Mesoporous electrode material from alumina-stabilized anatase TiO2 for lithium ion batteries

A mesoporous electrode material whose structure is composed of anatase nanocrystals stabilized by alumina is reported. Powder X-ray diffraction shows the anatase phase only, but micro-Raman spectroscopy shows that the materials have a core-shell morphology with grains of bulk anatase covered by a thin rutile layer on the surface. This structure is unique when compared to analogous materials stabilized by zirconia (PNNL-1). Nitrogen adsorption isotherms demonstrate a monotonous increase in surface area and mesopore volume with increasing Al content. Thin film electrodes from these materials were characterized by lithium insertion electrochemistry. Cyclic voltammograms exhibit significant differences in Li accommodation in Al-free and Al-stabilized materials.     

Extensions of Szegö's theory of orthogonal polynomials,III

Let {ø _n (dμ)} be a system of orthonormal polynomials on the unit circle with respect to a measuredμ. Szegö's theory is concerned with the asymptotic behavior ofø _n (dμ) when logμ′∈L ¹. In what follows we will discuss the asymptotic behavior of the ratioø _n (dμ ₂)/ø _n (dμ ₁) on the unit circle whendμ ₁ anddμ ₂ are close in a sense (e.g.,dμ ₂=gdμ ₁, where g≥0 is such thatQ(e ^it )g(t) andQ(e ^it )/g(t) are bounded for a suitable polynomialQ) and μ ₁ ^′ >0 almost everywhere or (a somewhat weaker requirement) lim _n→∞Φ _n (dμ ₁,0)=0 for the monic polynomial Φ _n . The asymptotic behavior of the same fraction outside the unit circle was discussed in an earlier paper.     

The spectrum of a quasiperiodic Schrödinger operator

The spectrum (H) of the tight binding Fibonacci Hamiltonian (H _mn= _m,n+1+ _m+1,n + _m,n v(n),v(n)= ((n–1)), 1/ is the golden number) is shown to coincide with the dynamical spectrum, the set on which an infinite subsequence of traces of transfer matrices is bounded. The point spectrum is absent for any , and (H) is a Cantor set for 4. Combining this with Casdagli's earlier result, one finds that the spectrum is singular continuous for 16.On leave from the Central Research Institute for Physics, Budapest, Hungary     

160Tb nuclear orientation in yttrium single crystal

First experimental results of¹⁶⁰Tb nuclear orientation in yttrium single crystal matrix are described. The influence of external magnetic field in combination with the crystal field interaction is discussed.     

Kinetic studies of some substituted hexarhodium carbonyl clusters

Reactions of the halides X- (X- = chloride, bromide or iodide) with the substituted cluster Rh6(CO)15(PPh3) in oxygen-free chloroform lead to [Rh5(CO)14(PPh3)]-, Rh(CO)2(PPh3)2X and [Rh(CO)2X2]- in the molar ratios 2:1: approximately 13. Oxidation by the solvent is assumed to lead to most of the Rh(I) product, and the stoichiometry for reactions with I- can be defined as 4Rh6(CO)15(PPh3) + 27I- + 12CHCl3 --> 2[Rh5(CO)14(PPh3)]- + Rh(CO)2(PPh3)2I + 13[Rh(CO)2I2]- + 6C2H2Cl4 + 4CO + 12Cl-. This can be rationalized quite simply with the aid of a few generally justifiable assumptions. Rate constants for reactions with bromide increase to a limiting value with increasing [Br-] in a way that shows that breaking of one Rh-Rh bond, with an unusual closo to nido structural change, is rate determining. This opening of the cluster might be spontaneous or solvent induced. To complete the reaction, the bromide has to compete with the reverse nido to closo change. The same closo to nido change is also a major rate determining step for reactions with P(OPh)3 in oxygen-free solutions, and for reactions with bromide in oxygenated solutions in the presence of trifluoroacetic and some other acids. The limiting rates increase slightly with increasing basicity of the ligands P(p-XC6H4)3 along the series X = F3C, Cl, F, H and MeO. Activation parameters for these reactions are reported.     

