Two-dimensional rhombohedral grid coordination polymers [M(bbbt)(2)(NCS)(2)](n)(M = Co,Mn, or Cd; bbbt = 1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl) bis-1H-benzotriazole): synthesis,crystal structures,and third-order nonlinear optical properties

In this paper, treatment of 1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl) bis-1H-benzotriazole (bbbt) and KSCN with Co(II), Mn(II), or Cd(II) afforded three two-dimensional rhombohedral grid coordination polymers [M(bbbt)(2)(NCS)(2)](n)(M = Co, 1; Mn, 2; Cd, 3). The two-dimensional rhombohedral grids are parallel to the crystallographic ac plane. The rhombohedral grid consists of 44-membered rings of M(4)(bbbt)(4), and gives the dimensions of 12.913 x 10.764 A for polymer 1, 13.106 x 10.797 A for polymer 2, and 13.256 x 10.870 A for polymer 3. The three polymers' third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties were determined by Z-scan technique in DMF solution. The results show that all three polymers show very large NLO absorption and strong NLO refraction properties. The third-order NLO absorptive coefficients alpha(2) are 5.4 x 10(-9) m W(-1) for polymer 1, 5.2 x 10(-9) m W(-1) for polymer 2, and 5.0 x 10(-9) m W(-1) for polymer 3. The alpha(2) values are larger than those of all the reported cluster compounds. The NLO refractive index values n(2) of the three polymers are 5.73 x 10(-19), 3.55 x 10(-19), and 3.07 x 10(-19) m(2) W(-1), respectively. Their hyperpolarizability gamma values are calculated to be 2.40 x 10(-30) esu for polymer 1, 1.52 x 10(-30) esu for polymer 2, and 1.50 x 10(-30) esu for polymer 3. The gamma values are comparable to those of clusters and better than those of organometallic compounds, semiconductors, and fullerene.     

Spontaneous Resolution of a Mixed-Ligand Nickel(II) Coordination Polymer with Achiral Precursors

Metal-center-driven spontaneous resolution of a chiral coordination polymer, [Ni(SDB)(BIX)](n) (1), from achiral precursors has been probed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Enantiomorphs 1P and 1M showed a parallel interpenetrated 2D → 3D chiral framework with (8(2).10) topology. Switching of the metal center under the same reaction parameters resulted in isostructural achiral and noninterpenetrating (4,4) grid-type sql networks [M(SDB)(BIX)](n), where M = Co(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) for 2-4, respectively.     

Size and shape of soil humic acids estimated by viscosity and molecular weight

Ultrafiltration fractions of three soil humic acids were characterized by viscometry and high performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) in order to estimate shapes and hydrodynamic sizes. Intrinsic viscosities under given solute/solvent/temperature conditions were obtained by extrapolating the concentration dependence of reduced viscosities to zero concentration. Molecular mass (weight average molecular weight (M (w)) and number average molecular weight (M (n))) and hydrodynamic radius (R(H)) were determined by HPSEC using pullulan as calibrant. Values of M (w) and M (n) ranged from 15 to 118 x 10(3) and from 9 to 50 x 10(3) (g mol(-1)), respectively. Polydispersity, as indicated by M (w)/M (n), increased with increasing filter size from 1.5 to 2.4. The hydrodynamic radii (R(H)) ranged between 2.2 and 6.4 nm. For each humic acid, M (w) and [eta] were related. Mark-Houwink coefficients calculated on the basis of the M (w)-[eta] relationships suggested restricted flexible chains for two of the humic acids and a branched structure for the third humic acid. Those structures probably behave as hydrated sphere colloids in a good solvent. Hydrodynamic radii of fractions calculated from [eta] using Einstein's equation, which is applicable to hydrated sphere colloids, ranged from 2.2 to 7.1 nm. These dimensions are fit to the size of nanospaces on and between clay minerals and micropores in soil particle aggregates. On the other hand, the good agreement of R(H) values obtained by applying Einstein's equation with those directly determined by HPSEC suggests that pullulan is a suitable calibrant for estimation of molecular mass and size of humic acids by HPSEC.     

