Fabrication and photochromic study of titanate nanotubes loaded with silver nanoparticles

Pure anatase-TiO₂ and/or titanate nanotubes, photochromic Ag loaded titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNTs) and AgCl loaded titanate nanotubes were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The pH value during the neutralization process plays a crucial role in controlling the morphology and composition of the nanotubes. All these nanotubes were confirmed by XRD, TEM, EDS and XPS analysis. Most of them have open ends with inner/outer diameters of 7/10 nm and several hundred nanometers in length. For photochromic behavior in the case of AgCl-titanate nanotubes, the red color can be clearly observed after irradiation by red light, while the yellow, green, blue ones displayed pale black after the corresponding irradiation. On the other hand, Ag loaded TNT sample exhibited multicolor photochromism corresponding to that of incident light. The photoreduction of silver halide to Ag particle in the case of loaded AgCl particles and a particle-plasmon-assisted electron transfer from Ag nanoparticles to TiO₂ in the case of loaded Ag particles are considered to be responsible for this different behavior.     

Nitro-substituted stilbeneboronate pinacol esters and their fluoro-adducts. Fluoride ion induced polarity enhancement of arylboronate esters

A series of stilbeneboronate pinacol cyclic esters, containing none to three nitro groups, have been synthesized by various olefination reactions and characterized by X-ray single-crystal structure analysis. A stilbeneboronate ester bearing electron-acceptor groups experiences transition to a push-pull pi-electron system upon complexation with one fluoride ion at the boron atom. The UV-vis absorption maxima of the presented nitro-substituted stilbeneboronate esters are red-shifted upon addition of fluoride ions, indicating this binding event. The enhancement of the polarity of the investigated compounds and the changes in the electronic system were investigated by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and solvatochromism. Additionally, studies were performed by natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and RI-CC2 calculations of the vertical excitation energies. The synergism of fluoride ion complexation and solvation upon the UV-vis band shift is interpreted in terms of linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) using the Kamlet-Taft solvent parameter set. It is found that the UV-vis absorption of the fluoro-boronates is strongly dependent on the solvents hydrogen-bond donating ability.     

Crystallographic characterization and identification of a minor isomer of C(84) fullerene

We report the synthesis and single crystal X-ray analysis of C(84) ().AgTPP (Ag tetraphenylporphyrin) cocrystal-the first ordered crystal structure containing a pristine higher fullerene.     

Towards a Cradle-to-Cradle Polyolefin Lifecycle

Achieving efficient chemical depolymerization of waste polyolefins to monomers remains an unsolved challenge, while it could be an effective means to avoid further waste accumulation in the environment and generate economic benefits. In a recent publication by Conk et al., polyethylene (PE) is converted to propylene, the second most used monomer in the polymer industry. The conversion is achieved via a tandem catalysis approach in which partially unsaturated PE chains react with ethylene to generate propylene with yields as high as 87 %. The study is a first proof of concept showcasing a selective chemical depolymerization of PE to a monomer. Future research is expected to focus on the catalyst optimization, process design, and compatibility with contaminated and multi-polymer waste streams.     

Feature detection and alignment of hyphenated chromatographic-mass spectrometric data. Extraction of pure ion chromatograms using Kalman tracking

In this paper we present a new method, called TracMass, for analyzing data obtained using hyphenated chromatography-mass spectrometry (XC/MS). The method uses a Kalman filter to extract pure, noise-free ion chromatograms by exploiting the latent second order structure in the XC/MS data. TracMass differs from current state-of-the-art methodologies, which extract chromatograms by binning along the m/z axis and further processes the data in various ways, e.g. by baseline correction, component detection algorithm, peak detection, and curve resolution to extract molecular features. The proposed method was validated by analyzing two plasma datasets: one derived from 99 quality control samples where TracMass extracted 8880 Pure Ion Chromatograms (PICs) present in > or =90 of the samples. The second dataset was spiked with two different internal standard mixtures to test differential expression analysis. Here TracMass found 20000 PICs present in 10 samples, all differentially expressed analytes, and also a previously unreported discriminating metabolite. Finding as many PICs as possible is in this context essential to ensure that even small differentiating features are found (if they exist). The resulting data representation from TracMass (PICs) can be used directly for statistical analysis, and the method is fast (approximately 5min/sample), with few adjustable parameters.     

Valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy of Ti,TiO, and TiO2 by means of a double full-cylinder crystal von Hamos spectrometer

We present valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy of Ti, TiO, and TiO₂ by means of a double crystal von Hamos spectrometer based on full-cylinder highly annealed pyrolytic graphite mosaic crystals. We demonstrate that, using a double crystal configuration, an energy resolution of E/ΔE ≈ 2,700 can be achieved in a compact setup using cylindrically curved optics with a radius of curvature of 50 mm. The stated energy resolution proved to be high enough to identify and determine chemical shifts of the Kβ_2,5 and Kβ″ emission lines of both oxides. The experimental results are supported by calculations with the ab initio package OCEAN and compared with literature values.     

