Reduction of nitric oxide,nitrous acid and nitrogen dioxide at platinum electrodes in acidic solutions: Review and new voltammetric results

The literature concerning the chemical and electrochemical reactions of nitric oxide, nitrous acid and nitrogen dioxide in aqueous solutions is reviewed briefly, with emphasis on electrochemical reductions at platinum electrodes in acidic solutions. The voltammetric behavior of NO and NO₂ at a Pt electrode in perchloric acid is virtually identical to that for HNO₂ and this is explained on the basis of a common electroactive precursor concluded to be NO⁺. Three cathodic waves are obtained for acidic solutions of NO, HNO₂ and NO₂. The first two waves correspond to reduction of NO⁺ to NO and N₂O₃ to NO, respectively. The presence of N₂O₃ results from decomposition of the parent compounds. The presence of Br^- or Cl^- in acidic solutions of the title compounds promotes the voltammetric reductions at lower H⁺ concentrations. This probably results from formation of electroactive nitrosyl halides.     

Classification of gasoline data obtained by gas chromatography using a piecewise alignment algorithm combined with feature selection and principal component analysis

A fast and objective chemometric classification method is developed and applied to the analysis of gas chromatography (GC) data from five commercial gasoline samples. The gasoline samples serve as model mixtures, whereas the focus is on the development and demonstration of the classification method. The method is based on objective retention time alignment (referred to as piecewise alignment) coupled with analysis of variance (ANOVA) feature selection prior to classification by principal component analysis (PCA) using optimal parameters. The degree-of-class-separation is used as a metric to objectively optimize the alignment and feature selection parameters using a suitable training set thereby reducing user subjectivity, as well as to indicate the success of the PCA clustering and classification. The degree-of-class-separation is calculated using Euclidean distances between the PCA scores of a subset of the replicate runs from two of the five fuel types, i.e., the training set. The unaligned training set that was directly submitted to PCA had a low degree-of-class-separation (0.4), and the PCA scores plot for the raw training set combined with the raw test set failed to correctly cluster the five sample types. After submitting the training set to piecewise alignment, the degree-of-class-separation increased (1.2), but when the same alignment parameters were applied to the training set combined with the test set, the scores plot clustering still did not yield five distinct groups. Applying feature selection to the unaligned training set increased the degree-of-class-separation (4.8), but chemical variations were still obscured by retention time variation and when the same feature selection conditions were used for the training set combined with the test set, only one of the five fuels was clustered correctly. However, piecewise alignment coupled with feature selection yielded a reasonably optimal degree-of-class-separation for the training set (9.2), and when the same alignment and ANOVA parameters were applied to the training set combined with the test set, the PCA scores plot correctly classified the gasoline fingerprints into five distinct clusters.     

Crystal and molecular structure, and P N.M.R. characteristics of di-μ-chlorodi(propionyl)bis(dimethylphenylphosphine)diplatinum(III). Trans-influence of ligands in binuclear complexes

The known complex, $\text{trans}$-(η-C₅H₅)₂Rh₂(CO)₂(CF₃C₂CF₃) is formed in high yield from (η-C₅H₅)Rh(CO)₂ and CF₃FCCF₃ at 100°. The less stable $\text{cis}$-isomer of the complex is obtained in low yield from the same reaction. The infrared, ¹H, ¹⁹F and ¹³C NMR spectra of the two isomers are compared. The $\text{trans}$-isomer undergoes CO scrambling in solution at room temperature, and the variable temperature ¹³C NMR spectra are consistent with a pairwise bridge opening and closing mechanism. The mechanism is extended to account for the isomerization of $\text{cis}$ to $\text{trans}$ isomer, whihc has a half-life of 12 h at room temperature. The ¹³C spectrum indicates that the $\text{cis}$-isomer is static in solution at room temperature. The $\text{trans}$-isomer is reversibly protonated by protonic acids, and BF₄^? and PF₆^? salts of the protonated species can be isolated. The spectroscopic properties of these salts are consistent with protonation at one of the alkynyl-carbons, but it is not possible to distinguish between two alternative structures for the complex cation.Treatment of (η-C₅H₅)₂Rh₂(CO)₂(CF₃C₂CF₃) with (η-C₅H₅)Rh(CO)₂ gives the trinuclear complex (η-C₅H₅)₃Rh₃(CO)(CF₃C₂CF₃) in 80% yield. The analogoug but-2-yne complex is formed from (η-C₅H₅)₃Rh₃(CO)₃ and MeCCMe. The infrared, ¹H, ¹⁹F and ¹³C NMR spectra indicate that the hexafluorobut-2-yne complex exists in two different structural arrangements in solution. One has an edge bridging, and the other a face bridging carbonyl. The proportion of the isomers is affected by the solvent polarity. The spectra of the but-2-yne complex indicate it is fluxional at room temperature, and has a face bridging structure in solution regardless of the polarity of the solvent. Reversible protonation of the hexafluorobut-2-yne complex occurs in protonic acids, and the salt [(η-C₅H₅)₃Rh₃(CO)(CF₃C₂CF₃)H]⁺[BF₄]^?,H₂O can be isolated. The spectroscopic properties of this complex are consistent with a structure incorporating an edge-bridging carbonyl, and probably, an edge-bridging hydride ligand.     

