Vibrational analyses of silacyclopentanes

The complete infrared and Raman spectra of 1,1-difluoro-1-silacyclopentane and 1,1-dichloro-1-silacyclopentane have been recorded and analyzed. Furthermore, a number of the vibrational frequencies of the silacyclopentane and silacyclopentane-1, 1-d₂ molecules have been reassigned.A normal coordinate calculation for each of these molecules was carried out and this demonstrated the validity of the assignments. Considerable mixing of the modes was found especially where ring vibrations and SiX₂ motions were involved.     

Fracture mechanisms in rigid core-shell particle modified high performance epoxies

The fracture mechanisms of a high performance epoxy system modified with two types of preformed rigid core-shell particles (RCSP) were investigated. The use of the preformed RCSP anables the control of the dispersion of the toughener phase in the epoxy, which, in turn, allows the mechanical properties of the modified epoxy to be optimized. The toughening effect via the RCSP modification is found to be as good as that via the core-shell rubber modification. The moduli andT _g of these RCSP-modified epoxies are virtually unaltered via the RCSP modification, when compared with the neat epoxy resin equivalent. The toughening mechanisms in these toughened systems appear to be predominantly crack deflection, crack bifurcation, and microcracking. Approaches for effective toughening of high performance polymers via rigid polymers are discussed.     

Comparison of nondestructive proton and neutron activation: The case of biological samples

The capabilities of reactor neutron and 12 MeV proton activation were evaluted on samples of orchard leaves, beef liver and bovine liver. Based on γ-ray spectrometry, As, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mo, Pb, Sr, Ti, Zn and Zr at levels ranging from 2 to 20 900 ppm were detected following proton activation of 1 hour. Al, Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Mg, Mn, Rb and V (ranging from 0.4 to 20 900 ppm) were measured by neutron activation (1 min irradiation). As, Ba, Br, Cr, Co, Fe, Hg, La, Na, Rb, Sb and Zn (ranging from 0.2 to 2400 ppm) were determined following a 14 h neutron irradiation. Although covering different elements, the two techniques are comparable in their scope, i. e. detection limits that can be achieved and number of elements that can be detected simultaneously.     

Molecular recognition and host-guest interactions in complexes of O-bistren,C-bistren,and bisdien

The host-guest relationships of the complexes of the cryptand ligands O-BISTREN and C-BISTREN, and of the analogous macrocyclic ligand BISDIEN are compared. The affinities of their binuclear copper(II) complexes for the bridging ligands (OH^–, F^–) as cascade type guests (i.e., guests of guests) are reported. The ability of the dicobalt(II)-BISDIEN complex to coordinate dioxygen and an additional bifunctional guest simultaneously, leads to the possibility of a new type of catalysis occurring within the cavity of a macrocyclic complex.     

Synthesis, Characterization, Luminescence, and Electrochemistry of New Tetranuclear Gold(I) Amidinate Clusters: Au4[PhNC(Ph)NPh]4, Au4[PhNC(CH3)NPh]4, and Au4[ArNC(H)NAr]4

The syntheses and the X-ray structures of the tetranuclear gold(I) benzamidinate, Au₄[PhNC(Ph)NPh]₄, and the tetranuclear gold(I) acetamidinate, Au₄[PhNC(CH₃)NPh]₄, clusters are reported. The clusters are produced by the reaction of the sodium salt of an amidine ligand with the gold precursor Au(THT)Cl in a (1:1) stoichiometry. The average Au...Au distance between adjacent Au(I) atoms is ∼2.9 ?, typical of compounds having an aurophilic interaction. The four gold atoms are arranged in a square (Au...Au...Au... = 88–91°) in the acetamidinate and in a distorted square (Au...Au...Au... = 82–97°) in the benzamidinate derivative. Electrochemical oxidation of the tetranuclear complex Au₄[PhNC(Ph)NPh]₄ show three reversible waves at 0.87, 1.19, 1.42 V vs. Ag/AgCl at a scan rate of 100 mV/s in CH₂Cl₂ similar to the three reversible waves seen before from the tetranuclear complexes Au₄[ArNC(H)NAr]₄, Ar = C₆H₄-4-OMe, Ar = C₆H₄-4-Me, and Ar = C₆H₃-3,5-Cl. A summary of the chemistry of the tetranuclear Au(I) amidinate complexes Au₄[ArNC(H)NAr]₄, Ar = C₆H₄-4-OMe, C₆H₃-3,5-Cl, C₆H₄-4-Me, C₆H₄-3-CF₃, C₆F₅, C₁₀H₇ also is presented. The tetranuclear clusters Au₄[ArNC(H)NAr]₄, Ar = C₆H₄-4-OMe, Ar = C₆H₄-3-CF₃, Ar = C₆H₄-4-Me and Ar = C₆H₄-3,5-Cl are the first tetranuclear gold(I) cluster species from group 11 elements to show fluorescence at room temperature. The lifetimes of the naphthyl and trifluoromethylphenyl complexes are in the millisecond range indicating phosphorescent processes. Recently it has been shown that Au₄[ArNC(H)NAr]₄ are very effective catalysts upon calcination for room temperature CO oxidation. Congratulations to Dieter Fenske, a superb synthetic chemist with exceptional talents in cluster chemistry, on the occasion of his 65th birthday.     

