Theoretical interpretation of the kinetics and mechanisms of the HNO + HNO and HNO + 2NO reactions with a unified model

Previously measured decay rates of HNO in the presence of NO have been kinetically modeled on the basis of thermochemical data calculated with the BAC-MP4 technique. The results of this modeling, aided by TST-RRKM calculations for the association of HNO and the isomerization, decomposition, and stabilization of the many dimers of HNO, reveal that the decay of HNO under NO-lean conditions occurs primarily by association forming cis- and trans-(HNO)₂ at temperatures below 420 K. N₂O, which is a relatively minor product, is believed to be formed by H₂O elimination from cis-HON ? NOH, a product of succesive isomerization reactions: trans-(HNO)₂^? → HN(OH)NO^? → HN(O)NOH^? → cis-HON NOH^?. The calculated rate constants, which fit experimental data quantitatively, can be represented by k = 10^16.2 × T^?2.40e^?590/T cm³/mol sec for the HNO recombination reaction and k = 10^?2.44T^3.98e^?600/T cm³/mol sec for N₂O formation in the temperature range 80–420 K, at a total pressure of 710 torr H₂ or He. Under NO-rich conditions, HNO reacts predominantly by the exothermic termolecular reaction, HNO + 2NO → HN(NO)ONO → HN NO + NO₂, with a rate contant of (6 ± 1) × 10⁹ cm⁶/mol² sec at room temperature, based on both HNO decay and NO₂ production. All existing thermal kinetic data on HNO + HNO and HNO + 2NO processes can be satisfactorily rationalized with a unified model based on the thermochemical data obtained by BAC-MP4 calculations.     

Kinetics and mechanisms for reactions of HNO with CH3 and C6H5 studied by quantum‐chemical and statistical‐theory calculations

Kinetics and mechanisms for the reactions of HNO with CH₃ and C₆H₅ have been investigated by ab initio molecular orbital (MO) and transition‐state theory (TST) and/or Rice‐Ramsperger‐Kassel‐Marcus/Master Equation (RRKM/ME) calculations. The G2M(RCC, MP2)//B3LYP/6‐31G(d) method was employed to evaluate the energetics for construction of their potential energy surfaces and prediction of reaction rate constants. The reactions R + HNO (R = CH₃ and C₆H₅) were found to proceed by two key product channels giving (1) RH + NO and (2) RNO + H, primarily by direct abstraction and indirect association/decomposition mechanisms, respectively. As both reactions initially occur barrierlessly, their rate constants were evaluated with a canonical variational approach in our TST and RRKM/ME calculations. For practical applications, the rate constants evaluated for the atmospheric‐pressure condition are represented by modified Arrhenius equations in units of cm³ mol^?1 s^?1 for the temperature range 298–2500 K: κ_1A = 1.47 × 10¹¹ T ^0.76 exp[?175/ T ], κ_2A = 8.06 × 10³ T ^2.40 exp[?3100/ T ], κ_1B = 3.78 × 10⁵ T ^2.28 exp[230/ T ], and κ_2B = 3.79 × 10⁹ T ^1.19 exp[?4800/ T ], where A and B represent CH₃ and C₆H₅ reactions, respectively. Based on the predicted rate constant at 1 atm pressure for R + HNO → RNO + H, we estimated their reverse rate constants for R + HNO production from H + RNO in units of cm³ mol^?1 s^?1: κ_?2A′ = 7.01 × 10¹⁰ T ^0.84 exp[120/ T ] and κ_?2B′ = 2.22 × 10¹⁹ T ^?1.01 exp[?9700/ T ]. The heats of formation at 0 K for CH₃NO, CH₃N(H)O, CH₃NOH, C₆H₅N(H)O, and C₆H₅NOH have been estimated to be 18.6, 18.1, 22.5, 47.2, and 50.7 kcal mol^?1 with an estimated ±1 kcal mol^?1 error. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 261–274, 2005     

Photovoltaic Characteristics of a Naphthylamine Derivative

Organic photovoltaic （OPV） cells were fabricated via vacuum vapor deposition with {4-[2-（3-di-cyanomethylidene-5,5-dimethylcyclohexenyl）vinyl]phenyl}di（1-naphthyl）amine （DNP-2CN） as the electron donor, and fullerene （C60） as the electron acceptor. A thin film （10 nm） of tris（8-quinolinolato）aluminum （Alq3） was adopted as the buffer layer. A device based on this DNP-2CN exhibited an open circuit voltage （Voc） of 370 mV, a short-circuit current density （Jsc） of 0.61 mAocm 2, and a white-light power conversion efficiency （ η） of 0.09% （AM1.5, 75 mW.cm^- 2）.     

