Synthesis and reactivity of [2]disilaniobocenophanes

The paramagnetic ansa-niobocene [(Me₂Si)₂(η⁵-C₅H₄)₂NbCl₂] (1) was obtained from the reaction of Li₂[(Me₂Si)₂(C₅H₄)₂] with [NbCl₄(thf)₂]. Further treatment with Li[AlH₄] yielded [(Me₂Si)₂(η⁵-C₅H₄)₂NbH₃] (3), which is prone to decomposition within a few days at room temperature both in solution and in the solid-state, thus affording primarily an insoluble black material. However, after heating or irradiation of a solution of 3 small quantities of the dimeric niobium hydride species, [(Me₂Si)₂{μ-(η¹:η⁵-C₅H₃)}(η⁵-C₅H₄)NbH]₂ (4), were isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction.     

Excitonic effects in two-dimensional vibrational spectra of liquid formamide

The linear and two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) responses of the amide I vibrational mode in liquid formamide are investigated experimentally and theoretically using molecular dynamics simulations. The recent method based on the numerical integration of the Schr?dinger equation is employed to calculate the 2DIR spectra. Special attention is devoted to the interplay of the structural dynamics and the excitonic nature of the amide I modes in determining the optical response of the studied system. In particular, combining experimental data, simulated spectra and analysis of the simulated atomic trajectory in terms of a transition dipole coupling model, we provide a convincing explanation of the peculiar features of the 2DIR spectra, which show a substantial increase of the antidiagonal bandwidth with increasing frequency. We point out that, at variance with liquid water, the 2DIR spectral profile of formamide is determined more by the excitonic nature of the vibrational states than by the fast structural dynamics responsible for the frequency fluctuations.     

On the difficulties of predicting the adsorption of volatile organic compounds at low pressures in microporous solid: the example of ethyl benzene

Adsorption isotherms of toluene and ethyl benzene, at 25 degrees C and 40 degrees C, were determined in two microporous activated carbons and one zeolite. Significant differences were found in the adsorption behavior, at low pressures, between the two vapors on the same adsorbent material. The quantities of adsorbed ethyl benzene at 25 degrees C, in the low-pressure region, were lower than what was observed at 40 degrees C in all the studied adsorbents, contrary to what was found for toluene. This fact was not related to kinetic effects at the two temperatures nor to vapor swelling of the adsorbents structure. Also, there was no molecular sieving since at high pressures the toluene and ethyl benzene occupied the same adsorption space. The differences found in the ethyl benzene adsorption at the two temperatures pose difficulties in the analysis of the adsorption data and, therefore, in the prediction of results. This is discussed in the analysis of the results with the application of the Dubinin-Astakhov equation and in the estimation of the isosteric heats of adsorption. The adsorption potentials of two possible ethyl benzene conformations were estimated for the adsorption in the pores of activated carbon from the Horvath and Kawazoe model, and the values compared with those found experimentally. The results were interpreted in terms of the ethyl benzene conformation effects when the molecule is confined in pores that are about the same size of one of the conformations.     

Study on Synthesis and NMR Characterization of 2,3-O-Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Depending on Synthesis Conditions

The synthesis of hydroxyethyl celluloses with regioselective functionalization in position 2 and 3 starting from triphenylmethyl (trityl) cellulose is described. The effects of reaction conditions upon both the degree of substitution and the distribution of the hydroxyethyl moieties were investigated in detail. The interest was not only focused on regioselective functionalization within the anhydroglucose unit but also on the formation of oxyethylene side chains. To avoid the formation of oxyethylene side chains, 2-(2-bromoethoxy)tetrahydropyran was used as etherifying agent in comparison with 2-bromoethanol. By acidic hydrolysis, both protecting groups – trityl at 6 position and tetrahydropyran at the hydroxyethyl substituent – can be simultaneously cleaved off. The hydroxyethyl celluloses were characterized by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy in order to determine the substitution pattern.     

Stability and migration of metal ions in G4-wires by molecular dynamics simulations

We present a molecular dynamics investigation of guanine quadruple helices based on classical force fields. We analyze the dependence of the helical conformation on various compositional factors, such as the length of the G4-wire, as well as the incorporation into the helix channel of alkali ions of different species and in different amounts. In compliance with previous indications, our results suggest that monovalent alkali cations assist the stability of the quadruplex arrangement against disruption on the few nanoseconds time scale in the order of increasing van der Waals radius. Whereas very short G4-wire fragments immediately unfold in the absence of coordinating metal ions or in the presence of tiny ions (e.g., Li+) in agreement with the experimental evidence that empty short guanine quadruplexes are not formed in any synthetic conditions, our simulations show that longer empty helices do not discompose. This finding supports the possibility of producing long G4-wires with different guanine-cation stoichiometries than those routinely known. The classical trajectories allow us to identify different stationary axial sites for the different metal species, which are confirmed by complementary quantum calculations.     

Association Phenomena of Poly(arylene ether sulfone)s in Dimethylformamide

Three poly(arylene ether sulfone)s (two polymers and one copolymer) containing diphenylfluorene, phenolphthalein and 2,4-bis[(4-chlorophenyl)sulfonyl]-1-(phenyltio) benzene)] units were synthesized by the classical Williamson polyetherification reaction. The association phenomenon in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was investigated by different methods: gel permeation chromatography (GPC), viscosity, atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Both AFM and DLS measurements evidenced the formation of aggregates with spherical or ellipsoidal shape at a concentration around 0.05 wt.%. This behavior could be explained by dipole-dipole interactions between macromolecular chains, probably with the participation of solvent molecules, and by H-bonds involving hydroxyl end groups.     

BSDEs with a random terminal time driven by a monotone generator and their links with PDEs

In this paper, we study one-dimensional backward stochastic differential equations (BSDE) with a random terminal time driven by a monotone generator, and their links with elliptic partial differential equations. Firstly, we present the case of BSDEs driven by a strictly monotone generator, and next we consider BSDEs driven by a monotone generator.