Covalent Bonding in Au(BO) 2 − and Au(BS) 2 −

We perform in this work a comprehensive first-principles investigation on the geometric and electronic structures of Au(BO) ₂ ^? and Au(BS) ₂ ^? which are valent isoelectronic to the well-known Au(CN) ₂ ^? monoanion. Au(BO) ₂ ^? and Au(BS) ₂ ^? complexes prove to possess linear ground-state structures similar to Au(CN) ₂ ^? and the BO^? and BS^? ligands in them are found to be coordinated terminally via boron atoms to gold centers which are weakly negatively charged. Au–B bonds in Au(BO) ₂ ^? and Au(BS) ₂ ^? appear to have higher Wiberg bond indices (0.79 and 0.80) and more covalent components (60 and 53 %) than the corresponding values of Au–C interaction in Au(CN) ₂ ^? (0.67 and 39 %, respectively) at the same theoretical levels. Their Au–B bifurcation values of the electronic localization function also turn out to be higher than Au–C. These results strongly suggest that the Au–B bonds in Au(BO) ₂ ^? and Au(BS) ₂ ^? with multiple-bond character possess stronger covalent characters than Au–C in Au(CN) ₂ ^? .     

Comparative toxicity study of Ag, Au, and Ag–Au bimetallic nanoparticles on Daphnia magna

A comparative assessment of the 48-h acute toxicity of aqueous nanoparticles synthesized using the same methodology, including Au, Ag, and Ag–Au bimetallic nanoparticles, was conducted to determine their ecological effect in freshwater environments through the use of Daphnia magna, using their mortality as a toxicological endpoint. D. magna are one of the standard organisms used for ecotoxicity studies due to their sensitivity to chemical toxicants. Particle suspensions used in toxicity testing were well-characterized through a combination of absorbance measurements, atomic force or electron microscopy, flame atomic absorption spectrometry, and dynamic light scattering to determine composition, aggregation state, and particle size. The toxicity of all nanoparticles tested was found to be dose and composition dependent. The concentration of Au nanoparticles that killed 50% of the test organisms (LC₅₀) ranged from 65–75 mg/L. In addition, three different sized Ag nanoparticles (diameters = 36, 52, and 66 nm) were studied to analyze the toxicological effects of particle size on D. magna; however, it was found that toxicity was not a function of size and ranged from 3–4 μg/L for all three sets of Ag nanoparticles tested. This was possibly due to the large degree of aggregation when these nanoparticles were suspended in standard synthetic freshwater. Moreover, the LC₅₀ values for Ag–Au bimetallic nanoparticles were found to be between that of Ag and Au but much closer to that of Ag. The bimetallic particles containing 80% Ag and 20% Au were found to have a significantly lower toxicity to Daphnia (LC₅₀ of 15 μg/L) compared to Ag nanoparticles, while the toxicity of the nanoparticles containing 20% Ag and 80% Au was greater than expected at 12 μg/L. The comparison results confirm that Ag nanoparticles were much more toxic than Au nanoparticles, and that the introduction of gold into silver nanoparticles may lower their environmental impact by lowering the amount of Ag which is bioavailable.     

ChemInform Abstract: Two New Compounds, β-ScTe and Y3Au2, and a Reassessment of Y2Au.

The title compounds are prepared by solid state reaction of the elements (Ta containers; 1573 K, 200 h for β-ScTe and 1323 K, 7 d for Y₃Au₂ and Y₂Au).     

Highly Ordered Macroporous Au and Pd by Colloidal Crystal Templating

The highly ordered macroporous Au and Pd with regular arrays of spherical pores have been synthesized by poly (styrene-co-acrylic) (PSA) colloidal crystal template. The pore size is tuneable in the range of 100-400 nm according to the size of PSA latex. The mechanism is based on the in-situ impregnating and reducing of metal ions in the interspaces of the PSA spheres then removing the template.     

