EDS X-Ray Investigation of Interdiffusion in Au–Ni Micro- and Nanolayers

The interdiffusion process in thin and thick (500nm–60µm) Au–Ni layers deposited on different substrates is studied using the EDS technique. In-depth X-ray analysis based on the Pouchou and Pichoir method is applied for obtaining the concentration profiles in nanometre scale multi-layers. A theoretical analysis using the Darken method is employed for modelling interdiffusion in the Au–Ni system. Computer simulations, where intrinsic diffusivities of the Au and Ni are functions of composition, are presented and compared with experimental results.     

SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES OF CUTANEOUS PHOTOSENSITIZING AGENTS—IV. THE PHOTOLYSIS OF BENOXAPROFEN, AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG WITH PHOTOTOXIC PROPERTIES

Abstract— Benoxaprofen [2-(4-chlorophenyl)-α-methyl-5-benzoxazole acetic acid] is an anti-inflammatory drug that causes acute phototoxicity in many patients. Photolysis studies in organic solvents (ethanol, benzene, dimethylsulfoxide) showed that benoxaprofen underwent both Type I and Type II reactions. Irradiation of an anerobic solution of benoxaprofen in ethanol resulted in hydrogen abstraction from the solvent to yield hydroxyethyl and ethoxyl radicals. In the presence of oxygen, superoxide, singlet oxygen and hydroxyethyl radicals were detected. Photolysis of benoxaprofen in air-saturated benzene or dimethylsulfoxide gave superoxide. However, under anerobic conditions the drug yielded a carbon-centered radical in benzene that could not be identified. These findings suggest that both oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent processes may be important in the phototoxic reactions of benoxaprofen.     

Orthorhombic polymorphs of two trans‐4‐aminoazoxybenzenes

The two isomeric compounds 4‐amino‐ONN‐azoxy­benzene [or 1‐(4‐amino­phenyl)‐2‐phenyl­diazene 2‐oxide], i.e. the α isomer, and 4‐amino‐NNO‐azoxy­benzene [or 2‐(4‐amino­phenyl)‐1‐phenyl­diazene 2‐oxide], i.e. the β isomer, both C₁₂H₁₁N₃O, crystallized from a polar solvent in orthorhombic space groups, and their crystal and molecular structures have been determined using X‐ray diffraction. There are no significant differences in the bond lengths and valence angles in the two isomers, in comparison with their monoclinic polymorphs. However, the conformations of the mol­ecules are different due to rotation along the Ar—N bonds. In the α isomer, the benzene rings are twisted by 31.5 (2) and 14.4 (2)° towards the plane of the azoxy group; the torsion angles along the Ar—N bond in the β isomer are 24.3 (3) and 23.5 (3)°. Quantum‐mechanical calculations indicate that planar conformations are energetically favourable for both isomers. The N—H?O hydrogen bonds observed in both networks may be responsible for the deformation of these flexible mol­ecules.     

The dimeric and tetrameric octarepeat fragments of prion protein behave differently to its monomeric unit

Potentiometric and spectroscopic data have shown that octarepeat dimer and tetramer are much more effective ligands for Cu(II) ions than simple octapeptide. Thus, the whole N-terminal segment of prion protein due to cooperative effects, could be more effective in binding of Cu(II) than simple peptides containing a His residue. The gain of the Cu(II) binding by longer octarepeat peptides derives from the involvement of up to four imidazoles in the coordination of the first Cu(II) ion. This type of binding increases the order of the peptide structure, which allows successive metal ions for easier coordination.     

Molecular and electronic structure of four- and five-coordinate cobalt complexes containing two o-phenylenediamine- or two o-aminophenol-type ligands at various oxidation levels: an experimental, density functional, and correlated ab initio study

