Three transition‐metal complexes with the macrocyclic ligand meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane (L): [Cu(ClO4)2(L)], [Zn(NO3)2(L)] and [CuCl(L)(H2O)]Cl

The three transition‐metal complexes, (meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane‐κ⁴N)bis(perchlorato‐κO)copper(II), [Cu(ClO₄)₂(C₁₈H₄₀N₄)], (I), (meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane‐κ⁴N)bis(nitrato‐κO)zinc(II), [Zn(NO₃)₂(C₁₈H₄₀N₄)], (II), and aquachlorido(meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane‐κ⁴N)copper(II) chloride, [CuCl(C₁₈H₄₀N₄)(H₂O)]Cl, (III), are described. The molecules display a very similarly distorted 4+2 octahedral environment for the cation [located at an inversion centre in (I) and (II)], defined by the macrocycle N₄ group in the equatorial sites and two further ligands in trans‐axial positions [two O–ClO₃ ligands in (I), two O–NO₂ ligands in (II) and one chloride and one aqua ligand in (III)]. The most significant difference in molecular shape resides in these axial ligands, the effect of which on the intra‐ and intermolecular hydrogen bonding is discussed. In the case of (I), all strong hydrogen‐bond donors are saturated in intramolecular interactions, while weak intermolecular C—H...O contacts result in a three‐dimensional network. In (II) and (III), instead, there are N—H and O—H donors left over for intermolecular interactions, giving rise to the formation of strongly linked but weakly interacting chains.     

An investigation of polyhedral deformation in two mixed‐metal diarsenates: SrZnAs2O7 and BaCuAs2O7

Two isostructural diarsenates, SrZnAs₂O₇ (strontium zinc diarsenate), (I), and BaCuAs₂O₇ [barium copper(II) diarsenate], (II), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The three‐dimensional open‐framework crystal structure consists of corner‐sharing M2O₅ (M2 = Zn or Cu) square pyramids and diarsenate (As₂O₇) groups. Each As₂O₇ group shares its five corners with five different M2O₅ square pyramids. The resulting framework delimits two types of tunnels aligned parallel to the [010] and [100] directions where the large divalent nine‐coordinated M1 (M1 = Sr or Ba) cations are located. The geometrical characteristics of the M1O₉, M2O₅ and As₂O₇ groups of known isostructural diarsenates, adopting the general formula M1^IIM2^IIAs₂O₇ (M1^II = Sr, Ba, Pb; M2^II = Mg, Co, Cu, Zn) and crystallizing in the space group P2₁/n, are presented and discussed.     

Changes of the magnetic interactions in TlCo2Se2 upon metal substitution

Various solid solutions TlCo_2−xMe_xSe₂ (Me=Fe, Ni and Cu) have been investigated by neutron powder diffraction, supplemented by magnetometry. The incommensurate spin-helix running along the c-axis in tetragonal TlCo₂Se₂ prevails for low concentrations of copper and iron but changes pitch. In the copper case, only cobalt carries a magnetic moment. On nickel substitution, however, collinear antiferromagnetic coupling between the ferromagnetic layers occurs. The magnetic moment distribution between the two transition metals in the solid solution TlCo_2−xNi_xSe₂ was tentatively probed with first principle calculations on fictive ordered TlCoNiSe₂, modelled by two types of superstructures. Also the ternary mother compounds, Pauli paramagnetic TlNi₂Se₂ and antiferromagnetic TlCo₂Se₂, were investigated with the same LMTO method.     

Switchable Surface Hydrophobicity–Hydrophilicity of a Metal–Organic Framework

Materials with surfaces that can be switched from high/superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity are useful for myriad applications. Herein, we report a metal–organic framework (MOF) assembled from Zn^II ions, 1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate, and a hydrophobic carborane‐based linker. The MOF crystal‐surface can be switched between hydrophobic and superhydrophilic through a chemical treatment to remove some of the building blocks.     

Nine-coordinated Eu3+ Dipicolinate Compounds: Different Crystal Structures and Luminescence Properties as a Function of pH

Two compounds, Na₃[Eu(DPA)₃] ⋅ 14H₂O and [Eu(DPA)(HDPA)(H₂O)₂] ⋅ 4H₂O, were created and the structure determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction. The single crystal luminescence properties were compared and related to the Eu³⁺ coordination geometry. The formation of single crystals from solutions of Eu(CF₃SO₃)₃ and H₂DPA was found change with the pH value of the H₂DPA solution. Mixtures of Na₃[Eu(DPA)₃] ⋅ 14H₂O and [Eu(DPA)(HDPA)(H₂O)₂] ⋅ 4H₂O were observed with a pH ratio between the two structures. While visual inspection showed that all samples contained both Na₃[Eu(DPA)₃] ⋅ 14H₂O and [Eu(DPA)(HDPA)(H₂O)₂] ⋅ 4H₂O, the PXRD and luminescence data did not immediately reveal that the samples were pure. Having discovered that the samples were indeed mixtures, quantification was attempted by Rietveld refinement of the PXRD data, and the luminescence spectra were compared to those from single crystals. As the data was not found to reveal that the samples were mixtures, even though we knew that this was the case, we must urge caution when inferring structure-property relationships from powder samples. In this case we were able to isolate monophasic systems and do a comparative study, but this requires that the samples are identified as mixtures.     