Adenine–Au and adenine–uracil–Au. Non-conventional hydrogen bonds of the anions and donator–acceptor properties of the neutrals

This is a study of adenine–Au and adenine–uracil–Au (neutral, anionic and cationic), applying the B3LYP density-functional approach. In these systems, the interaction is directly related to the charge; so that as the metal atomic charge increases, the bond strength also increases. Neutral molecules are weakly bonded, the interaction in the case of cations is mainly electrostatic and in the case of the anions, the extra electron is localized on the metal atom and consequently, non-conventional hydrogen bonds are formed. In the case of adenine–Au (anion), the H dissociation energy is similar to the electron dissociation energy, and therefore both reactions may be possible. Moreover, the Au anionic atom modifies the hydrogen bonds of the uracil–adenine base pair. This may be significant in the study of point mutations that may occur in the Watson–Crick dimmer of nucleic basis. The electron-donator properties of these compounds are analyzed with the aid of the donator–acceptor map (DAM), previously described. Adenine–Au, uracil–Au and adenine–uracil–Au are more effective electron donors, but poorer electron acceptors than adenine, uracil and adenine–uracil. If the electron acceptor properties of carotenoids such as β-carotene and astaxanthin are compared, there are indications that astaxanthin may act as an oxidant instead of an antioxidant with the uracil–adenine base pair. The oxidation of nucleic acid bases by carotenoids may have important consequences, as oxidative damage of DNA and RNA appears to be linked to cancer. This is something that demands further studies and for this reason, work concerning the reactivity of carotenoids with DNA-nitrogen bases is in progress.     

Synthesis and structure of the first dinuclear gold complex with the Au—Au bond containing no bridging ligands

Russian Chemical Bulletin -     

First Principles Calculations Toward Understanding SERS of 2,2′-Bipyridyl Adsorbed on Au,Ag, and Au–Ag Nanoalloy

First principles electrodyanmics and quantum chemical simulations are performed to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of the surface enhanced Raman spectra of 22BPY adsorbed on pure Au and Ag as well as on Au–Ag alloy nanodiscs. Experimental SERS spectra from Au and Ag nanodiscs show similar peaks, whereas those from Au–Ag alloy reveal new spectral features. The physical enhancement factors due to surface nano-texture were considered by numerical FDTD simulations of light intensity distribution for the nano-textured Au, Ag, and Au–Ag alloy and compared with experimental results. For the chemical insights of the enhancement, the DFT calculations with the dispersion interaction were performed using Au₂₀, Ag₂₀, and Au₁₀Ag₁₀ clusters of a pyramidal structure for SERS modeling. Binding of 22BPY to the clusters was simulated by considering possible arrangements of vertex and planar physical as well as chemical adsorption models. The DFT results indicate that 22BPY prefers a coplanar adsorption on a (111) face with trans-conformation having close energy difference to cis-conformation. Binding to pure Au cluster is stronger than to pure Ag or Au–Ag alloy clusters and adsorption onto the alloy surface can deform the surface. The computed Raman spectra are compared with experimental data and assignments for pure Au and Ag models are well matching, indicating the need of dispersion interaction to reproduce strong Raman signal at around 800 cm^–1. This work provides insight into 3D character of SERS on nanorough surfaces due to different binding energies and bond length of nanoalloys. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Fe_3O_4/Au composite nano-particles and their optical properties

The colloid gold and magnetic particle modified with various chemical groups have been widely used in the areas of biomedical and molecular biology[1―6]. Therefore, a great deal of attention has been given to the preparation and application of colloid go…     

Preparation and characterization of Fe_3O_4/Au composite particles

Colloid gold with different sizes has been widely used in immunoassay and nucleic acid detection mainly because of their properties for immobilization of biomolecules, such as antibodies and oligonucleo-tides, through chemical reactions via active group SH on the biomolecules. Magnetic particles modified with various chemical groups on their surface can not only exhibit good magnetic responsiveness to an external magnetic field but also immobilize biomolecules through these chemical groups. As…     

EDS X-Ray Investigation of Interdiffusion in Au–Ni Micro- and Nanolayers

The interdiffusion process in thin and thick (500nm–60µm) Au–Ni layers deposited on different substrates is studied using the EDS technique. In-depth X-ray analysis based on the Pouchou and Pichoir method is applied for obtaining the concentration profiles in nanometre scale multi-layers. A theoretical analysis using the Darken method is employed for modelling interdiffusion in the Au–Ni system. Computer simulations, where intrinsic diffusivities of the Au and Ni are functions of composition, are presented and compared with experimental results.     

