No abstract

The results presented in this work are related to the design of a guideline to develop specific properties at the surface of an activated carbon (AC). For this, two model aromatic compounds have been synthesized and their electrolytic behavior in aqueous solutions was studied by a potentiometric method. The textural characteristics of the activated carbon were determined by porosimetry methods. The nature of oxygen-carrying functions and the acid-base behavior of the AC surface were characterized by TPD and potentiometric titration methods, respectively. The adsorption and desorption equilibria of the aromatic compounds on activated carbon were measured in aqueous solutions, and the hysteresis between adsorption and desorption, which reveals irreversible adsorption, was discussed on the basis of the frontier orbital theory. HOMO and LUMO orbitals of the adsorbent and adsorbates were calculated, and irreversible adsorption was attributed to the small energy difference between HOMO and LUMO of the aromatic adsorbates and the adsorbent. Adsorption equilibria of K2CrO4 in aqueous solution on the AC alone and on the AC-aromatic ligand adsorbents, respectively, prove the efficient development of specific chemical functions at the carbon surface provided by the adsorbed aromatic compounds.

In each of N-(6-amino-3, 4-dihydro-3-methyl-5-nitroso-4-oxopyrimidin-2-yl)valine, C(10)H(15)N(5)O(4) (3) (orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1)), N-(6-amino-3, 4-dihydro-3-methyl-5-nitroso-4-oxopyrimidin-2-yl)serine monohydrate, C(8)H(11)N(5)O(5).H(2)O (4) (orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1)), and N-(6-amino-3, 4-dihydro-3-methyl-5-nitroso-4-oxopyrimidin-2-yl)threonine, C(9)H(13)N(5)O(5)(5) (monoclinic, P2(1)), the C-nitroso fragments exhibit almost equal C-N and N-O bond lengths: the C-N range is 1. 315 (3)-1.329 (3) A and the N-O range is 1.293 (3)-1.326 (3) A. In each compound there are also very short intermolecular O-H.O hydrogen bonds, in which carboxyl groups act as hydrogen-bond donors to the nitrosyl O atoms: the O.O distances range from 2.440 (2) to 2. 504 (4) A and the O-H.O angles lie between 161 and 163 degrees. An interpretation of the relationship between the unusual intramolecular bond lengths and the very short intermolecular hydrogen bonds has been developed based on database analysis and computational modelling. In each of (3)-(5) there is an extensive network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds, generating three-dimensional frameworks in (3) and (5), and two-dimensional sheets in (4).

A new G-(H2L)-Pd heterogeneous catalyst has been prepared via a self-assembly process consisting in the spontaneous adsorption, in water at room temperature, of a macrocyclic H2L ligand on graphene (G) (G + H2L = G-(H2L)), followed by decoration of the macrocycle with Pd2+ ions (G-(H2L) + Pd2+ = G-(H2L)-Pd) under the same mild conditions. This supramolecular approach is a sustainable (green) procedure that preserves the special characteristics of graphene and furnishes an efficient catalyst for the Cu-free Sonogashira cross coupling reaction between iodobenzene and phenylacetylene. Indeed, G-(H2L)-Pd shows an excellent conversion (90%) of reactants into diphenylacetylene under mild conditions (50 °C, water, aerobic atmosphere, 14 h). The catalyst proved to be reusable for at least four cycles, although decreasing yields down to 50% were observed.

Binding of anions of great environmental concern such as SO(4)(2-), PO(4)(3-), AsO(4)(3-), HgCl(4)(2-), and CrO(4)(2-) by the protonated forms of a tren-like (tren = tris(2-aminoethyl)amine) ligand (HL) functionalized with a pyrimidine residue was studied by means of potentiometric measurements and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) affording log K, ΔH°, and TΔS° values for the formation of the relevant complexes. The complexes show high to very high stability due to the particular topology and electronic properties of the ligand which is able to use two separated coordination environments to host the anions, the protonated tren site where electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions are operating, and the pyrimidine ring which may act via anion-π interaction. A contribution of -8.9 ± 0.4 kJ/mol for pyrimidine-anion interaction in water was derived for SO(4)(2-) binding. The crystal structures of [H(3)L(HgCl(4))]·H(2)O (1), [H(3)L(HgBr(4))]·H(2)O (2), and that previously reported for [H(3)L(CdI(4))], clearly show these binding features in the solid state. A hybrid AC-HL material obtained by adsorption of HL on commercial activated carbon (AC) was used to study the removal of these anions from water. AC-HL shows enhanced adsorption capacity toward all the anions studied with respect to AC. This behavior is ascribed to the stronger interaction of anions with the HL function of AC-HL than with the Cπ-H(3)O(+) sites of the unfunctionalized AC.

The adsorption of five Nalpha-substituted amino acids with a 5-nitroso-6-oxo pyrimidine as substituent on a commercial activated carbon (AC) has been studied in aqueous solution at several pH values. The adsorption processes of these organic compounds have been analyzed on the basis of the electrolytic behavior of the adsorbates. In all cases, the adsorption process is highly irreversible due to strong pi-pi interactions between the arene centers of the AC and the pyrimidine residue of the adsorbates. This interaction is consistent with XPS data and HOMO-LUMO theoretical calculations. The adsorption of these organic compounds provides a new route for the functionalization of the AC surface with carboxyl groups. In addition, the adsorption capacity of the AC/organic compound systems for Cu(II) ions in aqueous solution has been studied at different pH values. These systems show an increase of the adsorption capacity for Cu(II) compared to the AC, which is related to the AC functionalization with carboxyl groups due to the adsorbed organic compounds.

Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH°, TΔS°), obtained by means of potentiometric and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) methods, for the binding equilibria involving anions of high negative charge, like SO(4)(2-), SeO(4)(2-), S(2)O(3)(2-) and Co(CN)(6)(3-), and nitroso-amino-pyrimidine receptors in water suggested that anion-π interactions furnish a stabilization of about -10 kJ/mol to the free energy of association. These anion-π interactions are almost athermic and favored by large entropic contributions which are likely due to the reduced hydrophobic pyrimidine surface exposed to water after anion aggregation, and the consequent reduced disruptive effect on the dynamic water structure. The crystal structure of the {H(4)L[Co(CN)(6)]}·2H(2)O complex showed strong anion-π interactions between Co(CN)(6)(3-) and the protonated H(4)L(3+) receptor. The CN···centroid distance (2.786(3) Å), occurring with a cyanide N atom located almost above the centroid of the pyrimidine ring, is the shortest distance till now reported for the interaction between CN(-) ions and heteroaromatic rings.

The compound N- (4-amino-1-methyl-5-nitroso-6-oxo-1,6-