Light-driven molecular motors: stepwise thermal helix inversion during unidirectional rotation of sterically overcrowded biphenanthrylidenes

To investigate the unidirectional rotation of chiral overcrowded biphenanthrylidenes in more detail, the size of the substituent next to the double bond responsible for the unidirectionality of rotation was varied. The thermal and photochemical isomerization of three sterically overcrowded alkenes is described. The behavior of the biphenanthrylidenes with methyl and ethyl substituents is rather similar, and these compounds undergo a unidirectional 360 degrees rotation around the central double bond in a four-step sequence involving two photochemical cis-trans isomerizations and two thermal helix inversions. The only difference between these two true molecular motors was a small entropic effect, which causes the ethyl substituted molecular motor to rotate slightly faster. The behavior of the i-propyl substituted compound differs significantly from that of the other two. Although not all different isomers of the i-propyl substituted molecular motor were detected spectroscopically, experimental data led to the conclusion that this compound can also be considered as a molecular motor and is capable of performing a 360 degrees unidirectional rotation. (1)H NMR and X-ray analysis show a meso-like form as an intermediate in the unidirectional rotation, which proves that the thermal helix inversion is a stepwise process.     

Macroscopic expression of the chirality of amino alcohols by a double amplification mechanism in liquid crystalline media

The central chirality of simple amino alcohols was amplified by binding to a dynamically axially chiral biphenol receptor and expressed as supramolecular chirality by effecting a change from a nematic to a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase.     

Realization of monolayer levels of surface oxidation of nickel by anodization at low temperatures

In order to examine whether monolayer or sub-monolayer extents of surface oxidation can be realized experimentally at Ni prior to onset of bulk-phase oxide formation (as they can for example at Pt, Ru or Au already at room temperature), cyclic voltammetric experiments down to low temperature (−90° C) have been conducted on Ni in solutions of NaOH in 80 mol% methanol with water. The cyclic voltammograms for the first stage of Ni oxidation to α-Ni(OH)₂, and its reduction, show that extents of surface oxidation down to an equivalent monolayer, or less, of Ni(OH)₂ can be realized at sufficiently low temperatures. However, even at these low levels of oxidation of the metal, irreversibility between the processes of Ni oxide formation and reduction is maintained in a way characteristic of the behavior of three-dimensional oxide films. It therefore appears that even at low levels of surface oxidation of Ni which are attainable at low temperature, the oxidation mechanism involves nucleation and growth of the oxide in islands rather than an initial surface-chemical process of OH or O array formation, as at Pt or Au. However, no indications of a dissolution-and precipitation type of oxide formation process, which would involve mass-transport in solution, are given by the present results obtained from experiments in dilute alkali at low temperatures, and at the rotating Ni disc electrode.     

Inaccessible hydroxyl groups on silica are accessible in supercritical CO2

The three main types of hydroxyl groups on a silica surface are classified as isolated, hydrogen bonded, and inaccessible. The isolated and hydrogen bonded groups are the most important as these readily exchange with D(2)O and thus are exposed to reactant molecules. However, it has generally been accepted that the inaccessible groups do not participate in surface reactions as only a small fraction of these groups exchange with D(2)O. It is shown that the inaccessible hydroxyl groups on nonporous fumed silica and mesoporous MCM-48 silica powders and films fully exchange with D(2)O and are reactive with octadecylydimethylchlorosilane when supercritical CO(2) is used as the solvent. Furthermore, it is found that the CO(2) penetrating the regions containing the inaccessible groups is not removed by simple evacuation but rather slowly diffuses from the silica over periods of months.     

A chiroptical molecular switch with distinct chiral and photochromic entities and its application in optical switching of a cholesteric liquid crystal

Two new structurally related photoswitches are described, in which azobenzene photochromism is combined with the chirality of a 2,2'-dihydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyl unit. In system 1 the chiral binaphthyl moiety is bridged by a methylene tether, locking the biaryl chirality while in system 2 the biaryl core is unbridged and has considerable conformational flexibility. Both compound are capable of inducing cholesteric liquid crystalline phases and proved to be good photoswitches both in solution and in a liquid crystalline matrix. Compound 2 is capable of completely reversing the liquid crystalline chirality which is unique for a chiroptical molecular switch where the switching unit and the chiral moiety are separate entities.     

Preserving the chromatographic integrity of high-speed supercritical fluid chromatography separations using time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The advantage of high-speed time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) detection for ultrafast qualitative supercritical fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry (SFC/MS) applications allows the superior resolving power of SFC to be exploited in high-throughput analysis. A chromatographic comparison of quadrupole MS and TOF-MS shows high-speed TOF total ion current data point sampling to be more indicative of fast SFC separations and corresponding short (1-2 s) baseline peak widths. Results shown for analysis of a six-compound mixture with two peaks eluting at 0.86 and 0.89 min exhibit >50% resolution by high-speed TOF data sampling, whereas the same peaks appear to coelute using quadrupole MS data sampling. Additionally, a marked improvement in the peak baseline widths is afforded by fast TOF data acquisition of 0.1 s/spectrum, resulting in a reduction in the baseline width, 1.6 s, of sulfanilamide in a four-compound mixture that is more than 2-fold greater than that achieved at the slower data acquisition of 0.5 s/spectrum. The resulting increase in resolution and improved peak shapes allow automatic integration routines to perform more effectively. For most classes of compounds amenable to high performance liquid chromatography, including druglike species, steroids, and polymers, the union of SFC with TOF-MS provides the maximum density of chemical information per unit time available with any high-speed chromatographic/mass spectrometric method.     

A NOVEL ZWITTERIONIC SILANE COUPLING AGENT FOR NONTHROMBOGENIC BIOMATERIALS

A novel silane coupling agent bearing sulfobetaine group, N,N-diethyl-N-（3-sulfopropyl）-aminopropyl- trimethoxysilane （DESATS）, was first designed, synthesized and characterized. Its solution property was studied by means of dynamic light scattering. DESATS was successfully bonded onto the surface of the glass and proved by ESCA. Platelet adhesion assay in vitro indicated that the nonthrombogenicity of glass slide modified with DESATS is greatly improved.