Electronic structure and field emission of multiwalled carbon nanotubes depending on growth temperature

The electronic structure of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been investigated, depending on the growth temperature, using synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and field emission measurements. The vertically aligned CNTs are grown via pyrolysis of ferrocene and acetylene in a broad temperature range 600-1000 degrees C. The CNTs have a cylindrical structure with a uniform diameter of 20 nm. As growth temperature increases, due to an improved crystallinity of the graphitic sheets, the width of the XPS C 1s peak becomes narrower and the intensity of the valence band increases. Field emission from the as-grown CNTs exhibits a large enhancement of current density with growth temperature, strongly correlated with the electronic structure revealed by XPS.     

Characteristics of major dioxin/furan congeners in melted slag of ash from municipal solid waste incinerators

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in slag of fly ash from three municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators were analyzed to observe any changes in characteristics and distribution of their congeners by melting process. Actual concentration and Toxic Equivalent (TEQ) concentration profiles of 17 major congeners of PCDDs/PCDFs for gas, fly ash and melted slag were compared. The distributions of PCDDs/PCDFs in different streams macroscopically showed similarities with the generally known profiles for emission gas from a municipal waste incinerator. The total concentrations of PCDDs/PCDFs in off-gas and fly ash have been known to be a function of incineration conditions and of air pollution control device utilization; however, their normalized distributions were independent of such conditions. The concentrations of PCDDs/PCDFs in the melted slag of fly ash were not related to the concentrations of PCDDs/PCDFs congeners in fly ash but were rather a function of the melting furnace type and operation. The total amount of PCDDs/PCDFs in the melted slag of fly ash contained almost 150–27,000 times less dioxin than that in fly ash, however, the TEQ of dioxin in the slag was reduced by 435–43,500 times, which could enable them to be utilized as recycled construction materials. In normalized TEQ concentration profiles of 17 congeners of PCDDs/PCDFs, the ratio of PCDFs to PCDDs changed from 1.32 to 2.19 by melting, which showed relatively higher portion of furans left in melted slag than those in fly ash. By comparing reduction ratios of different congeners, PCDDs (dioxins) were relatively easier to destruct than PCDFs (furans) during melting process. The most difficult congener to destruct could be octa-chlorinated dibenzofuran (OCDF) among major congeners. For slag cooling methods, dioxin concentration in TEQ of slow cooled slag by air was four times higher than that of fast cooled slag by water. Thus cooling by water is more appropriate with the added beneficial effect of producing granules/particles, which can be utilized as roadbed materials.     

Liquid Chromatographic Resolution of Racemic α-Hydroxycarboxylic Acids on Ligand Exchange Chiral Stationary Phases

Two ligand exchange chiral stationary phases (CSPs) based on (S)-leucinol derivative, sodium N-((S)-1-hydroxymethyl-3-methylbutyl)-N-undecylaminoacetate, and (R)-phenylglycinol derivative, sodium N-((R)-2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)-N-undecylaminoacetate, covalently bonded to silica gel have been successfully applied in the resolution of nine -hydroxycarboxylic acids. The latter was more effective than the former, the separation factors () being 1.05 to 2.12 while the resolution factors (R_S) varying from 0.18 to 5.29 on the latter. The chromatographic resolution behaviors were dependent on the type and the content of organic modifier and the content of CuSO₄ in aqueous mobile phase and the column temperature. A possible chiral recognition mechanism was also proposed based on the chromatographic resolution behaviors.     

Kinetically controlled Ag+-coordinated chiral supramolecular polymerization accompanying a helical inversion

We report kinetically controlled chiral supramolecular polymerization based on ligand–metal complex with a 3 : 2 (L : Ag⁺) stoichiometry accompanying a helical inversion in water. A new family of bipyridine-based ligands (d-L1, l-L1, d-L2, and d-L3) possessing hydrazine and d- or l-alanine moieties at the alkyl chain groups has been designed and synthesized. Interestingly, upon addition of AgNO₃ (0.5–1.3 equiv.) to the d-L1 solution, it generated the aggregate I composed of the d-L1AgNO₃ complex (d-L1 : Ag⁺ = 1 : 1) as the kinetic product with a spherical structure. Then, aggregate I (nanoparticle) was transformed into the aggregate II (supramolecular polymer) based on the (d-L1)₃Ag₂(NO₃)₂ complex as the thermodynamic product with a fiber structure, which led to the helical inversion from the left-handed (M-type) to the right-handed (P-type) helicity accompanying CD amplification. In contrast, the spherical aggregate I (nanoparticle) composed of the d-L1AgNO₃ complex with the left-handed (M-type) helicity formed in the presence of 2.0 equiv. of AgNO₃ and was not additionally changed, which indicated that it was the thermodynamic product. The chiral supramolecular polymer based on (d-L1)₃Ag₂(NO₃)₂ was produced via a nucleation–elongation mechanism with a cooperative pathway. In thermodynamic study, the standard ΔG° and ΔH_e values for the aggregates I and II were calculated using the van''t Hoff plot. The enhanced ΔG° value of the aggregate II compared to that of the formation of aggregate I confirms that aggregate II was thermodynamically more stable. In the kinetic study, the influence of concentration of AgNO₃ confirmed the initial formation of the aggregate I (nanoparticle), which then evolved to the aggregate II (supramolecular polymer). Thus, the concentration of the (d-L1)₃Ag₂(NO₃)₂ complex in the initial state plays a critical role in generating aggregate II (supramolecular polymer). In particular, NO₃⁻ acts as a critical linker and accelerator in the transformation from the aggregate I to the aggregate II. This is the first example of a system for a kinetically controlled chiral supramolecular polymer that is formed via multiple steps with coordination structural change.

