Orientation of the 3-methylpyridine molecules at the liquid–vapour interface of their aqueous solution

The orientation of the 3-methylpyridine (3MPy) molecules at the liquid–vapour interface of their 3 mol% solution is analysed in detail at 298 K on the basis of a Monte Carlo simulation. The 3MPy molecules are found to have a strong tendency for being adsorbed at the interface, exhibiting a dual orientational preference. At the vapour side of the interface they are preferentially aligned perpendicular to the interface, in such a way that the para carbon atom of the pyridine ring points straight to the vapour phase, whereas the C–Me bond declines by about 60° from the interface normal. On the other hand, at the liquid side of the interface the preferred orientation of the 3MPy molecules is close to the parallel alignment with the plane of the interface.     

Cooperative effects at water-crystalline silica interfaces strengthen surface silanol hydrogen bonding. An ab initio molecular dynamics study

Silica and silica based materials are widely used in chemistry and materials science due to their importance in many technological fields. The properties of these materials, which are crucial for their applications, are mainly determined by the presence of hydrogen bonding between surface silanols. Here, we present ab initio molecular dynamics simulations (AIMD) on different surfaces derived from the crystallographic α-quartz (100) and the α-cristobalite (001) and (101) faces, both free and at the interface with liquid water. The focus was on studying whether water adsorption can disrupt the H-bond pattern at the pristine free silica surface and how deep the perturbation due to the contact with the surface affects the structure of the water multilayer. Results highlight that the water phase is over structured at the interface with silica, as compared to water bulk. Furthermore, an apparent counterintuitive behavior has been observed for quartz (100) and cristobalite (001) surfaces: the interaction with water does not cleave the pre-existent H-bonds between the surface silanol groups. On the contrary, in several cases, it is observed that SiOH···OHSi H-bonds are even strengthened, as the result of a mutual cooperative H-donor/H-acceptor enhancement between silanols and water molecules, which may alter the adsorption capability of these silica surfaces.     

Study of liquid–liquid interfaces by an easily implemented localized NMR sequence

To selectively extract heavy metals from solutions containing fission products, it is essential to optimize the liquid–liquid extraction processes. Such an objective requires improving the fundamental knowledge of the different mechanisms that are involved in these processes. In that respect, we propose a localized NMR sequence named LOCSY to assess the concentration profiles of different species involved in these processes. One of the goals of this sequence is to study the products as close as possible to the liquid–liquid interface with the help of a standard NMR spectrometer of chemistry labs. The one‐dimensional spatial localization along the NMR tube is obtained by a discrete stepping of the frequency‐selective excitation pulses under a pulsed field gradient. Specific data processing has been developed to obtain the 1D NMR spectra as a function of the vertical position in the NMR tube. The LOCSY sequence has been tested and evaluated on three different systems: (i) a cylindrical phantom inserted in the NMR tube containing 4‐methylsalicylic acid solution, (ii) D₂O/olive oil biphasic system, and (iii) the dissolution of solid saccharose in D₂O. These examples illustrate potential applications of the LOCSY sequence, particularly the possibility to measure concentration profiles and to study phenomena such as diffusion, provided the dynamic range is compatible with NMR timescale and sensitivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controlled morphology and photoreduction characteristics of polyoxometalate(POM)/lipid complexes and the effect of hydrogen bonding at molecular interfaces

Supramolecular complexes consisting of anionic polyoxometalate (POM) and chiral, cationic lipids are newly developed. They give nanofibers, helical ribbons, and nanotapes in organic media depending on the chemical structure of lipid molecules. Lipid ammonium groups exert significant influence on their photoreduction characteristics.     

