Planar versus puckered nets in the polar intermetallic series EuGaTt (Tt = Si, Ge, Sn)

The ternary polar intermetallic compounds EuGaTt (Tt = Si, Ge, Sn) have been synthesized and characterized experimentally, as well as theoretically. EuGaSi crystallizes in the hexagonal AlB(2)-type structure (space group P6/mmm, Z = 1, Pearson symbol hP3) with randomly distributed Ga and Si atoms on the graphite-type planes: a = 4.1687(6) A, c = 4.5543(9) A. On the other hand, EuGaGe and EuGaSn adopt the hexagonal YPtAs-type structure (space group P6(3)/mmc, Z = 4, Pearson symbol hP12): a = 4.2646(6) A and c = 18.041(5) A for EuGaGe; a = 4.5243(5) A and c = 18.067(3) A for EuGaSn. The three crystal structures contain formally [GaTt](2-) polyanionic 3-bonded, hexagonal networks, which change from planar to puckered and exhibit a significant decrease in interlayer Ga-Ga distances as the size of Tt increases. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of this series of compounds show Curie-Weiss behavior above 86(5), 95(5), and 116(5) K with magnetic moments of 7.93, 7.97, and 7.99 mu(B) for EuGaSi, EuGaGe, and EuGaSn, respectively, indicating a 4f(7) electronic configuration (Eu(2+)) for Eu atoms. X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) are also consistent with these magnetic properties. Electronic structure calculations supplemented by a crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) analysis identifies the synergy between atomic sizes, from both Eu and Tt atoms, and the orbital contributions from Eu toward influencing the structural features of EuGaTt. A multicentered interaction between planes of Eu atoms and the [GaTt](2-) layers rather than through-space Ga-Ga bonding is seen in ELF distributions.     

Reversible control of light reflection of a colloidal crystal film fabricated from monodisperse mesoporous silica spheres

In this letter, we report a novel method for controlling the light reflection of a colloidal crystal. Highly monodisperse mesoporous silica spheres have been successfully organized into a hexagonally close-packed colloidal crystal film. Just by introducing water vapor into the fabricated colloidal film, the structural color and reflection spectra were changed dramatically because of water vapor adsorption occurring in the mesoporous channels. This phenomenon can be observed reversibly over five cycles. We are convinced that this is the first report on controlling the light reflection of a colloidal crystal film dynamically by taking advantage of adsorption properties inherent to mesoporous silica spheres.     

Electronic aspects of photodimerization of the pyrimidine bases and of their derivatives

We present the results of a computation for the lowest excited triplet and singlet states of the pyrimidine bases and of some of their derivatives by the SCF open shell theory and CI method on SCF virtual orbitals. It is shown that excitation to the lowest singlet S ₁ and triplet T ₁ states mostly affects the bond C₅-C₆ and that triplet excitation is almost completely localized on this bond. The latter effect leads to exceptionally strong weakening of the bond C₅-C₆ in the triplet state T ₁. It is concluded that under otherwise equal circumstances the triplet state T ₁ presents more favourable conditions for dimerization reaction than the lowest excited singlet state S ₁ does. Correlation between the degree of the triplet excitation localization on the bond C₅-C₆ and the easiness of the photodimerization is established. An explanation of the experimental facts concerned with the formation of the thymine free radicals in DNA is also suggested.

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Zusammenfassung Wir prÄsentieren Resultate von der Berechnung der niedrigsten angeregten Triplett- und Singulett-ZustÄnde der Pyrimidin Basen und einiger ihrer Derivate mittels der SCF-Theorie der offenen Schalen sowie der CI-Methode angewandt auf virtuelle SCF-Orbitale. Es wird gezeigt, da\ die Anregung der niedrigsten Singulett S ₁- und Triplett T ₁-ZustÄnde meistens die C₅ und C₆-Bindung berührt und da\ die Triplett-Anregung fast vollstÄndig auf diese Bindung lokalisiert ist. Der letztere Effekt führt zu einer au\erordentlich starken SchwÄchung der C₅-C₆-Bindung im Triplett-Zustand T ₁. Es wird daraus geschlossen, da\ unter sonst gleichen UmstÄnden der Triplett-Zustand T ₁ günstigere Bedingungen für eine Dimerisationsreaktion liefert als der niedrigste angeregte Singulett-Zustand S ₁. Ein Zusammenhang zwischen dem Grad der Lokalisierung der Triplett-Anregung auf die C₅-C₆-Bindung und der Photodimerisierbarkeit wird hergestellt. Eine ErklÄrung der experimentellen Tatsachen, welche die Anordnung der freien Thymin Radikale in der DNA betreffen, wird ebenfalls angegeben.

