Ascorbate-induced oxidation of formate by peroxodisulfate: product yields,kinetics and mechanism

The slow reaction between peroxodisulfate and formate is significantly accelerated by ascorbate at room temperature. The products of this induced oxidation, CO₂ and oxalate (C₂O^2– ₄), were analyzed by several methods and the kinetics of this reaction were measured. The overall mechanism involves free radical species. Ascorbate reacts with peroxodisulfate to initiate production of the sulfate radical ion (SO^– ₄), which reacts with formate to produce carbon dioxide radical ion (CO^– ₂) and sulfate. The carbon dioxide radical reacts with peroxodisulfate to form CO₂ or self-combines to form oxalate. Competition occurring between these two processes determines the overall fate of the carbon dioxide radical species. As pH decreases, protonation of the carbon dioxide radical ion tends to favor production of CO₂.     

Computational study of the halogen atom-benzene complexes

The structures of halogen atom-benzene complexes were investigated by modern DFT and ab initio computational methods. The spectroscopic properties of the complexes are also predicted and are in good agreement with experiment where such data have been reported. The fluorine atom-benzene complex is predicted to be a sigma complex due to the strength of a C-F bond. The chlorine atom-benzene complex is predicted to have an eta(1) pi complex structure, which is only slightly more favorable (1.1 kcal/mol with the BH&HLYP/6-311++G method including the ZPE correction) than a sigma complex but is significantly more stable (4.4 kcal/mol with the BH&HLYP/6-311++G method including the ZPE correction) than the eta(6) pi complex. The bromine and iodine benzene complexes are also predicted to prefer an eta(1) pi complex structure.     

Plasma fluorination of polyolefins

ESCA and contact angle measurements were used to characterize the surfaces of Polyethylene and polypropylene films exposed to SF₆, CF₄, and C₂F₆ plasmas. None of these gases polymerized in the plasma. However, all plasma treatments grafted fluorinated functionalities directly to the polymer surfaces. SF₆ plasmas graft fluorine atoms to a polyolefin surface. CF₄ plasmas also react by a mechanism dominated by fluorine atoms, but with some contribution from CF_x-radical reactions. Although C₂F₆ does not polymerize, the mechanism of grafting is still dominated by the reactions of CF_x radicals. For all gases studied, the lack of polymerization is attributed to competitive ablation and polymerization reactions occurring under conditions of ion bombardment.     

A novel phosphoramidite method for automated synthesis of oligonucleotides on glass supports for biosensor development

Two protocols for functionalization of glass supports with hexaethylene glycol (HEG)-linked oligonucleotides were developed. The first method (standard amidite protocol) made use of the 2-cyanoethyl-phosphoramidite derivative of 4,4′-dimethoxytrityl-protected HEG. This was first coupled to the support by standard solid-phase phosphoramidite chemistry followed by extension with a thymidylic acid icosanucleotide. Stepwise addition of the linker phosphoramidite graduated at 1% (relative to the total sites available) perstep at 50°C resulted in an optimal yield of immobilized oligonucleotides at a density of 2.24 × 10¹⁰ strands/mm². This observed loading maximum lies well below the theoretical maximum loading owing to nonspecific adsorption of HEG on the glass and subsequent blocking of reactive sites. Surface loadings as high as 3.73 × 10¹⁰/mm² and of excellent sequence quality were achieved with a reverse amidite protocol. The support was first modified into a 2-cyanoethyl-N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidite analog followed by coupling with 4,4′-dimethoxytrityl-protected HEG. This protocol is conveniently available when using a conventional DNA synthesizer. The reverse amidite protocol allowed for control of the surface loading at values suitable for subsequent analytical applications that make use of immobilized oligonucleotides as probes for selective hybridization of sample nucleic acids of unknown sequence and concentration.     

