Observation of a fluorescent dimer of a sulfonated phthalocyanine

With very few exceptions, phthalocyanine dimers are found to be nonfluorescent. We report here the observation of a fluorescent dimer of a tetrasulfonated copper phthalocyanine in ethanol and water. Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra at room temperature and at 77 K are presented. These are consistent with the conventional model of exciton coupling in a cofacial dimer.     

Cation-pi interactions of a thiocarbonyl group and a carbonyl group with a pyridinium nucleus

Attractive interactions between a thiocarbonyl group and a pyridinium nucleus, and between a carbonyl group and a pyridinium nucleus have been proven by (1)H and (13)C NMR studies, UV-vis spectral analyses, and X-ray crystallographic analyses of nicotinic amides 1 and 3, and pyridinium salts 2 and 4. Comparison of the Deltadelta values, which are the differences in the chemical shifts with reference compounds 5 or 6, showed that the absolute Deltadelta values of 2 and 4 are much larger than those of 1 and 3. In the UV-vis spectra, the n-->pi absorption of the C=S group of 2a exhibited a significant blue shift in CHCl(3). X-ray crystallographic analysis of 1-4 clearly showed that the C=S group of 2a and the C=O group of 4 are very close to the pyridinium moiety compared to the case of 1 and 3. In addition, the X-ray crystal packing structure of 2a showed the C=S group is sandwiched between two pyridinium rings. These experimental results strongly suggested the existence of attractive (C=S)...Py(+) and (C=O)...Py(+) interactions in solution and in crystal. The optimized geometries of 1 and 2 calculated at the HF/6-311G level are in good agreement with their X-ray geometries. MP2/6-311G calculations for the model systems of pyridinium salts 2 and 4 predicted that the electrostatic and induction energies are the major source of the attractive interactions. Since the larger contribution of electrostatic and induction interactions are characteristic features of cation-pi interactions, the (C=S)...Py(+) and (C=O)...Py(+) interactions would be classified as a cation-pi interaction.     

Characteristic values of a detector in a radiation field

Two characteristics, the detection crosssection and efficiency of the detector in a radiation field are discussed. Two particular forms of the radiation field, namely the monodirectional and isotropic, were also considered. The characteristic values for two scintillators in a photon beam and photon isotropic field are presented for illustration.     

Orientation of a nanocylinder at a fluid interface

A nanocylinder placed on a fluid interface can assume an end-on or side-on orientation, or it can immerse itself in the surrounding bulk phases. Any of these orientations can satisfy a mechanical force balance when the particle is small enough that gravitational effects are negligible. The orientation is determined by the surface energies of the fluid-solid, fluid-vapor, and vapor-solid surfaces. A comparison of the energy of each state allows phase diagrams to be defined in terms of the scaled aspect ratio x=2L/pir and the contact angle thetao, where L and r denote the nanocylinder length and radius, respectively. Line tension can also influence the orientations by changing the equilibrium contact angle theta and by increasing the energetic cost of the contact line. Phase diagrams accounting for positive line tensions Sigma are also constructed. These phase diagrams can be divided into two classes. In the first, over some range of x and Sigma, nanocylinders can be driven from side-on to end-on orientations with increasing Sigma. This transition terminates at a triple point where the side-on, end-on, and immersed energies are the same. In the second class, there is no triple point and, for a range of Sigma values, nanocylinders of all aspect ratios x prefer an end-on orientation. In all cases, for high enough Sigma, line tension drives a wetting transition similar to that already noted in the literature for spherical particles. The zero line tension predictions are compared favorably to experiment, in which functionalized gold nanowires made by template synthesis are spread at aqueous-gas interfaces, immobilized using a gel-fixation technique, and observed by scanning electron microscopy. The small aspect ratio particles (disks) were in an end-on configuration, while the longer nanowires were in a side-on orientation, in agreement with the theory.     

