Microwave promoted methylation of plant polysaccharides

O-Methylation is of outstanding importance in structural polysaccharide chemistry. A novel method for the methylation of polysaccharides using microwave (MW) irradiation is described. Seed gum from Cyamopsis tetragonolobus (Guar) was fully methylated with dimethyl sulphate and sodium hydroxide using 100% microwave power for 4 min in 68% yield. The completely methylated seed gum thus obtained was hydrolyzed by 70% formic acid followed by 0.5N H₂SO₄ under full microwave power for 1.16 and 1.66 min, respectively. The partially methylated monosaccharides were separated and identified.     

After-Effects of Electrolytically diffused hydrogen in the second-order elastic coefficient of poynting’s effect in nickel and steel

Summary If hydrogen is diffused electrolytically in a metal, it subsequently escapes out if the metal is left to itself. However this hydrogen-treated metal does not totally regain the original magnitudes of its various physical properties,e. g., thermo e.m.f., electrical resistivity, elastic modulii etc. This effect has also been observed in the second-order elastic effect (the Poynting effect) in nickel and two varieties of steel. Measurements were carried out first before hydrogen diffusion. The samples were electrolytically diffused with hydrogen and the left to themselves for a few days and the measurements were repeated. The changed values of the coefficient of Poynting effect are discussed in terms of the dislocations created by in-and out-going hydrogen. Now retired     

CAN mediated cyclization of epoxypropyl cinnamyl ethers: a facile stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydropyran derivatives

Cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate in substoichiometric amounts, promotes the intramolecular cyclization of epoxypropyl cinnamyl ethers to the corresponding 3,4,5-trisubstituted tetrahydropyran derivatives in moderate to good yields.     

Mössbauer spectroscopy study of iron corrosion underneath painting system

The effect of pigments on the development of corrosion products between the painting system and metal surface when exposed to marine environments has been discussed. The pigments studied were; Red Mud Zinc chromate, Zinc chromate, Red oxide Zinc Phosphate, Manganese Phosphate Barium chromate and Basic Lead Silico Chromate. Mossbauer Spectroscopy revealed that the upper rust layer in all the cases consisted of-Fe203,-FeOOH and-FeOOH. The lower rust layer immediately in contact with the metal surface consisted of an asymmetrical doublet due to -FeOOH.     

Pervaporation from a dense membrane: roles of permeant-membrane interactions, Kelvin effect, and membrane swelling

Dense polymeric membranes with extremely small pores in the form of free volume are used widely in the pervaporative separation of liquid mixtures. The membrane permeation of a component followed by its vaporization on the opposite face is governed by the solubility and downstream pressure. We measured the evaporative flux of pure methanol and 2-propanol using dense membranes with different free volumes and different affinities (wettabilities and solubilities) for the permeant. Interestingly, the evaporative flux for different membranes vanished substantially (10-75%) below the equilibrium vapor pressure in the bulk. The discrepancy was larger for a smaller pore size and for more wettable membranes (higher positive spreading coefficients). This observation, which cannot be explained by the existing (mostly solution-diffusion type) models ofpervaporation, suggests an important role for the membrane-permeant interactions in nanopores that can lower the equilibrium vapor pressure. The pore sizes, as estimated from the positron annihilation, ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 nm for the dry membranes. Solubilities of methanol in different composite membranes were estimated from the Flory-Huggins theory. The interaction parameter was obtained from the surface properties measured by the contact angle goniometry in conjunction with the acid-base theory of polar surface interactions. For the membranes examined, the increase in the "wet" pore volume due to membrane swelling correlates almost linearly with the solubility of methanol in these membranes. Indeed, the observations are found to be consistent with the lowering of the equilibrium vapor pressure on the basis of the Kelvin equation. Thus, a higher solubility or selectivity of a membrane also implies stronger permeant-membrane interactions and a greater retention of the permeant by the membrane, thus decreasing its evaporative flux. This observation has important implications for the interpretation of existing experiments and in the separation of liquid mixtures by pervaporation.     

Oxidative demetalation of cyclohexadienyl ruthenium(II) complexes: a net Ru-mediated dearomatization

[reaction: see text] An experimentally simple method for the demetalation of spirocyclic cyclohexadienylruthenium(II) complexes has been developed. Treatment of an alkoxy-substituted cyclohexadienyl complex with CuCl(2) affords either azaspiro[4.5]decane derivatives or heavily functionalized tetrahydroisoquinolines. The former reaction manifold completes a net Ru-mediated dearomatization as the organometallic starting materials are prepared from (eta(6)-arene)Ru(II) precursors. Both of these heterocyclic products are well suited for further synthetic elaboration.     

Kinetic determination of microamounts of some sulphur-containing ligands

Some sulphur-containing ligands have been shown to inhibit the Hg(II)-catalysed substitution of p-nitrosodiphenylamine (p-NDA) for cyanide in hexacyanoferrate(II), by binding the mercury(II). This effect is used for determination of microamounts of cysteine, thioglycollic acid and thiosulphate. The reactions are followed spectrophotometrically at 640 nm (lambda(max) of [Fe(CN)(5).p-NDA](3-)). The determination range depends on the amount of mercury(II) added and the stability of the Hg(II)-ligand complex. Under specified conditions, the detection limits are: thioglycollic acid 1 x 10(-7)M, cysteine 1 x 10(-6)M and thiosulphate 4 x 10(-7)M.     

Fibre-optic fluorosensor for sulphur dioxide

A fibre-optic sensor for continuous measurement of sulphur dioxide is described. It is based on the dynamic quenching of the fluorescence of a polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon [benzo(b)fluoranthene] which is immobilized in silicone polymer. Sulphur dioxide is shown to be an efficient quencher; Stern-Volmer graphs are given which describe the relation between SO₂ concentration and relative fluorescence. Detection limits are about 0.01% (v/v) SO₂ in air; the useful range is from 0.01–6% (v/v). Other gases likely to occur in air were found to be inert, except for oxygen which also acts as a dynamic quencher. Its interference is negligible for SO₂ levels below 6% in air at constant oxygen pressure, because the quenching efficiency of SO₂ is about 26 times higher than that of oxygen. For varying oxygen levels, a two-sensor technique is suggested.     

Thermodynamics of molecular interactions in binary mixtures of non-electrolytes. Molar excess volumes

Molar excess volumes, V^E, for pyridine (A) + α-picoline (B), + β-picoline (B) and + γ-picoline (B) and benzene (A) + toluene (B), + o-xylene (B) and + p-xylene (B) and carbon tetrachloride (A) + n-heptane (B) have been measured dilatometrically as a function of temperature and composition and have been utilized to study B—B and B—B—B interactions in the presence of A via the Mayer—McMillan approach. A model has also been presented to account for these B—B and B—B—B interactions. The V^E data at 308.15 K have also been analysed in terms of the “graph theoretical” approach which describes the V^E data well for all these mixtures at 308.15 K. The “graph theoretical” approach has further been extended to successfully evaluate V^E data for a mixture at any temperature, T₂, when the V^E data at T₁ are known.     

Reduction of Z-2-chlorostilbene with lithium aluminum hydride: evidence for an electron transfer radical mechanism

$\text{Z}$-2-Chlorostilbene undergoes uncatalyzed LiAlH₄ reduction giving phenanthrene and $\text{Z}$-stilbene. An electron transfer radical mechanism is proposed. LiAlH₄ induced isomerization of $\text{Z}$-stilbene produces $\text{E}$-stilbene.