The distribution of nickel ions among octahedral and tetrahedral sites in NiAl2O4MgAl2O4 solid solutions

The cation distribution in NiAl₂O₄ and in the solid solutions Ni_xMg_1?xAl₂O₄ with x ranging from 0.01 to 0.55 has been studied by X-ray analysis, magnetic susceptibility and reflectance spectroscopy.The relative X-ray intensities of various reflections for each compound were measured and compared with intensities calculated for various models of cation distribution. Lattice parameters, magnetic moments of Ni²⁺, and the position of nickel absorption bands have also been measured. The results show that all specimens have a predominantly octahedral distribution for their nickel ions, and that there is a small change towards a random distribution when the quenching temperature is increased from 1273 to 1673°K.Both X-ray and magnetic results show that the fraction, α, of Ni²⁺ ions on tetrahedral sites varies with nickel content. For samples quenched from 1273°K, NiAl₂O₄ is 78% inverse, but between x = 1.0 and x = 0.25 the value of α decreases from 0.22 towards 0.1. Thus, the fraction of nickel on octahedral sites in the solid solutions is higher than in NiAl₂O₄. The effect is linked with an increase in Dq for the Ni²⁺ ion. Below x = 0.25, there is tentative evidence that α may increase. In nickel-dilute solutions the matrix as a whole is nearly normal, and it is suggested that Madelung energy may then be more effective in counteracting the octahedral stabilization of nickel. The same trend is observed in the specimens quenched from 1673°K.     

Helical pitch of m-phenylene ethynylene foldamers by double spin labeling

To investigate the helical conformation of oligo(m-phenylene ethynylene)s, a pair of TEMPO spin labels were appended to the backbone. The two TEMPO radicals were separated by the four, five, and six repeating units. ESR spectra of the labeled oligomers were measured in chloroform and in ethyl acetate solvents in which the oligomers are disordered and folded, respectively. The measurement and analysis of ESR spectra revealed that six repeating units make one helical turn.     

Supramolecular chelation based on folding

Crystallographic analysis revealed that pyridine-palladium complexation is a good geometric match to the m-phenylene ethynylene (mPE) repeat unit and thus could serve as a reversible linking group to join oligomer segments together. A series of pyridine-terminated mPE oligomers were then synthesized and found to coordinate with palladium dichloride to give complexes effectively twice the length of the free oligomers. A quantitative analysis of these coordination equilibria by isothermal calorimetry found the ability of the pyridine end-group to form a coordination complex corresponded with their ability to fold. Oligomers that were able to form complexes of sufficient length to fold showed positive cooperativity based on experimental determination of their association constants with a palladium ion. We suggest that the additional free energy of complexation for the folded oligomers is analogous to chelation by multidentate ligands, but here the "multidentate ligand" is held together by supramolecular rather than covalent bonds.     

Reactions of dimethyldivinylsilane,dimethyldivinyltin and allyltrimethyltin with diethylene (tertiary) phosphine)platinum complexes

The compounds [Pt(C₂H₄)₂(PR₃)] [PR₃ = P-tBu₂Me, P(C₆H₁₁)₃, PPh₃] react dimethyldivinylsilane or dimethyldivinyltin to give chelate complexes [Pt{(CH₂CH)₂MMe₂} (PR₃)] (M = Si or Sn). allyltrimethyltin reacts with various diethylene (tertiary phosphine)platinum compounds with cleavage of the allyl group to afford complexes [Pt(SnMe₃)(η³-C₃H₅)(PR₂)]. The NMR spectra (¹³C, ¹H and ³¹P) of the new compounds have been recorded, and the data are discussed in terms of the structures proposed.     

Engineered protein cages for nanomaterial synthesis

Self-assembled particles of genetically engineered human L subunit ferritin expressing a silver-binding peptide were used as nanocontainers for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The inner cavity of the self-assembled protein cage displays a dodecapeptide that is capable of reducing silver ions to metallic silver. This chimeric protein cage when incubated in the presence of silver nitrate exhibits the growth of a silver nanocrystal within its cavity. Our studies indicate that it is possible to design chimeric cages, using specific peptide templates, for the growth of other inorganic nanoparticles.