Asymmetric enamide hydrogenation in the synthesis of N-acetylcolchinol: a key intermediate for ZD6126

A synthesis of N-acetylcolchinol, a key intermediate in the synthesis of ZD6126, was developed. The enantiodifferentiating step required the catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of an enamide. After screening a range of metal and ligand combinations it was found that (S,S)-ⁱPr-FerroTANE Ru(methallyl)₂ and [(S,S)-^tBuFerroTANE Rh(COD)]BF₄ gave both high enantioselectivity (>90% ee) and high catalyst utility (molar S/C = 1000).     

Supersilylating agents from chlorosilanes

The addition of R₃SiCl to B(OTf)₃ gives “supersilylating agents” formulated as R₃SiB(OTf)₃Cl. The catalytic properties of these species are similar to those of the previously-described (but less accessible) R₃SiB(OTf)₄.     

Samarium(II)-mediated reactions of gamma,delta-unsaturated ketones. Cyclization and fragmentation processes

[reaction: see text] On treatment with samarium(II) iodide, gamma,delta-unsaturated ketones undergo very different processes depending upon the nature of the reaction conditions. Employing samarium(II) iodide and MeOH, functionalized syn-cyclopentanol products are obtained stereoselectively. Mechanistic studies suggest that this cyclization occurs via a sequential reduction/intramolecular aldol reaction. With samarium(II) iodide and HMPA, products of a 4-exo-trig cyclization and of an interesting fragmentation reaction are observed.     

Structure of a styrylbenzoselenazole platinum(II) complex: [NEt4][Pt(nsbse)Br3]

Tetraethylammonium tribromo[2-(2-chloro-5-nitrostyryl)benzoselenazole] platinate (II), [(C₂H₅)₄N][PtBr₃(C₁₅H₉ClN₂O₂Se)], is monoclinic, in space groupP2₁/c, witha=9.496(2),b=20.321(7),c=15.166(3)Å,=100.18(1)°,V=2880(2)ų,M _r =928.72,Z=4,D _x =2.141 g cm^–3, (MoK)=0.71073 Å,=104.1 cm^–1,F(000)=1752,T=298 K. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined toR=0.032 for 2626 unique observed reflections withI>3(I). The [Pt(nsbse)Br₃)] unit has square-planar geometry about the Pt atom, with the nsbse coordinated to the Pt through the N of the selenazole ring. The ligand molecule is non-planar, with a dihedral angle of 61.6(2)° between the benzoselenazole and phenyl rings. The dihedral angles between the PtBr₃ plane and the benzoselenazole and phenyl planes are 105.2(1) and 80.7(1)°, respectively.     

Potential of electrophilic epoxide reactions for the monitoring of acid gases in the environment

Mineral and short-chain carboxylic acid vapours and NO(x) gases were reacted with cyclohexene oxide (1,2-epoxycyclohexane) to quantitatively produce specific, thermally stable cyclohexyl derivatives. Subsequent analysis of these derivatives by gas chromatography with mass spectroscopy and flame ionisation detection afforded a multi analyte method for the assay of these gaseous acidic atmospheric species. Derivatisation was found to be quantitative for the derivatives tested and the method highly sensitive (to 0.3 mg/m3 for a 30 l sample), accurate, precise and free from apparent interferences. The technique has been applied to "acid stack gases" and a number of other acid rich atmospheres and the results obtained show good agreement with the single analyte wet chemical determinations indicating that the approach has considerable potential as a routine analytical method for measuring such atmospheric pollutants. The high specificity of the reaction mechanism and its potential for the analysis of analyte mixtures is illustrated in the assay of nitric acid and its acid anhydride, dinitrogen pentoxide.