Effect of TiOSO4 hydrothermal hydrolysis conditions on TiO2 morphology and gas-phase oxidative activity

The effect of synthesis conditions on morphology and catalytic activity has been studied for hydrothermal preparation of TiO₂ from acidified aqueous TiOSO₄ solution. It was found that the increase in TiOSO₄ and H₂SO₄ concentration results in the increase of photocatalytic activity of produced TiO₂, as it was revealed by steady-state gas-phase oxidation of acetone and ethanol vapors in a flow-circulating reactor. TiOSO₄ concentration exerts strong influence on the shape of the produced TiO₂ particles. At TiOSO₄ concentration less than 0.1 wt%, hydrolysis gives rise to hedgehog-like agglomerates consisting of spliced-blade TiO₂ nanocrystals. At higher concentration of TiOSO₄, the resultant TiO₂ consists of round agglomerates of 5–10 nm primary particles. The size of secondary particles depends mainly on the H₂SO₄ concentration. The increase of the time of hydrothermal treatment results in the enhancement of TiO₂ photocatalytic activity that reaches a maximum. Among different acids (HCl, HClO₄, HNO₃, H₃PO₄ and CH₃COOH) added during hydrolysis of TiOSO₄, sulfuric and acetic acids had the best effect on photocatalytic activity of TiO₂. The results obtained can help to finely tune this TiO₂ preparation method in order to obtain desirable particles size, shape and activity.     

Determination of vitamins A and E in milk samples by fluorescence in micellar media

The fat-soluble vitamins A and E in milk samples were determined by fluorescence at room temperature in an aqueous media of micellar solutions. Different types of surfactants were studied; the cationic hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), the anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and the non-ionic polyoxyethylene(23)laurylether (Brij 35). The detection limits ranged between 50 and 90 ng.L-1 for both vitamins in CTAB and Brij 35. The method has been applied to the determination of vitamins A and E in milk samples.     

An Improved Phenylselenoetherification of Pent-4-en-1-ol

The procedure employs phenylselenyl chloride or bromide, pent-4-en-1-ol, and additives, like pyridine and silver(I) salts, to generate the cyclic ether of tetrahydrofuran type in high yields. A catalytic amount of additive leads to higher yields, but equimolar amounts achieved almost quantitative yields under extremely mild experimental conditions. The effect of the halide ion of the selenylating reagent is not significant.     

Preparation of spiro-cyclic organic polysulfanes of type C6H10Sn and x-ray structural analysis of C6H10S11, a derivative of cyclo-dodecasulfur

By reaction of (C₅H₅)₂Ti(μ-S₂)₂C₆H₁₀ 3 with S₂Cl₂ 7,8,9,10,11,12-hexathiaspiro-[5.6]dodecane 4 is prepared (yield 51%) and characterized by UV, IR, Raman, mass, and NMR spectra (¹H, ¹³C). The seven-membered CS₆ ring undergoes pseudorotation in solution. With S₇Cl₂ the complex 3 yields 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-undecathiaspiro[5.11]heptadecane 5 (yield 23%). The yellow, monoclinic crystals of 5 consist of spirocyclic C₆H₁₀S₁₁ molecules with the C₆ ring in a chair-conformation while the CS₁₁ ring is of the same conformation as cyclododecasulfur S₁₂. UV, IR, Raman, mass and NMR-spectra of 5 are reported. A mixture of dichlorosulfanes S_nCl₂ (n = 1 -8) reacts with 3 to give the homologous series C₆H₁₀S_m which was characterized by reversed-phase HPLC for m = 5 – 14.     

A modified Hamilton-Jacobi approach in the generalized problem of Bolza

We are concerned with developing sufficiency criteria for the generalized problem of Bolza, where the Hamiltonian is neither concave-convex nor differentiable. The core of the approach is the modified Hamilton-Jacobi inequality which leads to a new type of sufficient conditions. This latter is then used to derive new first order and known second order sufficient conditions.The publication of this report has been made possible due to a grant of the Fonds FCAC for the help and support of research.     

