Pentadiagonal Oscillatory Matrices with Two Spectrum in Common

We denote the spectrum of an square matrix A by σ(A), and that of the matrix obtained by deleting the first i rows and columns of A by σ_i(A). It is known that a symmetric pentadiagonal oscillatory (SPO) matrix may be constructed from σ, σ₁ and σ₂. The pairs σ, σ₁ and σ₁, σ₂ must interlace; the construction is not unique; and the conditions on the data which ensure that A is oscillatory are extremely complicated. Given one SPO matrix A, the paper shows that operations may be applied to A to construct a family of such matrices with σ and σ₁ in common. Moreover, given one totally positive (TP) matrix A, we construct a family of TP matrices with σ, σ₁ and σ₂ in common.     

NMR study of the stoichiometry,stability and exchange kinetics of complexation reaction between Pb2+ ion and 18-crown-6 in binary acetonitrile-water mixtures

Proton NMR was used to study the complexation reaction between lead ion and 18-crown-6 in a number of binary acetonitrile-water mixtures. Formation constant for the resulting 11 complexes in different solvent mixtures was determined by computer fitting of the chemical shift-mole ratio data. There is an inverse relationship between the complex stability and amount of water in the mixed solvent. The dissociative kinetics of the complex was studied by proton line-shape analysis. The Arrhenius plots showed a distinct isokinetic temperature at about 25°C at which the decomplexation rate is more or less independent of the solvent composition. the complexation rate and the activation parameters E _a , H and S, for the exchange have been determined and found to be strongly solvent dependent. There is actually a linear relationship between the mole fraction of acetonitrile in the mixed solvent and logarithm of the stability constant as well as activation parameters.     

Renewable-surface sol-gel derived carbon ceramic electrode fabricated by [Ru(bpy)(tpy)Cl]PF6 and its application as an amperometric sensor for sulfide and sulfur oxoanions

A highly sensitive and fast responding sensor for the determination of thiosulfate, sulfite, sulfide and dithionite is described. It consists of a chemically modified carbon ceramic composite electrode (CCE) containing [Ru(bpy)(tpy)Cl]PF6 complex that was constructed by the sol-gel technique. A reversible redox couple of Ru(II)/Ru(III) was observed as a solute in acetonitrile solution and as a component of carbon based conducting composite electrode. Electrochemical behavior and stability of modified CCE were investigated by cyclic voltametry, the apparent electron transfer rate constant (kappa(S)) and transfer coefficient (a) were determined by cyclic voltametry which were about 28 s(-1) and 0.43 respectively. Electrocatalytic oxidation of S(2-), SO3(2-), S2O4(2-) and S2O3(2-) were effective at the modified electrode at significantly reduced overpotentials and in the pH range 1-11. Optimum pH values for amperometric detection of thiosulfate, dithionite, sulfide and sulfite are 7, 9, 2 and 2. Under the optimized conditions the calibration curves are linear in the concentration ranges 1-500, 3-80, 2-90 and 1-100 microM for S2O3(2-), SO3(2-), S2- and S2O4(2-) determination. The detection limit (signal to noise is 3) and sensitivity are 0.5 and 12, 2.8 and 6, 1.6 and 8, and 0.65 microM and 80 nA microM(-1) for thiosulfate, sulfite, sulfide and dithionite detection. The modified carbon ceramic electrode doped with Ru-complex shows good reproducibility, a short response time (t < 2 s), remarkable long term stability (> 6 month) and especially good surface renewability by simple mechanical polishing (RSD for eight successive polishing is 2%). The advantages of this sulfur compound amperometric detector based on ruthenium doped CCE are high sensitivity, inherent stability at a broader pH range, excellent catalytic activity, less expense and simplicity of preparation in comparison with recently published papers. This sensor can be used as a chromatographic detector for analysis of sulfur derivatives.     

