Li2MnSnSe4: A New Quaternary Diamond‐Like Semiconductor with Nonlinear Optical Response and Antiferromagnetic Property

A new selenide with a diamond‐like structure, Li₂MnSnSe₄, was synthesized for the first time by using a conventional high‐temperature solid‐state reaction method. Li₂MnSnSe₄ crystallizes in the space group Pmn 2₁ (no. 31) of the orthorhombic system. Its three‐dimensional framework is constructed by corner‐sharing LiSe₄, MnSe₄, and SnSe₄ tetrahedra. The title compound has been discovered to have both type I phase‐matchable behavior and to exhibit moderate powder second‐harmonic generation intensity, about 0.5 times that of commercial AgGaS₂ in the particle size of 200–250 μm at a laser radiation of 2.09 μm. In addition, Li₂MnSnSe₄ exhibits congruent melting behavior, which makes the bulk single‐crystal growth by the Bridgman–Stockbarger method possible. The temperature‐dependent susceptibility measurement indicates an antiferromagnetic interaction with a Néel temperature (T _N) of 8.6 K for this compound.     

A supramolecular ladder‐like network from trimesic acid and pyrazine N,N′‐dioxide

In the title complex, benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxylic acid–pyrazine N,N′‐dioxide (2/1), C₉H₆O₆·0.5C₄H₄N₂O₂, cocrystallized trimesic acid (TMA) and pyrazine N,N′‐dioxide (PNO) molecules form strong O—H...O hydrogen bonds, but also important weak C—H...O and dipole–dipole intermolecular interactions, to generate a densely packed three‐dimensional network. PNO molecules lie on inversion centres where they connect pairs of TMA sheets into distinct two‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded layers perpendicular to the crystallographic ab diagonal.     

Simultaneous determination of homocysteine,methionine and cysteine in maternal plasma after delivery by HPLC‐fluorescence detection with DBD‐F as a label

An HPLC‐fluorescence (FL) method for determination of sulfur‐containing amino acids such as homocysteine (Hcy), methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys) in human plasma was developed. The sulfur‐containing amino acids were labeled with 4‐(N,N‐dimethylaminosulfonyl)‐7‐fluoro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole (DBD‐F). Calibration curves in the range of 1–100 µm (Hcy and Met) and 5–500 µm (Cys) indicated good linearities (r ≥ 0.998). The limits of detection at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3 were 0.13 (Hcy), 0.02 (Met) and 0.11 µm (Cys), respectively. Acceptable results for accuracy and precision of intra‐ and inter‐day measurements were obtained. The results of Hcy and Cys obtained by the proposed method indicated good correlations with the conventional method (r > 0.911, n = 20). Furthermore, the method was applied to determination of the sulfur‐containing amino acids in maternal plasma (n = 200) after delivery. The concentrations of Hcy, Met and Cys as a median (inter quartile range, Q₁ and Q₃) were 5.37 (3.32–7.79) μm , 25.20 (20.10–31.06) μm and 147.25 (102.81–189.31) μm , respectively. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Structure of Novel 4‐Arylamino‐2‐phenyl‐6‐substituted‐quinazoline

A series of quinazoline derivatives were synthesized via the cyclization of N, N′–disubstituted thiourea derivatives in the mixed solvent of acetontrile and aqueous NaOH by ultraviolet light irradiation. All the compounds are characterized by IR, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR, MS, and element analysis. The absolute configurations of 3a was determined by X‐ray crystallography.     

A novel three‐dimensional copper(I) cyanide coordination polymer constructed from various bridging ligands: synthesis,crystal structure and characterization