The bidentate ligands N-phenyl-o-phenylenediamine, H(2)((2)L(N)IP), or its analogue 2-(2-trifluoromethyl)anilino-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol, ((4)L(N)IP), react with [Co(II)(CH(3)CO(2))(2)]4H(2)O and triethylamine in acetonitrile in the presence of air yielding the square-planar, four-coordinate species [Co((2)L(N))(2)] (1) and [Co((4)L(O))(2)] (4) with an S=1/2 ground state. The corresponding nickel complexes [Ni((4)L(O))(2)] (8) and its cobaltocene reduced form [Co(III)(Cp)(2)][Ni((4)L(O))(2)] (9) have also been synthesized. The five-coordinate species [Co((2)L(N))(2)(tBu-py)] (2) (S=1/2) and its one-electron oxidized forms [Co((2)L(N))(2)(tBu-py)](O(2)CCH(3)) (2 a) or [Co((2)L(N))(2)I] (3) with diamagnetic ground states (S=0) have been prepared, as has the species [Co((4)L(O))(2)(CH(2)CN)] (7). The one-electron reduced form of 4, namely [Co(Cp)(2)][Co((4)L(O))(2)] (5) has been generated through the reduction of 4 with [Co(Cp)(2)]. Complexes 1, 2, 2 a, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 have been characterized by X-ray crystallography (100 K). The ligands are non-innocent and may exist as catecholate-like dianions ((2)L(N)IP)(2-), ((4)L(N)IP)(2-) or pi-radical semiquinonate monoanions ((2)L(N)ISQ)(*) (-), ((4)L(N)ISQ)(*) (-) or as neutral benzoquinones ((2) L(N)IBQ)(0), ((4) L(N)IBQ)(0); the spectroscopic oxidation states of the central metal ions vary accordingly. Electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and EPR spectroscopy, as well as variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements have been used to experimentally determine the electronic structures of these complexes. Density functional theoretical (DFT) and correlated ab initio calculation have been performed on the neutral and monoanionic species [Co((1)L(N))(2)](0,-) in order to understand the structural and spectroscopic properties of complexes. It is shown that the corresponding nickel complexes 8 and 9 contain a low-spin nickel(II) ion regardless of the oxidation level of the ligand, whereas for the corresponding cobalt complexes the situation is more complicated. Spectroscopic oxidation states describing a d(6) (Co(III)) or d(7) (Co(II)) electron configuration cannot be unambiguously assigned.     

Electrochemically formed fullerene-based polymeric films

The recent results of investigations involving the electrochemical formation of polymers containing fullerenes and studies of their properties and applications are critically reviewed. From a structural point of view, these polymers can be divided into four main categories including (1) polymers with fullerenes physically incorporated into the foreign polymeric network without forming covalent bonds, (2) fullerene homopolymers formed via [2+2] cycloaddition, (3) “pearl necklace” polymers with fullerenes mutually linked covalently to form polymer chains, and (4) “charm bracelet” polymers containing pendant fullerene substituents. The methods of electrochemical polymerization of these systems are described and assessed. The structural features and properties of the electrochemically prepared polymers and their chemically synthesized analogs are compared. Polymer films containing fullerenes are electroactive in the negative potential range due to electroreduction of the fullerene moieties. Related films made with fullerenes derivatized with electron-donating moieties as building blocks are electroactive in both the negative and positive potential range. These can be regarded as “double cables” as they exhibit both p- and n-doping properties. Fullerene-based polymers may find numerous applications. For instance, they can be used as charge-storage and energy-converting materials for batteries and photoactive units of photovoltaic cell devices, respectively. They can be also used as substrates for electrochemical sensors and biosensors. Films of the C₆₀/Pt and C₆₀/Pd polymers containing metallic nano-particles of platinum and palladium, respectively, effectively catalyze the hydrogenation of olefins and acetylenes. Laser ablation of electrochemically formed C₆₀/M and C₇₀/M polymer films (M=Pt or Ir) results in fragmentation of the fullerenes leading to the formation of hetero-fullerenes, such as [C₅₉M]⁺ and [C₆₉M]⁺.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Alan M. Bond on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Two Intercalation Mechanisms of Oxazole Yellow Dimer (YOYO-1) into DNA

The oxazole yellow dye, YOYO-1 (a symmetric homodimer), is a commonly used molecule for staining DNA. We applied the brightness analysis to study the intercalation of YOYO-1 into the DNA. We distinguished two binding modes of the dye to dsDNA: mono-intercalation and bis-intercalation. Bis-intercalation consists of two consecutive mono-intercalation steps, characterised by two distinct equilibrium constants (with the average number of base pair per binding site equals 3.5): K1=3.36±0.43×107M−1 and K2=1.90±0.61×105M−1, respectively. Mono-intercalation dominates at high concentrations of YOYO-1. Bis-intercalation occurs at low concentrations.