Electrostatic patterning of a silica surface: a new model for charge build-up on a dielectric solid

The polarization of interdigitated gold electrodes mounted over a silica thin film formed by oxidation of a Si wafer produces reproducible electrostatic patterns with overall excess negative charge, as observed by scanning electric potential microscopy. Domain charge concentrations as high as 76 charge units per square micrometer are obtained when a 5 V difference is applied to the electrodes thus producing fields in the 10(6) V m(-1) range. These patterns vanish when the electrodes are short-circuited and grounded. Characteristic times for pattern formation and relaxation are in the order of 10 min. The results are consistent with a model based on the discharge of H(+) ions at the negative electrodes, leaving behind immobile surface-bound SiO(-) groups and thus showing that chemisorption phenomena are decisive for electrostatic charging of insulators.     

Magneto-optical properties of a spinless particle moving in a harmonic potential

Exact solutions to the quantum mechanical problem of an anisotropic oscillator in a one-dimensional magnetic field are obtained. These solutions (eigenenergies and wave functions) are then applied to the problem of calculating the magneto-optical properties of a charged spinless particle constrained to move in a harmonic potential field. General expressions for the dipole strengths and rotational strengths associated with radiation induced transitions between the eigenstates of this model system are developed, and these quantities are further related to observables of magneto-optical absorption spectroscopy and Faraday effect studies.     

Friction and diffusion of a Brownian particle in a mesoscopic solvent

The friction and diffusion coefficients of a massive Brownian particle in a mesoscopic solvent are computed from the force and the velocity autocorrelation functions. The mesoscopic solvent is described in terms of free streaming of the solvent molecules, interrupted at discrete time intervals by multiparticle collisions that conserve mass, momentum, and energy. The Brownian particle interacts with the solvent molecules through repulsive Lennard-Jones forces. The decays of the force and velocity autocorrelation functions are analyzed in the microcanonical ensemble as a function of the number N of solvent molecules and Brownian particle mass and diameter. The simulations are carried out for large system sizes and long times to assess the N dependence of the friction coefficient. The decay rates of these correlations are confirmed to vary as N(-1) in accord with earlier predictions. Hydrodynamic effects on the velocity autocorrelation function and diffusion coefficient are studied as a function of Brownian particle mass and diameter.     

Protein adsorption on a nanoparticle with a nanostructured surface

In the present study, the adsorption of a protein on a nanoparticle with a nanostructured surface, which is created using successively patterned Gaussian pillars (GPs), is simulated by considering the charge regulation within the electrical double layer of a silica nanoparticle (NP). Namely, the mathematical models for the adsorption mechanism, such as classical Langmuir model, extended Langmuir model, and two-state model, are coupled with charge regulation model. By this means, size and pH variables are able to included to the calculations. Moreover, free space, surface curvature, and conformational changes are also taken into account. For systematic investigation, the solution's pH, surface charge density, initial protein concentration, electrostatic charge of the protein, and the diameter of the spherical NP are varied. As a result, the vital properties of a nanoparticle, such as protonation/deprotonation, polarization, topography, and morphology, are considered in the current simulations. The surface charge density and surface chemistry change with NP and GP sizes. The present results reveal that the protein adsorption on an NP with a smooth surface reaches a faster complete surface coverage than an NP with a nanostructured surface. Both states of conformational changes are also affected by the presence of the GP.     

Trapping of a particle in a short-range harmonic potential well

Eigenstates of a particle in a localized and unconfined harmonic potential well are investigated. Effects due to the variation of the potential parameters as well as certain results from asymptotic expansions are discussed.     

Stability of a protein tethered to a surface

Surface-tethered proteins are increasingly being used in a variety of experimental situations, and they are the basis for many new technologies. Nevertheless, a thorough understanding of how a surface can impact the native state stability of an attached protein is lacking. In this work, the authors use molecular dynamics simulations of a model beta-barrel protein to investigate how surface tethering influences native state stability. They find that stability, as measured by the folding temperature Tf, can be either increased, decreased, or remain unchanged as a result of tethering. Observed shifts are highly dependent on the location of residue used as the tether point, and stability is influenced by a number of factors, both energetic and entropic. These factors include native state vibrations, loss of bulk unfolded conformations, changes to the unfolded state ensemble, and the emergence of an entropic term not present for the bulk protein. They discuss each of these contributions in detail and comment on their relative importance and connection to experiment.     

