Characterization of the thermally induced topochemical solid-state transformation of NH4[N(CN)2] into NCN[double bond]C(NH2)2 by means of X-ray and neutron diffraction as well as Raman and solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The mechanism of the solid-solid transformation of NH(4)[N(CN)(2)] into NCN[double bond]C(NH(2))(2), which represents the isolobal analogue of W?hler's historic conversion of ammonium cyanate into urea, has been investigated by temperature-dependent single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, neutron powder diffraction, and Raman and solid-state NMR spectroscopy as well as thermoanalytical measurements. The transformation of the ionic dicyanamide into its molecular isomer upon controlled thermal treatment was found to proceed topochemically in the solid state with little molecular motion, giving rise to a single-crystal to single-crystal transformation which manifests itself by a defined metric relation between the unit cells of the two isomers. The exothermic phase transition is thermally activated and was observed to commence at temperatures > or =80 degrees C. The pronounced temperature dependence of the onset of the transformation may be assessed as an indication for the metastability of ammonium dicyanamide at elevated temperatures. Thermal analyses reveal a decrease in the reaction enthalpy (56-13 kJ mol(-1)) at higher heating rates and an average mass loss of 10% gaseous ammonia. Evidence was found for crucial mechanistic steps of the transformation, which is likely to proceed via proton transfer from the ammonium ion to one of the terminal nitrogen atoms of the anion. The protonation is followed by nucleophilic attack of the in situ generated ammonia at the electrophilic nitrile carbon. The proposed mechanistic pathway is based on the results of combined Raman and solid-state NMR spectroscopic as well as neutron powder diffraction measurements.     

New Organosiloxanes Containing Silacycles

Abstract

The synthesis of carbon substituted 1, 1-dichloro- and l, l-bis(diethylamino)silacyclobutanes and butenes and their polycondensation reactions with bisphenol A, 1,2-ethanediol and 1,6-hexanediol is described. The monomer silacycles and the organosiloxane polymers are characterized by NMR (¹H-, ¹³C-, ²⁹Si-), GPC, DSC and elemental analysis.     

Identification of lipophilic bioproduct portfolio from bioreactor samples of extreme halophilic archaea with HPLC-MS/MS

Extreme halophilic archaea are a yet unexploited source of natural carotenoids. At elevated salinities, however, material corrosivity issues occur and the performance of analytical methods is strongly affected. The goal of this study was to develop a method for identification and downstream processing of potentially valuable bioproducts produced by archaea. To circumvent extreme salinities during analysis, a direct sample preparation method was established to selectively extract both the polar and the nonpolar lipid contents of extreme halophiles with hexane, acetone and the mixture of MeOH/MTBE/water, respectively. Halogenated solvents, as used in conventional extraction methods, were omitted because of environmental considerations and potential process scale-up. The HPLC-MS/MS method using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization was developed and tuned with three commercially available C₄₀ carotenoid standards, covering the wide polarity range of natural carotenoids, containing different number of OH-groups. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a C₃₀ RP-HPLC column with a MeOH/MTBE/water gradient. Polar lipids, the geometric isomers of the C₅₀ carotenoid bacterioruberin, and vitamin MK-8 were the most valuable products found in bioreactor samples. In contrast to literature on shake flask cultivations, no anhydrous analogues of bacterioruberin, as by-products of the carotenoid biosynthesis, were detected in bioreactor samples. This study demonstrates the importance of sample preparation and the applicability of HPLC-MS/MS methods on real samples from extreme halophilic strains. Furthermore, from a biotechnological point-of-view, this study would like to reveal the relevance of using controlled and defined bioreactor cultivations instead of shake flask cultures in the early stage of potential bioproduct profiling.     

Non-destructive testing of porous media by means of sound wave analysis

The theoretical investigation of sound waves in porous materials is motivated by the possible construction of non-destructive testing methods. Here, geotechnical applications are of interest where low frequencies from zero to 100 Hz occur but also systems with higher frequency ranges may be tested non-invasively. Examples are concrete and other construction materials, road surfaces and pavements (some MHz), biological materials like bones and soft tissues, e.g. the surface of the heart (up to 3 MHz) right up to surface coatings by nanomaterials (approximately 100 MHz). (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Unveiling the complex configurational landscape of the intralayer cavities in a crystalline carbon nitride

