Self-assembly and morphology of gel networks in l,3:2,4-bis-O-(p-methylbenzylidene)-D-sorbitol/n-dibutylphthalate

We investigated the self-assembling structure of the 1,3:2,4-bis-O-(p-methylbenzylidene)-D-sorbitol (PDTS)/n-dibutylphthalate (DBP) system in the parameter space of temperature T and solute concentration Phi(PDTS). Optical microscopic studies revealed that the phase diagram can be divided into four regions. In region I at high T the system is a homogeneous solution. In region II at lower T and low Phi(PDTS), the system still has fluidity but has microgels having spherulitic texture of PDTS crystallites. Regions III and IV at even lower T but higher Phi(PDTS) are in a gel state. In region III, the PDTS forms volume-filling spherulites due to the solid-liquid phase transition of the saturated PDTS solutions. In region IV at the lowest T, both the liquid-liquid phase-separation process and the solid-liquid transition of the PDTS are involved in the self-assembling processes. In this region a bicontinuous phase-separated structure is first formed by liquid-liquid phase separation via spinodal decomposition (SD). The subsequent solid-liquid transition of the PDTS in the PDTS-rich region forms percolating crystalline fibrils rather than spherulites. The formation of the crystalline fibrils pins further growth of the bicontinuous structure via SD.     

Fibril formation of 1,3:2,4-di(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene) sorbitol in a polypropylene melt

Binary mixtures of 1,3:2,4-di(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene) sorbitol (DMDBS) within the melt of polypropylene (PP) were studied at DMDBS contents of 0.4 and 1.0 wt %. DMDBS serves as a nucleating agent in PP crystallization by formation of a nanofibrillar network. The kinetics of the DMDBS solidification process within the PP melt and the ensuing nanofibrillar structure were studied by in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis combined with imaging by electron microscopy. The dynamic lag of the fibrillar structure formation kinetics and its temperature dependence indicate a nucleation and growth mechanism, controlled by the rate of nucleation. Investigation of the fibrillar structure by electron microscopy indicates a complex structure in which long and thin fibrils (less than 100 nm in cross-section) are composed of thinner nanofibrils (less than 10 nm in cross-section).     

Solubility of oxides in the KBr-BaBr2 eutectic melt (0.495: 0.505) at 973 K

Solubility products of MnO (pK _s,MnO = 6.32 ± 0.1), NiO (pK _s,NiO = 8.06 ± 0.2), and PbO (pK _s,PbO = 4.04 ± 0.2) in KBr-BaBr₂ (0.495: 0.505) melt at 973 K were determined by potentiometric titration using a Pt(O₂)|ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) membrane oxygen electrode. A significant increase in oxide solubilities compared to those of 2CsBr · KBr melt is attributed to the enhancement of acidic properties of cations in the series Cs⁺, K⁺-Ba²⁺, ensuring a greater degree of binding of oxide ions that results from dissociation of the oxide under study to the cationic framework of the melt. The solubilities of the investigated oxides in chloride and bromide melts with similar cationic compositions are virtually identical.     

The Macrocycle versus Chain Competition in On-Surface Polymerization: Insights from Reactions of 1,3-Dibromoazulene on Cu(111)

Ring/chain competition in oligomerization reactions represents a long-standing topic of synthetic chemistry and was treated extensively for solution reactions but is not well-understood for the two-dimensional confinement of surface reactions. Here, the kinetic and thermodynamic principles of ring/chain competition in on-surface synthesis are addressed by scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Monte Carlo simulations applied to azulene-based organometallic oligomers on Cu(111). Analysis of experiments and simulations reveals how the ring/chain ratio can be controlled through variation of coverage and temperature. At room temperature, non-equilibrium conditions prevail and kinetic control leads to preferential formation of the entropically favored chains. In contrast, high-temperature equilibrium conditions are associated with thermodynamic control, resulting in increased yields of the energetically favored rings. The optimum conditions for ring formation include the lowest possible temperature within the regime of thermodynamic control and a low coverage. The general implications are discussed and compared to the solution case.     

A dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance study of 1,3-intramolecular shifts in pentacarbonyl-chromium(O) and -tungsten(O) complexes of β-2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,5-trithian, 1,3,5-trithian, 1,3-dithian and 2-methyl-1,3-dithian: the x-ray crystal structure of [W(CO)5{SCH(Me)SCH(Me)SCH(Me)}]

Variable temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy has been used in the study of 1,3-intramolecular shifts of the M(CO)₅ moiety in complexes of the general formula [M(CO)₅L], (M = Cr or w), L = $\text{SCH}{}_2\text{SCH}{}_2\text{SC}$H₂, $\text{SCH}{}_2\text{SCH}{}_2\text{CH}{}_2\text{C}$H₂ and $\text{SCH(Me)SCH}{}_2\text{CH}{}_2\text{C}$H₂. For the 1,3,5-trithian complexes precise energy barriers for the process have been obtained by detailed computer simulation of the static and dynamic spectra. Our results suggest that the magnitude of ΔG^≠ (298.15 K) for the 1,3-shift is largely dependent upon the skeletal flexibility of the ligand system. In this context we have investigated the X-ray crystal structure of the highly substituted trithian complex [W(CO)₅{β-$\text{SCH(Me)SCH(Me)SC}$H(Me)}].     

DNA tetraplex structure formation from human telomeric repeat motif (TTAGGG):(CCCTAA) in nanocavity water pools of reverse micelles

In an equimolar ratio the human telomeric oligonucleotides d[AGGG(TTAGGG)(3)] and d[(CCCTAA)(3)CCCT] formed mixed structures of duplex and tetraplex in bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate reverse micelles; only the duplex was observed in aqueous buffer. This finding suggests that heterogeneous confined media in the cell nucleus might induce a significant fraction of the telomeric region of genomic DNA to adopt non-canonical tetraplex structure.     

Chemistry of organophosphonate scale growth inhibitors: two-dimensional, layered polymeric networks in the structure of tetrasodium 2-hydroxyethyl-amino-bis(methylenephosphonate)

Aminomethylene phosphonates are important scale inhibitors applied in diverse areas of technology. This study adds to the existing body of information on this subject and reports the crystal and molecular structures of tetrasodium 2-hydroxyethylamino-bis(methylene-phosphonate) decahydrate ([Na₄(HOCH₂CH₂N(CH₂PO₃)₂)]·10H₂O, 1). The crystal structure of 1 could be described as two-dimensional polymeric layered structure hydrogen bonded into a 3D supramolecular polymeric network. The structure of the tetraanion consists of a “three-arm” backbone stemming from the N atom. Two “arms” are deprotonated methylene phosphonate (-CH₂PO₃²⁻) moieties and the third is a hydroxyethyl (-CH₂CH₂OH) moiety. One Na cation forms an intramolecular complex with two oxygens from separate phosphonate groups, a hydroxyl oxygen, the nitrogen and two lattice water molecules. The position of this Na cation points to a possible coordination site for Ca in a proposed Ca-HEABMP complex (HEABMP=2-hydroxyethylamino-bis(methylene-phosphonate).     

Association of hydrophobic counterions in aqueous solution of poly(allylammonium) chloride: Comparison between p-n-propylbenzenesulfonate and p-iso-propylbenzenesulfonate ions

The hydrophobic association behavior of p-propylbenzenesulfonate ions (n-PBS^? and iso-PBS^?) around poly(allylammonium) cation (PAAH⁺ was studied by absorption and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In the presence of PAAH⁺Cl^?, the broadening (hypochromism) of absorption band of PBS^? were observed. In addition, all ¹H NMR signals of PBS^? exhibited up-field shift which resulted from the intermolecular ring current shift. These results indicate the hydrophobic association of negative PBS^? around PAAH⁺. The hydrophobic association arises from the accumulation of counterions around the polyion, and is stabilized by the hydrophobic interaction between propyl groups and the stacking interaction between benzene rings. The association of iso-PBS^? ions is rather weaker than that of n-PBS^?, suggesting that the steric hindrance of isopropyl groups prevents an effective association of hydrophobic counterions. Furthermore, through viscosity and Cl^? activity measurements, it was found that the binding of associated PBS^?,s to PAAH⁺ causes the change of its surroundings to hydrophobic character and its conformation. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The role of dimers in complex forming reactions at low temperature: full dimension potential and dynamics of (H2CO)2+OH reaction

The (H CO) +OH and H CO-OH+H CO reaction dynamics are studied theoretically for temperatures below 300 K. For this purpose, a full dimension potential energy surface is built, which reproduces well accurate ab initio calculations. The potential presents a submerged reaction barrier, as an example of the catalytic effect induced by the presence of the third molecule. However, quasi-classical and ring polymer molecular dynamics calculations show that the dominant channel is the dimer-exchange mechanism below 200 K, and that the reactive rate constant tends to stabilize at low temperatures, because the effective dipole of either dimer is reduced with respect to that of formaldehyde alone. The reaction complex formed at low temperatures does not live long enough to produce complete energy relaxation, as assumed in statistical theories. These results show that the reactivity of the dimers cannot explain the large rate constants measured at temperatures below 100 K.     

