2.62 A) are not coordinated to the Cu2+ ions. The structure of Cu2(CO)2(H(CF3-CO2)2)2 consists of pseudo-C2-symmetric dimers that contain one homoconjugated (CF3COO-H...OCOCF3)- anion per Cu+ ion, forming highly distorted tetrahedral Cu(CO)O3 coordination spheres. Three of the four oxygen atoms in each hydrogen-bonded H(CF3CO2)2- anion are coordinated to the Cu+ ions, including one of the oxygen atoms in each O-H...O hydrogen bond (O...O approximately 2.62 A). Infrared spectra (v(CO) values) of Cu(CO)(CF3CO2) or Cu(CO)(CH3SO3) dissolved in acetonitrile or benzene, with and without added CF3COOH or CH3SO3H, respectively, demonstrate that HA2- anions involving carboxylates or sulfonates are more weakly coordinating than the parent anions RCO2- and RSO3-. Direct current conductivities of THF solutions of Li(CF3CO2) containing varying concentrations of added CF3COOH further demonstrate that Li+ and NEt4+ ion pair much more weakly with H(CF3CO2)2- than with CF3CO2-.     

5α-androstano [3,2-b]pyridines, 5α-androstano[17,16-b]pyridines and androst-4 and 5-eno[17,16-b]pyridines

A new synthesis of 5α-androstano[3,2-b]pyridin-17β-ol acetate (VIa) and 17-methyl-5α-androstano[3,2-b]pyridin-17β-ol (VIb), first reported by Shimizu, Ohta, Ueno, and Takegoshi, was achieved. The analogous 5α - androstano[17,16-b]pyridin-3β-ol (XII), 5α-androstano[17,16-b]pyridin-3-one (XIVa), and androst-4-eno[17,16-b]pyridin-3-one (XIVb) were also prepared. An illustration of the method follows. Condensation of 3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one (VIIa) with 3-(2-furyl)acrolein afforded 16-[3-(2-furyl)-2-propenylidene]-3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one (VIIIa), the oxime (IXa) of which was thermally cyclized to 5α-androstano[17,16-b]-6′-(2-furyl)pyridin-3β-ol (Xa). 3β-Hydroxy-5α-androstano[17,16-b]pyridine-6′-carboxylic acid (XI) was obtained by ozonolysis of Xa. Thermal decarboxylation of XI gave XII. Cinnamaldehyde was used in place of 3-(2-furyl)acrolein to give the corresponding phenylpyridines.     

Spectroscopy and reactivity of a photogenerated tryptophan radical in a structurally defined protein environment

Near-UV irradiation of structurally characterized [Re(I)(CO)3(1,10-phenanthroline)(Q107H)](W48F/Y72F/H83Q/Y108W)AzM(II) [Az = Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin, M = Cu, Zn]/[Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 produces a tryptophan radical (W108*) with unprecedented kinetic stability. After rapid formation (k = 2.8 x 106 s-1), the radical persists for more than 5 h at room temperature in the folded ReAzM(II) structure. The absorption spectrum of ReAz(W108*)M(II) exhibits maxima at 512 and 536 nm. Oxidation of K4[Mo(CN)8] by ReAz(W108*)Zn(II) places the W108*/W108 reduction potential in the protein above 0.8 V vs NHE.