Helical water chains in aquapores of organic hexahost: remarkable halogen-substitution effect on the handedness of water helix

Water helices surrounding the nano-channels of trichlorophloroglucinol and tribromophloroglucinol have different handedness, PMPMPM and PPPMMM (P = right-handed, M = left-handed), depending on halogenhalogen interactions between the host molecules.     

Thermochromism in nickel(II) complexes: thermal, solid state H NMR and single crystal X-ray analysis of bis-(N,N-dimethyl-1,2-ethanediamine) nickel(II) perchlorate

The complex bis-(N,N-dimethyl-1,2-ethanediamine) nickel(II) perchlorate undergoes a first-order thermochromic phase transition at ca. 476 K, changing its color from orange to red. The room temperature X-ray crystal structure determination showed that the nickel ion possesses a square-planar geometry with two five membered chelate rings, in the δλ conformation, forming the NiN₄ chromophore. The broad-line ¹H NMR indicates the onset of a dynamic disorder of diamine chelate rings at the phase transition temperature region, while T₁ measurement of ¹H affords the activation energy of the puckering metal chelate rings to be 26 kJ mol⁻¹. The electronic spectrum revealed that a weakening of ligand field around the nickel is associated with the phase transition.     

A method for the purification of bulk amount of thorium from its daughter products

A method has been developed to purify bulk amounts of natural thorium from its daughter products. The method is based on anion exchange separation of Th from Pb, Bi, Tl, Ra using Dowex 1 X 8 anion exchange resin conditioned to 2M HCl. The method has several advantages over other methods, namely the decontamination is quite high, Th separation is quantitative and it is suitable for the purification of bulk amounts of Th in a reasonably short time.     

Luminescence of Ce3+ in Y2SiO5 nanocrystals: Role of crystal structure and crystal size

Here, we report the role of crystal structure and crystal size on the photoluminescence properties of Ce3+ ions in Y2SiO5 nanocrystals. The emission at 430 nm (5d1 --> 4f1) and lifetime of the excited state of Ce3+ ion doped Y2SiO5 nanocrystals are found to be sensitive to the crystal structure, crystal size, and dopant concentration. It is found that the overall lifetime tau of 0.5 mol % Ce doped Y2SiO5 nanocrystals are 8.78 and 3.45 ns for 1000 and 1100 degrees C heat-treated samples with the same crystal structure (X1-Y2SiO5 phase), respectively. However, a significant increase in the overall lifetime (35.21 ns) is observed for the 1300 degrees C annealed 0.5 mol % Ce doped Y2SiO5 sample having a different crystal structure (X2-Y2SiO5 phase). We found that the decay kinetic is biexponential. It is explained that the fast component arises due to sequential hole-electron capture on the luminescent ions and the slow component arises from isolated ions. Our analysis suggests that modifications of radiative and nonraditive relaxation mechanisms are due to local symmetry structure of the host lattice and crystal size, respectively.     

4‐Amino derivatives of 7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole: the effect of the amino moiety on the structure of fluorophores

The crystal structures of three 4‐amino derivatives of 7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxa­diazole with increasing substituent ring size, viz. 7‐nitro‐4‐(pyrrolidin‐1‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzoxa­diazole, C₁₀H₁₀N₄O₃, 7‐nitro‐4‐(piperidin‐1‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzoxa­diazole, C₁₁H₁₂N₄O₃, and 4‐(azepan‐1‐yl)‐7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxa­diazole, C₁₂H₁₄N₄O₃, have been determined in order to understand their photophysical behaviour. All three were found to crystallize in centrosymmetric space groups. There is considerable electron delocalization compared with the parent compound, although the five‐membered oxa­diazole ring apparently does not participate in this. The length of the C—N bond between the amino N atom and the 7‐nitro­benzoxa­diazole system is found to be shorter than in similar compounds, as is the C—N_nitro bond. In each structure, the nitro group lies in the plane of the benzoxa­diazole unit.     

Spectrophotometric studies on the zirconium complex of 2-(3,6-disulfo-8-hydroxynaphthylazo)-1,8-dihydroxynaphtualene-3, 6-disulfonic acid

Summary A chromotropic azo dye, DSNADNS, prepared from chromotropic acid and 1-amino-8-naphthol-3,6-disulfonic acid has been found to produce quantitative precipitation of zirconium in acid medium. The blue-violet complex formed is insoluble in all organic solvents commonly used for solvent extraction work, but is soluble in a number of liquid organic bases and solutions of ammonium salts in water showing pink to violet colouration. Spectrophotometric studies as to the nature of the complex in pyridine, triethanolamine ammonium acetate, oxalate and carbonate solutions and the analytical possibility of these solutions have been made. The complex appears to decompose in pyridine, ammonium acetate and ammonium oxalate solutions, but it is fairly stable in ammonium carbonate and triethanolamine solutions. The absorbance peaks of the dye in these solutions occur at 500 and 520 nm respectively, while the complex in triethanolamine and ammonium carbonate both shows absorbance maxima at 540 nm. The solution of the complex in these two solvents obeys Beer's law within a concentration range 4 to 25 mg of zirconium per litre. The molar absorbance coefficients of the complex in triethanolamine and ammonium carbonate are respectively 686 and 823, which indicate poor sensitivity. The solution of the complex in the former solvent is more stable than that in the latter and an analytical procedure for the spectrophotometric determination of zirconium, with little interference from foreign ions, may be developed with ease in the triethanolamine solution.