Reactions of Hydrated Singly Charged First‐Row Transition‐Metal Ions M+(H2O)n (M=V,Cr, Mn,Fe, Co,Ni, Cu,and Zn) toward Nitric Oxide in the Gas Phase

Reactions of M⁺(H₂O)_n (M=V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn; n≤40) with NO were studied by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT‐ICR) mass spectrometry. Uptake of NO was observed for M=Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn. The number of NO molecules taken up depends on the metal ion. For iron and zinc, NO uptake is followed by elimination of HNO and formation of the hydrated metal hydroxide, with strong size dependence. For manganese, only small HMnOH⁺(H₂O)_n?1 species, which are formed under the influence of room‐temperature black‐body radiation, react with NO. Here NO uptake competes with HNO formation, both being primary reactions. The results illustrate that, in the presence of water, transition‐metal ions are able to undergo quite particular and diverse reactions with NO. HNO is presumably formed through recombination of a proton and ³NO^? for M=Fe, Zn, preferentially for n=15–20. For manganese, the hydride in HMnOH⁺(H₂O)_n?1 is involved in HNO formation, preferentially for n≤4. The strong size dependence of the HNO formation efficiency illustrates that each molecule counts in the reactions of small ionic water clusters.     

Ab initio chemical kinetics for the NH2 + HNOx Reactions,Part I: Kinetics and Mechanism for NH2 + HNO

The kinetics and mechanism for the reaction of NH₂ with HNO have been investigated by ab initio calculations with rate constant prediction. The potential energy surface of this reaction has been computed by single‐point calculations at the CCSD(T)/6‐311+G(3df, 2p) level based on geometries optimized at the CCSD/6‐311++G(d, p) level. The major products of this reaction were found to be NH₃ + NO formed by H‐abstraction via a long‐lived H₂N???HNO complex and the H₂NN(H)O radical intermediate formed by association with 26.9 kcal/mol binding energy. The rate constants for formation of primary products in the temperature range of 300–3000 K were predicted by variational transition state or RRKM theories. The predicted total rate constants at the 760 Torr Ar pressure can be represented by k_total = 3.83 × 10^?20 × T^+2.47exp(1450/T) at T = 300–600 K; 2.58 × 10^?22 × T^+3.15 exp(1831/T) cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 at T = 600?3000 K. The branching ratios of major channels at 760 Torr Ar pressure are predicted: k₁ + k₃ + k₄ producing NH₃ + NO accounts for 0.59–0.90 at T = 300–3000 K peaking around 1000 K, k₂ accounts for 0.41–0.03 at T = 300–600 K decreasing with temperature, and k₅ accounts for 0.07–0.27 at T > 600 K increasing gradually with temperature. The NH₃ + NO formation rate constant was found to be a factor of 3–10 smaller than that of the isoelectronic reaction CH₃ + HNO producing CH₄ + NO, which has been shown to take place by barrierless H‐abstraction without involving a hydrogen‐bonding complex as in the NH₂ case. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 677–677, 2009     

Study of the HNO + HNO and HNO + NO reactions by intracavity laser spectroscopy

Flash photolysis of CH₃CHO and H₂CO in the presence of NO has been investigated by the intracavity laser spectroscopy technique. The decay of HNO formed by the reaction HCO + NO → HNO + CO was studied at NO pressures of 6.8–380 torr. At low NO pressure HNO was found to decay by the reaction HNO + HNO → N₂O + H₂O. The rate constant of this reaction was determined to be k₁ = (1.5 ± 0.8) × 10^?15 cm³/s. At high NO pressure the reaction HNO + NO → products was more important, and its rate constant was measured to be k₂ = (5 ± 1.5) × 10^?19 cm³/s. NO₂ was detected as one of the products of this reaction. Alternative mechanisms for this reaction are discussed.     

