Model-Free Analysis of Mixtures by NMR Using Blind Source Separation

The concept of blind source separation is described and examples of its use in 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy are presented. The goal of this data processing method is to extract the spectra of components molecules when only mixtures are available.     

Photon interaction studies using 241Am γ-rays

We have carried out some photon interaction measurements using 59.54 keV γ-rays from a ²⁴¹Am source. These include γ attenuation studies as well as photoelectric absorption studies in various samples. The attenuation studies have been made using leaf and wood samples, samples like sand, sugar etc., which contain particles of varying sizes as well as pellets and aqueous solutions of rare earth compounds. In the case of the leaf and wood samples, we have used the γ-ray attenuation technique for the determination of the water content in fresh and dried samples. The variation of the attenuation coefficient with particle size has been investigated for sand and sugar samples. The attenuation studies as well as the photoelectric studies in the case of rare earth elements have been carried out on samples containing such elements whose K-absorption edge energies lie below and close to the γ-energy used. Suitable compounds of the rare earth elements have been chosen as mixture absorbers in these investigations. A narrow beam good geometry set-up was used for the attenuation measurements. A well-shielded scattering geometry was used for the photoelectric measurements. The mixture rule was invoked to extract the values of the mass attenuation coefficients for the elements from those of the corresponding compounds. The results are consistent with theoretical values derived from the XCOM package.     

Topological investigations of molar excess volumes of quinoline with alkanols

Excess volumes V ^E of binary liquid mixtures of quinoline with alkanols have been determined from densities at 30°C as a function of composition. The excess volumes are negative over the whole mole fraction range for all the mixtures and decrease with increasing length of alkanol (C₁–C₁₀). The V^E data have been analyzed in terms of an approach which uses graph theoretical connectivity parameters of the third degrees for two components. The analysis gives information regarding associated species in the pure state and in the mixture. It is suggested that, in the mixture state, no change occurs in the association of alkanols.     

Solid-State polymerization of the binary mixture of methacrylate and liquid-crystalline compound by electron beam

Solid-state polymerization of a binary mixture of nonliquid-crystalline monomer and liquidcrystalline compound was carried out using electron beam. The monomers were benzoic acid containing 4-[ω-(meth)acryloyloxyalkyloxy] benzoic acids, in which the alkylene spacer was ethylene, hexamethylene, or undecamethylene. The conversion yield of monomer to polymer to a large extent increased with increasing content of a liquid-crystalline compound with a terminal carboxylic group, such as 4-n-alkyloxybenzoic acid, while the addition of a liquid-crystalline compound without terminal carboxylic group did not affect polymerization of the monomer. Phase diagrams of the mixture of monomer and liquid-crystalline compound were examined using cross-polarizing microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All mixtures of monomer and 4-n-alkyloxybenzoic acid or liquid-crystalline compound without terminal carboxylic group showed liquid-crystallinity in a broad composition range. It was concluded that liquid-crystalline compounds with terminal carboxylic acid may form hydrogen bondings with methacrylate or acrylate monomer having terminal carboxylic acid which enhance polymerizability of the mixture. The stereoregularity of polymers determined by NMR depended on increasing irradiation dose and temperature rather than the content of the added liquid-crystalline 4-n-decanoxybenzoic acid.     

Solvation Phenomena of Potassium Thiocyanate in Methanol–Water Mixtures

This paper reports the results of a variety of experiments carried out for understanding the solvation behavior of potassium thiocyanate in methanol–water mixtures. Electrical conductivity, speed of sound, viscosity, and FT-Raman spectra of potassium thiocyanate solutions in 5 and 10% methanol–water (w/w) mixtures were measured as functions of concentration and temperature. The conductivity and structural relaxation time suggest the ion–solvent and solvent-separated ion–ion associations increase as the salt concentration increases in the mixtures. The Raman band shifts due to the C–O stretching mode of methanol for the solvent mixtures reveal the formation of methanol–water complexes. The significant changes in the Raman bands for the C–N, C–S and O–H stretching modes indicate the presence of SCN⁻−solvent interactions through the N-end, “free” SCN⁻ and the solvent-shared ion pairs as potassium thiocyanate is added to the methanol–water mixtures. The relative changes corresponding to H–O–H bending and C–O stretching frequencies indicate that K⁺ is preferentially solvated by water in these solvent mixtures. The appearance and increase of the intensity of a broad band at ≈940 cm⁻¹ upon salt addition was attributed to the SCN⁻–H₂O–K⁺ solvent-shared ion pairs. No Raman spectral evidence for K⁺(H₂O)_n species was observed. The preferential solvation of K⁺ and SCN⁻ in the methanol−water mixtures was verified by the application of the Kirkwood−Buff theory of solutions. This theory confirms that K⁺ is strongly preferentially solvated by water, whereas SCN⁻ is preferentially solvated by the methanol component.     