The in-depth understanding of the reported photoelectrochemical properties of the layered carbon nitride, poly(triazine imide)/LiCl (PTI/LiCl), has been limited by the apparent disorder of the Li/H atoms within its framework. To understand and resolve the current structural ambiguities, an optimized one-step flux synthesis (470 °C, 36 h, LiCl/KCl flux) was used to prepare PTI/LiCl and deuterated-PTI/LiCl in high purity. Its structure was characterized by a combination of neutron/X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The range of possible Li/H atomic configurations was enumerated for the first time and, combined with total energy calculations, reveals a more complex energetic landscape than previously considered. Experimental data were fitted against all possible structural models, exhibiting the most consistency with a new orthorhombic model (Sp. Grp. Ama2) that also has the lowest total energy. In addition, a new Cu(i)-containing PTI (PTI/CuCl) was prepared with the more strongly scattering Cu(i) cations in place of Li, and most closely matching with the partially-disorder structure in Cmc2₁. Thus, a complex configurational landscape of PTI is revealed to consist of a number of ordered crystalline structures that are new potential synthetic targets, such as with the use of metal-exchange reactions.

The layered carbon nitride, poly(triazine imide), exhibits a complex configurational landscape for the coordination of cations within its intralayer cavities that has been elucidated for the first time.     

Aliphatic hydroxylation and epoxidation of capsaicin by cytochrome P450 CYP505X

Microbial cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) are able to mimic the metabolism of human CYPs. One challenge is to identify the respective drug metabolites and to compare substrate specificities to those of the human enzymes. In this study, a class VIII self-sufficient CYP from Aspergillus fumigatus (CYP505X) and variants of this enzyme were heterologously expressed in E. coli. The substrate scope of the variants was determined using active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and (hetero)cyclic compounds. Capsaicin – the active compound in chili peppers – was oxidized most efficiently (4.36?μM/min) in a whole cell mediated biotransformation. The products were isolated, purified and their structures elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR. The two major metabolites showed modifications on the lipophilic side chain. Specifically, capsaicin was hydroxylated at position 8 to give (E)-8-hydroxy-N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-8-methylnon-6-enamide and epoxidized at the double bond to give N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-5-(3-isopropyloxiran-2-yl)-pentanamide.     

Flip Graphs of Bounded Degree Triangulations

We study flip graphs of triangulations whose maximum vertex degree is bounded by a constant k. In particular, we consider triangulations of sets of n points in convex position in the plane and prove that their flip graph is connected if and only if k > 6; the diameter of the flip graph is O(n ²). We also show that, for general point sets, flip graphs of pointed pseudo-triangulations can be disconnected for k ≤ 9, and flip graphs of triangulations can be disconnected for any k. Additionally, we consider a relaxed version of the original problem. We allow the violation of the degree bound k by a small constant. Any two triangulations with maximum degree at most k of a convex point set are connected in the flip graph by a path of length O(n log n), where every intermediate triangulation has maximum degree at most k + 4.     

Phenylene-Bridged Perylene Monoimides as Acceptors for Organic Solar Cells: A Study on the Structure–Property Relationship

A series of non-fullerene acceptors based on perylene monoimides coupled in the peri position through phenylene linkers were synthesized via Suzuki-coupling reactions. Various substitution patterns were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations in combination with experimental data to elucidate the geometry and their optical and electrochemical properties. Further investigations of the bulk properties with grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) gave insight into the stacking behavior of the acceptor thin films. Electrochemical and morphological properties correlate with the photovoltaic performance of devices with the polymeric donor PBDB-T and a maximum efficiency of 3.17 % was reached. The study gives detailed information about structure–property relationships of perylene-linker-perylene compounds.     

Hydrogen Peroxide Detection Using Prussian Blue-modified 3D Pyrolytic Carbon Microelectrodes

A highly sensitive amperometric Prussian blue-based hydrogen peroxide sensor was developed using 3D pyrolytic carbon microelectrodes. A 3D printed multielectrode electrochemical cell enabled simultaneous highly reproducible Prussian blue modification on multiple carbon electrodes. The effect of oxygen plasma pre-treatment and deposition time on Prussian blue electrodeposition was studied. The amperometric response of 2D and 3D sensors to the addition of hydrogen peroxide in μM and sub-μM concentrations in phosphate buffer was investigated. A high sensitivity comparable to flow injection systems and a detection limit of 0.16 μM was demonstrated with 3D pyrolytic carbon microelectrodes at stirred batch condition     

Enantioselective Synthesis of Acyclic Orthogonally Functionalized Compounds Bearing a Quaternary Stereocenter Using Chiral Ammonium Salt Catalysis

We herein report an asymmetric protocol to access a series of orthogonally functionalized acyclic chiral target molecules containing a quaternary stereogenic center by carrying out the enantioselective α-alkylation of novel orthogonally functionalized dioxolane-containing cyanoacetates under chiral ammonium salt catalysis. By using just 1 mol % of Maruoka's spirocyclic ammonium salt catalysts enantioselectivities up to e.r.=97.5 : 2.5 could be achieved and further functional group manipulations of the products were carried out as well.