Investigating the interface of superhydrophobic surfaces in contact with water

Neutron reflectivity (NR) is used to probe the solid, liquid, vapor interface of a porous superhydrophobic (SH) surface submerged in water. A low-temperature, low-pressure technique was used to prepare a rough, highly porous organosilica aerogel-like film. UV/ozone treatments were used to control the surface coverage of hydrophobic organic ligands on the silica framework, allowing the contact angle with water to be continuously varied over the range of 160 degrees (superhydrophobic) to <10 degrees (hydrophilic). NR shows that the superhydrophobic nature of the surface prevents infiltration of water into the porous film. Atomic force microscopy and density functional theory simulations are used in combination to interpret the NR results and help establish the location, width, and nature of the SH film-water interface.     

Novel silver(I)-organic coordination polymers: conversion of extended structures in the solid state as driven by argentophilic interactions

Structurally distinct coordination polymers [Ag(bpp)]ClO4 1 and [Ag(bpp)]PF6 2 [bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane] have been assembled; the conversion of 1 into 2 on treatment with NaPF6 is driven by argentophilic interactions and is the first such transformation reported for silver(I)-organic coordination polymers.     

Synthesis of angular triquinanes from 1-Alkynylbicyclo[3.2. 0]hept-2-en-7-ones. A tandem alkoxy-cope ring Expansion/Transannular ring closure reaction

Addition of ethenyllithium reagents to the carbonyl group of dialkyl squarate-derived 1-alkynylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-ene-7-ones (15), followed by a TBAF workup, results in a low-temperature anion-accelerated alkoxy-Cope rearrangement which proceeds by way of a strained cyclic allene intermediates (e.g.,17). This leads to the formation of angularly fused triquinanes (e.g., 20) in which each of the rings is functionally differentiated. Bicyclo[6.3. 0]undecadienones (e.g., 36) are the major products when the reactions are quenched with aqueous bicarbonate rather than TBAF. Under analogous conditions 2-alkylidene-1-alkynylbicyclo[3.2. 0]heptan-7-ones also give bicyclo[6.3.0]undecadienones by a mechanism that was established to involve a 1,5-hydrgen shift in a strained allene intermediate. The synthetic scope and mechanism of these and related transformations are discussed.     

Synthesis of mesoporous carbons using ordered and disordered mesoporous silica templates and polyacrylonitrile as carbon precursor

Mesoporous carbons were synthesized from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) using ordered and disordered mesoporous silica templates and were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, and thermogravimetry. The pores of the silica templates were infiltrated with carbon precursor (PAN) via polymerization of acrylonitrile from initiation sites chemically bonded to the silica surface. This polymerization method is expected to allow for a uniform filling of the template with PAN and to minimize the introduction of nontemplated PAN, thus mitigating the formation of nontemplated carbon. PAN was stabilized by heating to 573 K under air and carbonized under N2 at 1073 K. The resulting carbons exhibited high total pore volumes (1.5-1.8 cm3 g(-1)), with a primary contribution of the mesopore volume and with relatively low microporosity. The carbons synthesized using mesoporous templates with a 2-dimensional hexagonal structure (SBA-15 silica) and a face-centered cubic structure (FDU-1 silica) exhibited narrow pore size distributions (PSDs), whereas the carbon synthesized using disordered silica gel template had broader PSD. TEM showed that the SBA-15-templated carbon was composed of arrays of long, straight, or curved nanorods aligned in 2-D hexagonal arrays. The carbon replica of FDU-1 silica appeared to be composed of ordered arrays of spheres. XRD provided evidence of some degree of ordering of graphene sheets in the carbon frameworks. Elemental analysis showed that the carbons contain an appreciable amount of nitrogen. The use of our novel infiltration method and PAN as a carbon precursor allowed us to obtain ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) with (i) very high mesopore volume, (ii) low microporosity, (iii) low secondary mesoporosity, (iv) large pore diameter (8-12 nm), and (v) semi-graphitic framework, which represent a desirable combination of features that has not been realized before for OMCs.     

Preliminary characterization of anhydrous ethanol used in Brazil as automotive fuel

This work reports preliminary studies on the characterisation of anhydrous ethanol (AEA) used as an automotive fuel mixed with gasoline in Porto Alegre (South Brazil). Pre-concentration of the impurities contained in 1000 ml of AEA was carried on through solid-phase extraction using XAD4 resin. The main compounds in the extract were identified by means of spectral data from the library of the equipment. The concentrate was then fractionated using a preparative liquid chromatographic column filled with activated silica gel and the elution procedure was carried out with, n-hexane, n-hexane-benzene (1:1, v/v) and dichloromethane. Prior to analysis by GC-MS, each fraction was reduced to 1 ml with a gentle stream of nitrogen. Saturated linear hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons eluted in the first fraction and oxygenated compounds such as aldehydes. ketones and alcohols, eluted in the second one. were the main compounds detected in the sample.