Linked crystallites in the conducting topmost layer of polymer bilayer films controlled by temperature: from micro- to nanocrystallites.

Temperature has great impact on the structure and size of the linked crystallites of the conducting topmost layer formed at the surface of a polycarbonate film via the reaction BEDT-TTF+IBr [BEDT-TTF=bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene]. We show that fine temperature control permits formation of a semiconducting topmost layer of alpha'-(BEDT-TTF)(2)(I(x)Br(1-x))(3) crystallites with either micro- or nanometre size, a result that opens a route to miniaturized conducting plastic materials.     

Bifunctional activation of amine-boranes by the W/Pd bimetallic analogs of “frustrated Lewis pairs”

The reaction between basic [(PCP)Pd(H)] (PCP = 2,6-(CH₂P(t-C₄H₉)₂)₂C₆H₄) and acidic [LWH(CO)₃] (L = Cp (1a), Tp (1b); Cp = η⁵-cyclopentadienyl, Tp = κ³-hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate) leads to the formation of bimolecular complexes [LW(CO)₂(μ-CO)⋯Pd(PCP)] (4a, 4b), which catalyze amine-borane (Me₂NHBH₃, ^tBuNH₂BH₃) dehydrogenation. The combination of variable-temperature (¹H, ³¹P{¹H}, ¹¹B NMR and IR) spectroscopies and computational (ωB97XD/def2-TZVP) studies reveal the formation of an η¹-borane complex [(PCP)Pd(Me₂NHBH₃)]⁺[LW(CO₃)]⁻ (5) in the first step, where a BH bond strongly binds palladium and an amine group is hydrogen-bonded to tungsten. The subsequent intracomplex proton transfer is the rate-determining step, followed by an almost barrierless hydride transfer. Bimetallic species 4 are easily regenerated through hydrogen evolution in the reaction between two hydrides.

Bimetallic complexes [LW(CO)₂(μ-CO)⋯Pd(PCP)] cooperatively activate amine-boranes for their dehydrogenation via N–H proton tunneling at RDS and H₂ evolution from two neutral hydrides.     

Synthesis and properties of new biotin compounds containing hexyltriethylene glycol chain

The synthesis of a new halogenide containing hexyltriethylene glycol chain functionalized with biotin is reported. The general possibility of this linker to use as the building block for biotinylated compounds syntheses is demonstrated. Two biotinylated esters with different properties for useful surface modification and as fluorescence probes for proteins marking were synthesized. The properties of mentioned compounds were investigated by using surface plazmon resonance ellypsometry and fluorescence spectroscopy.     

Sampling and digestion of waste mobile phones printed circuit boards for Cu,Pb, Ni,and Zn determination

Sampling is the most important procedure in arriving at the value of an electronic scrap. Inappropriate sampling makes other procedures, including assaying, valueless, as the sample must really represent the electronic scrap from which it was taken. The aim of this study was to develop the procedure to investigate the composition of heterogeneous printed circuit boards (PCBs) material and to show its applicability as well as its related limitations. The contents of Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn in PCBs from wasted mobile phones were determined. Mixtures of aqua regia, hydrogen peroxide and hydrofluoric acid were applied to sample digestion. Open and closed vessel wet digestion with or without heating and microwave-assisted one was realized. For these purposes different sample amounts (0.2, 0.4, and 0.5 g) were applied and on the basis of calculated relative standard deviation values (RSD), the precision of repeated the most effective digestion was evaluated. The microwave-assisted wet digestion and mixture of aqua regia and hydrogen peroxide was found as the most effective one of the compared mixtures and applied conditions. A sample amount of 0.5 g was found as the most suitable. RSD values confirm the importance of electronic waste material sample preparation.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Donepezil and Its Voltammetric Determination at Gold Electrode

The oxidative ability of donepezil, a frequently prescribed drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is reported for the first time at a gold electrode. It was oxidized by cyclic voltammetry and determined by square wave voltammetry in phosphate buffer electrolyte. Electrochemical degradation of donepezil was carried out by long term potential cycling. The identification and characterization of the major product, isolated by preparative high performance liquid chromatography, was performed by high resolution mass spectrometry and 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Donepezil hydroxy derivative was identified as the major electrochemical oxidation product from donepezil.     