Synthesis and Characterization of the Isocyanide Ligated Centered Zirconium Halide Cluster [(Zr6Be)Cl12(CNXyl)6]

The first isocyanide ligated hexanuclear zirconium halide cluster is reported. The unoxidized [(Zr₆Be)Cl₁₂(CNXyl)₆] (CNXyl = 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide) was obtained from the solid state precursor K₃Zr₆Cl₁₅Be by dissolution in CH₃CN in the presence of CNXyl. The CNXyl ligands occupy all the axial positions on the cluster. The compound was recrystallized from CH₂Cl₂ and Et₂O. [(Zr₆Be)Cl₁₂(CNXyl)₆].2CH₂Cl₂ crystallizes in the space group (#2) with a = 12.092(5) Å, b=12.728(5) Å, c = 14.102(8) Å, = 104.98(4)°, =107.11°, = 100.94°, V = 1919(2) ų, Z = l, R = 11.3% and R _W = 27.0%. For the bound isocyanide ligands, v _CN increases to 2140 cm^–1.     

Effects of glucose,glutamine, and malate on the metabolism of spodoptera frugiperda clone 9 (sf9) cells

Optimal design and operation of bioreactors for insect cell culture is facilitated by functional relations providing quantitative information on cellular metabolite consumption kinetics, as well as on the specific cell growth rates (μ_G). Initial specific consumption rates of glucose, malate, and oxygen, and associated changes in μ_G, were measured forSpodoptera frugiperda clone 9 (Sf9) cells grown in batch suspension culture in medium containing 7–35 mM glucose, 0–16 mM malate, and 4–16 mM glutamine. The initial specific glucose consumption rate (q _G ) could be described by a modified Michaelis-Menten equation treating malate as a “competitive” inhibitorK ₁ = 6.5 mM) and glutamine as a “noncompetitive” inhibitorK _I = 14 mM) ofq _G , with aK _m of 7.1 mM for glucose. All three carbon sources were found to increase μ_G in a saturable manner, and a modified Monod equation was employed to describe this relationship (μ_Gmax = 0.047 h^-1). The initial specific oxygen consumption rate (q_O2) in Sf9 cells could be related to μ_G by the maintenance energy model, and it was calculated that, under typical culture conditions, about 15–20% of the cellular energy demand comes from functions not related to growth. Fitted parameters in mathematical expression for μg: K₄, Monod constant for glucose (mM); K₅, modified Monod constant for malate (mM); K₆, Monod constant for glutamine (mM); m_o2, specific consumption rate of oxygen by the cells under zero-growth conditions (nmol/cell/h); q_F, initial specific fumarate production rate (nmol/cell/ h);q _G , initial specific glucose consumption rate (nmol/cell/h); q_Gmax, maximum initial specific glucose consumption rate (nmol/cell/h);q _M , initial specific malate consumption rate (nmol/cell/h); q_o2, initial specific oxygen consumption rate (nmol/cell/h); Y_o2, cell yield on oxygen (cells/nmol); μ, initial specific cell growth rate (h^-1); μ_g, initial specific cell growth rate (h^-1); μG_max, maximum initial specific cell growth rate (h^-1).     

Ab initio calculation of the effective valence shell hamiltonian of carbon: Simultaneous treatment of neutral and ion states

The n = 2 effective valence shell hamiltonian, $\text{H}$^v, of carbon is evaluated through second order using ³P Hartree—Fock orbitals (5s4p) with added d functions to provide results within a few percent of the spd convergence limits. The calculated $\text{H}$^v is employed to evaluate the n = 2 valence states of C, C^?, C⁺, C²⁺ and C³⁺ with an average deviation of the 21 excitation energies, ionization potentials and electron affinity from experimental values of 0.32 eV. Three-electron parts of $\text{H}$^v contribute substantially to a number of these excitation energies.     

Accurate density measurements for a 91% methane natural gas-like mixture

Accurate density data are necessary to validate equations of state (EOS) used in custody transfer of natural gas. The American Gas Association (AGA) AGA8-DC92 EOS, currently the industry standard, has been validated against a databank of gas mixtures composed mostly of binary data. Accurate density data for multicomponent mixtures are necessary to check the ability of AGA8-DC92 to cover the entire range of pressure, temperature, and compositions encountered in custody transfer. This paper uses a magnetic suspension densimeter to measure the densities of mixtures containing nine components with n-pentane being the heaviest. We have used a high pressure, high temperature, compact single-sinker magnetic suspension densimeter to measure densities of a simulated natural gas mixture having 91% methane composition after validating its operation by measuring densities of pure argon, nitrogen, and methane in the range (270 to 340) K and (3.447 to 34.474) MPa. The agreement with the reference EOS for the pure components is about 0.03%.The estimated 2σ uncertainty of the densities after compensating for apparatus and fluid effects is 0.12% with 93% of that value coming from the composition uncertainty. The measured data indicate the advisability of performing an extensive study of the AGA8-DC92 EOS for natural gas mixtures.