Polymer fractionation using chromatographic column packed with novel regenerated cellulose beads modified with silane

Novel microporous beads with the particle size of about 90 microm were prepared, for the first time, from cellulose and konjac glucomannan (RC/KGM3) in 1.5 M NaOH/0.65 M thiourea aqueous solution by emulsification method. The microporous beads were then modified with silane to avoid the adsorption of polymers containing hydroxyl groups, coded as RC/KGM3-Si. A preparative size-exclusion chromatographic (SEC) column (500 mm x 20 mm) was packed with RC/KGM3-Si, and its exclusion limit and fractionation range of the stationary phase were, respectively, weight-average molecular masses (Mw) of 4.8 x 10(5) g/mol and 5.3 x 10(3)-4.8 x 10(5) g/mol for polystyrene in tetrahydrofuran. The preparative SEC column was used to fractionate poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL, Mw = 8.31 x 10(4) g/mol polydispersity index d= 1.55) in tetrahydrofuran and a polysaccharide PC3-2 (Mw = 1.21 x 10(5) g/mol, d= 1.70) in 0.05 M NaOH aqueous solution, respectively. The Mw values of the fractions determined by analytical SEC combined with laser light scattering were from 1.2 x 10(4) to 1.84 x 10(5) for PCL and from 8.5 x 10(4) to 2.13 x 10(5) for PC3-2, as well as d from 1.2 to 1.5. The results indicated that the preparative SEC has good fractionation efficiency in both organic solvent and alkaline aqueous solution for the various polymers.     

Homodimerization and heteroassociation of 6-O-(2-sulfonato-6-naphthyl)-gamma-cyclodextrin and 6-deoxy-(pyrene-1-carboxamido)-beta-cyclodextrin

6-O-(2-sulfonato-6-naphthyl)-gamma-cyclodextrin (1) and 6-deoxy-(pyrene-1-carboxamido)-beta-cyclodextrin (2) were prepared. Homodimerizations of 1 and 2 and heteroassociation between 1 and 2 were investigated by (1)H NMR, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. The compounds 1 and 2 form head-to-head dimers with dimerization constants of 140 +/- 50 and 270 +/- 70 M(-)(1), respectively. We also determined the association constants of 1 with beta-CD as 270 +/- 20 M(-)(1) and 2 with gamma-CD as 100 +/- 30 M(-)(1) from fluorescence and circular dichroism titration data, respectively. The heteroassociation between 1 and 2 was manifested in increased circular dichroism ellipticities of 2, downfield shift of the H-2 proton of the pyrene group of 2, and upfield shift of the H-5 proton of the naphthyl group of 1 upon mixing 1 and 2. The analysis of circular dichroism titration data of 2 with 1 gave the association constant as 9300 +/- 1600 M(-)(1). The NMR and circular dichroism spectra suggested that the naphthyl group of 1 is deeply included into the beta-CD cavity of 2, while the pyrene group of 2 is partially inserted in the gamma-CD cavity of 1 in the complex. The energy-minimized structure from molecular modeling of the complex supports this. We believe that the facile heteroassociation of two cyclodextrin derivatives having different sizes of cavity and pendant group could be utilized as a useful strategy for assembling functionalized CDs for various applications.     

Light-scattering study of the aggregation of syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) in solution.

Syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate (s-PMMA) may undergo aggregation in n-butyl chloride (n-BuCl) at temperatures below the theta temperature. The aggregation behavior of the s-PMMA with weight-average molecular weight M(w) =6.06 x 10(5) g mol(-1) was studied by a combination of static and dynamic laser-light-scattering experiments. A solution of concentration 1.12 x 10(-4) g mL(-1) was quenched from 50 degrees C (above the theta temperature in n-BuCl, 35 degrees C to 12 degrees C, and the aggregation process was measured over 60 h. The time dependence of M(w) the root-mean-square z-average radius of gyration < R(g) >, and the average hydrodynamic radius were used to monitor the growth of the aggregates, with the result M(w) approximately < R(g) > d(f) (where d(f) = 1.98 +/- 0.02), which implies the formation of a fractal aggregate. The observed fractal dimension, d(f), is close to that expected for a reaction-limited cluster aggregation for which d(f) = 2.1. In addition, atomic force microscopy was used to image the aggregates.     