Wetting of a drop on a sphere

In this work, the equilibrium morphology of a drop on a sphere is analyzed as a function of the contact angle and drop volume experimentally and with analytical effective interfacial energy calculations. Experimentally, a drop on a sphere geometry is realized in an oil bath by placing a water drop on a sphere coated with a dielectric, of which the radii of curvature are comparable with that of the drop. Electrowetting (EW) is used to change the contact angle of the water drop on the sphere. To validate the applicability of EW and the Lippman-Young equation on nonflat surfaces, we systematically investigate the response of the contact angle to the applied voltage (EW response) for various drop volumes and compared the results with the case of a planar surface. The effective interfacial energy of two competing morphologies, namely, the spherically symmetric "completely engulfing" and "partially engulfing" morphologies are calculated analytically. The analytical calculations are then compared to the experimental results to confirm which morphology is energetically more favored for a given contact angle and drop volume. Our findings indicate that the "partially engulfing" morphology is always the energetically more favorable morphology.     

Quantum mechanical modeling of a transannular interaction in a bicyclic amidinium ion

A transannular donor-acceptor interaction in a bicyclic azaamidinium salt was modeled by quantum mechanical calculations using a supermolecule complex consisting of a formamidinium cation and an ammonia molecule. Molecular properties are reported at various geometries. These results are compared with the results of similar calculations on the bicyclic cation itself. The model calculations and the bicyclic cation calculations are in good agreement, but both fail to reproduce the experimentally known structure. Results from ab initio calculations on the model system are discussed, as are results from calculations which included iodide as counterion.     

Multidimensional optical spectroscopy of a single molecule in a current-carrying state

The nonlinear optical signals from an open system consisting of a molecule connected to metallic leads, in response to a sequence of impulsive pulses, are calculated using a superoperator formalism. Two detection schemes are considered: coherent stimulated emission and incoherent fluorescence. The two provide similar but not identical information. The necessary superoperator correlation functions are evaluated either by converting them to ordinary (Hilbert space) operators which are then expanded in many-body states, or by using Wick's theorem for superoperators to factorize them into nonequilibrium two point Green's functions. As an example we discuss a stimulated Raman process that shows resonances involving two different charge states of the molecule in the same signal.     

Considering induced dipoles in a discrete model of a polar liquid

The lattice gas model is generalized to describe the equilibrium distributions of polar solution components with allowance for Lennard-Jones and dipole-dipole potential interactions with constant and induced moments. It is shown that including induced dipoles potential results in an effective many-particle interaction potential, depending on the spatial distribution of solution components. The distributions of all solution components are calculated in a quasi-chemical approximation allowing for the spatial correlation of interacting particles. A procedure for reducing the dimensionality of a set of algebraic equations is considered, and expressions for vapor-liquid equilibrium isotherms are obtained. Expressions for the rates of elementary mono- and bimolecular chemical reactions are derived using the transition state theory in systems with induced dipoles for rapidly overcoming the activation barrier in the permanent state of solvent molecules’ atomic subsystems. Ways of considering the internal motions (vibrations, rotation, and displacements) of molecules in a polar liquid are discussed.     

两嵌段共聚高分子链通过薄膜上纳米孑孔隙输运的研究

针对两嵌段高分子链的跨膜输运过程,分别给出与不同输运次序相对戍的高分子链的自由能,进而通过求解Fokker-Planck方程并在不同条件下对平均首次通过时间进行了数值计算.计算结果表明,当共聚高分子链由良溶剂区向不良溶剂区输运时,不能发生线团一链滴转变的链首先输运总是有利于整个高分子链的输运.而在给定输运次序的情况下,化学势、线团一链滴转变、共聚链的组成以及输运速率等因素对输运时间可产生显著影响.相关研究结果可为调控实际生物高分子链的输运时间提供可能的理论线索.     

Behavior of a nematic liquid near a grafted solid surface

We discuss the nematic order parameter and the polymer concentration profile for a solid surface carrying grafted chains. Different regimes are found, depending upon the polymer chain length and the grafting density. These ideas are compared with experimental results obtained with polystyrene in the presence of pentylcyanobiphenyl.     

