Transfer activity coefficient of the proton in water-pyridine mixtures. A comparison of some extrathermodynamic assumptions

Various water-pyridine mixtures have been selected in order to compare several of the most popular extrathermodynamic assumptions involved in the determination of the transfer activity coefficient of the proton, _t(H⁺). Two techniques have been utilized for this purpose: voltammetry [study of the ferrocene, ferricyanide, or thallium(1) systems] and potentiometry at equilibrium (emf measurements of various galvanic cells, including liquid junctions and hydrogen electrode or silver electrode as a test electrode). The assumptions have been classified into various groups [e.g., _t(Z^p+)=_t(Z^q+) or _t(X^–)=_t(Y⁺)], and the values of _t(H⁺) have been experimentally determined in each case. The results vary depending upon the basic assumption (several pH units); less important differences (e.g., 0.5 pH unit) occur within a given group, and this may be assigned to the nature of the reference species chosen. A simple model of solvation has been also examined; the application of the law of mass action to the corresponding equilibrium provides results close to the _t(X^–) =_t(Y⁺)type of assumptions which ultimately leads to most self-consistent results.     

Spectro-streak picosecond studies of intramolecular charge-transfer fluorescence

A spectro-streak photometer, an instrument for simultaneously measuring fluorescence intensity, time, and wavelength,I(t, ), with a single picosecond excitation pulse, has been constructed. Two typical and currently highly topical examples of mesurements are discussed. (1) the temporal development of the fluorescence form the intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) state of the rigid aromatic compound 4,5-(1-methylindolino)3,4-naphthanthracene is studied in the protic solvent hexanol. (2) Propyl chain-linked pyrene/N,N-dimethylaniline is used as the model compound to study conformational changes associated with the transition from a contact ion pair to a sandwich exciplex.     

Base catalyzed cyclization of N-aryl and N-alkyl-O-propargyl carbamates to 4-alkylidene-2-oxazolidinones

The base catalyzed cyclization of N-aryl and N-alkyl-O-propargyl carbamates is studied in detail. The effect of various bases and solvents on the efficacy of this cyclization reaction is analyzed and a new base-solvent system (LiOH in DMF) for effective cyclization of these carbamates is reported. A number of differentially substituted O-propargyl carbamates were cyclized to the corresponding 2-oxazolidinones under these conditions. The reaction conditions reported here are mild and no side reactions were observed in any of the substrates studied. A propargyl carbonate group was unaffected during the course of the cyclization of the O-propargyl carbamate group. The propargyl carbamates were prepared from the corresponding alkyl or aryl amines and the corresponding propargyl chloroformate, resulting in oxazolidinones diversely substituted at the nitrogen atom. N-Aryl-O-propargyl carbamates cyclized readily to the corresponding oxazolidinones with LiOH in DMF, whereas N-alkyl-O-propargyl carbamates reacted slowly under the same conditions. O-Propargyl carbamates substituted at the 1-position tend to cyclize faster whereas those substituted at 3-position cyclize considerably slower than the unsubstituted carbamates.     

Conformational Study of Naringenin in the Isolated and Solvated States by Semiempirical and Ab Initio Methods

Naringenin is a natural widespread flavanone occurring in different foodstuffs that presents several important biological activities. Although its properties are well documented, its mechanisms of action are still controversial. The present article reports a conformational analysis of naringenin, using the semiempirical AM1 and ab initio methods, at the Hartree–Fock level of theory. The 3-21G, 3-21G*, 6-31G, and 6-31G** basis sets were used. The electron correlation effects were included through the Møller–Plesset second-order perturbation theory. The solvation of naringenin has been investigated through the standard SCRF, the supermolecule (SM), and the combined SM/SCRF models. The results have shown that there are two degenerate forms of naringenin, differing mainly by the orientation of a hydroxyl group (C4—OH). The energy barrier for the interconversion between them is ca. 6 kcal.mol^–1, suggesting some conjugation between the -system of the aromatic B ring and the hydroxyl group (C4—OH).     

Tuning of the alpha-terthiophene radical cation coupling reaction using mixed micelles with varying charge density.

The photophysics and photochemistry of alpha-terthiophene (alphaT), compartmentalized in mixed nonionic/anionic micelles, have been investigated with focus on the influence of the micellar surface charge density on the formation of the radical coupling product alpha-hexathiophene (alphaH). By varying the ratio of nonionic-to-anionic surfactants, and assuming ideal mixing, the charge density of the mixed micelles was varied. From Poisson-Boltzmann calculations, performed using the cell model, the electrostatic potential and the counterion activity were estimated as a function of the distance from the micellar surface. Upon excitation, the triplet state of alphaT is formed, from which the alphaT radical cation can be formed by absorption of a second photon. The radical cation can form alphaH if it encounters another alphaT radical cation. Under the experimental conditions used, this implies that the alphaH formation only occurs if the compartmentalized radical cation is able to migrate from its host micelle to another micelle, either via the surrounding bulk or by fusion of two micelles followed by mixing of their contents before micellar fission. The formation yield of the radical cation depends on the charge density of the mixed micelle; a lower charge density, that is, an increased amount of nonionic surfactant, lowers the yield. The yield of the coupling product alphaH, however, does not follow the same trend. A maximum yield of alphaH is found at intermediate nonionic surfactant molar ratios. This behavior is understood in terms of the Poisson-Boltzmann simulation results and by comparing charge-density changes as a function of molar fraction with the changes in counterion activity. The alphaH yield is a result of the balance between an increased possibility of radical cation bulk migration and a lowered electrostatic stabilization of the radical.     