Interplay of the main chain, chiral side chains, and solvent in conformational transitions: poly([(R)-3,7-dimethyloctyl]-[(S)-3-methylpentyl]silylene).

Light scattering, sedimentation equilibrium, viscosity, circular dichroism (CD), and UV absorption (UV) measurements were made on dilute solutions of poly([(R)-3,7-dimethyloctyl]-[(S)-3-methylpentyl]silylene)(PRS) as functions of molecular weight. From light scattering and viscosity data, PRS is found to be a very stiff polymer of persistence length q as large as 103 nm at 25 degrees C, essentially a 7(3) helix found in the solid state; q increases only gradually with lowering temperature between -15 and 25 degrees C. The CD data show that PRS undergoes a conformational transition around 3 degrees C in isooctane (transition temperature T(c)). The CD signal is largely positive at low temperatures, passes through zero at T(c), and becomes largely negative at higher temperatures; T(c) is independent of sample's chain length N. This is a highly cooperative helix (M)-to-helix (P) transition depending remarkably on N, as PRS is substantially rodlike. The CD data are converted to the fraction f(P) of P helix as a function of N and analyzed successfully by a statistical mechanical theory based on a helix reversal model, where a polymer chain consists of M and P helices intervened by helix reversals, with the result that the free energy difference DeltaG(h) between P and M shows a temperature dependence similar to that of 2f(P) - 1, whereas the helix reversal energy is substantially constant at 1.2 x 10(4) J mol(-1); the latter value means that the helix reversal occurs only once in 100 Si units or less. This DeltaG(h) change and solvent dependence of T(c) are explained by a double-well potential for the rotation about Si-Si bonds, which incorporates into DeltaG(h) the solvent interactions with the helical grooves of side chains surrounding the main chain. Detailed features of UV absorption spectra at different temperature and molecular weights are also presented.     

Optically active mixed phthalocyaninato-porphyrinato rare-earth double-decker complexes: synthesis, spectroscopy, and solvent-dependent molecular conformations

Reaction between the optically active metal-free phthalocyanine with a pi system with noncentrosymmetrical C(2) [corrected] symmetry ((S)- and (R)-H(2){Pc(OBNP)(2)}; OBNP=binaphthylphthalocyanine) and half-sandwich complexes [M(III)(acac)(TClPP)] (M=Y, Eu; TClPP=meso-tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)porphyrinate; acac=acetylacetonate), which were generated in situ from [M(acac)(3)].n H(2)O and H(2)(TClPP) in n-octanol at reflux, provided the first optically active protonated mixed phthalocyaninato-porphyrinato rare-earth double-decker complexes [M(III)H{Pc(OBNP)(2)}(TClPP)] (M=Y, Eu) in good yield. In addition to electronic absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism results, circular dichroism shows different spectroscopic features of these mixed-ring rare-earth double-decker compounds in different solvents, such as DMF and CHCl(3), which was well-reproduced on the basis of time-dependent density functional theory calculation results for the yttrium species (S)-[Y(III){Pc(OBNP)(2)}(Por)](-) (Por=porphyrinate, which is obtained by removing the four chlorophenyl groups from the TClPP ligand) in terms of the change in the rotation angle between the two macrocyclic ligands in the double-decker molecules. These results revealed the solvent-dependent nature of the molecular conformation of mixed-ring rare-earth double-decker complexes, which suggests a new way of tuning the optical and the electrochemical properties of sandwich-type bis(tetrapyrrole)-metal double-decker complexes in solution by changing the solvent.     

