Single-molecule conductance through multiple π-π-stacked benzene rings determined with direct electrode-to-benzene ring connections

Understanding electron transport across π-π-stacked systems will help to answer fundamental questions about biochemical redox processes and benefit the design of new materials and molecular devices. Herein we employed the STM break-junction technique to measure the single-molecule conductance of multiple π-π-stacked aromatic rings. We studied electron transport through up to four stacked benzene rings held together in an eclipsed fashion via a paracyclophane scaffold. We found that the strained hydrocarbons studied herein couple directly to gold electrodes during the measurements; hence, we did not require any heteroatom binding groups as electrical contacts. Density functional theory-based calculations suggest that the gold atoms of the electrodes bind to two neighboring carbon atoms of the outermost cyclophane benzene rings in η(2) fashion. Our measurements show an exponential decay of the conductance with an increasing number of stacked benzene rings, indicating a nonresonant tunneling mechanism. Furthermore, STM tip-substrate displacement data provide additional evidence that the electrodes bind to the outermost benzene rings of the π-π-stacked molecular wires.     

Solubility of 1-Butene in Water and in a Medium for Cultivation of a Bacterial Strain

Solubility measurements of 1-butene in water, from 20 to 50°C and at atmospheric pressure, were carried out using a Ben-Naim/Baer-type apparatus. The experimental results have a precision of about ±0.3%. Using accurate thermodynamic relations, the Ostwald coefficients at the experimental conditions and at infinite dilution, the mole fractions of the dissolved gas at the gas partial pressure of 101.325 kPa and the Henry coefficients at the water vapor pressure were calculated. The mole fraction of dissolved gas were fitted to the Clarke, Glew, and Weiss equation and thermodynamic quantities, standard molar Gibbs energy, entropy, and enthalpy changes, for the process of transferring the 1-butene molecules from the gaseous to the water phase, were computed. Moreover, solubility measurements of 1-butene in an aqueous medium for the cultivation of Xanthobacter Py2 in the same temperature range were also performed at atmospheric pressure. These solubility data are approximately 2.6% lower than those observed in pure water.     

Variational bounds to the overlap

Starting from a closed expression for the overlap, variational upper and lower bounds to the overlap are derived by means of operator inequalities.     

Lattice-dynamical calculations for tetracene and pentacene

Lattice-dynamical, calculations for evidently non-rigid molecules of aromatic hydrocarbons have been carried out on tetracene and pentacene. In these substances, “out-of plane” vibrations mix extensively with lattice vibrations, and significant differences can be noted between results from a “rigid-body” and a “non-rigid” treatment. For tetracene crystals, whose Raman spectral data are given in the literature, the agreement with experiment is satisfactory. This confirms the validity of such procedures for interpreting and/or predicting spectroscopic behaviour, starting from empirical atom—atom potentials and valence force fields.     

How the interplay of different control mechanisms affects the initiator efficiency factor in controlled radical polymerization: An investigation using organometallic Mo-based catalysts

Compound CpMoI₂(iPr₂dad) (iPr₂dad = iPrNCHCHNiPr), obtained by halide exchange from CpMoCl₂(iPr₂dad) and NaI, has been isolated and characterized by EPR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray crystallography. Its action as a catalyst in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and as a spin trap in organometallic radical polymerization (OMRP) of styrene and methyl acrylate (MA) monomers has been investigated and compared with that of the dichloro analogue. Compound CpMoCl₂(iPr₂dad) catalyzes the ATRP of styrene and MA with low efficiency factors f (as low as 0.37 for MA and ethyl 2-chloropropionate as initiator), while it irreversibly traps the corresponding growing radical chains under OMRP conditions. On the other hand, compound CpMoI₂(iPr₂dad) has a greater ATRP catalytic activity than the dichloro analogue and yields f = 1 for MA and ethyl 2-iodopropionate as initiator. Under OMRP conditions, it does not irreversibly trap the growing radical chains. This comparison serves to illustrate the general principle that low initiator efficiency factors, sometimes observed in ATRP, may result from the interplay of the ATRP and OMRP mechanisms, when the latter ones involves an irreversible radical trapping process.     

