Extension of separation range in capillary isoelectric focusing for resolving highly basic biomolecules

The non-availability of commercial carrier ampholytes in the pH range greater than 11 has contributed to difficulties in focusing and resolving highly basic proteins/peptides using capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF). Two different approaches, involving the use of N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) and ampholyte 9-11, are investigated for their effects on the extension of separation range in cIEF. The addition of TEMED into pharmalyte 3-10 not only prevents the peptides/proteins from focusing in sections of the capillary beyond the detection point, but also extends the separation range to at least isoelectric point (pI) 12. The combination of ampholyte 9-11 with pharmalyte 3-10 surprisingly provides baseline resolution between bradykinin (pI 12) and cytochrome c (pI 10.3). The sample mixture, containing bradykinin, the high-pI protein calibration kit (pI 5.2-10.3), and cytochrome c digest, is employed to demonstrate the cIEF separation of proteins and peptides over a wide pH range of 3.7-12.     

Ferromagnetism induced by orbital order in the charge-transfer insulator Cs2AgF4: an electronic structure study

Cs2AgF4 was proposed to be an orbitally ordered ferromagnet based on recent neutron scattering data. Here, we report a detailed electronic structure study within the local spin density approximation also including strong Coulomb repulsion U. We investigate the influence of an orthorhombic distortion of the Ag environment and the importance of the on-site Coulomb repulsion. We find good quantitative agreement with both the experimentally observed exchange coupling and structural changes. Thus, our results strongly support that Cs2AgF4 is a strongly correlated charge-transfer insulator where the ferromagnetism is driven by orbital order.     

Feature extraction using molecular planes for fuzzy relational clustering of a flexible dopamine reuptake inhibitor

Six rigid-body parameters (Shift, Slide, Rise, Tilt, Roll, Twist) are commonly used to describe the relative displacement and orientation of successive base pairs in a nucleic acid structure. The present work adapts this approach to describe the relative displacement and orientation of any two planes in an arbitrary molecule-specifically, planes which contain important pharmacophore elements. Relevant code from the 3DNA software package (Nucleic Acids Res. 2003, 31, 5108-5121) was generalized to treat molecular fragments other than DNA bases as input for the calculation of the corresponding rigid-body (or "planes") parameters. These parameters were used to construct feature vectors for a fuzzy relational clustering study of over 700 conformations of a flexible analogue of the dopamine reuptake inhibitor, GBR 12909. Several cluster validity measures were used to determine the optimal number of clusters. Translational (Shift, Slide, Rise) rather than rotational (Tilt, Roll, Twist) features dominate clustering based on planes that are relatively far apart, whereas both types of features are important to clustering when the pair of planes are close by. This approach was able to classify the data set of molecular conformations into groups and to identify representative conformers for use as template conformers in future Comparative Molecular Field Analysis studies of GBR 12909 analogues. The advantage of using the planes parameters, rather than the combination of atomic coordinates and angles between molecular planes used in our previous fuzzy relational clustering of the same data set (J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2005, 45, 610-623), is that the present clustering results are independent of molecular superposition and the technique is able to identify clusters in the molecule considered as a whole. This approach is easily generalizable to any two planes in any molecule.     

Solvatochromism and fluoride sensing of thienyl-containing benzodiazaboroles

Static and time-resolved fluorescence studies were carried out to investigate the photophysical properties and fluoride sensing abilities of highly fluorescent thienyl-containing 1,3-diethyl-1,3,2-benzodiazaboroles. Absorption and fluorescence spectra were measured in various solvents, showing the fluorophores to emit in the visible wavelength region with colors varying from blue to orange and quantum yields ranging between 0.21 and 1. Measured Stokes shifts of 2898 cm(-1) to 9308 cm(-1) were used to calculate the difference between excited- and ground-state dipole moments of the fluorophores. Values up to 18.8 D are of the same magnitude as for designed polarity probes such as PRODAN, supporting the idea of internal charge transfer transitions. Quenching studies with pyridine observing static and time-resolved fluorescence revealed a purely dynamic quenching mechanism and low Lewis acidity of the boron within the benzodiazaborolyl moiety compared to other triarylboranes. In contrast to this, quenching with fluoride was shown to stem from adduct formation. Reversible complexation of fluoride follows a simple mechanism for multi-functionalized benzodiazaboroles 2b and 2c, while those containing only one benzodiazaborole moiety (1 and 2a) show a more complicated behaviour, which might be explained by aggregation. Combining a benzodiazaborole group and a dimesitylborane function results in spectrally switchable fluoride sensors 3a and 3b, since the two boron sides can be deactivated for fluorescence in a stepwise manner.     