Energy Transfer in Aminonaphthalimide‐Boron‐Dipyrromethene (BODIPY) Dyads upon One‐ and Two‐Photon Excitation: Applications for Cellular Imaging

Aminonaphthalimide–BODIPY energy transfer cassettes were found to show very fast (k_EET≈10¹⁰–10¹¹ s^?1) and efficient BODIPY fluorescence sensitization. This was observed upon one‐ and two‐photon excitation, which extends the application range of the investigated bichromophoric dyads in terms of accessible excitation wavelengths. In comparison with the direct excitation of the BODIPY chromophore, the two‐photon absorption cross‐section δ of the dyads is significantly incremented by the presence of the aminonaphthalimide donor [δ≈10 GM for the BODIPY versus 19–26 GM in the dyad at λ_exc=840 nm; 1 GM (Goeppert–Mayer unit)=10^?50 cm⁴ s molecule^?1 photon^?1]. The electronic decoupling of the donor and acceptor, which is a precondition for the energy transfer cassette concept, was demonstrated by time‐dependent density functional theory calculations. The applicability of the new probes in the one‐ and two‐photon excitation mode was demonstrated in a proof‐of‐principle approach in the fluorescence imaging of HeLa cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the merging of multiphoton excitation with the energy transfer cassette concept for a BODIPY‐containing dyad.     

A Three‐Photon Active Organic Fluorophore for Deep Tissue Ratiometric Imaging of Intracellular Divalent Zinc

Deep tissue bioimaging with three‐photon (3P) excitation using near‐infrared (NIR) light in the second IR window (1.0–1.4 μm) could provide high resolution images with an improved signal‐to‐noise ratio. Herein, we report a photostable and nontoxic 3P excitable donor‐π‐acceptor system (GMP) having 3P cross‐section (σ₃) of 1.78×10^?80 cm⁶ s² photon^?2 and action cross‐section (σ₃η₃) of 2.31×10^?81 cm⁶ s² photon^?2, which provides ratiometric fluorescence response with divalent zinc ions in aqueous conditions. The probe signals the Zn²⁺ binding at 530 and 600 nm, respectively, upon 1150 nm excitation with enhanced σ₃ of 1.85×10^?80 cm⁶ s² photon^?2 and σ₃η₃ of 3.33×10^?81 cm⁶ s² photon^?2. The application of this probe is demonstrated for ratiometric 3P imaging of Zn²⁺ in vitro using HuH‐7 cell lines. Furthermore, the Zn²⁺ concentration in rat hippocampal slices was imaged at 1150 nm excitation after incubation with GMP, illustrating its potential as a 3P ratiometric probe for deep tissue Zn²⁺ ion imaging.     

Synthesis and properties of new dialkoxyphenylene quinoxaline‐based donor‐acceptor conjugated polymers and their applications on thin film transistors and solar cells

Synthesis, properties, and optoelectronic device applications of four new bis‐[4‐(2‐ethyl‐hexyloxy)‐phenyl]quinoxaline( Qx(EHP) )‐based donor‐acceptor conjugated copolymers are reported, in which the donors are thiophene( T ), dithiophene( DT ), dioctylfluorene( FO ), and didecyloxyphenylene( OC10 ). The optical band gaps (E_g) of PThQx(EHP) , PDTQ(EHP) , POC10DTQ(EHP) , and PFODTQ(EHP) estimated from the onset absorption are 1.57, 1.65, 1.77, and 1.92 eV, respectively. The smallest E_g of PThQx(EHP) among the four copolymers is attributed to the balanced donor/acceptor ratio and backbone coplanarity, leading to a strong intramolecular charge transfer. The hole mobilities obtained from the thin film transistor (TFT) devices of PThQx(EHP) , PDTQ(EHP) , POC10DTQ(EHP) , and PFODTQ(EHP) are 2.52 × 10^?4, 4.50 × 10^?3, 4.72 × 10^?5, and 9.31 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1 s^?1, respectively, with the on‐off ratios of 2.00 × 10⁴, 1.89 × 10³, 4.07 × 10³, and 2.30 × 10⁴. Polymer solar cell based on the polymer blends of PFODTQ(EHP) , PThQx(EHP) , POC10DTQ(EHP) , and PDTQ(EHP) with [6, 6]‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) under illumination of AM1.5 (100 mW cm^?2) solar simulator exhibit power conversion efficiencies of 1.75, 0.92, 0.79, and 0.43%, respectively. The donor/acceptor strength, molecular weight, miscibility, and energy level lead to the difference on the TFT or solar cell characteristics. The present study suggests that the prepared bis[4‐(2‐ethyl‐hexyloxy)‐phenyl]quinoxaline donor‐acceptor conjugated copolymers would have promising applications on electronic device applications. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 973–985, 2009     

