Kinetics and Mechanism of Monomolecular Heterolysis of Commercial Organohalogen Compounds: XXXVII.1 Effect of Nucleofuge and Solvent of the Relative Rates of Heterolysis of 1-Halo-1-methylcyclopentanes and 1-Halo-1-methylcyclohexanes. Correlation Analysis of Solvation Effects

The effect of solvent ionizing ability on heterolysis rate enhances in the series 1-chloro-1-methylcyclohexane < 1-bromo-1-methylcyclohexane 1-chloro-1-methylcyclopentane < 1-bromo-1-methyl- cyclopentane. The lower sensitivity of cyclohexyl substrates compared with cyclopentyl is determined by conformational effects. Bromides are more sensitive to solvent effects than chlorides because of the stronger polarizability of the C-Br bond.     

Interfacial and intrafacial linkage isomerizations of rhenium complexes with aromatic molecules

The mechanisms for the interconversion of facial diastereomers of a variety of TpRe(CO)(L)(eta(2)-L(Ar)) complexes [L = (t)BuNC, pyridine (py), PMe(3), or 1-methylimidazole (MeIm); L(Ar) = benzene, anisole, naphthalene, 1-methylpyrrole, furan, or thiophene; Tp = hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate] have been investigated by (1)H NMR spin saturation experiments. In addition, the rates and free energies of activation for these processes were calculated from spin saturation experiments and T(1) measurements. The operative mechanisms for interconversion of the pi diastereomers were found to be nondissociative, undergoing either an interfacial or intrafacial linkage isomerization. A comparison of the kinetic parameters for isomerization of related eta(2)-olefin complexes of the [TpRe(CO)(PMe(3))] and [CpRe(NO)(PPh(3))](+) fragments is also presented.     

Enzyme catalysis in organic solvents: a promising field for optical biosensing

The ability of enzymes to work in non-aqueous media offers new and almost unexploited possibilities for the development of new optical biosensors. The advantages of performing biocatalytic reactions in non-aqueous media are discussed in relation to their possible application in optical biosensor design. Attention is focused on the factors that influence enzymatic catalysis in organic solvents, including the role of enzyme-associated water, criteria for solvent selection and the alteration of enzyme specificity. Recent examples of relevant applications and future prospects of organic-phase optical biosensing are discussed.     

Use of the hydroxyl radical and gel electrophoresis to study DNA structure

The hydroxyl radical has been used as a chemical probe to study in solution the structure of DNA and DNA-protein complexes. The hydroxyl radical abstracts a deoxyribose hydrogen atom, cleaving one strand of the DNA. The cutting pattern, visualized by separating the cleavage products using gel electrophoresis, shows the reactivity of each backbone position toward the radical. This method has been applied to studies of DNA bending and helical twist. Phased runs of adenines (adenine tracts) cause sequence-directed DNA bending. The hydroxyl radical cleavage of a bent DNA fragment containing short adenine tracts phased with the helix screw gives rise to an unusual cutting pattern. The hydroxyl radical cleavage rate decreases in the 5' to 3' direction along each adenine tract, with a minimum at the 3' end of each adenine tract. The cleavage of the matching thymine tract is similar, but the minimum in the pattern is offset in the 3' direction. This pattern on the autoradiograph of the gel is interpreted to indicate that bending is accompanied by a narrow minor groove in the DNA molecule. Furthermore, hydroxyl radical cleavage results in different cutting patterns for two similar sequences, (CGA4T4)5 and (CGT4A4)5, which have been shown to be bent and relatively straight, respectively. The hydroxyl radical method has also been used to determine the helical repeat of the metallothionein IIA gene to be about 10.5 base pairs per turn. Methods of optimizing the hydroxyl radical reaction for DNA-protein footprinting are discussed. Because individual gel bands give information about cutting frequency at particular positions in the backbone, gel resolution and clear autoradiographs are important to this work.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

RBS investigations of ion beam mixed hard coatings on tool steel

Silicon nitride hard coatings on tool steel produced by ion beam mixing following sputter or vapour deposition were investigated by RBS and Vickers microhardness measurements. Atomic mixing in the coating/steel interface region resulting in an improved adhesion and in a significant increase of the microhardness of the surface layers was found. Ion beam mixing with gas ions and high fluences leads to blistering of the implanted atoms in the silicon nitride layer.     

