Synthesis, structure, and electrochemical properties of 12,42-dioxo-21,31-diphenyl-7,10,13-trioxa-1,4(3,1)-diquinoxalina-2(2,3),3(3,2)-diindolizinacyclopentadecaphane

The oxidative dehydrocyclization of the 3-(indolizin-2′-yl)-2-oxoquinoxaline monopodand performed either electrochemically or under the action of molecular iodine affords new redox-active heterocyclophane consisting of the redox-switchable biindolizine fragment combined with the polyether-bridged π-deficient quinoxaline systems. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction study showed that the trioxaundecane chain of heterocyclophane adopts an extended conformation, and one of the phenyl substituents of the molecule closes the pseudocavity formed by the spacer from one of the sides. The cyclic voltammetric study of heterocyclophane in MeCN and DMF showed the three-step oxidation of the indolizine fragments accompanied by the single-electron transfer in each step. The first and third steps are reversible, and the second step is irreversible. The oxidation at potentials of the first peak gives rise to stable radical cations detected by the ESR method (g = 2.0024, a _2N = 0.26 mT). Dedicated to Professor E. A. Berdnikov on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1991–2003, October, 2007.     

A differential microcalorimetric study of whey proteins and their behaviour in oil-in-water emulsions

Oil-in-water emulsions (20% soya oil, 1% protein) have been prepared containing lysozyme or isolates of -lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin from whey protein. The structural characteristics of these proteins adsorbed at an oil/water interface were determined by following their thermal transitions using differential scanning microcalorimetry. Thermograms of the proteins in the adsorbed state differed markedly from the corresponding transitions seen for the proteins in solution. This suggests that the proteins underwent substantial changes in secondary and tertiary structure upon adsorption. In general, for all the proteins studied, a net decrease in the total energy absorbed during denaturation was found when the proteins were in an adsorbed state. Both lysozyme and -lactalbumin were in part “surface denatured”, and they showed a certain degree of reversibility between solution and the adsorbed state. β-Lactoglobulin showed the highest degree of denaturation upon adsorption and the conformational change was irreversible.     

Comparative FT infrared study of structural changes occuring on dealumination of zeolite Na-Y with ethylenediaminetetraacetic or hydrochloric acid

IR lattice vibration spectra were used to monitor the changes in the structure of zeolite Na-Y upon its dealumination with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or with HCl. The terminal Si-O(H,Na) bonds thus formed (which are detectable by characteristic absorbance at v 900–950 cm^–1) are energetically less uniform when EDTA has been used as the dealuminating agent. This inhomogeneity is connected with the local deformations of zeolite structure which result in lowering the symmetry of silicon-oxygen tetrahedra. As a consequence, two novel bands appear at v 1090 cm^–1 and 1200 cm^–1 in addition to the fundamental absorption bands, v_as (TO₄) (T = Si, Al), at 1030 cm^–1 and 1145 cm^–1. A mechanism of dealumination is proposed, which takes into account the topochemical peculiarities involved in the chelation of the framework aluminum ions with EDTA.Translated fromIzyestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskay, No. 2, pp. 284–287, February, 1993.     

A configuration interaction study of phosphine using bonded functions

A computational study is made of the effect of basis set upon the energy, properties and inversion barrier of the phosphine molecule. The calculations are performed at both the SCF and CI level. The flexibility of the double zeta basis is discussed in the light of the results.     

Etude théorique par la méthode DFT des structures non-classiques des systèmes X2H2F2 (X=Si, Ge, Sn)

The structure and the relative stability of isomers of molecules X₂H₂F₂ (X=Si, Ge, Sn) have been studied using the density functional theory (DFT). We have determined the optimised structures of the substituted isomers. The XX bond have been studied and compared to that of the parent molecules: X₂H₄. It appears that, for the planar and trans ethylenic systems, the double bond character of the XX decreases when the hydrogen atoms are substituted by fluorine atoms. The most stable structure is shown to be the one where the two fluorine atoms are fixed on the same atom. The bridged structures are also studied.     

Photoelectron core levels for enargite,Cu3AsS4

The mineral chemistry of enargite surfaces and near‐surfaces prepared by fracture within an ultrahigh vacuum are investigated using XPS and synchrotron radiation XPS (SRXPS). The purpose of the study is to identify surface core‐level line positions in high‐resolution photoelectron spectra. The XPS spectra obtained using monochromatic Al Kα radiation show that there are near‐identical monosulphide line positions in S 2p spectra for the As–S and Cu–S bonds in enargite. The SRXPS spectra for sulphur are remarkably similar to the XPS spectra for sulphur, showing that there is minimal difference in the chemical environment between sulphur atoms at the surface and in the mineral matrix. The Cu 2p XPS data have only cuprous contributions and a minor surface contribution. The surface Cu contribution is observed as a high‐binding‐energy tail in the Cu 2p_3/2 spectrum. The As 3d data for both XPS and SRXPS show contributions from arsenic atoms at the surface and in the bulk mineral matrix. The surface contribution is distinct and is found 1 eV below the bulk contribution. The results of the study suggest that, following fracture, the enargite surface is reorganized in such a manner that the surface is characterized by protrusions of individual arsenic atoms. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On products of reaction of imidazole with benzoyl chloride under conditions of the Regel-Buchel reaction

The reaction of imidazole with benzoyl chloride in pyridine affordedcis-1,2-bis(benzoyl-amino)ethylene (1) rather than 2-benzoylimidazole, as has been suggested previously. The structure of1 was confirmed by¹H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction study. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1593–1595, August, 1998.     

Corrosion-stable nickel- and cobalt-based alloys for dental applications

In a comparative study the in vitro corrosion behavior of a selection of nickel- and cobalt-based alloys for application in dentistry containing no noble metals was studied with slow scan cyclic voltammetry. The obtained breakthrough potentials, the repassivation behavior and further typical features of the cyclic voltamograms are correlated with the chemical composition as measured with electron beam microanalysis. Surface inhomogenities detected with the latter method are discussed with respect to the electrochemical behavior. For all alloys stabilities in terms of breakthrough potential superior to previously reported data for nickel-base alloys are found.     

Pyrolysis study of fluorinated sol-gel silica

Fluorinated silica gels at various fluorine content were prepared via sol-gel by hydrolysis of 3,3,3-trifluoropropyltrimethoxysilane and tetraethoxysilane mixtures. The gels, of nominal stoichiometry Si(CH₂CH₂CF₃)_XO_(2-X/2)(X=0.1-1), were characterized by FT-IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N₂ adsorption analysis. The thermal stability of the fluorinated samples was investigated by coupling thermogravimetric measurements with mass spectrometric and gas chromatographic analyses of the evolved gaseous species. The chemical reactions occurring in the gel matrices during heating were siloxane chain rearrangements involving condensation between residual hydroxyl and ethoxyl groups in the 100-350°C temperature range, whereas the thermal decomposition of the fluoroalkyl groups were observed at higher temperatures (450-600°C). The release of the fluoroalkyl moieties also involved C-F/Si-O bond exchanges inside the siloxane chains, with gas-phase evolution of different fluorinated silicon units. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.