Vibrational dynamics of adsorbates – Quo vadis?

Vibrational energy is a prime reservoir for activating surface processes such as adsorption, desorption and reaction. On metal surfaces, vibrational energy flow occurs on a femto-to picosecond time scale and competing energy dissipation channels in this time range determine the outcome of chemical reactions at surfaces. Fundamental questions of relaxation time, mode selectivity, importance of intra- versus intermolecular coupling and coupling between electronic and vibrational states can now be tackled for relatively complex adsorbates and surfaces. This review looks at the state-of-the-art of surface vibrational dynamics across a wide range of vibrational spectroscopies and the challenges and exciting prospects that lie ahead to further not only our understanding but also the control of vibrational energy flow in model systems as well as real-world problems.     

Galactose‐Phosphonates as Mimetics of the Sialyltransfer by Trypanosomal Sialidases

In an attempt to find competitive inhibitors of the trans‐sialidase of the pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi, we have synthesized conjugates of carbocyclic sialylmimetics (e.g., cyclohexenephosphonates) and galactose derivatives. A trans‐sialidase inhibition assay revealed an interesting preference for ethylidene‐spacered conjugates involving the 3‐position of the sugar.      

Spectroscopic Studies of Mixed Phosphoric-Carboxylic Imides

Abstract

IR spectroscopic studies of hydrogen bonding (intra- vs intermolecular) in selected mixed phosphoric-carboxylic imides (RO) ₂P(O)NR′C(O)R″ 1, R = Et, R′ = H, alkyl, R″ = OEt, Ph, are presented.     

Synthesis and Reactions of the Novel Diphosphine,iPrN = C[CH2P(NiPr2)2]2

Abstract

The aldimine nBuN=CHiPr and phosphorus trichloride react to give phosphorus(III) amides in a 1:1 and 2:1 molar ratio. An imine-enamine tautomerism is proposed. In a [4+1] cycloaddition reaction diacetyl-(N-n-butyl)diimine and λ³σ³P-species, RPCl₂ or EtOPCl₂, form 1,2,3λ⁵σ⁴ -diazaphospholenes¹. The same diimine and (Et₂N)₂ PCl is furnishing annellated azaphospholenes¹. A 1,3,4λ⁵ σ⁴ -diazaphospholanium is formed from a λ³σ³ -phosphenium and iPrN=CMe₂ ². Phosphorus(III) amides P(NR₂)₃ (R= Me, Et) and O-trimethylsilylated diacetyldioxime give rise to yield the first monocyclic pentaazaphosphoranes.     

Variational Phase Field Modeling of Fracture Caused by Fluid Transport in Poroelastic Solids

The numerical modeling of failure mechanisms due to fracture based on sharp crack discontinuities is extremely demanding and suffers in situations with complex crack topologies. This drawback can be overcome by recently developed diffusive crack modeling concepts, which are based on the introduction of a crack phase field. Such an approach is conceptually in line with gradient-extended continuum damage models which include internal length scales. In this paper, we extend our recently outlined mechanical framework [1–3] towards the phase field modeling of fracture in the coupled problem of fluid transport in deforming porous media. Here, extremely complex crack patterns may occur due to drying or hydraulic induced fracture, the so called fracking. We develop new variational potentials for Biot-type fluid transport in porous media at finite deformations coupled with phase field fracture. It is shown, that this complex coupled multi-field problem is related to an intrinsic mixed variational principle for the evolution problem. This principle determines the rates of deformation, fracture phase field and fluid content along with the fluid potential. We develop a robust computational implementation of the coupled problem based on the potentials mentioned above and demonstrate its performance by the numerical simulation of complex fracture patterns. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Processes To Separate Enantiomers

The provision of pure enantiomers is of increasing importance not only for the pharmaceutical industry but also for agrochemistry and biotechnology. In general, there are two rival approaches to provide pure enantiomers. The “chiral” approach is based on developing an asymmetric synthesis of just one of the enantiomers, while the “racemic” approach is based on separating mixtures of the two enantiomers. In the last few years remarkable progress has been achieved in the latter area. This Review focuses in particular on enantioselective crystallization processes and preparative chromatography, including hybrid processes and the incorporation of racemization steps. Several examples from our research are used for illustration purposes.     

Relating surface-enhanced Raman scattering signals of cells to gold nanoparticle aggregation as determined by LA-ICP-MS micromapping

The cellular response to nanoparticle exposure is essential in various contexts, especially in nanotoxicity and nanomedicine. Here, 14-nm gold nanoparticles in 3T3 fibroblast cells are investigated in a series of pulse-chase experiments with a 30-min incubation pulse and chase times ranging from 15 min to 48 h. The gold nanoparticles and their aggregates are quantified inside the cellular ultrastructure by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry micromapping and evaluated regarding the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals. In this way, both information about their localization at the micrometre scale and their molecular nanoenvironment, respectively, is obtained and can be related. Thus, the nanoparticle pathway from endocytotic uptake, intracellular processing, to cell division can be followed. It is shown that the ability of the intracellular nanoparticles and their accumulations and aggregates to support high SERS signals is neither directly related to nanoparticle amount nor to high local nanoparticle densities. The SERS data indicate that aggregate geometry and interparticle distances in the cell must change in the course of endosomal maturation and play a critical role for a specific gold nanoparticle type in order to act as efficient SERS nanoprobe. This finding is supported by TEM images, showing only a minor portion of aggregates that present small interparticle spacing. The SERS spectra obtained after different chase times show a changing composition and/or structure of the biomolecule corona of the gold nanoparticles as a consequence of endosomal processing.     