Acid-base equilibria and dynamics in sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles: geminate recombination and effect of charge stabilization

The synthetic flavylium salt 4-carboxy-7-hydroxy-4'-methoxyflavylium chloride (CHMF) exhibits two acid-base equilibria in the range of pH 1-8 in both aqueous and micellar sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions. The values of pK(a1) and pK(a2) for the cation-zwitterion (AH(2)(+) <--> Z + H(+)) and the zwitterion-base (Z <--> A(-) + H(+)) equilibria increase from 0.73 and 4.84 in water to 2.77 and 5.64 in SDS micelles, respectively. The kinetic study of the Z <--> A(-) + H(+) ground-state reactions in SDS points to the diffusion-controlled protonation of A(-) in the aqueous phase (k(p2w) = 4.2 x 10(10) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)) and in the micelle (k(p2m) = 2.3 x 10(11) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)). The deprotonation rate of Z did not significantly change upon going from water (k(d2) = 6.3 x 10(5) s(-)(1)) to SDS (k(d2) = 5.2 x 10(5) s(-)(1)), in contrast with the behavior of ordinary cationic flavylium salts, for which k(d2) strongly decreases in SDS micelles. These results suggest that deprotonation of the zwitterionic acid is not substantially perturbed by the micellar charge. Electronic excitation of the Z form of CHMF induces fast adiabatic deprotonation of the hydroxyl group of Z() (2.9 x 10(10) s(-)(1) in water and 8.4 x 10(9) s(-)(1) in 0.1 M SDS), followed by geminate recombination on the picosecond time scale. Interestingly, while recombination in water (k(rec) = 1.7 x 10(9) s(-)(1)) occurs preferentially at the carboxylate group, at the SDS micelle surface, recombination (k(rec) = 9.2 x 10(9) s(-)(1)) occurs at the hydroxyl group. The important conclusion is that proton mobility at the SDS micelle surface is substantially reduced with respect to the mobility in water, which implies that geminate recombination should be a general phenomenon in SDS micelles.     

Persistence length of wormlike micelles composed of ionic surfactants: self-consistent-field predictions

The persistence length of a wormlike micelle composed of ionic surfactants C(n)E(m)X(k) in an aqueous solvent is predicted by means of the self-consistent-field theory where C(n)E(m) is the conventional nonionic surfactant and X(k) is an additional sequence of k weakly charged (pH-dependent) segments. By considering a toroidal micelle at infinitesimal curvature, we evaluate the bending modulus of the wormlike micelle that corresponds to the total persistence length, consisting of an elastic/intrinsic and an electrostatic contribution. The total persistence length increases with pH and decreases with increasing background salt concentration. We estimate that the electrostatic persistence length l(p,e)(0) scales with respect to the Debye length kappa(-1) as l(p,e)(0) approximately kappa(-p) where p approximately 1.98 for wormlike micelles consisting of C(20)E(10)X(1) surfactants and p approximately 1.54 for wormlike micelles consisting of C(20)E(10)X(2) surfactants. The total persistence length l(p,t)(0) is a weak function of the head group length m but scales with the tail length n as l(p,t)(0) approximately n(x) where x approximately 2-2.6, depending on the corresponding head group length. Interestingly, l(p,t)(0) varies nonmonotonically with the number of charged groups k due to the opposing trends in the electrostatic and elastic bending rigidities upon variation of k.     

Pseudooctahedral complexes of vanadium(III): electronic structure investigation by magnetic and electronic spectroscopy

A variety of physical methods has been used to probe the non-Kramers, S = 1, V(III) ion in two types of pseudooctahedral complexes: V(acac)(3), where acac = anion of 2,4-pentanedione, and VX(3)(thf)(3), where thf = tetrahydrofuran and X = Cl and Br. These methods include tunable frequency and high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR) spectroscopy (using frequencies of approximately 95-700 GHz and fields up to 25 T) in conjunction with electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and variable-temperature variable-field MCD (VTVH-MCD) spectroscopies. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility and field-dependent magnetization measurements were also performed. All measurements were conducted on complexes in the solid state (powder or mull samples). The field versus sub-THz wave quantum energy dependence of observed HFEPR resonances yielded the following spin Hamiltonian parameters for V(acac)(3): D = +7.470(1) cm(-1); E = +1.916(1) cm(-1); g(x) = 1.833(4); g(y) = 1.72(2); g(z) = 2.03(2). For VCl(3)(thf)(3), HFEPR detected a single zero-field transition at 15.8 cm(-1) (474 GHz), which was insufficient to determine the complete set of spin Hamiltonian parameters. For VBr(3)(thf)(3), however, a particularly rich data set was obtained using tunable-frequency HFEPR, and analysis of this data set gave the folowing: D = -16.162(6) cm(-1); E = -3.694(4) cm(-1); g(x) = 1.86(1); g(y) = 1.90(1); g(z) = 1.710(4). Analysis of the VTVH-MCD data gave spin Hamiltonian parameters in good agreement with those determined by HFEPR for both V(acac)(3) and VBr(3)(thf)(3) and in rough agreement with the estimate for VCl(3)(thf)(3) (D approximately 10 cm(-1), |E/D| approximately 0.18), together with the finding that the value of D is negative for both thf complexes. The electronic structures of these V(III) complexes are discussed in terms of their molecular structures and the electronic transitions observed by electronic absorption and MCD spectroscopies.     