Synthesis and aqueous solution properties of a well-defined thermo-responsive schizophrenic diblock copolymer

We report only the second example of a thermo-responsive 'schizophrenic' diblock copolymer surfactant: unlike the original (meth)acrylamide-based example reported by Laschewsky and co-workers (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2002, 124, 3787), this new methacrylate-based diblock copolymer is near-monodisperse, readily synthesized in high yield and exhibits a broad temperature range between the two micelle transitions.     

Can a single oxidant with two spin states masquerade as two different oxidants? A study of the sulfoxidation mechanism by cytochrome p450

Density functional calculations were performed on the sulfoxidation reaction by a model compound I (Cpd I) of cytochrome P450. By contrast to previous alkane hydroxylation studies, which exhibit a dominant low-spin (LS) pathway, the sulfoxidation follows a dominant high-spin (HS) reaction. Thus, competing hydroxylation and sulfoxidation processes as observed for instance by Jones et al. (Volz, T. J.; Rock, D. A.; Jones, J. P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 9724) are the result of a two-state reactivity scenario, whereby the hydroxylation originates from the LS pathway and the sulfoxidation from the HS pathway. In this manner, two spin states of a single oxidant (Cpd I) can be disguised as two different oxidants. The calculations rule out the possibility that a second oxidant (the ferric peroxide, Cpd 0 species) interferes in the observed results of Jones et al.     

Transformation of Cinchona alkaloids into 1-N-oxide derivatives by endophytic Xylaria sp isolated from Cinchona pubescens

The microbial transformation of four Cinchona alkaloids (quinine, quinidine, cinchonidine, and cinchonine) by endophytic fungi isolated from Cinchona pubescens was investigated. The endophytic filamentous fungus Xylaria sp. was found to transform the Cinchona alkaloids into their 1-N-oxide derivatives.     

Modelling and mutation studies on the histamine H1-receptor agonist binding site reveal different binding modes for H1-agonists: Asp116 (TM3) has a constitutive role in receptor stimulation

Summary A modelling study has been carried out, investigating the binding of histamine (Hist), 2-methylhistamine (2-MeHist) and 2-phenylhistamine (2-PhHist) at two postulated agonistic binding sites on transmembrane domain 5 (TM5) of the histamine H₁-receptor. For this purpose a conformational analysis study was performed on three particular residues of TM5, i.e., Lys²⁰⁰, Thr²⁰³ and Asn²⁰⁷, for which a functional role in binding has been proposed. The most favourable results were obtained for the interaction between Hist and the Lys²⁰⁰/Asn²⁰⁷ pair. Therefore, Lys²⁰⁰ was subsequently mutated and converted to an alanine, resulting in a 50-fold decrease of H₁-receptor stimulation by histamine. Altogether, the data suggest that the Lys²⁰⁰/Asn²⁰⁷ pair is important for activation of the H₁-receptor by histamine. In contrast, analogues of 2-PhHist seem to belong to a distinct subclass of histamine agonists and an alternative mode of binding is proposed in which the 2-phenyl ring binds to the same receptor location as one of the aromatic rings of classical histamine H₁-antagonists. Subsequently, the binding modes of the agonists Hist, 2-MeHist and 2-PhHist and the H₁-antagonist cyproheptadine were evaluated in three different seven--helical models of the H₁-receptor built in homology with bacteriorhodopsin, but using three different alignments. Our findings suggest that the position of the carboxylate group of Asp¹¹⁶ (TM3) within the receptor pocket depends on whether an agonist or an antagonist binds to the protein; a conformational change of this aspartate residue upon agonist binding is expected to play an essential role in receptor stimulation.Abbreviations 2-MeHist 2-methylhistamine - 2-PEA 2-pyridyl-ethylamine - 2-PhHist 2-phenylhistamine - CHO Chinese hamster ovary - E_int interaction energy - E_str strain energy - GES global energy structure - gpH₁R guinea pig H₁-receptor - GPCR G-protein coupled receptor - Hist histamine - N proximal nitrogen - N tele nitrogen - TM transmembrane domain - WT wild type