The cyanide ligand can act as a strong σ‐donor and an effective π‐electron acceptor that exhibits versatile bridging abilities, such as terminal, μ₂‐C:N, μ₃‐C:C:N and μ₄‐C:C:N:N modes. These ligands play a key role in the formation of various copper(I) cyanide systems, including one‐dimensional (1D) chains, two‐dimensional (2D) layers and three‐dimensional (3D) frameworks. According to the literature, numerous coordination polymers based on terminal, μ₂‐C:N and μ₃‐C,C,N bridging modes have been documented so far. However, systems based on the μ₄‐C:C:N:N bridging mode are relatively rare. In this work, a novel cyanide‐bridged 3D Cu^I coordination framework, namely poly[(μ₂‐2,2′‐biimidazole‐κ²N³:N^3′)(μ₄‐cyanido‐κ⁴C:C:N:N)(μ₂‐cyanido‐κ²C:N)dicopper(I)], [Cu₂(CN)₂(C₆H₆N₄)]_n, (I), was synthesized hydrothermally by reaction of environmentally friendly K₃[Fe(CN)₆], CuCl₂·2H₂O and 2,2′‐biimidazole (H₂biim). It should be noted that cyanide ligands may act as reducing agents to reduce Cu^II to Cu^I under hydrothermal conditions. Compound (I) contains diverse types of bridging ligands, such as μ₄‐C:C:N:N‐cyanide, μ₂‐C:N‐cyanide and μ₂‐biimidazole. Interestingly, the [Cu₂] dimers are bridged by rare μ₄‐C:C:N:N‐mode cyanide ligands giving rise to the first example of a 1D dimeric {[Cu₂(μ₄‐C:C:N:N)]ⁿ⁺}_n infinite chain. Furthermore, adjacent dimer‐based chains are linked by μ₂‐C:N bridging cyanide ligands, generating a neutral 2D wave‐like (4,4) layer structure. Finally, the 2D layers are joined together via bidentate bridging H₂biim to create a 3D cuprous cyanide network. This arrangement leads to a systematic variation in dimensionality from 1D chain→2D sheet→3D framework by different types of bridging ligands. Compound (I) was further characterized by thermal analysis, solid‐state UV–Vis diffuse‐reflectance and photoluminescence studies. The solid‐state UV–Vis diffuse‐reflectance spectra show that compound (I) is a wide‐gap semiconductor with band gaps of 3.18 eV. The photoluminescence study shows a strong blue–green photoluminescence at room temperature, which may be associated with metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer.     

Charge transport and contact resistance in coplanar devices based on colloidal polyaniline dispersion

The charge transport properties of thin films prepared from colloidal dispersion of polyaniline stabilized by poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) (PANI/PVP) have been investigated. The electrical characterization of coplanar device comprising of gold electrodes and PANI/PVP film deposited by spin coating served to gain insights into the contact and bulk resistance. The films prepared from PANI/PVP colloidal dispersion show high stability over a large temperature range. Temperature dependent measurements in the range from 90 to 350 K reveal that the charge transport can be described by a three‐dimensional variable‐range hopping mechanism as the dominant mode in the films. The stability of the films cast from dispersion within a large temperature range opens the possibility of the application as a polymer semiconductor layer in sensors and charge‐transport interlayer in organic solar cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1710–1716     

Antimicrobial anilinium polymers: The properties of poly(N,N‐dimethylaminophenylene methacrylamide) in solution and as coatings

Antimicrobial polymers have been widely reported to exert strong biocidal effects against bacteria. In contrast with antimicrobial polymers with aliphatic ammonium groups, polymers with anilinium groups have been rarely studied and applied as biocidal materials. In this study, a representative polymer with aniline side functional groups, poly(N,N‐dimethylaminophenylene methacrylamide) (PDMAPMA), was explored as a novel antimicrobial polymer. PDMAPMA was synthesized and its physicochemical properties evaluated. The methyl iodide‐quaternized polymer was tested against the Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 16–32 and 64–128 μg mL^?1, respectively. Against the Gram‐negative Escherichia coli, the MIC and MBC were both 64–128 μg mL^?1. To broaden the range of applications, PDMAPMA was coated on substrates via crosslinking to endow the surface with contact‐kill functionality. The effect of charge density of the coatings on the antimicrobial behavior was then investigated, and stronger biocidal performance was observed for films with higher charge density. This study of the biocidal behavior of PDMAPMA both in solution and as coatings is expected to broaden the application of polymers containing aniline side groups and provide more information on the antimicrobial behavior of such materials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1908–1921     

An optically resolved crystal of thiomalate: (S)‐1‐phenylethanaminium (R)‐thiomalate

The asymmetric unit of the optically resolved title salt, C₈H₁₂N⁺·C₄H₅O₄S⁻, contains a 1‐phenylethanaminium monocation and a thiomalate (3‐carboxy‐2‐sulfanylpropanoate) monoanion. The absolute configurations of the cation and the anion are determined to be S and R, respectively. In the crystal, cation–anion N—H...O hydrogen bonds, together with anion–anion O—H...O and S—H...O hydrogen bonds, construct a two‐dimensional supramolecular sheet parallel to the ab plane. The two‐dimensional sheet is linked with the upper and lower sheets through C—H...π interactions to stack along the c axis.     

