Photoelectron imaging following 2 + 1 multiphoton excitation of HBr

The photodissociation and photoionization dynamics of HBr via low-n Rydberg and ion-pair states was studied by using 2 + 1 REMPI spectroscopy and velocity map imaging of photoelectrons. Two-photon excitation at about 9.4-10 eV was used to prepare rotationally selected excited states. Following absorption of the third photon the unperturbed F (1)Delta(2) and i (3)Delta(2) states ionize directly into the ground vibrational state of the molecular ion according to the Franck-Condon principle and upon preservation of the ion core. In case of the V (1)Sigma(+)(0(+)) ion-pair state and the perturbed E (1)Sigma(+)(0(+)), g (3)Sigma(-)(0(+)), and H (1)Sigma(+)(0(+)) Rydberg states the absorption of the third photon additionally results in a long vibrational progression of HBr(+) in the X (2)Pi state as well as formation of electronically excited atomic photofragments. The vibrational excitation of the molecular ion is explained by autoionization of repulsive superexcited states into the ground state of the molecular ion. In contrast to HCl, the perturbed Rydberg states of HBr show strong participation of the direct ionization process, with ionic core preservation.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance and scanning tunneling microscopy investigations on the formation of F(+) and F(0) Color centers on the surface of thin MgO(001) films

The formation of surface color centers (F(S) centers) by electron bombardment of thin MgO(001) films is investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance and low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. At low electron doses both techniques indicate the formation of singly occupied color centers (F(S)(+)), whereas at high electron doses the doubly occupied type (F(S)(0)) is dominant. It is suggested that with increasing electron dose F(S)(+) centers are transformed into F(S)(0). Tunneling spectra of individual F(S)(0) centers reveal a large distribution of energetic positions of occupied and unoccupied states, which is caused by local variations of the coordination number of the defects and explains the broad signals usually detected with integrating spectroscopic techniques.     

Dehydrated and Cs+-exchanged MFI zeolites: location and population of Cs+ from in situ diffraction data as a function of temperature and degree of exchange

H-MFI type zeolitic materials of different Si/Al ratios have been completely or partially cesium-exchanged (cesium content ranging from 0.7 to 7.7 Cs/unit-cell (uc)). Examined with synchrotron X-ray powder diffractometry, an anhydrous sample with the Cs6.6H0.3Al6.9Si89.1O192 chemical composition revealed at ambient temperature the presence of five discrete Cs locations: Cs1 located in the channel intersection near a 10-ring window of the zigzag channel; Cs2 and Cs2', both located in the straight channel but 1.23 A apart; Cs3 and Cs3', both located in the zigzag channel and rather close to each other (2.51 A). The populations of the Cs species amounted to 2.61/0.81/1.85/0.86/0.47/uc for Cs1/2/2'/3/3', respectively. The continuous but multimodal nature of the C2 split site is well-described by a joint-probability density function. The 10-ring of the straight channel in the framework is highly elliptical (epsilon = 1.218). The populations for the same sites were also determined at higher temperatures: 131, 237, 344, and 450 degrees C. At 450 degrees C, Cs2' has migrated toward the center of the channel intersection, and the site separation between Cs2 and Cs2' has lengthened to 2.23 A. Using a temperature-controlled laboratory X-ray diffractometer, similar studies were carried out on partially or almost totally Cs-exchanged samples from various sources with differing Cs contents. They show that over the 0.7 to 4 Cs/uc range all the individual Cs populations vary linearly as a function of total Cs/uc present. At higher total Cs/uc content (4 to approximately 7 Cs/uc) solely Cs1 continues to do so. For Cs2+Cs2' and Cs3+Cs3', the variation is almost linear over the whole concentration range. Computer simulations using a 6-exp-1 Buckingham-type atom-atom van der Waals interaction model yield six possible Cs sites in the actual Cs6.6MFI framework structure. Four of them lie very close to those determined from difference Fourier maps using the room temperature data. A fifth one is close to the Cs2' species after thermal migration at 450 degrees C, and the sixth one is close to the center of the channel intersection. However, this latter site is observed experimentally only in the case of hydrated CsMFI phases. In the anhydrous Cs6.6MFI phase at room temperature, the shortest Cs-framework oxygen distance is Cs3'-O25 = 3.08 A, and the next shortest distances are Cs1-O26 = 3.37, Cs2-O11 = 3.34, Cs2'-O22 = 3.47, and Cs3-O20 = 3.34 A. The framework T(Si,Al) sites most involved in these contacts are the T9, T11, T12, T10, and T3 sites. This implies that these sites are prime candidates for Si/Al substitution.     

Elaiomycins B and C: alkylhydrazide antibiotics from Streptomyces sp. BK 190

Two novel alkyhydrazides, elaiomycins B and C, together with the azoxy antibiotic elaiomycin were isolated from Streptomyces sp. BK 190. The structures were established by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy including (15)N NMR studies and high-resolution orbitrap-ESI-mass spectrometry.     

