Instant and quantitative epoxidation of styrene under ambient conditions over a nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene complex immobilized on amino-functionalized SBA-15.

Nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene complex (Nitmtaa) was synthetized and immobilized on post amino-functionalized SBA-15 (N-SBA-15) to obtain a stable and reusable nanocatalyst named as Nitmtaa@N-SBA-15. Here (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) was first grafted on the surface SBA-15, then Nitmtaa was added and coordinated on the silica surface via APTES amine groups. The structure and morphology, and thermal stability of the prepared nanocatalyst was investigated using SEM, HR-TEM, BET, FT-IR, powder XRD, and TGA. HR-TEM and XRD results revealed a high dispersion of Nitmtaa on the SBA-15 surface. The catalytic activity of this nanocatalyst was evaluated in the epoxidation of styrene, under ambient conditions, using meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA) as the oxygen donor. This nanocatalyst showed an immediate and quantitative epoxidation of styrene with high turn-over-frequency ∼31.58 s-1. Moreover, the superior catalytic activity and high stability of Nitmtaa@N-SBA-15 could be maintained after four successive cycles. A possible reaction mechanism is also proposed.

A facile and efficient synthesis of 1,8-dioxodecahydroacridines derivatives catalyzed by cobalt-alanine metal complex under aqueous ethanol media.

A facile and convenient method for the synthesis of acridines and its derivatives was developed through one-pot, three-component condensation reaction of aromatic aldehydes, 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, aryl amines or ammonium acetates in the presence of a catalytic amount of cobalt-alanine metal complex using aqueous ethanol as a reaction medium is reported. The present described novel methodology offers several advantages over the traditional methods reported in the literature, such as mild reaction conditions, inexpensive catalyst, short reaction times, excellent yields of products, simplicity and easy workup are the advantages of this procedure.

Solvent-free hydrogenation of cyclohexene over Rh-TUD-1 at ambient conditions.

Rhodium nanoparticles (≈3-5 nm) were incorporated into the 3D mesoporous TUD-1 material by using sol-gel technique. The prepared catalyst shows high activity in the liquid phase conversion of cyclohexene to cyclohexane at room temperature (298 K), 1 atm H2 pressure, and under solvent-free conditions. Rhodium nanoparticles exhibited high stability, reusability and negligible leaching.

Modification of AOAC method 973.31 for determination of nitrite in cured meats.

A modification of AOAC Method 973.31 is proposed to improve the extraction efficiency of nitrite from cured meat samples and its subsequent quantification based on the diazotization-coupling reaction of sulfanilamide with N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride (NED). The various experimental parameters were thoroughly investigated. A 5 g meat sample was mixed with 400 mL water; the pH of the mixture was adjusted to 5.5 +/- 0.3 and allowed to stand for 2 h on a water bath at 80 degrees C, with occasional shaking for the complete extraction of nitrite. After quantitative filtration, an aliquot was mixed with chloroacetic-chloroacetate buffer, pH 1.80 +/- 0.05, sulfanilamide, and NED, and the absorbance of the resulting azodye was recorded at 540 nm against water as a reference. Following the recommended procedure, a linear calibration graph was obtained for up to 0.8 microg/mL NO2(-), with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996 and a detection limit (based on the 3 Sb-criterion) of 5.6 ng/mL NO2(-). The proposed method was conveniently applied to various cured meat samples and was validated by comparison with the original AOAC method and by recovery experiments that gave quantitative results (94-98%) with convenient reproducibility. Statistical analysis of the analytical data could not detect any systematic error and revealed the high accuracy and precision of the proposed method.

Highly sensitive and selective catalytic determination of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

A highly sensitive, simple and selective kinetic method was developed for the determination of ultra-trace levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde based on their catalytic effect on the oxidation of N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD) with hydrogen peroxide. The reaction was monitored spectrophotometrically by tracing the formation of the red-colored oxidized product of DPD at 510nm, within 30s of mixing the reagents. The optimum reaction conditions were: 20mmolL(-1) DPD, 250mmolL(-1) H(2)O(2), 150mmolL(-1) phosphate, 150mmolL(-1) citrate and pH 6.60+/-0.05 at 25 degrees C. Following the recommended procedure, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde could be determined with linear calibration graphs up to 0.50 and 1.4microg mL(-1) and detection limits, based on the 3S(b)-criterion, of 0.015 and 0.035microg mL(-1), respectively. In addition, analytical data for other 10 aldehydes were also presented. The high sensitivity and selectivity of the proposed method allowed its successful application to rain water, mainstream smoke (MSS) and disposed tips of smoked cigarettes (DTSC). A sample aliquot was directly analyzed for its total water-soluble aldehyde content. A second sample aliquot was heated at 80 degrees C for 10min to expel acetaldehyde and the aliquot was analyzed for its content of other water-soluble aldehydes (expressed as formaldehyde equivalent), and acetaldehyde was determined by difference. The analytical results were in excellent agreements with those obtained following the standard HPLC method based on pre-column derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. Moreover, published catalytic-spectrophotometric methods for the determination of aldehydes were reviewed.

