Influence of the Metal Ion on the Two‐Photon Absorption Properties of Lanthanide Complexes Including Near‐IR Emitters

The synthesis of tris(2‐thenoyltrifluoroacetonate)lanthanide(III) complexes featuring a diethylaminostyryl‐2,2′‐bipyridine coligand was achieved for lanthanum; the near‐infrared (NIR) emitters neodymium, erbium, and ytterbium; and the transition‐metal yttrium. The photophysical properties were thoroughly studied, and it was demonstrated that the conjugated bipyridine ligand acts as a good antenna for the sensitization of the NIR emitters. The two‐photon absorption (TPA) properties of all five complexes were investigated by using both two‐photon excited fluorescence and the Z‐scan method. We demonstrate that the nature of the rare earth ion has almost no influence on the TPA properties centered on the conjugated bipyridyl ligand. Finally, we show that Yb^III is sensitized by a two‐photon antenna effect, and that Nd^III is mostly sensitized by a one‐photon process involving direct excitation of forbidden f–f transitions.     

Compressed matrix thin film (CMTF)-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometric analysis

The inhomogeneous re-crystallization process of matrix materials is the major concerns associated with matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) analysis. We describe here the approach termed compressed matrix thin film (CMTF) in order to make a uniform matrix deposition. In this approach, solid matrix particles are compressed under 10 MPa of pressure by a compressor that is regularly used in infrared spectroscopic analysis. Then aqueous samples can be deposited on the surface of the matrix film. Major advantages of the CMTF approach are summarized as follows. (1) Reproducible sample preparation procedure. Size and thickness of matrix thin films can be controlled by using a fixed mold.force and known amount of matrix materials. (2) Significantly decreased shot-to-shot variations and enhanced reproducibility. (3) Tolerance for in situ salt washing. Because matrix materials are hydrophobic, salts can be washed away while proteins or peptides are retained on the surface of matrix thin films through hydrophobic interactions. (4) Improved sensitivity. The hydrophobic coating of MALDI sample plate by matrix thin films prevents the spreading of samples across the plate and confines analytes to a small area, leading to increased local concentration. (5) A new means for tissue analysis. Tissue sections can be directly transferred to the uniform surface of matrix materials for reproducible and quantitative comparison of different molecules in different localization. The proposed CMTF should be an enabling technique for mass spectrometric analysis with improved correlations between signal intensities and sample quantities.     

Catalytic Oxidative Domino Degradation of Alkyl Phenols Towards 2- and 3-Substituted Muconolactones

The catalytic oxidative domino degradation of phenols was investigated. Hydrogen peroxide (30% aq.) was used as an oxidant and 2,2′-dinitro-4,4′-ditrifluoromethyldiphenyl diselenide 4e as a catalyst. The products were muconic acid 5, and muconolactones muconolactones—5-carboxymethylfuran-2(5H)-ones 7 and 9. Phenols with alkyl groups at 2 or 4 positions of the benzene ring were converted regioselectively to corresponding muconolactones substituted at alkenylene ring carbon atoms. The reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Boronate Ligands in Materials: Determining Their Local Environment by Using a Combination of IR/Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopies and DFT Calculations

Boronic acids (R‐B(OH)₂) are a family of molecules that have found a large number of applications in materials science. In contrast, boronate anions (R‐B(OH)₃^?) have hardly been used so far for the preparation of novel materials. Here, a new crystalline phase involving a boronate ligand is described, Ca[C₄H₉‐B(OH)₃]₂, which is then used as a basis for the establishment of the spectroscopic signatures of boronates in the solid state. The phase was characterized by IR and multinuclear solid‐state NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹B and ⁴³Ca), and then modeled by periodic DFT calculations. Anharmonic OH vibration frequencies were calculated as well as NMR parameters (by using the Gauge Including Projector Augmented Wave—GIPAW—method). These data allow relationships between the geometry around the OH groups in boronates and the IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopic data to be established, which will be key to the future interpretation of the spectra of more complex organic–inorganic materials containing boronate building blocks.     