Rate coefficients and mechanisms of the reaction of cl‐atoms with a series of unsaturated hydrocarbons under atmospheric conditions

Rate coefficients and/or mechanistic information are provided for the reaction of Cl‐atoms with a number of unsaturated species, including isoprene, methacrolein ( MACR ), methyl vinyl ketone ( MVK ), 1,3‐butadiene, trans‐2‐butene, and 1‐butene. The following Cl‐atom rate coefficients were obtained at 298 K near 1 atm total pressure: k(isoprene) = (4.3 ± 0.6) × 10^?10cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 (independent of pressure from 6.2 to 760 Torr); k( MVK ) = (2.2 ± 0.3) × 10^?10 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1; k( MACR ) = (2.4 ± 0.3) × 10^?10 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1; k(trans‐2‐butene) = (4.0 ± 0.5) × 10^?10 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1; k(1‐butene) = (3.0 ± 0.4) × 10^?10 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. Products observed in the Cl‐atom‐initiated oxidation of the unsaturated species at 298 K in 1 atm air are as follows (with % molar yields in parentheses): CH₂O (9.5 ± 1.0%), HCOCl (5.1 ± 0.7%), and 1‐chloro‐3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐2‐one (CMBO, not quantified) from isoprene; chloroacetaldehyde (75 ± 8%), CO₂ (58 ± 5%), CH₂O (47 ± 7%), CH₃OH (8%), HCOCl (7 ± 1%), and peracetic acid (6%) from MVK ; CO (52 ± 4%), chloroacetone (42 ± 5%), CO₂ (23 ± 2%), CH₂O (18 ± 2%), and HCOCl (5%) from MACR ; CH₂O (7 ± 1%), HCOCl (3%), acrolein (≈3%), and 4‐chlorocrotonaldehyde (CCA, not quantified) from 1,3‐butadiene; CH₃CHO (22 ± 3%), CO₂ (13 ± 2%), 3‐chloro‐2‐butanone (13 ± 4%), CH₂O (7.6 ± 1.1%), and CH₃OH (1.8 ± 0.6%) from trans‐2‐butene; and chloroacetaldehyde (20 ± 3%), CH₂O (7 ± 1%), CO₂ (4 ± 1%), and HCOCl (4 ± 1%) from 1‐butene. Product yields from both trans‐2‐butene and 1‐butene were found to be O₂‐dependent. In the case of trans‐2‐butene, the observed O₂‐dependence is the result of a competition between unimolecular decomposition of the CH₃CH(Cl)? CH(O?)? CH₃ radical and its reaction with O₂, with k_decomp/k_O2 = (1.6 ± 0.4) × 10¹⁹ molecule cm^?3. The activation energy for decomposition is estimated at 11.5 ± 1.5 kcal mol^?1. The variation of the product yields with O₂ in the case of 1‐butene results from similar competitive reaction pathways for the two β‐chlorobutoxy radicals involved in the oxidation, ClCH₂CH(O?)CH₂CH₃ and ?OCH₂CHClCH₂CH₃. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 334–353, 2003     

