Synthesis and characterization of asymmetric NHC complexes

New chiral and non-chiral rhodium(I)–NHC complexes were synthesized. The first attempt by deprotonation of an imidazolinium salt with KOtBu and reaction with [Rh(COD)Cl]₂ leads to the corresponding rhodium(I) complex. Due to the basic conditions during the reaction a loss of chirality occurs. An alternative transmetallation reaction with a silver(I)–NHC complex yields the desired rhodium(I)–NHC complex under retention of chirality. Both Rh complexes were fully characterized by analytical methods.     

Preparation and Crystal Structure of Rare Earth Rhenates: the Series Ln5Re2O12 with Ln = Y,Gd–Lu,and the Praseodymium Rhenates Pr3ReO8, Pr3Re2O10, and Pr4Re2O11

The crystal structure of the known compounds Ln₅Re₂O₁₂ (Ln = Y, Gd, Dy–Lu) and the new isotypic terbium rhenate Tb₅Re₂O₁₂ was determined from X‐ray data of a twinned crystal of Ho₅Re₂O₁₂: B2/m, a = 1236.5(4) pm, b = 748.2(2) pm, c = 563.8(1) pm, γ = 107.73(3)°, Z = 2, R = 0.034 for 379 structure factors and 37 variable parameters. The rhenium atoms (oxidation number +4.5) have octahedral oxygen coordination. These ReO₆ octahedra share edges, thus forming infinite strings with alternating short and long Re–Re distances: 243.6(2) and 320.1(2) pm. Of the three holmium positions two are surrounded by seven oxygen atoms and the third one has octahedral oxygen coordination. The crystal structure of Pr₃ReO₈ was refined from single‐crystal X‐ray data: P2₁/a, a = 1498.0(2) pm, b = 749.09(8) pm, c = 610.48(9) pm, γ = 110.39(1)°, R = 0.017 for 2082 F values and 110 variable parameters. It is isotypic with a structure first determined for Sm₃ReO₈. The new compounds Pr₃Re₂O₁₀ and Pr₄Re₂O₁₁ were prepared by reaction of elemental praseodymium with the metaperrhenate Pr(ReO₄)₃. They were characterized through their X‐ray powder diagrams. Pr₃Re₂O₁₀ was found to be monoclinic: a = 778.47(9) pm, b = 773.62(9) pm, c = 706.10(8) pm, β = 114.77(1)°. It is isotypic with La₃Os₂O₁₀ and La₃Re₂O₁₀. Pr₄Re₂O₁₁ crystallizes with Nd₄Re₂O₁₁ type structure with the tetragonal lattice constants a = 1272.49(3) pm, c = 562.29(2) pm. The compounds Nd₄Re₂O₁₁ and Sm₄Re₂O₁₁ are confirmed. The magnetic properties of Ho₅Re₂O₁₂, Tb₅Re₂O₁₂, Pr₃Re₂O₁₀, Pr₄Re₂O₁₁, Nd₄Re₂O₁₁, and Sm₄Re₂O₁₁ were investigated with a Faraday balance. None of these compounds shows magnetic order above 200 K.     

Few-Body Physics in a Many-Body World

The study of quantum mechanical few-body systems is a century old pursuit relevant to countless subfields of physics. While the two-body problem is generally considered to be well-understood theoretically and numerically, venturing to three or more bodies brings about complications but also a host of interesting phenomena. In recent years, the cooling and trapping of atoms and molecules has shown great promise to provide a highly controllable environment to study few-body physics. However, as is true for many systems where few-body effects play an important role the few-body states are not isolated from their many-body environment. An interesting question then becomes if or (more precisely) when we should consider few-body states as effectively isolated and when we have to take the coupling to the environment into account. Using some simple, yet non-trivial, examples I will try to suggest possible approaches to this line of research.     

Weakly Bound States of Polar Molecules in Bilayers

We investigate a system of two polarized molecules in a layered trap. The molecules reside in adjacent layers and interact purely via the dipole?Cdipole interaction. We determine the properties of the ground state of the system as a function of the dipole moment and polarization angle. A bound state is always present in the system and in the weak binding limit the bound state extends to a very large distance and shows universal behavior.     

Density waves in layered systems with fermionic polarmolecules

A layered system of two-dimensional planes containing fermionic polar molecules can potentially realize a number of exotic quantum many-body states. Among the predictions, are density-wave instabilities driven by the anisotropic part of the dipole-dipole interaction in a single layer. However, in typical multilayer setups it is reasonable to expect that the onset and properties of a density-wave are modified by adjacent layers. Here we show that this is indeed the case. For multiple layers the critical strength for the density-wave instability decreases with the number of layers. The effect depends on density and is more pronounced in the low density regime. The lowest solution of the instability corresponds to the density waves in the different layers being in-phase, whereas higher solutions have one or several adjacent layers that are out of phase. The parameter regime needed to explore this instability is within reach of current experiments.     

ELECTRONICALLY EXCITED SPECIES IN THE PEROXIDASE CATALYZED OXIDATION OF INDOLEACETIC ACID. EFFECT UPON DNA AND RNA

Abstract— The electronically excited species generated in the peroxidase (oxidase) catalyzed oxidation of the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid is an excited state of indole-3-carboxaldehyde.
The chemiexcited species is able to induce in DNA the same alterations as observed with light or with enzyme-generated triplet acetone. The chemiexcited species can also alter r-RNA.