Hydrogen–hydrogen bonding: The current density perspective

Current density plots of closed‐shell intermolecular H? H interactions characterized by a bond critical point (BCP) show two vortices separated by a saddle, a pattern which allows for a clear definition of a pair current strength. This H? H current strength turns out to be roughly related to the potential energy density at the BCP and then to the dissociation energy. The same pattern is also recognizable, at least for an azimuthal orientation of a field perpendicular to the H? H line, for the intramolecular interactions previously investigated to propose the H? H bonding. In the case of the H atoms of the bay region of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the current of the H? H delocalized diatropic vortex gives a quantitative indication of stabilization; however, on rotation of the field and the subsequent onset of a bay‐delocalized paratropic vortex (a typical signature of antiaromaticity), the diatropic vortex can be reshaped or it can even disappear, consistently with its smallness, and thus showing the effect of other more relevant interactions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Preparation of liquid–crystal thermosets: In situ photopolymerization of oriented liquid–crystal diacrylates

The photoinitiated polymerization of 2-chloro-1,4-phenylene bis[4-[6-(acryloyloxy)hexyloxy]benzoate] (1M) was studied. The monomer 1M exhibited a broad nematic phase between 24.9 and 113.7 °C on a DSC cooling scan. It was oriented in its nematic phase at a substrate coated with polyimide and unidirectionally rubbed with a nylon cloth. During polymerization, the ordering of the liquid–crystal molecules was fixed, yielding a uniaxially crosslinked network. The clear liquid–crystal networks (LCNs) exhibited a birefringence between 0.14 and 0.19, depending on the polymerization temperature. Finally, a nonmesogenic diluent, tetra(ethylene glycol)diacrylate, was mixed with 1M, subsequently decreasing the birefringence of the obtained LCNs. The LCNs containing nonmesogenic diluent exhibited not only a smaller birefringence but also a weaker birefringence dispersion in the visible region. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3929–3935, 1999     

Heat capacity anomalies of associated liquid–alkane mixtures near the liquid–liquid critical point

The isobaric heat capacity for a set of critical binary mixtures composed by an associated liquid and an alkane was measured near the liquid–liquid critical point. From a careful analysis of experimental data, nonuniversal quantities such as critical temperatures and critical amplitudes were obtained. To obtain microscopic parameters that may characterise the critical behaviour of the studied systems, the critical amplitude of the correlation length was determined via two-scale factor universality. Useful insights into the influence of the molecular structure of the alkanes as well as the self-associating capability of the polar liquid on the aforementioned nonuniversal quantities are obtained.     

Fluorescence quenching in molecular recognition by hydrogen bonding

Steady-state fluorescence and single photon timing have been used to study the effect of the presence of hydrogen bonding on the intermolecular quenching of pyrene covalently linked to a guanine-like receptor I by an aliphatic amine (N,N-dimethylpropylamine) covalently linked to cytosine derivative II. By comparing the fluorescence quenching of I by II with that of 10methylpyrene (1-MP) by triethylamine (TEA), as a model system in which no hydrogen bonding can occur, one could possibly analyze the effect of the hydrogen bonding between receptor and substrate as a quenching as it leads to a higher local concentration of donor and acceptor. While the quenching of I by II was observed with an apparent rate constant k_q of (1.78 ± 0.10) × 10⁹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ and (8.72 ± 0.42) × 10⁸ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ in toluene and acetonitrile, respectively, no quenching could be observed in methanol. Upon excitation of 1-MP, no quenching by II could be detected in the same concentration range as used in the quenching of I. Quenching of I and of 1-MP by TEA (⩾ 10⁻² M) in toluene leads to exciplex formation with maxima centred at 540 and 514 nm, respectively. The rate constants of exciplex formation and dissociation of I with TEA were analyzed using a global compartmental analysis. The following values were obtained for the rate constants: k₀₁ = (9.70 ± 0.01) × 10⁶ s⁻¹, k₂₁ = (1.12 ± 0.003) × 10⁹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹, k₀₂ = (5.24 ± 0.01) × 10⁷ s⁻¹ and k₁₂ = (7.74 ± 0.08) × 10⁶ s⁻¹. Quenching of I by TEA in the presence of III, a hydrogen-bonding system without an alkyl amine substituent, leads to exciplex formation centred at 538 nm. The rate constant values for the exciplex formation and dissociation of I with TEA in the presence of III were: k₀₁ = (9.32 ± 0.08) × 10⁶ s⁻¹, k₂₁ = (9.32 ± 0.003) × 10⁸ M⁻¹ s⁻¹, k₀₂ = (6.16 ± 0.03) × 10⁷ s⁻¹ and k₁₂ = (21.90 ± 0.3) × 10⁶ s⁻¹. The apparent rate constants k_q for this system was (7.26 ± 0.56) × 10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. The observed decrease in the rate of exciplex formation of I with TEA in the presence of III could suggest that the guanine-like moiety in I forms hydrogen bonds with the cytosine-like moiety and this could decrease the electron affinity of I. The rate constant of exciplex dissociation increased, indicating that the exciplex is less stable in the presence of III. Because of the single exponential decay of I in the presence and absence of II and of the agreement between steady-state and transient fluorescence measurements, the information available for quantitative analysis of the association between I and II is limited.     

