High-fidelity Recognition of Organotrifluoroborate Anions (R−BF3−) as Designer Guest Molecules

The recognition of boron compounds is well developed as boronic acids but untapped as organotrifluoroborate anions (R−BF₃⁻). We are exploring the development of these and other designer anions as anion-recognition motifs by considering them as substituted versions of the parent inorganic ion. To this end, we demonstrate strong and reliable binding of organic trifluoroborates, R−BF₃⁻, by cyanostar macrocycles that are size-complementary to the inorganic BF₄⁻ progenitors. We find that recognition is modulated by the substituent's sterics and that the affinities are retained using the common K⁺ salts of R−BF₃⁻ anions.     

Well-posedness of two pseudo-parabolic problems for electrical conduction in heterogeneous media

We prove a well-posedness result for two pseudo-parabolic problems, which can be seen as two models for the same electrical conduction phenomenon in heterogeneous media, neglecting the magnetic field. One of the problems is the concentration limit of the other one, when the thickness of the dielectric inclusions goes to zero. The concentrated problem involves a transmission condition through interfaces, which is mediated by a suitable Laplace-Beltrami type equation.     

Photoisomerisation in Aminoazobenzene‐Substituted Ruthenium(II) Tris(bipyridine) Complexes: Influence of the Conjugation Pathway

Transition‐metal complexes containing stimuli‐responsive systems are attractive for applications in optical devices, photonic memory, photosensing, as well as luminescence imaging. Amongst them, photochromic metal complexes offer the possibility of combining the specific properties of the metal centre and the optical response of the photochromic group. The synthesis, the electrochemical properties and the photophysical characterisation of a series of donor–acceptor azobenzene derivatives that possess bipyridine groups connected to a 4‐dialkylaminoazobenzene moiety through various linkers are presented. DFT and TD‐DFT calculations were performed to complement the experimental findings and contribute to their interpretation. The position and nature of the linker (ethynyl, triazolyl, none) were engineered and shown to induce different electronic coupling between donor and acceptor in ligands and complexes. This in turn led to strong modulations in terms of photoisomerisation of the ligands and complexes.     

Mössbauer studies of EFG of the different57Fe(57Co)-Oxygen configurations in oriented Y−Ba−Cu−O

We have determined the various parameters of the electric field gradient (EFG) for different Fe-oxygen configurations. This was achieved by analyses of a variety of spectra using a procedure which allows fitting of all spectra of oriented 1-2-3 compounds obtained at different tilt angles β simultaneously, taking into account the degree of texture. The use of a point charge model is invalidated because of the high degree of estimated covalence. The Mössbauer parameters are rationalized. The absence of any observed anisotropy of the mean square displacement of the dopant at the Cu(1) site is rather intriguing.     

Photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate with the use of bromine as photoinitiator

Low concentrations of bromine (0.008–0.06M) were used to initiate photopolymerization of MMA in bulk and in diluted (near bulk) systems, the diluents or solvents used being benzene, toluene, dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylene chloride, and methanol. Polymerization in bulk follows usual free-radical kinetics. Inert solvents (benzene, toluene) as well as the other solvents used enhance the rate of polymerization MMA even when used in the range of catalytic concentrations (0.04–0.4M). An initiation mechanism involving solvent molecules appears to be predominant in diluted systems.     

Is cluster evaporation statistical? A comparison of simulation results for Ar13 with exact classical phase space theory

We have simulated the dissociation reactionA _n →A _n?1+A for small clusters (L-J argon) with well defined internal energy and total angular momentum. Reaction rates and kinetic energy release distributions are compared to the predictions of several statistical theories, including RRK, the “Engelking” model, and phase space theory (PST). We have applied classical phase space theory in an essentially exact formulation using accurate anharmonic vibrational densities of states (and no adjustable parameters). We present a critical evaluation of the different theories and sensitivity of the results to the underlying assumptions.     

Role of solvent in the compatibility of a vinylchloride–vinylacetate–maleic acid terpolymer and nitrocellulose blends

The compatibility of cast films of a vinylchloride–vinylacetate–maleic acid terpolymer (VMCH) and nitrocellulose (NC) blends is influenced by solvents. Transparent films of VMCH/NC blends are obtained when cast from solvents such as tetrahydrofuran or cyclohexanone, whereas hazy films are obtained when cast from solvents such as acetone or ethylacetate. Visible spectroscopy and phase morphology were used to analyse the compatibility–incompatibility of the blend. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies demonstrate that the transparent film is compatible, but the hazy film is incompatible. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) studies establish that a greater interaction is observed between the polymer pair in case of the compatible blend than in the case of the incompatible blend. A solvent dependency of blend compatibility is reflected in this study. The conformational state of the polymers in solution, which is responsible for the compatibility phenomena, may depend on the donor number and/or Taft-β value of the solvent. The greater the donor number and/or the Taft-β value, the higher may be the level of interaction between the solvent and the polymer molecules, which in turn may give a compatible blend after removal of the solvent.