Nanoscopic Visualization of Cross‐Linking Density in Polymer Networks with Diarylethene Photoswitches

The in situ nanoscopic imaging of soft matter polymer structures is of importance to gain knowledge of the relationship between structure, properties, and functionality on the nanoscopic scale. Cross‐linking of polymer chains effects the viscoelastic properties of gels. The correlation of mechanical properties with the distribution and amount of cross‐linkers is relevant for applications and for a detailed understanding of polymers on the molecular scale. We introduce a super‐resolution fluorescence‐microscopy‐based method for visualizing and quantifying cross‐linker points in polymer systems. A novel diarylethene‐based photoswitch with a highly fluorescent closed and a non‐fluorescent open form is used as a photoswitchable cross‐linker in a polymer network. As an example for its capability to nanoscopically visualize cross‐linking, we investigate pNIPAM microgels as a system known with variations in internal cross‐linking density.     

Design,Synthesis, and Application of an Optimized Monofluorinated Aliphatic Label for Peptide Studies by Solid‐State 19F NMR Spectroscopy

A conformationally restricted monofluorinated α‐amino acid, (3‐fluorobicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl)glycine (F‐Bpg), was designed as a label for the structural analysis of membrane‐bound peptides by solid‐state ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. The compound was synthesized and validated as a ¹⁹F label for replacing natural aliphatic α‐amino acids. Calculations suggested that F‐Bpg is similar to Leu/Ile in terms of size and lipophilicity. The ¹⁹F NMR label was incorporated into the membrane‐active antimicrobial peptide PGLa and provided information on the structure of the peptide in a lipid bilayer.     

PyFREC: Software for Förster electronic coupling evaluation in molecular fragments

Electronic couplings are crucial for understanding exciton dynamics and associated energy transfer in artificial and natural chromophores. The proposed PyFREC (Python FRagment Electronic Coupling) software enables evaluation of electronic couplings based on the Förster model. PyFREC features the decomposition of electronic couplings, obtained through quantum chemical calculations, into the orientation and dipole strength components. Furthermore, the variation method to evaluate energies of coupled electronic excited states and delocalization of electronic excitations is implemented in the software. PyFREC has been tested on the S22 benchmark dataset of non‐covalent complexes and water clusters. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Kinetics of protein adsorption by nanoporous carbons with different pore size

Kinetics of bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin adsorption by nanoporous carbons with different main pore sizes (1.6, 5, 7.8 and 28 nm) was studied. Experimental kinetics curves were well described by multi-exponential equation with different number of exponents (from 1 to 4). Protein adsorption kinetics showed significant dependence on pore size of carbonaceous adsorbent. Correlation between pore size distribution and amount of protein adsorbed revealed threshold pore size 7.3 nm for BSA and 6.8 nm for OVA, which are close to hydrodynamic diameter of protein molecules. The fastest and the highest adsorption of proteins were observed in carbons having developed porosity with pore sizes larger than 15 nm.     

Periodic solutions of systems of functional differential equations with linear deviations of argument and their properties

We establish sufficient conditions for the existence of periodic solutions of systems of linear and nonlinear functional differential equations with linear deviations of the argument and investigate their properties.     

1H, 13C,and 15N NMR spectra of some pyridazine derivatives

¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N NMR chemical shifts for pyridazines 4–22 were measured using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods including ¹H? ¹H gDQCOSY, ¹H? ¹³C gHMQC, ¹H? ¹³C gHMBC, and ¹H? ¹⁵N CIGAR–HMBC experiments. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1-Amino-3,3-difluorocyclobutanecarboxylic acid

A new fluorinated analogue of 1-aminocyclobutane-1-carboxylate (ACBC) - 1-amino-3,3-difluorocyclobutanecarboxylic acid (6) - has been synthesized in six steps from acetone. The key step of the synthesis is a transformation of a ketone group into the CF₂-group using morpholino-sulphur trifluoride.     

Low temperature structural variations and molar heat capacity of stolzite, PbWO4

The crystal structure, thermal expansion and heat capacity of PbWO₄ (mineral name stolzite) scintillator material were comprehensively studied over a wide temperature range. No phase transitions were found down to 2 K (I4₁/a, scheelite structure type). A distinct feature of the temperature induced structural variations in PbWO₄ are the different thermal elongations of shorter and longer Pb-O distances. The low-temperature thermal expansion of PbWO₄ was parameterized on the basis of the 1st order Grüneisen approximation using a Debye function for the internal energy with a Debye temperature of 237 K, a bulk modulus of 67 GPa and a Grüneisen parameter of 1.08. The expansion along the c-axis is about 2.5-3 times higher in the range 23-290 K than along the a-direction. This pronounced anisotropy of the thermal expansion arises from the arrangements of rigid tetrahedral WO₄²⁻ units along 〈100〉-directions while Pb²⁺ cations occupy the sites between WO₄²⁻ in 〈001〉-directions.