FHBC,a Hexa‐peri‐hexabenzocoronene–Fluorene Hybrid: A Platform for Highly Soluble,Easily Functionalizable HBCs with an Expanded Graphitic Core

Materials based upon hexa‐peri‐hexabenzocoronenes (HBCs) show significant promise in a variety of photovoltaic applications. There remains the need, however, for a soluble, versatile, HBC‐based platform, which can be tailored by incorporation of electroactive groups or groups that can prompt self‐assembly. The synthesis of a HBC–fluorene hybrid is presented that contains an expanded graphitic core that is highly soluble, resists aggregation, and can be readily functionalized at its vertices. This new HBC platform can be tailored to incorporate six electroactive groups at its vertices, as exemplified by a facile synthesis of a representative hexaaryl derivative of FHBC. Synthesis of new FHBC derivatives, containing electroactive functional groups that can allow controlled self‐assembly, may serve as potential long‐range charge‐transfer materials for photovoltaic applications.     

Periodically Arranged Arrays of Dendritic Pt Nanospheres Using Cage‐Type Mesoporous Silica as a Hard Template

Dendritic Pt nanospheres of 20 nm diameter are synthesized by using a highly concentrated surfactant assembly within the large‐sized cage‐type mesopores of mesoporous silica (LP‐FDU‐12). After diluting the surfactant solution with ethanol, the lower viscosity leads to an improved penetration inside the mesopores. After Pt deposition followed by template removal, the arrangement of the Pt nanospheres is a replication from that of the mesopores in the original LP‐FDU‐12 template. Although it is well known that ordered LLCs can form on flat substrates, the confined space inside the mesopores hinders surfactant self‐organization. Therefore, the Pt nanospheres possess a dendritic porous structure over the entire area. The distortion observed in some nanospheres is attributed to the close proximity existing between neighboring cage‐type mesopores. This new type of nanoporous metal with a hierarchical architecture holds potential to enhance substance diffusivity/accessibility for further improvement of catalytic activity.     

Synthesis and photochromic properties of a dithia-dithienylethenophane

The thermally irreversible photochromic compound dithia-dithienylethenophane was synthesized, which is the first example of a dithienylethene bridged with benzene ring and due to the fixation to the photoactive anti-conformation the quantum yield for the photocyclization reaction became higher than that of the corresponding nonbridged type dithienylethene.     

Preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of lead (II) as thenoyltrifluoroacetone complex with dibenzo-18-crown-6 by synergistic extraction and atomic absorption spectrometry

A new method for the preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of lead at the μg/L level in natural waters has been established based on the formation of the thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) complex with dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) by means of synergistic extraction and back-extraction combined with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The effect of various factors (synergism with TTA and DB18C6, shaking time, preconcentration factor, composition of the extracted species, and foreign ions etc.) on the extraction and back-extraction of lead has been investigated in detail. The lead-TTA chelate in o-dichlorobenzene forms a stable adduct with DB18C6 as Pb(TTA)₂ DB18C6. The stability constant (β) of the adduct determined by curve fitting method was log β = 4.2. The amount of lead in natural waters such as tap water (Kanazawa University) and Kakehashi river (Komatsu City) determined by the present method was found to be 0.64 ± 0.02 μg/L and 5.10 ± 0.03 μg/L, respectively. Received: 14 July 1997 / Revised: 3 November 1997 / Accepted: 20 January 1998     

Introduction of Marinelli effective solid angles for correcting the calibration of NaI(Tl) field gamma-ray spectrometry in TL/OSL dating

A study is made of the corrections that are needed in the evaluation of the annual radiation dose, for use in TL/OSL-dating, via NaI(Tl) field gamma-ray spectrometry (monitoring of K, Th and U), calibrated via voluminous blocks that are simulating the Auger hole measuring conditions. Two cases are considered: the Heidelberg granite calibration block, which was found to be quasi-infinite, and the Oxford concrete calibration blocks, for which effective concentrations of elements are reported so as to account for their non-infiniteness. The calculations, via the software package ANGLE, are based on the concept of effective solid angles for Marinelli geometries.     

A spider toxin binding protein from bovine brain: its purification and N-terminal amino acid sequence determination.

A 60kDa spider toxin binding protein from bovine brain was solubilized with digitonin and purified up to 5800-folds over starting crude homogenate. The purification procedure entailed DEAE-cellulose, concanavalin-A affinity, 1-naphthylacetyl spermine affinity and high performance liquid chromatography. The purified protein owned a very high affinity for ligand 125I-JSTX-3 binding Kd 15.6nM and Bmax 6.5nM. The amino acid composition of the protein was determined. The N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis yielded a unique sequence: NH2-X-Pro-X-Val-Tyr-Phe-Lys-Glu-Gln-Phe-Leu-Asp-Gly-Asp-X.     

