Photochemical Hydrogen Evolution at Metal Centers Probed with Hydrated Aluminium Cations,Al+(H2O)n,n=1–10

Hydrated aluminium cations have been investigated as a photochemical model system with up to ten water molecules by UV action spectroscopy in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. Intense photodissociation was observed starting at 4.5 eV for two to eight water molecules with loss of atomic hydrogen, molecular hydrogen and water molecules. Quantum chemical calculations for n=2 reveal that solvation shifts the intense 3s–3p excitations of Al⁺ into the investigated photon energy range below 5.5 eV. During the photochemical relaxation, internal conversion from S₁ to T₂ takes place, and photochemical hydrogen formation starts on the T₂ surface, which passes through a conical intersection, changing to T₁. On this triplet surface, the electron that was excited to the Al 3p orbital is transferred to a coordinated water molecule, which dissociates into a hydroxide ion and a hydrogen atom. If the system remains in the triplet state, this hydrogen radical is lost directly. If the system returns to singlet multiplicity, the reaction may be reversed, with recombination with the hydroxide moiety and electron transfer back to aluminium, resulting in water evaporation. Alternatively, the hydrogen radical can attack the intact water molecule, forming molecular hydrogen and aluminium dihydroxide. Photodissociation is observed for up to n=8. Clusters with n=9 or 10 occur exclusively as HAlOH⁺(H₂O)_n-1 and are transparent in the investigated energy range. For n=4–8, a mixture of Al⁺(H₂O)_n and HAlOH⁺(H₂O)_n-1 is present in the experiment.     

Atomic absorption spectrometric determination of selenium with carbon furnace atomization

A Varian Techtron model 63 carbon rod atomizer is used for the atomic absorption spectrometric determination of nanogram quantities of selenium. The pronounced interferences from the matrices in biological digests can be obviated by isolating selenium from sample matrices by precipitation with ascorbic acid. The precision of the determination is improved by incorporating 5000 μg Ni ml^?1 in the analytical solutions. Selenium at μg g^?1 and sub-μg g^?1 levels in a variety of biological samples can be determined. The detection limit is 25 ng Se g^?1.     

Radical-based grafting of GMA on sutures of different nature

Irradiation of a number of different sutures largely employed in the clinical practice with either high energy electrons or with γ-rays followed by quenching with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) conveniently led to derivatization through a radical-based process. The radicals involved were detected by means of ESR spectroscopy and were characterized on the basis of their ESR spectral parameters which were also found to be consistent with the hfs constants predicted by DFT calculations. Evidence of the GMA derivatization of the sutures was obtained via(13)C CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy, while its extent was evaluated gravimetrically.     

Infrared Spectroscopy of Size-Selected Hydrated Carbon Dioxide Radical Anions CO2.−(H2O)n (n=2–61) in the C−O Stretch Region

Understanding the intrinsic properties of the hydrated carbon dioxide radical anions CO₂^.−(H₂O)_n is relevant for electrochemical carbon dioxide functionalization. CO₂^.−(H₂O)_n (n=2–61) is investigated by using infrared action spectroscopy in the 1150–2220 cm⁻¹ region in an ICR (ion cyclotron resonance) cell cooled to T=80 K. The spectra show an absorption band around 1280 cm⁻¹, which is assigned to the symmetric C−O stretching vibration ν_s. It blueshifts with increasing cluster size, reaching the bulk value, within the experimental linewidth, for n=20. The antisymmetric C−O vibration ν_as is strongly coupled with the water bending mode ν₂, causing a broad feature at approximately 1650 cm⁻¹. For larger clusters, an additional broad and weak band appears above 1900 cm⁻¹ similar to bulk water, which is assigned to a combination band of water bending and libration modes. Quantum chemical calculations provide insight into the interaction of CO₂^.− with the hydrogen-bonding network.     

Organophosphines in PtP2Si2 derivatives – structural aspects

Abstract

In this review, the structural data of monomeric platinum(II) complexes with inner coordination spheres of Pt(η²-P₂L)(SiL)₂, Pt(η²-P₂L)(η²-Si₂L) and Pt(η²-P,SiL)₂ are classified and analyzed. These complexes crystallize in three crystal systems: monoclinic (8 examples), triclinic (4 examples) and orthorhombic (4 examples). Distorted square-planar environments about the Pt(II) atoms are built up by combination of homobi-P,P with two monodentate Si donor ligands; homobi-PP with homo-Si,Si donor ligands, or heterobi-P,Si donor ligands. The chelating ligands create metallacycles with the following angles: 65.0° (SiOSi) < 83.1° (SiC₂Si) < 85.2° (PC₂P) < 88.8° (SiSi₂Si)). The mean Pt-P and Pt-Si bond distances in Pt(η²-P₂L)·(SiL)₂ complexes are 2.319 and 2.365?Å; in Pt(η²-P₂L)(η²-Si₂L) the values are 2.316 and 2.360?Å. The complex [Pt{η²-Me₂P(C₂B₁₀H₁₀)SiMe₂}₂] exists in two isomeric forms, a monoclinic cis- and a triclinic trans-isomer. The structural data are compared and discussed with the complexes of inner coordination spheres: Pt(η²-P₂L)(XL)₂ (X?=?O, N, CN, BL, Cl, SL, SeL, Br, or I) and Pt(η²-P₂L)(η²-X₂L) (X?=?OL, NL, SL or SeL).     