Iron(III) Catecholates for Cellular Imaging and Photocytotoxicity in Red Light

Iron(III) complexes [Fe( L )( L′ )(NO₃)]—in which L is phenyl‐N,N‐bis[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]methanamine ( 1 ), (anthracen‐9‐yl)‐N,N‐bis[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]methanamine ( 2 ), (pyreny‐1‐yl)‐N,N‐bis[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]methanamine ( 3 – 5 ), and L′ is catecholate ( 1 – 3 ), 4‐tert‐butyl catecholate ( 4 ), and 4‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐benzene‐1,2‐diolate ( 5 )—were synthesized and their photocytotoxic properties examined. The five electron‐paramagnetic complexes displayed a Fe^III/Fe^II redox couple near ?0.4 V versus a saturated calomel electrode (SCE) in DMF/0.1 m tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP). They showed unprecedented photocytotoxicity in red light (600–720 nm) to give IC₅₀≈15 μM in various cell lines by means of apoptosis to generate reactive oxygen species. They were ingested in the nucleus of HeLa and HaCaT cells in 4 h, thereby interacting favorably with calf thymus (ct)‐DNA and photocleaving pUC19 DNA in red light of 785 nm to form hydroxyl radicals.     

The Electrochemically Initiated Reaction of Sulfide with N,N‐Diethyl‐p‐phenylenediamine in Dimethylformamide. Part II: Implications for Sensing Strategies

The electrochemically initiated reaction of p‐phenylenediamines with sulfide in aqueous media is well documented. We now report the adaptation of this chemistry into nonaqueous media. This is critically appraised as a means of detecting sulfide. The electrochemically initiated reaction of N,N‐diethyl‐p‐phenylenediamine with sulfide is shown at both macro‐ and platinum microdisk electrodes with quantitative detection of sulfide produced by means of the enhanced currents observed upon its addition. The linear detection range for sulfide is dependent on the concentration of N,N‐diethyl‐p‐phenylenediamine present with a linear range from 28–3290 μM and a limit of detection of 22 μM achievable. This represents a large increase compared to that found previously in aqueous media and offers the prospect of more ready applications in high temperature systems.     

Formation of a one‐dimensional water chain containing two linking patterns of planar water tetramers

The self‐assembly of the title dinuclear complex, namely (μ‐p‐phenylenediamine‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetato)bis[aqua(1,10‐phenanthroline)nickel(II)] dodecahydrate, [Ni₂(C₁₄H₁₂N₂O₈)(C₁₂H₈N₂)₂(H₂O)₂]·12H₂O, through intricate noncovalent interactions results in a two‐dimensional sheet‐like structure. The dimer lies about an inversion centre at the centre of the p‐phenylenediamine ring. Uncoordinated water molecules form one‐dimensional chains in which cyclic water tetramers act as two types of building blocks. The water molecules play a significant role in the stabilization of the three‐dimensional supramolecular framework. Intramolecular `aryl–metal chelate ring' π–π interactions are also observed.     

