Optimal choice of dividing surface for the computation of quantum reaction rates

We consider the calculation of quantum mechanical rate constants for chemical reactions via algorithms that utilize short-time values of the symmetrized flux-flux correlation function. We argue that the dividing surface that makes optimal use of the short-time quantum information is the surface that minimizes the value at the origin of the symmetrized flux-flux correlation function. We also demonstrate that, in the classical limit, this quantum variational criterion produces the same dividing surface as Wigner's variational principle. Finally, we argue that the quantum variational criterion behaves in a nearly optimal fashion with respect to the minimization of the extent of re-crossing flux.     

Ligand-controlled and nanoconfinement-boosted luminescence employing Pt(ii) and Pd(ii) complexes: from color-tunable aggregation-enhanced dual emitters towards self-referenced oxygen reporters

In this work, we describe the synthesis, structural and photophysical characterization of four novel Pd(ii) and Pt(ii) complexes bearing tetradentate luminophoric ligands with high photoluminescence quantum yields (Φ_L) and long excited state lifetimes (τ) at room temperature, where the results were interpreted by means of DFT calculations. Incorporation of fluorine atoms into the tetradentate ligand favors aggregation and thereby, a shortened average distance between the metal centers, which provides accessibility to metal–metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (³MMLCT) excimers acting as red-shifted energy traps if compared with the monomeric entities. This supramolecular approach provides an elegant way to enable room-temperature phosphorescence from Pd(ii) complexes, which are otherwise quenched by a thermal population of dissociative states due to a lower ligand field splitting. Encapsulation of these complexes in 100 nm-sized aminated polystyrene nanoparticles enables concentration-controlled aggregation-enhanced dual emission. This phenomenon facilitates the tunability of the absorption and emission colors while providing a rigidified environment supporting an enhanced Φ_L up to about 80% and extended τ exceeding 100 μs. Additionally, these nanoarrays constitute rare examples for self-referenced oxygen reporters, since the phosphorescence of the aggregates is insensitive to external influences, whereas the monomeric species drop in luminescence lifetime and intensity with increasing triplet molecular dioxygen concentrations (diffusion-controlled quenching).

Pt(ii) and Pd(ii) complexes with unprecedented photophysical properties were developed. Encapsulation in nanoparticles boosted their performance while rendering them as self-referenced oxygen sensors.     

Analysis of application of Langmuir isotherm to heterogeneous systems: high-pressure conditions

In this paper, an adsorption model that is based on the statistical mechanics approach was applied to study the saturation phenomena in adsorption to calculate the minimum pressure needed to attain the complete surface coverage on a physical adsorption. The fundamental integral equation, Theta(T)(Q)=integral N(Q)Theta(Q)dQ, for the calculation of the coverage degree of the surface was developed for an exponential distribution function, N(Q)=(m/RT)exp(-mQ/RT), and the representation of local adsorption sites is given by the Langmuir expression, Theta(Q)=b(0)C exp(Q/RT)/(1+b(0)C exp(Q/RT)). At high values of the pressure C, a solution of the fundamental integral equation was obtained by imposing the condition b(0)C>1. The expression for the saturation condition, b(0)C>m/(m+1), was obtained; that is, the saturation phenomenon is dependent on two parameters, correlated with the energetic heterogeneity and adsorption energy of the system. The pressure in the analysis of the cited expression shows that, for low m values (more heterogeneous systems), saturation is attained for b(0)C>m, while for m congruent with 1 (more homogeneous systems), the saturation is attained for b(0)C>0.5.     

Parallel synthesis of H-pin polyamides by alkene metathesis on solid phase

A small library of H-pin polyamides with variable aliphatic bridge lengths (CH(2))(n)(), where n = 4-8, connecting a central Py/Py pair was prepared via parallel synthesis with Ru-catalyzed alkene metathesis on solid phase as a complexity-generating cross-linking reaction. DNA binding affinities and sequence specificities were analyzed for each member of the library to determine the optimum linker length. An H-pin polyamide with a six-methylene bridge was found to have the highest affinity to its match site with high selectivity over a 1-bp mismatch site. The relationship between the number of methylenes in the linker (CH(2))(n)() and affinity is n = 6 > 4 > 7 > 5 > 8. These results indicate that 6 followed by 4 methylene-bridged polyamides represent the optimum spacer length for the H-pin motif in the DNA minor groove. Importantly, the H-pin is competitive with hairpin polyamides with respect to affinity and specificity. The metathesis-based convergent synthetic route to H-pin polyamides expands the scope of readily available DNA recognition motifs for small molecule-based gene regulation studies.     

Relation between pore sizes of protein crystals and anisotropic solute diffusivities

The diffusion of a solute, fluorescein, into lysozyme protein crystals with different pore structures was investigated. To determine the diffusion coefficients, three-dimensional solute concentration fields acquired by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) during diffusion into the crystals were compared with the output of a time-dependent 3-D diffusion model. The diffusion process was found to be anisotropic, and the degree of anisotropy increased in the order: triclinic, tetragonal and orthorhombic crystal morphology. A linear correlation between the pore diffusion coefficients and the pore sizes was established. The maximum size of the solute, deduced from the established correlation of diffusion coefficients and pore size, was 0.73 +/- 0.06 nm, which was in the range of the average diameter of fluorescein (0.69 +/- 0.02 nm). This proves that size exclusion is the key mechanism for solute diffusion in protein crystals. Hence, the origin of solute diffusion anisotropy can be found in the packing of the protein molecules in the crystals, which determines the crystal pore organization.     