Temperature‐Dependent Prediction of the Liquid Entropy of Ionic Liquids

Modeling of the temperature‐dependent liquid entropy of ionic liquids (ILs) with great accuracy using COSMO‐RS is demonstrated. The minimum structures of eight IL ion pairs are investigated and the entropy, calculated from ion pairs, is found to differ on average only 2 % from the available experimental values (119 data points). For calculations with single ions, the average error amounts to 2.6 % and stronger‐coordinating ions tend to give higher deviations. Additionally, the first parameterization of the standard liquid entropy for ILs is presented in the context of traditional volume‐based thermodynamics (S_l⁰=1.585 kJ mol^?1 K^?1 nm^?3?r_m³+14.09 J mol^?1 K^?1), which sheds light on the statistical treatment of ionic interactions. The findings provide the first direct access to accurate predictions of liquid entropies of ILs, which are tedious and time‐consuming to measure.     

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of conjugated D–A copolymers based on thienyl substituted pyrene and diketopyrrolopyrrole for polymer solar cells

A new donor‐acceptor conjugated copolymer (PDTPyDPP), comprising 2,7‐di‐2‐thienyl‐4,5,9,10‐tetrakis(hexyloxy)pyrene as a donor and diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) as an acceptor, was synthesized. PDTPyDPP showed good solubility in common organic solvents, broad visible absorption from 300 to 900 nm, and a moderate hole mobility up to 6.3 × 10^?3 cm² V^?1 s^?1. The power conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic device based on the PDTPyDPP/PC₇₁BM photoactive layer reached 4.43% with 0.66 V of open‐circuit voltage (V_oc), 10.52 mA cm^?2 of short‐circuit current (J_sc) and 64.11% of fill factor. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 3198–3204     

Proton‐Conducting Magnetic Coordination Polymers

Three isostructural lanthanide‐based two‐ dimensional coordination polymers (CPs) {[Ln₂(L)₃(H₂O)₂]_n ? 2n CH₃OH) ? 2n H₂O} (Ln=Gd³⁺ ( 1 ), Tb³⁺ ( 2 ), Dy³⁺ ( 3 ); H₂L=cyclobutane‐1,1‐dicarboxylic acid) were synthesized by using a low molecular weight dicarboxylate ligand and characterized. Single‐crystal structure analysis showed that in complexes 1 – 3 lanthanide centers are connected by μ₃‐bridging cyclobutanedicarboxylate ligands along the c axis to form a rod‐shaped infinite 1D coordination chain, which is further linked with nearby chains by μ₄‐connected cyclobutanedicarboxylate ligands to form 2D CPs in the bc plane. Viewing the packing of the complexes down the b axis reveals that the lattice methanol molecules are located in the interlayer space between the adjacent 2D layers and form H‐bonds with lattice and coordinated water molecules to form 1D chains. Magnetic properties of complexes 1 – 3 were thoroughly investigated. Complex 1 exhibits dominant ferromagnetic interaction between two nearby gadolinium centers and also acts as a cryogenic magnetic refrigerant having a significant magnetic entropy change of ?ΔS_m=32.8 J kg^?1 K^?1 for ΔH=7 T at 4 K (calculated from isothermal magnetization data). Complex 3 shows slow relaxation of magnetization below 10 K. Impedance analysis revealed that the complexes show humidity‐dependent proton conductivity (σ=1.5×10^?5 S cm^?1 for 1 , σ=2.07×10^?4 S cm^?1 for 2 , and σ=1.1×10^?3 S cm^?1 for 3 ) at elevated temperature (>75 °C). They retain the conductivity for up to 10 h at high temperature and high humidity. Furthermore, the proton conductivity results were correlated with the number of water molecules from the water‐vapor adsorption measurements. Water‐vapor adsorption studies showed hysteretic and two‐step water vapor adsorption (182000 μL g^?1 for 1 , 184000 μL g^?1 for 2 , and 1874000 μL g^?1 for 3 ) in the experimental pressure range. Simulation of water‐vapor adsorption by the Monte Carlo method (for 1 ) confirmed the high density of adsorbed water molecules, preferentially in the interlayer space between the 2D layers.     

