Selten‐Erd‐Metall‐Koordinationspolymere: Synthesen und Kristallstrukturen von drei neuen Glutaraten, [Pr2(Glu)3(H2O)4] · 10,5H2O, [Pr(Glu)(H2O)2]Cl und [Er(Glu)(GluH)(H2O)2]

Rare‐Earth‐Metal Coordination Polymers: Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Three New Glutarates, [Pr₂(Glu)₃(H₂O)₄] · 10.5H₂O, [Pr(Glu)(H₂O)₂]Cl, and [Er(Glu)(GluH)(H₂O)₂] The new rare‐earth dicarboxylates [Pr₂(Glu)₃(H₂O)₄] · 10.5H₂O ( 1 ), [Pr(Glu)(H₂O)₂]Cl ( 2 ) and [Er(Glu)(GluH)(H₂O)₂] ( 3 ) were obtained from the reactions of glutaric acid with PrCl₃·6H₂O and Er(OH)₃, respectively. The crystal structures were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. [Pr₂(Glu)₃(H₂O)₄] · 10,5H₂O crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma (no. 62) with a = 871.7(4), b = 3105.0(9), c = 1308.3(9) pm and Z = 4. The crystals of [Pr(Glu)(H₂O)₂]Cl are monoclinic (I2/a; no. 15) with a = 786.2(1), b = 1527.6(2) c = 801.2(1) pm, β = 99.78(1)° and Z = 4. [Er(Glu)(GluH)(H₂O)₂] crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/a (no. 14) with lattice parameters of a = 882.4(1), b = 1375.3(2), c = 1267.4(2) pm, β = 107.13(1)° and Z = 4. The rare‐earth cations have the coordination numbers 10 ( 1 ), 8 + 1 ( 2 ) and 9 ( 3 ). The individual polyhedra are connected to chains and further to sheets in 1 and 2 and to double chains in 3 . Only in the water‐rich compound 1 there are channels that contain crystal water molecules. It, therefore, has a considerably lower density than 2 and 3 .     

Urease adsorption and activity on magnetite nanoparticles functionalized with monofunctional and bifunctional surface layers

The surface of magnetite nanoparticles was coated with functional polysiloxane layers using reaction of hydrolytic copolycondensation of tetraethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (or N-[3-trimethoxysilylpropyl]ethylendiamine), and also that of tetraethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and methyltriethoxysilane (or n-propyltriethoxysilane). It was shown that these functionalized magnetically controllable particles (about 60–150 nm in size as aggregates), as opposed to magnetite, adsorb urease well from aqueous solutions (up to 1 g/g), and that the level of residual activity of adsorbed layers is up to 84 % in the case of a bifunctional sample. It was established that the activity of immobilized urease is normally gradually reduced during storage of the samples, but in the case of ethylenediamine functional group is not decreased for 45 days. The synthesized samples are promising for use as magnetically directed biocatalysts.     

Photoluminescence of a 5CB liquid crystal–organomontmorillonite nanoparticle heterocomposite

Photoluminescence (PL) of a heterocomposite, consisting of the nematic liquid crystal (LC) 4-pentyl-4´-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) and anisometric nanoparticles of montmorillonite (MMT) clay, modified by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) has been investigated at 4.2 and 300 K. The incorporation of this organoclay (B4) to 5CB decreases the emission intensity by 7–8 times due to efficient resonant quenching of the exciting energy by the organoclay. The spectrum shifts to a long-wave region, with this effect being considerably larger at low temperatures. Graphical separation of complex bands, corresponding to the bulk 5CB and 5СВ?+?В4 heterosystem at both temperatures revealed that the presence of the organoclay resulted in a significant growth of LC dimer quantity, shifting spectra towards longer wavelengths. Changes in the 5CB luminescence under organoclay influence can be explained by quite strong interphase interactions specified earlier by infrared spectroscopy between the MMT surface and LC, and by a realisation of more flat conformations of 5CB molecules. Confinement effects prevent full crystallisation of 5CB in the 5CB?+?B4 composite, and LC dimer structures located in the organoclay near-surface layers on the outer surface of the nanoparticles and inside its galleries remain in a larger amount, at low temperature, when compared to bulk 5CB. The remaining LC crystallises and photoluminescence from the 5CB monomers becomes intense.     