A chemical/computational approach to the determination of absolute configuration of flexible and transparent molecules: aliphatic diols as a case study

By reacting flexible and optically transparent in UV-vis molecules such as 1,2-, syn- and anti-1,3-diols, 1,3-sulfanylalcohols of known absolute configuration (AC) with fluorenone dimethyl acetal, the corresponding ketals are obtained. They are conformationally well-defined (only one conformer in most cases) compounds exhibiting medium-high optical rotation (OR) values, which are independent of the solvent, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, which show several (up to five) Cotton effects in the 350-200 nm range due to valence shell pi-->pi* transitions. These features allow simulation of the chiroptical properties of these compounds at the TDDFT/B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory to obtain, using the known ACs of these compounds, a satisfactory reproduction of the OR values (sign and order of magnitude; quantitatively, the predicted values are twice the experimental ones), and a more than satisfactory reproduction of the ECD spectra (sign, intensity, and position of the lowest-energy four Cotton effects) for all the compounds studied. Therefore, this approach can be used to assign the AC of such flexible molecules, in particular, syn-1,3-diols, which are important substrates in organic synthesis and for which nonempirical methods of AC assignment have not been devised so far. Furthermore, since the fluorene chromophore leads to the presence of several Cotton effects from, say, 350 to 200 nm, their correct simulation of sign, intensity, and position is a guarantee of the correct assignment of AC: in this way, ECD spectroscopy gains the same advantages of VCD spectroscopy, that is, the need of reproducing many ECD bands and then a solid guarantee of a correct AC assignment.     

Unsupported palladium alloy foil membranes fabricated by electroless plating

It is desirable to create thin (<25 μm), unsupported, defect-free palladium and palladium alloy foils in a cost-effective manner in order to study intrinsic material properties exclusive of support effects. We have developed a novel technique for producing unsupported palladium films by electroless plating upon mirror-finished stainless steel supports followed by mechanical removal. High quality pure palladium films as thin as 7.2 μm were produced. Single gas steady state permeation experiments were performed using hydrogen and nitrogen to examine permeability and selectivity. The pure palladium membranes showed hydrogen permeabilities comparable to cold-rolled unsupported foils, and high H₂/N₂ selectivity. Palladium-copper membranes were prepared by sequential electroless plating of copper onto palladium foils followed by in situ annealing. The annealing process produces films of desired composition with permeabilities comparable to those in the literature. The annealing process does not appear to produce defects in the film, and the membranes thus produced have performed 15 days without increased leak rates.     

Increasing voltage gradient electrophoresis of DNA

We developed a method which allows electrophoretic fractionation of DNA in an agarose matrix according to an increasing current gradient, using a previously designed [R. Barbieri, V. Izzo, M.A. Costa, G. Giudice, G. Duro, Anal. Biochem. 212 (1993) 168; M.R. Asaro, V. Izzo, R. Barbieri, J. Chromatogr. A 855 (1999) 723] voltage gradient apparatus. This method allows the separation of different DNA fragments by increasing the distances of the components fractionated in the gel, revealing small differences in the length of different DNA components.     

Application of partial least squares discriminant analysis and variable selection procedures: a 2D-PAGE proteomic study

2D gel electrophoresis is a tool for measuring protein regulation, involving image analysis by dedicated software (PDQuest, Melanie, etc.). Here, partial least squares discriminant analysis was applied to improve the results obtained by classic image analysis and to identify the significant spots responsible for the differences between two datasets. A human colon cancer HCT116 cell line was analyzed, treated and not treated with a new histone deacetylase inhibitor, RC307. The proteins regulated by RC307 were detected by analyzing the total lysates and nuclear proteome profiles. Some of the regulated spots were identified by tandem mass spectrometry. The preliminary data are encouraging and the protein modulation reported is consistent with the antitumoral effect of RC307 on the HCT116 cell line. Partial least squares discriminant analysis coupled with backward elimination variable selection allowed the identification of a larger number of spots than classic PDQuest analysis. Moreover, it allows the achievement of the best performances of the model in terms of prediction and provides therefore more robust and reliable results. From this point of view, the multivariate procedure applied can be considered a good alternative to standard differential analysis, also taking into account the interdependencies existing among the variables.