Tilt of atomic force microscope cantilevers: effect on spring constant and adhesion measurements

In atomic force microscopy, the cantilevers are mounted under a certain tilt angle alpha with respect to the sample surface. In this paper, we show that this increases the effective spring constant by typically 10-20%. The effective spring constant of a rectangular cantilever of length L can be obtained by dividing the measured spring constant by cos2 alpha(1 - 2D tan alpha/L). Here, alpha is the tilt angle and D is the size of the tip. In colloidal probe experiments, D has to be replaced by the radius of the attached particle. To determine the effect of tilt experimentally, the adhesion force between spherical borosilicate particles and planar silicon oxide surfaces was measured at tilt angles between 0 degrees and 35 degrees. The experiments revealed a significant decrease of the mean apparent adhesion force with a tilt of typically 20-30% at alpha = 20 degrees. In addition, they demonstrate that the adhesion depends drastically on the precise position of contact on the particle surface.     

Carbon-nitrogen bond formation in the reaction of the reaction of diphenyl diazomethane Ph2 CN2 with diiron-carbene complexes (Fe2(CO)7x03BD;-C(R)C(NEt2)x03BD;-C(R)C(NEtx03BC;-C(R)C(NEt2)N(NCPh2)x03BC;-C(R)C(NEtx03BC;-C(R)C(NEt2)NN(CPh2)x03BC;-C(R)C(NEt)]

The diiron ynamine complex [Fe₂(CO)₇{μ-CR)C(NEt₂)}] (1:R=Me,2:R = C₃H₅.3:R=SiMe₃.4:R = Ph) reacts at room temperature with diphenyldiazomethane Ph₂CN₂, in hexane to yield complexes [Fe₂(CO)₆{C(R)C(NEt₂)N (NCPh₂)] (5a:R=Me,6a:R=C₃H₅.7a R=SiMe₃.8a:R=Ph) resulting from the insertion of the terminal nitrogen atom into the Fe=C carbene bond. Insertion the second nitrogen atom and formation of compounds [Fe₂(CO)₆zμ-C(R)C(NEt₂)NN(CPh₂)}] (5b:R=Me,6b:R=C₃H₅,7b:R=SiMe₃,8b:R=Ph) is observed when compounds5a-5a are treated in refluxing hexane. Transformation of compoundsa tob is also obtained at room temperature within a few days. All compounds were identified by their¹H NMR spectra. Compounds6a, 7a, 8a, and8b were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Crystal data: for6a: space group = P2₁/n,a=12.853(1) A,b=24.800(7) A,c=8.947(6) A,β=99.29(3)°,Z=4, 2227 rellectionsR=0,038; for7a: space group=Pl,a=ll.483(4) A,b=14.975(4) A,c = 17.890(8) A,α = 82.80(3)°,β=94.29(7)°,γ=85.42(2),Z = 4, 5888 reflectionR = 0.035: for8a: space group = Pcab.a = 31.023(8) A.b=20.137(1) A.c=9.686(2) A.Z=8. 1651 reflections,R=0.071; for8b: space group=P2₁/n,a=21.459(4),b=10,100(3) A,c=28,439(8) A,ß=103.86(4)°,Z=8. 2431 reflections.R=0.057.     

Coupling insertion reactions of diphenylbuta-1, 4-diyne into iron-carbene bonds of [Fe2(CO)7{μ-C(Ph)C(NEt2}]. Syntheses and reactivities of the ferracyclopentadiene [Fe2(CO)6{C(Ph)C(NEt2)C(Ph)C(C2Ph)}] with [Fe2(CO)9]

The diiron ynamine complex [Fe₂(CO)₇{-C(Ph)C(NEt₂)}] (1) reacts with the diphenylbuta-1, 4-diyne, PhCC-CCPh, in refluxing hexane to yield three isomer complexes [Fe₂(CO)₆{C(Ph)C(NEt₂)C(Ph)C(C₂Ph}] (2a), [Fe₂(CO)₆{C(Ph)C(NEt₂)C(C₂Ph)C(Ph)}] (2b), and [Fe₂(CO)₆{NEt₂)C(Ph)C(C₂)C(Ph)}] (2c) All three compounds were identified by their¹H NMR spectra. Compounds2a and2c were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Crystal data: for2a: space group = P2₁/n,a = 17.873(1) Å, = 18.388(6) Å,c = 9.429(3) Å = 91.99(3)°,Z = 4.3751 reflections,R = 0.044; for2c: space group = P2₁/n,a = 40.58(2) å,b = 12.101(9) Å,c = 12.551(5) Å, = 94.29(7)°,Z = 8.4723 reflection,R = 0.076. Complexes2a and2b result from a [2 + 2] cycloaddition between one of the CC triple bonds of the diyne ligand and the FeC carbene bond, whereas2c results from insertion of one of the CC group into the bridging carbene. Addition of [Fe₂(CO)₉] on2a gave two major products, the tripledecker [Fe₃(CO)₈{C(Ph)C(NEt₂)C(C₂Ph)}], (3 and a tetrairon cluster [Fe₄(CO)₁₁{C(Ph)C(NEt₂)C(Ph)C(C₂Ph)}] (4). Both compounds were characterized by single crystal diffraction analyses. Crystal data: for3: space group = P2₁/n,a = 12.039(3) Å,b = 18.046(3) å,c = 15.270(2) Å, = 90.11(2)°,Z = 4, 1430 reflections,R = 0.067; for4 space group = C2/c,a = 18.633(3) Å,b = 21.467(1)_Å,c = 20.742(2) Å, = 115.03(8)°,Z = 8.992 reflections, R = 0.076. Complex4 is based on a spiked triangular cluster with the alkynyl triple bond attached in ₃-parallel mode on the triangular grouping.     

