Synthesis and characterization of isotopically enriched methylmercury (CH3201Hg+)

A simple procedure for the synthesis of an important standard, isotopically enriched methylmercury, which is not commercially available, has been established successfully. The isotopically enriched standard synthesized is utilized in conventional isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), as well as in speciated IDMS (SIDMS), for determination of the true concentration of methylmercury in environmental samples. The CH₃²⁰¹Hg⁺ standard has been synthesized from commercially available ²⁰¹HgO and tetramethyltin. The synthesis time required is 1 h at 60°C. The product is highly pure, yielding more than 90% as ²⁰¹Hg in CH₃²⁰¹Hg⁺. Hazardous dimethylmercury does not occur during this synthesis procedure. The product synthesized was analyzed using high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) and ICP‐MS alone in order to determine its concentration, isotopic composition and purity. The stability of the product was also evaluated for over 6 months and found to be stable at 4°C in the dark. The isotopically enriched methylmercury synthesized can be used in SIDMS and IDMS analyses as a standard. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subtilisin catalysis of substrate anchored in cyclodextrin

The N-benzoyl-l-tyrosine ethyl ester (BTEE) anchored in cyclodextrin (β and β-methyl CD) serves as an excellent substrate for subtilisin Carlsberg catalysis. The rate of hydrolysis was found to be approximately twofold higher than that of the methanolic substrate. The K_mapp and V_max values for the CD anchored substrates were significantly higher than the methanol-solubilized BTEE.     

Microwave-assisted Sinthesis of Thymyl Ethers and Esters in Aqueous Medium

Various thymyl ethers and esters have been synthesized by reactions of thymol with alkyl halides and acid chlorides, respectively, in aqueous medium under environmentally benign conditions using micro-wave irradiation. The products are important as potent pest managing agents.     

Gamma,delta-unsaturated beta-diketones by acylation of ketones

[reaction: see text] Gamma,delta-unsaturated beta-diketones have been prepared by the acylation of ketones with N-acylbenzotriazoles of various aliphatic and aromatic alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acids.     

Near infrared spectral investigations of hydration of 18-crown-6 in HDO-D2O solutions at different temperatures

Near infrared spectra of solution of 6.4 M HDO in D(2)O have been obtained at 15, 25, 30, and 35 degrees C. It was observed that the bands of HDO in D(2)O occur at 1416, 1525, 1556, and 1666 nm, which are in good agreement with the similar data reported earlier by Worley and Klotz. The calculations of enthalpy change for hydrogen bond formation (DeltaH degrees ) yielded the value of -2.5+/-0.4 kcal mol(-1), which is in excellent agreement with the value reported by Walrafen. Similar spectra were recorded for 1 and 2 m 18-crown-6 (18C6) dissolved in the solution of HDO in D(2)O at different temperatures. The band positions remain unchanged, however, the variation of intensity as a function of concentration of 18C6 and temperature clearly indicate that 18C6 acts as a structure making solute. The structural temperature and DeltaH degrees values have been obtained for the 18C6 solutions. These results are explained on the basis of the stabilization of 18C6 in the D(3d) conformation through hydrogen bonding of HDO molecules [doubly hydrogen bonded, i.e. bridging, and singly hydrogen bonded] to the oxygen atoms of 18C6 molecules. Slightly different DeltaH degrees values obtained can be attributed to clathrate like structure at 1 m 18C6 concentration while at 2 m 18C6 concentration it is postulated that the hydrophobic interactions are contributing additionally.     

Structural characterization of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles by experiment and molecular simulation

A procedure, combining molecular simulation, Raman spectroscopy, and standard nitrogen adsorption, is developed for structural characterization of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) samples. Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations of nitrogen adsorption are performed on the external and internal adsorption sites of homogeneous arrays of SWNTs of diameters previously determined by Raman spectroscopy of the sample. The results show the importance of the peripheral grooves of a nanotube bundle at low relative pressure and the insensitivity of nanotube diameter toward adsorption on the external surface of the bundle at higher pressures. Simulations also reveal that samples containing thin nanotubes have less internal adsorption capacity that saturates at lower pressure than those comprising large diameter nanotubes. The fraction of open-ended nanotubes in a sample can be estimated by scaling the simulated internal adsorption inside nanotubes to obtain a near perfect fit between simulated and experimental isotherms. This procedure allows extrapolation of adsorption properties to conditions in which all nanotubes in the sample are open-ended.     

