Disulfide passivation of the Ge(100)-2 × 1 surface

Understanding the bonding of sulfur at the germanium surface is important to developing good passivation routes for germanium-based electronic devices. The adsorption behavior of ethyl disulfide (EDS) and 1,8-naphthalene disulfide (NDS) at the Ge(100)-2 × 1 surface has been studied under ultrahigh vacuum conditions to investigate both their fundamental reactivity and their effectiveness as passivants of this surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, multiple internal reflection-infrared spectroscopy, and density functional theory results indicate that both molecules adsorb via S-S dissociation at room temperature. Upon exposure to ambient air, the thiolate adlayer remains intact for both EDS- and NDS-functionalized surfaces, indicating the stability of this surface attachment. Although both systems resist oxidation compared to the bare Ge(100)-2 × 1 surface, the Ge substrate is significantly oxidized in all cases (17-57% relative to the control), with the NDS-passivated surface undergoing up to two times more oxidation than the EDS-passivated surface at the longest air exposure times studied. The difference in passivation capability is attributed to the difference in surface coverage on Ge(100)-2 × 1, where EDS adsorption leads to a saturation coverage 17% higher than that for NDS/Ge(100)-2 × 1.     

Novel synthesis of stable polypyrrole nanospheres using ozone

In this study, a novel and exceedingly simple method for the aqueous synthesis of stable, unagglomerated polypyrrole nanospheres was investigated. The method is template- and surfactant-free and uses only pyrrole monomer, water, and ozone. When the monomer concentration, exposure time to ozone, and temperature were varied, it was determined that the temperature was the critical factor controlling the particle size through particle size measurements via dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From the particle size measurements, a particle size distribution with a number-weighted mean diameter of 73 nm and a standard deviation of 18 nm was achieved. The particles were also investigated using ζ-potential measurements, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis in an effort to determine the identity of the nanoparticles as well as the mechanism by which the nanoparticles are formed and stabilized.     

New cyanide-bridged Mn(III)-M(III) heterometallic dinuclear complexes constructed from [M(III)(AA)(CN)4]- building blocks (M = Cr and Fe): synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties

Three Mn(III)-M(III) (M = Cr and Fe) dinuclear complexes have been obtained by assembling [Mn(III)(SB)(H(2)O)](+) and [M(III)(AA)(CN)(4)](-) ions, where SB is the dianion of the Schiff-base resulting from the condensation of 3-methoxysalicylaldehyde with ethylenediamine (3-MeOsalen(2-)) or 1,2-cyclohexanediamine (3-MeOsalcyen(2-)): [Mn(3-MeOsalen)(H(2)O)(μ-NC)Cr(bipy)(CN)(3)]·2H(2)O (1), [Mn(3-MeOsalen)(H(2)O)(μ-NC)Cr(ampy)(CN)(3)][Mn(3-MeOsalen)(H(2)O)(2)]ClO(4)·2H(2)O (2) and [Mn(3-MeOsalcyen)(H(2)O)(μ-NC)Fe(bpym)(CN)(3)]·3H(2)O (3) (bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine, ampy = 2-aminomethylpyridine and bpym = 2,2'-bipyrimidine). The [M(AA)(CN)(4)](-) unit in 1-3 acts as a monodentate ligand towards the manganese(III) ion through one of its four cyanide groups. The manganese(III) ion in 1-3 exhibits an elongated octahedral stereochemistry with the tetradentate SB building the equatorial plane and a water molecule and a cyanide-nitrogen atom filling the axial positions. Remarkably, the neutral mononuclear complex [Mn(3-MeOsalen)(H(2)O)(2)]ClO(4) co-crystallizes with the heterobimetallic unit in 2. The values of the Mn(III)-M(III) distance across the bridging cyanide are 5.228 (1), 5.505 (2) and 5.265 ? (3). The packing of the neutral heterobimetallic units in the crystal is governed by the self-complementarity of the [Mn(SB)(H(2)O)](+) moieties, which interact each other through hydrogen bonds established between the aqua ligand from one fragment with the set of phenolate- and methoxy-oxygens from the adjacent one. The magnetic properties of the three complexes have been investigated in the temperature range 1.9-300 K. Weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the Mn(III) and M(III) ions across the cyanido bridge were found: J(MnM) = -5.6 (1), -0.63 (2) and -2.4 cm(-1) (3) the Hamiltonian being defined as H = -JS(Mn)·S(M). Theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) have been used to substantiate both the nature and magnitude of the exchange interactions observed and also to analyze the dependence of the magnetic coupling on the structural parameters within the Mn(III)-N-C-M(III) motif in 1-3.     