Modeling the platinum-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of ethylene: The nucleophilic addition of HNEt2 to coordinated ethylene in trans-PtBr2(C2H4)(HNEt2)

Compound trans-PtBr₂(C₂H₄)(NHEt₂) (1) has been synthesized by Et₂NH addition to K[PtBr₃(C₂H₄)] and structurally characterized. Its isomer cis-PtBr₂(C₂H₄)(NHEt₂) (3) has been obtained from 1 by photolytic dissociation of ethylene, generating the dinuclear trans-[PtBr₂(NHEt₂)]₂ intermediate (2), followed by thermal re-addition of C₂H₄, but only in low yields. The addition of further Et₂NH to 1 in either dichloromethane or acetone yields the zwitterionic complex trans-Pt⁽⁻⁾Br₂(NHEt₂)(CH₂CH₂N⁽⁺⁾HEt₂) (4) within the time of mixing in an equilibrated process, which shifts toward the product at lower temperatures (ΔH° = −6.8 ± 0.5 kcal/mol, ΔS° = 14.0 ± 2.0 e.u., from a variable temperature IR study). ¹H NMR shows that free Et₂NH exchanges rapidly with H-bonded amine in a 4·NHEt₂ adduct, slowly with the coordinated Et₂NH in 1, and not at all (on the NMR time scale) with Pt-NHEt₂ or -CH₂CH₂N⁽⁺⁾HEt₂ in 4. No evidence was obtained for deprotonation of 4 to yield an aminoethyl derivative trans-[PtBr₂(NHEt₂)(CH₂CH₂NEt₂)]⁻ (5), except as an intermediate in the averaging of the diasteretopic methylene protons of the CH₂CH₂N⁽⁺⁾HEt₂ ligand of 4 in the higher polarity acetone solvent. Computational work by DFT attributes this phenomenon to more facile ion pair dissociation of 5·Et₂NH₂⁺, obtained from 4·Et₂NH, facilitating inversion at the N atom. Complex 4 is the sole observable product initially but slow decomposition occurs in both solvents, though in different ways, without observable generation of NEt₃. Addition of TfOH to equilibrated solutions of 4, 1 and excess Et₂NH leads to partial protonolysis to yield NEt₃ but also regenerates 1 through a shift of the equilibrium via protonation of free Et₂NH. The DFT calculations reveal also a more favourable coordination (stronger Pt-N bond) of Et₂NH relative to PhNH₂ to the Pt^II center, but the barriers of the nucleophilic additions of Et₂NH to the C₂H₄ ligand in 1 and of PhNH₂ to trans-PtBr₂(C₂H₄)(PhNH₂) (1a) are predicted to be essentially identical for the two systems.     

Reductive Elimination at Pb(II) Center of an (Amino)plumbylene-Substituted Phosphaketene: New Pathway for Phosphinidene Synthesis

A stable (amino)plumbylene-substituted phosphaketene 3 was synthesized by the successive reactions of PbCl₂ with two anionic reagents (lithium amidophosphine and NaPCO). Of particular interest, the thermal evolution of 3 , at 80 °C, leads to the transient formation of corresponding amino- and phosphanylidene-phosphaketenes ( 6 and 7 ), via a reductive elimination at the Pb^II center forming new N−P and P−P bonds. Further evolution of 6 gives a new cyclic (amino)phosphanylidene phosphorane 4 , which shows a unique reactivity as a phosphinidene. This result provides a new synthetic route to phosphinidenes, extending and facilitating further their access.     

Multistability in a BEDT-TTF based molecular conductor

The low dimensional organic conductor (BEDT-TTF)(2)Br(1.3)I(1.1)Cl(0.6) [BEDT-TTF = bis(ethylenedithio)tertathiafulvalene] is shown to be a unique molecular solid that exists in three crystalline polymorphic forms (alpha'-, alpha' "-, beta' '-phase) and, surprisingly, is able to adopt the same metal-like beta' '-phase at both low (T < 185 K) and high (T > 395 K) temperatures. Several crystals of the alpha'- and alpha' "-phases have been studied using three different techniques: dc-conductivity measurements, ESR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. All these techniques show the existence of the reversible semiconductor <--> metal (alpha' " <--> beta' ') phase transition at both high and low temperatures as well as the alpha' <--> alpha' " phase transition at high temperatures. The phase transitions of these polymorphs are characterized by huge hysteresis and dramatic changes in the transport and magnetic properties. Based on ab initio calculations, it is suggested that dipole-dipole interactions can play a key role in the rich polymorphism of this molecular solid.     

Pt/C nanocatalysts for methanol electrooxidation prepared by water-in-oil microemulsion method

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Pt nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72R were synthesized by water-in-oil microemulsion method. By incorporating different amounts of HCl as a capping...