Emerging supramolecular chemistry of gases

Molecular recognition of gases is an emerging area of chemistry. Supramolecular chemistry helps us to understand how gases interact with biological molecules and offers delicate insights into the mechanisms of their physiological activity. Principles of molecular recognition have been used for gas sensing, and have provided fundamental knowledge about the structure and dynamics of receptor-analyte complexes, and novel materials for gas sensing and storage have been developed. Supramolecular chemistry is also enabling us to learn how to transform gases into synthetically useful reagents. The rational design of novel catalysts for gas conversion and, more recently, encapsulation complexes with gases open novel directions in preparative synthetic chemistry.     

Assembly of colloidal particles into microwires using an alternating electric field

We have investigated the dielectrophoretic assembly of colloidal gold, carbon black, and carbon nanotubes into electrical wires. The resulting microwires have diameters less than 1 microm, with lengths ranging from 5 microm to 3 mm. Current-voltage curves for these wires indicate an ohmic response, where the resistance is determined by the type of colloid and by the frequency of the alternating field used to grow the wires. The predicted frequency dependence of dielectrophoresis is confirmed by experiment. Measurements of the threshold voltage for initial wire growth are also presented. These experiments demonstrate that a variety of nanoparticles can be assembled into microwires for sensor applications.     

Toward the development of a structurally novel class of chiral auxiliaries: diastereoselective aldol reactions of a (1R,2S)-ephedrine-based 3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-1,3,4-oxadiazin-2-one

[reaction: see text] Asymmetric aldol addition reactions have been conducted with (1R,2S)-ephedrine-derived 3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-1,3,4-oxadiazin-2-one (2). Diastereoselectivities range from 75:25 to 99:1 for the formation of the crude non-Evans syn adducts 8a-h. The facial selectivity of the enolate is directed by the stereogenic N(4)-methyl substituent. Aldol adduct 8a is readily cleaved by acid hydrolysis to afford (2S,3S)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-phenylpropionic acid (9) in >95% ee.     

Detailed analysis of α,ω-bis(4-hydroxybutyl) poly(dimethylsiloxane) using GPC-MALDI TOF mass spectrometry

In this study the prepolymer alpha,omega-bis(4-hydroxybutyl) poly(dimethylsiloxane), used in the formulation of oxygen permeable films, is evaluated by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) combined with matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Two unexpected mass distributions are observed in the mass spectra. Reaction schemes for the formation of these distributions are proposed. A solution phase trimethylsilane end group modification was performed on the prepolymer to determine whether the unexpected mass distributions occur as impurities from synthesis or as artifacts from the MS process. Evaluation of the TMS modified prepolymer indicates the unexpected mass distributions indeed occur as impurities from the synthetic procedure. Average molecular weight values are determined by traditional GPC, direct MALDI-TOF MS, and GPC-MALDI-TOF MS methods and the results are compared.     

A new procedure for bovine milk digestion in a focused microwave oven: gradual sample addition to pre-heated acid

Milk samples can be efficiently digested using a focused microwave oven, however the conventional procedure of addition of concentrated acids to the liquid sample leads to digestates with elevated acidity and residual carbon concentrations. In this work a focused microwave oven was applied for acid digestion of bovine milk samples using a conventional and an alternative procedure based on gradual sample addition to hot and concentrated acids. A two-level 2³ full factorial design experiment with eight runs was carried out to evaluate the optimum experimental conditions for reducing both the residual carbon and the final acidity of digestates. The three studied parameters were: temperature of the digestion medium for sample addition, addition of sulfuric acid before the sample or during the first step, and number of aliquots of the sample gradually added. The best conditions were attained by adding small aliquots of milk (ten-fold a volume of 0.5 ml added during 5.0 min) to a digestion mixture containing 3.0 ml nitric acid plus 1.0 ml sulfuric acid heated at 105 °C. It was demonstrated that the digestion efficiency of the alternative procedure was better than the conventional procedure, i.e. 98 and 80%, respectively. The alternative procedure was applied for determination of Ba, Ca, Cu, K, Mg, Na, P, and Zn in whole and non-fat bovine milk. The accuracy was proved using two certified reference materials (whole and non-fat milk powder).     

A new expression for the direct quantum mechanical evaluation of the thermal rate constant

Based on the formalism of Miller, Schwartz, and Tromp [J. Chem. Phys. 79, 4889(1983)], we derive a new expression for the thermal rate constant for a chemical reaction. The expression involves an unperturbed, i.e., reactant or product channel Boltzmann operator for the imaginary time propagation, making it possible to compute efficiently the rate constant for a range of temperatures. We illustrate numerical aspects with an extensive study of the one-dimensional Eckart barrier problem, as well as a study of the three-dimensional (J = 0) D + H2 problem.     

Solvent extraction behaviour of thiocyanic acid

The solvent extraction behaviour of thiocyanic acid with isobutyl methyl ketone and xylene as solvents is described. In the ketone system the thiocyanic acid is solvated in the organic phase to give a complex with a proposed composition of HSCN. 2IBMK. Deviations from ideal behaviour, which can be attributed to variations in the activity coefficient of the acid in the aqueous phase, are shown.