EXAFS and XRD Study of the Structural Evolution during Isothermal Sintering of SnO2 Xerogels

The formation of an ordered (crystalline) phase during isothermal sintering of SnO2 monolithic xerogels, at 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700°C, has been analyzed by the combined use of EXAFS and XRD techniques. For the desiccated gel (110°C), EXAFS results show the formation of small microcrystallites with the incipient cassiterite structure. Between 110 and 250°C, the dehydratation reaction leads to an amorphization evidenced by a decrease of the long and short range crystallographic order. It is due to fissure formation in the xerogel network. For higher temperatures, a continuous coagulation of the crystallites occurs, leading to grain growth. Grain and pore growth obeys the same kinetic relation, so that the microstructure grows by simple enlargement while its morphology is static.

Carbon monoxide oxidation over platinum: Stable, oscillatory and quasi-chaotic regimes

We model the heterogeneously catalyzed oxidation of CO over a Pt surface. A phase diagram analysis is used to probe the several steady state regimes and their stability. We incorporate an experimentally observed 'slow' sub-oxide kinetic step, thereby generalizing a previously presented model. In agreement with experimental data, stable, oscillatory and quasi-chaotic regimes are obtained. Furthermore, the inclusion of the sub-oxide step yields a relaxation oscillation regime. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantum tunneling fragmentation model

A nonthermal quantum mechanical statistical fragmentation model based on tunneling of particles through potential barriers is studied in compact two- and three-dimensional systems. It is shown that this fragmentation dynamics gives origin to several static and dynamic scaling relations. The critical exponents are found and compared with those obtained in classical statistical models of fragmentation of general interest, in particular with thermal fragmentation involving classical processes over potential barriers. Besides its general theoretical interest, the fragmentation dynamics discussed here is complementary to classical fragmentation dynamics of interest in chemical kinetics and can be useful in the study of a number of other dynamic processes such as nuclear fragmentation. ©2000 The American Physical Society.

Magnetic properties of spindle-type iron fine particles obtained from hematite

Spindle-type iron fine particles have been prepared by reduction of silica-coated-hematite particles. Hydrogen reduction of the coated-hematite cores yielded uniform spindle-type iron particles, which were stabilized by surface oxidation. Narrow particle distributions are observed from TEM measurements. X-ray, Mössbauer and magnetization data are in agreement with the presence of nanosized α-Fe particles, having surface layer of spinel structure oxide. Mössbauer spectra show that the oxide surface is superparamagnetic at room temperature. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

A joint theoretical and kinetic investigation on the fragmentation of (N-halo)-2-amino cycloalkanecarboxylates

A combined theoretical and experimental study to elucidate the molecular mechanism for the Grob fragmentation of different (N-halo)-2-amino cyclocarboxylates with the nitrogen atom in exocyclic position: (N-Cl)-2-amino cyclopropanecarboxylate (1), (N-Cl)-2-amino cyclobutanecarboxylate (2), (N-Cl)-2-amino cyclopentanecarboxylate (3) and (N-Cl)-2-amino cyclohexanecarboxylate (4), and the corresponding acyclic compounds, (N-Cl)-2-amino isobutyric acid (A), (N-Cl)-2-amino butyric acid (B), has been carried out. The kinetics of decomposition for these compounds and related bromine derivatives were experimentally determined by conventional and stopped-flow UV spectrophotometry. The reaction products have been analyzed by GC and spectrophotometry. Theoretical analysis is based in the localization of stationary points (reactants and transition structures) on the potential energy surface. Calculations were carried out at B3LYP/6-31+G* and MP2/6-31+G* computing methods in the gas phase, while solvent effects have been included by means the self-consistent reaction field theory, PCM continuum model, at MP2/6-31+G* and MP4/6-31+G*//MP2/6-31+G* calculation levels. Based on both experimental and theoretical results, the different Grob fragmentation processes show a global synchronicity index close to 0.9, corresponding to a nearly concerted process. At the TSs, the N-Cl bond breaking is more advanced than the C-C cleavage process. An antiperiplanar configuration of these bonds is reached at the TSs, and this geometrical arrangement is the key factor governing the decomposition. In the case of 1 and 2 the ring strain prevents this spatial disposition, leading to a larger value of the activation barrier. Natural population analysis shows that the polarization of the N-Cl and C-C bonds along the bond-breaking process can be considered the driving force for the decomposition and that a negative charge flows from the carboxylate group to the chlorine atom to assist the reaction pathway. A comparison of theoretical and experimental results shows the relevance of calculation level and the inclusion of solvent effects for determining accurate unimolecular rate coefficients for the decomposition process. © 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Stable and metastable ferroelectric polarization analyzed by the ramp voltage technique

The study of the stable and the metastable ferroelectric polarization of poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, was performed using two successive equal sign ramp voltages, mediated by a short-circuit period. Rates from 10 V/s up to 0.7 MV/s were used. Results showed that they follow different formation kinetics; that the stable part decreases for higher ramp voltage rates and its apparent coercive field increases.

