Syntheses, structures, and photophysical properties of mono- and dinuclear sulfur-rich gold(I) complexes

The dinuclear gold complexes [{Au(PPh 3)} 2(mu- dmid)] ( 1) ( dmid = 1,3-dithiole-2-one-4,5-dithiolate) and [{Au(PPh 3)} 2(mu- dddt)] ( 2) ( dddt = 5,6-dihydro-1,4-dithiine-2,3-dithiolate) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Both complexes exhibit intramolecular aurophilic interactions with Au...Au distances of 3.1984(10) A for 1 and 3.1295(11) A for 2. A self-assembly reaction between 4,5-bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)-1,3-dithiole-2-thione ( (HOCH 2 CH 2 ) 2 dmit) and [AuCl(tht)] affords the complex [AuCl{ (HOCH 2 CH 2 ) 2 dmit}] 2 ( 4), which possesses an antiparallel dimeric arrangement resulting from a short aurophilic contact of 3.078(6) A. This motif is extended into two dimensions due to intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds via the hydroxyethyl groups, giving rise to a supramolecular network. Three compounds were investigated for their rich photophysical properties at 298 and 77 K in 2-MeTHF and in the solid state; [Au 2(mu- dmid)(PPh 3) 2] ( 1), [Au 2(mu- dddt)(PPh 3) 2] ( 2), and [AuCl{( HOCH 2 CH 2 ) 2 dmit}] ( 4). 1 exhibits relatively long-lived LMCT (ligand-to-metal charge transfer) emissions at 298 K in solution (370 nm; tau e approximately 17 ns, where M is a single gold not interacting with the other gold atom; i.e., the fluxional C-SAuPPh 3 units are away from each other) and in the solid state (410 nm; tau e approximately 70 mus). At 77 K, a new emission band is observed at 685 nm (tau e = 132 mus) and assigned to a LMCT emission where M is representative for two gold atoms interacting together consistent with the presence of Au...Au contacts as found in the crystal structure. In solution at 77 K, the LMCT emission is also red-shifted to 550 nm (tau e approximately 139 mus). It is believed to be associated to a given rotamer. 2 also exhibits LMCT emissions at 380 nm at 298 K in solution and at 470 nm in the solid state. 4 exhibits X/MLCT emission (halide/metal to ligand charge transfer) where M is a dimer in the solid state with obvious Au...Au interactions, resulting in red-shifted emission band, and is a monomer in solution in the 10 (-5) M concentration (i.e., no Au...Au interactions) resulting in blue-shifted luminescence. Both fluorescence and phosphorescence are observed for 4.     

Wavelet-based adaptive grids for multirate partial differential-algebraic equations

The mathematical model of electric circuits yields systems of differential-algebraic equations (DAEs). In radio frequency applications, a multivariate model of oscillatory signals transforms the DAEs into a system of multirate partial differential-algebraic equations (MPDAEs). Considering quasiperiodic signals, an approach based on a method of characteristics yields efficient numerical schemes for the MPDAEs in time domain. If additionally digital signal structures occur, an adaptive grid is required to achieve the efficiency of the technique. We present a strategy applying a wavelet transformation to construct a mesh for resolving steep gradients in respective signals. Consequently, we employ finite difference methods to determine an approximative solution of characteristic systems in according grid points. Numerical simulations demonstrate the performance of the adaptive grid generation, where radio frequency signals with digital structures are resolved.     

Carbenoid chain reactions: substitutions by organolithium compounds at unactivated 1-chloro-1-alkenes

The deceptively simple "cross-coupling" reactions Alk(2)C=CA-Cl + RLi --> Alk(2)C=CA-R + LiCl (A = H, D, or Cl) occur via an alkylidenecarbenoid chain mechanism in three steps without a transition metal catalyst. In the initiating step 1, the sterically shielded 2-(chloromethylidene)-1,1,3,3-tetramethylindans 2a-c (Alk(2)C=CA-Cl) generate a Cl,Li-alkylidenecarbenoid (Alk(2)C=CLi-Cl, 6) through the transfer of atom A to RLi (methyllithium, n-butyllithium, or aryllithium). The chain cycle consists of the following two steps: (i) A fast vinylic substitution reaction of these RLi at carbenoid 6 (step 2) with formation of the chain carrier Alk(2)C=CLi-R (8), and (ii) a rate-limiting transfer of atom A (step 3) from reagent 2 to the chain carrier 8 with formation of the product Alk(2)C=CA-R (4) and with regeneration of carbenoid 6. This chain propagation step 3 was sufficiently slow to allow steady-state concentrations of Alk(2)C=CLi-Aryl to be observed (by NMR) with RLi = C6H5Li (in Et2O) and with 4-(Me3Si)C6H4Li (in t-BuOMe), whereas these chain processes were much faster in THF solution. PhC[triple bond]CLi cannot perform step 1, but its carbenoid chain processes with reagents 2a and 2c may be started with MeLi, whereafter LiC[triple bond]CPh reacts faster than MeLi in the product-determining step 2 to generate the chain carrier Alk(2)C=CLi-C[triple bond]CPh (8g), which completes its chain cycle through the slower step 3. The sterically congested products were formed with surprising ease even with RLi as bulky as 2,6-dimethylphenyllithium and 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyllithium.     

