Synthesis and Downstream Reactions of 2-(Triphenylphosphino)-4,5-dicarbomethoxy-1,3-diselenole Tetrafluoroborate: X-ray Crystal Structure of a Nitroso Derivative of a 2-Ylidene-1,3-diselenole Stabilized by an Intramolecular O.Se Interaction

The title 1,3-diselenole Wittig reagent 9 has been synthesised by a new, efficient route from readily-available starting materials and reacted with a variety of functionalized aldehydes to form the corresponding 2-ylidene-1,3-diselenones 12 in respectable yields. X-ray analysis of a nitrosated derivative 14e, prepared by the reaction of 12e with isoamyl nitrite, has provided the first direct evidence for the stabilization of such systems by intramolecular oxygen-selenium interactions.     

Ethynyl pi-extended 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles and 2-phenyl 5-(2-thienyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles: synthesis, X-ray crystal structures and optical properties

2-(4-tert-Butylphenyl)-5-(4-ethynylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole reacts with a series of heteroaryl iodides under standard Sonogashira cross-coupling conditions (Pd[PPh(3)](2)Cl(2), CuI, triethylamine, THF) to yield products 2a-g in 40-79% yields (heteroaryl = 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, 2-pyrazyl, 5-bromo-2-pyrimidyl, 2-thienyl and 3-thienyl, respectively). Compound 2f was lithiated followed by electrophilic iodination (BuLi, perfluorohexyl iodide) to give 3, which by a two-step sequence gave the terminal ethynylthienyl derivative 5. Conversion of 5 into the terminal ethynylaldehyde derivative 7, via acetal derivative 6, proceeded in high yield. Starting from 2-iodo-5-methoxycarbonylthiophene, a five-step sequence afforded 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-5-(4-ethynylthienyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole 13 (13% overall yield). Reactions of 13 gave terminal pyridyl, pyrazyl, pyrimidyl and thienyl derivatives, analogous to those obtained from 1. Two-fold reaction of 13 with 2,5-diiodothiophene gave the bis(ethynylthienyl)thiophene derivative 15 (30% yield). Solution UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectra establish that replacement of the phenyl ring in the 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole series 2a-g by a thienyl ring [i.e. the 2-phenyl-5-(2-thienyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole series 14a-g] leads to a red shift in the lowest energy band in both the absorption spectra and emission spectra. The X-ray crystal structures of compounds 2d, 2g, 5 and 14d.CHCl(3) reveal that the molecular structures are approximately planar although there are substantial differences in the conformations.     

A (pi-extended tetrathiafulvalene)-fluorene conjugate. Unusual electrochemistry and charge transfer properties: the first observation of a covalent D(2+)-sigma-A(.-) redox state(1)

The synthesis of novel electrochemically amphoteric TTFAQ-sigma-A compounds (TTFAQ = 9,10-bis(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracene, sigma = saturated spacer, A = polynitrofluorene acceptor) is reported. Their solution redox behavior is characterized by three single-electron reduction and one two-electron oxidation waves. Electrochemical quasireversibility of the TTFAQ(2+) state and a low E(ox) - E(red) gap ( approximately 0.25 V) for 3-(9-dicyanomethylene-4,5,7-trinitrofluorene-2-sulfonyl)-propionic acid 2-[10-(4,5-dimethyl-[1,3]dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracen-9-ylidene]-5-methyl-[1,3]dithiol-4-ylmethyl ester (10) has enabled the electrochemical generation of the hitherto unknown transient D(2+)-sigma-A(.-) state as observed in cyclic voltammetry and time-resolved spectroelectrochemistry. The ground state of compound 10 was shown to be ionic in the solid but is essentially neutral in solution (according to electron paramagnetic resonance). The X-ray structure of an intermolecular 1:2 complex between 2-[2,7-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)-9,10-bis(4,5-dimethyl-[1,3]dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracene and 2,5,7-trinitro-4-bromo-9-dicyanomethylenefluorene, 14.(17)(2), reveals, for the first time, full electron transfer in a fluorene charge-transfer complex.     