Structural organization and dimensionality at the hands of weak intermolecular Au···Au, Au···X and X···X (X = Cl, Br, I) interactions

The salts K[AuCl(2)(CN)(2)]·H(2)O (1), K[AuBr(2)(CN)(2)]·2H(2)O (2) and K[AuI(2)(CN)(2)]·?H(2)O (3) were synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 1 crystallizes as a network of square planar [AuCl(2)(CN)(2)](-) anions separated by K(+) cations. However, 2 and 3 feature 2-D sheets built by the aggregation of [AuX(2)(CN)(2)](-) anions via weak, intermolecular X···X interactions. The mixed anion double salts K(3)[Au(CN)(2)](2)[AuBr(2)(CN)(2)]·H(2)O (4) and K(5)[Au(CN)(2)](4)[AuI(2)(CN)(2)]·2H(2)O (5) were also synthesized by cocrystallization of K[Au(CN)(2)] and the respective K[AuX(2)(CN)(2)] salts. Similarly to 2 and 3, the [Au(CN)(2)](-) and [AuX(2)(CN)(2)](-) anions form 2-D sheets via weak, intermolecular Au(I)···X and Au(I)···Au(I) interactions. In the case of 5, a rare unsupported Au(I)···Au(III) interaction of 3.5796(5) ? is also seen between the two anionic units. Despite the presence of Au(I) aurophilic interactions of 3.24-3.45 ?, neither 4 nor 5 exhibit any detectable emission at room temperature, suggesting that the presence of Au(I)···X or Au(I)···Au(III) interactions may affect the emissive properties.     

Cross sections and isomeric ratios in197Au(α, 2pn)198(m,g)Au reactions

Excitation functions for the production of^198mAu,¹⁹⁸Au,^198(m+g)Au, by (, 2pn) reactions on gold and isomeric ratios for¹⁹⁸Au were determined experimentally. The method of activation of metallic foils was employed. The irradiations were performed in the isochronous cyclotron at Karlsruhe (Germany) with -particles at 90 MeV. Gamma-spectrometry by means of an intrinsic Ge detector was used to determine the nuclides produced. In addition, a comparison between the cross sections obtained and a calculation using the hybrid model of pre-equilibrium reactions, in combination with the statistical model development by ERNST is presented.     

Standard enthalpies of formation of Ce–Au congruent compounds (CeAu,CeAu2, and Ce14Au51)

The enthalpies of formation of Ce–Au congruent compounds (CeAu, CeAu₂, and Ce₁₄Au₅₁) have been determined at 1123 K and the standard enthalpies of formation at 298 K have been deduced from the measurements of enthalpy increments of single-phase samples. The following values (kJ/mole of atoms) are reported: Δ_fH°_1123 K (CeAu) = −75.2 ± 1.4, Δ_fH°_298 K (CeAu) = −76.2 ± 1.9, Δ_fH°_1123 K (CeAu₂) = −71.3 ± 2.0, Δ_fH°_298 K (CeAu₂) = −70.3 ± 2.2, Δ_fH°_1123 K (Ce₁₄Au₅₁) = −55.0 ± 1.7, and Δ_fH°_298 K (Ce₁₄Au₅₁) = −53.2 ± 1.9.     

High energy Au+ ion implantation of polar and nonpolar ZnO—Structure modification and optical properties

The paper presents a study of 5-MeV energy Au⁺ ion implantation in polar c-plane (0001), nonpolar a-plane (11-20) and m-plane (10–10) ZnO crystallographic cuts using fluences of 5 × 10¹⁴ and 1 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻². The implanted samples were subsequently annealed in O₂ atmosphere at 600°C. It was shown that a-plane ZnO exhibited a lowest level of Zn sublattice disorder evidenced by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy in channelling mode (RBS-C); in contrast, m-plane ZnO showed the highest disorder. The disorder in the Zn sublattice grew progressively in the subsurface as well as in the implanted layer in c-plane and m-plane ZnO, while a-plane has shown slight increase of disorder just in the implanted layer. Angular scans provided using RBS-C have shown the preservation of channelling effect in the subsurface layer in a-plane ZnO. On the contrary, the narrowed and shallow angular scan dips were seen in m-plane ZnO. Raman spectroscopy has shown significant O-sublattice disorder and O rearrangement mainly in a-plane and m-plane ZnO compared to c-plane. After ion implantation, the exciton-related luminescence band at 375 nm vanished almost completely, and the defect-related band ‘shifted’ to shorter wavelengths. Annealing has beneficial influence on near-band-edge (NBE) luminescence recovery, whereas deep-level-emission (DLE) luminesce has been shifted to lower wavelengths than appeared after implantation.     

