Oxidative Degradation of Aqueous Cresols Induced by Gaseous Plasma with Contact Glow Discharge Electrolysis

The oxidative degradation of cresols smoothly proceeded toward inorganic end products when a gaseous plasma generated by means of dc glow discharge was sustained in contact with the surface of aqueous solution containing organic compounds. In order to get mechanistic insight, the monohydroxylation products from each isomeric cresol were closely examined as primary intermediates to reveal that the aromatic hydroxylation preferentially occurred at the position para to the hydroxyl group of each starting material. It was also established that the degradation of cresols strictly followed the first-order rate law. On the basis of the orientational analysis and the kinetical consideration including the effects of Fe ions added on the reaction rate, it was concluded that hydroxyl radical, which might result from the homolytic cleavage of water molecules by the action of plasma, was the most likely reagent responsible for the mineralization of cresols.     

Anti-allergic effect of the flavonoid myricitrin from Myrica rubra leaf extracts in vitro and in vivo

Flavonoids are ingested by the general population as anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. In this study, we investigated the effects of myricitrin, a flavonoid rich in Myrica rubra leaf, upon anti-inflammatory action. Myrica rubra leaf extracts inhibited pro-inflammatory TNFα production in a macrophage cell line, Raw264.7 cells. We observed that the serum IgE levels in the leaf extract-treated DO11.10, a mouse allergy model, were down-regulated. HPLC was performed to demonstrate that M. rubra leaf extracts contain a large amount of myricitrin. We observed an inhibitory effect of HPLC-purified myricitrin on TNFα production in Raw264.7 cells. Thus, myricitrin may be of potential interest in the management of inflammatory conditions.     

Nature of water transport and electro-osmosis in nafion: insights from first-principles molecular dynamics simulations under an electric field

The effects of water content on water transport and electro-osmosis in a representative polymer electrolyte membrane, Nafion, are investigated in detail by means of first-principles molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the presence of a homogeneous electric field. We have directly evaluated electro-osmotic drag coefficients (the number of water molecules cotransported with proton conduction) from the trajectories of the first-principles MD simulations and also explicitly evaluated factors that contribute to the electro-osmotic drag coefficients. In agreement with previously reported experiments, our calculations show virtually constant values ( approximately 1) of the electro-osmotic drag coefficients for both low and high water content states. Detailed comparisons of each factor contributing to the drag coefficient reveal that an increase in water content increases the occurrence of the Grotthuss-like effective proton transport process, whose contribution results in a decrease in the electro-osmotic drag coefficient. At the same time, an environment that is favorable for the Grotthuss-like effective proton transport process is also favorable for the transport of water arising from water transport occurring beyond the hydration shell around the protons, whose contribution results in an increase in the electro-osmotic drag coefficient. Conversely, an environment that is not favorable for proton conduction is also not favorable for water transport. As a result, the electro-osmotic drag coefficient shows virtually identical values with respect to change in the water content.     

A tertiary amine as a hydride donor: trichlorosilyl triflate-mediated conjugate reduction of unsaturated ketones

Bulky tertiary amines, especially dicyclohexylisobutylamine, smoothly reduced α,β-unsaturated ketones in the presence of trichlorosilyl triflate to give the corresponding saturated ketones in excellent yields. Isotope-labeling studies revealed that an α-hydrogen of the amine was transferred to the enones during reduction.     

Electroless galvanic inks on inorganic WO3/Al boards

A tungsten trioxide (WO(3)) coated aluminium (Al) substrate exhibits a reversible color change without light irradiation or an electric power supply. The sample turns blue upon exposure to an aqueous acid solution, but exposure to oxygen restores the original light yellow color. This color change is due to the galvanic redox reaction between WO(3) and Al.     

Low-temperature structural phase transition in synthetic libethenite Cu2PO4OH

Low-temperature structural properties of the synthetic mineral libethenite Cu₂PO₄OH were investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, specific heat measurements, and Raman spectroscopy. A second-order structural phase transition from the Pnnm symmetry (a=8.0553(8) Å, b=8.3750(9) Å, c=5.8818(6) Å at 180 K) to the P2₁/n symmetry (a=8.0545(8) Å, b=8.3622(9) Å, c=5.8755(6) Å, β=90.0012(15) at 120 K) was found at 160 K during cooling. At 120 K, the monoclinic angle is 90.0012(15) from single crystal X-ray data vs 90.083(1) from powder X-ray diffraction data. The P2₁/n–to–Pnnm transition may be a general feature of the adamite-type compounds, M₂XO₄OH.     

Ozone electrogeneration on Pt-TaO_y sol-gel film modified titanium electrode: Effect of electrode composition on the electrocatalytic activity

This work examines the ozone electrogeneration(OE) at a binary coating of different nominal compositions(Pt)x-(TaOy)(100-x), where x(percentage in the precursor solution) varied between 1% and 100%, coated on titanium substrate prepared by a sol-gel technique. TheOE is performed in an artificial tap water at room temperature(25C). The percentages of Pt and TaOy in the coating significantly affect the electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen evolution. The oxygen evolution was retarded to a different extent based on the electrode composition. The largest retardation was obtained at the(Pt)10-(TaOy)90 electrode(ca. 480 m V positive shift) as compared with the(Pt)100-(TaOy)0 electrode.This was reflected in a high current efficiency(CE) ofOE(ca. 19.3%) at the former electrode. This value is considered to be among the highest values reported forOE at 25C in neutral media. The composite electrodes were characterized by voltammetric and surface techniques. A plausible explanation for the change of the efficiency ofOE with the electrode composition is given based on the electrochemical results.     

Striking Differences in Properties of Geometric Isomers of [Ir(tpy)(ppy)H]+: Experimental and Computational Studies of their Hydricities,Interaction with CO2, and Photochemistry

We prepared two geometric isomers of [Ir(tpy)(ppy)H]⁺, previously proposed as a key intermediate in the photochemical reduction of CO₂ to CO, and characterized their notably different ground‐ and excited‐state interactions with CO₂ and their hydricities using experimental and computational methods. Only one isomer, C‐trans‐[Ir(tpy)(ppy)H]⁺, reacts with CO₂ to generate the formato complex in the ground state, consistent with its calculated hydricity. Under photocatalytic conditions in CH₃CN/TEOA, a common reactive C‐trans‐[Ir(tpy)(ppy)]⁰ species, irrespective of the starting isomer or monodentate ligand (such as hydride or Cl), reacts with CO₂ and produces CO with the same catalytic efficiency.