Surface reconstructions of InGaAs alloys

The surface reconstructions of In_xGa_1−xAs alloys grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the (0 0 1) surfaces of GaAs and InAs have been studied by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunnelling microscopy. A surface phase diagram is presented for the nominally strain-free alloy as a function of substrate temperature and alloy composition, and structural models for the commonly observed 3× reconstructions are discussed. Two new, electronically stable structural models are described that account for the transition of the In_xGa_1−xAs surface alloy from a c(4 × 4) to an asymmetric 3× reconstruction and that are fully consistent with all current experimental evidence.     

Solvent extraction with ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate and 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone for the determination of trace metals in effluents and natural waters

A method is described for the determination of ten trace metals (V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, Pb) in aqueous samples by simultaneous solvent extraction followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. 2,6-DimethyI-4-heptanone is preferred to 4-methyl-2-pentanone as the solvent, and ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate to sodium diethyl-dithiocarbamate as the extractant except when relatively large amounts of iron are present. Calibration graphs are linear, usually over the range 0–50 μg l^-1. The effects of interfering substances, in particular iron, are shown, and the need for calibration by standard additions is demonstrated. The general need for preoxidation of samples is discussed.     

New approach to molecular docking and its application to virtual screening of chemical databases

This paper describes the validation of a molecular docking method and its application to virtual database screening. The code flexibly docks ligand molecules into rigid receptor structures using a tabu search methodology driven by an empirically derived function for estimating the binding affinity of a protein-ligand complex. The docking method has been tested on 70 ligand-receptor complexes for which the experimental binding affinity and binding geometry are known. The lowest energy geometry produced by the docking protocol is within 2.0 A root mean square of the experimental binding mode for 79% of the complexes. The method has been applied to the problem of virtual database screening to identify known ligands for thrombin, factor Xa, and the estrogen receptor. A database of 10,000 randomly chosen "druglike" molecules has been docked into the three receptor structures. In each case known receptor ligands were included in the study. The results showed good separation between the predicted binding affinities of the known ligand set and the database subset.     

对一个大单轴磁各向异性镍(Ⅱ)配合物中的磁跃迁的直接观察

最近Ruamps和同事发现三角双锥构型的Ni（Ⅱ）配合物[Ni（Me₆tren）Cl]ClO₄（1，Me₆tren=tris（2-（dimethylamino）ethyl）amine）具有大的单轴磁各向异性（J.Am.Chem.Soc.，2013，135：3017-3026）。他们利用HF-EPR研究获得横向零场分裂（ZFS）参数E=1.56（5）cm^-1但未能确定轴向零场分裂参数D。在本工作中，我们利用0~17.5 T和5 K的变磁场远红外光谱（FIRMS）来检测自旋基态S=1中的M_S=±1和M_S=0态之间的磁跃迁。在FIRMS中直接观察到Zeeman分裂态之间的跃迁，得出轴向ZFS参数D=-110.7（3）cm^-1。我们对1的晶体结构进行了Hirshfeld表面分析，揭示了1分子中的阳离子与阴离子之间以及分子之间的相互作用。     

Ab initio studies of internal rotation barriers and vibrational frequencies of (C2H2)2, (CO2)2, and C2H2-CO2

We have performed large-scaleab initio calculations using second order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) on the three van der Waals dimers formed from acetylene and carbon dioxide. Intermolecular geometrical parameters are reliably computed at this level of theory. Calculations of vibrational frequencies of the van der Waals modes, currently unobtainable by experimental means, give important information about the intermolecular potential and predict significant large-amplitude motion. Zero point energy contributions are shown to be vital in assessing the relative stability of conformations which are close in energy. Our studies suggest that the barrier to interconversion tunnelling in (CO₂)₂ is significantly smaller than previously inferred and is approximately the same as in (C₂H₂)₂. The reason for the rigidity of (CO₂)₂ is the difference in monomer centre-of-mass separation between ground state and transition state. We also show that, in addition to the previously observedC _2v form, the collinear form of C₂H₂-CO₂ is a local minimum on its potential energy surface.     

Applying Unconventional Spectroscopies to the Single-Molecule Magnets,Co(PPh3)2X2 (X=Cl,Br, I): Unveiling Magnetic Transitions and Spin-Phonon Coupling

Large separation of magnetic levels and slow relaxation in metal complexes are desirable properties of single-molecule magnets (SMMs). Spin-phonon coupling (interactions of magnetic levels with phonons) is ubiquitous, leading to magnetic relaxation and loss of memory in SMMs and quantum coherence in qubits. Direct observation of magnetic transitions and spin-phonon coupling in molecules is challenging. We have found that far-IR magnetic spectra (FIRMS) of Co(PPh₃)₂X₂ ( Co-X ; X=Cl, Br, I) reveal rarely observed spin-phonon coupling as avoided crossings between magnetic and u-symmetry phonon transitions. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) gives phonon spectra. Calculations using VASP and phonopy programs gave phonon symmetries and movies. Magnetic transitions among zero-field split (ZFS) levels of the S=3/2 electronic ground state were probed by INS, high-frequency and -field EPR (HFEPR), FIRMS, and frequency-domain FT terahertz EPR (FD-FT THz-EPR), giving magnetic excitation spectra and determining ZFS parameters (D, E) and g values. Ligand-field theory (LFT) was used to analyze earlier electronic absorption spectra and give calculated ZFS parameters matching those from the experiments. DFT calculations also gave spin densities in Co-X , showing that the larger Co(II) spin density in a molecule, the larger its ZFS magnitude. The current work reveals dynamics of magnetic and phonon excitations in SMMs. Studies of such couplings in the future would help to understand how spin-phonon coupling may lead to magnetic relaxation and develop guidance to control such coupling.     

Mechanism of multi‐metal(loid) methylation and hydride generation by methylcobalamin and cob(I)alamin: a side reaction of methanogenesis

Metal(loid)s are subject to many transformation processes in the environment, such as oxidation, reduction, methylation and hydride generation, predominantly accomplished by prokaryotes. Since these widespread processes affect the bioavailability and toxicity of metal(loid)s to a large extent, the investigation of their formation is of high relevance. Methanogenic Archaea are capable of methylating and hydrogenating Group 15 and 16 metal(loid)s arsenic, selenium, antimony, tellurium, and bismuth due to side reactions between central methanogenic cofactors, methylcobalamin (CH₃Cob(III)) and cob(I)alamin (Cob(I)). Here, we present systematic mechanistic studies on methylation and hydride generation of Group 15 and 16 metal(loid)s by CH₃Cob(III) and Cob(I). Pentavalent arsenical species showed neither methylation nor reduction as determined by using a newly developed oxidation state specific hydride generation technique, which allows direct determination of tri‐ and pentavalent arsenic species in a single batch. In contrast, efficient methylation of trivalent species without a change in oxidation state indicated that the methyl transfer does not proceed via a Challenger‐like oxidative methylation, but via a non‐oxidative methylation. Our findings also point towards a similar mechanism for antimony, bismuth, selenium, and tellurium. Overall, we suggest that the transfer of a methyl group does not involve a free reactive species, such as a radical, but instead is transferred either in a concerted nucleophilic substitution or in a caged radical mechanism. For hydride generation, we propose the intermediate formation of hydridocobalamin, transferring a hydride ion to the metal(loid)s. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.