Electrochromic properties of WO<Subscript>3</Subscript> and WO<Subscript>3</Subscript>:P thin films

WO₃ and WO₃:P (5 mol% H₃PO₄) thin films were prepared using the sol-gel route and the electrochromic properties of the films were investigated using in situ spectroelectrochemical methods. The measurements were performed in propylene carbonate solution with 0.1 M LiClO₄ as electrolyte. During the cathodic polarization at –0.8 V a blue coloration is observed with a reversible variation between 14% and 84% of the transmittance at λ=633 nm. The kinetics for the bleaching process is faster for the WO₃:P film than for the undoped WO₃ film. Electronic Publication     

Transformation of arctiin to estrogenic and antiestrogenic substances by human intestinal bacteria

After anaerobic incubation of arctiin (1) from the seeds of Arctium lappa with a human fecal suspension, six metabolites were formed, and their structures were identified as (-)-arctigenin (2), (2R,3R)-2-(3',4'-dihydroxybenzyl)-3-(3",4"-dimethoxybenzyl)butyrolactone (3), (2R,3R)-2-(3'-hydroxybenzyl)-3-(3",4"-dimethoxybenzyl)butyrolactone (4), (2R,3R)-2-(3'-hydroxybenzyl)-3-(3"-hydroxy-4"-methoxybenzyl)butyrolactone (5), (2R,3R)-2-(3'-hydroxybenzyl)-3-(3",4"-dihydroxybenzyl)butyrolactone (6), and (-)-enterolactone (7) by various spectroscopic means including two dimensional (2D)-NMR, mass spectrometry, and circular dichroism. A possible metabolic pathway was proposed on the basis of their structures and the time course of the transformation. Enterolactones obtained from the biotransformation of arctiin and secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG, from the seeds of Linum usitatissium) by human intestinal bacteria were proved to be enantiomers, with the (-)-(2R,3R) and (+)-(2S,3S) configurations, respectively. Compound 6 showed the most potent proliferative effect on the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in culture among 1 and six metabolites, while it showed inhibitory activity on estradiol-mediated proliferation of MCF-7 cells at a concentration of 10 microM. These results indicate that the transformation of 1 by intestinal flora might be essential for the manifestation of the estrogenic and antiestrogenic activity of 1.     

由聚苯胺粒子组成的电流变液的研究

由经碱处理的掺杂态聚苯胺（ＰＡｎ）制得高介电常数的半导体ＰＡｎ粒子，将其悬浮于电绝缘油可组成电流变液，讨论了电流变（ＥＲ）液的静态屈服应力（τ＿ｓ），电流密度等性能与ＰＡｎ的介电常数（ε＿ｐ），导电率（σ），体积分数和应用电场强度的关系。对导电率相同的ＰＡｎ粒子，用氨水处理的ＰＡｎ粒子ε＿ｐ较用ＮａＯＨ液处理的高，前者在σ足够低如σ≤１．０×１０￣（－７）／ｃｍ时，ＥＲ液的τ＿ｓ随偶极系数的平方（β￣２）的增大而呈现非线性增加；后者ＥＲ液的τ＿ｓ随β￣２的增大出现一最大值．结果表明：由聚苯胺粒子可组成高电流变活性的无水ＥＲ液．     

In Situ Monitoring of Generation and Precipitation of Ferric Hydroxide Sol with a Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal Impedance Analyzer

The piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) impedance technique was applied to monitor in situ generation and precipitation of the ferric hydroxide sol in aqueous solutions at 90 degrees C. Equivalent circuit parameters and resonant frequencies as well as the half-peak width of the electroacoustic conductance spectrum deltaf(G1/2) for the PQC resonance were obtained and analyzed. Three stages, sol generation and simultaneous adsorption, adsorption equilibrium, and precipitation of ferric hydroxide sol could be identified in the process of adding the ferric nitrate solution into the hot water. A scheme of two consecutive reactions occurring at the electrode/solution interface was used to analyze the adsorption kinetics of ferric hydroxide sol onto the Au electrode. In addition, the electrolyte-induced precipitation of the colloid was monitored and discussed. Temperature effect on the PQC resonance behavior in liquid was also investigated. Since the PQC impedance technique provides multidimensional piezoelectric information in situ, it is highly recommended for studying the process of sol-gel generation and precipitation. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Metal Nanoparticles on Stainless Steel Surfaces as Novel Heterogeneous Catalysts