Preparation and evaluation of 3 m open tubular capillary columns with a zwitterionic polymeric porous layer for liquid chromatography

A 3 m zwitterionic polymeric porous layer open tubular column (3 m × 25 μm id × 375 μm od) with a polymeric porous layer thickness of 4 μm was fabricated by the copolymerization of [2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] dimethyl‐(3‐sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide and N,N’‐methylenebis(acrylamide). The effects of the diameter of the capillary, reaction temperature, and polymerization time on the preparation of the open tubular column were investigated. Characterized by scanning electron microscopy, the zwitterionic layer was observed to be rough and throughout the fused‐silica capillary homogenously, which increased the phase ratio. The separation of neutral, basic, and acidic compounds demonstrates the strong hydrophilicity of the poly[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] dimethyl‐(3‐sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide coating. In addition, the poly[2‐(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] dimethyl‐(3‐sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide porous layer open tubular column was applied for the analysis of flavonoids from the rootstalk of licorice, revealing the potential in separating complex samples. The relative standard deviation of retention time for run‐to‐run (n = 5), day‐to‐day (n = 3), and column‐to‐column (n = 3) of toluene, N,N‐dimethylformamide, formamide, and thiourea were below 1.2%, exhibiting good repeatability.     

An azide‐bridged copper(II) complex: poly[piperazine‐1,4‐dium [tetra‐μ3‐azido‐κ12N1:N1:N1‐hexa‐μ2‐azido‐κ12N1:N1‐di‐μ2‐azido‐κ4N1:N3‐pentacopper(II)] tetrahydrate]

A new Cu^II–azide complex, {(C₄H₁₂N₂)[Cu₅(N₃)₁₂]·4H₂O}_n, has been synthesized by the reaction of piperazine, Cu(OAc)₂·2H₂O (OAc is acetate) and NaN₃. In the structure, μ₂‐1,1‐ and μ₃‐1,1,1‐azide anions bridge five Cu^II cations to form a linear pentanuclear cluster unit, which is further linked by μ₂‐1,1‐ and μ₂‐1,3‐azide anions to form a two‐dimensional condensed [Cu₅(N₃)₁₂]_n layer. The diprotonated piperazine and the solvent water molecules are hydrogen bonded to the coordination layers to form a three‐dimensional supramolecular network.     

Critical properties of thin films of polymer solutions

The critical properties of polymer solutions confined in thin‐film environments is studied with simple scaling arguments and a molecular theory. For purely repulsive surfaces, the critical volume fraction is a universal function of x = N^1/2/L, where N is the chain length and L is the film thickness. The critical volume fraction is nonmonotonic in x and shows a deep minimum at a film thickness several times larger than the chain's radius of gyration. This nonmonotonic behavior results from the interplay between the surface–polymer entropic repulsion and the tendency of the film to avoid large density gradients. The critical temperature is a monotonically increasing function of L, as L goes from the two‐dimensional limit to the three‐dimensional limit. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1849–1853, 2005     

Total Synthesis,Absolute Configuration,and Biological Activity of Xyloallenoide A

The novel natural product xyloallenoide A, isolated from the marine mangrove endophytic fungus from the South China Sea, and its diastereoisomer xyloallenoide A1, which contain N‐methyl‐substituted amino acids, were synthesized. The absolute configurations of the amino acid units of xyloallenoide A were finally confirmed to be L ‐Lys, Me‐D ‐Val, and Me‐L ‐Ala. This report represents a practical and attractive alternative for the synthesis of N‐methyl‐substituted cyclotripeptides. In the preliminary bioassay, synthetic xyloallenoide A showed marginal activities against KB (IC₅₀=9.6 μM ) and KBv200 cells (IC₅₀=10.3 μM ), and xyloallenoide A1 was inactive against KB and KBv200 cells.     

Synthesis,characterization, and electroluminescence of PPV copolymers containing electron and hole‐transporting units

Three series of poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) derivatives containing hole‐transporting triphenylamine derivatives [N‐(4‐octoxylphenyl)diphenylamine, N,N′‐di(4‐octyloxylphenyl)‐N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine, and N,N′‐di(4‐octoxylphenyl)‐N,N′‐diphenylbenzidine] (donor) and electron‐transporting oxadiazole unit (2,5‐diphenyl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole) (acceptor) in the main chain were synthesized by improved Wittig copolymerization. The resulting donor–acceptor (D‐A) polymers are readily soluble in common organic solvents, such as chloroform, dichloroethane, THF, and toluene. The polymers containing oxadiazole group exhibit good thermal stability with 5% weight loss above 400 °C. The intramolecular charge‐transfer was observed in these D‐A polymers. In comparison with corresponding polymers without oxadiazole unit, the single‐layer devices based on the D‐A polymers showed much improved electroluminescent properties, because of the balanced charge injection and transport. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1566–1576, 2008     

