Activation of peroxyl and molecular oxygen using bis -benzimidazole diamide copper (II) compounds

New tetradentatebis-benzimidazole ligands have been synthesized and utilized to prepare copper (II) complexes. Some of these copper (II) complexes have been characterized structurally. The copper (II) in these complexes is found to possess varying geometries. A distorted octahedral geometry is found with a highly unsymmetrical bidentate nitrate group. An unusual polymeric one-dimensional structure is observed where copper (II) is in a distorted square pyramidal geometry with a monodentate nitrate ion, having long Cu-O bond, while a distorted triagonal bipyramidal geometry is found with two carbonyl O atoms and a Cl atom in the equatorial plane, and two benzimidazole imine N atoms occupy the axial position. These compounds are found to activate the cumylperoxyl group, and this has been utilized in the facile oxidation of aromatic alcohols to aldehydes, where they act as catalysts with large turnovers. The yields of the respective products vary from 32 to 65%. The role of molecular oxygen has been studied and an attempt has been made to identify the “active copper species”. Activation of molecular oxygen has also been observed and has been used for oxidative dealkylation of a hindered phenol, producing di-butyl quinones with yields of 20–25% and 10–12 fold catalytic turnover. Dihydroxybenzenes and substituted catechols are also readily oxidized to the corresponding quinones, in oxygen-saturated solvents. Yields of 84% have been observed with 34-fold catalyst turnover, with di-t-butylcatechol. The activity of these copper (II) —bis-benzmidazolediamide compounds is reminiscent of the functioning of copper centres in galactose oxidase, tyrosinase and catechol oxidase.     

Plasma effects and the modulation of white light spectra in the propagation of ultrashort, high-power laser pulses in barium fluoride

We report the results of a study of white light generation in a 7.5 cm long crystal of a high band-gap material, barium fluoride, using ultrashort (<42 fs) laser pulses over a range of values of incident laser power that extend up to more than three orders of magnitude larger than the critical power for self-focusing (P_cr). We explore white light generation and the intensity and spectral distributions within filaments that are formed as a result of the interplay of self-focusing and plasma-induced defocusing. The onset of plasma effects occurs at power levels in excess of 7 GW for ultrashort pulses in BaF₂. For incident power levels that are three orders of magnitude larger than the critical power, blue-shifting of the incident laser wavelength is observed in addition to asymmetric continuum generation. The blue shift enables us to estimate the temporal variation of the electron density in the plasma that is generated within the BaF₂ crystal. PACS 52.38.Hb; 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Tg; 33.80.Wz; 52.35.Mw     

（0,1;0）-INTERPOLATION ON INFINITE INTERVAL （-∞, ＋∞）

In this paper, we study the explicit representation and convergence of （0, 1;0）-interpolation on infisite interval, which means to determine a polynomial of degree ≤ 3n - 2 when the function values areprescribed at two set of points namely the zeros of Hn（x） and H′n （x） and the first derivatives at the zerosof H′n（x）.     

The case of missing incommensurate smectic A phases

Two binary mixtures of polar liquid crystal materials were previously reported to exhibit three incommensurate smectic A phases predicted for such materials on the basis of phenomenological theory. Results of our recent high-resolution X-ray scattering experiments show that no incommensurate phases exist in the two systems. Wide coexistence regions are found at first order transitions between various frustrated smectic phases of these mixtures. These regions were previously identified as the incommensurate smectic A phases. The phase diagrams of the two systems determined with high-resolution X-ray technique are shown to be in excellent agreement with Baroisa-Prost-Lubensky theory.     

