3—Mercaptopropionic Acid Capped Gold Nanoclusters：Quantized Capacitance in Aquesous Media

3-Mercaptopropionic acid monolayer protected gold nanoclusters (MPA-MPCs) were synthesized and characterized by transmission electorn microscopy,UV-Vis spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourler transform infrared spectroscopy.The exact value of quantized double-layer capacitance of MPCs in aqueous media was obtained by differential pulse voltammograms.     

Controlled ring‐opening polymerization of propylene oxide catalyzed by double metal‐cyanide complex

A double metal‐cyanide catalyst based on Zn₃[Co(CN)₆]₂ was prepared. This catalyst is very effective for the ring‐opening polymerization of propylene oxide. Polyether polyols of moderate molecular weight having low unsaturation (<0.015 meq/g) can be prepared under mild conditions. The molecular weight of polymer is entirely controlled by a reacted monomer‐to‐initiator ratio. The polymers prepared with stepwise addition of monomer exhibit a narrower molecular weight distribution as compared with those prepared with one‐step addition of monomer. Various compounds containing active hydrogen, except basic compounds and low‐carbon carboxylic acid, may be used as initiators. The reaction rate increases with increasing catalyst amount and decreases with rising initiator concentration. Polymerization involves a rapid exchange reaction between the active species and the dormant species. It was also proven that, to a certain extent, the chain termination of this catalytic system is reversible or temporary. ¹³C NMR analysis showed that the polymer has a random distribution of the configurational sequences and head‐to‐tail regiosequence. It is assumed that the polymerization proceeds via a cationic coordination mechanism. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1142–1150, 2002     

Characterisation of the first authenticated organomercury hydroxide, 4-Me2NC6H4HgOH

4-Me₂NC₆H₄HgOH was prepared from 4-Me₂NC₆H₄HgOAc. Full characterisation showed that it crystallises as discrete molecules, the first example of a true organomercury hydroxide in the solid state. The structures of 4-Me₂NC₆H₄HgOAc and (4-Me₂NC₆H₄)₂Hg are also discussed.     

A Procedure for Transforming Impedance Spectra for the Determination of Mechanism of Electrochemical Reactions

Transformation of impedance spectra into relaxation time spectra (RTS) is used for determining contributions of individual processes of the oxygen electroreduction reaction (OER) to the polarization resistance of the electrochemical cell. The transformation technique involves the solution of the convolution equation found with the aid of a modified Van Cittert iteration algorithm checked on model impedance spectra. The technique, when used to analyze impedance spectra of electrochemical cells air|Pt|YSZ|YSZ + Pt|air, shows that the conversion of a globular structure of the YSZ + Pt cermet layer to a columnar one is accompanied by a change of peak amplitudes in RTS. The revealed RTS dynamics when heated to 750°C is compared with peculiarities of individual processes in OER.     

Antioxidant activity and Neurite outgrowth-enhancing activity of scorbamic acid and a red pigment derived from ascorbic acid

Abstract

L-Ascorbic acid (AA), known as vitamin C, can form browning products by a non-enzymatic process during storage and the browning products cause deterioration of agricultural products. In the browning reaction, a red pigment, 2,2´-nitrilodi-2(2´)-deoxy-L-ascorbic acid ammonium salt (NDA), is generated from AA via L-scorbamic acid (SCA) as an intermediate. However, the biological activities of SCA and NDA have not yet been clarified. In this study, we assayed the antioxidant activities of SCA and NDA using ABTS radical cation and their neurite outgrowth-enhancing activities in PC12 cells. SCA showed stronger radical-scavenging activity than that of AA, while NDA hardly showed any activity. SCA and NDA enhanced the neurite outgrowth induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP after their incorporation into cells in the same manner as that of AA. The results indicated that SCA has antioxidant activity and that SCA and NDA have neurite outgrowth-enhancing activity.     