Studies on the nuclease activity and interactions of the mixed‐polypyridyl [Ni2(1,3‐tpbd)(diimine)2(H2O)2]4+ complexes with thioredoxin reductase

Three new nickel(II) complexes formulated as [Ni₂(1,3‐tpbd)(diimine)₂(H₂O)₂]⁴⁺ [1,3‐tpbd = N,N,N′,N′‐tetrakis(2‐pyridylmethyl)benzene‐1,3‐diamine, where diimine is an N,N‐donor heterocyclic base like 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen),2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy), 4,5‐diazafluoren‐9‐one (dafo)], have been synthesized and structurally characterized by X‐ray crystallography: [Ni₂(1,3‐tpbd)(phen)₂(H₂O)₂]⁴⁺ (1), [Ni₂(1,3‐tpbd)(bpy)₂(H₂O)₂]⁴⁺(2) and [Ni₂(1,3‐tpbd)(dafo)₂(H₂O)₂]⁴⁺ (3). Single‐crystal diffraction reveals that the metal atoms in the complexes are all in a distorted octahedral geometry and in a trans arrangement around 1,3‐tpbd ligand. The interactions of the three complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT‐DNA) have been investigated by UV absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism and viscosity. The apparent binding constant (K_app) values are calculated to be 1.91 × 10⁵ m ^?1 for 1, 1.18 × 10⁵ m ^?1 for 2, and 1.35 × 10⁵ m ^?1 for 3, following the order 1 > 3 > 2. The higher DNA binding affinity of 1 is due to the involvement in partial insertion of the phen ring between the DNA base pairs. A decrease in relative viscosities of DNA upon binding to 1–3 is consistent with the DNA binding affinities. These complexes efficiently display oxidative cleavage of supercoiled DNA in the presence of H₂O₂ (250 µ m ), with 3 exhibiting the highest nuclease activity. The rate constants for the conversion of supercoiled to nicked DNA are 5.28 × 10^?5 s^?1 (for 1), 6.67 × 10^?5 s^?1 (for 2) and 1.39 × 10^?4 s^?1 (for 3), also indicating that complex 3 shows higher catalytic activity than 1 and 2. Here the nuclease activity is not readily correlated to binding affinity. The inhibitory effect of complexes 1–3 on thioredoxin reductase has also been examined. The IC₅₀ values are calculated to be 26.54 ± 0.57, 31.03 ± 3.33 and 8.69 ± 2.54 µ m , respectively, showing a more marked inhibitory effect on thioredoxin reductase by complex 3 than the other two complexes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pincer‐Type Platinum(II) Complexes Containing N‐Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Ligand: Structures,Photophysical and Anion‐Binding Properties,and Anticancer Activities

Two classes of pincer‐type Pt^II complexes containing tridentate N‐donor ligands ( 1 – 8 ) or C‐deprotonated N^C^N ligands derived from 1,3‐di(2‐pyridyl)benzene ( 10 – 13 ) and auxiliary N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand were synthesized. [Pt(trpy)(NHC)]²⁺ complexes 1 – 5 display green phosphorescence in CH₂Cl₂ (Φ: 1.1–5.3 %; τ: 0.3–1.0 μs) at room temperature. Moderate‐to‐intense emissions are observed for 1 – 7 in glassy solutions at 77 K and for 1 – 6 in the solid state. The [Pt(N^C^N)(NHC)]⁺ complexes 10 – 13 display strong green phosphorescence with quantum yields up to 65 % in CHCl₃. The reactions of 1 with a wide variety of anions were examined in various solvents. The tridentate N‐donor ligand of 1 undergoes displacement reaction with CN^? in protic solvents. Similar displacement of the N^C^N ligand by CN^? has been observed for 10 , leading to a luminescence “switch‐off” response. The water‐soluble 7 containing anthracenyl‐functionalized NHC ligand acts as a light “switch‐on” sensor for the detection of CN^? ion with high selectivity. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the Pt^II complexes towards HeLa cells has been evaluated. Complex 12 showed high cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ value of 0.46 μM , whereas 1 – 4 and 6 – 8 are less cytotoxic. The cellular localization of the strongly luminescent complex 12 traced by using emission microscopy revealed that it mainly localizes in the cytoplasmic structures rather than in the nucleus. This complex can induce mitochondria dysfunction and subsequent cell death.     