Flow injection amperometric determination of persulfate in cosmetic products using a Prussian Blue film-modified electrode

A flow-injection system with a glassy carbon disk electrode modified with Prussian Blue film is proposed for the determination of persulfate in commercial samples of hair bleaching boosters by amperometry. The detection was obtained by chronoamperometric technique and the sample is injected into the electrochemical cell in a wall jet configuration. Potassium chloride at concentration of 0.1 mol L-1 acted as sample carrier at a flow rate of 4.0 mL min-1 and supporting-electrolyte. For 0.025 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) applied voltage, the proposed system handles ca. 160 samples per hour (1.0 10-4 - 1.0 10-3 mol L-1 of persulfate), consuming about 200 μL sample and 11 mg KCl per determination. Typical linear correlations between electrocatalytic current and persulfate concentration was ca. 0.9998. The detection limit is 9.0 10-5 mol L-1 and the calculated amperometric sensibility 3.6 103 μA L mol -1. Relative standard deviation (n =12) of a 1.0 10-4 mol L-1 sample is about 2.2%. The method was applied to persulfate determination in commercial hair-bleaching samples and results are in agreement with those obtained by titrimetry at 95% confidence level and good recoveries (95 - 112%) of spiked samples were found. © 2003 by MDPI.

Photoelectrocatalytic production of active chlorine on nanocrystalline titanium dioxide thin-film electrodes

The production of chlorine and hypochlorite is of great economical and technological interest due to their large-scale use in many kinds of commercial applications. Yet, the current processes are not without problems such as inevitable side reactions and the high cost of production. This work reports the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of chloride ions to free chlorine as it has been investigated by using titanium dioxide (TiO2) and several metal-doped titanium dioxide (M-TiO2) material electrodes. An average concentration of 800 mg L-1 of free chlorine was obtained in an open-air reactor using a TiO2 thin-film electrode biased at +1.0 V (SCE) and illuminated by UV light. The M-doped electrodes have performed poorly compared with the pure TiO2 counterpart. Test solutions containing 0.05 mol L-1 NaCl pH 2.0-4.0 were found to be the best conditions for fast production of free chlorine. A complete investigation of all parameters that influence the global process of chlorine production by the photoelectrocatalytic method such as applied potential, concentration of NaCl, pH solution, and time is presented in detail. In addition, photocurrent vs potential curves and the reaction order are also discussed.

Synthesis and characterization of poly-o-toluidine: Kinetic and structural aspects

Poly(o-methylaniline) (poly-o-toluidine, PTOL) was synthesized by chemical oxidation of o-toluidine with ammonium peroxydisulfate in an aqueous 1.0 mol L -1 HCl solution. The progress of polymerization was followed by measuring the open-circuit potential (OCP) of a Pt electrode immersed in the reaction medium with the polymerization time. The chemical synthesis of PTOL was carried out at different monomer:oxidant (M:O) molar ratios (4:1, 2:1, 1.5:1, 1:1, and 0.66:1), and the products obtained were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and X-ray diffraction. The molecular weight and percentage of crystallinity of PTOL are higher for samples synthesized in an excess of the monomer, i.e. at higher M:O ratios. However, the yield of PTOL prepared at higher M:O ratios is considerably low, in particular at a 4:1 M:O ratio, which is the M:O ratio most commonly used in the literature to synthesize polyaniline and its derivatives.

Mechanism of the formation and properties of antimony polyphosphate

Formation of antimony polyphosphate using Sb2O3 and/or (NH4)2HPO4 and NH4H 2PO4 as starting materials has been simulated by thermal analysis technique. The elimination of water and ammonia molecules induced by heating leads to the formation of intermediate ammonium polyphosphate, which subsequently reacts with Sb2O3. Morphologically, vitreous Sb(PO3)3 is composed of plaques having irregular shapes. Infrared spectra and NMR study is consistent with tetrametaphosphate anion arrangement. The compound is thermally unstable and may be recommended as a donor of -O-P-O- linkers in the preparation of special phosphate glasses. © 2005 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest.