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Résumé Nous présentons les résultats d'un calcul pour les états excités singulet et triplet les plus bas des bases pyrimidiques et de certains de leurs dérivés, effectués par les méthodes SCF à couche ouverte et interaction de configurations. L'excitation dans ces plus bas états excités affecte essentiellement la liaison C₅-C₆, l'excitation triplet étant pratiquement totalement localisée sur cette liaison. Ceci conduit à un affaiblissement important de la liaison C₅-C₆ dans l'état triplet. On en conclut qu'à circonstances égales l'état triplet présente des conditions plus favorables pour une réaction de dimérisation que le plus bas état excité singulet. Une corrélation est établie entre le degré de localisation 5–6 de l'excitation triplet et la facilité de photodimérisation. On suggère aussi une explication des faits expérimentaux liés à la formation de radicaux libres thymine dans le DNA.

     

Enantioselective and diastereoselective syntheses of cyanohydrin carbonates

A new and general synthesis of alkyl cyanoformates is presented starting from the appropriate alcohol and oxalyl chloride. This is used to prepare enantiomerically pure cyanoformates from enantiomerically pure primary and secondary alcohols. Optimal conditions for the addition of various achiral cyanoformates to aldehydes catalysed by an enantiomerically pure titanium(salen) catalyst in the presence of potassium cyanide as a cocatalyst are developed. Under these conditions, two chiral cyanoformates also reacted with aldehydes to give cyanohydrin carbonates. The stereochemistry of this process is predominantly determined by the stereochemistry of the titanium(salen) catalyst and the stereochemistry of two of the cyanohydrin carbonates was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. In a further extension of the chemistry, a homogeneous system in which the potassium cyanide/18-crown-6 complex is used as the cyanide cocatalyst has been developed and the kinetics of this reaction show that it displays first order kinetics, provided at least 2 mol % of the potassium cyanide complex are employed.     

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of O-acetyl cyanohydrins from KCN,Ac2O and aldehydes

A (salen)titanium catalyst has been found to induce the asymmetric addition of potassium cyanide and acetic anhydride to aldehydes, giving enantiomerically enriched cyanohydrin esters with up to 92% enantiomeric excess using just 1 mol% of the catalyst. This is the first report of the asymmetric synthesis of cyanohydrin derivatives using a cyanide source which is non-volatile and inexpensive.     

The transannular interaction germanium-nitrogen in germocanes: The influence of substituents

The reaction of RN(CH₂CH₂OH)CHR¹CR²R³OH (1-8) with a stoichiometric amount of tetrachloro(bromo)germane leads to the corresponding RN(CH₂CH₂O)(CHR¹CR²R³O)GeHal₂ (9-21). Difluorenylgermocane 22 was prepared by treatment of diethoxydifluorenylgermane with N-methyldiethanolamine. Different dialkanolamines were found to be successive precursors of dimethylgermocanes, RN(CH₂CH₂O)(CHR¹CR²R³O)GeMe₂ (23-26). The chemical properties of simple and easy to access germocanes RN(CH₂CH₂O)₂GeX₂ [X = OH, Br (28), Cl (29)] were studied and the difluoro (27), haloalkoxy (30-32), and dialkoxy (33, 34) derivatives were prepared. The structures of the compounds 16, 20-22, and 26 were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and the structural features in solution of 23 and 26 were studied by NMR spectroscopy (NOEs). The relationship between the nature of substituents at different positions of the germocane skeleton and the strength of the intramolecular Ge ← N bond is discussed.     

