Co-adsorption NO and organic molecules on Cu sites in zeolites: Quantum chemical DFT calculations

The co-adsorption of organic molecules: acetone, formaldehyde, ethene and acetylene together with NO on the same Cu⁺ site in zeolite CuZSM-5 was investigated by DFT calculations. The aim of this study was to follow the effect of NO on activation of multiple bonds in organic molecules and the effect of organic molecules on the activation of NO bond. The extent of activation of CO, CC, CC as well as of NO bonds was characterized by the result of calculation as the elongation of the multiple bonds, decrease of bond order as the decrease of stretching frequency, while population analysis gave information on the mechanism of activation. It has been found that the presence of NO co-adsorbed on the same Cu⁺ site as organic molecule resulted in more effective activation of CO bond in acetone and formaldehyde, but resulted in a less effective activation of CC and CC bond in ethane and acetylene. On the other hand, the presence of organic molecule resulted in more effective activation of NO bond (more important bond weakening) in NO molecule. The most significant NO bond weakening took place if NO was co-adsorbed with acetone or formaldehyde. Both acetone and formaldehyde transmit the most negative charge to the Cu⁺-zeolite system if adsorbed “solo” in Cu-zeolite. This negative charge may be next transmitted to antibonding NO orbitals resulting in so important NO bond weakening.     

Structural Studies of Aluminated form of Zeolites—EXAFS and XRD Experiment,STEM Micrography,and DFT Modelling

In this article, the results of computational structural studies on Al-containing zeolites, via periodic DFT + D modelling and FDM (Finite Difference Method) to solve the Schrödinger equation (FDMNES) for XAS simulations, corroborated by EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) spectroscopy and PXRD (powder X-ray diffractometry), are presented. The applicability of Radial Distribution Function (RDF) to screen out the postulated zeolite structure is also discussed. The structural conclusions are further verified by HR-TEM imaging.     

Phase transition affects energy transfer efficiency in phospholipid vesicles

The fluorescence quenching of 6-propionyl-2-dimethylaminonaphtalene (PRODAN) and 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylaminonaphtalene (LAURDAN) by octadecyl rhodamine B (ORB) in a model system of small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) of dipalmitoylphosphatidyl-choline (DPPC) was investigated. Non-linear Stern-Volmer behaviour was observed in both systems in the gel phase (25 degrees C) and in the fluid phase (50 degrees C), resulting from association processes and from static quenching. The relative quenching efficiencies of both dyes depend on the phase state of the bilayer and indicate a deeper incorporation of PRODAN and LAURDAN into the membrane in its fluid phase than in its gel phase.     

On the nature of spin- and orbital-resolved Cu+–NO charge transfer in the gas phase and at Cu(I) sites in zeolites

Electronic factors essential for NO activation by Cu(I) sites in zeolites are investigated within spin-resolved analysis of electron transfer channels (natural orbitals for chemical valence). NOCV analysis is performed for three DFT-optimized models of Cu(I)?CNO site in ZSM-5: [CuNO]⁺, (T1)CuNO, and (M7)CuNO. NO as a non-innocent, open-shell ligand reveals significant differences between independent deformation density components for ?? and ?? spins. Four distinct components are identified: (i) unpaired electron donation from NO ??_??* antibonding orbital to Cu_s,d; (ii) backdonation from copper d _yz to ??_??* antibonding orbital; (iii) donation from occupied ??_?? and Cu d _xz to bonding region, and (iv) donation from nitrogen lone-pair to Cu_s,d. Channel (i), corresponding to one-electron bond, shows-up solely for spin majority and is effective only in the interaction of NO with naked Cu⁺. Channel (ii) dominates for models b and c: it strongly activates NO bond by populating antibonding ??* orbital and weakens the N?CO bond in contrast to channel (i), depopulating the antibonding orbital and strengthening N?CO bond. This picture perfectly agrees with IR experiment: interaction with naked Cu⁺ imposes small blue-shift of NO stretching frequency while it becomes strongly red-shifted for Cu(I) site in ZSM-5 due to enhanced backdonation.     

Column Chromatography and Preparative TLC for Isolation and Purification of Coumarins from Peucedanum verticillare L. Koch ex DC

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Preparative separation and isolation of coumarins from petroleum ether and methanol extracts of the fruits and roots of Peucedanum...     

Radiolytic degradation of pesticide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA)—Experimental data and kinetic modelling

The aqueous solutions of MCPA have been γ-irradiated in different conditions, where particular active radical species from water radiolysis predominate. The obtained data confirmed that largest yield of radiolytic decomposition is obtained in oxidation processes, where oxidation is carried out with hydroxyl radicals. The obtained data have been compared with kinetic modelling. A fair agreement was obtained for degradation of MCPA in different experimental conditions, including also irradiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, that in optimised conditions can be used to enhance the yield of decomposition. The obtained data have also shown a strong effect of the presence of large amount of chloride on yield of MCPA decomposition, which can be attributed to strong oxidation properties of chlorine radicals formed. It is also shown that MCPA can be completely decomposed in industrial wastes from various stages of MCPA production, although this is not accompanied by satisfactory reduction of toxicity of examined wastes.     

Chemical compositions and antibacterial activity of extracts obtained from the inflorescences of Cirsium canum (L.) all

The aim of this study was to investigate phenolic acids and flavonoids in methanolic, dichloromethane, acetone and ethyl acetate extracts and fractions from inflorescences of Cirsium canum (L.). RP-HPLC analysis enabled identification of the following: chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, luteolin-7-glucoside, apigenin-7-glucoside, kaempferol-3-glucoside, linarin, apigenin, rutoside, luteolin and kaempferol. The antimicrobial activity of tested extracts was determined in vitro against reference microorganisms, including bacteria or fungi, belonging to yeasts. Our data showed that the tested extracts had no influence on the growth of the reference strains of Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts belonging to Candida spp. Among them, the fractions possessed the highest activity against Gram-positive bacteria, especially Streptococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae belonging to pathogens and Streptococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis belonging to opportunistic microorganisms.     

Inhomogeneous Broadening of the Electronic Spectra of Laurdan

The excitation spectra and dependence of the luminescence spectra on the energy of excitation quanta were investigated for a laurdan molecule in glycerin. The most appreciable displacement of the emission spectra has been recorded for the most longwave luminescence band with a maximum in the region 500–510 nm. The relationship between the luminescence components of two emission bands with maxima at 425 and 500 nm depends strongly on the excitation energy. The dependences obtained are explained by the simultaneous existence of LE (localexcited) and TICT (twisted internal charge transfer) states and by the influence of the properties of the solvation sheath of laurdan, which invariably causes inhomogeneous broadening of the spectra of the polar solution molecules.