Pr4(SeO3)2(SeO4)F6 und NaSm(SeO3)(SeO4): Selenit‐Selenate der Selten‐Erd‐Elemente

Pr₄(SeO₃)₂(SeO₄)F₆ and NaSm(SeO₃)(SeO₄): Selenite‐Selenates of Rare Earth Elements Light green single crystals of Pr₄(SeO₃)₂(SeO₄)F₆ have been obtained from the decomposition of Pr₂(SeO₄)₃ in the presence of LiF in a gold ampoule. The monoclinic compound (C2/c, Z = 4, a = 2230.5(3), b = 710.54(9), c = 835.6(1) pm, β = 98.05(2)°, R_all = 0.0341) contains two crystallographically different Pr³⁺ ions. Pr(1)³⁺ is attached by six fluoride ions and two chelating SeO₃^2– groups (CN = 10), Pr(2)³⁺ is surrounded by four fluoride ions, three monodentate SeO₃^2– and two SeO₄^2– groups. One of the latter acts as a chelating ligand, so the CN of Pr(2)³⁺ is 10. The selenite ions are themselves coordinated by five and the selenate ions by four Pr³⁺ ions. The coordination number of the F^– ions is three and four, respectively. The linkage of the coordination polyhedra leads to cavities in the crystal structure which incorporate the lone pairs of the selenite ions. The reaction of Sm₂(SeO₄)₃ and NaCl in gold ampoules yielded light yellow single crystals of NaSm(SeO₃)(SeO₄). The monoclinic compound (P2₁/c, Z = 4, a = 1066.9(2), b = 691.66(8), c = 825.88(9) pm, β = 91.00(2)°, R_all = 0.0530) contains tenfold oxygen coordinated Sm³⁺ ions. The oxygen atoms belong to five SeO₃^2– and two SeO₄^2– ions. Two of the SeO₃^2– groups as well as one of the SeO₄^2– groups act as a chelating ligand. The sodium ions are surrounded by five SeO₄^2– ions and one SeO₃^2– group. One of the selenate ions is attached chelating leading to a coordination number of seven. Each selenite group is coordinated by six (5 × Sm³⁺ and 1 × Na⁺), each selenate ion by seven cations (5 × Na⁺ and 2 × Sm³⁺).     

Preparation,Structural Properties and Thermal Isomerization of Hex‐3‐ene‐1,5‐diyne Bridged [2.2]Paracyclophanes

The [2.2]paracyclophane moiety is used as a spacer to connect the ends of a hex‐3‐ene‐1,5‐diyne unit, a π‐system that on thermolysis usually cycloaromatizes to a benzene ring (Bergman cyclization). For the preparation of the pseudo‐geminally‐bridged system 9 , the diacetylene 3 was chain‐extended to the diol 16 , which after conversion to the pseudo‐geminal dibromide 17 was ring‐closed by treatment with LiHMDS/HMPA to the [2.2]paracyclophane enediyne 9 . Whereas the McMurry coupling of the pseudo‐ortho bisaldehyde 24 resulted in the formation of the hexadienyne‐bridged cyclophane 27 , the pseudo‐ortho‐bridged hydrocarbon 11 was obtained by preparing first the diol 28 from 24 , converting the latter into the dioxolane 29 , which in the last step furnished the olefin 11 by treatment with Tf₂O/EtN(iPr)₂. The authentic Bergman product 10 of the pseudo‐gem‐bridged hexenediyne 9 was synthesized by a conventional sequence starting from the ethynyl formyl substrate 18 . Since the pseudo‐ortho‐enediyne‐bridged hydrocarbon 11 is thermally labile, its benzannelated derivate 34 was prepared. No classical Bergman cyclization reactions could be observed for any of the [2.2]paracyclophane‐bridged hexenediynes prepared here. In the pseudo‐gem‐series the fulvenes 14 and 15 were the only products that could be identified under thermal conditions (McMurry coupling); the benzannelated substrate 34 gave the benzofulvene‐bridged cyclophane 36 on photolysis. Bergman cyclizations yielding fulvene derivatives are extremely rare. The mechanism of the cyclization of 9 and 34 is discussed, using compliance constants. The structure assignments of the hydrocarbons synthesized in this study are based on spectroscopic studies as well as X‐ray structural analyses for 9 , 10 , 11 , 27 , and 34 .