Photoinduced Energy Transfer from Poly(N‐vinylcarbazole) to Tricarbonylchloro‐(2,2′‐bipyridyl)rhenium(I)

This work investigates the photoinduced energy transfer from poly(N‐vinylcarbazole) (PVK), as a donor material, to fac‐(2,2′‐bipyridyl)Re(CO)₃Cl, as a catalyst acceptor, for its potential application towards CO₂ reduction. Photoluminescence quenching experiments reveal dynamic quenching through resonance energy transfer in solid donor/acceptor mixtures and in solid/liquid systems. The bimolecular reaction rate constant at solution–film interfaces for the elementary reaction of the excited state with the quencher material could be determined as 8.8(±1.4)×10¹¹ L mol^?1 s^?1 by using Stern–Volmer analysis. This work shows that PVK is an effective and cheap absorber material that can act efficiently as a redox photosensitizer in combination with fac‐(2,2′‐bipyridyl)Re(CO)₃Cl as a catalyst acceptor, which might lead to possible applications in photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.     

Complexation Properties of N,N′,N″,N′′′‐[1,4,7,10‐Tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetrayltetrakis(1‐oxoethane‐2,1‐diyl)]tetrakis[glycine] (H4dotagl). Equilibrium,Kinetic, and Relaxation Behavior of the Lanthanide(III) Complexes

Eu³⁺, Dy³⁺, and Yb³⁺ complexes of the dota‐derived tetramide N,N′,N″,N′′′‐[1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetrayltetrakis(1‐oxoethane‐2,1‐diyl)]tetrakis[glycine] (H₄dotagl) are potential CEST contrast agents in MRI. In the [Ln(dotagl)] complexes, the Ln³⁺ ion is in the cage formed by the four ring N‐atoms and the amide O‐atom donor atoms, and a H₂O molecule occupies the ninth coordination site. The stability constants of the [Ln(dotagl)] complexes are ca. 10 orders of magnitude lower than those of the [Ln(dota)] analogues (H₄dota=1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetraacetic acid). The free carboxylate groups in [Ln(dotagl)] are protonated in the pH range 1–5, resulting in mono‐, di‐, tri‐, and tetraprotonated species. Complexes with divalent metals (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Cu²⁺) are also of relatively low stability. At pH>8, Cu²⁺ forms a hydroxo complex; however, the amide H‐atom(s) does not dissociate due to the absence of anchor N‐atom(s), which is the result of the rigid structure of the ring. The relaxivities of [Gd(dotagl)] decrease from 10 to 25°, then increase between 30–50°. This unusual trend is interpreted with the low H₂O‐exchange rate. The [Ln(dotagl)] complexes form slowly, via the equilibrium formation of a monoprotonated intermediate, which deprotonates and rearranges to the product in a slow, OH^?‐catalyzed reaction. The formation rates are lower than those for the corresponding Ln(dota) complexes. The dissociation rate of [Eu(dotagl)] is directly proportional to [H⁺] (0.1–1.0M HClO₄); the proton‐assisted dissociation rate is lower for [Eu(H₄dotagl)] (k₁=8.1?10^?6 M ^?1 s^?1) than for [Eu(dota)] (k₁=1.4?10^?5 M ^?1 s^?1).     

Proton‐Conductive 3D LnIII Metal–Organic Frameworks for Formic Acid Impedance Sensing

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) as new classes of proton‐conducting materials have been highlighted in recent years. Nevertheless, the exploration of proton‐conducting MOFs as formic acid sensors is extremely lacking. Herein, we prepared two highly stable 3D isostructural lanthanide(III) MOFs, {(M(μ₃‐HPhIDC)(μ₂‐C₂O₄)_0.5(H₂O))?2 H₂O}_n (M=Tb ( ZZU‐1 ); Eu ( ZZU‐2 )) (H₃PhIDC=2‐phenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐4,5‐dicarboxylic acid), in which the coordinated and uncoordinated water molecules and uncoordinated imidazole N atoms play decisive roles for the high‐performance proton conduction and recognition ability for formic acid. Both ZZU‐1 and ZZU‐2 show temperature‐ and humidity‐dependent proton‐conducting characteristics with high conductivities of 8.95×10^?4 and 4.63×10^?4 S cm^‐1 at 98 % RH and 100 °C, respectively. Importantly, the impedance values of the two MOF‐based sensors decrease upon exposure to formic acid vapor generated from formic aqueous solutions at 25 °C with good reproducibility. By comparing the changes of impedance values, we can indirectly determine the concentration of HCOOH in aqueous solution. The results showed that the lowest detectable concentrations of formic acid aqueous solutions are 1.2×10^?2 mol L^?1 by ZZU‐1 and 2.0×10^?2 mol L^?1 by ZZU‐2 . Furthermore, the two sensors can distinguish formic acid vapor from interfering vapors including MeOH, N‐hexane, benzene, toluene, EtOH, acetone, acetic acid and butane. Our research provides a new platform of proton‐conductive MOFs‐based sensors for detecting formic acid.     