Two-dimensional crystallization of hard sphere particles at a liquid–liquid interface

A method for studying crystallization of hard sphere like particles in two dimensions is presented. The method involves trapping the particles at the interface between two immiscible liquids. Particles at the interface undergo 2D Brownian motion, and at sufficiently high densities crystallization is observed. The pseudo hard sphere nature of the particle interactions under these conditions is maintained, as demonstrated by the area density at which crystallization occurs. In contrast to established techniques for studying crystallization in pseudo 2D hard spheres, the particles trapped at the interface undergo no vertical motion, so the system is in principle closer to a true 2D system. The method is therefore amenable to the study of the effects of polydispersity on crystallization behaviour. The advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed.     

Phase equilibria in polymer–liquid–liquid systems

The phase equilibria in polymer–liquid 1–liquid 2 ternary systems have been calculated on the basis of the Flory-Huggins theory of polymer solutions. A new approximation method based on the “cluster” concept has been introduced for mixed solvents comprising a solvent and a nonsolvent. This concept has been verified with polystyrene–solvent–methanol systems.     

Energy‐level alignment at metal–organic and organic–organic interfaces

This article reports on the electronic structure at interfaces found in organic semiconductor devices. The studied organic materials are C₆₀ and poly (para‐phenylenevinylene) (PPV)‐like oligomers, and the metals are polycrystalline Au and Ag. To measure the energy levels at these interfaces, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy has been used. It is shown how the energy levels at interfaces deviate from the bulk. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the vacuum levels do not align at the studied interfaces. The misalignment is caused by an electric field at the interface. Several effects are presented that influence the energy alignment at interfaces, such as screening effects, dipole layer formation, charge transfer, and chemical interaction. The combination of interfaces investigated here is similar to interfaces found in polymer light‐emitting diodes and organic bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices. The result, the misalignment of the vacuum levels, is expected to influence charge‐transfer processes across these interfaces, possibly affecting the electrical characteristics of organic semiconductor devices that contain similar interfaces. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2549–2560, 2003     

Ab initio study of hydrogen bonding in the phenol–water system

Three hydrogen-bonded minima on the phenol-water, C₆H₅OH—H₂O, potential energy surface were located with 3–21G and 6–31G** basis sets at both Hartree–Fock and MP2 levels of theory. MP2 binding energies were computed using large “correlation consistent” basis sets that included extra diffuse functions on all atoms. An estimate of the effect of expanding the basis set to the triple-zeta level (multiple f functions on carbon and oxygen and multiple d functions on hydrogen) was derived from calculations on a related prototype system. The best estimates of the electronic binding energies for the three minima are –7.8, –5.0, and –2.0 kcal/mol. The consequences of uncertainties in the geometries and limitations in the level of correlation recovery are analyzed. It is suggested that our best estimates will likely underestimate the complete basis set, full CI values by 0.1–0.3 kcal/mol. Vibrational normal modes were determined for all three minima, including an MP2/6–31G** analysis for the most strongly bound complex. Computational strategies for larger phenol–water complexes are discussed. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide at water-ceramic oxide interfaces

