Synthesis and characterization of isotopically enriched methylmercury (CH3201Hg+)

A simple procedure for the synthesis of an important standard, isotopically enriched methylmercury, which is not commercially available, has been established successfully. The isotopically enriched standard synthesized is utilized in conventional isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), as well as in speciated IDMS (SIDMS), for determination of the true concentration of methylmercury in environmental samples. The CH₃²⁰¹Hg⁺ standard has been synthesized from commercially available ²⁰¹HgO and tetramethyltin. The synthesis time required is 1 h at 60°C. The product is highly pure, yielding more than 90% as ²⁰¹Hg in CH₃²⁰¹Hg⁺. Hazardous dimethylmercury does not occur during this synthesis procedure. The product synthesized was analyzed using high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) and ICP‐MS alone in order to determine its concentration, isotopic composition and purity. The stability of the product was also evaluated for over 6 months and found to be stable at 4°C in the dark. The isotopically enriched methylmercury synthesized can be used in SIDMS and IDMS analyses as a standard. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subtilisin catalysis of substrate anchored in cyclodextrin

The N-benzoyl-l-tyrosine ethyl ester (BTEE) anchored in cyclodextrin (β and β-methyl CD) serves as an excellent substrate for subtilisin Carlsberg catalysis. The rate of hydrolysis was found to be approximately twofold higher than that of the methanolic substrate. The K_mapp and V_max values for the CD anchored substrates were significantly higher than the methanol-solubilized BTEE.     

Iridodials: enantiospecific synthesis and stereochemical assignment of the pheromone for the golden-eyed lacewing, Chrysopa oculata

1R,2S,5R,8R; 1R,2S,5R,8S; 1S,2S,5R,8R; and 1S,2S,5R,8S-Iridodials have been prepared in five steps from 4aS,7S,7aR and 4aS,7S,7aS-nepetalactones, major components of catnip oil. 1R,2S,5R,8R-Iridodial has been identified as a male-produced male-aggregation pheromone for Chrysopa oculata, the first pheromone of any kind identified for lacewings.     

Gamma,delta-unsaturated beta-diketones by acylation of ketones

[reaction: see text] Gamma,delta-unsaturated beta-diketones have been prepared by the acylation of ketones with N-acylbenzotriazoles of various aliphatic and aromatic alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acids.     

Synthesis of O,O Ethane Bridged Bis-copper(II) Macrocycles. Selective Enzyme Model for Catecholase Activity

New mononuclear and dinuclear complexes [3-hydroxyethyl-1,3,5,8,11pentaazacyclotridecane]copper(II) (1)/nickel(II) (2) perchlorate and O,O ethane bridged bis-copper(II) (3)/nickel(II) (4) macrocycles have been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, viz. i.r., n.m.r., e.p.r., u.v.–vis. and conductance measurements. Spectral data and conductance measurements reveal that all the complexes are consistent with square-planar geometry and are ionic in nature. The catalytic activity of the dinuclear Cu(II) complex (3) in the presence of pyrocatechol was determined spectrometrically by monitoring the increase of the o-benzoquinone characteristic absorption band at 25,000 cm⁻¹ with respect to time in DMF saturated with molecular oxygen. The kinetic parameters V_max (2.8×10⁻³ M s⁻¹) and K_M (1.4×10⁻³ mm) have been determined by Michaelis–Menten method. Electrochemistry of the dinuclear Cu(II) complex has been studied in the presence of molecular oxygen with pyrocatechol and without pyrocatechol at a scan rate of 0.1 V s⁻¹ by cyclic voltammetry. On addition of pyrocatechol, complex shows a shift in E_pc, E_pa and E_1/2 values indicating the oxidation of substrate (pyrocatechol).     

Structural characterization of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles by experiment and molecular simulation

A procedure, combining molecular simulation, Raman spectroscopy, and standard nitrogen adsorption, is developed for structural characterization of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) samples. Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations of nitrogen adsorption are performed on the external and internal adsorption sites of homogeneous arrays of SWNTs of diameters previously determined by Raman spectroscopy of the sample. The results show the importance of the peripheral grooves of a nanotube bundle at low relative pressure and the insensitivity of nanotube diameter toward adsorption on the external surface of the bundle at higher pressures. Simulations also reveal that samples containing thin nanotubes have less internal adsorption capacity that saturates at lower pressure than those comprising large diameter nanotubes. The fraction of open-ended nanotubes in a sample can be estimated by scaling the simulated internal adsorption inside nanotubes to obtain a near perfect fit between simulated and experimental isotherms. This procedure allows extrapolation of adsorption properties to conditions in which all nanotubes in the sample are open-ended.     

Crystallographic evidence of hexacoordination at phosphorus via intramolecular coordination of donor groups on phosphane and phosphane sulphide

The X-ray structure analysis of bis(8-dimethylamino-l-naphthyl)phenylphosphane (3) and of the corresponding sulphide 4 has revealed hexacoordination at phosphorus in both cases, the N … P separations being less than the sum of the van der Waal radii. Furthermore, in both cases the overall geometry corresponds to a distorted bicapped tetrahedron. The optimum geometry calculated for 4 via the program developed by Autodesk (MM + method) suggests that the structure of the molecule is a function not only of steric requirements but also of electronic effects.     

Isomeric ruthenium terpyridine complexes [Ru(trpy)(L)Cl]n+ containing the unsymmetrically bidentate acceptor L=3-amino-6-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine. Synthesis, structures, electrochemistry, spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The isomeric title complexes were obtained in almost equimolar ratio from the reaction of Ru(trpy)Cl3 and L. Crystal structure analyses of the perchlorate hemihydrates, electrochemical and spectroscopic (NMR, UV/VIS, EPR) studies, supported by DFT calculations, reveal distinct differences between the isomeric redox series [1]n+(tetrazine-Nt trans to Cl) and [2]n+(pyrazolyl-Np trans to Cl; n= 0, 1, 2). The latter system with the pi acceptors trpy and tetrazine in the equatorial plane and the pyrazolyl and chloride donors in the axial positions exhibits facilitated oxidation, lower energy MLCT transitions, more balanced chelate coordination, and a higher g anisotropy in the oxidised (RuIII) state. According to partially resolved EPR spectra of one-electron reduced neutral compounds and they have the unpaired electron predominantly in the tetrazine ring of L.