The goal of this work was the development of a novel type of heterogeneous catalyst, consisting of bare metal nanoparticles on stainless steel foils, which can be shaped to any kind of architecture and, if necessary, heated electrically. Solutions of pre-prepared, ligand protected and monodispersed gold, palladium, platinum and rhodium nanoparticles were sprayed onto stainless steel foils, followed by the careful removal of the ligand molecules by an oxygen plasma treatment. Due to this, bare particles become irreversibly fixed on the steel support. It could be shown that the original particle sizes do not change during the plasma treatment. Foils, densely coated with the nanoparticles, were used for gas phase catalyses in a self-made reactor at room temperature or at 60 °C. Hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene at 15 nm Pd and 2 nm Pt, CO oxidation at 16 nm, 8 nm and 1.4 nm gold and NO reduction with NH₃ at 2 nm Rh particles were performed, indicating that the novel catalysts might in principle be applicable in technical processes if the experimental conditions like form and temperature would be optimized. Dedicated to Professor Dieter Fenske on the occassion of his 65th birthday.     

Chemical constituents from the roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polygonum bistorta</Emphasis>

Investigation of the roots of Polygonum bistorta L. afforded seven compounds including five triterpenoids, a coumarin, and a steroid, the structures of which were identified by EIMS, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DEPT, and HMBC experiments. All the compounds have been isolated from Polygonum genus for the first time. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 463–465, September–October, 2007.     

Synthesis and characterization of cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), palladium(II) and dioxouranium(VI) complexes of the antipyrine Schiff base of 3-formylsalicylic acid

A new Schiff base has been synthesized from 4-aminoantipyrine and 3-formylsalicylic acid. The ligand has a dianionic tetradentate compartmental OONO donor system. The cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and dioxouranium(VI) complexes exist in phenolato-bridged dinuclear species, while palladium(II) gives a mononuclear complex with free –COOH groups. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, i.r., u.v.-vis, thermal and magnetic measurements.     

Carboxylic Acids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllanthus urinaria</Emphasis>

Five compounds, terephthalic acid mono-[2-(4-carboxy-phenoxycarbonyl)-vinyl] ester (1), (E)-3-(5′-hydroperoxy-2,2′-dihydroxy[1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)-2-propenoic acid (2), 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (3), succinic acid (or butanedioic acid) (4), and 2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxybenzoic acid (5), were isolated from Phyllanthus urinaria. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by means of spectral techniques including IR, MS, and 1D/2D NMR. 1 and 2 are new compounds.__________Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 14–17, January–February, 2005.     

Sol–gel preparation and properties of hydroxypropylcellulose–titania hybrid thin films

Hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC)–titania hybrid thin films were prepared by sol–gel method where titanium tetraisopropoxide Ti(OC₃H₇ ⁱ )₄ was hydrolyzed under acidic conditions in the presence of HPC, followed by dip-coating and drying at 120 °C for 24 h. The viscosity average molecular weight of HPC was 55,000–70,000 or 110,000–150,000, and the TiO₂/(HPC + TiO₂) mass ratio ranged from 0 to 1, which was calculated on the assumption that all Ti(OC₃H₇ ⁱ )₄ is converted into TiO₂. The films were 0.35–1.0 μm thick, transparent in visible region and opaque in ultraviolet (UV) region, where the optical absorption coefficient in UV region increased with increasing titania content. The refractive index increased with increasing titania content, ranging from 1.6 to 1.8 for the hybrid thin films. The pencil hardness increased from 6B to 5H, the durability in hot water significantly increased and the contact angle of water on films increased from 35° to 89° with increasing titania content. Crack-free films could be deposited on organic polymer substrates irrespective of titania or HPC contents, where cracking did not occur at higher HPC contents even when the substrate was bent.