Thermodynamics of Binary and Ternary Copper-, Cadmium,and Indium-Containing Semiconducting Phases: An Electrochemical Study

Optimum compositions of ion-selective membranes in quasi-binary systems CuCl-CdCl₂, LiCl-CdCl₂, and In₂S₃-InCl₃ are selected by a method of coulometric titration in cells with solid electrolytes. Transport numbers for ions are close to unity for the optimum compositions; transport numbers for electrons are vanishingly small ( ≺10⁻³ to 10⁻⁴); the electroconductivity is equal to ≈ 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 200°C; the diffusion coefficients for the current-producing component are on the order of 10⁻⁶ to 10⁻⁷ cm² s⁻¹. When using a solid electrolyte of the composition CuCl-CdCl₂, which contains 30 mol % CdCl₂, methods of emf and electroconduction reveal that the region of homogeneity of copper(I) selenide falls in the region of compositions Cu_1.33Se-Cu_2.67Se.__________Translated from Elektrokhimiya, Vol. 41, No. 6, 2005, pp. 721–727.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Leushina, Kolesnikova, Makhanova, Zlomanov.Published on the basis of a report delivered at the VII Meeting on Fundamental Problems in Solid-State Ionics (Chernogolovka-2004).     

Solubility of Triethylamine in Tetraethylammonium Chloride Aqueous Solutions from 20 to 35°C

Solubilities of triethylamine in aqueous tetraethylammonium chloride solutions were measured at 20, 25, and 35°C. The molalities in Et₄NCl of the aqueous solvents ranged from 0.03 to 1 mol-kg^–1. The data were evaluated from density measurements using a vibrating-tube densimeter. At each temperature, least-squares method was used to fit experimental density data points to double polynomial equations of various degrees. Triethylamine molalities of the saturated aqueous phases were estimated by extrapolation from those equations. Experimental data were interpreted in terms of hydrophobic and electrostatic perturbed domains in the hydration shells of the noneleceory and of the cation of the salt, as a function of temperature and salt concentration. The conclusions obtained are consistent with previous volumetric studies.     

Partial Molar Volumes of Amino Acids and Peptides in Aqueous Salt Solutions at 25°C and a Correlation with Stability of Proteins in the Presence of Salts

Partial molar volumes for a homologous series of amino acids and peptides have been measured in aqueous 1M sodium acetate, sodium thiocyanate, and sodium sulfate at 25^°C. These data have been utilized in conjunction with the data in water to deduce partial molar volumes of transfer V _2,m ⁰(tr) from water to these aqueous salt solutions. The volumes of transfer for the amino acids and peptides are found to be positive. The interpretation is that this result arises from the dominant interaction of the sodium salts with the charged centers of amino acids and peptides. Thermal denaturation of the structurally homologous proteins lysozyme and -lactalbumin has been studied in the presence of these salts. Significant thermal stabilization of hen egg-white lysozyme has been observed in the presence of sodium acetate and sodium sulfate. However, the thermal stabilization observed for -lactalbumin is very small in the presence of these salts and sodium thiocyanate leads to a lowering of its thermal denaturation temperature. The rise in the surface tension of aqueous salt solutions with salt concentration has been correlated with the calorimetric and volumetric measurements. The results show that V _2,m ⁰(tr) depends less on the type of electrolyte than on the ionic strength of the solution. The V _2,m ⁰(tr) values correlate very well with the increase in the surface tension of aqueous salt solutions, indicating significant role of surface tension in interactions of amino acids, peptides, or protein with the salts.     

N-Bromosuccinimide-dibenzoyl peroxide/azabisisobutyronitrile: a reagent for Z- to E-alkene isomerization

N-Bromosuccinimide-dibenzoyl peroxide/azobisisobutyronitrile is used to carry out several types of Z- to E-alkene isomerizations. The NBS-bromination conditions are sufficient for both allylic bromination and alkene isomerization. When the allylic hydrogens are not available in substrates, only the isomerization of the alkene takes place. The present conditions for isomerization of carbon-carbon double bonds are mild and efficient.     

Oxoaminium salts as initiators for cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers

Oxoaminium salt ( 1 ), derived from 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO, 2 ) by one-electron oxidation, could be an initiator for cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers such as isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE), 2,3-dihydrofuran, p-methoxystyrene, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, etc., to give the corresponding polymers, when 1 had a low nucleophilic counter anion. Formation of the adducts of 1 and IBVE as well as ¹H-NMR and IR data suggested the formation of polymers containing N? O? C structure as the polymer head group. In the polymerization of IBVE, the effects of solvent and concentration of 1 were little observed, however the polymerization rate was dependent on temperature. Furthermore, the thermal reaction of the polymers obtained, which were regarded as prepolymers for block copolymerization and polymeric initiators for radical polymerization, was studied. For example, poly(2-benzylidene-1,3-dioxane) obtained by the polymerization of 2-benzylidene-1,3-dioxane with oxoaminium hexafluoroantimonate ( 1, X = SbF₆) was employed as an initiator for radical polymerization of MMA to give its block copolymer with PMMA. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.