Hydrogen analysis in solid samples by utilizing He metastable atoms induced by TEA CO2 laser plasma in He gas at 1 atm

A TEA CO₂ laser (350 mJ–1.5 J, 10.6 μm, 200 ns, 10 Hz) was focused onto a metal sub-target under He as host gas at 1 atmospheric pressure with a small amount of impurity gas, such as water and ethanol vapors. It was found that the TEA CO₂ laser with the help of the metal sub-target is favorable for generating a strong, large volume helium gas breakdown plasma at 1 atmospheric pressure, in which the helium metastable-excited state was then produced overwhelmingly. While the metal sub-target itself was never ablated. The helium metastable-excited state produced after the strong helium gas breakdown plasma was considered to play an important role in exciting the atoms. This was confirmed by the specific characteristics of the detected H emission, namely the strong intensity with low background, narrow spectral width, and the long lifetime. This technique can be used for gas and solid samples analysis. For nonmetal solid analysis, a metal mesh was introduced in front of the nonmetal sample surface to help initiation of the helium gas breakdown plasma. For metal sample, analysis can be carried out by combining the TEA CO₂ laser and an Nd–YAG laser where the Nd–YAG laser is used to ablate the metal sample. The ablated atoms from the metal sample are then sent into the region of helium gas breakdown plasma induced by the TEA CO₂ laser to be excited through the helium metastable-excited state. This technique can be extended to the analysis of other elements, not limited only to hydrogen, such as halogens.     

Practical asymmetric enzymatic reduction through discovery of a dehydrogenase-compatible biphasic reaction media

[reaction: see text] An enzyme-compatible biphasic reaction media for the asymmetric biocatalytic reduction of ketones with in situ cofactor regeneration has been developed. In this biphasic reaction media, which is advantageous for reactions at higher substrate concentrations, both enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenase and FDH from Candida boidinii) remain stable. The reductions with poorly water-soluble ketones were carried out at substrate concentrations of 10-200 mM, and the optically active (S)-alcohols were formed with moderate to good conversions and with up to >99% ee.     

Coligand role in the NHC nickel catalyzed C–F bond activation: investigations on the insertion of bis(NHC) nickel into the C–F bond of hexafluorobenzene

The reaction of [Ni(Mes₂Im)₂] (1) (Mes₂Im = 1,3-dimesityl-imidazolin-2-ylidene) with polyfluorinated arenes as well as mechanistic investigations concerning the insertion of 1 and [Ni(ⁱPr₂Im)₂] (1ipr) (ⁱPr₂Im = 1,3-diisopropyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene) into the C–F bond of C₆F₆ is reported. The reaction of 1 with different fluoroaromatics leads to formation of the nickel fluoroaryl fluoride complexes trans-[Ni(Mes₂Im)₂(F)(Ar^F)] (Ar^F = 4-CF₃-C₆F₄2, C₆F₅3, 2,3,5,6-C₆F₄N 4, 2,3,5,6-C₆F₄H 5, 2,3,5-C₆F₃H₂6, 3,5-C₆F₂H₃7) in fair to good yields with the exception of the formation of the pentafluorophenyl complex 3 (less than 20%). Radical species and other diamagnetic side products were detected for the reaction of 1 with C₆F₆, in line with a radical pathway for the C–F bond activation step using 1. The difluoride complex trans-[Ni(Mes₂Im)₂(F)₂] (9), the bis(aryl) complex trans-[Ni(Mes₂Im)₂(C₆F₅)₂] (15), the structurally characterized nickel(i) complex trans-[Ni^I(Mes₂Im)₂(C₆F₅)] (11) and the metal radical trans-[Ni^I(Mes₂Im)₂(F)] (12) were identified. Complex 11, and related [Ni^I(Mes₂Im)₂(2,3,5,6-C₆F₄H)] (13) and [Ni^I(Mes₂Im)₂(2,3,5-C₆F₃H₂)] (14), were synthesized independently by reaction of trans-[Ni(Mes₂Im)₂(F)(Ar^F)] with PhSiH₃. Simple electron transfer from 1 to C₆F₆ was excluded, as the redox potentials of the reaction partners do not match and [Ni(Mes₂Im)₂]⁺, which was prepared independently, was not detected. DFT calculations were performed on the insertion of [Ni(ⁱPr₂Im)₂] (1ipr) and [Ni(Mes₂Im)₂] (1) into the C–F bond of C₆F₆. For 1ipr, concerted and NHC-assisted pathways were identified as having the lowest kinetic barriers, whereas for 1, a radical mechanism with fluoride abstraction and an NHC-assisted pathway are both associated with almost the same kinetic barrier.

A combined experimental and theoretical study on the mechanism of the C–F bond activation of C₆F₆ with [Ni(NHC)₂] is provided.     