Highly sensitive catalytic determination of molybdenum.

A novel, highly sensitive, selective, and simple kinetic method was developed for the determination of Mo(VI) based on its catalytic effect on the oxidation of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid (ANSA) with H(2)O(2). The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically by tracing the oxidized product at 465nm after 30min of mixing the reagents. The optimum reaction conditions were: 10mmol l(-1) ANSA, 50mmol l(-1) H(2)O(2), 100mmol l(-1) acetate buffer of pH 5.0+/-0.05 and at 40 degrees C. Addition of 200microg ml(-1) diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) conferred high selectivity for the proposed method. Following the recommended procedure, Mo(VI) could be determined with a linear calibration graph up to 2.5ng ml(-1) and a detection limit, based on the 3S(b)-criterion, of 0.027ng ml(-1). The unique sensitivity and selectivity of the implemented method allowed its direct application to the determination of Mo(VI) in natural and industrial waste water. The method was validated by comparison with the standard ETAAS method. Moreover, published catalytic-spectrophotometric methods for the determination of molybdenum were reviewed.

Novel supramolecular assembly of symmetrical mixed-metal-ligand complexes of dioxouranium(VI).

Some binary and ternary novel complexes of dioxouranium(VI) with 8-hydroxy-7-quinolinecarboxaldehyde (OXH) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurements and spectral studies. Coordination effects on the vibrational spectra of the ligands have been investigated. The amine exchange reactions of coordinated Schiff bases in these complexes have been also studied, which reveal symmetrical tetradentate Schiff base complexes. Metal exchange reaction of dioxouranium(VI) complexes was obtained when reacted with tetradentate Schiff base complexes of Cu(II) with ZrCl(4)/UO(2)(CH(3)COO)(2) giving heterobinuclear complexes. Magnetic, electronic and IR spectral data suggest the configurations of distorted square planar ligand field copper(II) complexes. The ligands behave as bi-(O,O) and tetradentate (N(2),O(2)) donors. El-Sonbati equation has been used to evaluate the symmetric stretching frequency from which the F(U-O) and F(UO,UO)(-) were calculated. The bond distances of these complexes were also investigated.

A novel kinetic determination of dissolved chromium species in natural and industrial waste water.

A highly sensitive, selective and simple kinetic method was developed for the determination of dissolved chromium species based on the catalytic effect of Cr(III) and/or Cr(VI) on the oxidation of 2-amino-5-methylphenol (AMP) with H(2)O(2). The fixed time and initial rate variants were used for kinetic spectrophotometric measurements by tracing the oxidized product at 400nm for 10min after starting the reaction. Boric acid and Tween-40 exerted pronounced activating and micellar sensitizing effects on the studied redox reaction, respectively. The optimum reaction conditions were: 3.0mmoll(-1) AMP, 0.45moll(-1) H(2)O(2), 0.50moll(-1) boric acid, 4v/v% Tween-40, 10mmoll(-1) phosphate buffer and pH 6.45+/-0.02 at 35 degrees C. Both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) ions exerted the same catalytic effect on the studied reaction. Linear calibration graphs were obtained for the determination of up to 6.0ngml(-1) Cr with detection limits of 0.054 and 0.10ngml(-1) Cr; following the fixed time and initial rate methods, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the speciation and determination of trace levels of dissolved Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in natural and effluents of industrial waste water. The total dissolved Cr(III) and Cr(VI) species was determined first. In a second run, Cr(VI) was determined alone after precipitation of Cr(III) ions in presence of Al(OH)(3) collector, where Cr(III) is then determined by difference. Moreover, published catalytic-spectrophotometric methods for chromium determination were reviewed.

Structural model of dioxouranium(VI) with hydrazono ligands.

Synthesis and characterization of several new coordination compounds of dioxouranium(VI) heterochelates with bidentate hydrazono compounds derived from 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone are described. The ligands and uranayl complexes have been characterized by various physico-chemical techniques. The bond lengths and the force constant have been calculated from asymmetric stretching frequency of OUO groups. The infrared spectral studies showed a monobasic bidentate behaviour with the oxygen and hydrazo nitrogen donor system. The effect of Hammett's constant on the bond distances and the force constants were also discussed and drawn. Wilson's matrix method, Badger's formula, Jones and El-Sonbati equations were used to determine the stretching and interaction force constant from which the UO bond distances were calculated. The bond distances of these complexes were also investigated.