The thermal decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, H(2)O(2), was determined in aqueous suspensions of SiO(2), Al(2)O(3), TiO(2), CeO(2), and ZrO(2) nanometer-sized particles. First-order kinetics were observed for the decomposition in all cases. Temperature dependence studies found that the activation energy was 42 +/- 5 kJ/mol for the overall decomposition of H(2)O(2) independent of the type of oxide. Oxide type had a strong effect on the pre-exponential rate term with increasing rate in the order of SiO(2) < Al(2)O(3) < TiO(2) < CeO(2) < ZrO(2). The rate coefficient for H(2)O(2) decomposition increases with increasing surface area of the oxide, but the number or efficiency of reactive sites rather than the total surface area may have the dominant role. Very efficient scavengers for OH radicals in the bulk liquid are not able to prevent formation of molecular oxygen, the main H(2)O(2) gaseous decay product, suggesting that decomposition occurs on the oxide surfaces. The decomposition of H(2)O(2) in the gamma-radiolysis of water is enhanced by the addition of ceramic oxides, possibly due to excess formation of hydrated electrons from energy deposited in the solid.     

Binding at molecule/gold transport interfaces. V. Comparison of different metals and molecular bridges

The geometric and electronic structural properties of symmetric and asymmetric metal cluster-molecule-cluster' complexes have been explored. The metals include Au, Ag, Pd, and Al, and both benzenedithiol and the three isometric forms of dicyanobenzene are included as bridging molecules. Calculated properties such as cluster-molecule interface geometry, electronic state, degree of metal --> molecule charge transfer, metal-molecule mixing in the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) energy region, the HOMO-LUMO gap, cluster --> cluster' charge transfer as a function of external field strength and direction, and the form of the potential profile across such complexes have been examined. Attempts are made to correlate charge transport with the characteristics of the cluster-complex systems. Indications of rectification in complexes that are asymmetric in the molecule, clusters, and molecule-cluster interfaces are discussed. The results obtained here are only suggestive because of the limitations of the cluster-complex model as it relates to charge transport.     

LCST‐type liquid–liquid and liquid–solid phase transition behaviors of hyperbranched polyglycerol bearing imidazolium salt

A hyperbranched polyglycerol bearing imidazolium tosylate units ( ITHB ) was synthesized through the imidazolium salt‐modification of hyperbranched polyglycerol ( HB ). ITHB was found to possess novel reversible lower critical solution temperature (LCST)‐type liquid–liquid and liquid–solid phase transition behaviors in a methanol/chloroform mixed solution. The phase transition temperatures of the liquid–liquid phase transition (PTT_1to2) and liquid–solid phase transition (PTT_2toSus) increased with increasing the ratio of methanol in the mixed solution and decreasing the concentration of ITHB . Additionally, increasing the molecular weight of ITHB decreased the PTT values. The liquid–liquid phase transition was caused by the aggregation of ITHB , which was proved by dynamic light scattering measurement. In contrast, the liquid–solid phase transition was caused by the solvation cleavage between the imidazolium rings and solvents, which was proved by ¹H NMR measurement. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2009     

Electron lifetimes in image-potential states at metal–dielectric interfaces

We present an overview of experimental and theoretical studies of image states dynamics at metal–dielectric interfaces. The interaction of an image-state electron with a metal substrate is largely altered by the presence of a dielectric adlayer. The electron affinity of the adsorbate determines, to a great extent, the evolution of image states upon adsorption. A large variety of adsorbates and surfaces have been studied, from both experimental and theoretical points of view. On the theoretical side, penetration approaches are not able to include all the physics involved in decay processes. A more realistic many-body calculation, which takes into account all the fundamental factors determining the lifetime, has been recently performed, and a fairly good agreement with experiments has been obtained.     

Construction of halogen and hydrogen bond‐based multicomponent nanostructures at liquid‐solid interface

The cooperative effect of hydrogen and halogen bonds on the 2‐dimensional molecular arrangement of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. The scanning tunneling microscopy observations demonstrate that the self‐assembled hydrogen‐bonded molecular chicken‐wire networks of trimesic acid have been significantly transformed after annealing and the introduction of tribromobenzene guest molecules. Bromine atoms and carboxyl groups were found to form 2 different multicomponent structures via hydrogen and halogen bonds. Owing to the effect of halogen and hydrogen bonds, tribromobenzene with trimesic acid formed the 3‐fold symmetry networks.