Interaction of an organic cation with Gibbs monolayers of n-hexadecyl phosphate

Surface phase behavior of n-hexadecyl phosphate (n-HDP) and its mixture with L-arginine (L-arg), which behaves as L-argininium cation (L-arg(+)) in aqueous solution, at a molar ratio 2:3 in Gibbs adsorption layers has been studied by film balance, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) and surface tensiometry at 20 degrees C. The monolayers of n-HDP show three phases that are gas (G), intermediate (I) and liquid condensed (LC), and two phase transitions. A first-order G-I phase transition that is followed by a second-order I-LC phase transition is found in these monolayers. Although the monolayers of the mixtures containing n-HDP and L-arg show three phases, the nature of the middle phase is different from that of the n-HDP monolayers. The three phases observed for the mixed systems are G, liquid expanded (LE) and LC phases. A first-order G-LE phase transition is found at a low surface pressure at > or =10 degrees C. This transition is followed by another first-order LE-LC phase transition at a certain higher surface pressure. The first-order nature of the phase transitions for both the systems is confirmed by the presence of plateaus in the pi-t curves, which are accompanied by two surface phases. A second-order phase transition in the monolayers of n-HDP is indicated by a gradual change in the surface morphology, from a uniformly bright isotropic to an anisotropic mosaic textured phase, which is accompanied by a continuous change in the surface pressure. The domains formed during the first-order phase transition in the adsorption layers of n-HDP are circular and remain unaffected by changing the temperature. Although the domains of an LE phase are circular, those of an LC phase at the latter transition are fractal in the mixed system. A further branching of the arms of the fractal domains is found to occur by an increase in the temperature. All the results are explained by considering salt formation between anion from n-HDP and L-arg(+).     

Mixed-ligand complexes of copper(I) with heterocyclic thiones

Summary Novel mixed-ligand copper(I) complexes of general formula [TPP–Cu–(L)Cl] or [TPPhos–Cu–(L)Cl], where TPP=triphenylphosphine, TPPhos=triphenylphosphate and L=imidazolidine-2-thione [Imt],N-propylimidazolidice-2-thione [PrImt],N-i-propylimidazolidine-2-thione [iPrImt], and 1,3-diazinine-2-thione [Diaz] and bis coniplexes of formula [(L)₂CuCl] where L=[PrImt] and [iPrImt] have been prepared and characterized by electronic, vibrational and n.m.r. spectroscopy. The spectral data are consistent with S-donation of thiones. The magnitude of upfield shift in¹³Cn.m.r. of the thionreide carbon on complexation has been interpreted in terms of coordination geometry around the metal stoms. X-ray structure analysis agrees with the conclusions from the spectroscopic measurements. The structure of [(PrImt)₂CuCl] revealed three-coordinated copper(I) with crystal data:a=14.106(4),b=14.380(2),c=19.024(3) A, =108.8(2)°,z=8 and space group P2/c.     

Mixed-ligand complexes of gold(I) and silver(I) with heterocyclic thiones

Summary Novel mixed-ligand complexes of Ag¹ and Au¹ containing triphenylphosphine (TPP) and heterocyclic thiones, of general formula [TPP–M–L]Cl and [(TPP)₂–M–L]Cl, where L=imidazolidine-2-thione (Imt), 1,3-diazinine-2-thione (Diaz) or N-isopropylimidazolidine-2-thione (iPrImt) have been prepared. The spectroscopic data are consistent with S-donation in all complexes. The magnitude of high-field shift in carbon-13 n.m.r. of the thioureide carbon on complexation is interpreted in terms of coordination geometry around the metal atoms. The mixed-ligand complexes are structurally similar to some of the commonly used antiarthritic Au¹ drugs and are thus potentially useful in chemotherapy.     

Optimization of Parameters for Cr(VI) Adsorption on Used Black Tea Leaves

Dynamic characteristics of Cr(VI) sorption on used black tea leaves (UBTLs) as a low-cost adsorbent are studied. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of Cr(VI) concentration, solution pH and temperature on the removal process. Both of adsorption and reduction, involved in the process, are affected by the processing parameters. The adsorption kinetics is described successfully using pseudo-second order rate equation and the rate constant decreases with increasing the initial concentration of Cr(VI) up to 150 mg/L (for 0.1 g/L UBTLs) then becomes slow. Experimental and calculated kinetic data for equilibrium are well expressed by Langmuir isotherm. The solution pH has a profound effect on the adsorption rate. The rate constant increases linearly with an increase in temperature, and the low value of activation energy of adsorption, 16.3 kJ/mol, indicates that Cr(VI) is easily adsorbed on UBTLs. The maximum Cr(VI) adsorptive conditions, with a minimum reduction, were achieved from the dynamics of operational parameters: the initial Cr(VI) concentration < 150 mg/L (for 0.1 g/L UBTLs); the initial solution pH = 1.54–2.00 and the processing temperature < 50 ^∘C, for the possibility of its practical application.