Supramolecular dimer formation through hydrogen bond extensions of carboxylate ligands – Path for magnetic exchange

A new complex of unusual composition [Cu(3-O₂Nbz)₂(nia)(H₂O)₂] (1) (nia = nicotinamide, 3-O₂Nbz = 3-nitrobenzoate) has been prepared and studied together with two other complexes of composition [Cu(4-O₂Nbz)₂(nia)₂(H₂O)₂] (2) and [Cu(4-O₂Nbz)₂(nia)₂]?(4-O₂NbzH)₂ (3) (4-O₂Nbz = 4-nitrobenzoate). The composition of all complexes has been determined by elemental analysis, the complexes have been studied by electronic, infrared and EPR spectroscopy, as well as by magnetization measurements over the temperature range 1.8–300 K, and their structures have been solved. The structure of complex (1) consists of molecules, where Cu(II) atom is monodentately coordinated by the pair of 3-nitrobenzoato anions in trans  -positions together with water and nicotinamide molecules, forming nearly tetragonal basal plane, and by another water molecule in axial position of tetragonal-pyramidal coordination polyhedron. The neighboring molecule coordination polyhedron basal planes are coplanar and allow formation of supramolecular dimers with strong H-bonds between hydrogen atoms from equatorially coordinated water molecules and uncoordinated carboxylate oxygen atoms thus giving the nearest Cu?$?$Cu distance of 4.886(2) Å. Magnetization measurements showed that complex (1) exhibits maximum of magnetic susceptibility at 6.5 K and a fit to Bleaney-Bowers equation gave singlet–triplet energy gap 2J = −6.25 cm⁻¹, and zJ′ = −0.03 cm⁻¹. This might be an experimental proof that the carboxylate bridges extended with hydrogen bonds are the pathway of the spin–spin interactions. The temperature dependence of changes in EPR spectra of (1) and the spectrum at 4.2 K have confirmed its hydrogen bonded dimeric structure. The calculated Cu?$?$Cu distance 4.8 Å is in very good agreement with the value obtained from crystal structure. The complexes (2) and (3) at 300 K exhibit magnetic moment μ_eff = 1.98 B.M. and μ_eff = 1.84 B.M., respectively. These values practically do not change with lowering the temperature up to 5 K and only small drops to μ_eff = 1.87 B.M. (for (2)) and μ_eff = 1.79 B.M. (for (3)) at 1.8 K have been observed. The EPR spectra of complex (2) at room temperature as well as at 77 K are of axial type with g_⊥ = 2.062 and g_|| = 2.285 and exhibit resolved parallel hyperfine splitting with A_|| = 160 Gauss. The EPR spectra of complex (3) at room temperature as well as at 77 K are of axial type with g_⊥ = 2.065 and g_|| = 2.235 and exhibit unresolved parallel hyperfine splitting. EPR spectra of (2) and (3) are consistent with the X-ray structure.     

On the two isomeric tris(perchlorothienyl)methyl radicals

The two isomeric tris(trichlorothienyl)carbinols have been synthesized. Upon treatment with acid the tris(trichlorothienyl)carbenium ions were formed, which upon reduction with iodide gave the tris(trichlorothienyl)methyl radicals, which were studied by epr-spectroscopy. The β-isomer, the tris(2,4,5-trichloro-3-thienyl)methyl radical, was much more stable than the α-isomer and showed great similarity to the perchlorotrityl radical.     

Synthese von Trimethyl- und Triphenylsulfonium-Cyanometallaten

Two cyano complexes of the type [R ₃S]₂ [Pd(CN)₄] (R ₃S⁺=Me ₃S⁺,Ph ₃S⁺ cations) were prepared. The identity of the obtained samples was verified by chemical analysis and investigated by IR-spectroscopy. Thev _CN stretching frequencies of the complexes were compared with similar frequencies of the corresponding alkaline cyano complex. The thermal decomposition of the compounds was examined.     

Serum estradiol measurement by solid-phase chemiluminescence immunoassay and direct radioimmunoassay

Estradiol017β is determined in serum extracts by solid-phase chemiluminescence immunoassay. The results are compared with those obtained from unextracted serum in routine conditions with a commercial radioimmunoassay (r.i.a.) kit. For the chemiluminescence procedure, a purified monoclonal antibody to estradiol-6-carboxymethyloxime/bovine serum albumin and the homologous chemiluminescent marker conjugate estradiol-6-carboxymethyloxime aminobutylethylisoluminol are used. Bound and free ligand are separated by washing and simple centrifugation. Results obtained by the chemiluminescence assay (y) and by r.i.a. (x) on 170 serum specimens from women during ovulation induction showed good correlation (y = 1.01x ? 16 with r = 0.95). The methods are similar in selectivity, detection limit (ca. 10 ng l^?1) and precision (interassay relative standard deviation, 8–13%).     