Extraction of the (C4H9)4N+Co(II)SCN− ion-pair in chloroform and in isoamyl alcohol: Spectrophotometric determination of cobalt

When excesses of ammonium thiocyanate and tetrabutylammonium chloride are added to a cobalt(II) solution, a water-insoluble ion-pair is formed; this compound is soluble in chloroform, isoamyl alcohol, and other solvents. The variables which affect the extractions by these two solvents are studied in order to obtain the optimal conditions and two alternative extraction procedures are proposed. Thus, the separation of cobalt as a previous step for its spectrophotometric determination is studied.     

The use of membrane electrodes in the determination of sulphides in sea water

The direct potentiometric determination of sulphides in natural sea water with a sulphide-selective membrane electrode is proposed. The experimental evaluation of the “apparent mixed” dissociation constants and the thermodynamic activity coefficient in spiked sea water samples, by means of the electrode, permits direct calibration in terms of activity. Alternatively, it is possible to establish, for natural sea water, an experimental equation for the correction of the electrode potentials in terms of pH; this allows direct calibration of the electrodes in terms of total sulphide concentration. This criterion can be applied to any aqueous solution.     

Mössbauer and molecular orbital study of the myoglobin-CO complex

Experimental Mössbauer spectra of the Fe⁵⁷-enriched CO complex of sperm whale myoglobin (MbCO) at T= 4.2 K with and without applied magnetic field (H⊥γ) were measured to derive the sign of the electric field gradient (EFG), the quadrupole splitting ΔE _Q, and the isomer shift δ of the heme iron. We find a positive EFG, δE _Q = 0.363 mm/sec, and δ + 0.266 mm/sec. Molecular orbital calculations were carried out to obtain theoretical estimates of EFG and ΔE _Q for several steric arrangements of the CO ligand relative to the heme group. Our results are most consistent with the conclusion that the iron is situated in the heme plane, and that a bent geometry with a Fe-C-O angle of about 135 ° is more favorable than a more symmetric structure with a linear Fe-C-O geometry.     

Reaktionen von π-Organokomplexen des Nickels mit tertiären Phosphanen

Reactions of π-Organonickel Complexes with Tertiary Phosphanes In a hexane solution Ni(C₅H₅)₂ reacts with PBu₃ or Ph₂PBu forming the nickel(O) complexes Ni(PBu3)₄ or Ni(Ph₂PBu)₄ (A). Under the same conditions only one cyclopentadienyl ligand is substituted by PhPBu₂ and the nickel(I) compound (C₅H₅)Ni (PhPBu₂)₂ (B) is obtained. Products of the reactions between B and α,α′-dipyridyl, hydrogen chlorid in ether, or Ni(PhPBu₂),Cl₂ are Ni(dipy)₂, [PhPHBu₂]₂[NiCl₄], or (C₅H₅) Ni(PhPBu₂)₂Cl. By the reaction with HgCl₂ a cyclopentadienyl compound of an unknown structur is formed. The compound Ni(PhPBu₂)₄ which is analogous to A is synthesized by the reduction of bis(acety1acetonato)-nickel with Et₂AlOEt in the presence of PhPBu₂ or by the reaction of bis (cyclooctadiene-1,5)-nickel with PhPBu₂.     

Tritium in Lebensmitteln

To investigate the natural tritium content of foods a combustion apparatus was developed, in which nearly 100 ml of water are obtained in one operation from foods of any composition. To measure the tritium activity of this combustion water in the liquid scintillation spectrometer, the interfering combustion products are removed by distillation. The construction and operation of the combustion apparatus and of the water purification system are described.