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Zusammenfassung Ein Azofarbstoff der Chromotropsäure, DSNADNS, der aus Chromotropsäure und 1-Amino-8-naphthol-3,6-disulfonsäure dargestellt werden kann, ergibt mit Zirkonium in saurer Lösung eine quantitative Fällung. Der blauviolett gefärbte Komplex ist in allen üblichen organischen Lösungsmitteln unlöslich, löst sich jedoch in einigen flüssigen organischen Basen sowie wäßrigen Lösungen von Ammoniumsalzen mit rosa bis violetter Färbung. Die Lösungen des Komplexes in Pyridin, Triäthanolamin sowie in Ammoniumacetat, -oxalat und -carbonatlösungen und ihre analytische Verwendbarkeit werden spektrophotometrisch untersucht. In Pyridin sowie in Ammoniumacetat und -oxalatlösungen scheint sich der Komplex zu zersetzen, während er in Triäthanolamin und Ammoniumcarbonatlösungen ziemlich beständig ist. Das Absorptionsmaximum des Farbstoffs in diesen beiden Lösungsmitteln liegt bei 500 bzw. 520 nm, der Komplex weist in beiden Fällen ein Maximum bei 540 nm auf. Das Beersche Gesetz wird in beiden Lösungsmitteln von 4–25 mg Zr/l erfüllt. Der molare Absorptionskoeffizient beträgt 686 bzw. 823. Die Lösung des Komplexes in Triäthanolamin ist stabiler als in Ammoniumcarbonatlösung. Eine spektrophotometrische Bestimmung von Zirkonium, die nur wenig von Fremdionen gestört wird, könnte daher gut in Triäthanolaminlösung durchgeführt werden.

     

Influence of branch length asymmetry on the electrophoretic mobility of rigid rod-like DNA

The electrophoretic mobility of three-arm asymmetric star DNA molecules, produced by incorporating a short DNA branch at the midpoint of rigid-rod linear DNA fragments, is investigated in polyacrylamide gels. We determine how long the added branch must be to separate asymmetric star DNA from linear DNA with the same total molecular weight. This work focuses on two different geometric progressions of small DNA molecules. First, branches of increasing length were introduced at the center of a linear DNA fragment of constant length. At a given gel concentration, we find that relatively small branch lengths are enough to cause a detectable reduction in electrophoretic mobility. The second geometric progression starts with a small branch on a linear DNA fragment. As the length of this branch is increased, the DNA backbone length is decreased such that the total molar mass of the molecule remains constant. The branch length was then increased until the asymmetric branched molecule becomes a symmetric three-arm star polymer, allowing the effect of molecular topology on mobility to be studied independent of size effects. DNA molecules with very short branches have a mobility smaller than linear DNA of identical molar mass. The reason for this change in mobility when branching is introduced is not known, however, we explore two possible explanations in this article. (i) The branched DNA could have a greater interaction with the gel than linear DNA, causing it to move slower; (ii) the linear DNA could have modes of motion or access to pores that are unavailable to the branched DNA.     

Reduction of octacyanomolybdate(V) by thioglycolic acid in aqueous media

In aqueous media at 25 degrees C [Mo(CN)(8)](3-) is reduced by thioglycolic acid (HSCH(2)COOH, TGA), and the reaction is strongly accelerated by the presence of trace amounts of copper ions. Dipicolinic acid (dipic) is an effective inhibitor of the copper catalysis. Both with and without dipic the reaction has the stoichiometry 2[Mo(CN)(8)](3-) + 2TGA --> 2[Mo(CN)(8)](4-) + RSSR, where RSSR is the disulfide derived from formal oxidative dimerization of TGA. In the presence of dipic, PBN (N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenyl-nitrone), and with a large excess of TGA the rate law for consumption of [Mo(CN)(8)](3-) is first order in both [TGA] and [Mo(CN)(8)(3-)]. The complex pH dependence is consistent with (-)SCH(2)CO(2)(-) being highly reactive (k = 1.8 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)), the monoanion being less reactive, and HSCH(2)CO(2)H being unreactive. A mechanism is proposed in which the dianion undergoes electron transfer to [Mo(CN)(8)](3-), thus generating the thiyl radical. Analysis of the electron-transfer rate constant in terms of Marcus theory yields an effective self-exchange rate constant for the thiolate/thiyl redox couple that is in reasonable agreement with the value derived previously from the reaction of TGA with [IrCl(6)](2-). When copper catalysis is inhibited, the two reactions differ substantially in that the yield of (-)O(3)SCH(2)CO(2)(-) is significant for [IrCl(6)](2-) but undetectable for [Mo(CN)(8)](3-).