Interplay of structural dynamics and electronic effects in an engineered assembly of pentacene in a metal–organic framework

Charge carrier mobility is an important figure of merit to evaluate organic semiconductor (OSC) materials. In aggregated OSCs, this quantity is determined by inter-chromophoric electronic and vibrational coupling. These key parameters sensitively depend on structural properties, including the density of defects. We have employed a new type of crystalline assembly strategy to engineer the arrangement of the OSC pentacene in a structure not realized as crystals to date. Our approach is based on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), in which suitably substituted pentacenes act as ditopic linkers and assemble into highly ordered π-stacks with long-range order. Layer-by-layer fabrication of the MOF yields arrays of electronically coupled pentacene chains, running parallel to the substrate surface. Detailed photophysical studies reveal strong, anisotropic inter-pentacene electronic coupling, leading to efficient charge delocalization. Despite a high degree of structural order and pronounced dispersion of the 1D-bands for the static arrangement, our experimental results demonstrate hopping-like charge transport with an activation energy of 64 meV dominating the band transport over a wide range of temperatures. A thorough combined quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics investigation identifies frustrated localized rotations of the pentacene cores as the reason for the breakdown of band transport and paves the way for a crystal engineering strategy of molecular OSCs that independently varies the arrangement of the molecular cores and their vibrational degrees of freedom.

Pentacene assembled into 1D arrays using a metal–organic framework (MOF) approach. This cofacial packing motif, which is not present in pentacene bulk, shows an interesting interplay of band-like and hopping-type transport.     

Spherical ensembles of gold nanoparticles on silica: electrostatic and size effects

Core-shell ensembles of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (20-80 nm) on submicron silica cores (330-550 nm) have been prepared by electrostatic self-assembly with shell packing densities as high as phi = 0.55.     

Electrometric titrations with two polarized second-order electrodes

Electrometric titrations at constant resistance with two polarized second-order electrodes are shown to be possible. The polarization curve of the silver/silver chloride electrode is investigated theoretically and experimentally in order to find the best conditions for chloride titrations.Directions are given for the preparation and manipulation, of electrodes which enable quick titrations with rather dilute standard solutions (up to 0.001N AgNO₃). The titration apparatus used and some practical applications of the amperometric titration are described.     

Experimental and theoretical determination of nucleic acid magnetic susceptibility: importance for the study of dynamics by field-induced residual dipolar couplings

Magnetic susceptibility anisotropies (Deltachi) are determined for the nucleic acid bases on the basis of a combined NMR spectroscopic and DFT study. Magnetic field-induced residual dipolar couplings (RDC) measured for the Dickerson dodecamer allow for the determination of a precise value of Deltachi for this DNA. A tensor summation employing the results of DFT calculations of the individual base magnetic susceptibility tensors and the known structure of the dodecamer provides a value of Deltachi which is in excellent agreement with experiment. The DFT results are shown to provide superior agreement with experiment for the dodecamer and a protein-DNA complex when compared with other sets of values in common use in the literature. The marked discrepancy between our Deltachi values and existing sets of values has a direct and significant impact on the interpretation of field-induced anisotropic interactions in terms of biomolecular structure and dynamics.     

Role of membrane potential and hydrogen bonding in the mechanism of translocation of guanidinium-rich peptides into cells