FTIR spectroscopy study of CO adsorption on Pt-Na-mordenite

Different carbonyls are formed after CO adsorption at ambient temperature on a Pt-Na-mordenite (Pt-Na-MOR) sample. Pt(3+)(CO)(2) dicarbonyls (nu(s) at 2205 cm(-1) and nu(as) at 2167 cm(-1)) are decomposed without formation of monocarbonyls. The respective mixed-ligand species, Pt(3+)((12)CO)((13)CO), formed after (12)CO-(13)CO coadsorption, display bands at 2192 and 2131 cm(-1), in excellent agreement with the theoretically calculated values. Pt(2+)-CO species absorb at 2145 cm(-1) and are not able to accept a second CO molecule. Pt(+)-CO carbonyls are characterized by a band at 2111 cm(-1). Under CO equilibrium pressure, these species are converted into dicarbonyls (nu(s) at 2135 cm(-1) and nu(as) at 2101 cm(-1)). The respective mixed-ligand species, Pt(+)((12)CO)((13)CO), manifest bands at 2123 and 2069 cm(-1), in good agreement again with the theory. Different carbonyls of metallic platinum are observed below 2100 cm(-)(1). In addition, weakly adsorbed CO was registered as Na(+)-CO complexes (2177 and 2165 cm(-1)) and Na(+)-OC-Na(+) species (2138 cm(-1)). It was found that during desorption of CO platinum was reduced, ultimately to metal. However, heating in a NO + O(2) mixture leads to reoxidation of the metal particles and restoration of the initial state of the sample.     

Oxygen evolution reaction: a perspective on a decade of atomic scale simulations

Multiple strategies to overcome the intrinsic limitations of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been proposed by numerous research groups. Despite the substantial efforts, the driving force required for water oxidation is largely making the reaction inefficient. In the present work, we collected published studies involving DFT calculations for the OER, with the purpose to understand why the progress made so far, for lowering the overpotential of the reaction, is relatively small. The data revealed that the universal scaling relationship between HO* and HOO* intermediates is still present and robust, despite the variety in methods and structures used for calculating the binding energies of the intermediates. On the other hand, the data did not show a clear trend line regarding the O* binding. Our analysis suggested that trends in doped semiconducting oxides behave very differently from those in other oxides. This points towards a computational challenge in describing doped oxides in a realistic manner. We propose a way to overcome these computational challenges, which can be applied to simulations corresponding to doped semiconductors in general.

Multiple strategies to overcome the intrinsic limitations of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been proposed by numerous research groups.     

Enantiomeric analysis of rivastigmine in pharmaceuticals by cyclodextrin-modified capillary zone electrophoresis

Chiral separation method development is usually very time-consuming due to the diversity in chemical structures of pharmaceutical drug substances as well as the suitable separation conditions and the problem to choose the appropriate chiral selector. This paper shows capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) which was developed for chiral separation of a basic compound - rivastigmine (RIV) using 30 cm × 50 μm i.d. polyacrylamide (PAA)-coated fused-silica capillary (effective length 20 cm), amine-modified phosphate buffer of pH 2.5 and sulfated-β-CD (S-β-CD) as chiral selector. Other selected native or derivatized cyclodextrins (CDs) were also tested: β-CD (5, 30 mM), carboxymethyl-β-CD (5, 30 mM), dimethyl-β-CD (15 mM), hydroxypropyl-β-CD (5, 30 mM), hydroxypropyl-α-CD (5, 30 mM) and hydroxypropyl-γ-CD (5, 30 mM). Complete enantiomeric separation of RIV was achieved at 20 kV, 18 °C and detection at 200 nm within 8 min with R.S.D. for the absolute migration time reproducibility of less than 2.1%. Rectilinear calibration range was 5.0-500.0 μM of each enantiomer (r = 0.9994-0.9995). The CZE method proposed was used for the control of chiral purity of pharmaceutically active S-RIV and for the analysis of Exelon caps preparation.     

Synthesis of new derivatives of 4-amino-2,4-dihydro-1,2,4-triazol-3-one as potential antibacterial agents

Thirty new 2-substituted-4-amino-5-alkyl or aryl-2,4-dihydro-1,2,4-triazol-3-ones and ten 2-substituted-5-alkyl or aryl-4-(5-nitro-2-furfurylidene)amino-2,4-dihydro-1,2,4-triazol-3-ones were synthesized and characterised by their sharp melting points, elemental analysis, ir and ¹H nmr spectra. These new derivatives of 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde were screened for their antibacterial activities. Most of the compounds showed good activity against one test organism, Staphylococcus aureus. For a few compounds, C.M.I. ranged from 4 to 8 μg/ml (higher results than nitrofurantoin).