On‐Surface Assembly of Hydrogen‐ and Halogen‐Bonded Supramolecular Graphyne‐Like Networks

Demonstrated here is a supramolecular approach to fabricate highly ordered monolayered hydrogen‐ and halogen‐bonded graphyne‐like two‐dimensional (2D) materials from triethynyltriazine derivatives on Au(111) and Ag(111). The 2D networks are stabilized by N???H?C(sp) bonds and N???Br?C(sp) bonds to the triazine core. The structural properties and the binding energies of the supramolecular graphynes have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy in combination with density‐functional theory calculations. It is revealed that the N???Br?C(sp) bonds lead to significantly stronger bonded networks compared to the hydrogen‐bonded networks. A systematic analysis of the binding energies of triethynyltriazine and triethynylbenzene derivatives further demonstrates that the X₃‐synthon, which is commonly observed for bromobenzene derivatives, is weaker than the X₆‐synthon for our bromotriethynyl derivatives.     

Betacyanins and Betaxanthins in Cultivated Varieties of Beta vulgaris L. Compared to Weed Beets

There are 11 different varieties of Beta vulgaris L. that are used in the food industry, including sugar beets, beetroots, Swiss chard, and fodder beets. The typical red coloration of their tissues is caused by the indole-derived glycosides known as betalains that were analyzed in hypocotyl extracts by UV/Vis spectrophotometry to determine the content of betacyanins (betanin) and of betaxanthins (vulgaxanthin I) as constituents of the total betalain content. Fields of beet crops use to be also infested by wild beets, hybrids related to B. vulgaris subsp. maritima or B. macrocarpa Guss., which significantly decrease the quality and quantity of sugar beet yield; additionally, these plants produce betalains at an early stage. All tested B. vulgaris varieties could be distinguished from weed beets according to betacyanins, betaxanthins or total betalain content. The highest values of betacyanins were found in beetroots ‘Monorubra’ (9.69 mg/100 mL) and ‘Libero’ (8.42 mg/100 mL). Other beet varieties contained less betacyanins: Sugar beet ‘Labonita’ 0.11 mg/100 mL; Swiss chard ‘Lucullus,’ 0.09 mg/100 mL; fodder beet ‘Monro’ 0.15 mg/100 mL. In contrast with weed beets and beetroots, these varieties have a ratio of betacyanins to betaxanthins under 1.0, but the betaxanthin content was higher in beetcrops than in wild beet and can be used as an alternative to non-red varieties. Stability tests of selected varieties showed that storage at 22 °C for 6 h, or at 7 °C for 24 h, did not significantly reduce the betalain content in the samples.     

Ferromagnetism in a dinuclear nickel(II) complex containing triethylenetetramine and tricyanomethanide

Triethylenetetramine (L(4)) was used as a tetradentate blocking ligand that, after complexation with Ni(II), leaves two sites ready for ligation with tricyanomethanide. The formed binuclear complex [L(4)Ni(NCC(CN)CN)(2)NiL(4)](ClO(4))(2) exhibits a ferromagnetic coupling with J/hc = +0.15 cm(-1) and g(Ni) = 2.126; below 16 K, a ferromagnetic ordering is evidenced by ac magnetic susceptibility (both in-phase and out-of-phase), magnetization, field-cooled magnetization, and zero-field-cooled magnetization measurements.     

Technical Procedures for the Syntheses of Carotenoids and Related Compounds from 6-Oxo-isophorone: Syntheses of (3R,3′R)-Zeaxanthin. Part I

Starting from the readily available, optically active (4R)-4-hydroxy-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone ( 1 ), a new technical synthesis of (3R,3′R)-zeaxanthin is described. According to a 2(C₉ + C₆) + C₁₀ = C₄₀ construction scheme, the ketone 1 was first transformed with (E)-3-methylpent-2-en-4-yn-1-ol ( 5 ) into a C₁₅-intermediate which, by a three-step sequence, could be converted into the known olefinic C₁₅-Wittig salt 4 . Optimized conditions for the final Wittig reaction of 4 with the C₁₀-dialdehyde 3 are discussed. Based on 1 , the overall yield of the entire technical process is ca. 40%.     

Partitioning of <Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis> -electrons in rings of polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons: Part 6. Comparison with other methods for estimating the local aromaticity of rings in polycyclic benzenoids

By adopting the convention that shared double bonds in polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons contribute with one -electron and unshared ones with two -electrons, a partition of -electrons in each ring (-electron content, EC) can be obtained by averaging over all Kekulé structures, which are assumed to have equal weights. This affords a simple measure of local aromaticity that is comparable with other such local aromaticity indices in polycyclic benzenoids.