Diastereoselective ortho-lithiation of [5]ferrocenophanes

Planarly chiral ferrocene derivatives with bridged cyclopentadienyl rings are interesting ligands in asymmetric catalysis. A planar stereogenic unit is conveniently introduced by diastereoselective ortho-lithiation. The directed lithiation of several [5]ferrocenophane derivatives followed by quenching with chlorodiphenylphosphane led to planarly chiral ligands. The sense of diastereoselection was studied by computational methods. Absolute configuration of methoxy phosphane was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction study.     

New biocompatible thermo-reversible hydrogels from PNiPAM-decorated amyloid fibrils

New biocompatible temperature-responsive hydrogels have been obtained by using unprecedented low concentration of amyloid fibril-PNiPAM hybrids. The viscoelasticity of the hydrogels can be finely controlled by tuning the PNiPAM layers without changing the structure or concentration of the amyloid fibrils.     

Cellulose nanofibrils as filler for adhesives: effect on specific fracture energy of solid wood-adhesive bonds

Cellulose nanofibrils were prepared by mechanical fibrillation of never-dried beech pulp and bacterial cellulose. To facilitate the separation of individual fibrils, one part of the wood pulp was surface-carboxylated by a catalytic oxidation using (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO) as a catalyst. After fibrillation by a high pressure homogenizer, the obtained aqueous fibril dispersions were directly mixed with different urea–formaldehyde-(UF)-adhesives. To investigate the effect of added cellulose filler on the fracture mechanical properties of wood adhesive bonds, double cantilever beam specimens were prepared from spruce wood. While the highest fracture energy values were observed for UF-bonds filled with untreated nanofibrils prepared from wood pulp, bonds filled with TEMPO-oxidized fibrils showed less satisfying performance. It is proposed that UF-adhesive bonds can be significantly toughened by the addition of only small amounts of cellulose nanofibrils. Thereby, the optimum filler content is largely depending on the adhesive and type of cellulose filler used.     

Amyloid-mediated synthesis of giant, fluorescent, gold single crystals and their hybrid sandwiched composites driven by liquid crystalline interactions

We report for the first time on the templating effect of β-lactoglobulin amyloid-like fibrils to synthesize gold single crystals of several decades of μm in dimensions. The gold single crystals were produced by reducing an aqueous solution of chloroauric acid by β-lactoglobulin amyloid protein fibrils. Atomic force microscopy, conventional and scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction and optical microscopy techniques were combined to characterize the structure of the gold crystals. The single-crystalline features of these macroscopic gold crystals are witnessed by their distinctive hexagonal and triangular shape and are confirmed by selected area electron diffraction (SAED). UV-vis absorption spectrum, recorded after a reaction time of 6h at the heating temperature of 55°C showed a surface plasmon resonance peak at 540 nm. With the increase of reaction time to 24h, the absorption spectrum peaks shift to a very broad and higher wavelength region extending up to near infrared region. Remarkably, these single crystalline gold crystals show auto fluorescence when illuminated to UV lamp. Further increase in β-lactoglobulin amyloid fibrils concentration above the isotropic-nematic transition, drives the formation of gold single crystals microplates stacking together and self-assembling into new hierarchical, layered protein-gold hybrid composites.     

New isostructural transition metal complexes with a non‐innocent dithiolate ligand

Three new complexes with 3,6‐dichlorobenzene‐1,2‐dithiol (bdtCl₂), namely methyltriphenylphosphonium bis(3,6‐dichlorobenzene‐1,2‐dithiolato‐κ²S,S′)cobaltate(1−), (C₁₉H₁₈P)[Co(C₆H₂Cl₂S₂)₂], (I), bis(methyltriphenylphosphonium) bis(3,6‐dichlorobenzene‐1,2‐dithiolato‐κ²S,S′)cuprate(2−) dimethyl sulfoxide disolvate, (C₁₉H₁₈P)₂[Cu(C₆H₂Cl₂S₂)₂]·2C₂H₆OS, (II), and methyltriphenylphosphonium bis(3,6‐dichlorobenzene‐1,2‐dithiolato‐κ²S,S′)cuprate(1−), (C₁₉H₁₈P)[Cu(C₆H₂Cl₂S₂)₂], (III), have been synthesized and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The X‐ray structure analyses of all three complexes confirm that the four donor S atoms form a slightly distorted square‐planar coordination arrangement around the central metal atom. An interesting finding for both the Cu^II and Cu^III complexes, i.e. (II) and (III), respectively, is that the coordination polyhedra are principally the same and differ only slightly with respect to the interatomic distances.     

Comparison of isothermal and non-isothermal chemiluminescence and differential scanning calorimetry experiments with benzoyl peroxide

Difference in the kinetics of chemiluminescence (CL) and differential scanning calorimetry records for decomposition of originally solid benzoyl peroxide continuing as a melt reaction was outlined. While the main portion of heat measured by DSC is released in the spontaneous decomposition of benzoyl peroxide starting as a homolytic scission of peroxidic bonds, the CL light emission in oxygen comes presumably from the subsequent disproportionation reaction of polyphenyl peroxyl radicals and monitors the induced decomposition of peroxide. Thermogravimetry revealed that oxygen remains partially bound to the products of benzoyl peroxide decomposition.