Acetone cation chemistry under varying electron density conditions: from unimolecular decomposition to dissociative recombination processes

The chemistry of ionized acetone:Ar mixtures under varied ionizing electron density conditions has been studied using matrix‐isolation techniques. Gaseous acetone diluted in excess argon gas was subjected to electron bombardment with 300 eV electrons at currents between 20 and 200 μA. Linear wire ‘pin’ and metal ‘plate’ electron collector geometries were employed, allowing a wide range of electron density conditions to be explored. The products of subsequent reaction processes were matrix isolated and analyzed by Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. Products included methane, ketene, 1‐propen‐2‐ol (the enol isomer of acetone), CO, HCO, ethane, ethane, acetylene and CCCO. Product absolute and relative yields varied with acetone number density, the choice of anode geometry and the rate of electron bombardment. The overall chemistry observed is rationalized in terms of mechanistic steps involving unimolecular cation decomposition, ion–molecule reactions, radical–radical reactions and dissociative recombination processes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heterometallic Coii-Lii carboxylate complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene,triphenylphosphine and pyridine: a comparative study of magnetic properties

Heterometallic Coii-Lii compounds with N-heterocyclic carbene 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes), tri phenylphosphine (Ph3P) and pyridine (py), [Co2Li2(Piv)6(IMes)2] (Piv is the anion of pivalic acid), [Co2Li2(Piv)6(Ph3P)2] and [Co2Li2(Fur)6(py)2] (Fur is the anion of 2-furoic acid), respectively, have been prepared and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. Easy-plane magnetic anisotropy in Coii complexes with pseudo-tetrahedral cores CoO3X (X = C, P and N) was revealed by measuring the magnetic properties together with quantum-chemical calculations using the SA-CASSCF/NEVPT2 approach. The field-induced slow magnetic relaxation of the complexes was mainly attributed to the Raman and direct processes.     

Thermo-induced structural transformation with synergistic optical and magnetic changes in ytterbium and erbium complexes

Dinuclear ytterbium and erbium based bifunction complexes Ln₂L₂(depma₂)Cl₂ (1-Ln, Ln = Yb and Er, H₂L = N¹,N³-bis(salicylideneimino)diethylenetriamine, depma₂ = dimerized 9-diethyl-phosphonomethylanthracene) are reported. They undergo thermo-induced consecutive phase transitions, first the dissociation of depma₂ ligand forming LnL(depma)Cl (2-Ln) and then the release of chloroethane forming LnL(epma) (3-Ln, epma = 9-ethylphosphonomethylanthrancene). The structural transformations are accompanied with synergetic switch of the luminescence in visible and NIR regions and also magnetic dynamics.     

Morphological studies of a hydrogen-bonded LC polymer obtained by photopolymerization in LC solvents

Anisotropic morphologies and the phase behaviour of a hydrogen-bonded LC polymer obtained by photopolymerization in two kinds of LC solvent are discussed. The hydrogen-bonded LC monomer, 4-(6-acryloyloxyhexyloxy) benzoic acid (A6OBA), was photopolymerized in 4-cyano-4′-hexyloxybiphenyl (6OCB) and in 4-cyano-4′-undecyloxybiphenyl (11OCB), which show a nematic phase and a smectic A phase, respectively. After photo-polymerization, the LC media were removed by extraction and the pure polymer was observed by scanning electron microscopy. SEM images showed that the polymer possessed fibrous morphology with a fibre diameter of a few micrometers, based on polymerization-induced phase separation. The overall geometries reflected typical LC characteristics such as schlieren and focal-conic fan textures. It was found that the hydrogen bond between benzoic acid groups in the monomer was rigid enough to fix the anisotropic phase-separated structure forming during the early stage of phase separation; however, it could not permanently maintain the fibre structure due to dissociation at elevated temperature. X-ray measurements revealed that a well developed layer structure of the hydrogen-bonded mesogen existed in the polymer obtained from the smectic phase of 11OCB, whereas a polymer layer structure could develop only partially from the nematic phase of 6OCB.     

Molecule motion at polymer brush interfaces from single‐molecule experimental perspectives

Polymer brushes have been widely used as functional surface coatings for broad applications including antifouling, energy storage, and lubrications. Understanding the molecule dynamics at polymer brush interfaces is important in unraveling the structure–property relationships in these materials and establishing a new materials design paradigm of novel functional polymer thin films with efficient interfacial transport. By applying modern fluorescence‐based single‐molecule spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, molecule dynamics at varied polymer brush interfaces have been experimentally investigated in recent years. New insights are given to the understandings of some unique and unusual materials properties of polymer brush thin films. This review summarizes some recent studies of molecular diffusion at polymer brush interfaces, highlights some new understandings of the interfacial properties of polymer brushes, and discusses future research opportunities in this field. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 85–103     

Efficient synthesis of terminal 4-methylumbelliferyl labeled 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine-5′-O-tetraphosphate (Um-PPPP-FdU): a potential probe for homogenous fluorescent assay

Efficient synthesis of 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine-5′-O-tetraphosphate bearing 4-methylumbelliferyl label on the terminal phosphate is reported. This compound has the potential as a promising probe molecule for homogenous fluorescent polymerase assay. This class of compounds will aid in quantification of cellular internalization and DNA incorporation of nucleotide based chemotherapeutic agents to offer mechanistic insights.