A Water‐Soluble Perylene Bisimide Cyclophane as a Molecular Probe for the Recognition of Aromatic Alkaloids

Herein, we report a water‐soluble macrocyclic host based on perylene bisimide (PBI) chromophores that recognizes natural aromatic alkaloids in aqueous media by intercalating them into its hydrophobic cavity. The host–guest binding properties of our newly designed receptor with several alkaloids were studied by UV/Vis and fluorescence titration experiments as the optical properties of the chromophoric host change significantly upon complexation of guests. Structural information on the host–guest complexes was obtained by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. Our studies reveal a structure–binding property relationship for a series of structurally diverse aromatic alkaloids with the new receptor and higher binding affinity for the class of harmala alkaloids. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a chromophoric macrocyclic host employed as a molecular probe for the recognition of aromatic alkaloids.     

Das Monoammoniakat des Galliumamidfluorids: Ga(NH3)(NH2)F2

The Monoammoniate of Gallium Amide Fluoride, Ga(NH₃)(NH₂)F₂ The oxidation of gallium metal with NH₄F leads at 325 °C in the presence of indium to single crystals of Ga(NH₂)F₂ · NH₃ [monoclinic, C2/m (no. 12), a = 1053.1(1), b = 557.4(1), c = 484.2(3) pm, β = 90.04(4)]. The crystal structure is built up from layers of corner-bridged [Ga(NH₃)₂F₄] and [Ga(NH₂)₂F₄] octahedra, respectively. The infrared spectrum proves the existence of the amide group in Ga(NH₂)F₂ · NH₃.     

Virtual test facilities for building acoustic predictions using FEM

The most important characteristic in building acoustics is the transmission loss which describes the insulation performance of a separating component. This quantity is defined by the ratio of inclined sound power to transmitted power. The transmission loss is usually measured in costly experimental set-ups of either real size facilities or down scaled test models. In order to reduce the effort and to gain further insight into the complex behavior of wave propagation in coupled structure-fluid systems, virtual test facilities using numerical methods (FEM) are established. An appropriate determination of the reverberation time is essential for obtaining good quality simulations. The results of the simulated transmission loss are presented and compared with common analytical prediction methods based on the transfer matrix method. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Comparing Ullmann Coupling on Noble Metal Surfaces: On‐Surface Polymerization of 1,3,6,8‐Tetrabromopyrene on Cu(111) and Au(111)

The on‐surface polymerization of 1,3,6,8‐tetrabromopyrene (Br₄Py) on Cu(111) and Au(111) surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions was investigated by a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Deposition of Br₄Py on Cu(111) held at 300 K resulted in a spontaneous debromination reaction, generating the formation of a branched coordination polymer network stabilized by C?Cu?C bonds. After annealing at 473 K, the C?Cu?C bonds were converted to covalent C?C bonds, leading to the formation of a covalently linked molecular network of short oligomers. In contrast, highly ordered self‐assembled two‐dimensional (2D) patterns stabilized by both Br?Br halogen and Br?H hydrogen bonds were observed upon deposition of Br₄Py on Au(111) held at 300 K. Subsequent annealing of the sample at 473 K led to a dissociation of the C?Br bonds and the formation of disordered metal‐coordinated molecular networks. Further annealing at 573 K resulted in the formation of covalently linked disordered networks. Importantly, we found that the chosen substrate not only plays an important role as catalyst for the Ullmann reaction, but also influences the formation of different types of intermolecular bonds and thus, determines the final polymer network morphology. DFT calculations further support our experimental findings obtained by STM and XPS and add complementary information on the reaction pathway of Br₄Py on the different substrates.     

Calcium‐Catalyzed Carboarylation of Alkynes

The first transition‐metal‐free carboarylation of alkynes with commercial and readily available alcohols as alkylating agents was realized in the presence of an environmentally benign calcium catalyst. Thereby, a novel protocol for the one‐step synthesis of highly congested, all‐carbon tetrasubstituted alkenes, as incorporated in potentially bioactive, complex dihydronaphthalene, chromene and dihydroquinoline structures, is provided. The reaction features an unprecedented, particularly wide substrate scope, good functional‐group tolerance and simple experimental operation under mild reaction conditions.     

Cyano‐Functionalized Triarylamines on Coinage Metal Surfaces: Interplay of Intermolecular and Molecule–Substrate Interactions

The self‐assembly of cyano‐functionalized triarylamine derivatives on Cu(111), Ag(111) and Au(111) was studied by means of scanning tunnelling microscopy, low‐energy electron diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Different bonding motifs, such as antiparallel dipolar coupling, hydrogen bonding and metal coordination, were observed. Whereas on Ag(111) only one hexagonally close‐packed pattern stabilized by hydrogen bonding is observed, on Au(111) two different partially porous phases are present at submonolayer coverage, stabilized by dipolar coupling, hydrogen bonding and metal coordination. In contrast to the self‐assembly on Ag(111) and Au(111), for which large islands are formed, on Cu(111), only small patches of hexagonally close‐packed networks stabilized by metal coordination and areas of disordered molecules are found. The significant variety in the molecular self‐assembly of the cyano‐functionalized triarylamine derivatives on these coinage metal surfaces is explained by differences in molecular mobility and the subtle interplay between intermolecular and molecule–substrate interactions.