3-Substituted Sydnone Derivatives. Structures of 3-Cyclohexylsydnone and of Two Forms of 3-(3-Pyridyl)sydnone

The crystal and molecular structures of three sydnone derivatives are reported. The compound 3-cyclohexylsydnone crystallizes in space group C2/c of the monoclinic system with sixteen molecules in a cell of dimensions a = 19.326 (3), b = 9.471 (2), c = 20.005 (4)Å, β = 106.85(1)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0581 for the conventional R-factor based on 2222 independent observed intensities. Form I of 3-(3-pyridyl)sydnone crystallizes in space group P2/n of the monoclinic system with eight molecules in a cell of dimensions a = 7.317(2), b = 9.283 (2), c = 20.891 (6) Å, β = 99.61(2)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0514 for the conventional R-factor based on 1208 independent observed intensities. Form II of 3-(3-pyridyl)sydnone crystallizes in space group P2₁/c of the monoclinic system with eight molecules in a cell of dimensions a=9.073 (2), b = 22.267 (5). c = 7.494(2)Å, β = 112.15 (2)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0462 for the conventional R-factor based on 1330 independent observed intensities. Each of the three structures contains two crystallographically independent molecules in the cell. In the case of 3-cyclohexylsydnone, one of the independent molecules exhibits disorder around the exocyclic bond at N(3). A comparison of bond lengths indicates that the (electron donating) cyclohexyl group brings about enhanced electron density in the N(3)-C(4) bond, and possibly in the N(3)-N(2) bond. All three structures studied here exhibit intermolecular hydrogen bonding involving C(4)-H(4)…O(6) interactions. Although there are no stacking interactions in the cyclohexyl derivative, there is evidence for such interactions in the 3-pyridyl derivatives.     

Membrane electrochemistry

Electrochemistry and biomembranes are interface science in that both are concerned with the phenomena at, as well as across, the interfaces. Membrane electrochemistry may be defined as the application of electrochemistry to biomembrane studies. Additionally, transport processes within the membrane are involved in biomembranes. Since biomembranes are diverse and are usually not amenable to probing by electrochemicophysical techniques, model membrane systems have been developed for their investigation.

The introduction of experimental bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) technique and its modifications have been instrumental in the development and testing of membrane transport concepts (carriers vs channels) and electronic processes in membranes. Instead merely viewing a biomembrane as a physical barrier containing carriers or channels to carry out ionic processes, an ultrathin lipid or biological membrane can also be considered as a complete ‘electrochemical cell’ with one membrane/solution interface reducing (as a cathode) and the other membrane/solution interface oxidizing (as an anode). It is now possible to understand energy transduction (charge generation, separation, and redox reactions) in terms of ultrathin lipid membranes separating two aqueous solutions.

In this paper, we shall discuss the basic principles of electrochemistry as they are applied to membrane studies. Emphasis will be on experimental bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) which have been extensively investigated as models of biomembranes.     

Electroosmotic flow controllable coating on a capillary surface by a sol-gel process for capillary electrophoresis

A simple coating procedure employing a sol-gel process to modify the inner surface of a bare fused-silica capillary with a positively charged quaternary ammonium group is established. Scanning electron microscopic studies reveal that a smooth coating with 1 to approximately 2 microm thickness can be obtained at optimized coating conditions. With 40 mM citrate as a running electrolyte, the plot of electroosmotic flow (EOF) versus pH shows a unique three-stage EOF pattern from negative to zero and then to positive over a pH range of 2.5 to 7.0. At pH above 5.5, the direction of the EOF is from the anode to the cathode, as is the case in a bare fused-silica capillary, and the electroosmotic mobility increases as the pH increases. However, the direction of the EOF is reversed at pH below 4.0. Over the pH range of 4.0 to 5.5, zero electroosmotic mobility is obtained. Such a three-stage EOF pattern has been used to separate six aromatic acids under suppressed EOF and to separate nitrate and nitrite with the anions migrating in the same direction as the EOF. The positively charged quaternary ammonium group on the coating was also utilized to minimize the adsorption problem during the separation of five basic drugs under suppressed EOF and during the separation of four basic proteins with the cations migrate in the opposite direction as the EOF. Also, the stability and reproducibility of this column are good.     

Template-directed self-assembly of 10-microm-sized hexagonal plates

This article presents a strategy for the fabrication of ordered microstructures using concepts of design inspired by molecular self-assembly and template-directed synthesis. The self-assembling components are 4-microm-thick hexagonal metal plates having sides 10 microm in length ("hexagons"), and each template consists of a 4-microm-thick circular metal plate surrounding a central cavity, the perimeter of which is complementary in shape to the external edges of a two-dimensional, close-packed array of hexagons. The hexagons and templates (collectively, "pieces") were fabricated via standard procedures and patterned into hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Templated self-assembly occurs in water through capillary interactions between thin films of a nonpolar liquid adhesive coating the hydrophobic faces of the pieces. The hexagons tile the cavities enclosed by the templates, and the boundaries of the cavities determine the sizes and shapes of the assemblies. Curing the adhesive with ultraviolet light furnishes mechanically stable arrays having well-defined morphologies. By allowing control over the structures of the resulting aggregates, this work represents a step toward the development of practical methods for microfabrication based on self-assembly.     

