Four-Step Spin Crossover in a New Cyano-Bridged Iron-Silver Coordination Polymer

Spin-crossover complexes with multistep transitions attract much attention due to their potential applications as multi-switches and for data storage. A four-step spin crossover is observed in the new iron(II)-based cyanometallic guest-free framework compound Fe(2-ethoxypyrazine)₂{Ag(CN)₂}₂ during the transition from the low-spin to the high-spin state. A reverse process occurs in three steps. Crystallographic studies reveal an associated stepwise evolution of the crystal structures. Multiple transitions in the reported complex originate from distinct Fe^II sites which exist due to the packing of the ligand with a bulky substituent.     

Circularly polarized luminescence based on small organic fluorophores

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) has attracted attention as a next-generation light signal because of its carrying more information compared with normal and linearly polarized lights as well as its potential wide application in information fields. Recently, much attention has been paid to small organic molecules-based CPL emitters because of easy synthesis, fine structural modification at molecular level, and tunable wide range emission wavelength. This review highlights the development of small organic molecules-based CPL emitters in the past 5 years (2017–2021). The progress suggests that small organic molecules-based CPL emitters provide a simple and efficient way to generate CPL.     

Properties of the Reactants and Their Interactions within and with the Enzyme Binding Cavity Determine Reaction Selectivities. The Case of Fe(II)/2-Oxoglutarate Dependent Enzymes

Fe(II)/2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenases (ODDs) share a double stranded beta helix (DSBH) fold and utilise a common reactive intermediate, ferryl species, to catalyse oxidative transformations of substrates. Despite the structural similarities, ODDs accept a variety of substrates and facilitate a wide range of reactions, that is hydroxylations, desaturations, (oxa)cyclisations and ring rearrangements. In this review we present and discuss the factors contributing to the observed (regio)selectivities of ODDs. They span from inherent properties of the reactants, that is, substrate molecule and iron cofactor, to the interactions between the substrate and the enzyme's binding cavity; the latter can counterbalance the effect of the former. Based on results of both experimental and computational studies dedicated to ODDs, we also line out the properties of the reactants which promote reaction outcomes other than the “default” hydroxylation. It turns out that the reaction selectivity depends on a delicate balance of interactions between the components of the investigated system.     

Benchmarking of Density Functionals for the Description of Optical Properties of Newly Synthesized π-Conjugated TADF Blue Emitters

Computational modeling of the optical characteristics of organic molecules with potential for thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) may assist markedly the development of more efficient emitting materials for organic light-emitting diodes. Recent theoretical studies in this area employ mostly methods from density functional theory (DFT). In order to obtain accurate predictions within this approach, the choice of a proper functional is crucial. In the current study, we focus on testing the performance of a set of DFT functionals for estimation of the excitation and emission energy and the excited singlet-triplet energy gap of three newly synthesized compounds with capacity for TADF. The emitters are designed specifically to enable charge transfer by π-electron conjugation, at the same time possessing high-energy excited triplet states. The functionals chosen for testing are from various groups ranging from gradient-corrected through global hybrids to range-separated ones. The results show that the monitored optical properties are especially sensitive to how the long-range part of the exchange energy is treated within the functional. The accurate functional should also be able to provide well balanced distribution of the π-electrons among the molecular fragments. Global hybrids with moderate (less than 0.4) share of exact exchange (B3LYP, PBE0) and the meta-GGA HSE06 are outlined as the best performing methods for the systems under study. They can predict all important optical parameters correctly, both qualitatively and quantitatively.     

两个基于2,5-二甲氧基对苯二甲酸和咪唑衍生物的超分子钴配位聚合物的结构及光催化反应

本文以咪唑衍生物为配体,通过水热合成法与钴离子制备出两个配位聚合物:{[Co(DTA)(1,4-DIB)(H₂O)]·H₂O}_n(1)和[Co(DTA)(1,3-BMIB)]_n(2)(1,4-DIB=1,4-二(1H-咪唑-1-基)苯; 1,3-BMIB=1,3-二(4-甲基-1H-咪唑-1-基)苯;H₂DTA=2,5-二甲氧基对苯二甲酸)。利用X射线单晶衍射、粉末衍射、热失重、元素分析、红外光谱以及固体紫外-可见光谱等对两个配合物进行了表征。结构分析证实配合物1和2是通过二维结构堆积成的三维超分子化合物。粉末衍射测试则显示两个配合物在水中有很好的稳定性。固体紫外-可见光谱显示两个配合物属半导体材料,对紫外-可见光有很强的吸收作用。在光催化实验中,配合物1和2可加快亚甲基蓝的降解速度。     

Chemical bonding in representative astrophysically relevant neutral,cation, and anion HCnH chains

Most existing studies assign a polyynic and cumulenic character of chemical bonding in carbon-based chains relying on values of the bond lengths. Building on our recent work, in this paper we add further evidence on the limitations of such an analysis and demonstrate the significant insight gained via natural bond analysis. Presently reported results include atomic charges, natural bond order and valence indices obtained from ab initio computations for representative members of the astrophysically relevant neutral and charged HC_2k/2k+1H chain family. They unravel a series of counter-intuitive aspects and/or help naive intuition in properly understanding microscopic processes, e.g., electron removal from or electron attachment to a neutral chain. Demonstrating that the Wiberg indices adequately quantify the chemical bonding structure of the HC_2k/2k+1H chains—while the often heavily advertised Mayer indices do not—represents an important message conveyed by the present study.     

Synthesis and in vitro antifungal activity of selenium-containing chitin derivatives

Mild and ‘green’ ultrasound-assisted reaction of chitin with 3-(chloromethyl)[1,2,4]selenadiazolo[4,5-a]pyridin-4-ium bromide in water affords novel selenium-containing cationic chitin derivatives. The thus obtained chitin derivatives are water soluble and are characterized by high in vitro antifungal activity comparable with conventional antifungal drug Amphotericin B.     

Effect of pressure on the low-temperature reaction of ethylene with N2O4

Calorimetric monitoring of the autoclave reaction N₂O₄ + C₂H₄ at –85 to +10 °C under argon pressure 10–30 bar revealed that the exothermic chemical reaction started at temperatures above –52 °C at 10 bar, whereas an intensive exothermic reaction started at –85 °C and pressure of 30 bar. IR study showed that oligo/polynitroethylene was formed at 30 bar, while carbonyl and hydroxy compound as well as nitrate R–ONO₂ formation occurred upon processing at 10 bar.     

Copper(II) perchlorate complexes with antipyrine: synthesis,structure, cytotoxicity and DFT calculations

The synthesis, structure and properties of copper(II) perchlorate complexes with antipyrine (AP), [Cu(AP)₄(H₂O)](ClO₄)₂ and [Cu(AP)₅](ClO₄)₂, are described and compared with those of alternative compounds containing different AP ligands.     

Cyclopentadienyl rhodium(III) complexes as catalysts for the insertion of phenyldiazoacetate into E−H bonds

Rhodium(III) complexes catalyze the insertion of carbenoids generated from diazo compounds into E?H bonds (E = B, Si, N, but not C), although less efficiently than classical rhodium(II) carboxylates, despite formally higher oxidation state of the metal.