Suicide nucleophilic attack: Reactions of benzohydroxamate anion with bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl) phosphate

(Chemical Equation Presented) The reaction between the benzohydroxamate anion (BHO-) and bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate (BDNPP) has been examined kinetically, and the products were characterized by mass and NMR spectroscopy. The nucleophilic attack of BHO- follows two reaction paths: (i) at phosphorus, giving an unstable intermediate that undergoes a Lossen rearrangement to phenyl isocyanate, aniline, diphenylurea, and O-phenylcarbamyl benzohydroxamate; and (ii) on the aromatic carbon, giving an intermediate that was detected but slowly decomposes to aniline and 2,4-dinitrophenol. Thus, the benzohydroxamate anion can be considered a self-destructive molecular scissor since it reacts and loses its nucleophilic ability. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

A comparative study of glycerol dehydration catalyzed by micro/mesoporous MFI zeolites

The catalytic properties of monomodal microporous and bimodal micro-mesoporous zeolites were investigated in the gas-phase dehydration of glycerol. The desilication methodology used to produce the mesoporous zeolites minimized diffusion limitations and increased glycerol conversion in the catalytic reaction due to the hierarchical system of secondary pores created in the zeolite crystals. The chemical and structural properties of the catalyst were studied by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, NH3-TPD and pyridine chemisorption followed by IR-spectroscopy. Although the aim was to desilicate to create mesoporosity in the zeolite crystals, the desilication promoted the formation of extra-framework aluminum species that affected the conversion of glycerol and the products distribution. The results clearly show that the mesoporous zeolites with designed mesopore structure allowed a rapid diffusion and consequently improved the reaction kinetics. However, especial attention must be given to the desilication procedure because the severity of the treatment negatively interfered on the Brønsted and Lewis acid sites relative concentration and, consequently, in the efficiency of the catalysis performed by these materials. On the other hand, during the catalytic reaction, the intracrystalline mesopores allowed carbonaceous compounds to be deposited herein, resulting in less blocked micropores and catalysts with higher long-term stability.

Orbifloxacin: A Review of Properties, Its Antibacterial Activities, Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Characteristics, Therapeutic Use, and Analytical Methods

Orbifloxacin is a third generation of fluoroquinolone that exhibits increased antibacterial activity against the Enterobacteriaceae, gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, anaerobes, and mycobacteria. This drug was synthesized in 1987 and developed as a veterinary chemotherapeutic to use for livestock and domestic pets. Orbifloxacin is labeled for the treatment of skin, soft tissue, and urinary tract infections in dogs, and skin and soft tissue infections in cats, but in some countries, orbifloxacin has been given for the treatment of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in cattle and swine and other animals. The in vitro activity and clinical efficacy of orbifloxacin against naturally occurring bacterial infections of the skin, ear, soft tissue, udder, and gastrointestinal and respiratory systems in different animals have been evaluated and good responses have been found. The minimum inhibitory concentration of orbifloxacin has been determined in various different pathogens and the results found in the literature are shown in this work. The pharmacokinetics of orbifloxacin has been evaluated by different routes of administration in goats, horses, pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats, camels, cattle, sheep, and fish. Orbifloxacin exhibits excellent pharmacokinetic parameters that suggest that this drug may have good clinical effects on various bacterial infections in these species. All methods described in the scientific literature for determination of orbifloxacin in different matrices were collected and discussed. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

The electro-oxidation of carbon monoxide and ethanol on supported Pt nanoparticles: The influence of the support and catalyst microstructure

The sluggish kinetics of ethanol oxidation on Pt-based electrodes is one of the major drawbacks to its use as a liquid fuel in direct ethanol fuel cells, and considerable efforts have been made to improve the reaction kinetics. Herein, we report an investigation on the effect of the Pt microstructure (well-dispersed versus agglomerated nanoparticles) and the catalyst support (carbon Vulcan, SnO2, and RuO2) on the rate of the electrochemical oxidation of ethanol and its major adsorbed intermediate, namely, carbon monoxide. By using several structural characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, along with potentiodynamic and potentiostatic electrochemical experiments, we show that by altering both the Pt microstructure and the support, the rate of the electrochemical oxidation of ethanol can be improved up to a factor of 12 times compared to well-dispersed carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles. As a result of a combined effect, the interaction of Pt agglomerates with SnO2 yielded the highest current densities among all materials studied. The differences in the activity are discussed in terms of structural and electronic properties as well as by mass transport effects, providing valuable insights to the development of more active materials. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Bifunctional silica nanoparticles for the exploration of biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Luminescent silica nanoparticles are frequently employed for biotechnology applications mainly because of their easy functionalization, photo-stability, and biocompatibility. Bifunctional silica nanoparticles (BSNPs) are described here as new efficient tools for investigating complex biological systems such as biofilms. Photoluminescence is brought about by the incorporation of a silylated ruthenium(II) complex. The surface properties of the silica particles were designed by reaction with amino-organosilanes, quaternary ammonium-organosilanes, carboxylate-organosilanes and hexamethyldisilazane. BSNPs were characterized extensively by DRIFT, 13C and 29Si solid state NMR, XPS, and photoluminescence. Zeta potential and contact angle measurements exhibited various surface properties (hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance and electric charge) according to the functional groups. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) measurements showed that the spatial distribution of these nanoparticles inside a biofilm of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 depends more on their hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics than on their size. CLSM observations using two nanosized particles (25 and 68 nm) suggest that narrow diffusion paths exist through the extracellular polymeric substances matrix. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.