Highly porous uranyl selenate nanotubules

A first amine-templated uranyl selenate based upon highly porous uranyl selenate nanotubules, (C4H12N)14[(UO2)10(SeO4)17(H2O)], has been prepared in the room-temperature reaction of uranyl nitrate, butylamine, and H2SeO4 in aqueous solution. The structure consists of nanometer-scale tubular [(UO2)10(SeO4)17(H2O)]14- units packed in a hexagonal-type fashion. The tubules have elliptical cross section with outer dimensions of 25 x 23 A = 2.5 x 2.3 nm. The internal free crystallographic diameter of the tubules is 12.6 A = 1.26 nm, which is comparable to the effective pore size in large-pore zeolites. This finding demonstrates the possibility of nanostructures for actinides in higher oxidation states and opens up a new area of research and exploration.     

Anionic polymerization of lactones initiated by alkali graphitides. IV. Copolymerization of ε-caprolactone initiated by KC24

The copolymerization of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) with octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D₄) and styrene (St) under the action of the second-stage potassium graphitide KC₂₄ was investigated. The copolymerizations were carried out in bulk or in xylene at 20°C. The content of the block copolymer ε-CL/D₄ in the polymerization mixture was 60–95%, the molecular weight ranging between 150,000 and 300,000. The data for the copolymers' composition obtained by ¹H-NMR and GPC showed 14–20% of D₄-units in the copolymer. The amount of the block copolymer ε-CL/St in the polymerization products was 0–87%, and the molecular weights in the case of copolymer formation were between 100,000 and 500,000. The content of St-units in the copolymers was from 10 to 75% as shown by GPC and ¹H-NMR. The mechanism of action of the initiator is discussed.     

The synthesis and thermal curing parameters of a novel quinoxaline monomer with terminal ethynyl thermoset and phenylethynyl intramolecular cycloaddition postcure capability

The Synthesis of 3,3′-bis(4-[3-ethynylphenoxy]phenyl)-7,7′-bis(phenylethynyl)-2,2′-diphenyl-6,6′-biquinoxaline (I) was accomplished by the reaction of 2,2′-bis(phenylethynyl)-5,5′-diaminobenzidine (II) and 4-(3-ethynylphenoxy)benzil. Thermal analysis of I indicated a softening temperature of 107°C, followed by an exotherm above 150°C that corresponded to a independent crosslinking reaction of the terminal acetylene groups and an intramolecular cycloaddition (IMC) reaction of the 2,2′-bis(phenylethynyl)biphenyl moieties. In the synthetic work substantial improvements were made in the synthesis of II. The sample of I was cured at 200°C and the maximum partially cured transition temperature attained was 280°C. A sample of 3,3′-bis(4,[3-ethynylphenoxy]phenyl)-2,2′-diphenyl-6,6′-biquinoxaline (IV) was similarly tested as a model without IMC capability and its corresponding value was 250°C. The difference between these two values is discussed briefly.     

Emissive Annular Digold(I) Compounds Containing Diphosphine and Dithiolate Ligands

Molecular structures of three emissive annular digold compounds [Au₂(dmpm)(dtc)]Cl (dmpm = Me₂PCH₂PMe_2,dtc = S₂CNEt₂), 1 , [Au₂(dppm)(dtc)]PF₆, (dppm = Ph₂PCH₂PPh₂),₂,and [Au₂(dppe)(dtc)]-(PF₂) (dppe = Ph₂P(CH₂)₂PPh₂), 3, were determined. All three compounds are dimetallacycles having two gold atoms bridged by a dithiolate ligand and a diphosphine ligand, the geometry around each gold atom being almost linear. All the dimetal lacy die rings are slightly distorted from planarity with intramolecular Au-Au distances shorter than 3.0 Å. Compound 1 forms a polymeric chain through intermolecular Au-Au contacts (3.061 ? 3.135 Å). Compound 2 forms a tetramer through intermolecular Au-Au interactions (Au-Au distances ranging from 3.086 to 3.222 ). Compound 3 is monomeric. All of the compounds luminesce at 77 K in the solid state. Emissions originating from ³LMCT from dtc ligand to Au excited states are assigned. The emission maxima of 1 ? 3 are at 541,535 and 520 nm respectively and are blue shifted as the number of Au-Au interactions is decreased.     

Resistance distance and Laplacian spectrum

The resistance distance r _ij between two vertices v _i and v _j of a (connected, molecular) graph G is equal to the resistance between the respective two points of an electrical network, constructed so as to correspond to G, such that the resistance of any two adjacent points is unity. We show how the matrix elements r _ij can be expressed in terms of the Laplacian eigenvalues and eigenvectors of G. In addition, we determine certain properties of the resistance matrix R=||r _ij ||. AcknowledgementsThis research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China and Fujian Province, and by the Ministry of Sciences, Technologies and Development of Serbia, within Project no. 1389. The authors thank Douglas J. Klein (Galveston) for useful comments.     