Growth mechanism of a gas clathrate hydrate from a dilute aqueous gas solution: a molecular dynamics simulation of a three-phase system

A molecular dynamics simulation of a three-phase system including a gas clathrate, liquid water, and a gas was carried out at 298 K and high pressure in order to investigate the growth mechanism of the clathrate from a dilute aqueous gas solution. The simulation indicated that the clathrate grew on interfaces between the clathrate and the liquid water, after transfer of the gas molecules from the gas phase to the interfaces. The results suggest a two-step process for growth: first, gas molecules are arranged at cage sites, and second, H(2)O molecules are ordered near the gas molecules. The results also suggest that only the H(2)O molecules, which are surrounded or sandwiched by the gas molecules, form the stable polygons that constitute the cages of the clathrate. In addition, the growth of the clathrate from a concentrated aqueous gas solution was also simulated, and the results suggested a growth mechanism in which many H(2)O and gas molecules correctively form the structure of the clathrate. The clathrate grown from the concentrated solution contained some empty cages, whereas the formation of empty cages was not observed during the growth from the dilute solution. The results obtained by both simulations are compared with the results of an experimental study, and the growth mechanism of the clathrate in a real system is discussed.     

Stimulated fluorescence and fluorescence quenching in chlorophyll a and bacteriochlorophyll a

This communication deals with the photophysical processes that take place in chlorophyll solutions under intense nitrogen laser irradiation. The effect of the pump photon density on the fluorescence yield depends strongly on the geometry of the irradiation and the sampling set-up. If the fluorescence cell and sampling probe are placed close to the transverse arrangement used for obtaining laser output, line narrowing and gain, which are processes associated with high population inversions and stimulated fluorescence, are observed. A normal fluorescence spectrum and a decrease in fluorescence quantum yield with increasing pump power are observed in the fluorescence cells in oriented at an angle of 20–40° with respect to the transverse axis of the exciting beam. The decrease in quantum yield appears to result from absorption of the pump photons by the excited singlet of the chlorophylls, and it is suggested that an analogous mechanism may be responsible for the anomalous fluorescence quantum yield reported for in in vivo Chlorella vulgaris algae.     

Solution structure of a DNA duplex containing a biphenyl pair

Hydrogen-bonding and stacking interactions between nucleobases are considered to be the major noncovalent interactions that stabilize the DNA and RNA double helices. In recent work we found that one or multiple biphenyl pairs, devoid of any potential for hydrogen bond formation, can be introduced into a DNA double helix without loss of duplex stability. We hypothesized that interstrand stacking interactions of the biphenyl residues maintain duplex stability. Here we present an NMR structure of the decamer duplex d(GTGACXGCAG) d(CTGCYGTCAC) that contains one such X/Y biaryl pair. X represents a 3',5'-dinitrobiphenyl- and Y a 3',4'-dimethoxybiphenyl C-nucleoside unit. The experimentally determined solution structure shows a B-DNA duplex with a slight kink at the site of modification. The biphenyl groups are intercalated side by side as a pair between the natural base pairs and are stacked head to tail in van der Waals contact with each other. The first phenyl rings of the biphenyl units each show tight intrastrand stacking to their natural base neighbors on the 3'-side, thus strongly favoring one of two possible interstrand intercalation structures. In order to accommodate the biphenyl units in the duplex the helical pitch is widened while the helical twist at the site of modification is reduced. Interestingly, the biphenyl rings are not static in the duplex but are in dynamic motion even at 294 K.     

Triple a

Many biological compounds exhibit irreversible redox behavior as a result of slow heterogeneous electron transfer at electrode surfaces. In order to study the electrochemical behavior of these biocomponents, redox mediators are used to facilitate the electron transfer process. In this review the characteristics of ideal mediators are discussed and structural information on previously reported mediator compounds is provided. The electrochemical literature has been extensively surveyed to provide an up-to-date compilation of mediators suitable for use in potentiometric and coulometric titrations and in various types of voltammetric studies of biological redox systems. The compilation provides information on the formal potentials of the mediators as well as their previous applications and references. This review is intended to provide a current survey of compounds having suitable redox mediation characteristics.