Crystal and molecular structure studies of 1′-Benzyl-8-(4-fluorobenzyl)-8-azaspiro[bicyclo-[3.2.1]octane-3,4′-imidazolidine]-2′,5′-dione

The title compound 1′-Benzyl-8-(4-fluorobenzyl)-8-azaspiro[bicyclo[3.2.1] octane-3,4′-imidazolidine]-2′,5′-dione, C₂₃H₂₃FN₃O₂ is synthesized and the structure is investigated by X-ray diffraction studies. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic crystal class in the P1 space group. The hydantoin ring adopts a planar conformation and is affected by the π conjugation. The pyrrolidine and piperidine rings in the bicyclo octane moiety adopt envelope and chair conformations respectively. The structure exhibits both inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds of the type N-H...O, C-H...O, and C-H...N. The oxygen atom in the hydantoin ring simultaneously accepts two hydrogen bonds to form a three-centered hydrogen bonding pattern.     

Synthesis,Structural Characterisation and Stereochemical Investigation of Chiral Sulfur‐Functionalised N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Palladium and Platinum

Palladium and platinum complexes containing a sulfur‐functionalised N‐heterocyclic carbene (S‐NHC) chelate ligand have been synthesised. The absolute conformations of these novel organometallic S‐NHC chelates were determined by X‐ray structural analyses and solution‐phase 2D ¹H–¹H ROESY NMR spectroscopy. The structural studies revealed that the phenyl substituents on the stereogenic carbon atoms invariably take up the axial positions on the Pd‐C‐S coordination plane to afford a skewed five‐membered ring structure. All of the chiral complexes are structurally rigid and stereochemically locked in a chiral ring conformation that is either (R_s,S,R)‐λ or (S_s,R,R)‐δ in both the solid state and solution.     

Self‐Assembly of Conjugated Units Using Metal‐Terpyridine Coordination

Due to their inherently dynamic natures and fascinating photoluminescent/photoelectronic properties, coordination compounds of metal ions and conjugated terpyridine ligands have attracted considerable attention as functional materials for a variety of potential applications. In this feature article, a summary of recent work toward the development of one‐ (1D), two‐ (2D), and three‐dimensional (3D) supramolecular polymers, networks, and metallomacrocycles based on zinc metal ion coordination of conjugated units bearing terpyridine ligands is presented, and it is shown how it fits within the overall framework of work in this field. Here, a sequential study from terpyridines as basic building blocks to their zinc‐coordinated supramolecular 1D polymers, 2D macrocycles, and 2D and 3D networks is developed. These networks are compared with respect to their thermal stabilities, molecular organization, and linear and nonlinear optical properties. This work opens new prospects for the development of supramolecular chemistry of terpyridines and other transition metal ions, and also their application in future optoelectronic devices.

     

Effect of annealing on photo accelerated chemically deposited Indium sulfide thin films with various cationic precursors

The present work reports the deposition of Indium sulfide thin films by a recently established novel method called photo-assisted chemical deposition technique. It is a very low cost method for the deposition of thin films, and can be easily scaled up for industrial production. Indium sulfide thin films are deposited on glass substrates through various cationic precursors and the effect of annealing on structural, optical and morphological properties was investigated. Films have been characterized with respect to their structural, optical and morphological properties by means of X-ray diffraction, UV–VIS-NIR Spectrophotometer, SEM and AFM techniques. As-deposited films on glass substrates were amorphous and became crystalline after annealing. The grain size of all the annealed films are larger than the as-prepared films and attained a maximum value for the film prepared with sulfate precursor. The calculated strain was compressive in nature. Surface roughness was estimated from the AFM measurements and found to be decreased in annealed samples. The film deposited with chloride precursor showed a higher visible transmittance of around 80 % and became 90 % on annealing. The variation of packing density follows the variation of the refractive index. The optical band gap of the samples was estimated and found to be within the range of 2.45–2.71 eV, which is in quite agreement with the literature.     

Growth and characterization of semiorganic crystal potassium hydrogen oxalate

Single crystals of potassium hydrogen oxalate (KHO), a semiorganic nonlinear optical material, were grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation solution growth technique at room temperature. The cell parameters of KHO were determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction and the crystal system was identified as monoclinic. The suitability of this material for nonlinear optical application was studied by UV–Vis spectral study and the second harmonic generation efficiency measurement by Kurtz–Perry powder method. The nature of coordination and the functional groups present were investigated by the Fourier transform infrared spectrum. The thermal stability of the crystal was analyzed by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. Vickers microhardness test was carried out on the growth crystal to assess its mechanical stability.