2,5‐Dicarboxy­anilinium chloride monohydrate

The title compound, C₈H₈NO₄⁺·Cl⁻·H₂O, is the chloro­hydrated form of 2‐amino­benzene‐1,4‐dicarboxylic acid, the basic crystal structure of which is still not known. Mol­ecules are linked by classical N—H⋯O, O—H⋯O, N—H⋯Cl and O—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, mainly along the mol­ecular plane, into sheets built by unusual R₆⁴(26), R₆⁴(22) and R₄³(22) rings. The stacking between layers is stabilized by another N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bond and by π–π inter­actions between aromatic rings facing each other.     

RuO4-promoted oxidative polycyclization of isoprenoid polyenes. A further insight into the stereochemistry of the process

Further studies on the RuO₄-catalyzed oxidative polycyclization of isoprenoid polyenes have been carried out. The configuration of the tris-THF product from the oxidation of geranylgeranyl acetate has been determined by a combination of spectral and chemical correlation methods. The oxidation of (E,Z)-farnesyl acetate, synthesized from nerol, has been carried out. This process stops at the first cyclization indicating that an E configuration of the Δ⁶ double bond is needed for the second cyclization to occur. The results are discussed in comparison with previous knowledge on the related Re(VII) polycyclization of polyenic bis-homoallylic alcohols.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the adsorption of fumaramide [2]rotaxane on Au(111) and Ag(111) surfaces

Thin films of fumaramide [2]rotaxane, a mechanically interlocked molecule composed of a macrocycle and a thread in a "bead and thread" configuration, were prepared by vapor deposition on both Ag(111) and Au(111) substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy were used to characterize monolayer and bulklike multilayer films. XPS determination of the relative amounts of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen indicates that the molecule adsorbs intact. On both metal surfaces, molecules in the first adsorbed layer show an additional component in the C 1s XPS line attributed to chemisorption via amide groups. Molecular-dynamics simulation indicates that the molecule orients two of its eight phenyl rings, one from the macrocycle and one from the thread, in a parallel bonding geometry with respect to the metal surfaces, leaving three amide groups very close to the substrate. In the case of fumaramide [2]rotaxane adsorption on Au(111), the presence of certain out-of-plane phenyl ring and Au-O vibrational modes points to such bonding and a preferential molecular orientation. The theoretical and experimental results imply that the three-dimensional intermolecular configuration permits chemisorption at low coverage to be driven by interactions between the three amide functions of fumaramide [2]rotaxane and the Ag(111) or Au(111) surface.     

The de Sitter-Castelnuovo universe and elementary particle physics

If we study the de Sitter universe in the geodetic representation, we obtain the projective relativity, valid on the cosmic scale, for hyperdense matter and high energies. The new theory can be applied also to quantum and elementary particle physics. In this work we examine the angular momentum operator, the D'Alembertian generalized equation, and study the electron, conceived as an oscillating microuniverse.Work sponsored by GNFM-CNR.     

Luminescence Properties of Platinum(II) Dithiooxamide Compounds

Tight contact ion pairs of general formula {Pt(H(2)-R(2)-dto)(2)(2+),(X(-))(2)} have been prepared, and their absorption spectra and luminescence properties (at room temperature in dichloromethane fluid solution and at 77 K in butyronitrile rigid matrix) have been studied (dto = dithiooxamide; R = methyl, X = Cl (1); R = butyl, X = Cl (2); R = benzyl, X = Cl (3); R = cyclohexyl, X = Cl (4); R = cyclohexyl, X = Br (5); R = cyclohexyl, X = I (6)). The absorption spectra of all the compounds are dominated by moderately strong Pt(dpi)/S(p) to dithiooxamide (pi) charge transfer (Pt/S --> dto CT) bands in the visible region (epsilon in the 10(4)-10(5) M(-)(1) cm(-)(1) range). Absorption features are also present at higher energies, due to pi-pi transitions centered in the dto ligands (ligand centered, LC). All the compounds exhibit a unstructured luminescence band in fluid solution at room temperature, with the maximum centered in the 700-730 nm range. The luminescence bands are blue-shifted about 4000 cm(-)(1) on passing to the rigid matrix at 77 K. Luminescence lifetimes are on the 10(-)(8)-10(-)(7) s time scale at room temperature and 1 order of magnitude longer at 77 K. Luminescence is assigned to triplet Pt/S --> dto CT excited states in all cases. Compounds 3-6 also exhibit a second higher-energy luminescence band at room temperature, centered at about 610 nm, attributed to a LC excited state. Charge transfer interactions between halides and dto ligands destabilize dto-centered orbitals, affecting the energy of Pt/S --> dto CT transitions and states. The X counterions and X --> dto CT levels are proposed to play a role in promoting excited state conversion between LC and Pt/S --> dto CT levels. The R substituents on the nitrogen atoms of the dto ligands influence the absorption and photophysical properties of the compounds, by affecting proximity of the ion pairs. The possibility to functionalize the R substituents may open the way to interface these luminescent compounds with desired substrates and to construct supramolecular assemblies.     

Tuning the anion binding properties of calixpyrroles by means of p-nitrophenyl substituents at their meso-positions

Extended cavity calix[4]pyrroles and a calix[6]pyrrole were synthesized by cyclization of 5-methyl-5-(4-nitrophenyl)dipyrromethane with acetone in the presence of acid. The solid-state structures of the novel macrocycles were determined by X-ray crystallography. The host-guest chemistry of these receptors towards halide ions was investigated in solution by ¹H NMR titration techniques and compared with those of the meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole and meso-dodecamethylcalix[6]pyrrole. The binding of chloride anions was observed to occur with different affinities on the two faces of the novel calix[6]pyrrole derivative described here.     

Editorial for Special Issue on Analysis of Asymmetric Relationships

Advances in Data Analysis and Classification -     

Gadolinium‐Decorated Silica Microspheres as Redox‐Responsive MRI Probes for Applications in Cell Therapy Follow‐Up

The redox microenvironment within a cell graft can be considered as an indicator to assess whether the graft is metabolically active or hypoxic. We present a redox‐responsive MRI probe based on porous silica microparticles whose surface has been decorated with a Gd‐chelate through a disulphide bridge. Such microparticles are designed to be interspersed with therapeutic cells within a biocompatible hydrogel. The onset of reducing conditions within the hydrogel is paralleled by an increased clearance of Gd, that can be detected by MRI.     

Modelling the soundscape quality of urban waterfronts by artificial neural networks

The renewal of the urban waterfronts has become a major focus of attention for politicians and decision makers in the city’s management programs. The recognition of the patterns that define the waterfronts’ identity is essential to select new strategies of intervention for the environmental recovery. In order to create adequate environments for everyday life within a sustainable development, new links between human senses, human perception and design need to be created. Within this wide approach, the landscape and the soundscape play a significant role and can become a key driving force in the implementation of the changes. New techniques have to be tested to identify the sonic and visual parameters capable to explain the specificity of a waterfront. With this purpose, an artificial neural network (ANN) was developed, and the relative importance of the input variables was evaluated. The collected database was also analysed by multiple linear regression (MLR) to compare the outcomes of both models. The urban waterfront of Naples (Italy) was chosen as case study. The results obtained show that the performance of the neural network is better than the one of the linear regression (rANN = 0.949, rMLR = 0.639). The interpretation of the relative importance method is also quite satisfactory in the ANN.