Activity of MoSe2/Al2O3 catalysts in decomposition of thiophene and selenophene

The rate of thiophene decomposition was shown to be independent of the type of chalcogens used in catalysts MoX₂/Al₂O₃, where X = S, Se. On the contrary, the rate of selenophene decomposition was shown to be higher on catalysts MoSe₂ than that on MoS₂. This observation suggests that the decomposition proceeds on anion vacancies. The decomposition of either thiophene over MoSe₂ or selenophene over MoS₂ results in the formation of partially substituted chalcogenides. At that, the molar ratios of the substituted chalcogen to Mo were shown to coincide in both cases. The fact that the rate of the thiophene decomposition does not depend on the degree of anion exchange indicates that the decomposition is not associated with hydrogenolysis.     

Copper sulfate-pentahydrate-1,10-phenanthroline catalyzed amidations of alkynyl bromides. Synthesis of heteroaromatic amine substituted ynamides

A practical cross-coupling of amides with alkynyl bromides using catalytic CuSO(4).5H(2)O and 1,10-phenanthroline is described here. This catalytic protocol is more environmentally friendly than the use of CuCN or copper halides and provides a general entry for syntheses of ynamides including various new sulfonyl and heteroaromatic amine substituted ynamides. Given the interest in ynamides, this N-alkynylation of amides should be significant for the future of ynamides in organic synthesis.     

Capillary electrophoretic analysis of inorganic anions in atmospheric hailstone samples

Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) coupled with sample stacking and polarity switching was investigated for the determination of Viagra (sildenafil citrate, SC) and its metabolite (UK-103,320, UK) in human serum in the concentration range of clinical interest. Human serum samples spiked with SC and UK were eluted with methanol from a C18 cartridge, the extract was evaporated and regenerated in a solution that contained 1 mM phosphate buffer (pH 12.3) and 20% methanol. The MEKC separation was performed using an injection time of 275 s, a polarity switching time of 93 s, a phosphate buffer, (pH 12.3, 15 mM) containing 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate as separation electrolyte and a fused-silica capillary. The analysis takes about 6 min and gives satisfactory inter-day precision with respect to migration times and linear responses over the 80-900 ng/ml concentration range investigated for SC and UK. Intra-day RSDs (n=4 graphs) for the slopes of the calibration graphs were 4.86% for SC and 3.50% for UK. Inter-day RSDs for the slopes were 4.37% for SC and 5.39% for UK. Detection limits (S/N=3) were about 17 ng/ml for both compounds in human serum. A 1-ml volume of blood serum was necessary to do this determination.     

Determining of trace metals in nuclear-grade uranium dioxide by x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of low concentration of Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni in nuclear-grade uranium dioxide by x-ray fluroescence spectrometry, without the use of chemical treatment. The lower limits of detection range from 2 μg g^?1 for nickel and manganese to 5 μg g^?1 for copper. Samples are prepared in the form of double-layer pellets with boric acid as a binding agent. Standards are prepared in a U₃O₈ matrix, which is more chemically stable than UO₂ and has similar matrix behaviour. The correlation coefficients for calibration curves are better than 0.999. Errors range from 2.4% for chromium to 6.8% for nickel.     

Separation of metal complexes by on-line coupled LC-GC

The on-line coupled LC-GC technique was applied to the analysis of several metal chelates of N,N-diethyldithiocarbamic acid. A 10-port valve interface was used to couple the LC and GC instruments. Conditions during sample transfer into the GC gave fully concurrent solvent evaporation. The chelates investigated were separated with a short apolar fused silica column. LC preseparation was made with cyano or amino phases using a hexane/dichloromethane mixture as eluent. On-line LC-GC combination seems to be very suitable for the separation of the metal chelates studied.