A tetra-coordinate nickel(II) complex as neutral carrier for nitrate-selective PVC membrane electrode

The potentiometric response properties and applications of a tetra-coordinate nickel(II) complex with relatively high selectivity toward nitrate ion are described. The nickel(II) complex of 5,7,12,14-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,6,11,13-tetraene was used as a neutral carrier into plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane. The influence of several variables was investigated in order to optimize the potentiometric response and selectivity of the electrode. The resulting membrane electrode incorporating 31.0% PVC, 61.0% dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as plasticizer, 3% methyltrioctylammonium chloride (MTOAC) as a cationic additive and 5% carrier (all w/w) demonstrates a Nernstian response slope of −59.6 mV per decade over the concentration range of 5×10⁻⁶-1×10⁻¹ M NO₃⁻. The electrode exhibits a fast response time (≤10 s), a detection limit of 2.5×10⁻⁶ M, and can be used over a wide pH range of 4-12. The electrode shows improved selectivity in comparison to most of the previously reported nitrate-selective electrodes. It was successfully applied to the determination of nitrate ion in natural water samples.     

Reaction of tris(trimethylsilyl)methylsilicon halides with methanolic sodium methoxide. Probability of sila-olefin intermediates

The compounds TsiSiR₂X [Tsi = Me₃Si)₃C; R = Me, X = Cl, Br, I, or R = Ph, X = F, Cl, Br, I)] react with boiling 2 M MeONa-MeOH to give products of the type (Me₃Si)₂CHSiR₂OMe. It is suggested that the reaction proceeds through an elimination, analogous to E2 eliminations of alkyl halides, involving synchronous attack of MeO^? at an Me₃Si group, liberation of X^?, and formation of (Me₃Si)₂CSiR₂. The compounds TsiSiPhMeF TsiSiPhCl₂ react analogously to give (Me₃Si)₂CHSiPhMe(OMe) and (Me₃Si)₂CHSiPh(OMe)₂ [tha latter presumably by solvolysis of the initially-formed (Me₃Si)₂CHSiPhCl(OMe)]. The compounds TsiSiMe₂OMe and TsiSiMe₃ do not react, while TsiSiMe₂H gives TsiH. The compound TsiSiCl₃ reacts with 0.1 M MeONa-MeOH to give the substitution and elmination products TsiSiCl₂(OMe) and (Me₃Si)₂CHSi(OMe)₃ in ca. $\text{1}\text{2}$ ratio.     

Synthesis of 1-oxa-2-silacyclopentane derivatives via intramolecular nucleophilic attack at silicon

Metalation of (HSiMe₂)₃CH with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) in THF gives (HSiMe₂)₃CLi, which reacts with ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, 1,2-epoxy butane, 1,2-epoxy pentane, 1,2-epoxy hexane, and epichlorohydrin to give the corresponding 1-oxa-2-silacyclopentane derivatives. Then, glycidylmethacrylate (GM) random copolymers with styrene (St) (in a 1:1 and 1:3 mol ratio) were synthesized by solution free radical polymerization at 70(±1) °C using α,α′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as an initiator. Both types of copolymers were treated with (HSiMe₂)₃CLi to give new modified copolymers. The reaction of (HSiMe₂)₃CLi with epoxides on the side chains of the copolymers does not lead to intramolecular nucleophilic attack contrary to simple epoxides. All the products have been characterized by spectroscopic techniques.     

Carbon dots with strong excitation-dependent fluorescence changes towards pH. Application as nanosensors for a broad range of pH

In this study, preparation of novel pH-sensitive N-doped carbon dots (NCDs) using glucose and urea is reported. The prepared NCDs present strong excitation-dependent fluorescence changes towards the pH that is a new behavior from these nanomaterials. By taking advantage of this unique behavior, two separated ratiometric pH sensors using emission spectra of the NCDs for both acidic (pH 2.0 to 8.0) and basic (pH 7.0 to 14.0) ranges of pH are constructed. Additionally, by considering the entire Excitation–Emission Matrix (EEM) of NCDs as analytical signal and using a suitable multivariate calibration method, a broad range of pH from 2.0 to 14.0 was well calibrated. The multivariate calibration method was independent from the concentration of NCDs and resulted in a very low average prediction error of 0.067 pH units. No changes in the predicted pH under UV irradiation (for 3 h) and at high ionic strength (up to 2 M NaCl) indicated the high stability of this pH nanosensor. The practicality of this pH nanosensor for pH determination in real water samples was validated with good accuracy and repeatability.