Synthesis and characterization of Ru/Au,Pd/Au,Pd/2Au,Pt/2Au and Cu/2Au heterometallic complexes of cyclodiphosphazane cis-{(o-MeOC6H4O)P(μ-NBu)}2

Mononuclear complexes of cyclodiphosphazane with an uncoordinated phosphorus centre [RuCl₂(η⁶-cymene){l-κP}] (1a) (L = cis-{(o-MeOC₆H₄O)P(μ-N^tBu)}₂) and [PdCl₂(PEt₃){l-κP}] (1b) react with 1 equiv. of [AuCl(SMe₂)] to afford Ru^II/Au^I and Pd^II/Au^I heterodinuclear complexes [RuCl₂(η⁶-cymene){μ-l-κP,κP}AuCl] (2) and [PdCl₂(PEt₃){μ-l-κP,κP}AuCl] (3), respectively. Heterotrinuclear complexes [PdCl₂{μ-l-κP,κP}₂(AuCl)₂] (4), [PtCl₂{μ-l-κP,κP}₂(AuCl)₂] (5) and [CuI{μ-l-κP,κP}₂(AuCl)₂] (6) containing Pd^II/2Au^I, Pt^II/2Au^I and Cu^I/2Au^I metal centers have been synthesized from the reactions of trans-[PdCl₂{l-κP}₂] (1c), cis-[PtCl₂{l-κP}₂] (1d) and [CuI{{l-κP}₂] (1f) respectively, with 2 equiv. of [AuCl(SMe₂)]. Molecular structures of complexes 2, 3 and 4 were established by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.     

DNA-modified electrodes (Ⅶ)——Preparation and characterization of DNA-bonded and DNA-adsorbed SAM/Au electrodes

Two kinds of DNA-modified electrodes were prepared by covalent and adsorptive immobilization of DNA onto self-assembled monolayers of 2, 2'-dithiodiethanol on gold electrodes and characterized by cyclic voltammetry, Xray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. The results suggest that the methods are satisfactory for the immobilization of DNA on electrodes.     

Synthesis of Au–ZnS hybrid nanostructures and their application for electrochemical biosensor

Au–ZnS core–shell nanostructures were grown onto the transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film-coated glass surface by successive electrodeposition of Au and ZnS in cyclic voltammetry. The resulting hybrid nanostructures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The glucose oxidase (GOD) was immobilized onto the surface of the Au–ZnS hybrid nanostructures in silica sol–gel network. Furthermore, the Au–ZnS nanostructures demonstrate an enhanced direct electron transfer between GOD and the electrode due to their unique chemical and electrocatalytic properties and their synergy effect. The analytical performance of the GOD-based electrode was improved greatly compared with that of ITO substrate modified by Au or ZnS nanostructures alone. The proposed enzyme electrode based on Au–ZnS hybrid nanomaterials displays high sensitivity and wide linear range in the determination of glucose. The Au–ZnS hybrid nanostructures have potential for “green chemistry” application in the fabrication of enzyme-based electrochemical biosensors.     

Thermal stability of Ag–Au,Cu–Au,and Ag–Cu bimetallic nanoparticles supported on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

The formation of Ag–Au, Cu–Au, and Ag–Cu bimetallic particles on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Samples with the core–shell structure of particles were prepared by sequential thermal vacuum deposition. The thermal stability of the samples was studied over a wide range of temperatures (25-400°C) under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. The heating of the samples to ~250°C leads to the formation of bimetallic alloy particles with a relatively uniform distribution of metals in the bulk. The thermal stability of the samples with respect to sintering depends on the nature of the supported metals. Thus, the Ag–Au particles exhibited the highest thermal resistance (~350°C) under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions, whereas the Ag–Cu particles agglomerated even at ~250°C.     

Experimental investigation and thermodynamic modeling of the Au–Ge–Ni system

Abstract  

Phase equilibria in the Au–Ge–Ni ternary system were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. The phase relations in the solid state at 600 °C as well as a vertical section at Au₇₂Ge₂₈–Ni were established. No ternary compound was found at 600 °C. On the basis of the experimental phase equilibria data, a thermodynamic model of the Au–Ge–Ni ternary system was developed using the CALPHAD method. Thermodynamically calculated phase diagrams are shown at 600 °C, in two vertical sections and the liquidus projection. Reasonable agreement between the calculations and the experimental results was achieved.