Simultaneous determination of NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine,NG,NG‐dimethyl‐l‐arginine,NG,NG′‐dimethyl‐l‐arginine,and l‐arginine using monolithic silica disk‐packed spin columns and a monolithic silica column

We have developed and validated a high‐performance liquid chromatography method that uses monolithic silica disk‐packed spin columns and a monolithic silica column for the simultaneous determination of N^G‐monomethyl‐l ‐arginine, N^G,N^G‐dimethyl‐l ‐arginine, and N^G,N^G′‐dimethyl‐l ‐arginine in human plasma. For solid‐phase extraction, our method employs a centrifugal spin column packed with monolithic silica bonded to propyl benzenesulfonic acid as a cation exchanger. After pretreatment, the methylated arginines are converted to fluorescent derivatives with 4‐fluoro‐7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole, and then the derivatives are separated on a monolithic silica column. l ‐Arginine concentration was also determined in diluted samples. Standard calibration curves revealed that the assay was linear in the concentration range 0.2–1.0 μM for methylated arginines and 40–200 μM for l ‐arginine. Linear regression of the calibration curve yielded equations with correlation coefficients of 0.999 (r²). The sensitivity was satisfactory, with a limit of detection ranging from 3.75 to 9.0 fmol for all four compounds. The RSDs were 4.3–4.8% (intraday) and 3.0–6.8% (interday). When this method was applied to samples from six healthy donors, the detected concentrations of N^G‐monomethyl‐l ‐arginine, N^G,N^G‐dimethyl‐l ‐arginine, N^G,N^G′‐dimethyl‐l ‐arginine and l ‐arginine were 0.05 ± 0.01, 0.41 ± 0.07, 0.59 ± 0.11, and 83.8 ± 30.43 μM (n = 6), respectively.     

Photosensitive Polyarylates Based on Reaction Development Patterning

Films of a commercially available polyarylate (U polymer®) containing a photosensitive agent were prepared by means of spin‐coating onto copper foil, which showed positive‐tone behavior after UV irradiation and development with an ethanolamine/N‐methylpyrrolidone/H₂O mixture. Scanning electron microscope photographs of the images exhibited fine patterns (≈10 μm line/space resolution) with 9–14 μm film thickness. The pattern‐forming mechanism is based on the reaction development patterning (RDP) process, where the main pattern‐forming reaction occurs during development.     

Three‐dimensional structural analysis of a block copolymer by scanning electron microscopy combined with a focused ion beam

A three‐dimensional (3D) lamellar structure of a poly(styrene‐block‐isoprene) block copolymer was observed at submicrometer and micrometer levels by scanning electron microscopy combined with a focused ion beam (FIB–SEM). The 3D lamellar structure with an exceptionally large periodicity, about 0.1 μm, was successfully reconstructed, and the size of the reconstructed image by FIB–SEM was 6.0 × 6.0 × 4.0 μm³, which was greater than the transmission electron microtomography data, 3.8 × 3.9 × 0.24 μm³, by a factor of about 40. This result indicates that 3D reconstruction using FIB–SEM is quite useful for direct 3D observations, especially analyses of polymeric materials at the submicrometer and micrometer levels. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 677–683, 2007     

Nanostructures from Self‐Assembling Triazine Tertiary Amine N‐Oxide Amphiphiles

A new set of amphiphilic tertiary amine N‐oxides has been prepared and their self‐assembly properties observed in aqueous solution by tensiometry, dynamic and static light scattering. X‐ray crystallographic analysis of parent amines and sulfoxide congeners indicates the formation of hydrogen‐bonded dimers as the primary assembly unit for formation of vesicles in preference to the compact micelles typical of lauryl dimethylamine N‐oxide (LDAO). 6‐Benzyloxy‐N,N′‐bis(5‐diethylaminopentylamine oxide)[1,3,5]triazine‐2,4‐diamine forms a 1 μm vesicle observed to entrap fluorescein. The [1,3,5]triazine core thus allows variation of the new self‐assembled structures from nano‐ to micrometre length scales.