Grafting derivatives of Mn6 single-molecule magnets with high anisotropy energy barrier on Au111 surface

We study the magnetic properties of two new functionalized single-molecule magnets belonging to the Mn 6 family (general formula [Mn (III)6O2(R-sao)6(O2C-th)2L(4-6)], where R=H (1) or Et (2), HO2C-th=3-thiophene carboxylic acid, L=EtOH, H2O and saoH2 is salicylaldoxime) and their grafting on the Au(111) surface. Complex 1 exhibits spin ground-state S=4, as the result of ferromagnetic coupling between the two antiferromagnetic Mn (III) 3 triangles, while slight structural changes in complex 2, switch the dominant magnetic exchange interactions from anti- to ferromagnetic, enhancing the spin ground-state to S=12 and, consequently, the effective energy barrier for the relaxation of magnetization. Direct-current and alternating-current magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the functionalized complexes preserve the main magnetic properties of the corresponding not-functionalized Mn 6 clusters (i.e., total spin value and magnetic behavior as a function of temperature), though a reduction of the anisotropy barrier is observed in complex 2. For both complexes, the -O2C-th functionalization allows the direct grafting on Au(111) surface by liquid-phase deposition. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy demonstrates that the stoichiometry of the molecular cores is preserved after grafting. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals a sub-monolayer distribution of isolated clusters with a slightly higher coverage for complex 1. The cluster stability in the STM images and the S-2p energy positions demonstrate, for both derivatives, the strength of the grafting with the gold surface.     

Pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids. 1-Butyl-1-methyl pyrrolidinium dicyanoamide: thermochemical measurement, mass spectrometry, and ab initio calculations

The standard molar enthalpy of formation of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium dicyanamide has been determined at 298 K by means of combustion calorimetry, while the enthalpy of vaporization and the mass spectrum of the vapor (ion pairs) have been determined by temperature-programmed desorption and line of sight mass spectrometry. Ab initio calculations for 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium dicyanamide have been performed using the G3MP2 and CBS-QB3 theory, and the results from homodesmic reactions are in excellent agreement with the experiments.     

Scanning electrochemical microscopy. 59. Effect of defects and structure on electron transfer through self-assembled monolayers

Electron transfer (ET) rate kinetics through n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols of different chain lengths [Me(CH2)nSH; n=8, 10, 11, 15] on Au and Hg surfaces and ferrocene (Fc)-terminated SAMs (poly-norbornylogous and HS(CH2)12CONHCH2Fc) on Au were studied using cyclic voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The SECM results allow determination of the ET kinetics of solution-phase Ru(NH3)63+/2+ through the alkanethiol SAMs on Au and Hg. A model using the potential dependence of the measured rate constants is proposed to compensate for the pinhole contribution. Extrapolated values of koML for Ru(NH3)63+/2+ using the model follow the expected exponential decay (beta is 0.9) for different chain lengths. For a Fc-terminated poly-norbornyl SAM, the standard rate constant of direct tunneling (ko is 189+/-31 s(-1)) is in the same order as the ko value of HS(CH2)12CONHCH2Fc. In blocking and Fc SAMs, the rates of ET are demonstrated to follow Butler-Volmer kinetics with transfer coefficients alpha of 0.5. Lower values of alpha are treated as a result of the pinhole contribution. The normalized rates of ET are 3 orders of magnitude higher for Fc-terminated than for blocking monolayers. Scanning electron microscopy imaging of Pd nanoparticles electrochemically deposited in pinholes of blocking SAMs was used to confirm the presence of pinholes.     

Direct imaging of aligned neurofilament networks assembled using in situ dialysis in microchannels

We report a technique to produce aligned neurofilament networks for direct imaging and diffraction studies using in situ dialysis in a microfluidic device. The alignment is achieved by assembling neurofilaments from protein subunits confined within microchannels. Resulting network structure was probed by polarized optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy, which confirmed a high degree of protein alignment inside the microchannels. This technique can be expanded to facilitate structural studies of a wide range of filamentous proteins and their hierarchical assemblies under varying assembly conditions.     

The effect of pharmaceuticals on the nanoscale structure of PEO-PPO-PEO micelles

We present results on the effects of various hydrophobic drugs and additives on the micellar structure of Pluronic F127 solutions. Small-angle neutron scattering experiments on 5wt% F127 solutions were used to measure micelle core size (R(1)), micelle corona size (R(2)), intermicellar interaction distance (R(int)), polydispersity (sigma), and aggregation number (N(agg)); dynamic light scattering was used to measure critical micelle concentration (CMC); and ultraviolet spectroscopy was used to measure drug solubility and apparent micelle-water partition coefficient (K(mw)). The core and corona size were found to generally increase in the presence of the drugs, as did R(int). Both sigma and N(agg) were found to decrease in the presence of most of the drugs, and the CMC was found to vary considerably with no clear correlation. A design of experiments (DOE) approach was used to analyze the results and build empirical correlations. All of the parameters from the SANS experiments were found to depend strongly on drug solubility, with a weak dependence on K(mw) in most cases. The aggregation number, however, was found to depend strongly on both K(mw) and solubility. The correlations can be used to roughly predict the structural parameters of F127 micelles for other hydrophobic drugs.     