Isomeric ruthenium terpyridine complexes [Ru(trpy)(L)Cl]n+ containing the unsymmetrically bidentate acceptor L=3-amino-6-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine. Synthesis, structures, electrochemistry, spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The isomeric title complexes were obtained in almost equimolar ratio from the reaction of Ru(trpy)Cl3 and L. Crystal structure analyses of the perchlorate hemihydrates, electrochemical and spectroscopic (NMR, UV/VIS, EPR) studies, supported by DFT calculations, reveal distinct differences between the isomeric redox series [1]n+(tetrazine-Nt trans to Cl) and [2]n+(pyrazolyl-Np trans to Cl; n= 0, 1, 2). The latter system with the pi acceptors trpy and tetrazine in the equatorial plane and the pyrazolyl and chloride donors in the axial positions exhibits facilitated oxidation, lower energy MLCT transitions, more balanced chelate coordination, and a higher g anisotropy in the oxidised (RuIII) state. According to partially resolved EPR spectra of one-electron reduced neutral compounds and they have the unpaired electron predominantly in the tetrazine ring of L.     

Dielectric Relaxation Study of Liquids Having Chloro Group with Associated Liquids. I. Chlorobenzene with Methanol, Ethanol, and 1-Propanol

The complex permittivity for chlorobenzene–alcohol binary mixtures have been determined over the frequency range of 10 MHz to 20 GHz, at 15, 25, 35, and 45°C, using the time-domain reflectometry (TDR) method for 11 concentrations of each chlorobenzene–alcohol system. The alcohols used were methanol, ethanol, and 1-propanol. The values of static dielectric constant, relaxation time, the corresponding excess properties, the Redlich–Kister coefficients up to the third order, the Kirkwood correlation factor, and thermodynamic parameters of the mixtures have been determined. The excess permittivity is found to be negative for chlorobenzene–methanol and chlorobenzene–ethanol, whereas it is positive in the 1-propanol rich region. The excess inverse relaxation time is negative for all the systems studied here. The Kirkwood effective correlation factor increases with an increasing in the molecular size of the alcohol, but decreases with increasing temperature.     

Structural and electronic properties of Si n, Si n+, and AlSi n-1 (n=2-13) clusters: theoretical investigation based on ab initio molecular orbital theory

The geometric and electronic structures of Si(n), Si(n) (+), and AlSi(n-1) clusters (2< or =n< or =13) have been investigated using the ab initio molecular orbital theory under the density functional theory formalism. The hybrid exchange-correlation energy function (B3LYP) and a standard split-valence basis set with polarization functions [6-31G(d)] were employed for this purpose. Relative stabilities of these clusters have been analyzed based on their binding energies, second difference in energy (Delta (2)E) and fragmentation behavior. The equilibrium geometry of the neutral and charged Si(n) clusters show similar structural growth. However, significant differences have been observed in the electronic structure leading to their different stability pattern. While for neutral clusters, the Si(10) is magic, the extra stability of the Si(11) (+) cluster over the Si(10) (+) and Si(12) (+) bears evidence for the magic behavior of the Si(11) (+) cluster, which is in excellent agreement with the recent experimental observations. Similarly for AlSi(n-1) clusters, which is isoelectronic with Si(n) (+) clusters show extra stability of the AlSi(10) cluster suggesting the influence of the electronic structures for different stabilities between neutral and charged clusters. The ground state geometries of the AlSi(n-1) clusters show that the impurity Al atom prefers to substitute for the Si atom, that has the highest coordination number in the host Si(n) cluster. The fragmentation behavior of all these clusters show that while small clusters prefers to evaporate monomer, the larger ones dissociate into two stable clusters of smaller size.