Optical breathers in semiconductor quantum dots

A theory of resonant optical breathers in the presence of single and biexciton transitions in an ensemble of inhomogeneously broadened semiconductor quantum dots is constructed. Explicit analytical expressions for the breather shape and parameters for experimental investigations are proposed.     

Pivaloylmetals (tBu-COM: M = Li, MgX, K) as equilibrium components

Short-lived pivaloylmetals, (H(3)C)(3)C-COM, were established as the reactive intermediates arising through thermal heterolytic expulsion of O=CtBu(2) from the overcrowded metal alkoxides tBuC(=O)-C(-OM)tBu(2) (M = MgX, Li, K). In all three cases, this fission step is counteracted by a faster return process, as shown through the trapping of tBu-COM by O=C(tBu)-C(CD(3))(3) with formation of the deuterated starting alkoxides. If generated in the absence of trapping agents, all three tBu-COM species "dimerize" to give the enediolates MO-C(tBu)=C(tBu)-OM along with O=CtBu(2) (2?equiv). A common-component rate depression by surplus O=CtBu(2) proves the existence of some free tBu-COM (separated from O=CtBu(2)); but companion intermediates with the traits of an undissociated complex such as tBu-COM & O=CtBu(2) had to be postulated. The slow fission step generating tBu-COMgX in THF levels the overall rates of dimerization, ketone addition, and deuterium incorporation. Formed by much faster fission steps, both tBu-COLi and tBu-COK add very rapidly to ketones and dimerize somewhat slower (but still fairly fast, as shown through trapping of the emerging O=CtBu(2) by H(3)CLi or PhCH(2)K, respectively). At first sight surprisingly, the rapid fission, return, and dimerization steps combine to very slow overall decay rates of the precursor Li and K alkoxides in the absence of trapping agents: A detailed study revealed that the fast fission step, generating tBu-COLi in THF, is followed by a kinetic partitioning that is heavily biased toward return and against the product-forming dimerization. Both tBu-COLi and tBu-COK form tBu-CH=O with HN(SiMe(3))(3), but only tBu-COK is basic enough for being protonated by the precursor acyloin tBuC(=O)-C(-OH)tBu(2) .     

Carbon nanotubes as substrates for molecular spiropyran-based switches

We present a joint theory-experiment study investigating the excitonic absorption of spiropyran-functionalized carbon nanotubes. The functionalization is promising for engineering switches on a molecular level, since spiropyrans can be reversibly switched between two different conformations, inducing a distinguishable and measurable change of optical transition energies in the substrate nanotube. Here, we address the question of whether an optical read-out of such a molecular switch is possible. Combining density matrix and density functional theory, we first calculate the excitonic absorption of pristine and functionalized nanotubes. Depending on the switching state of the attached molecule, we observe a red-shift of transition energies by about 15?meV due to the coupling of excitons with the molecular dipole moment. Then we perform experiments measuring the absorption spectrum of functionalized carbon nanotubes for both conformations of the spiropyran molecule. We find good qualitative agreement between the theoretically predicted and experimentally measured red-shift, confirming the possibility for an optical read-out of the nanotube-based molecular switch.     

Line narrowing of excited-state transitions in nonlinear polarization spectroscopy: application to water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein

The homogeneous linewidth of dye aggregates like photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes contains important information about energy transfer and relaxation times that is, however, masked by inhomogeneous broadening caused by static disorder. Whereas there exist line narrowing techniques for the study of low-energy exciton states, the homogeneous linewidth of the high-energy states is not so easy to decipher. Here we present a microscopic theory for nonlinear polarization spectroscopy in the frequency domain that contains a dynamic aggregate selection revealing the homogeneous linewidth of these states. The theory is applied to the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein for which the high-energy exciton state was predicted to exhibit a sub-100-fs lifetime.