Isostructural materials achieved by using structurally equivalent donors and acceptors in halogen-bonded cocrystals

We demonstrate the supramolecular and structural equivalence of two halogen-bond donors (I and Br) and three acceptors (O, NH and S) through the synthesis of seven isostructural halogen-bonded cocrystals, involving six different molecules: 1,4-dibromo- and 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (donors) and thiomorpholine, thioxane, morpholine, and piperazine (acceptors). The formation of isostructural cocrystals indicates how cocrystallization may be used to overcome shape and functional group dissimilarities that control molecular arrangement in the solid state. The differences in composition between the seven isostructural cocrystals directly affect the strength and nature of halogen bonds between their constituents, allowing the systematic variation of cocrystal physical properties, in particular the melting point, without affecting their crystal structure. Replacement of each O or S halogen-bond acceptor with an NH group provided an approximate 70 degrees C increase in melting point, whereas the replacement of I with Br as the halogen-bond donor lowered the melting point of the resulting solid by a similar amount.     

Towards prediction of stoichiometry in crystalline multicomponent complexes

We report on the crystal structure of urea (U) with acetic acid (A), its physical stability and its predictability using computational methods. The crystal structure of urea:acetic acid (U:A) shows hydrogen-bond ribbons and a 1:2 stoichiometry. Crystal structure prediction calculations are presented for two sets of U:A stoichiometries: 1:1 and 1:2. A 1:3 stoichiometry is also partially explored by means of a synthon approach. The calculated lattice energies, along with hydrogen-bond patterns, of crystal structures predicted with the three stoichiometries are presented and analysed to provide a rationalisation for the stoichiometry observed. Exploring stoichiometric diversity using computational methods provides a tool for the rationalisation of stoichiometry preferences in crystalline multicomponent systems and a first step towards their prediction.     

Rapid bioenabled formation of ferroelectric BaTiO3 at room temperature from an aqueous salt solution at near neutral pH

A 12-mer peptide, identified through phage display biopanning, has been used for the first time to induce the rapid formation of ferroelectric (tetragonal) nanocrystalline BaTiO3 at room temperature from an aqueous salt precursor solution at near neutral pH. BaTiO3 is widely used in capacitors, thermistors, displays, and sensors owing to its attractive dielectric, ferroelectric, pyroelectric, optical, and electrochemical properties. Two 12-mer peptides (BT1 and BT2) were selected from a phage-displayed peptide library via binding to tetragonal BaTiO3 powder. While these peptides possessed various types of amino acids, 8 of the 12 amino acids were common to both peptides. Each of these peptides induced the formation of faceted nanoparticles (50-100 nm diameter) from an aqueous precursor solution. X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction patterns obtained from these faceted nanoparticles were consistent with the BaTiO3 compound. Rietveld analyses of the X-ray diffraction patterns yielded good fits to tetragonal crystal structures, with the BaTiO3 formed in the presence of the BT2 peptide exhibiting the most tetragonal character. A coating of the latter BaTiO3 nanoparticles exhibited polarization hysteresis (a well-known characteristic of ferroelectric materials) at room temperature and a relative permittivity of 2200. Such rapid, peptide-induced precipitation at room temperature provides new opportunities for direct BaTiO3 formation on low-melting or reactive materials (e.g., plastics, cloths, bio-organics) and the low temperature integration of BaTiO3 into electronic devices (e.g., on silicon or flexible polymer substrates).     

Insight into the reduction of pyruvic acid to lactic acid over Cu{110}: the crucial role of intramolecular tunneling in direct hydrogenation

This work presents results from density functional theory calculations which are used to elucidate the reduction of pyruvic acid to lactic acid by direct hydrogenation over Cu{110} in vacuo. We propose a plausible pathway from reactants to products that crucially relies upon an intramolecular tunneling step to circumvent energetically unfavorable hydrogen exchange with the surface. The conclusions are further augmented by analyzing the electron density and frontier orbitals of key reaction intermediates. This reveals the origin of the predicted activity to be intimately linked to the electronic structure, which in turn is dependent upon the asorption geometry of pyruvic acid. Through the use of equilibrium thermodynamics, we are able to show the influence of temperature and pressure on the reaction profile. Importantly showing, that as the temperature is raised at low pressure (1 x 10(-10) mbar), so the rate-determining step switches from being the carbonyl reduction to the reprotonation of the carboxylate group (leading to the desorption of lactic acid). At ambient pressure of 1 bar, the influence of temperature on the relative barrier heights is much less significant. This is an important step in attempting to bridge the so-called "pressure gap" and opens up the possibility of understanding the reactivity of small biologically relevant molecules at metal surfaces.     

Reactivity of the triple ion and separated ion pair of tris(trimethylsilyl)methyllithium with aldehydes: a RINMR study

Low-temperature rapid-injection NMR (RINMR) experiments were performed on tris(trimethylsilyl)methyllithium. In THF/Me2O solutions, the separated ion (1S) reacted faster than can be measured at -130 degrees C with MeI and substituted benzaldehydes (k >/= 2 s -1), whereas the contact ion (1C) dissociated to 1S before reacting. Unexpectedly, the triple ion reacted faster with electron-rich benzaldehydes relative to electron-deficient ones. The addition of HMPA had no effect on the rate of reaction of the triple ion with p-diethylaminobenzaldehyde, and the immediate product of the reaction was the HMPA-solvated separated ion 1S, with the Peterson product forming only slowly. Thus, the aldehyde is catalyzing the dissociation of the triple ion. HMPA greatly decelerated the reaction of 1S (<10 -10), providing an estimate of the Lewis acid activating effect of a THF-solvated lithium cation in an organolithium addition to an aldehyde.