Improved In vitro and In vivo Cutaneous Delivery of Protoporphyrin IX from PLGA‐based Nanoparticles

We report the development of d , l lactic co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA)‐based nanoparticles (NPs) for topical delivery of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a photosensitizer (PS), in treatments like photodynamic therapy (PDT) of skin cancers. PpIX‐NPs were obtained in ~75.0% yield, encapsulation efficiency of 67.7%, drug content of 50.3 μg mg^?1, average diameter of 290 nm maintained up to 30 days and a zeta potential of 32.3 mV. Sustained in vitro release of PpIX through artificial membranes following Higuchi kinetics was kept up to 10 days. In vitro retentions of PpIX both in stratum corneum (SC) and epidermis + dermis ([EP + D]) were higher from NPs (23.0 and 10.0 times, respectively) compared to control solutions at all times. Quantification of PpIX by extraction, after in vivo skin application of NPs‐PpIX on hairless mice, showed higher retention of the PS both in SC and in [EP + D] (3.0 and 2.0 times, respectively) compared to control solutions. Taken together, the results indicate that NPs are suitable for PpIX encapsulation showing minimal permeation through the skin and a localized effect, characteristics of a potential and promising delivery system for PDT‐associated treatments of skin cancers, photodiagnosis and their off‐label uses.     

Comparison of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry interfaces for the analysis of polar metabolites of benz[a]pyrene

 The performance of two liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) interfacing techniques, thermospray (TSP) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), for the analysis of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) metabolites (hydroxy, epoxy and quinone derivatives) was compared. Interface and detection parameters such as source temperature, eluent composition or flow rate were optimized using negative ion mode. In TSP, the main ions are mostly [M]^-, [M−H₂O]^- or [M+CH₃COO]^-, whereas APCI gives mainly the [M]^- and [M−H]^- ions. Quantification was carried out by flow injection. Calibration graphs were linear in the range of 10 ng to 1000 ng in TSP and 0.1 ng to 10 ng in APCI. Detection limits were in the range of 1 ng to 20 ng in TSP and 0.002 ng to 0.2 ng in APCI. The presence of BaP-1,6-dione, BaP-3,6-dione, and BaP-6,12-dione was confirmed in environmental samples of air particulate matter. Received: 6 January 1997/Accepted: 18 April 1997     

Xylanase production by Aspergillus awamori in solid-state fermentation and influence of different nitrogen sources

The use of purified xylan as a substrate for bioconversion into xylanases increases the cost of enzyme production. Consequently, there have been attempts to develop a bioprocess to produce such enzymes using different lignocellulosic residues. Filamentous fungi have been widely used to produce hydrolytic enzymes for industrial applications, including xylanases, whose levels in fungi are generally much higher than those in yeast and bacteria. Considering the industrial importance of xylanases, the present study evaluated the use of milled sugarcane bagasse, without any pretreatment, as a carbon source. Also, the effect of different nitrogen sources and the C∶N ratio on xylanase production by Aspergillus awamori were investigated, in experiments carried out in solid-state fermentation. High extracellular xylanolytic activity was observed on cultivation of A. awamori on milled sugarcane bagasse and organic nitrogen sources (45 IU/mL for endoxylanase and 3.5 IU/mL for β-xylosidase). Endoxylanase and β-xylosidase activities were higher when sodium nitrate was used as the nitrogen source, when compared with peptone, urea, and ammonium sulfate at the optimized C∶N ratio of 10∶1. The use of yeast extract as a supplement to the these nitrogen sources resulted in considerable improvementin the production of xylanases, showing the importance of this organic nitrogen source on A. awamori metabolism.