A new synthesis of methanoisoindoles

Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry -     

Synthesis and characterization of red-oil from tri <Emphasis Type="Italic">iso</Emphasis>-amyl phosphate/<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-dodecane/nitric acid mixtures at elevated temperature

Red-oil is a mixture of nonspecific composition consisting of extractant, degradation products, nitrated solvent and unidentified red-coloured nitro-organics. Red-oil formation is coupled with decomposition of extractant and diluent into gases of explosive nature. If ignited or incinerated, these gases may cause rapid pressurization and endanger the integrity of containment. Such an event occurred at Tomsk-7 facility in 1993. To ensure safe operation, red-oil formation has to be avoided in the fuel cycle facilities by a careful combination of several independent measures like strict control over temperature, limiting organic entrainment in the aqueous streams (which are to be concentrated by evaporation) and control over acidity of aqueous phases. Since tri-iso amyl phosphate (TiAP) has much lower aqueous solubility as compared to TBP, it is visualized as alternate solvent for PUREX process. In this work, TiAP red-oil was synthesized and characterized.     

Far-infrared spectroscopy on free-standing protein films under defined temperature and hydration control

The functionality of proteins is governed by their dynamics. We have performed a systematic investigation on four different proteins in the far-infrared spectral region under control of the two external parameters that have the strongest influence on the dynamics, namely temperature and hydration. The absorption measurements covering the frequency range from 40 cm(-1) to 690 cm(-1) (1-20 THz) close the gap between the well-studied mid-infrared and the recent THz investigations. By preparing the proteins as free-standing films, we achieve unprecedented reproducibility. Besides a featureless slope in the THz range, we can identify absorption peaks characteristic for each protein and others common to several proteins. We fit the spectra to extract the peak positions and suggest assignments for them. The far-infrared absorption spectra of all proteins are basically independent on hydration. By a detailed analysis of the sorption isotherms this can be explained by the low absorption of biological water, which resembles more the behavior of ice than that of liquid water.     

Arsenic(III) sorption on nanostructured cerium incorporated manganese oxide (NCMO): a physical insight into the mechanistic pathway

Arsenic(III) sorption was investigated with nanostructured cerium incorporated manganese oxide (NCMO). The pH between 6.0 and 8.0 was optimized for the arsenic(III) sorption. Kinetics and equilibrium data (pH=7.0±0.2, T=303±1.6 K, and I=0.01 M) of arsenic(III) sorption by NCMO described, respectively, the pseudo-second order and the Freundlich isotherm equations well. The sorption process was somewhat complicated in nature and divided into two different segments, initially very fast sorption followed by slow intraparticle diffusion process. Sorption reaction of arsenic(III) on NCMO was endothermic (ΔH°=+13.46 kJ mol(-1)) and spontaneous (ΔG°=-24.75 to -30.15 kJ mol(-1) at T=283-323 K), which took place with increasing entropy (ΔS°=+0.14 kJ mol(-1)K(-1)) at solid-liquid interface. Energy of arsenic(III) sorption estimated by analyzing the equilibrium data using the D-R isotherm model was 15.4 kJ mol(-1), indicating the ion-exchange type mechanism. Raman, FT-IR, pH effect, desorption, etc. studies indicated that arsenic(III) was oxidized to arsenic(V) during the sorption process.     

Structural rearrangements and magic numbers in reactions between pyridine-containing water clusters and ammonia

Molecular cluster ions H(+)(H(2)O)(n), H(+)(pyridine)(H(2)O)(n), H(+)(pyridine)(2)(H(2)O)(n), and H(+)(NH(3))(pyridine)(H(2)O)(n) (n = 16-27) and their reactions with ammonia have been studied experimentally using a quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Abundance spectra, evaporation spectra, and reaction branching ratios display magic numbers for H(+)(NH(3))(pyridine)(H(2)O)(n) and H(+)(NH(3))(pyridine)(2)(H(2)O)(n) at n = 18, 20, and 27. The reactions between H(+)(pyridine)(m)(H(2)O)(n) and ammonia all seem to involve intracluster proton transfer to ammonia, thus giving clusters of high stability as evident from the loss of several water molecules from the reacting cluster. The pattern of the observed magic numbers suggest that H(+)(NH(3))(pyridine)(H(2)O)(n) have structures consisting of a NH(4)(+)(H(2)O)(n) core with the pyridine molecule hydrogen-bonded to the surface of the core. This is consistent with the results of high-level ab initio calculations of small protonated pyridine/ammonia/water clusters.     

Factors influencing the QMF resolution for operation in stability zones 1 and 3

This study uses a computer model to simulate a quadrupole mass filter (QMF) instrument under different operating conditions for Mathieu stability zones 1 and 3. The investigation considers the factors that limit the maximum resolution (R_max), which can be obtained for a given QMF for a particular value of scan line. Previously, QMF resolution (R) has been found to be dependent on number (N) of radio frequency (rf) cycles experienced by the ions in the mass filter, according to R = N ⁿ /K, where n and K are the constants. However, this expression does not predict the limit to QMF resolution observed in practice and is true only for the linear regions of the performance curve for QMF operation in zone 1 and zone 3 of the stability diagram. Here we model the saturated regions of the performance curve for QMF operation in zone 1 according to R = q(1 – 2c ^N )/∆q, where c is a constant and ∆q is the width of the intersection of the operating scan line with the stability zone 1, measured at q-axis of the Mathieu stability diagram. Also by careful calculations of the detail of the stability tip of zone 1, the following relationship was established between R_max and percentage U/V ratio: R _max   = q/(0.9330-0.00933U/V). For QMF operation in zone 3 the expression R = a – bc ^N simulates well the linear and saturated regions of the performance curve for a range of operational conditions, where a, b, and c are constants.     

One-pot synthesis of 2-(dicyanomethylene)-1,2-dihydropyridine derivatives

The synthesis of 2-(dicyanomethylene)-1,2-dihydropyridine derivatives from the reactions of arylmethylidene derivatives of malononitrile dimers with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds is described.