Collisional quenching of resonance states of rare gases

We report an experimental study of Xe(³P₁) → Xe(³P₂) electronic quenching by Ar in Xe/Ar mixtures optically excited by the 1470 Å line of Xe. The quenching process was monitored by the observation of the Xe^*₂ second emission continuum at low Xe pressures.     

Electrochemical oxidation of alkyl-substituted allenes in methanol

Mono-, di- and tri-alkyl-substituted allenes were potentiostatically oxidized in methanol at graphite and Pt anodes. At the former electrode, α-methoxylated ketones (due to 4F/mole electricity consumption) and esters (6F/mole) were the major products. At a Pt anode, intermediate products such as vinyl-ether derivatives (2F/mole) were characterised too. Unlike the anodic oxidation of alkenes and alkynes previously reproted in the literature, dimerisation is not a typical process in the allenes' oxidation, since of all the products obtained only a sole dimer has been observed. The mechanism for the formation of most products is discussed.     

Quantum chemical evaluation of protein control over heme ligation: CO/O2 discrimination in myoglobin

Control of O2 versus CO binding in myoglobin (Mb) is tuned by a distal histidine residue through steric and H-bonding interactions. These interactions have been evaluated via Car-Parrinello DFT calculations, whose efficiency allows full quantum mechanical treatment of the 13 closest residues surrounding the heme. The small (8 degrees ) deviation of the Fe-C-O bond angle from linearity results from the steric influence of a distal valine residue and not the distal histidine. H-bond energies were evaluated by replacing the distal histidine with the non-H-bonding residue isoleucine. Binding energies for CO and O2 decreased by 0.8 and 4.1 kcal/mol for MbCO and MbO2, in good agreement with experimental H-bond estimates. Ligand discrimination is dominated by distal histidine H-bonding, which is also found to stabilize a metastable side-on isomer of MbO2 that may play a key role in MbO2 photodynamics.     

Perturbations of molecular extravalence excitations by rare-gas fluids

In this paper we report the results of an experimental study of the vacuum ultraviolet absorption spectra of molecular impurity states of methyl iodide in Ar (density range ? = 0–1.4 g cm^?3) and in Kr (? = 0–2.3 g cm^?3), of carbon disulphide in Ar (? = 0–1.4 g cm^?3) and of formaldehyde in Ar (? = 0–1.25 g cm^?3). The experimental results provide new information regarding medium perturbations of intravalenc transitions, of the lowest extravalence transitions and of transitions to mixed valence—Rydberg configurations, which serve as a diagnostic tool to distinguish between different types of electronic excitations. All the lowest extravalence molecular excitations exhibit appreciable blue spectral shifts at moderate and at high fluid densities, intravalence transitions are practically insensitive to medium effects, while excitations to mixed valence—Rydberg configurations are characterized by a moderate blue spectral shift. New information has been obtained concerning the energetics of molecular ionization processes in a dense fluid. The high n = 2–5 Rydberg states of CH₃l exhibit a large red shift at moderate (? = 0–0.5 cm^?3) Ar densities. The ionization potential E_g and the effective Rydberg constant G for CH₃I in Ar was found to decrease from G = 13.6 eV and E_g = 9.55 eV at ? = 0 and E_g = 9.08 eV and constant G for CH₃l in Ar was found to decrease from G = 13.6 eV and E_g = 9.55eV at ? = 0 and E_g = 9.08 eV and G ≈ 7.15 eV at ? = 0.5 g cm^?3. Experimental evidence was obtained for the identification of n = 2 molecular Wannier impurity states of CH₃I and of CH₂O in liquid Ar. These spectroscopic data result in E_g ≈ 8.6 eV for CH₃I in liquid Ar and E_g ≈ 10.2 eV for CH₂O in liquid Ar.     