Benzamidinium d-glucuronate: Spectroscopic and structural elucidation

Benzamidinium d-glucuronate (1) crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁ and exhibits a 3 D network with molecules linked by moderate intermolecular hydrogen bonds (HNH…O_(solvent) 2.993 Å, HNH…OCO 2.894 Å, HNH…O_(cycle) 2.844 Å, OH…NH₂ 2.931 Å, OH…O_(solvent) 2.894, 2.924 and 2.715 Å (stronger)) with participation of cations, anions and solvent molecules. The IR-band assignment of carbohydrate moieties is elucidated by a comparison between the types and bond lengths of intermolecular interactions with participation of OH groups in d-glucuronate and linear polarized IR-(IR-LD) spectroscopic data. Experimental results are supported by theoretical ab initio calculations of benzamidinium cation and d-glucuronate anion.     

Bioactivation of knitted cellulose scaffolds by strontium

Strontium has attained increasing interest in the treatment of osteoporosis due to its anabolic as well as antiresorptive activity. Knitted cellulose scaffolds with a porosity suitable to promote bone tissue ingrowth and vascularisation were doped with SrCO₃. The in vitro bioactivity of the modified scaffolds was proven by formation of hydroxyapatite during exposure to simulated body fluid. The Sr-release kinetics during static exposure to simulated body fluid is dominated by an accelerated Sr-release in the initial state followed by a reduced release corresponding to a diffusion controlled rate. Microstructural analyses indicate that initially precipitated SrCO₃ transforms to Sr _x Ca_1−x CO₃ solid solutions that subsequently serve as a template for the precipitation of bone like carbonated hydroxyapatite under conditions simulating the inorganic part of the human blood plasma.     

Chromophore/DNA interactions: femto- to nanosecond spectroscopy, NMR structure, and electron transfer theory

The mechanism of photoinduced hole injection into DNA has been studied using an integrated approach that combines NMR structural analysis, time-resolved spectroscopy, and quantum-chemical calculations. A covalently linked acridinium derivative, the protonated 9-amino-6-chloro-2-methoxyacridine (X+), is replacing a thymine and separated from either guanine (G) or the easier to oxidize 7-deazaguanine (Z) by one adenine.thymine (A.T) base pair. The key features of this donor/acceptor system are the following: (i) In more than 95% of the duplexes, X+ is located in a central, coplanar position between the neighboring A.T base pairs with its long axis in parallel showing minimal twist and tilt angles (<15 degrees). The complementary adenine base is turned out into the extrahelical space. In a minority of less than 5%, X+ is found to be still attached to the duplex. X+ is most probably associated with one of the phosphates, since it is neither intercalated between more remote base pairs nor bound to sugars or grooves. This minority characterized by an excited state lifetime >10 ns gives rise to a small background signal in time-resolved measurements and contributes predominantly to steady-state fluorescence spectra. (ii) Although the intercalation mode of X+ is well defined, the NMR structure reveals that there are two conformations of X+ with respect to the arrangement of its methoxy substituent. In one conformation, the methoxy group is in the plane of the chromophore, while, in the other extraplanar conformation, the methoxy group forms an angle of 70 degrees with the acridinium ring. The fluorescence decay of 5'-ZAX and 5'-GAX tracts can be fitted to a biexponential function with similar amplitudes, reflecting the oxidation dynamics of G and Z, with the slower rate being determined by larger thermal activation energy. The attribution of biexponential electron transfer (ET) dynamics to the bimodal orientation of the methoxy group at the acridinium is supported by quantum-chemical calculations. These predict a larger free energy change for hole transfer in the nonplanar conformation as compared to the planar one, whereas the difference in the electronic couplings is negligible. (iii) Kinetic studies of the directionality of the 1(X+)* induced hole injection reveal similarly fast decay components in both directions of the duplex, that is, in 5'-ZAX and 5'-XAZ, with the amplitude of the fast component being significantly reduced in 5'-XAZ. The NMR structure shows that local structural deviations from B-DNA are much more pronounced in the 3'-5' direction than in the 5'-3' direction. According to quantum-chemical calculations, the directionality of charge injection is not a universal feature of the DNA duplex but depends critically on the rotation angle of the aromatic plane of the acridinium within the pi stack. The arrangement of X+ in 5'-ZAX and 5'-XAZ corresponds to a conformation with weak directionality of the electronic couplings. The increased disorder in the 3'-5'direction favors slow hole transfer components at the expense of the fast ones. (iv) A comparison of the hole transfer in 5'-GAX and 5'-ZAG shows that classical Marcus theory can explain the ratio of the charge shift rates of more than 2 orders of magnitude on the basis of a free energy difference between G and Z of 0.3 eV. Both NMR structures and quantum-chemical calculations justify the appreciable neglect of differences of electronic couplings as well as in the reorganization energy in 5'-GAX and 5'-ZAG. Despite the attractive concept for the behavior of floppy DNA oligonucleotides, in this acridinium/DNA system, there is no evidence for conformational gating, that is, for fluctuations in the electronic couplings that permit the ET to occur.