Metal Ionically-controlled Optical Signaling Based on a Chromoionophore-derived Calix[4]crown

A chromoionophore-derived calix[4]crown, 1 , possessing an effective signal-controllable function by metal ionic inputs has been newly synthesized, whose function is mainly of our interest, by transforming the process of receptor activation to one that may be detected by an optical signal (i.e. color change), the basic feature of antagonist-agonist competition may be reproduced readily and visually detected. The process would be particularly new within the field of optical read-out receptors. Further, from the standpoint of material sciences, the controllable signal function may not only be welcome for molecular information processing, but also contribute to the design of new sensory materials.     

Structure of dioctadecyl l-glutamide-derived lipid self-assembled monolayers on Au(1 1 1) surface

An l-glutamic acid-derived lipid with a terminal thiol has been synthesized and its corresponding self-assembled structure on Au(1 1 1) surfaces described. The surface morphology of the lipid self-assembled monolayer (SAM) exhibits nano-order patterning, where the height of the monolayer (approximately 1.5 nm) could be interpreted as due to the monolayer structure estimated from molecular models. The molecular orientation in the monolayer is almost perpendicular to the Au(1 1 1) surface depending on the three-point hydrogen-bonding sites in the molecule.     

Experimental study on a separate type thermosyphon

The passages of vapor flow and the returning liquid flow, are perfectly partitioned in a separate thermosyphon. Therefore the flooding limit can be eliminated, and practicability based on its construction is highly evaluated. In the present work, a container tube made of heat resisting glass, in which an electric heater is inserted, is selected as the heating section of the experimental equipment. Distilled water is used as the working fluid. The influence of the heater type, the diameter of evaporating section and the liquid fill charge on the heat transfer performance have been studied. The larger heat transfer coefficient is achieved in the case of the U type heater, the larger tube diameter and the less liquid fill charge of the evaporating section. The useful correlation equations of the heat transfer coefficient in the evaporator have been derived.

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Experimentelle Untersuchung an einem Trennstrom-Thermosiphon

Zusammenfassung In einem Trennstrom-Thermosiphon sind die Strömungskanäle für die Dampfströmung und den Kondensatrücklauf vollkommen separiert. Die Flutgrenze kann deshalb unberücksichtigt bleiben. In dieser Untersuchung dient ein temperaturbeständiges Glasrohr mit innenliegender Heizung als Wärmequelle. Arbeitsmedium ist destilliertes Wasser. Untersucht wurden der Einfluß des Heizelementtyps, des Durchmessers der Verdampferstrecke und der Füllmenge auf das Wärmeüber-gangsverhalten. Das U-Typ Heizelement liefert bei größerem Rohrdurchmesser und geringerer Füllmenge in der Verdampferstrecke die höchsten Wärmeübergangskoeffizienten. Für diese wurden Korrelationsgleichungen aufgestellt.

     

Gold nanoparticle-templated assembly of oligothiophenes: preparation and film properties

Terthiophene-appended gold nanoparticles were prepared by the reduction of AuCl₄⁻(C₈H₁₇)₄N⁺ with NaBH₄ in the presence of bis[2,5-di(3-hexylthiophen-2-yl)thiophene-3-carboxyloxyhexanyl]disulfide. A hexagonal self-assembly of particles with gold core diameters (1.9±0.1 nm) was detected by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The electric conductivity of the iodine-doped film was 9.1×10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹, which was ascribable to the terthiophene-based inter-ligand π-π interactions. The Au/terthiophene hybrid spin-coated film consisted of a highly three-dimensional assembled structure of terthiophenes, as inferred from grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, indicating that such monodispersed and small-sized gold nanoparticles can serve as a template for this organization. In this study, a gold nanoparticle-templated assembly of oligothiophenes has been fabricated for proposing a method to develop tailor-made organizations of π-conjugated oligomers.     

Communication: The reason why +c ZnO surface is less stable than -c ZnO surface: first-principles calculation

It has been experimentally shown that an O(-c)-polar ZnO surface is more stable than a Zn(+c)-polar surface in H(2) ambient. We applied first-principles calculations to investigating the polarity dependence on the stability at the electronic level. The calculations revealed that the -c surface terminated with H atom was stable maintaining a wurtzite structure, whereas the +c surface was unstable due to the change of coordination numbers of Zn at the topmost surface from four (wurtzite) to six (rock salt). This causes the generation of O(2) molecules, resulting in instability at the +c surface.     