Generation of a peroxynitrato metal complex from nitrogen dioxide and coordinated superoxide

The reaction between photogenerated NO(2) radicals and a superoxochromium(III) complex, Cr(aq)OO(2+), occurs with rate constants k(Cr)(20) = (2.8 +/- 0.2) x 10(8) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) (20 vol % acetonitrile in water) and k(Cr)(40) = (2.6 +/- 0.5) x 10(8) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) (40 vol % acetonitrile) in aerated acidic solutions and ambient temperature. The product was deduced to be a peroxynitrato complex, Cr(aq)OONO(2)(2+), which undergoes homolytic cleavage of an N-O bond to return to the starting materials, the rate constants in the two solvent mixtures being k(H)(20) = 172 +/- 4 s(-)(1) and k(H)(40) = 197 +/- 7 s(-)(1). NO(2) reacts rapidly with 10-methyl-9,10-dihydroacridine, k(A)(20) = 2.2 x 10(7) M(-)(1) s(-)(1), k(A)(40) = (9.4 +/- 0.2) x 10(6) M(-)(1) s(-)(1), and with N,N,N',N'-tetramethylphenylenediamine, k(T)(40) = (1.84 +/- 0.03) x 10(8) M(-)(1) s(-)(1).     

Optically active polymer film tuned by a chirally self-assembled molecular organogel

Chirally-oriented lipid aggregates were doped into a solid polymer film, which was readily prepared by casting and removing a solvent from anionic l-glutamide-derived organogels and polystyrene. When a cationic achiral dye was mixed into this system, the resultant polymer film showed tunable circular dichroism (CD) due to chiral complex formation with the achiral dye on the highly-ordered structures based on the l-glutamide lipid.     

Evidence for through-space electron transfer in the distance dependence of normal and inverted electron transfer in oligoproline arrays

Four new helical oligoproline assemblies containing 16, 17, 18, and 19 proline residues and ordered arrays of a Ru(II)-bipyridyl chromophore and a phenothiazine electron-transfer donor have been synthesized in a modular fashion by solid-phase peptide synthesis. These arrays are illustrated and abbreviated as CH(3)CO-Pro(6)-Pra(PTZ)-Pro(n)()-Pra(Ru(II)b(2)m)(2+)-Pro(6)-NH(2), where PTZ is 3-(10H-phenothiazine-10)propanoyl and (Ru(II)b'(2)m)(2+) is bis(4,4'-diethylamide-2,2'-bipyridine)(4-methyl,4'-carboxylate,2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) dication with n = 2 (2), 3 (3), 4 (4), and 5 (5). They contain PTZ as an electron-transfer donor and (Ru(II)b'(2)m)(2+) as a metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) light absorber and are separated by proline-to-proline through-space distances ranging from 0 (n = 2) to 12.9 A (n = 5) relative to the n = 2 case. They exist in the proline-II helix form in water, as shown by circular dichroism measurements. Following laser flash Ru(II) --> b'(2)m MLCT excitation at 460 nm in water, excited-state PTZ --> Ru(2+) quenching (k(2)) occurs by reductive electron transfer, followed by Ru(+) --> PTZ(+) back electron transfer (k(3)), as shown by transient absorption and emission measurements in water at 25 degrees C. Quenching with DeltaG degrees = -0.1 eV is an activated process, while back electron transfer occurs in the inverted region, DeltaG degrees = -1.8 eV, and is activationless, as shown by temperature dependence measurements. Coincidentally, both reactions have comparable distance dependences, with k(2)( )()varying from = 1.9 x 10(9) (n = 2) to 2.2 x 10(6) s(-)(1) (n = 4) and k(3) from approximately 2.0 x 10(9) (n = 2) to 2.2 x 10(6) s(-)(1) (n = 4). For both series there is a rate constant enhancement of approximately 10 for n = 5 compared to n = 4 and a linear decrease in ln k with the through-space separation distance, pointing to a significant and probably dominant through-space component to intrahelical electron transfer.     