The nanoparticles were transformed into the supramolecular polymer as the thermodynamic product, involving a helical inversion from left-handed to right-handed helicity.     

Sustainable biorefinery processes using renewable deep eutectic solvents

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Metabolic fingerprinting of Ephedra species using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and principal component analysis

The metabolomic analysis of Ephedra species was performed using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. A broad range of metabolites could be detected by 1H-NMR spectroscopy without any chromatographic separation. The principal component analysis used to reduce the huge data set obtained from the 1H-NMR spectra of the plant extracts clearly discriminated three different Ephedra species. The major differences in Ephedra sinica, Ephedra intermedia and Ephedra distachya var. distachya were found to be due to benzoic acid analogues in the aqueous fraction and ephedrine-type alkaloids in the organic fraction. Based on this metabolomic recognition, one of nine commercial Ephedra materials evaluated was shown to be a mixture of Ephedra species. This method will be a useful tool for chemotaxonomic analysis and authentification of Ephedra species including quality control of plant materials.     

trans‐Bis(isothiocyanato‐κN)bis(methanol‐κO)bis[2,4,6‐tri(4‐pyridyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine‐κN2]manganese(II)

The title compound, [Mn(NCS)₂(C₁₈H₁₂N₆)₂(CH₄O)₂], con­tains a centrosymmetric octahedral Mn^II centre and three pairs of trans‐coordinating ligands. It is the first example of a mononuclear metal complex with the 2,4,6‐tri(4‐pyridyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine (tpt) ligand. Intermolecular π–π stacking of the planar tpt ligands, as well as hydrogen bonds between pyridyl N and methanol H atoms, results in the formation of a three‐dimensional network.     

NBS-Promoted reactions of symmetrically hindered methylphenols via p-benzoquinone methide

Symmetrically hindered methylphenols 1 react smoothly with NBS to form transient intermediates, p-benzoquinone methides (BM), which can be further processed to give hydroxybenzaldehydes in the presence of DMSO. This reaction is initiated by the formation of the phenoxy radical, followed by disproportionation to afford BM. None of the side-chain-brominated product is observed. The existence of BM is supported by the following observations: the formation of BM in solution can be monitored by GC and GC-MS; the electrophilic methine part participates in electrophilic aromatic substitution with anisoles to give hydroxybenzylated products 15; and the double bond character of the exocyclic methine plays a role in [4 + 2] cycloaddition with diene to afford Diels-Alder adducts. In contrast, unsymmetrically hindered or simple methylphenol (p-cresol) with NBS gives the nuclear brominated products, as usual. The energies of symmetrically hindered BMs, unsymmetrically hindered BM, and simple BM were calculated using density functional theories. Relative stabilization energies calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G//B3LYP/6-31G level by an isodesmic equation are enhanced 3-6 kcal/mol for symmetrically hindered BMs.     

Analysis of an ancient bronze statue by external beam pixe

A quantitative analysis of an ancient Buddha statue was performed by external beam Proton Induced X-ray Emission for the purpose of identifying its originality. It is shown how the PIXE method can be applied for archeological study. The elemental composition of the statue is compared with that of several samples with definite ages. The experiment was performed by extracting 2.4 MeV proton beam through a 2 mm diameter collimator and 7.6 m kapton foil to the He atmosphere. X-rays were measured by a Si(Li) detector. The analysed elements were Fe, Cu, Ag, Au and Hg for gold coating and Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Ag, Sn, Au, Pb and Bi for bronze body.     

Preparations and properties of polyurethane aqueous dispersion from uncatalyzed systems of H12MDI,PTAd/bisphenol A polyol,and DMPA

Aqueous dispersions of polyrethane (PU) containing ionic and nonionic hydrophilic segments were prepared in a prepolymer mixing process using substantial amount of solvent. The acid groups were neutralized with tertiary amine, and chain extension in aqueous media was carried out with triethylene tetramine. Average particle size and particle size distribution of the dispersion, and mechanical and viscoelastic properties of the emulsion cast films were determined.