[{Ni4(OH)3AsO4}4(B‐α‐PW9O34)4]28−: A New Polyoxometalate Structural Family with Catalytic Hydrogen Evolution Activity

A new structural polyoxometalate motif, [{Ni₄(OH)₃AsO₄}₄(B‐α‐PW₉O₃₄)₄]^28?, which contains the highest nuclearity structurally characterized multi‐nickel‐containing polyanion to date, has been synthesized and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, temperature‐dependent magnetism and several other techniques. The unique central {Ni₁₆(OH)₁₂O₄(AsO₄)₄} core shows dominant ferromagnetic exchange interactions, with maximum χ_mT of 69.21 cm³ K mol^?1 at 3.4 K. Significantly, this structurally unprecedented complex is an efficient, water‐compatible, noble‐metal‐free catalyst for H₂ production upon visible light irradiation (photosensitizer=[Ir(ppy)₂(dtbbpy)][PF₆]; sacrificial electron donor=triethylamine or triethanolamine). The highest turnover number of approximately 580, corresponding to a best quantum yield of approximately 4.07 %, is achieved when using triethylamine as electron donor in the presence of water. The mechanism of this photodriven process has been probed by time‐solved luminescence and by static emission quenching.     

Dual‐Sensitized Luminescent Europium(ΙΙΙ) and Terbium(ΙΙΙ) Complexes as Bioimaging and Light‐Responsive Therapeutic Agents

Dual‐photosensitized stable Eu^ΙΙΙ and Tb^ΙΙΙ complexes, namely [Eu(dpq)(tfnb)₃] ( 1 ) and [Tb(dpq)(tfnb)₃] ( 2 ), in which dpq=dipyrido[3,2‐d:2′,3′‐f]quinoxaline and Htfnb=4,4,4‐trifluoro‐1‐(2‐napthyl)‐1,3‐butanedione, were designed as bioimaging and light‐responsive therapeutic agents. Their X‐ray structures, photophysical properties, biological interactions, photoinduced DNA damage, photocytotoxicity, and cellular uptake properties were studied. Discrete mononuclear complexes adopt an eight‐coordinated {LnN₂O₆} distorted square antiprism geometry with bidentate N,N‐donor dpq and O,O‐donor tfnb ligands. The designed probes have the advantage of dual‐sensitizing antennae (dpq, Htfnb) to modulate their desirable optical properties for cellular imaging and light‐responsive intracellular damage. The remarkable photostability, absence of inner‐sphere water (q<1), and longer excited‐state lifetimes of the complexes make them suitable as cellular‐imaging probes. The dpq ³T state is well located energetically to allow efficient energy transfer (ET) to the emissive ⁵D₀ and ⁵D₄ states of Eu^ΙΙΙ and Tb^ΙΙΙ. This leads to higher quantum yields (φ=0.15–0.20) in aqueous media and makes these compounds suitable cellular‐imaging probes. The complexes display significant binding ability toward DNA and bovine serum albumin (K≈10⁵ m ^?1). They effectively cleave supercoiled DNA to its nicked circular form at λ=365 nm through photoredox pathways. The cellular internalization studies showed cytosolic and nuclear localization. The remarkable photocytotoxicity of these probes offers a strategy towards developing photoresponsive Ln^ΙΙΙ probes as cellular‐imaging and phototherapeutic agents.