In situ detection of birefringent mesoscopic H and J aggregates of thiacarbocyanine dye in solution

Polarized-light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy as well as absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to characterize mesoscopic structures of both supramolecular H and J aggregates of 3,3'-disulfopropyl-5,5'-dichloro-9-methyl thiacarbocyanine dye in aqueous solution. Polarized-light microscopy visualizes in situ the mesoscopic morphology of the H and J aggregates and distinguishes between them by their own colors. The H aggregate having a fibrous structure showed negative birefringence, namely, the refractive index along the fiber short axis was higher than that of the long axis, so that pi-electron chromophores of the dye molecule are likely to orient along the short axis of the elongated fibers. The degree of birefringence of the H aggregate fiber was approximately -0.3. Investigations on the concentration dependence of the absorption spectra showed that the amount of J aggregates increased at the expense of a decrease in the amount of H aggregates. With respect to the J aggregates, a small dot morphology was observed at a relatively low dye concentration of 3.0 mM. With an increase of the dye concentration up to 10 mM, the morphology changed into mesoscopic fibers. In contrast, fluorescence microscopy for the fibrous J aggregates reveals that the constituent molecules are approximately aligned along the long axis of the fibers.     

Electrochemical properties of lanthanum nickel oxide

Electrochemical properties of lanthanum nickel oxide, LaNiO₂₈₄, were studied in alkaline solutions. It was concluded that redox reactions of Ni⁴⁺/Ni³⁺ and Ni³⁺/Ni²⁺ in a solid surface layer took place at 0.4 V and ?0.4 V (vs. Hg/HgO), respectively. As the conductivity of the oxide is a function of the oxygen concentration due to σ^* bond formation, the resistivity of the electrode was changed depending on polarization potentials. The catalytic activity for oxygen reduction of a preoxidized electrode seemed to be higher than that of an electrode not intentionally oxidized, and the activity depended on the concentration of the alkaline solution. It was presumed that Ni³⁺ cations which form the σ^* bond with oxygen have an important role in the electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction on lanthanum nickel oxide.     

Microfabrication of FeMnPt films involving magnetic phase change due to structural transformation caused by ion irradiation

Correlations between crystal structures and magnetic properties of Fe_1–xMn_x Pt films were studied. The disordered films with x ≥ 0.44 had paramagnetic properties and the ordered films with x ≥ 0.46 had antiferromagnetic properties, viz. a difference of 0.02 in the x ‐value (i.e., 1.0 at%) was found. At x = 0.44 with the ordered structure, the uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy was about 2.1 × 10⁷ erg cm^–3. A microfabrication process involving the slight composition difference of 0.02, which results in ferromagnetic–paramagnetic phase change due to the structural transformation caused by ion irradiation, was investigated. Only the area irradiated by Mn ions changed from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Theoretical analysis of binding specificity of influenza viral hemagglutinin to avian and human receptors based on the fragment molecular orbital method

The hemagglutinin (HA) protein of the influenza virus binds to the host cell receptor in the early stage of viral infection. A change in binding specificity from avian 2-3 to human 2-6 receptor is essential for optimal human-to-human transmission and pandemics. Therefore, it is important to reveal the key factors governing the binding affinity of HA-receptor complex at the molecular level for the understanding and prediction of influenza pandemics. In this work, on the basis of ab initio fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method, we have carried out the interaction energy analysis of HA-receptor complexes to quantitatively elucidate the binding specificity of HAs to avian and human receptors. To discuss the binding property of influenza HA comprehensively, a number of HAs from human H1, swine H1, avian H3 and avian H5 viruses were analyzed. We performed detailed investigations about the interaction patterns of complexes of various HAs and receptor analogues, and revealed that intra-molecular interactions between conserved residues in HA play an important role for HA-receptor binding. These results may provide a hint to understand the role of conserved acidic residues at the receptor binding site which are destabilized by the electrostatic repulsion with sialic acid. The calculated binding energies and interaction patterns between receptor and HAs are consistent with the binding specificities of each HA and thus explain the receptor binding mechanism. The calculated results in the present analysis have provided a number of viewpoints regarding the models for the HA-receptor binding specificity associated with mutated residues. Examples include the role of Glu190 and Gln226 for the binding specificity of H5 HA. Since H5 HA has not yet been adapted to human receptor and the mechanism of the specificity change is unknown, this result is helpful for the prediction of the change in receptor specificity associated with forthcoming possible pandemics.     