Heterocyclic fused tropylium ions VII. On the synthesis of 9H-dithieno[2,1 -b:4,5-c′]tropylium fluoborate and 4H-dithieno[1,2-b:4,5-c′]tropylium fluoborate

9H-Dithieno[2,1 -b:4,5-c′]tropylium ion (III) and 4ii-dithieno[1,2-b:4,5-c′]tropylium ion (IV) have been synthesized by ring-closure of 1-(4-carboxy-3-thienyl)-2-(3′-thienyl)ethane (IX) and 1-(4-carboxy-3-thienyl)-2-(2′-thienyl)ethane (XVI), respectively, followed by bromination-debrom-ination to 9H-cyclohepta[2,1-b:4,5-c′] dithiophen-9-one (XI) and 4H-cyclohepta[1,2-b:4,5-c′]-dithiophen-4-one (XVIII), and finally by reduction and hydride transfer. The tropylium ions III and IV were less stable than the [b,b′]-fused isomers previously studied.     

Fungicidal properties of meso-arylglycosylporphyrins: influence of sugar substituents on photoinduced damage in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A series of neutral meso-arylglycosylporphyrins has been tested in order to evaluate their potency as antifungal agents against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Photodynamic activity of these molecules results in intracellular damage as evidenced by the loss of clonogenicity and DNA fragmentation. The ability of these photosensitizers to permeate yeast cells is determined by microspectrofluorimetry and is correlated with their antifungal potency. Amphiphilic porphyrin derivatives are shown to exhibit the more pronounced photoactivity.     

Porphyrin distortion during affinity maturation of a ferrochelatase antibody, monitored by Resonance Raman spectroscopy

Resonance Raman (RR) spectra are reported for mesoporphyrin IX bound to the Fab fragment of the ferrochelatase antibody 7G12. Binding induces activation of a Raman band at 680 cm(-1), which is assigned to an out-of-plane porphyrin vibration, gamma15. This is exactly the predicted effect of distorting mesoporphyrin to the geometry of N-methylmesoporphyrin IX, the 7G12 hapten, based on DFT/CIS modeling of the RR spectrum. The modeling also shows that the pyrrole ring that is tilted out of the porphyrin plane bears a nitrogen lone pair, which is therefore available for coordination by an incoming metal ion. The 680 cm(-1) band intensity is approximately 3 times higher for the affinity-matured antibody than for the germline precursor antibody, while intermediate values are found for variants in which germline residues are mutated to mature residues or vice versa. Thus, RR spectroscopy reveals an evolution from weak substrate distortion in the germline antibody to strong substrate distortion in the affinity-matured antibody, and supports the view that catalysis involves a substrate strain mechanism.     

Radiation-induced dechlorination of carbon tetrachloride in cyclohexane Solutions. The kinetics of liquid-phase reactions of trichloromethyl radicals

The kinetics of the gamma-radiation induced free-radical chain reaction in solutions of carbon tetrachloride in cyclohexane (RH) has been investigated in the temperature range of 303–383°K. Trichloromethyl radicals were produced by the reaction of radiolytically generated cyclohexyl radicals with carbon tetrachloride. The kinetics of the following reactions were investigated: The following rate expression was obtained: The error limits are the standard deviation from the least mean square Arrhenius plots. Effects of phase on the kinetics of reactions (3) and (4) are considered.     

PEROXIDASE INDUCED CHEMILUMINESCENCE IN THE OXIDATION OF PYROGALLOL AND PURPUROGALLIN. INFLUENCE OF AZIDE

Abstract— The chemiluminescence (CL) emitted during the peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of purpurogallin and pyrogallol depends on one and two molecules of enzyme, respectively. Using microperoxidase, CL with purpurogallin also depends on two molecules of enzyme (above 0.3 μ M enzyme). Sodium azide inhibits the CL emitted by all reactions depending on two molecules of enzyme but enhances the CL of reactions depending on one molecule of peroxidase (purpurogallin + 0.75 n M horseradish peroxidase). The formation of functional enzyme dimols during the oxidative process is discussed.