Structural Study of Silica Xerogel Composites Containing Pd Aggregates

Composites containing Pd aggregates dispersed in amorphous silica are of interest from both a fundamental and applied point of view because of their attractive catalytic properties. The silica powders added with palladium, prepared by the sol-gel method, were studied using X-ray diffraction, and IR- and UV-Vis-spectrophotometry. Silica xerogel samples were prepared using a ethanol/H₂O/TEOS molar ratio of 4:11.6:1 and loaded with sodium tetrachloropalladate. The silica xerogel microstructure of the powders was studied as a function of annealing temperature. Attention was paid to the evolution of the glass matrix as well as the palladium aggregates in the SiO₂ matrix. We found in our samples partial crystallization of the glass matrix in form of quartz and cristobalite phases with palladium oxide and metallic palladium phase at 1000^∘C. The Rietveld refinement method was used in order to determine the percentage of the phase contents.     

Synthesis and in vivo study of metallofullerene based MRI contrast agent

Gd@C₈₂(OH)₄₀ has been developed as a new generation of MRI contrast agent. But recently, it was found that Gd@C₈₂(OH) _x with a larger number of OH (x>36) would lead to cage break and hence, release of highly toxic Gd ions. We synthesized the more stable Gd@C₈₂(OH) _x with less OH-number, Gd@C₈₂(OH)₁₆, and studied its proton relaxivity and MRI images. The results indicate that Gd@C₈₂(OH)₁₆ also gives high proton relaxivity, even higher than that of (NMG)₂-Gd-DTPA. The bio-distribution indicated that Gd@C₈₂(OH)₁₆ tends to be entrapped in the liver and kidney and remained in tissue for about 2 hours. The results suggest that the more stable metallofullerene derivative Gd@C₈₂(OH)₁₆ can be the potential candidate of the new MRI contrast agent.     

An unusual new reaction of α-olefins with magnesiumn-alkyl derivatives catalyzed by Cp2ZrCl2

The reaction of organomagnesium compounds (OMC) containing alkyl radicals of normal structure with -olefins, resulting in the formation of alkenylorganomagnesium compounds and accompanied by hydride transfer was discovered and systematically investigated. A scheme providing for the formation of zirconacyclopentane complexes was proposed for the mechanism of the reaction.Institute of Organic Chemistry, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 450054 Ufa. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1187–1196, May, 1992.     

Macroporous poly(methyl methacrylate) produced by phase separation during polymerisation in solution

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sponges were obtained by polymerization in a solution with monomer/ethanol ratios up to 20:80. The material obtained after the elimination of the solvent present a homogeneous distribution of dispersed pores up to a monomer/ethanol ratio lower than 40:60. For higher ethanol contents in the reacting mixture, the morphology of the sponge corresponds to a network of PMMA microparticles, leaving large empty spaces leading to highly porous structure. The monomer/ethanol ratio during polymerization has a large influence on the porosity, thermal, and mechanical properties of the material and, for large solvent contents, on the size of the polymer microparticles.     

Rh complexes of 1-(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl-)3-methyl-1H-phosphole: preparation and use as catalysts in the hydroformylation of styrene

In the series of 1-(2,4,6-trialkylphenyl-)3-methyl-1H-phospholes (1a–c) that are to a certain extent of aromaticity, only the isopropyl substituted one (1a) entered into reaction with dimeric (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium dichloride to afford Rh(III) complex (2a) in a reversible manner. After a careful workup, (2a) could be prepared and characterized whose stereostructure was elucidated by B3LYP/3–21G*, B3LYP/6–31G* and LANL2DZ calculations. Complex (2a) as a preformed catalyst, as well as the Rh(acac)(CO)₂ + 2(1a) in situ catalytic system were useful in the hydroformylation of styrene and gave the branched aldehyde in regioselectivities of 65–96%.     

Achieving ‘Desirable and Feasible’ Change: An Application of Soft Systems Methodology

Rational intervention in human affairs, if it is to constitute not only action but also research, so that future interventions may be made more effective, needs a well-defined methodological framework. Soft systems methodology (S.S.M.) provides one such framework. S.S.M. is doubly systemic: it is itself a learning system, and within that system it uses systems models, models of human activity systems. It accepts that such models are not models of parts of the real world, only models of ways of perceiving the real world, that is to say, models relevant to debate about ‘reality’ (one man's ‘terrorism’ is another's ‘freedom fighting’).S.S.M. is here illustrated by means of an account of a systems study of change in the information function of a sophisticated science-based company. The study is described from the point of view of a professional analyst who was helping a team of three managers carry out the study. The course of the study is described, and a separate commentary relates its activity to the seven stages of S.S.M. The study involved three cycles round stages 2–3–4–5 of S.S.M., the stages in which models of relevant human activity systems are built and compared with the real world in order to construct a rich debate about changes whose introduction in the problem situation world be both (systemically) desirable and (culturally) feasible.     

Structural changes by sulfoxidation of phenothiazine drugs

Summary The side-chain conformations of psychoactive phenothiazine drugs in crystals are different from those of biologically inactive ring sulfoxide metabolites. This study examines the potential energies, molecular conformations and electrostatic potentials in chlorpromazine, levomepromazine (methotrimeprazine), their sulfoxide metabolites and methoxypromazine. The purpose of the study was to examine the significance of the different crystal conformations of active and inactive phenothiazine derivatives, and to determine why phenothiazine drugs lose most of their biological activity by sulfoxidation. Quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics calculations demonstrated that conformations with the side chain folded over the ring structure had lowest potential energy in vacuo, both in the drugs and in the sulfoxide metabolites. In the sulfoxides, side chain conformations corresponding to the crystal structure of chlorpromazine sulfoxide were characterized by stronger negative electrostatic potentials around the ring system than in the parent drugs. This may weaken the electrostatic interaction of sulfoxide metabolites with negatively charged domains in dopamine receptors, and cause the sulfoxides to be virtually inactive in dopamine receptor binding and related pharmacological tests.     

Many-cluster-systems: models of inhomogeneous matter

First, some general remarks concerning macroscopic “cluster matter” are given. In the second part, three recent, mainly optically and electron-microscopically performed investigations are discussed which deal with special properties of noble metal cluster systems forming the building units of this kind of matter:(1) dressed Au-55 clusters,(2) electromagnetic coupling effects among coagulated clusters,(3) the transition towards compact inhomogeneous matter caused by coalescence of clusters.     

Identification of low molecular vaporizable components in silicone resins using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

An experimental set-up for the detection of elemental chlorine in chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) is described based on a miniaturized system, which could be used for on-line monitoring of chlorinated compounds. With an optimized time-resolved detection chlorine from CHCs like CCl₄ can be determined by Laser-Induced-Breakdown-Spectroscopy (LIBS) with g/g-detection limits in the gas phase. The application of a miniaturized Nd : YAG laser resulted only in a minor loss in performance, hence it could be used for designing a rugged and small on-line sensor. In addition, preliminary results for the detection of chlorine via the formation of CuCl in the plasma formed by focussing the laser on a copper surface are reported. Utilizing the luminescence of the CuCl D-system at 440 nm, a tenfold improvement in the detection limits was obtained. It appears that the formation of ad hoc selected, small molecules in a laser plasma could be a promising alternative for the selective and sensitive analysis of gaseous chlorinated and other species.