Theoretical Perspectives in Organocatalysis

It is clear that the field of organocatalysis is continuously expanding during the last decades. With increasing computational capacity and new techniques, computational methods have provided a more economic approach to explore different chemical systems. This review offers a broad yet concise overview of current state-of-the-art studies that have employed novel strategies for catalyst design. The evolution of the all different theoretical approaches most commonly used within organocatalysis is discussed, from the traditional approach, manual-driven, to the most recent one, machine-driven.     

High sensitive matrix-free mass spectrometry analysis of peptides using silicon nanowires-based digital microfluidic device

We present for the first time an electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) microfluidic system coupled to a surface-assisted laser desorption-ionization (SALDI) silicon nanowire-based interface for mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of small biomolecules. Here, the transfer of analytes has been achieved on specific locations on the SALDI interface followed by their subsequent mass spectrometry analysis without the use of an organic matrix. To achieve this purpose, a device comprising a digital microfluidic system and a patterned superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic silicon nanowire interface was developed. The digital microfluidic system serves for the displacement of the droplets containing analytes, via an electrowetting actuation, inside the superhydrophilic patterns. The nanostructured silicon interface acts as an inorganic target for matrix-free laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry analysis of the dried analytes. The proposed device can be easily used to realize several basic operations of a Lab-on-Chip such as analyte displacement and rinsing prior to MS analysis. We have demonstrated that the analysis of low molecular weight compounds (700 m/z) can be achieved with a very high sensitivity (down to 10 fmol μL(-1)).     

DABCOnium: An Efficient and High‐Voltage Stable Singlet Oxygen Quencher for Metal–O2 Cells

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) causes a major fraction of the parasitic chemistry during the cycling of non‐aqueous alkali metal‐O₂ batteries and also contributes to interfacial reactivity of transition‐metal oxide intercalation compounds. We introduce DABCOnium, the mono alkylated form of 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO), as an efficient ¹O₂ quencher with an unusually high oxidative stability of ca. 4.2 V vs. Li/Li⁺. Previous quenchers are strongly Lewis basic amines with too low oxidative stability. DABCOnium is an ionic liquid, non‐volatile, highly soluble in the electrolyte, stable against superoxide and peroxide, and compatible with lithium metal. The electrochemical stability covers the required range for metal–O₂ batteries and greatly reduces ¹O₂ related parasitic chemistry as demonstrated for the Li–O₂ cell.     

Peculiarities of resonant interaction in paired impurity centers of 2-fluoronaphthalene in naphthalene

Abstract

Fluorescence and absorption spectra of the 2-fluoronaphthalene admixtures in naphthalene were studied at low temperature (T?=?4.2 К). Two types of pairwise impurity centers were formed at admixture concentrations of more than 1?wt%. Polarization of absorption bands was detected; these spectra were determined by resonance interactions between molecules of the impurity center. Resonant splitting of electronic levels for the translationally nonequivalent molecules in the unit cell of the naphthalene crystal was analyzed for the case, when one molecule was in the similar phase with the incident light wave and the other one was in antiphase.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Lithium Carbonate Generates Singlet Oxygen

Solid alkali metal carbonates are universal passivation layer components of intercalation battery materials and common side products in metal‐O₂ batteries, and are believed to form and decompose reversibly in metal‐O₂/CO₂ cells. In these cathodes, Li₂CO₃ decomposes to CO₂ when exposed to potentials above 3.8 V vs. Li/Li⁺. However, O₂ evolution, as would be expected according to the decomposition reaction 2 Li₂CO₃→4 Li⁺+4 e^?+2 CO₂+O₂, is not detected. O atoms are thus unaccounted for, which was previously ascribed to unidentified parasitic reactions. Here, we show that highly reactive singlet oxygen (¹O₂) forms upon oxidizing Li₂CO₃ in an aprotic electrolyte and therefore does not evolve as O₂. These results have substantial implications for the long‐term cyclability of batteries: they underpin the importance of avoiding ¹O₂ in metal‐O₂ batteries, question the possibility of a reversible metal‐O₂/CO₂ battery based on a carbonate discharge product, and help explain the interfacial reactivity of transition‐metal cathodes with residual Li₂CO₃.