Ammonia Synthesis at Room Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure from N2: A Boron-Radical Approach

Ammonia, NH₃, is an essential molecule, being part of fertilizers. It is currently synthesized via the Haber–Bosch process, from the very stable dinitrogen molecule, N₂ and dihydrogen, H₂. This process requires high temperatures and pressures, thereby generating ca 1.6 % of the global CO₂ emissions. Alternative strategies are needed to realize the functionalization of N₂ to NH₃ under mild conditions. Here, we show that boron-centered radicals provide a means of activating N₂ at room temperature and atmospheric pressure whilst allowing a radical process to occur, leading to the production of borylamines. Subsequent hydrolysis released NH₄⁺, the acidic form of NH₃. EPR spectroscopy supported the intermediacy of radicals in the process, corroborated by DFT calculations, which rationalized the mechanism of the N₂ functionalization by R₂B radicals.     

Exponential growth rates of free and amalgamated products

We prove that there is a gap between \(\sqrt 2 and\left( {1 + \sqrt 5 } \right)/2\) for the exponential growth rate of nontrivial free products. For amalgamated products G = A_*CB with ([A: C] ? 1)([B: C] ? 1) ≥ 2, we show that an exponential growth rate lower than \(\sqrt 2 \) can be achieved. Indeed, there are infinitely many amalgamated products for which the exponential growth rate is equal to ψ ≈ 1.325, where ψ is the unique positive root of the polynomial z³?z?1. One of these groups is \(PGL\left( {2,\mathbb{Z}} \right) \cong \left( {{C_2} \times {C_2}} \right){*_{{C_2}}}{D_6}\). However, under some natural conditions the lower bound can be put up to \(\sqrt 2 \). This answers two questions by Avinoam Mann [The growth of free products, Journal of Algebra 326, no. 1 (2011), 208–217]. We also prove that ψ is a lower bound for the minimal growth rates of a large class of Coxeter groups, including cofinite non-cocompact planar hyperbolic groups, which strengthens a result obtained earlier by William Floyd, who considered only standard Coxeter generators.     

Thermal C2-C6 cyclization of enyne-allenes. Experimental evidence for a stepwise mechanism and for an unusual thermal silyl shift

Enyne-allenes 4a-c bearing various cyclopropyl systems as radical clock reporter groups at the allene terminus have been synthesized and subjected to thermal C2-C6 cyclization. The ratio of ene versus formal Diels-Alder products could be rationalized on the basis of steric effects. Only the thermolysis of 4c, equipped with the fast diphenylcyclopropylcarbinyl radical clock, afforded a 1,3-butadienyl benzofulvene clearly formed via cyclopropyl ring opening. This finding provides unambiguous evidence for a stepwise mechanism of the C2-C6 cyclization making it possible to suggest a lifetime for the intermediate diradical of >1x10(-10) s (at 170 degrees C). An interesting corollary was the isolation of an unexpected silyl shift product in the thermolysis of all three enyne-allenes that allows explanation of the loss of the TIPS group in some of the Diels-Alder products. For a full understanding of the mechanism, silyl and hydrogen shift processes were interrogated using DFT.     

Voltammetric Sensing of Mercury and Copper Cations at Poly(EDTA‐like) Film Modified Electrode

Complexing polymer‐coated electrodes have been synthesized by oxidative electropolymerization of ethylenediamine tetra‐N‐(3‐pyrrole‐1‐yl)propylacetamide (monomer L ). The presence of four polymerizable pyrrole fragments on the same EDTA skeleton was thought to confer enhanced rigidity and controlled dimensionality to the resulting complexing materials, which were used for the electrochemical detection of Hg(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions by means of the chemical preconcentration‐anodic stripping technique. The polyamide electrode material showed particularly a significant selectivity towards mercury ions, even in the presence of a large excess of other metal cations. Moreover, the use of imprinted polymer‐coated electrodes prepared by electropolymerization of L in the presence of metal cations turned out to significantly improve the detection limits, down to 5×10^?10 mol L^?1 for Hg(II) and Cu(II) species.     

Complexing Polymer Films in The Preparation of Modified Electrodes for Detection of Metal Ions

Summary: The complexing properties of poly (3-(pyrrol-1-yl)propylmalonic acid) (poly1) and poly(N,N′-ethylenebis[N-[(3-(pyrrole-1-yl)propyl) carbamoyl) methyl]-glycine (poly2) coated electrodes (C|poly1 and C|poly2) towards Cu(II), Pb(II), Hg(II) and Cd(II) cations using the open circuit chemical preconcentration-anodic stripping technique were studied. Sorption process of metal cations onto complexing surfaces was readily investigated through the combination of a chemical pre-concentration-anodic stripping technique with a Langmuir isotherm model. The modified electrodes were used for the voltammetric determination of Cu(II), Pb(II), Hg(II) and Cd(II) ions, giving low detection limits for Cu(II) (5 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹) and Pb(II) (5 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol L⁻¹). The ability of the modified electrodes to analyze Cu(II) ions in natural sample has been demonstrated by the analysis of a tap water sample. The results of the preconcentration process under competitive conditions clearly shows that the selectivity of complexing molecular electrode materials can be subtly tuned upon playing on the accumulation time, polymer thickness and/or memory effect of the binding polymers, opening up new avenues towards evolutive and efficient smart sensing materials.     

Electrochemical synthesis of a thiophene-containing cyclo[9]pyrrole

A new member of the cyclo[n]pyrrole class of expanded porphyrins could be prepared from the corresponding thiophene-containing terpyrrole precursor through use of a mild electrochemical oxidative procedure. The isolated macrocycle, featuring nine heterocyclic subunits directly connected through their α,α'-positions, is the largest cyclo[n]pyrrole derivative reported to date (see figure).     

Local immune cell contributions to fracture healing in aged individuals – A novel role for interleukin 22

With increasing age, the risk of bone fractures increases while regenerative capacity decreases. This variation in healing potential appears to be linked to adaptive immunity, but the underlying mechanism is still unknown. This study sheds light on immunoaging/inflammaging, which impacts regenerative processes in aging individuals. In an aged preclinical model system, different levels of immunoaging were analyzed to identify key factors that connect immunoaged/inflammaged conditions with bone formation after long bone fracture. Immunological facets, progenitor cells, the microbiome, and confounders were monitored locally at the injury site and systemically in relation to healing outcomes in 12-month-old mice with distinct individual levels of immunoaging. Bone tissue formation during healing was delayed in the immunoaged group and could be associated with significant changes in cytokine levels. A prolonged and amplified pro-inflammatory reaction was caused by upregulated immune cell activation markers, increased chemokine receptor availability and a lack of inhibitory signaling. In immunoaged mice, interleukin-22 was identified as a core cell signaling protein that played a central role in delayed healing. Therapeutic neutralization of IL-22 reversed this specific immunoaging-related disturbed healing. Immunoaging was found to be an influencing factor of decreased regenerative capacity in aged individuals. Furthermore, a novel therapeutic strategy of neutralizing IL-22 may successfully rejuvenate healing in individuals with advanced immune experiences.Subject terms: Trauma, Mechanisms of disease, Interleukins, Osteoimmunology     

New graphical method for the iteration of one-dimensional maps

We present the “inverse-curve method” which (1) simplifies a graphical iteration of the logistic map by avoiding the use of the diagonal; (2) naturally demonstrates the first period-doubling bifurcation; and (3) allows one to read immediately the stable pair of the two-point cycle off from the graph of the recursive function. Cycles of order m 2 are reduced to graphs of k- and l-iterate functions with k + l = m. The method can easily be applied to other one-dimensional maps with more complicated recursion relations.