Quantitative analysis of undefined mixtures - "fishing net" algorithm

An approach for quantitative analysis of mixtures with unknown individual responses of the components is discussed. Although it is based on a resolution of overlapping bands technique, the main emphasis is not given to the computational facets of curve fitting. A logical procedure is described, allowing estimation of the unknown concentrations in the mixture, and both the number of overlapping bands and their assignment to the components in the solution to be determined automatically. A general conclusion about the precision of the method cannot be defined, because it depends on the extent of overlapping of the individual spectra of the components and their complexity. Using this procedure a complicated three-component acid-base equilibrium of a halochromic dye in solution is studied.     

Quantenchemische Untersuchung der Reaktionsfähigkeit von π-Elektronen-Systemen in angeregtem Singulett- und Triplettzustand

Zusammenfassung Anhand der Methode der Konfigurationenwechselwirkung wurde die Ladungsdichteverteilung in einer Reihe von aromatischen Aminen und N-haltigen Heteroaromaten im angeregten Singulett- und Triplettzustand untersucht. Durch die Untersuchungen wurde die Formulierung der folgenden Regel ermöglicht: im angeregten Singulett- und Triplettzustand ist die Basizität bei den Aminen wesentlich vermindert; die N-haltigen Heteroaromaten weisen im angeregten Singulettzustand eine erhöhte Basizität auf, und im Triplettzustand tritt eine Verminderung der Basizität ein.

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The electron density distribution in excited singlet and triplet states of a number of aromatic amines and heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen atoms is studied using the CI-method. The investigation allows the formulation of the following rule: in excited singlet and triplet states the amines possess significantly reduced basicity; the nitrogen heterocyclic compounds in excited singlet states increase their basicity, whereas in excited triplet states their basicity is decreased.

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Résumé Au moyen de la méthode d'interaction de configuration, on a étudié la répartition de la densité électronique dans un certain nombre d'aminés aromatiques et de composés hétérocycliques azotés dans l'état excité singulet et triplet.Les études effectuées ont permis d'établir la règle suivante: à l'état excité singulet ou triplet la basicité des aminés est sensiblement réduite; la basicité des composés N-hétérocycliques augmente dans l'état excité singulet et diminue dans le triplet.

     

Ordered micro/mesoporous composite prepared as thin films

A new synthesis method for preparation of thin films and powders consisting of zeolite beta nanocrystals embedded in ordered mesoporous silica matrix is described. The final structures possessing bimodal porosity, i.e., high degree of mesophase order and spatially defined microporous zeolite nanocrystals are obtained via simultaneous solvent evaporation of preformed silica/surfactant/ethanol/nanosized zeolite beta assemblies. The films were characterized with grazing-incident diffraction (GID), nitrogen sorption based on gravimetric measurements with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) devices, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is shown that the incorporation of beta nanocrystals in the mesoporous silica matrix and the mesophase order itself can be controlled through the variation of the fractional amounts of the zeolite nanoparticles and silica/surfactant solutions. The HR-TEM measurements showed that the nanosized Beta microporous crystals are separated and at the same time connected through an ordered mesostructured matrix.     

Classification of oxide glasses: A polarizability approach

A classification of binary oxide glasses has been proposed taking into account the values obtained on their refractive index-based oxide ion polarizability α_O2−(n₀), optical basicity Λ(n₀), metallization criterion M(n₀), interaction parameter A(n₀), and ion's effective charges as well as O1s and metal binding energies determined by XPS. Four groups of oxide glasses have been established: glasses formed by two glass-forming acidic oxides; glasses formed by glass-forming acidic oxide and modifier's basic oxide; glasses formed by glass-forming acidic and conditional glass-forming basic oxide; glasses formed by two basic oxides. The role of electronic ion polarizability in chemical bonding of oxide glasses has been also estimated. Good agreement has been found with the previous results concerning classification of simple oxides. The results obtained probably provide good basis for prediction of type of bonding in oxide glasses on the basis of refractive index as well as for prediction of new nonlinear optical materials.     

Fabrication of "hairy" colloidosomes with shells of polymeric microrods

Novel colloidosome microcapsules with aqueous gel cores and integral shells of rodlike polymeric particles have been prepared and characterized. The synthesis is based on templating water-in-oil emulsions stabilized by rodlike particles followed by gelling of the aqueous phase, dissolution of the oil phase in ethanol, and redispersion of the obtained colloidosome capsules in water. Such capsules may find applications as vehicles for delivery and controlled release of drugs, cosmetics, and food supplements.     

Gold electroless reduction in nanosized channels of thiol-modified SBA-15 material

A new procedure for the preparation of high aspect ratio Au nanowires utilizing gold electroless reduction in the hexagonally ordered, thiol-modified nanosized channels of the SBA-15 material is reported. Two different Au precursors were adsorbed onto pedant thiol groups, covalently bonded to the mesoporous silica surface, and used as seeds to grow extended Au nanostructures by treatment in Au electroless reduction bath. It is shown that the dimensions and the assembly of the Au seeds are important parameters for the subsequent electroless reduction process. The [AuCl4]- ions complexed to the TOAB molecules assembled on the thiol-modified mesoporous surface of the SBA-15 material are suitable precursors for the subsequent gold electroless reduction. The resulting structures are several micrometer long Au nanowires with uniform diameters of about 5 nm, having large single-crystalline domains. The TEM results clearly show that the growth of the Au nanowires is templated by the channel structure of the SBA-15 material.     

Micellization and interfacial properties of alkyloxyethylene sulfate surfactants in the presence of multivalent counterions

Alkyloxyethylene sulfates are a special class of surfactants that are unusually stable in the presence of multivalent counterions and are not as prone to precipitation as anionic surfactants without intermediate ethoxy groups in the molecule. However, formation of micelles, their structure, and the properties of monolayers of these surfactants exhibit very interesting and sometimes unexpected properties depending on the nature of the ions dissolved in the solution. This paper presents a brief overview of our recent efforts to reveal the nature of these properties, including some new results. We show that the strong binding of multivalent (and particularly trivalent counterions) triggers a sphere-to-cylinder shape transition of the micelles and facilitates their further growth, even at very low ionic strength. The properties of surfactant monolayers are coupled to those of the micelles in the bulk and are governed also by multivalent counterion binding. The effect of multivalent counterions on the aggregation and structure formation in anionic surfactant solutions has both fundamental and practical importance.