Activity evaluation of carbon paste electrodes loaded with pt nanoparticles prepared in different radiolytic conditions

Three Pt-based catalysts prepared in different radiolytic conditions and supported on graphite powder were packed into a carbon paste electrode configuration. They were compared to each other, to the commercial (Pt) deposited on activated carbon powder (Johnson Matthey) and to pure Vulcan XC-72 for their respective abilities toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Tafel parameters were determined for all these electrodes. From the I–V curves and their quantitative treatment, the following order of activity emerged unambiguously and reads: (PtCO)₂ (fcc structure) > (PtCO)₁ (Chini cluster) > (Pt)_neat > (Pt)_JM (Johnson Matthey) ≫ (Vulcan XC-72). As expected, all the Pt-loaded electrodes were more efficient than Vulcan XC-72. The classification appears to be linked with the mean nanoparticle size, and for comparable sizes, with the surface morphology of the materials. The results and the stability of the electrodes suggest that the small particle sizes and the good dispersity on the carbon support were maintained during the HER.     

Electrochemical oxidation of ethyl 3-oxo-3-phenyl-2-phenylhydrazonopropionate

The electrochemical oxidation of ethyl 3-oxo-3-phenyl-2-phenylhydrazonopropionate has been studied in the pH range 3.0–11.0 at a pyrolytic graphite electrode by linear and cyclic sweep voltammetry, coulometry and spectral studies. The results indicate that the 2 e⁻, 2 H⁺ oxidation of this compound gives phenol and ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-dioxopropionate as the major products of electrooxidation.     

Removal of185W,99Mo and125Sb radioisotopes from aqueous solutions using polyamine incorporated polysaccharides

Polyamino group-containing resins act both as chelating ion exchangers and weakly basic anion exchangers depending upon the species in contact in the solution. In the present work, ion exchangers based on polyamine incorporated polysaccharides (cellulose and galactomannan or guaran) have been used for removal of radioisotopes of¹⁸⁵W as WO ₄ ^2– ,⁹⁹Mo as MoO ₄ ^2– and¹²⁵Sb as Sb³⁺ from their separate aqueous solutions. These chelating anion exchangers have been synthesized by reaction of polysaccharides with epichlorohydrin followed by the respective polyamines as nucleophiles in a strongly alkaline medium. WO ₄ ^2– and MoO ₄ ^2– are adsorbed from their aqueous solutions through anion exchange process by chloride form of cellulose-triethylenetetraamine (cellulose-trien), cellulose-tetraethylenepentaamine (cellulose-tetren), guaran-triethylenetetraamine (guar-trien) and guar-tetraethylenepentaamine (guar-tetren) weakly basic anion exchangers. Guar-tetren chelating polymer has been found to be highly selective for¹²⁵Sb isotopes presumably due to the presence of chelating cis-hydroxy and tetren groups in the galactomannan matrix.     

Synthesis and structural characterisation of a novel tris-methylene bridged compound (NO) 4Fe2 Se(μ-CH2)3

The tris-methylene bridged compound (NO)₄Fe₂Se(μ-CH₂)₃ has been isolated. It has been characterised by IR and ¹H, ¹³C, and ⁷⁷Se NMR spectroscopy. Its structure has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. The structure consists of a heavy atom triangle consisting of one Se and two Fe atoms. The Fe-Fe and the two Fe-Se edges are bridged by methylene groups.     

Adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of chromium in gallium

The electroanalytical chemistry of trace metals has progressed strongly with the development of cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) preceded by adsorption collection of organic metal complexes. A sensitive method for the determination of trace amount of chromium in gallium is described. Gallium is dissolved in sodium hydroxide containing hydrogen peroxide. The method is based on the catalytic activity of nitrate ions on the reduction of Cr(III)TTHA (triethylene tetramine-N,N,N',N',N',N'-hexaacetic acid) complex. The sensitivity of this method is further improved by adsorption preconcentration of Cr(III)TTHA complex at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The Cr(III) formed at the electrode surface by the reduction of Cr(VI), which is present in the bulk solution, is immediately complexed by TTHA. The adsorbed complex is then reduced at a peak potential of - 1.26 V, and the peak height of Cr(III) reduction is measured. The determination limit was restricted by the amount of chromium present in the reagent blank solution. The method is suitable for the determination of chromium at level as low as 0.2 mug g(-1) (with about 50 mg of sample) and a relative standard deviation of 15%.