Long-lived triplet charge-separated state in naphthalenediimide based donor–acceptor systems

1,4,5,8-Naphthalenediimides (NDIs) are widely used motifs to design multichromophoric architectures due to their ease of functionalisation, their high oxidative power and the stability of their radical anion. The NDI building block can be incorporated in supramolecular systems by either core or imide functionalization. We report on the charge-transfer dynamics of a series of electron donor–acceptor dyads consisting of a NDI chromophore with one or two donors linked at the axial, imide position. Photo-population of the core-centred π–π* state is followed by ultrafast electron transfer from the electron donor to the NDI. Due to a solvent dependent singlet–triplet equilibrium inherent to the NDI core, both singlet and triplet charge-separated states are populated. We demonstrate that long-lived charge separation in the triplet state can be achieved by controlling the mutual orientation of the donor–acceptor sub-units. By extending this study to a supramolecular NDI-based cage, we also show that the triplet charge-separation yield can be increased by tuning the environment.

Ultrafast electron transfer from singlet and triplet excited states in equilibrium results in the population of both singlet and triplet charge-separated states.     

The stereoselective synthesis of aziridine analogues of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) and their interaction with dap epimerase

Aziridine analogues of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) have been prepared stereoselectively for the first time and evaluated as inhibitors of DAP epimerase. (2R,3S,3'S)-3-(3'-Aminopropane)aziridine-2,3'-dicarboxylate was synthesised and shown to be a reversible inhibitor of DAP epimerase with an IC(50) value of 2.88 mM. (2S,4S)- and (2S,4R)-2-(4-Amino-4-carboxybutyl)aziridine-2-carboxylic acid (ll-azi-DAP and dl-azi-DAP ) were made as pure diastereomers, and both were shown to be irreversible inhibitors of DAP epimerase. ll-Azi-DAP selectively binds to Cys-73 of the enzyme active site whereas dl-azi-DAP binds to Cys-217 via attack of sulfhydryl on the methylene of the inhibitor aziridine ring. These observations are consistent with the two base mechanism proposed for the epimerization of ll-DAP and meso-DAP by DAP epimerase.     

Solution-phase, triangular ag nanotriangles fabricated by nanosphere lithography

A novel method to produce solution-phase triangular silver nanoparticles is presented. Ag nanoparticles are prepared by nanosphere lithography and are subsequently released into solution. The resulting nanoparticles are asymmetrically functionalized to produce either single isolated nanoparticles or dimer pairs. The structural and optical properties of Ag nanoparticles have been characterized. Mie theory and the Discrete Dipole Approximation method (DDA) have been used to model and interpret the optical properties of the released Ag nanoparticles.     

Application of the chiral base desymmetrisation of imides to the synthesis of the alkaloid jamtine and the antidepressant paroxetine

The synthesis of the alkaloid jamtine and the antidepressant paroxetine have been addressed by a strategy involving asymmetric desymmetrisation of prochiral imides by a chiral lithium amide base. A short reaction sequence, starting with a cyclohexane fused succinimide, led to the structures originally reported for the alkaloid jamtine and its derived N-oxide. The structures synthesised are shown not to correspond with those originally reported. A second sequence involves desymmetrisation of a 4-arylglutarimide, and provides a short enantioselective synthesis of the drug substance paroxetine.     

Jahn—Teller effects in the mindo approximation: structures of the molecular cations of methane and the chloromethanes

The MINDO/3 technique gives geometries for (CH₄)⁺, (CCl₄)⁺ and the intermediate ions (CH_nCl_{4 ? n})⁺ (n = 1, 2, 3) which have symmetries in precise accord with the predictions of the Jahn—Teller effect. The ground state of (CH₄)⁺ has D_2d symmetry, with a C_3v structure ca. 45.6 kJ mol^?1 higher. (CCl₄)⁺ has a C_2v ground state, with a D_2d structure ca. 144 kJ mol^?1 higher: no bound state of C_3v symmetry could be found. (CH₃Cl)⁺ and (CHCl₃)⁺ both have C_s symmetry, and (CH₂Cl₂)⁺ has C_2v symmetry. The analogous fluoro ions are discussed briefly.