Third-order nonlinear optical properties of open-shell supermolecular systems composed of acetylene linked phenalenyl radicals

The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, at the molecular level, the static second hyperpolarizabilities, γ, of supermolecular systems composed of phenalenyl and pyrene rings linked by acetylene units are investigated by employing the long-range corrected spin-unrestricted density functional theory, LC-UBLYP, method. The phenalenyl based superethylene, superallyl, and superbutadiene in their lowest spin states have intermediate diradical characters and exhibit larger γ values than the closed-shell pyrene based superpolyene systems. The introduction of a positive charge into the phenalenyl based superallyl radical changes the sign of γ and enhances its amplitude by a factor of 35. Although such sign inversion is also observed in the allyl radical and cation systems in their ground state equilibrium geometries, the relative amplitude of γ is much different, that is, |γ(regular allyl cation)/γ(regular allyl radical)| = 0.61 versus |γ(phenalenyl based superallyl cation)/γ(phenalenyl based superallyl radical)| = 35. In contrast, the model ethylene, allyl radical/cation, and butadiene systems with stretched carbon-carbon bond lengths (2.0 ?), having intermediate diradical characters, exhibit similar γ features to those of the phenalenyl based superpolyene systems. This exemplifies that the size dependence of γ as well as its sign change by introducing a positive charge on the phenalenyl based superpolyene systems originate from their intermediate diradical characters. In addition, the change from the lowest to the highest π-electron spin states significantly reduces the γ amplitudes of the neutral phenalenyl based superpolyene systems. For phenalenyl based superallyl cation, the sign inversion of γ (from negative to positive) is observed upon switching between the singlet and triplet states, which is predicted to be associated with a modification of the balance between the positive and negative contributions to γ. The present study paves the way toward designing a variety of open-shell NLO supermolecular systems composed of phenalenyl radical building blocks.     

Spectroscopic and computational characterization of CuII-OOR (R = H or cumyl) complexes bearing a Me6-tren ligand

A copper(II)-hydroperoxo complex, [Cu(Me(6)-tren)(OOH)](+) (2), and a copper(ii)-cumylperoxo complex, [Cu(Me(6)-tren)(OOC(CH(3))(2)Ph)](+) (3), were synthesized by reacting [Cu(Me(6)-tren)(CH(3)CN)](2+) (1) with H(2)O(2) and cumyl-OOH, respectively, in the presence of triethylamine. These intermediates, 2 and 3, were successfully characterized by various physicochemical methods such as UV-vis, ESI-MS, resonance Raman and EPR spectroscopies, leading us to propose structures of the Cu(II)-OOR species with a trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided geometric and electronic configurations of 2 and 3, showing trigonal bipyramidal copper(II)-OOR geometries. These copper(II)-hydroperoxo and -cumylperoxo complexes were inactive in electrophilic and nucleophilic oxidation reactions.     

Synthesis of the ABC ring system of Jiadifenin via Pd-catalyzed cyclizations

An efficient route toward the central ABC system of jiadifenin has been developed using two key Pd-catalyzed cyclizations. A protic solvent-activated Mizoroki-Heck reaction was used to construct the C(9) quaternary carbon and the A ring. A cascading Tsuji-Trost cyclization/lactonization sequence was employed to establish the BC ring system and the C(5,6) stereochemistry.     

Estimation of molecular diffusivity in aqueous solution of acetonitrile by the Wilke-Chang equation

It was tried to estimate the molecular diffusivity (D(m)) of solutes in the mixtures of acetonitrile (ACN) and water by the Wilke-Chang equation. Although the information about association coefficient (α) is necessary for the calculation, it has never been proposed for ACN. The value of α was estimated as 1.37 from D(m) of benzene in ACN at 303 K experimentally measured by the peak parking method. The values of α, i.e. 2.6, 1.9, 1.5, and 1.0, which have respectively been proposed for four solvents, i.e. water, methanol, ethanol, and benzene, were correlated with two physico-chemical parameters of the solvents, i.e. solubility parameter and E(T) value. The α value for ACN was plotted around the two correlations, indicating its appropriateness. The values of D(m) calculated by the Wilke-Chang equation using the α value for ACN were compared with those measured by the peak parking method and the Aris-Taylor method in aqueous solutions of ACN. The mean square deviation of the estimation of D(m) was calculated as 8.8 and 14%. It was demonstrated that the Wilke-Chang equation can be used for estimating D(m) with a reasonable accuracy in the mixtures consisting of ACN and water.