Mechanisms of antioxidant action: rubber bound antioxidants based on nitrones—I. Non-sulphur vulcanizates

The antioxidant activities of a number of N-phenyl nitrones containing phenolic functions were compared with N-methyl nitrones and conventional antioxidants in peroxide and TMTD sulphur-less vulcanizates. The N-phenyl nitrones were found to be effectively bound during vulcanization whereas the N-methyl nitrones were not. Unhindered phenols reacted to a higher degree and were relatively more effective than the typical hindered phenol antioxidant structures. A conventional bisphenol was effective in the sulphurless vulcanizate after solvent extraction but this is considered to be due to the formation of an insoluble zinc salt. Synergism was observed in the TMTD sulphurless vulcanizate both before and after extraction.     

PHOTOINHIBITION OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN NATURAL WATERS*

Abstract— A quantitative analysis of the wavelength-dependent influence of solar irradiance on natural phytoplankton photosynthesis has been made. The effect on productivity due to several different UV radiation regimes has been measured. In the course of this analysis, it has been shown that the biological weighting function for photoinhibition of chloroplasts (Jones and Kok, 1966) allows the calculation of a biologically effective dose which is consistent with the measured photoinhibition in natural phytoplankton populations. The ecological implications of a change in available UV radiation, possibly due to anthropogenic altering of the ozone layer, are explored and it is found that the present static bottle ^l4C technique of measuring in situ phytoplankton productivity does not lend itself to assessing accurately the potential ecological consequences of possible increased MUV (middle ultraviolet radiation in the 280–340 nm region) on phytoplankton populations. A small change in MUV has a relatively minor effect on photoinhibition dose rates whereas it has a large potential effect on DNA dose rates.     

Molecular dynamics calculation of half-lives for thermal decay of Lennard-Jones clusters

Molecular dynamics has been used with a Lennard-Jones (6–12) potential in order to study the decay behavior of neutral Argon clusters containing between 12 and 14 atoms. The clusters were heated to temperatures well above their melting points and then tracked in time via molecular dynamics until evaporation of one or more atoms was observed. In each simulation, the mode of evaporation, energy released during evaporation, and cluster lifetime were recorded. Results from roughly 2000 simulation histories were combined in order to compute statistically significant values of cluster half-lives and decay energies. It was found that cluster half-life decreases with increasing energy and that for a given value of excess energy (defined asE=(E _tot ?E _gnd)/n), the 13 atom cluster is more stable against decay than clusters containing either 12 or 14 atoms. The dominant decay mechanism for all clusters was determined to be single atom emission.     

On the structure of CH5+; A study of hydron transfer reactions from CH4H+ and CD4H+ tandem-ICR

Relative rates of proton and deuteron transfer from CH₄D⁺ and CD₄H⁺ to a number of molecules were examined in a tandem-ion cyclotron resonance instrument. The results were in conflict with the recent work of Sefcik et al. and support a randomized model.     

Rydberg states in fluorinated benzenes; hexa-, penta-, and monofluorobenzene

Spectra of fluorobenzene (FB), pentafluorobenzene (PFB) and hexafluorobenzene (HFB) from 50000 to 93000 cm⁻¹ are presented. Rydberg series converging to the first and to a higher ionization limit are found in each molecule. The orbital natures of the excited states and ions are discussed.     

Insertion of a bis(phosphine)platinum group into the S-S bond of Mn(2)(CO)(7)(mu-S(2))

The reaction of Mn(2)(CO)(7)(mu-S(2)), 1, with Pt(PPh(3))(2)(PhC(2)Ph) yielded the new complex, Mn(2)(CO)(6)Pt(PPh(3))(2)(mu(3)-S)(2), 3, by loss of CO and insertion of a Pt(PPh(3))(2) group into the S-S bond of 1. Complex 3 was characterized crystallographically and was found to consist of an open Mn(2)Pt cluster with one Mn-Mn bond, 2.8154(14) A, one Mn-Pt bond, 2.9109(10) A, and two triply bridging sulfido ligands. Compound 3 reacts with CO to form adduct Mn(2)(CO)(6)(mu-CO)Pt(PPh(3))(2)(mu(3)-S)(2), 4. Compound 4 also contains an open Mn(2)Pt cluster with two triply bridging sulfido ligands but has only one metal-metal bond, Mn-Mn = 2.638(2) A. Under nitrogen, compound 4 readily loses CO and reverts back to 3.     

The determination of radium-226 and radium-228 in soils and plants,using radium-225 as a yield tracer

Recovery of²²⁶Ra in analysis is determined using²²⁵Ra separated by anion exchange from²²⁹Th and²³³U. Radium is coprecipitated with barium, and purified by ion exchange.²²⁶Ra and²¹⁷At (decay product of²²⁵Ra) are measured by α-spectrometry.²²⁸Ra is determined both by β-counting²²⁸Ac and²²⁵Ac separated from²²⁸Ra and²²⁵Ra, and by α-counting its daughters after the decay of²²⁵Ra. Sources for α-spectrometry are prepared by electrodeposition (molecular plating).     

Quadrupole double resonance at high radiofrequencies

Irradiation close to a number of ³⁵Cl, ⁷⁹Br and ¹²⁷I quadrupole resonance frequencies in hydrogen-containing compounds at room temperature and radio-frequencies as high as 552 MHz is shown to produce considerable polarization of the protons. Despite the short relaxation times, these polarizations can be captured in a conventional double resonance spectrometer based on adiabatic demagnetization by imposing a “transfer” field of about 200 gauss whilst the sample is in flight from the low-field to the high-field coil. The technique is easily modified to provide rapid measurements of the ¹H spin-lattice relaxation times in low magnetic fields.     

Orientation of nucleophilic substitution in π-cation radicals or π-dications from meso-substituted metalloporphyrins

Treatment of meso-substituted metalloporphyrins [meso -substituent = OCOCF₃, OCOCH₃, OMe, CHO, CN, Cl; metal = Zn(II) or Cd(II)] with thallium(III) trifluoroacetate, followed by an acidic work-up, gives the corresponding β-substituted α-oxophlorins which were either characterised as such or else further derivatised. In all cases the major (or only) disubstitution product has the αβ orientation at the meso positions, indicating that the existing meso substituent directs the incoming one (trifluoroacetate) into the flanking, rather than opposite, meso position of the intermediate π-cation radical or π-dication. In contradistinction, meso substituted zinc(II) porphyrins which are able to lose protons (e.g. α-oxophlorins or α-aminoporphyrins) react with thallium(III) trifluoroacetate, and after a work-up with HCl the corresponding γ-chloro-α-oxophlorin or γ-chloro-α-aminoporphyrin is obtained.