Rotational fluctuations of water inside the nanopores of SBA-type molecular sieves

The rotational molecular dynamics of water confined to nanoporous molecular sieves of a regular hexagonal (SBA-15) and of a foamlike pore structure was studied by dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10(-2) to 10(9) Hz and in a broad temperature interval. Two relaxation processes were observed: the process at lower frequencies is related to water molecules forming a layer, which is strongly adsorbed at the pore surface, whereas the relaxation process at higher frequencies is assigned to fluctuations of water molecules situated close to the center of the pore. The relaxation times of the low-frequency process for both materials and of the high-frequency process for the SBA-15 material have an unusual saddlelike temperature dependence, reported here for the first time. To describe this temperature dependence, a model developed for water confined to nanoporous glasses by Ryabov et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105, 1845] was applied, which considers two competing effects. The characteristic features of these two competing processes were compared with those reported for other porous systems.     

In situ spectroscopic study of the oxidation and reduction of Pd(111)

Using a photoemission spectroscometer that operates close to ambient conditions of pressure and temperature we have determined the Pd-O phase diagram and the kinetic parameters of phase transformations. We found that on the (111) surface oxidation proceeds by formation of stable and metastable structures. As the chemical potential of O2 increases chemisorbed oxygen forms followed by a thin surface oxide. Bulk oxidation is a two-step process that starts with the metastable growth of the surface oxide into the bulk, followed by a first-order transformation to PdO.     

Renormalization group and high-temperature series for the two-dimensional ising model

We employ high-temperature series to investigate a two-parameter class of renormalization group transformations for the two-dimensional Ising model on the triangular lattice. For the static case we identify an optimal organization of the high-temperature expansion and an optimal transformation matrix and thus find, in second order, =0.96 and the magnetic eigenvaluey=2-/2=1.76.From recursion relations for flip rates we find the dynamic exponent to be the same for all transformations in our two-parameter class,z=2.32.Our fixed-point flip rates do not describe a Markov process even though the corresponding master equation for the single-event probability displays no explicit memory effects. The non-Markovian nature shows up only in a violation of the Markovian detailed balance conditions.     

Linear dependence in basis-set calculations for extended systems

The problem of linear dependence in basis-set calculations for extended systems is discussed. We show that the problem is intrinsic in three-dimensionally extended systems, but is not as serious in systems with extension in fewer dimensions. The possibility of choosing suitable basis sets that avoid linear dependence is discussed. It is shown that for systems extended in three dimensions in which the orbitals near the Fermi-level are well described by plane waves a mixed atomicorbital/plane-wave (AO –PW ) basis set with tight orbitals to describe the cores avoids the problem in the most efficient way. Numerical experiments with 1s Slater-type orbitals and plane waves on a simple cubic lattice are presented for illustration. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Osmium(II)-Phthalocyanine: Darstellung und Eigenschaften von Di(acido)phthalocyaninatoosmaten(II)

Osmium(II) Phthalocyanines: Preparation and Properties of Di(acido)phthalocyaninatoosmates(II) “H[Os(X)₂Pc^2?]” (X = Br, Cl) reacts in basic medium or in the melt with (ⁿBu₄N)X forming less stable, diamagnetic, darkgreen (ⁿBu₄N)₂[Os(X)₂Pc^2?]. Similar dicyano and diimidazolido(Im) complexes are formed by the reaction of “H[Os(Cl)₂Pc^2?]” with excess ligand in the presence of [BH₄]^?. The cyclic voltammograms show up to three quasireversible redoxprocesses: E_1/2(I) = 0.13 V (X = CN), ?0.03 V (Im), ?0.13 V (Br) resp. ?0.18 V (Cl) is metal directed (Os^II/III), E_1/2(II) = 0.69 V (Cl), 0.71 V (Br), 0.83 V (CN), 1.02 V (Im) is ligand directed (Pc^2?/?) and E_1/2(III) = 1.17 V (Cl) resp. 1.23 V (Br) is again metal directed (Os^III/IV). Between the typical “B” (～16.2 kK) and “Q” (～29.4 kK), “N regions” (～34.1 kK) up to seven strong “extra bands” of the phthalocyanine dianion (Pc^2?) are observed in the uv-vis spectrum. Within the row CN > Im > Br > Cl, most of the bands are shifted slightly, the “extra bands” considerably more to lower energy in correlation with E_1/2(I). The vibrational spectra are typical for the Pc^2? ligand with D_4h symmetry. M.i.r. bands at 514, 909, 1 173 and 1 331 cm^?1 are specific for hexa-coordinated low spin Os^II phthalocyanines. In the resonance Raman (r.r.) spectra polarized, depolarized or anomalously polarized deformation and stretching vibrations of the Pc^2? ligand will be selectively enhanced, if the excitation frequency coincides with “extra bands”. With excitation at ～19.5 kK the intensity of the symmetrical Os? X stretching vibration at 295 cm^?1 (X = Cl), 252 cm^?1 (X = Im) and 181 cm^?1 (X = Br) is r.r. enhanced, too. The asymmetrical Os? X stretching vibration is observed in the f.i.r. spectrum at 345 cm^?1 (X = CN), 274 cm^?1 (X = Cl), 261 cm^?1 (X = Im) and 200 cm^?1 (X = Br).