Kinetics of the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Isobutane over Cr2O3/La2(CO3)3

The oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of isobutane over Cr2O3/La2(CO3)3 has been investi-gated in a low-pressure Knudsen cell reactor, under conditions where the kinetics of the primary reactionsteps can be accurately determined. By heating the catalyst at a constant rate from 150-300 ℃, temper-ature fluctuations due to non-equilibrium adsorption are minimized. The evolved gas profiles show thatODH to isobutene and water is a primary reaction pathway, while carbon dioxide, which forms from thecatalyst during reaction, is the only other product. This CO2 evolution may enhance the activity of thecatalyst. Isobutene formation proceeds with the participation of lattice oxygen from the Cr2O3/La2(CO3)3catalyst. The intrinsic Arrhenius rate constant for the ODH of isobutane isk(s-1) = 1011.5±2.2exp{-((55 ± 5) - △Hads kJmol-1)/RT}The small pre-exponential factor is expected for a concerted mechanism and for such a catalyst with asmall surface area and limited porosity.     

Improved synthesis of proline-derived Ni(II) complexes of glycine: versatile chiral equivalents of nucleophilic glycine for general asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino acids

A synthetically practical and operationally convenient method for preparing (S)-2-[N-(N'-benzylprolyl)amino]benzophenone (BPBP) and hitherto unknown (S)-2-[N-(N'-benzylprolyl)amino]-4-methylbenzophenone (4-Me-BPBP), (S)-2-[N-(N'-benzylprolyl)amino]-5-nitrobenzophenone (5-NO(2)-BPBP), and their corresponding Ni(II) complexes with glycine [GlyNi(II)BPBP], a widely used chiral equivalent of nucleophilic glycine, and new analogues [GlyNi(II)-4-Me-BPBP] and [GlyNi(II)-5- NO(2)-BPBP] is described. The key step of the method is the synthetically efficient amid bond formation between the corresponding o-aminobenzophenones, featuring significant steric shielding and low nucleophilicity of the amino functionality as well as sterically constrained (S)-N-benzylproline (BP).     

Thermal degradation of poly(olefin sulphone)s. Part I—The effect of olefin structure on the yields of volatile products

The rates and mechanisms of the thermal degradation of nine alternating poly(olefin sulphone)s with different olefin structures have been investigated at 150°C and 200°C by a novel technique which is particularly suitable for studying the initial steps of the degradation. Rapid degradation was initiated at the CS bond with depolymerisation to sulphur dioxide and olefin. The rate of thermal degradation showed a moderate correlation with the ceiling temperature for monomer-polymer equilibrium and also with the number of β-hydrogen atoms, but neither parameter provided an adequate measure of the sensitivity of all the poly(olefin sulphone)s to thermal degradation. Substantial isomerisation was observed in the formation of olefin from poly(3-methyl-1-butene sulphone).     

Design, synthesis, structure and properties of an α-helix cap template derived from N-[(2S)-2-chloropropionyl]-(2S)-Pro-(2R)-Ala-(2S,4S)-4-thioPro-OMe which initiates α-helical structures

A strategy based upon removing the requirement for all of the carbonyl dipoles to align at the same time in the transition state leading to the cyclisation of N-[(2S)-2-chloropropionyl]-(2S)-Pro-(2R)-Ala-(2S,4S)-4-thioPro-OMe to a Zimm-Bragg type α-helix peptide intitator template was successful. Each amide bond of the 12-membered macrocyclic template existed in the trans-rotomeric form. Derivatives of the template were prepared by extending the C-terminus and these were characterised by NMR spectroscopy and restrained simulated annealing. In deuterochloroform solution at low temperature, separate sets of NMR signals were observed for two rapidly interconverting helical conformational isomers of the thioether macrocycle which possessed an appended trialkylammonium ion. A similar time-averaged conformation was also observed in aqueous solution. At −80 °C in d₂-dichloromethane the rate of conformational exchange was slowed sufficiently to obtain resonance assignments and NOE data separately for each isomer. In the minor isomer (40%), the four carbonyl oxygen hydrogen-bond acceptors of the template are aligned in an α-helical conformation and in the major conformer the Pro² carbonyl dipole was anti-aligned with the other three dipoles. Thus, the conformers differ in the orientation of one carbonyl group. Molecular modelling calculations showed that the minor isomer was stabilised by coulombic interactions between the trialkylammonium salt and the carbonyl group dipole moments.     

XANES determination of the platinum oxidation state distribution in cancer cells treated with platinum(IV) anticancer agents

Here we describe the use of X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) to provide information about the relative proportions of platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes by analyzing the XANES edge height. The intracellular reduction of platinum(IV) complexes in cancer cells has been observed directly, and the proportion of reduction after 2 h was found to correlate with the reduction potentials of the complexes.     

Efficient, practical synthesis of symmetrically α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids

Ni(II)-complex derived from glycine Schiff base with 2-[N-(α-picolyl)amino]benzophenone (PABP) was found to be an ideal equivalent of nucleophilic glycine in the reactions with various alkyl halides affording an efficient, generalized and practically useful method for preparing symmetrically α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids.     

The ns and nd Rydberg states of O2 described by Hund's case (e)

Using Hund's case (e) representation, we have obtained a simulation of the 5s Rydberg states of O(2) for J=2 by fitting the experimental data obtained recently by Sheard et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 118, 8781 (2003)]. Our analysis permits us to include evidence of not only the mixing of Hund's case (a) states by spin-orbit interaction, but also by L and S uncouplings. This mixing is even more important for the nd Rydberg states. For the 3d Rydberg state, J=2, we have been able to suggest for the first time an assignment for both the 3d sigma (1)Pi(g) and the 3d delta (1)Pi(g) states.