Deposition of a photosensitive complex within a lecithin bilayer lipid membrane

In this paper the phenomenon of a photosensitive ion complex of Brilliant Yellow and ferric ions formation in the electrolyte phase and its subsequent deposition within a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) is described. Deposition of light sensitive complex into the BLM considerably increases its mechanical stability and drastically changes its electrochemical and photoelectrical properties as well.     

Coupling and Cyclization of Sydnone Compounds

Cyclization were occurred via the coupling reactions of some mercuric chloride derivatives of sydnone with LiPdCl₃-CuCl₂. A unique six-membered ring, 3,3′-ethylene-4,4′-bissydnone, was obtained by the cyclization reation of 1,2-di[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]ethane. However, the seven-membered 3,3′-trimethylene-4,4′-bissydnone and 1,3-di[3-(4-chloro)sydnonyl]-propane were obtained from the corresponding mercuric chlroide of sydnone. Onyl substitution reaction took place when 4,4′-di[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]biphenyl, 4,4′-di[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]benzene, di(p-[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]-phenyl}methane and, di(p-[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]phenyl]ether were treated using the same process.     

Bilayer lipid membranes: An experimental system for biomolecular electronic devices development

The lipid bilayer postulated as the basic structural matrix of biological membranes is widely accepted. At present, the planar bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) together with spherical lipid bilayers (liposomes), upon suitable modification, serves as a most appropriate model for biological membranes. In recent years, advances in microelectronics and interest in ultrathin organic films, including BLMs and Langmuir-Blodgett (L-B) films, have resulted in a unique fusion of ideas toward the development of biosensors and transducers. Furthermore, recent trends in interdisciplinary studies in chemistry, electronics, and biology have led to a new field of research: biomolecular electronics. This exciting new field of scientific-technological endeavor is part of a more general approach toward the development of a new, post-semiconductor electronic technology, namely, molecular electronics with a long-term goal of molecular computers.

Recently, it has been demonstrated that BLMs, after suitable modification, can function as electrodes and exhibit nonlinear electronic properties. These and other experimental findings relevant to sensor development and to “biomolecular electronic devices” (BED) will be described in more details in the present review article. Also the potential use of the BLM system together with its modifications in the development of a new class of organic diodes, switches, biosensors, electrochemical photocells, and biofuel cells will be discussed. Additionally, this paper reports also a novel technique for obtaining BLMs (or lipid bilayers) on solid supports. The presence of solid support on one side of the BLM greatly enhances its mechanical stability, while retaining the dynamic properties of the lipid bilayer. Advantages of the new techniques for self-assembling amphiphilic molecules on rigid substrates are discussed in terms of their possible uses. It is evident that the new BLM system (s-BLMs) is potentially useful for technological applications in the area of biosensors and enzyme electrodes as well as molecular electronics.     

Enhanced lithium electrochromism of atmospheric pressure plasma jet-synthesized tungsten/molybdenum oxide films for flexible electrochromic devices

Enhanced lithium electrochromic performances of mixed organo-tungsten oxide (W _x O _y C _z )/organo-molybdenum oxide (Mo _x O _y C _z ) films by a rapid codeposition onto 40 Ω/□ flexible polyethylene terephthalate/indium tin oxide substrates at a short exposed duration of 23 s using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) at various mixed concentrations of hexacarbonyl precursors [W(CO)₆ and Mo(CO)₆] are investigated. The flexible organo-tungsten–molybdenum oxide (WMo _x O _y C _z ) films demonstrated noteworthy electrochromic performance for 200 cycles of reversible Li⁺ ion intercalation and deintercalation in a 1 M LiClO₄–propylene carbonate electrolyte by the switching measurements of potential sweep from ?1 to 1 V at a scan rate of 50 mV/s and the potential step at ?1 and 1 V, even after being bent 360^o around a 2.5-cm diameter rod for 1,000 cycles. The optical modulation (ΔT) of 61.3 % for MoO _y C _z films at a wavelength of 795.6 nm was significantly improved up to 72.5 % for WMo _x O _y C _z films cosynthesized with an APPJ.     

Miniature Wet-Bulb Technique for Measuring Gas Concentrations in Condensing or Evaporating Systems

Abstract

An analysis is presented to show that a miniature wet-bulb/dry-bulb probe can provide easy, rapid, and accurate point measurements of noncondensable gas concentrations in condensing or evaporating systems. The probe consists of a liquid-soaked porous sphere as small as 0.5 mm in diameter with a fine-gauge thermocouple embedded at its center. Performance of the probe is shown to improve with decreasing wet-bulb size. Measurements of only the total pressure and point wet-bulb temperature are needed to determine the local gas concentration for most gas-vapor systems. The use of the technique in systems with steep concentration gradients is demonstrated by application to the well-studied problem of the gas-loaded two-phase thermosyphon. 195pt     

Transient dynamic analysis of cracked structures with multiple contact pairs using generalized HSNC

Nonlinear Dynamics - The development of efficient computational methods for cracked structures is critical in the fields of civil, mechanical, and aerospace engineering since the influence of...