Two new dimeric coumarins isolated from Murraya exotica

Bismurrangatin and murramarin A, two new coumarins, were isolated from the vegetative branches of Murraya exotica. Murramarin A is a rare type of bicoumarin that connects two coumarin moieties by orthoester structure. The structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic methods, especially by 2D-NMR experiments.     

Synthesis and structural analysis of conjugated benzoxazaborine derivatives

Benzoxazaborine derivatives were synthesized by the dehydration condensation reaction of 2-aminobenzyl alcohols with arylboronic acids. The insensitivity of the benzoxazaborines to hydrolysis allowed these compounds to be isolated by silica gel column chromatography. The single crystal X-ray structural analysis demonstrated the highly planar structure of the benzoxazaborine unit, and the BN bond length indicated an extended π-conjugated system.     

A necessary and sufficient condition for oscillation of the generalized Liénard equation

Summary In this paper we consider the Liénard system x= y – F(x), y= – g(x) and give a necessary and sufficient condition under which all solutions oscillate.     

Proton-Induced Tuning of Electrochemical and Photophysical Properties in Mononuclear and Dinuclear Ruthenium Complexes Containing 2,2'-Bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)-4,4'-bipyridine: Synthesis, Molecular Structure, and Mixed-Valence State and Excited-State Properties

A series of mono- and dinuclear Ru(bpy)(2) complexes (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) containing 2,2'-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)-4,4'-bipyridine (bbbpyH(2)) were prepared. The mononuclear complex [Ru(bpy)(2)(bbbpyH(2))](ClO(4))(2).CH(3)OH.4H(2)O was characterized by an X-ray structure determination. Crystal data are as follows: triclinic, space group P&onemacr;, a = 14.443(4) ?, b = 15.392(4) ?, c = 11.675(2)?, alpha = 101.44(2) degrees, beta = 107.85(2) degrees, gamma = 96.36(2) degrees, V = 2380(1) ?(3), Z = 2. The coordination geometry of the ruthenium(II) ion is approximately octahedral. The dihedral angle between the two pyridyl rings in bbbpyH(2) is 9.4(3) degrees, which is close to coplanar, in the complex. Mono- and dinuclear complexes exhibit broad charge-transfer absorption bands at 420-520 nm and emission at 660-720 nm in CH(3)CN solution with lifetimes of 200-800 ns at room temperature. Transient difference absorption spectra and resonance Raman (rR) spectra were used to assign the charge-transfer bands in the 420-520 nm region and to identify the lowest excited states. Both absorption and emission spectra are sensitive to solvent and solution pH. Deprotonation of the dinuclear complex raises the energies of the pi orbitals of the bbbpyH(2) ligand, so that they become closer in energy to the pi orbitals of bpy. The intervalence band of [(bpy)(2)Ru(bbbpyH(2))Ru(bpy)(2)](5+)()()is observed at 1200 nm ( epsilon = 170 M(-)(1) cm(-)(1)) in CH(3)CN. The value of the electronic coupling matrix element, H(AB), was determined as 120 cm(-)(1). Upon deprotonation, the IT band was not observed. It is therefore concluded that a superexchange pathway occurs predominantly via the Ru(II) dpi-bbbpyH(2) pi interaction, since deprotonation decreases the interaction. The role of the intervening fragments in the bridging ligand is discussed from the viewpoint of orbital energies and their orbital mixing with Ru dpi orbitals.