Studies on the interaction of achiral cationic pseudoisocyanine with chiral metal complexes

The effect of chiral metal complexes ([Co(en)(3)]I(3)·H(2)O, cis-[CoBr(NH(3))(en)(2)]Br(2), K[Co(edta)]·2H(2)O and [Ru(phen)(3)](PF(6))(2)) on the polymer-bound J-aggregates in aqueous mixtures of pesudoisocyanine (PIC) iodine and poly(acrylic acid, sodium)(PAAS) have been studied by UV-vis absorption, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectra. At low concentration, the PIC monomers could self-assemble to form supermolecules by binding to each of the COO(-) groups on the polymer chains through electrostatic interactions. After the addition of chiral metal complexes to the formed PIC-PAAS J-aggregates, we found that only the chiral multiple π-conjugated phenanthroline metal complexes could transfer their metal-centered chiral information to the formed J-aggregates. The chiral J-aggregates showed a characteristic induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the visible region of J-band chromophore, and the ICD signals depend on the absolute configuration, concentration of the chiral multiple π-conjugated metal complexes, as well as temperature. More interestingly, the supramolecular chirality of the polymer supported PIC J-aggregates could be memorized even after the addition of an excess opposite chiral complex enantiomers. This is in sharp contrast to the behavior in the high concentrated NaCl induced PIC-J aggregates, in which the optical rotation of a mixture of two enantiomers varies linearly with their ratio.     

Induced circular dichroism as a probe of handedness in chiral nematic polymer solutions

Achiral dyes in isotropic (acetyl)(ethyl)cellulose (AEC) solutions display no induced CD signals irrespective of acetyl content, polymer concentration or dye content. When dissolved in anisotropic AEC solutions, the dye molecules show strong induced CD bands that disappear when the phases are heated above the anisotropic/isotropic phase transition temperature. The liquid crystal induced circular dichroism (LCICD) spectra for the dyes in a series of well-characterized AEC mesophases, whose handedness depends on solvent and acetyl content, reveal that the sign of the LCICD signal is determined by the supramolecular structural features of the host matrices. Thus, acridine orange (AO) dissolved in a left-handed liquid crystalline AEC solution displays a negative LCICD whereas a positive LCICD was observed when the AO is dissolved in a right-handed AEC mesophase. The sign and intensity of the LCICD signals change with acetyl degree of substitution, solvent and temperature. In all cases, changes in sign of the CD peak correlated with changes in handedness of the chiral nematic structure, and the intensity of the CD peak increased with increasing chiral nematic pitch for a given solvent and polymer concentration. Induced circular dichroism is thus a useful probe of chiral nematic structure in these systems.     

Titanium complexes supported by an [OSSO]-type bis(phenolato) ligand based on a trans-cyclooctanediyl platform: synthesis, structures, and 1-hexene polymerization