Spectroscopic Study of the Complexation of DDQ with 1,10-Diaza-18-crown-6 in Chloroform Solution

The formation of charge transfer complexes with 1:1 and 2:1 stoichiometries (acceptor-to-donor) between DDQ and 1,10-diaza-18-crown-6 in chloroform solution was investigated spectrophotometrically. The stepwise formation constants of the resulting complexes were evaluated from the non-linear least-squaresfitting of the absorbance-mole ratio data. The enthalpies and entropiesof the complexation reactions were determined from the temperature dependence of the stepwise formation constants. The resulting 1:1 and 2:1 complexes were isolated in crystalline form and characterized. The results are consistent with the ionic structure of the resulting charge transfer complexes.     

New insight into solvent effects on the formal HOO. + HOO. reaction

The 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile)(AIBN)-induced autoxidation of gamma-terpinene (TH) at 50 degrees C produces p-cymene and hydrogen peroxide in a radical-chain reaction having HOO* as one of the chain-carrying radicals. The kinetics of this reaction in cyclohexane and tert-butyl alcohol show that chain termination involves the formal HOO. + HOO. self-reaction over a wide range of gamma-terpinene, AIBN, and O2 concentrations. However, in acetonitrile this termination process is accompanied by termination via the cross-reaction of the terpinenyl radical, T., with the HOO. radical under conditions of relatively high [TH] (140-1000 mM) and low [O2] (2.0-5.5 mM). This is because the formal HOO. + HOO. reaction is comparatively slow in acetonitrile (2k approximately 8 x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1)), whereas, this reaction is almost diffusion-controlled in tert-butyl alcohol and cyclohexane, 2k approximately 6.5 x 10(8) and 1.3 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. Three mechanisms for the bimolecular self-reaction of HOO. radicals are considered: 1) a head-to-tail hydrogen-atom transfer from one radical to the other, 2) a head-to-head reaction to form an intermediate tetroxide, and 3) an electron-transfer between HOO. and its conjugate base, the superoxide radical anion, O2-.. The rate constant for reaction by mechanism (1) is shown to be dependent on the hydrogen bond (HB) accepting ability of the solvent; that by mechanism (2) is shown to be too slow for this process to be of any importance; and that by mechanism (3) is dependent on the pH of the solvent and its ability to support ionization. Mechanism (3) was found to be the main termination process in tert-butyl alcohol and acetonitrile. In the gas phase, the rate constant for the HOO. + HOO. reaction (mechanism (1)) is about 1.8 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) but in water at pH< or =2 where the ionization of HOO. is completely suppressed, this rate constant is only 8.6 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1). The very large retarding effect of water on this reaction has not previously been explained. We find that it can be quantitatively accounted for by using Abraham's HB acceptor parameter, beta(2)(H), for water of 0.38 and an estimated HB donor parameter, alpha(2)(H), for HOO. of about 0.87. These Abraham parameters allow us to predict a rate constant for the HOO. + HOO. reaction in water at 25 degrees C of 1.2 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) in excellent agreement with experiment.     

Extension of conjugation leading to bathochromic or hypsochromic effects in OPV series

Four OPV series 1-4 (a-d) with a terminal dialkylamino group as electron donor were prepared by Wittig-Horner reactions. To study the influence of the push-pull effect on the long-wavelength absorption, three of the four series contained terminal acceptor groups (CN, CHO, NO(2)). The length of the chromophores strongly affects the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT)-an effect which superimposes upon the extension of the conjugation. Increasing numbers n of repeat units cause an overall bathochromic shift for the purely donor-substituted series 1 a-4 a and the series 1 b-4 b with CN as weak acceptor. The two effects annihilate each other in the series 1 c-4 c with terminal CHO groups, so that the absorption maxima are almost independent of the length of the chromophore. A hypsochromic shift is observed for the series 1 d-4 d, which contains the strong acceptor group NO(2). This anomaly disappears on protonation of the dialkylamino group because the push-pull effect disappears in the ammonium salts. The results can be explained by semiempirical quantum mechanics (AM1, INDO/S). The HOMO-LUMO transition, which is mainly responsible for the ICT, becomes less important in the electron transitions S(0)-->S(1) when the distance between donor and acceptor is increased. The commonly used VB model, which contains an electroneutral and a zwitterionic resonance structure, is contrasted with a MO model with dipole segments at both ends of the OPV chains. The latter model turned out to be more appropriate-at least for donor-acceptor-substituted OPVs with n >/= 2.     

The convergence of the Rayleigh-Ritz Method in quantum chemistry

Two sufficient criteria for the convergence of the Rayleigh-Ritz Method (RRM) with respect to the eigenvalues (E-convergence) of non-relativistic electronic Hamiltonians of molecules are discussed and compared. Moreover, a necessary and sufficient criterion is given. By example (Sect. 9) it is shown that the L ²-completeness of the basis is not sufficient to guarantee E-convergence. The convergence of the wave functions in different norms (-convergence) is also investigated. In particular, sufficient conditions for the one-particle basis functions (orbitals) are given, such that a CI calculation in this basis is both E- and -convergent.     

Solute-solvent interactions in water-tert-butyl alcohol mixtures. VI. Enthalpies of solution for halo-para-substituted benzoates

Enthalpies of solution of sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate, and potassium halo-substituted benzoates are reported at 298.15°K in water and in nine water-tert-butyl alchol mixtures. Transfer enthalpies from water to the mixed solvent go through a maximum for about 0.055 mole fraction of alcohol. Additivity of ionic contributions in the enthalpies of transfer is verified. Substituent effects on the transfer enthalpies of benzoates are discussed in terms of size of the solutes and cohesion of the solvent mixtures. For Part V, see ref. 1.