Water‐Soluble Triarylborane Chromophores for One‐ and Two‐Photon Excited Fluorescence Imaging of Mitochondria in Cells

Three water‐soluble tetracationic quadrupolar chromophores comprising two three‐coordinate boron π‐acceptor groups bridged by thiophene‐containing moieties were synthesised for biological imaging applications. Compound 3 containing the bulkier 5‐(3,5‐Me₂C₆H₂)‐2,2′‐(C₄H₂S)₂‐5′‐(3,5‐Me₂C₆H₂) bridge is stable over a long period of time, exhibits a high fluorescence quantum yield and strong one‐ and two‐photon absorption (TPA), and has a TPA cross section of 268 GM at 800 nm in water. Confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy studies in live cells indicated localisation of the chromophore at the mitochondria; moreover, cytotoxicity measurements proved biocompatibility. Thus, chromophore 3 has excellent potential for one‐ and two‐photon‐excited fluorescence imaging of mitochondrial function in cells.     

Azine‐Linked Covalent Organic Framework (COF)‐Based Mixed‐Matrix Membranes for CO2/CH4 Separation

Mixed‐matrix membranes (MMMs) comprising Matrimid and a microporous azine‐linked covalent organic frameworks (ACOF‐1) were prepared and tested in the separation of CO₂ from an equimolar CO₂/CH₄ mixture. The COF‐based MMMs show a more than doubling of the CO₂ permeability upon 16 wt % ACOF‐1 loading together with a slight increase in selectivity compared to the bare polymer. These results show the potential of COFs in the preparation of MMMs.     

Electron-hole droplets size at equilibrium

A finite lifetime τ implies that the liquid phase can only form droplets of finite size. Introducing this finite τ in the usual nucleation theory, one can obtain analytical expressions for the electron-hole droplets size, number and exciton density at steady state, in the limit of large τ. This equilibrium size results, in fact, from a Maxwell construction on an appropriate chemical potential.     

Internal Travelling Waves in the Limit of a Discontinuously Stratified Fluid

We consider internal travelling waves in a perfect stratified fluid, in the singular limit case when smooth stratifications approach a discontinuous two-layer profile. Our analysis concerns two-dimensional waves of small amplitude, propagating in an infinite horizontal strip of finite depth. The problems with smooth or discontinuous stratification are formulated as a unifying spatial evolution problem, where the stratification ρ plays the role of a functional parameter. The vector field is not smooth with respect to ρ, but has some weak continuity. When the Froude number is close to a critical value, we reduce the problem to one on a center manifold in a neighborhood of the trivial state independent of ρ (for the usual topology). Considering a weaker topology, we prove the continuity in ρ of the center manifold. Then the small solutions are described by an ordinary differential equation in ?², which depends continuously on ρ in the C ^k norm.     

Dibarium zirconium tetraoxalate trihydrate

A new mixed barium zirconium oxalate, tri­aqua­tetra‐μ‐oxalato‐dibarium(II)­zirconium(IV), Ba₂Zr(C₂O₄)₄·3H₂O or [Ba₂Zr(C₂O₄)₄(H₂O)₃]_n, has been synthesized. The complex is built from eightfold‐coordinated Zr atoms and eleven‐ and sixfold‐coordinated Ba atoms, linked by oxalate groups. The Zr atom, the two Ba atoms and one water O atom lie on crystallographic twofold axes, so that each coordination polyhedron has imposed C2 symmetry. Packing in the crystal is also assumed through hydrogen bonds.