trans-Cyclooctanediyl-bridged [OSSO]-type ligand 4 reacts with TiCl(4)(thf)(2) in toluene to produce the corresponding titanium(IV) dichloro complexes as an inseparable mixture of cis-α isomer 6a and cis-β isomer 6b in a ratio of 2:1, whereas treatment of dilithio salt of 4 with TiCl(3)(thf)(3) in Et(2)O afforded chloride-bridged dimeric titanium(III) complex 8, which indicated the antiferromagnetic character in a nonpolar solvent solution. Di(isopropoxy) titanium(IV) complex 10 having a C(2)-symmetric cis-α configuration was synthesized by the reaction of 4 with Ti(O(i)Pr)(4) in toluene as yellow crystals. Moreover, the reaction of 4 with Ti(NEt(2))(4) in toluene resulted in the unexpected formation of [OSSO]-type bis(phenolato)-bridged dinuclear diamido titanium(IV) complex 11, which adopted a distorted tetrahedral geometry on the titanium center. These titanium complexes were characterized on the basis of their NMR spectroscopic data, and the molecular structures of complexes 8, 10, and 11 were established by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The titanium(IV) and (III) complexes 6 and 8 upon activation with a cocatalyst in toluene polymerized 1-hexene isospecifically to produce poly(1-hexene) having high molecular weight (M(w) = 22,000-52,000 g mol(-1)) and relatively narrow polydispersity (M(w)/M(n) = 1.7-1.8), albeit with low activity [0.27-1.0 g mmol(cat)(-1) h(-1)].     

Aggregation and chiroptical behavior of a high molecular weight chirally substituted dialkylpoly(p‐phenyleneethynylene)

The solvent and temperature dependent aggregation of high molecular weight bis[S‐(+)‐3,7‐dimethyloctyl)] substituted poly(p‐phenyleneethynylene) (PPE, 2 ) was examined by absorption, emission and circular dichroism spectroscopy. All herein employed methods strongly support the view that 2 forms ordered aggregates in the solid state and in solvent mixtures. This is the first case in which a chiral high molecular weight PPE displays its aggregation by both optical and chiroptical methods.     

Investigation of complexes formed by interaction of cationic gemini surfactants with deoxyribonucleic acid

Cationic gemini surfactants, N,N-bis(dimethylalkyl)-alpha,omega-alkanediammonium dibromide [C(m)H(2m+1)(CH(3))(2)N(+)(CH(2))(s)N(+)(CH(3))(2)C(m)H(2m+1) x 2 Br(-), or m-s-m], have proven to be effective synthetic vectors for gene delivery (transfection). Complexes (lipoplexes) of gemini compounds, where m = 12, s = 3, 12 and m = 18 : 1(oleyl), s = 2, 3, 6, with DNA have been investigated using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and circular dichroism (CD) techniques. The results show that lipoplex properties depend on the structural properties of the gemini surfactants, the presence of the helper lipid dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), and the titration sequence. ITC data show that the interaction between DNA and gemini surfactants is endothermic and the observed enthalpy vs. charge ratio profile depends upon the titration sequence. Isoelectric points (IP) of lipoplex formation were estimated from the zeta potential measurements and show good agreement with the reaction endpoints (RP) obtained from ITC. DLS data indicate that DNA is condensed in the lipoplex. AFM images suggest that the lipoplex morphology changes from isolated globular-like aggregated particles to larger-size aggregates with great diversity in morphology. This change is further accentuated by the presence of DOPE in the lipoplexes. The results are interpreted in terms of some current models of lipoplex formation.     

Achiral Polydialkylsilane Aggregates That Record Stirring Direction

Achiral polysilane aggregates can recognize the chirality of low‐molecular‐weight compounds. It was found that they can also record the stirring direction. Poly(n‐decyl‐2‐methylpropylsilane), poly(n‐nonyl‐2‐methylpropylsilane), poly(n‐decyl‐2‐ethylbutylsilane), and poly(n‐decyl‐(S)‐2‐methylbutylsilane) aggregates were prepared in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran/isopropanol. Although the optical activity of the aggregates of the polysilane with chiral side chains was not tunable by changing the direction of the vortex flow, that of the aggregates of the optically inactive polysilane had a strong relationship to the direction, time, and rate of the vortex flow. The chiral stacked polysilanes were proposed to exist at the surfaces of the aggregates. The optically inactive polysilanes also exhibited optical activity under shear force with a distinct signal in the linear dichroism (LD) spectra of the achiral aggregates in vortex flows. However, the LD signals did not have a significant influence on the circular dichroism signals.