Synthesis of substituted 1-trifluoromethyl and 1-perfluoroalkyl-3-(arylamino)prop-2-en-1-one: advances in the mechanism of Combes 2-trifluoromethyl and 2-perfluoroalkyl quinolines synthesis

We report a new synthesis and our study of the mechanism of formation of substituted 1-trifluoromethyl and 1-perfluoroalkyl-3-(phenylamino)prop-2-en-1-one starting from 3-(R-phenoxy)-3-perfluoroalkyl-prop-2-enals and arylamines. Reactivity study of the intermediates confirmed that 3-perfluoroalkyl-N,N′-diphenyl-1,5-diazapentadienes are the synthetic intermediates of the synthesis of 2-perfluoroalkylquinolines. The mechanism of the reaction of 1-trifluoromethyl and 1-perfluoroalkyl-3-(phenylamino)prop-2-en-1-one with POCl₃ was studied. To our knowledge this is the first detection and isolation of N,N′-diaryldiazapentadiene derivatives as intermediates in the Combes F-alkyl substituted quinoline synthesis starting from enaminoketones. Finally, we succeeded isolating and identifying unsymmetrically substituted 2-perfluorolakyldiazapentadiene.     

Learning Robot Force/Position Control for Repetitive High Speed Applications with Unknown Non–Linear Contact Stiffness

This paper proposes a learning robot force/position control for high speed force trajectory following. Following high speed force trajectories in different repetitve robotic applications is a challenging field in robot force control. If the end–effector should provide a contact force while following a position trajectory in the non–force controlled direction a parallel force / position control is suitable. However, when it comes to high speed tasks this force control method reaches its limit. The problem can be solved by using an iterative learning control method in combination with the parallel force/position control. In this paper the learning force control method is introduced and experimental results are presented. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Study by XPS of the chlorination of proteins aggregated onto tin dioxide during electrochemical production of hypochlorous acid

In solution, hypochlorous acid (HOCl) reacts with organic matter and notably with protein side-chains. In this study, HOCl was produced by an electrochemical way, by oxidation of chloride ions at a transparent tin dioxide electrode in the presence of a protein, the bovine serum albumin (BSA). A thick irregular layer is formed at the electrode when HOCl is produced at the SnO₂ surface. Indeed, SEM analyses show that an important deposit is formed during the anodic polarization of SnO₂ in the presence of chloride ions and proteins. Actually, two phenomena take place on the one hand the chlorination of the proteins due to the reaction of HOCl with some protein side-chains and on the other hand the aggregation of proteins onto the SnO₂ surface. The present X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study points out the cross-linking of BSA molecules via formation of inter molecular sulfonamide groups. It also shows that the BSA chlorination is due on the one hand to the formation of sulfonyl chloride groups (-SO₂Cl) and on the other hand to formation of chloramine groups (N-Cl). The Cl2p and S2p photo-peak intensities allowed us to quantify the chloramines. It is found that, one BSA entity immobilized onto the SnO₂ surface contains about 50 chloramine groups.     

On the Stability of Pt-Based Catalysts in HBr/Br2 Solution

Stability studies on supported metal nanoparticles are essential for gaining insight into the design and optimization of high-performance materials. In this work, the dissolutions of Pt-based catalysts in HBr/Br₂ mixture of various concentration regimes were studied and correlated with material structural properties. The dissolution of metal nanoparticles was enhanced by adding Br₂ to the HBr solution. Comparing with commercial Pt/C catalyst, the well-alloyed PtIr/C catalyst was observed to exhibit high resistance towards dissolution. In addition, regulating the accessibility of the metal sites to dissolution-inducing species contributed to the marked stability of the nanoparticles in HBr/Br₂ solutions, as shown for the surface-modified PtIr/C catalysts with organic diamine molecules.