Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the Hydrogen Polyphosphide Bis(Tetraphenylphosphonium) hydrogenheptaphosphide‐ammonia(1/3) (PPh4)2HP7 · 3NH3

(PPh₄)₂HP₇ · 3NH₃ was prepared by the reaction of K₃P₇ with a proton‐charged ion exchange resin in the presence of (PPh₄)Br in liquid ammonia, and characterized by low temperature X‐ray structure analysis. The thermally very unstable compound contains the hydrogenheptaphosphide anion HPequation/tex2gif-stack-1.gif, the nortricyclane‐like cage of which is slightly distorted by the attachment of the hydrogen atom.     

As12Se44—: ein neuartiges Selenoarsenatanion mit einem Polyarsenkäfig in der Verbindung [Co(NH3)6]2As12Se4 · 12 NH3

As₁₂Se₄^4—: a New Selenoarsenate Anion with a Polyarsenic Cage in the Compound [Co(NH₃)₆]₂As₁₂Se₄ · 12 NH₃ Orange coloured crystals of [Co(NH₃)₆]₂As₁₂Se₄ · 12 NH₃ were prepared by the reduction of As₄Se₄ with a solution of sodium in liquid ammonia and subsequent precipitation with CoBr₂. The X‐ray structure determination shows them to contain the selenoarsenate anion As₁₂Se₄^4—, which consists of a central As₁₂‐cage with four exo‐bonded, formally negatively charged Se atoms. The structure of the As₁₂‐cage is equivalent to the main polyphosphorus building unit of a known organopolyphosphane and of tubular P₁₂ in the compound (CuI)₃P₁₂.     

Surface second-harmonic generation: A novel technique for ps-pulse duration measurements

Second-harmonic generation from dye adsorbates has been successfully used to measure the duration of ps pulses. In the red and in the blue-green spectral range pulse durations of 2.4 and 6.1 ps—in agreement with streak camera measurements — have been obtained from collinear, slow autocorrelation traces.     

New guaianolides from Berlandiera Pumila and B. Texana,and the X-ray crystal structure of pumilin

The isolation and structure determination of two new guaianolides, pumilin and its 2,3-epoxide, from Berlandiera pumila and B. texana are reported. The structure of pumilin was determined from nmr and mass spectral data, and from an X-ray single crystal study; the structure of the epoxide was found by comparison of nmr spectra. Pumilin is shown to be a Δ¹⁽¹⁰⁾-cis-guaianolide with a cyclopentenone ring attached to C1 and C5, and an α-methylene-γ-lactone ring trans-fused to C6 and C7. The absolute configuration was inferred from spectral considerations and knowledge of previous structural determinations. The cd spectrum of pumilin exhibits a negative Cotton effect, and the lactone chromophore has left-handed chirality. The cyclo-heptene ring is in the chair configuration, with the lactone a half-chair and the cyclopentenone essentially planar. Crystals are orthorhombic, a = 7.065, b = 13.652, c = 19.586 Å, space group P2₁2₁2₁, Z = 4, and the final R value is 3.9%. The crystal structure is strengthened by an O···O hydrogen bond linking the molecules into infinite chains.     

Current-induced coupling between conductance channels in membranes

The driven system of conducting channels in a nerve membrane is investigated. A current flow generates a coupling between the channels: the current through a channel is influenced by the presence of other conducting channels via the deformation of the equipotential surfaces within the media adjacent to the membrane. We derive an integral equation for the membrane voltageV(s) (s in the membrane plane) and solve it for different membrane conductance distributions(s) including models for stochastic distributions of conducting channels.V(s) is a nonlinear functional of(s). The system of coupled channels is compared with an Ising model. The system exhibits a multi-channel interaction which can be characterized by two different rangesd _int andD ₁. For a mean channel distanced ₀d _int interaction effects are negligible, and ford ₀D ₁ all channel-voltages are equal and thus represent a mean-field for the channels. Increasing conductivity of the medium decreasesd _int and increasesD ₁. With experimental data on sodium channels in nerve membranes we find:d _intd ₀, i.e. a 50% decrease of the channel-voltages by the interaction, andD ₁10³10⁴ d ₀, which indicates mean-field behaviour of the channels. In a subsequent paper we shall treat the statistics of channels which open and close stochastically under the influence of the local membrane voltage.     

Si-E (E = N, O, F) bonding in a hexacoordinated silicon complex: new facts from experimental and theoretical charge density studies

The concept of hypervalency in molecules, which hold more than eight valence electrons at the central atom, still is a topic of constant debate. There is general interest in silicon compounds with more than four substituents at the central silicon atom. The dispute, whether this silicon is hypervalent or highly coordinated, is enlightened by the first experimental charge density determination and subsequent topological analysis of three different highly polar Si-E (E = N, O, F) bonds in a hexacoordinated compound. The experiment reveals predominantly ionic bonding and much less covalent contribution than commonly anticipated. For comparison gas-phase ab initio calculations were performed on this compound. The results of the theoretical calculations underline the findings of the experiment.     

P840-Reaction Centers from Chlorobium tepidum–Quinone Analysis and Functional Reconstitution into Lipid Vesicles

Membranes of Chlorobium tepidum contain about 35, 45 and2–10 molecules of menaquinone-7, chlorobium quinone (1′-oxo-menaquinone-7) and of the polar menaquinone (probably 1′-OH-menaquinone-7) per reaction center, respectively. None of these quinones was retained during the isolation of P840-reaction centers beyond the detection limit of about 0.2 quinones per reaction center, neither in the core complex nor in functionally intact reaction center preparations. The latter is shown to catalyze the formation of an electrochemical proton gradient in the presence of ascorbate and phenazinium methosulfate, when it is incorporated into lipid vesicles.     

The chemical bond in polyphosphides: crystal structures, the electron localization function, and a new view of aromaticity in P4(2-) and P5(-)

The incongruent solvation of M(I)4P6 species (M(I) = K, Rb, Cs) in liquid ammonia leads to a broad variety of polyphosphides such as P7(3-), P11(3-), and the putatively aromatic P4(2-) and P5(-), which we investigated by using NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. The structures of Cs2P4 x 2 NH3, (K@[18]crown-6)3K3(P7)2 x 10 NH3, Rb3P7 x 7 NH3, and (Rb@[18]crown-6)3P7 x 6 NH3 are discussed and compared. The electron localization function ELF is used in a comparison of the chemical bonding of various phosphorus species. The variances of the basin populations provide a well-established measure for electron delocalization and therefore aromaticity. While comparable variance is calculated for P4(2-) and P5(-) it is observed in the lone pairs rather than in the basin populations of the bonds as in the prototypical aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene or the cyclopentadienide anion. For this behavior, the term "lone pair aromaticity" is proposed.