Dynamics studies on thermoresponsive poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel in tetrahydrofuran/water mixtures

The properties of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogel in tetrahydrofuran/H₂O mixtures were studied. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images demonstrate that the hydrogel changes from homogeneous to heterogeneous microstructure upon the addition of tetrahydrofuran to water. This heterogeneous PNIPAAm hydrogel in the mixture solvent exhibits a very slow response rate at temperatures above its lower critical solution temperature. The decreased response rate is attributed to the formation of special ternary complexes including the polymer and the two solvents in the tetrahydrofuran/H₂O mixture. Factors controlling the thermoresponse rate are discussed further and several suggestions are provided for designing and developing fast-response PNIPAAm hydrogels in the future.     

Compatibility Studies of Multicomponent Tablet Formulations. DSC and experimental mixture design

An experimental mixture design was applied to a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study performed to evaluate naproxen compatibility in tablet formulations consisting of four classic excipients (sorbitol, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, poly(ethylene glycol) 20000 and Veegum) each in adequate concentration ranges accounting for the relevant values actually used in pharmaceutical formulations. Twenty-seven different tablets were obtained from as many mixtures prepared according to the experimental design plan and analyzed in a random order by DSC. Statistical evaluation of experimental data enabled correlation of both enthalpy and onset temperature variations of drug melting endotherm (selected as responses indicative of the presence of drug-excipient interactions) with the mixture composition. Variance analysis (Anova) confirmed the reliability of the postulated polynomial model in providing adequate prediction of true system behaviour. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A self-diffusion study of poly(ethylene-oxide) alkyl alcohols

The self-diffusion coefficients of HDO and some surfactants in aqueous mixtures at different concentrations, below the critical micelle concentration, have been determined by means of the NMR, spin-echo pulsed field gradient method. The surfactant solutes chosen were ethylene glycol-pentyl alcohol (diethylene glycolpentylalcohol, ethylene glycol-hexyalcohol, diethylene glycol-hexyl alcohol, triethylene glycol-hexyl alcohol, tetraethylene glycol-hexyl alcohol, pentaethylene glycol-hexyl alcohol). The interactions in solution are studied by analyzing the solute self-diffusion coefficients extrapolated to infinite dilution. These values are compared with those of 1-alkanols. The slope of the self diffusion coefficientsvs. the solute concentration are correlated with the microscopic friction coefficients. A model for interpreting the experimental data is suggested.     

Dielectric studies of binary mixtures of n -propyl alcohol and ethylenediamine

Dielectric constant (ε’) and dielectric loss (ε") of n-propyl alcohol (PA), ethylenediamine (EDA) and their binary mixtures, for different mole fractions of ethylenediamine have been experimentally measured at 11.15 GHz microwave frequency. Values of density (ρ), viscosity (η) and square refractive index (n _D ² ) of binary mixtures as well as those of pure liquids are reported. Excess square refractive index, viscosity and activation energy of viscous flow have also been estimated. These parameters have been used to explain the formation of complexes in the system.     

环状高分子对胶体稳定性影响的理论研究

将改进的基本度量理论与热力学微扰理论相结合,提出了胶体/高分子系统排空相互作用的IRDFT理论。该理论解释了在实际胶体系统中起重要作用的排斥体积效应和高分子链内相关性的竞争机制。应用该IRDFT,分别以线性链状和环状结构的高分子及其单体为排空元,计算了不同排空元条件下的胶体间排空相互作用。研究表明:对于絮凝破坏,自由环状高分子具有更大的优势。