Imaging the Magnetic Reversal of Isolated and Organized Molecular‐Based Nanoparticles using Magnetic Force Microscopy

In the race towards miniaturization in nanoelectronics, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have emerged as potential candidates for their integration in ultrahigh‐density recording media. Molecular‐based materials open the possibility to design new tailor‐made MNPs with variable composition and sizes, which benefit from the intrinsic properties of these materials. Before their implementation in real devices is reached, a precise organization on surfaces and a reliable characterization and manipulation of their individual magnetic behavior are required. In this paper, it is demonstrated how molecular‐based MNPs are accurately organized on surfaces and how the magnetic properties of the individual MNPs are detected and tuned by means of low‐temperature magnetic force microscopy (LT‐MFM) with variable magnetic field. The magnetization reversal on isolated and organized MNPs is investigated; in addition, the temperature dependence of their magnetic response is evaluated.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck Reaction of Aryl Sulfonates and Chlorides with Electronically Unbiased Terminal Olefins: High Selectivity for Branched Products

Achieving high selectivity in the Heck reaction of electronically unbiased alkenes has been a longstanding challenge. Using a nickel‐catalyzed cationic Heck reaction, we were able to achieve excellent selectivity for branched products (≥19:1 in all cases) over a wide range of aryl electrophiles and aliphatic olefins. A bidentate ligand with a suitable bite angle and steric profile was key to obtaining high branched/linear selectivity, whereas the appropriate base suppressed alkene isomerization of the product. Although aryl triflates are traditionally used to access the cationic Heck pathway, we have shown that, by using triethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate, we can effect a counterion exchange of the catalytic nickel complex, such that cheaper and more stable aryl chlorides, mesylates, tosylates, and sulfamates can be used to yield the same branched products with high selectivity.     

Naphthochromenones: Organic Bimodal Photocatalysts Engaging in Both Oxidative and Reductive Quenching Processes

Twelve naphthochromenone photocatalysts (PCs) were synthesized on gram scale. They absorb across the UV/Vis range and feature an extremely wide redox window (up to 3.22 eV) that is accessible using simple visible light irradiation sources (CFL or LED). Their excited‐state redox potentials, PC*/PC^.? (up to 1.65 V) and PC^.+/PC* (up to ?1.77 V vs. SCE), are such that these novel PCs can engage in both oxidative and reductive quenching mechanisms with strong thermodynamic requirements. The potential of these bimodal PCs was benchmarked in synthetically relevant photocatalytic processes with extreme thermodynamic requirements. Their ability to efficiently catalyze mechanistically opposite oxidative/reductive photoreactions is a unique feature of these organic photocatalysts, thus representing a decisive advance towards generality, sustainability, and cost efficiency in photocatalysis.     

An η3‐Bound Allyl Ligand on Magnesium in a Mechanochemically Generated Mg/K Allyl Complex

Milling two equivalents of K[1,3‐(SiMe₃)₂C₃H₃] (=K[A′]) with MgX₂ (X=Cl, Br) produces the allyl complex [K₂MgA′₄] ( 1 ). Crystals grown from toluene are of the solvated species [((η⁶‐tol)K)₂MgA′₄] ([ 1 ?2(tol)]), a trimetallic monomer with both bridging and terminal (η¹) allyl ligands. When recrystallized from hexanes, the unsolvated 1 forms a 2D coordination polymer, in which the Mg is surrounded by three allyl ligands. The C?C bond lengths differ by only 0.028 Å, indicating virtually complete electron delocalization. This is an unprecedented coordination mode for an allyl ligand bound to Mg. DFT calculations indicate that in isolation, an η³‐allyl configuration on Mg is energetically preferred over the η¹‐ (σ‐bonded) arrangement, but the Mg must be in a low coordination environment for it to be experimentally realized. Methyl methacrylate is effectively polymerized by 1 , with activities that are comparable to K[A′] and greater than the homometallic magnesium complex [{MgA′₂}₂].     

Photo-irradiation effects on the surface morphology of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) films

In this work, we have studied the surface morphology of photo-irradiated poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) thin films by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). We have analyzed the first-order statistical parameters, the height distribution and the distance between selected peaks. The second-order statistical analysis was introduced calculating the auto-covariance function to determine the correlation length between heights. We have observed that the photo-irradiation process produces a surface topology more homogeneous and isotropic such as a normal surface. In addition, the polymer surface irradiation can be used as a new methodology to obtain materials optically modified.     

A novel copper cobalt inorganometallic cluster. Synthesis,structure and bonding analysis of Cu(3)[mu(2)-(CCHCo(2)(CO)(6))](3)

The reaction of the organometallic carboxylic acid HOOCCCHCo(2)(CO)(6) with copper(II) methoxide leads to a new inorganometallic cluster; Cu(3)[mu(2)-(CCHCo(2)(CO)(6))](3). This cluster has a triangular core of copper(I) centers surrounded by three CCHCo(2)(CO)(6) fragments. The structure of the cluster has short Cu-Cu and Cu-Co distances (average 2.500 and 2.540 A, respectively). DFT calculations provide a rationalization of the peculiar bonding in this cluster.     

Conformational selection of glycomimetics at enzyme catalytic sites: experimental demonstration of the binding of distinct high-energy distorted conformations of C-, S-, and O-glycosides by E. Coli beta-galactosidases

We show that the conformational features of the molecular complexes of E. coli beta-galactosidase and O-glycosides may differ from those formed with closely related compounds in their chemical nature, such as C- and S-glycosyl analogues. In the particular case presented here, NMR and ab initio quantum mechanical results show that the 3D-shapes of the ligand/inhibitor within the enzyme binding site depend on the chemical nature of the compounds. In fact, they depend on the relative size of the stereoelectronic barriers for chair deformation or for rotation around Phi glycosidic linkage.