The results described herein support a mechanistic hypothesis for how guanidine-rich transporters attached to small cargos (MW ca. <3000) can migrate across the lipid membrane of a cell and directly enter the cytosol. Arginine oligomers are found to partition almost completely into the aqueous layer of a water-octanol bilayer. However, when the same partitioning experiment is conducted in the presence of sodium laurate, a representative negatively charged membrane constituent, the arginine oligomer partitions almost completely (>95%) into the octanol layer. In contrast, ornithine oligomers partition almost exclusively into the water layer with and without added sodium laurate. The different partitioning between guanidinium-rich and ammonium-rich oligomers in the presence of sodium laurate is consistent with the ability of the former to form a bidentate hydrogen bonded ion pair. Mono- and dimethylated arginine oligomers, which like ornithine can only efficiently form monodentate hydrogen bonds, were prepared and found to exhibit poor cellular uptake. Ion pair formation converts a once water-soluble agent to a lipid-soluble agent, thereby reducing the energetic penalty for passage of guanidine-rich transporters through the lipid bilayer. Uptake of guanidine-rich transporters is known to be an energy-dependent process, and this requirement for cellular ATP is now rationalized by the inhibition of guanidine-rich transporter uptake in the presence of agents that reduce the membrane potential. Specifically, incubation of cells in buffers with high potassium ion concentrations or pretreatment of cells with gramicidin A reduces the cellular uptake of Fl-aca-arg8-CONH2 by >90%. Furthermore, the reciprocal experiment of hyperpolarizing the cell with valinomycin increased uptake by >1.5 times. In summary, we propose that the water-soluble, positively charged guanidinium headgroups of the transporter form bidentate hydrogen bonds with H-bond acceptor functionality on the cell surface. The resultant ion pair complexes partition into the lipid bilayer and migrate across at a rate related to the membrane potential. The complex dissociates on the inner leaf of the membrane, and the transporter enters the cytosol. This hypothesis does not preclude uptake by other mechanisms, including endocytosis, which is likely to dominate with large cargos.     

Investigations on chemical interactions between alternate cathodes and lanthanum gallate electrolyte for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (ITSOFC)

The doped perovskite oxides such as La_0.65Sr_0.30MnO_3-δ (LSM), La_0.70Sr_0.30CoO_3-δ (LSC), La_0.65Sr_0.30FeO_3-δ (LSF), La_0.65Sr_0.30NiO_3-δ (LSN) and La_0.60Sr_0.40Co_0.20Fe_0.80O_3-δ (LSCF) are proposed as alternate cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells working at reduced temperature (< 1073 K). The critical requirement for their applicability is their chemical compatibility in conjunction with an alternate solid electrolyte, La_0.9Sr_0.1Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O_3-δ (LSGM) without any new phase formation. To understand the chemical reactivity between these two components, thoroughly mixed different cathode and LSGM electrolyte (1:1 by wt.) powders were pressed as circular components and subjected to annealing at 1573 K for 3 h in air. XRD and SEM were used for the characterization of the annealed samples. XRD measurements revealed that no new secondary phases were formed in LSM, LSC, and LSF with LSGM mixtures whereas LSN and LSCF with LSGM resulted in the formation of new secondary phases after high temperature treatment. The sintering shrinkage for all the components (cathode + electrolyte mixture) was also estimated. For comparison of data, the individual powders (cathode/electrolyte) were also compacted and studied in the same manner. The obtained results are discussed keeping in view the requirements that the candidate cathode material must meet out with respect to its chemical compatibility to qualify for the LSGM based ITSOFC systems at 1073 K.     

Engineering a remarkably low HOMO-LUMO gap by covalent linkage of a strong pi-donor and a pi-acceptor--tetrathiafulvalene-sigma-polynitrofluorene diads: their amphoteric redox behavior,electron transfer and spectroscopic properties

Novel R3TTF-sigma-A compounds 14, 16 and 19 (R3TTF = trial-kyletrathiafulvalene, sigma = saturated spacer, A = polynitrofluoren-9-dicyano-methylene acceptor) incorporating very strong donor and acceptor moieties have been synthesized by condensation of the corresponding R3TTF-sigma-fluoren-9-one diads with malononitrile. Reversible five-step amphoteric redox behavior has been observed with an extremely low HOMO-LUMO gap (approximately 0.3 eV). For compound 14 a strong EPR signal is observed in the solid state, ascribed to intermolecular complexation: a less intense signal is seen in solution, corresponding to ca. 2% of the molecules existing in a radical form at room temperature. Intramolecular charge transfer in diads 14 and 16 is manifested in strong absorption bands in the near-IR region of their electronic spectra. Spectroelectrochemical data reveal marked electrochromic behavior in the visible and near-IR region of both compounds. The first X-ray crystal structure of a fluorene radical-anion salt is reported, namely the copper salt of 2,4,5,7-tetranitro-9- dicyanomethylenefluorene (1:1 stoichiometry).