Fast and efficient preparation of Baylis-Hillman-derived (E)-allylic azides and related compounds in aqueous medium

A practical access to alkyl- and aryl-substituted (E)-2-(azidomethyl)alkenoates and related azido compounds from the corresponding allylic bromides in aqueous acetone is described. An alternative method to obtain the starting bromides based on heterogeneous catalysis under mild conditions was also investigated.     

CuPc molecules adsorbed on Au(1 1 0)-(1 × 2): growth morphology and evolution of valence band states

We present the growth morphology, the long-range ordering, and the evolution of the valence band electronic states of ultrathin films of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) deposited on the Au(1 1 0)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface, as a function of the organic molecule coverage. The low energy electron diffraction patterns present a (5 × 3) reconstruction from the early adsorption stages. High-resolution UV photoelectron spectroscopy data show the disappearance of the Au surface states related to the (1 × 2) reconstruction, and the presence of new electronic features related to the molecule-substrate interaction and to the CuPc molecular states. The CuPc highest occupied molecular orbital gradually emerges in the valence band, while the interface electronic states are quenched, upon increasing the coverage.     

A novel strategy to verification of adulteration in alcoholic beverages based on Schlieren effect measurements and chemometric techniques

A novel strategy to evaluation of adulteration in alcoholic beverages based on the measurement of the Schlieren effect using an automated FIA system with photometric detection is proposed. The assay is based on the Schlieren effect produced when beverage samples are injected in a single-line FIA system that uses water as carrier stream and a light-emitting diode-phototransistor photometer controlled by microcomputer as detector. The flow system presents limited mixing conditions which make possible to create gradients of refractive index (Schlieren effect) in the injected sample zone. These gradients are reproducible, characteristic of each alcoholic beverage and undergo specific modifications when adulterations with water or ethanol are imposed. Schlieren effect data of brandies, cachaças, rums, whiskies and vodkas were treated by SIMCA to elaborate class models applied in the evaluation of alcoholic beverages adulteration. Samples of the original matrix of each sort of beverages were adulterated in laboratory by adding water, methanol and ethanol in levels of 5% and 10% (v/v). These samples were used as test set to validate SIMCA class models. The verification of authenticity using Schlieren effect measurements presented good results making possible to identify 100% of the beverages samples adulterated in laboratory and 93% of the actual adulterated alcoholic beverages with confidence levels of 95%. As principal advantage, the automated system does not use reagents to carry out the analysis.     

Convergence analysis of time-point relaxation iterates for linear systems of differential equations

We study convergence properties of time-point relaxation (TR) Runge-Kutta methods for linear systems of ordinary differential equations. TR methods are implemented by decoupling systems in Gauss-Jacobi, Gauss-Seidel and successive overrelaxation modes (continuous-time iterations) and then solving the resulting subsystems by means of continuous extensions of Runge-Kutta (CRK) methods (discretized iterations). By iterating to convergence, these methods tend to the same limit called diagonally split Runge-Kutta (DSRK) method. We prove that TR methods are equivalent to decouple in the same modes the linear algebraic system obtained by applying DSRK limit method. This issue allows us to study the convergence of TR methods by using standard principles of convergence of iterative methods for linear algebraic systems. For a particular problem regions of convergence are plotted.     

Modification of surface properties of electrospun polyamide nanofibers by means of a perfluorinated acridine

Polyamide 6 (PA6) nanofibers were prepared from formic acid solutions by using electrospinning technique. The fibers were smooth, defects free and with diameters smaller than 200 nm. Small amounts of a perfluorinated acridine were added as dopant to the feed solution to modify the wettability of the fibers. The effect of doping on the contact angle values is well apparent. The contact angle values go from 50° of pure PA6 to 120° when 6% of acridine is added. A comparison between fibers and films of pure and doped polyamide 6 was carried out in order to determine the effect of morphology on wettability. Thermal annealing near the T_g of the polymer promoted the segregation of the molecules to the surface, reaching contact angles of 131° with smaller amounts (4%) of acridine. The surface segregation was also promoted by time aging.     

High-performance anion-exchange chromatography of carbohydrates using a new resin and pulsed amperometric detection

Summary This paper reports the results of a study on the use of a new polymer-based, strong anion-exchange, stationary phase for rapid and selective separation of carbohydrates and related compounds by high-pH, anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. The new adsorbent has been obtained by direct nitration of 2.8 μm, spherical non-porous highly cross-linked, styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer beads, followed by reduction of superficially introduced nitro groups with nascent hydrogen and quaternization of the resultant amino groups with iodomethane. It is reported that by optimizing the ionic strength of the mobile phase, columns packed with the new anion-exchanger can be successfully employed to separate, either in isocratic or gradient elution mode, oligosaccharides, positional isomers of gluco-disaccharides, as well as uronic acids and sugar monophosphates.     

A Combined Approach Employing Soxhlet Extraction and Linear Gradient Elution Reversed-Phase HPLC for the Fingerprinting of Soil Organic Matter According to Hydrophobicity

This paper reports the results of a study carried out to evaluate the potentiality of combining selective solvent extraction and linear gradient elution reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) for characterizing soil organic matter on the basis of polarity of its constituting organic compounds. Such approach comprises the sequential extraction of soil organic matter with organic solvents of increasing polarity in a Soxhlet extractor and the subsequent separation of each extract by RP-HPLC. Accordingly, each soil sample has been subjected to cycles of sequential extraction with n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Each sample extracted by one of the four solvents have been dried in a rotary evaporator device at 40°C and then dissolved again in the proper volume of extraction solvent to obtaining sample solutions of concentration ranging from 5.0 to 15 mg ml⁻¹. These sample solutions have been subjected to RP-HPLC separation using a Supelcosil LC-ABZ column that has been eluted by a linear acetonitrile gradient in water, having the same profile for all samples. The study has evidenced the possibility of producing highly repeatable chromatographic profiles, which are correlated to the polarity of organic solvents employed for extracting the organic matter in the Soxhlet extractor.

     

Synthesis of 2-amino-3-hydroxy- and of 2,3-diamino-3H-1,4-benzodiazepines

A new synthesis of 7-chloro-2,3-diamino-5-phenyl-3H-1,4-benzodiazepines is described, which allows for the preparation of compounds bearing the same or different substituents at the 2 and 3 positions, starting from 2-amino-7-chloro-3-hydroxy-5-phenyl-3H-1,4-benzodiazepines.     

Mechanical,thermal and morphological properties of poly(ε‐caprolactone)/zein blends

Blends of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) with zein (PCL/zein) in different proportions (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100 wt% containing 5 wt% glycerol) were compared based on their mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus), and on their thermal properties, the latter determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The morphology of the materials was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Blends of PCL/zein showed reduced tensile strength and elongation at break, but increased Young's modulus compared to the pure polymers, in agreement with the DMTA and SEM results. These findings indicated that PCL and zein were incompatible. TGA showed that the thermal stability was enhanced by the addition of zein to PCL, whereas SEM showed a poor interfacial interaction between the polymers. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.