Non-linear correlations between formal potential and Hammett parameters of substituted iron phthalocyanines and catalytic activity for the electro-oxidation of hydrazine

The activity of the different iron phthalocyanines was examined using the complexes adsorbed on graphite electrodes. The effect of the Fe(II)/(I) formal potential of iron phthalocyanines on the their catalytic activity for the electro-oxidation of hydrazine was investigated. A plot of log k (rate constant at constant potential) versus the Fe(II)/(I) formal potential gives a volcano curve. The rate of the reaction increases with the driving force of the catalyst (measured as its formal potential) and then decreases for higher driving forces. A similar graph is obtained with a plot of log k versus the sum of the Hammett parameters of the substituents on the periphery of the phthalocyanine ligand. A maximum activity is obtained for a complexes having an M(II)/(I) redox potential close to –0.6 V which agrees with previous studies conducted with phthalocyanines of different metals and with cobalt phthalocyanines bearing different substituents.Dedicated to Prof. Wolf Vielstich on the occasion of his 80th birthday in recognition of his numerous contributions to interfacial electrochemistry.     

Thermodynamics and equilibrium structure of Ne38 cluster: quantum mechanics versus classical

The equilibrium properties of classical Lennard-Jones (LJ38) versus quantum Ne38 Lennard-Jones clusters are investigated. The quantum simulations use both the path-integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) and the recently developed variational-Gaussian wave packet Monte Carlo (VGW-MC) methods. The PIMC and the classical MC simulations are implemented in the parallel tempering framework. The classical heat capacity Cv(T) curve agrees well with that of Neirotti et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 112, 10340 (2000)], although a much larger confining sphere is used in the present work. The classical Cv(T) shows a peak at about 6 K, interpreted as a solid-liquid transition, and a shoulder at approximately 4 K, attributed to a solid-solid transition involving structures from the global octahedral (Oh) minimum and the main icosahedral (C5v) minimum. The VGW method is used to locate and characterize the low energy states of Ne38, which are then further refined by PIMC calculations. Unlike the classical case, the ground state of Ne38 is a liquidlike structure. Among the several liquidlike states with energies below the two symmetric states (Oh and C5v), the lowest two exhibit strong delocalization over basins associated with at least two classical local minima. Because the symmetric structures do not play an essential role in the thermodynamics of Ne38, the quantum heat capacity is a featureless curve indicative of the absence of any structural transformations. Good agreement between the two methods, VGW and PIMC, is obtained. The present results are also consistent with the predictions by Calvo et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 114, 7312 (2001)] based on the quantum superposition method within the harmonic approximation. However, because of its approximate nature, the latter method leads to an incorrect assignment of the Ne38 ground state as well as to a significant underestimation of the heat capacity.     

Total arsenic content of nine species of Antarctic macro algae as determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Total arsenic in nine species Antarctic macro algae has been measured, by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using a Pd/Mg(NO₃)₂ matrix modifier, to determine their capacity to accumulate the element. Macro algae were collected in February during the 2000 austral summer season at Jubany Station (Argentinean scientific station) around Potter Cove, King George Island. An optimized two-step microwave (MW) program was used to digest the samples. Dried samples were treated with HNO₃, H₂O₂, and HF, left overnight, then subjected to the first MW cycle. After cooling HNO₃ and HClO₄ were added and samples were subjected to the second MW cycle of digestion treatment. The effect of power and time on As recovery was examined. The analytical features of the method were: detection limit, 0.24 g g^–1 (dry mass); precision (RSD), 4.2–5.7%; recovery 91–105%. A wide range of As-retention capacity (41.0–447 g g^–1 dry mass) was observed among the different species. The highest levels of As were found in Phaeurus antarcticus (447 g g^–1 dry mass). This organism satisfies several prerequisites to be considered for consideration as a biomonitor in future studies.     

Anion template effect on the self-assembly and interconversion of metallacyclophanes

Reactions of 3,6-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (bptz) with solvated first-row transition metals M(II) (M(II) = Ni, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu) have been explored with emphasis on the factors that influence the identity of the resulting cyclic products for Ni(II) and Zn(II). The relatively small anions, namely [ClO4]- and [BF4]-, lead to the formation of molecular squares [{M4(bptz)4(CH3CN)8} subsetX][X]7, (M = Zn(II), Ni(II); X = [BF4]-, [ClO4]-), whereas the larger anion [SbF6]- favors the molecular pentagon [{Ni5(bptz)5-(CH3CN)10} subsetSbF6][SbF6]9. The molecular pentagon easily converts to the square in the presence of excess [BF4]-, [ClO4]-, and [I]- anions, whereas the Ni(II) square can be partially converted to the less stable pentagon under more forcing conditions in the presence of excess [SbF6]- ions. No evidence for the molecular square being in equilibrium with the pentagon was observed in the ESI-MS spectra of the individual square and pentagon samples. Anion-exchange reactions of the encapsulated ion in [{Ni4(bptz)4(CH3CN)8} subsetClO4][ClO4]7 reveal that a larger anion such as [IO4]- cannot replace [ClO4]- inside the cavity, but that the linear [Br3]- anion is capable of doing so. ESI-MS studies of the reaction between [Ni(CH3CN)6][NO3]2 and bptz indicate that the product is trinuclear. Mass spectral studies of the bptz reactions with Mn(II), Fe(II), and Cu(II), in the presence of [ClO4]- anions, support the presence of molecular squares. The formation of the various metallacyclophanes is discussed in light of the factors that influence these self-assembly reactions, such as choice of metal ion, anion, and solvent.