Network forming properties of various proteins adsorbed at the air/water interface in relation to foam stability

A series of proteins was studied with respect to their ability to form a network at the air/water interface and their suitability as foaming agents and foam stabilizers. Proteins were chosen with a range of structures from flexible to rigid/globular: beta-casein, beta-lactoglobulin, ovalbumin, and (soy) glycinin. Experiments were performed at neutral pH except for glycinin, which was studied at both pH 3 and pH 6.7. The adsorption process was followed with an automated drop tensiometer (ADT). Network forming properties were assessed in terms of surface dilational modulus (determined with the ADT), the critical falling film length (L(still)) and flow rate (Q(still)) below which a stagnant film exists (as measured with the overflowing cylinder technique), and the fracture stress and fracture strain measured in surface shear. It was found that glycinin (pH 3) can form an interfacial gel in a very short time, whereas beta-casein has very poor network-forming properties. Hardly any foam could be produced at the chosen conditions with glycinin (pH 6.7) and with ovalbumin, whereas beta-casein, beta-lactoglobulin, and glycinin (pH 3) were good foaming agents. It seems that adsorption and unfolding rate are most important for foam formation. Once the foam is formed, a rigid network might favor stabilizing the foam.     

Planar nets of Ti atoms comprising squares and rhombs in the new binary antimonide Ti2Sb

The new binary antimonide Ti(2)Sb was found to crystallize in a distorted variant of the La(2)Sb type, which contains a square planar La net with short La-La bonds. In the Ti(2)Sb structure, the corresponding Ti net is deformed to squares and rhombs in order to enhance Ti-Ti bonding, as proven by single-crystal X-ray investigation in combination with the real-space pair distribution function technique utilizing both X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data. Electronic structure calculations revealed a lowering of the total energy caused by the disorder, the major driving force being strengthened Ti-Ti interactions along the diagonal of the Ti(4) rhombs.     

Biosynthesis of cis-Jasmone: a pathway for the inactivation and the disposal of the plant stress hormone jasmonic acid to the gas phase?

Flowers of Jasminum rincospernum convert deuterium-labeled jasmonic acid [²H₅]- 4a and methyl 1,2-didehy-drojasmonate [²H₄]- 8 into labeled cis-jasmone [²H₄]- 1. The labeling pattern of the resulting cis-jasmone ( 1 ) is consistent with a Grob fragmentation of the didehydrojasmonic acid 8a by decarboxylation after protonation of the keto group. The pathway is also operative in leaves of several higher plants, including mono- and dicotyledonous specimens. In Lima beans besides cis-jasmone ( 1 ) an equimolar mixture of trans- and cis-isomers of methyl jasmonate ( 4 ) and epi- 4 , is emitted after treatment with Jasmonic acid ( 4a ). The relative ratio of 1 and 4 /epi- 4 is critically dependent on the concentration of the administered jasmonic acid ( 4a ) and the ambient temperature of the plant. Unlike 4a , the 1,2-didehydrojasmonic acid ( 8a ) is not able to induce volatile biosynthesis. Therefore, the transformation of 4a via 8 a into 1 appears to have a special importance for the irreversible inactivation and disposal of the plant stress hormone jasmonic acid to the gas phase and may serve, besides other modes of inactivation, as a shunt in case of high internal of the stress hormone 4a. The conversion of the biologically active jasmonic acid ( 4a ) into the inactive and volatile cis-jasmone (1) is the first example of a disposal of an inactive metabolite of a phytohormone to the gas phase as an infinite sink.     

Silver Coated Platinum Core–Shell Nanostructures on Etched Si Nanowires: Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Processing and Application in SERS

A new method to prepare plasmonically active noble metal nanostructures on large surface area silicon nanowires (SiNWs) mediated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology has successfully been demonstrated for applications of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)‐based sensing. As host material for the plasmonically active nanostructures we use dense single‐crystalline SiNWs with diameters of less than 100 nm as obtained by a wet chemical etching method based on silver nitrate and hydrofluoric acid solutions. The SERS active metal nanoparticles/islands are made from silver (Ag) shells as deposited by autometallography on the core nanoislands made from platinum (Pt) that can easily be deposited by ALD in the form of nanoislands covering the SiNW surfaces in a controlled way. The density of the plasmonically inactive Pt islands as well as the thickness of noble metal Ag shell are two key factors determining the magnitude of the SERS signal enhancement and sensitivity of detection. The optimized Ag coated Pt islands on SiNWs exhibit great potential for ultrasensitive molecular sensing in terms of high SERS signal enhancement ability, good stability and reproducibility. The plasmonic activity of the core‐shell Pt//Ag system that will be experimentally realized in this paper as an example was demonstrated in numerical finite element simulations as well as experimentally in Raman measurements of SERS activity of a highly diluted model dye molecule. The morphology and structure of the core‐shell Pt//Ag nanoparticles on SiNW surfaces were investigated by scanning‐ and transmission electron microscopy. Optimized core–shell nanoparticle geometries for maximum Raman signal enhancement is discussed essentially based on the finite element modeling.     

Excited State Tuning of Bis(tridentate) Ruthenium(II) Polypyridine Chromophores by Push–Pull Effects and Bite Angle Optimization: A Comprehensive Experimental and Theoretical Study

The synergy of push–pull substitution and enlarged ligand bite angles has been used in functionalized heteroleptic bis(tridentate) polypyridine complexes of ruthenium(II) to shift the ¹MLCT absorption and the ³MLCT emission to lower energy, enhance the emission quantum yield, and to prolong the ³MLCT excited‐state lifetime. In these complexes, that is, [Ru(ddpd)(EtOOC‐tpy)][PF₆]₂, [Ru(ddpd‐NH₂)(EtOOC‐tpy)][PF₆]₂, [Ru(ddpd){(MeOOC)₃‐tpy}][PF₆]₂, and [Ru(ddpd‐NH₂){(EtOOC)₃‐tpy}][PF₆]₂ the combination of the electron‐accepting 2,2′;6′,2′′‐terpyridine (tpy) ligand equipped with one or three COOR substituents with the electron‐donating N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐dipyridin‐2‐ylpyridine‐2,6‐diamine (ddpd) ligand decorated with none or one NH₂ group enforces spatially separated and orthogonal frontier orbitals with a small HOMO–LUMO gap resulting in low‐energy ¹MLCT and ³MLCT states. The extended bite angle of the ddpd ligand increases the ligand field splitting and pushes the deactivating ³MC state to higher energy. The properties of the new isomerically pure mixed ligand complexes have been studied by using electrochemistry, UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, static and time‐resolved luminescence spectroscopy, and transient absorption spectroscopy. The experimental data were rationalized by using density functional calculations on differently charged species (charge n=0–4) and on triplet excited states (³MLCT and ³MC) as well as by time‐dependent density functional calculations (excited singlet states).     

Bioinspired Synthesis of Well‐Ordered Layered Organic–Inorganic Nanohybrids: Mimicking the Natural Processing of Nacre by Mineralization of Block Copolymer Templates

The unique mechanical performance of nacre, the pearly internal layer of shells, is highly dependent on its complex morphology. Inspired by the structure of nacre, the fabrication of well‐ordered layered inorganic–organic nanohybrids is presented herein. This biomimetic approach includes the use of a block copolymer template, consisting of hydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) lamellae covered with hydrophilic poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), to direct silica (SiO₂) mineralization. The resulting PVDF/PMAA/SiO₂ nanohybrid material resembles biogenic nacre with respect to its well‐ordered and layered nanostructure, alternating organic–inorganic phases, macromolecular template, and mild processing conditions.