Unprecedented heptacopper(II) cluster with body-centred anti-prismatic topology. Structure, magnetism and density functional study

Using a (2-pyridyl)ethylamine-appended carboxylate ligand a new cluster [Cu(II)(7)(L)(4)(μ(3)-OH)(2)(H(2)O)(2)(DMF)(2)][ClO(4)](4)·4H(2)O (1) [L(2-): N-{CH(2)CH(2)(2-pyridyl)}(CH(2)CH(2)CO(2))(2)] is synthesized, as a result of 'coordination-driven self-assembly'. The structure of 1 is unique and consists of a centrosymmetric carboxylato- and hydroxo-bridged heptanuclear copper(II) cation, with body-centred anti-prismatic topology. The four crystallographically independent copper(II) centres differ markedly in their coordination geometry. In addition to establishing cluster authenticity, the structural analysis of 1 discloses two notable features. The existence of {Cu(II)(3)(μ(3)-OH)}(5+) core and H-bonded metal-coordinated carboxylate and water unit, with water acting as a proton donor. Both of these features have biological implications. Magnetic measurements reveal that in this unprecedented cluster the net magnetic-exchange is antiferromagnetic. The different types of magnetic-exchange coupling constants (J values) considered for magnetic data analysis appear to adopt a variety of values depending on the specific geometric parameters associated with two interacting copper(II) centres. Notably, for 1 a good agreement between the J values obtained from DFT calculations at the B3LYP level of theory and from the experimental data is achieved.     

Accidentally on purpose: construction of a ferromagnetic, oxime-based [Mn(III)2] dimer

The serendipitous self-assembly of the complex [Mn(III)(2)Zn(II)(2)(Ph-sao)(2)(Ph-saoH)(4)(hmp)(2)] (1),whose magnetic core consists solely of two symmetry equivalent Mn(iii) ions linked by two symmetry equivalent -N-O- moieties, provides a relatively simple model complex with which to study the magneto-structural relationship in oxime-bridged Mn(III) cluster compounds. Dc magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal ferromagnetic (J = +2.2 cm(-1)) exchange resulting in an S = 4 ground state. Magnetisation measurements performed at low temperatures and high fields reveal the presence of significant anisotropy, with ac measurements confirming slow relaxation of the magnetisation and Single-Molecule Magnetism behaviour. Simulations of high field, high frequency EPR data reveal a single ion anisotropy, D((Mn(III))) = -3.83 cm(-1). DFT studies on a simplified model complex of 1 reveal a pronounced dependence of the exchange coupling on the relative twisting of the oxime moiety with respect to the metal ion positions, as suggested previously in more complicated [Mn(III)(3)] and [Mn(III)(6)] clusters.     

Three-step synthesis of cyclopropyl peptidomimetics

An efficient approach to novel cyclopropyl peptidomimetics has been developed. The synthetic route involves a cyclopropanation using ethyl (dimethylsulfuranylidene)acetate (EDSA) as the key step and affords a cyclopropyl peptidomimetic core in three steps from protected amino acid Weinreb amides.     

Cyclohydrocarbonylation-based strategy toward poly-substituted piperidines

Convenient accesses to enantiomerically pure 2-, 2,3-, 2,6-, 2,3,6-substituted piperidines and 1,4-substituted indolizine are described. At first, indium-mediated aminoallylation and -crotylation of aldehydes with (R)-phenylglycinol or (1R,2S)-1-amino-2-indanol gave homoallylamines with high stereocontrol. Then, these products, submitted to a Rh(I)-catalyzed hydroformylative cyclohydrocarbonylation, afforded perhydrooxazolo[3,2-a]piridines whose oxazolidines are opened with nucleophiles. Finally, the removal of the chiral auxiliaries delivered the enantiomerically pure piperidines.