Prediction of retention times of proteins in hydrophobic interaction chromatography using only their amino acid composition

This paper focuses on the prediction of the dimensionless retention time of proteins (DRT) in hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) by means of mathematical models based, essentially, only on aminoacidic composition. The results show that such prediction is indeed possible. Our main contribution was the design of models that predict the DRT using the minimal information concerning a protein: its aminoacidic composition. The performance is similar to that observed in models that use much more sophisticated information such as the three-dimensional structure of proteins. Three models that, in addition to the amino acid composition, use different assumptions about the amino acids tendency to be exposed to the solvent, were evaluated in 12 proteins with known experimental DRT. In all the cases analyzed, the model that obtained the best results was the one based on a linear estimation of the aminoacidic surface composition. The models were adjusted using a collection of 74 vectors of aminoacidic properties plus a set of 6388 vectors derived from these using two mathematical tools: k-means and self-organizing maps (SOM) algorithms. The best vector was generated by the SOM algorithm and was interpreted as a hydrophobicity scale based partly on the tendency of the amino acids to be hidden in proteins. The prediction error (MSE(JK)) obtained by this model was almost 35% smaller than that obtained by the model that supposes that all the amino acids are completely exposed and 40% smaller than that obtained by the model that uses a simple correction factor considering the general tendency of each amino acid to be exposed to the solvent. In fact, the performance of the best model based on the aminoacidic composition was 5% better than that observed in the model based on the three-dimensional structure of proteins.     

Use of the 13C-NMR chemical shift/charge density linear relationship for recognition and ranking of chemical structures

A novel scheme for computer-aided recognition of chemical structures based on the ¹³C-NMR chemical shift/charge density linear relationship is described. The spectral signals are uniquely assigned to the carbon atoms of each of the compared structures via an automatic assignment procedure. On the basis of this assignment, a factor reflecting the agreement between the spectrum and the molecular structure is defined. This factor has different values for different structures, similar values for similar structures, equal values for equivalent (isomorphic in the graph-theoretical sense) structures, and the lowest value for the structure best corresponding to the ¹³C-NMR spectrum. The potential of this approach for retrieval and ranking of chemical structures is discussed with examples.     

Polarizing a hydrophobic cavity for the efficient binding of organic guests: the case of calix[6]tren, a highly efficient and versatile receptor for neutral or cationic species

The host-guest properties of calix[6]tren 1 have been evaluated. The receptor is based on a calix[6]arene that is covalently capped at the narrow rim by a tren unit. As a result, the system presents a concave hydrophobic cavity with, at its bottom, a grid-like nitrogenous core. Despite its well-defined cavity and opening to the outside at the large rim, 1 did not behave as a good receptor for neutral molecules in chloroform. However, it exhibited efficient endo-complexation of ammonium guests. By contrast, the per-protonated host, 1.4H(+), behaved as a remarkable receptor for small organic molecules. The complexation is driven by a strong charge-dipole interaction and hydrogen bonds between the polar guest and the tetracationic cap of the calixarene. Finally, coordination of Zn(2+) to the tren core led to the asymmetrization of calixarene cavity and to the strong but selective endo-binding of neutral ligands. This study emphasizes the efficiency of a receptor presenting a concave hydrophobic cavity that is polarized at its bottom. The resulting combination of charge-dipole, hydrogen bonding, CH-pi, and van der Waals interactions highly stabilizes the supramolecular architectures. Also, importantly, the tren cap allows the tuning of the polarization, offering either a basic (1), a highly charged and acidic (1.4H(+)), or a coordination (1.Zn(2+)) site. As a result, the system proved to be highly versatile, tunable, and interconvertible in solution by simple addition of protons, bases, or metal ions.     

Preparation and the mechanisms of formation of silver particles of different morphologies in homogeneous solutions

Uniform, well-dispersed silver particles of various morphologies have been prepared by reducing highly acidic silver nitrate solutions with ascorbic acid in the presence of a sodium naphthalene sulfonate-formaldehyde copolymer as dispersing agent. By varying the temperature of the reaction, the free acid content, the addition rate of the reductant, and the aging time, both isometric and anisotropic silver particles could be obtained. It was found that the latter were formed by aggregation of nanosize subunits, which were identified by electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry.     

On the cycle index of point groups

In this brief work we express the cycle index of the molecular point groups as a function of a limited number of initial geometrical parameters. Such parameters are the number of elements composing the domain D of sites of substitutions in the molecule belonging to the point group G, and the numbers of sites of D lying on the symmetry elements for G.