Partial molar volumes of organic solutes in water. XVII: 3-Pentanone(aq) and 2,4-pentanedione(aq) at T = (298 to 573) K and at pressures up to 30 MPa

Density data for dilute aqueous solutions of two aliphatic ketones (3-pentanone, 2,4-pentanedione) are presented together with partial molar volumes at infinite dilution calculated from the experimental data. The measurements were performed at temperatures from T = 298 K up to either T = 573 K (3-pentanone) or T = 498 K (2,4-pentanedione) and at pressure close to the saturated vapour pressure of water, at pressures between 15 MPa and 20 MPa and at p = 30 MPa. The data were obtained using a high-temperature high-pressure flow vibrating-tube densimeter.     

Second‐order elastic constants of hexagonal hydroxylapatite (P63) from ab initio quantum mechanics: Comparison between DFT functionals and basis sets

Three very popular Hamiltonians in the density functional theory framework, PBE, PBEsol, and B3LYP, and different basis sets (Gaussian‐type orbitals and plane waves) were employed to simulate the hydroxylapatite unit cell and its second‐order elastic constants. Dispersive interactions were included in the quantum‐mechanical treatment via the DFT‐D2 and Tkatchenko‐Scheffler schemes. The calculated bulk, shear, and Young's moduli were in the range of 82‐117 GPa, 42‐51 GPa, and 107‐134 GPa, respectively. The axial moduli, K_a and K_b, were instead in the range of 277‐322 GPa and 506‐509 GPa. The theoretical data, especially those from plan waves simulations, are in good agreement with available results in literature and further extend the knowledge of the mechanical and vibrational properties of hydroxylapatite.     

Non-hydrogen-bonded secondary structure in beta-peptides: evidence from circular dichroism of (S)-pyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid oligomers and (S)-nipecotic acid oligomers

[formula: see text] Homooligomers of beta-amino acids (S)-3-pyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid (PCA) and (S)-nipecotic acid (Nip) were studied by circular dichroism (CD) in methanol. In each series, a profound change in the far-UV CD spectrum was observed from monomer to tetramer, but little change was observed from tetramer to hexamer. A comparable pattern is observed in the CD spectra of short proline oligomers. We conclude that both PCA and Nip oligomers with > or = four residues adopt a characteristic secondary structure.     

Density functional theory calculations of pentabromidooxomolybdate(V) anion with 2,2′-bipyridinium cation: Comparison between the calculated geometry and the crystal structure determination at 293 and 90 K

Mo^V ion complex in the [MoOBr₅]²⁻ anion is crystallized with 2,2′-bipyridinium dication. Mo^V is in a distorted octahedral environment at both 293 and 90 K, and is displaced from the plane of the four bromido ligands, with the Mo–Br_trans to the oxo ligand being significantly longer than the other equatorial bromido ligands. Extensive hydrogen bonding of the types (C,N)–H···(Br,O) and offset face-to-face interactions leading to a supramolecular crystal lattice that engineers the entrapment of [MoOBr₅]²⁻ anion. This is further stabilized by the Br···Br intermolecular interactions that hold the anionic network. The anisotropic cell contraction results in significant changes in nonbonding contacts. DFT calculations at the B3LYP level of theory using the pseudo potentials of “LANL2DZ” and “LANL2TZ (Mo)/6-31G*(C, N, Br, H)”, Slater Type Orbital (STO) and 3-21G basis sets were carried out. DFT calculations results from different basis sets were compared, and results show that the optimized calculated geometry is relatively consistent with the X-ray data and hence the observed structure for the complex is indeed possible. HOMO and LUMO orbitals and the energy gag were also determined.     

Comparison between infrared and raman band profiles in the absence of rotational relaxation in the liquid phase: ν(OH) of methanol in acetonitrile

In the case of weakly hydrogen bonded systems OH…B it has been shown that the ν(OH) IR and Raman band profiles are not identical. The origin of this difference is discussed in terms of changes in the dipole moment and polarizability derivatives with intermolecular forces