The electronic states of polyfluorene copolymers with alternating donor-acceptor units

We calculate the electronic states of the low bandgap polyfluorene-based copolymer DiO-PFDTBT, which consists of alternating 9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluorene and 4,7-di-thiophen-2-ylbenzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole (TBT) units, and compare with the steady-state absorption, emission, and excitation spectrum. Using the semiempirical quantum-chemical (ZINDO) method we can assign the characteristic bands of the "camel-back" absorption spectrum to one charge transfer state at lower energy localized on the TBT unit, and one delocalized excitonic state at higher energy corresponding to the pi-conjugated electron system. Additional "dark" charge transfer states in the gap between these bands have been revealed. Calculations are also made on the red light emitting polyfluorene-based copolymer poly(fluorene-co-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT), which contains benzo[1,2,5]thiadiazole instead of TBT. The nature of the electronic states in F8BT and DiO-PFDTBT are found to be qualitatively the same.     

Intracellular protein labeling with prodrug-like probes using a mutant β-lactamase tag

Intracellular protein labeling with small molecular probes that do not require a washing step for the removal of excess probe is greatly desired for real-time investigation of protein dynamics in living cells. Successful labeling of proteins on the cell membrane has been performed using mutant β-lactamase tag (BL-tag) technology. In the present study, intracellular protein labeling with novel cell membrane permeable probes based on β-lactam prodrugs is described. The prodrug-based probes quickly permeated the plasma membranes of living mammalian cells, and efficiently labeled intracellular proteins at low probe concentrations. Because these cell-permeable probes were activated only inside cells, simultaneous discriminative labeling of intracellular and cell surface BL-tag fusion proteins was attained by using cell-permeable and impermeable probes. Thus, this technology enables adequate discrimination of the location of proteins labeled with the same protein tag, in conjunction with different color probes, by dual-color fluorescence. Moreover, the combination of BL-tag technology and the prodrug-based probes enabled the labeling of target proteins without requiring a washing step, owing to the efficient entry of probes into cells and the fast covalent labeling achieved with BL-tag technology after bioactivation. This prodrug-based probe design strategy for BL-tags provides a simple experimental procedure with application to cellular studies with the additional advantage of reduced stress to living cells.     

Rheology of viscoelastic solutions of cationic surfactant. Effect of added associating polymer

Rheological studies were performed with aqueous salt solutions of viscoelastic cationic surfactant erucyl bis(hydroxyethyl)methylammonium chloride (EHAC) and its mixtures with hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide. The solutions of surfactant itself above the concentration of crossover of wormlike micelles exhibit two regions of rheological response. In the first region, they behave like polymer solutions in semidilute regime characterized by viscoelastic behavior with a spectrum of relaxation times. In the second region, unlike polymer solutions their relaxation after shear is dominated by a single relaxation time. Being composed of "living" micelles, the EHAC solutions easily lose their viscosity at the variation of the external conditions. For instance, heating from 20 to 60 degrees C reduces viscosity by up to 2 orders of magnitude, while added hydrocarbons induce a sudden drop of viscosity by 3-6 orders of magnitude. Polymer profoundly affects the rheological properties of EHAC solutions. The polymer/surfactant system demonstrates a 10,000-fold increase in viscosity as compared to pure-component solutions, the effect being more pronounced for polymer with less blocky distribution of hydrophobic units. A synergistic enhancement of viscosity was attributed to the formation of common network, in which some subchains are made up of elongated surfactant micelles, while others are composed of polymer. At cross-links the hydrophobic side groups of polymer anchor EHAC micelles. In contrast to surfactant itself, the polymer/surfactant system retains high viscosity at elevated temperature; at the same time it keeps a high responsiveness to hydrocarbon medium inherent to EHAC.     

1,3‐Dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐imidazole 3‐oxides with alkynes

4,5‐Dihydro‐1H‐imidazole 3‐oxides bearing different substituents at positions 1 and 2 of the heterocycle were shown to react with a wide range of acceptor‐substituted alkynes forming corrsponding cycloadducts ‐ derivatives of 1,2,3,7a‐tetrahydroimidazo[1,2‐b]isoxazole. High regioselectivity of this process stipulated by conjugation of the nitrogen atom with the nitrone group was revealed.