Mitocanic Di- and Triterpenoid Rhodamine B Conjugates

The combination of the “correct” triterpenoid, the “correct” spacer and rhodamine B (RhoB) seems to be decisive for the ability of the conjugate to accumulate in mitochondria. So far, several triterpenoid rhodamine B conjugates have been prepared and screened for their cytotoxic activity. To obtain cytotoxic compounds with EC₅₀ values in a low nano-molar range combined with good tumor/non-tumor selectivity, the Rho B unit has to be attached via an amine spacer to the terpenoid skeleton. To avoid spirolactamization, secondary amines have to be used. First results indicate that a homopiperazinyl spacer is superior to a piperazinyl spacer. Hybrids derived from maslinic acid or tormentic acid are superior to those from oleanolic, ursolic, glycyrrhetinic or euscaphic acid. Thus, a tormentic acid-derived RhoB conjugate 32, holding a homopiperazinyl spacer can be regarded, at present, as the most promising candidate for further biological studies.     

Sequences with equi-distributed extreme points in uniform polynomial approximation

Let E be a compact set in with connected complement and positive logarithmic capacity. For any f continuous on E and analytic in the interior of E, we consider the distribution of extreme points of the error of best uniform polynomial approximation on E. Let Λ=(n_j) be a subsequence of such that n_j+1/n_j→1. If, for nΛ, A_n( f)∂E denotes the set of extreme points of the error function, we prove that there is a subsequence Λ′ of Λ such that the distribution of any (n+2)th Fekete point set of A_n( f) tends weakly to the equilibrium distribution on E as n→∞ in Λ′. Furthermore, we prove a discrepancy result for the distribution of the point sets if the boundary of E is smooth enough.     

Spirodionic acid, a novel metabolite from Streptomyces sp., part 1: structure elucidation and Diels-Alder-type biosynthesis

Spirodionic acid (1), a novel microbial metabolite with a spiro[4.5]decene skeleton, the 6-ethyl-2H-pyrone 5, dihydrosarkomycin (6), and other metabolites were isolated from the strain Streptomyces sp. Tü 6077. Structural elucidation was accomplished by NMR spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric studies, and the biosyntheses of compounds 1, 5, and 6 were investigated by feeding experiments with (13)C-labeled precursors. All results indicate a biogenetic sequence with metabolite 5 and sarkomycin (7) as precursors in the formation of spirocyclus 1 through an intermolecular Diels-Alder-type reaction.     

Microscopic models of PdZn alloy catalysts: structure and reactivity in methanol decomposition

We review systematic experimental and theoretical efforts that explored formation, structure and reactivity of PdZn catalysts for methanol steam reforming, a material recently proposed to be superior to the industrially used Cu based catalysts. Experimentally, ordered surface alloys with a Pd : Zn ratio of approximately 1 : 1 were prepared by deposition of thin Zn layers on a Pd(111) surface and characterized by photoelectron spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The valence band spectrum of the PdZn alloy resembles closely the spectrum of Cu(111), in good agreement with the calculated density of states for a PdZn alloy of 1 : 1 stoichiometry. Among the issues studied with the help of density functional calculations are surface structure and stability of PdZn alloys and effects of Zn segregation in them, and the nature of the most likely water-related surface species present under the conditions of methanol steam reforming. Furthermore, a series of elementary reactions starting with the decomposition of methoxide, CH(3)O, along both C-H and C-O bond scission channels, on various surfaces of the 1 : 1 PdZn alloy [planar (111), (100) and stepped (221)] were quantified in detail thermodynamically and kinetically in comparison with the corresponding reactions on the surfaces Pd(111) and Cu(111). The overall surface reactivity of PdZn alloy was found to be similar to that of metallic Cu. Reactive methanol adsorption was also investigated by in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for pressures between 3 x 10(-8) and 0.3 mbar.     

Principle and mechanism of direct porphyrin metalation: joint experimental and theoretical investigation

The direct metalation of tetraphenylporphyrin with bare metal atoms (Co and Zn) was studied with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and temperature-programmed reaction measurements on ordered monolayer films of the molecules adsorbed on a Ag(111) surface. The mechanism of this novel type of surface reaction was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations for the related gas-phase reactions of the unsubstituted porphyrin with the metals Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn. The reaction starts with the formation of an initial complex, in which the metal atom is coordinated by the intact unreduced porphyrin. This complex resembles the sitting-atop complex proposed for porphyrin metalation with metal ions in solution. In two subsequent steps, the pyrrolic hydrogen atoms are transferred to the metal atom, forming H2, which is eventually released. The activation barriers of the H-transfer steps vary for the different metal atoms. DFT calculations suggest that metalations with Fe, Co, and Ni show two-state reactivity, while those with Cu and Zn proceed on a single potential energy surface. For metalation with Zn, we calculated a barrier of the first hydrogen transfer step of 32.6 kcal mol(-1), in good agreement with the overall experimental activation energy of 31 kcal mol(-1).