Preparation and Characterization of Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) Xerogels

Mg2SiO4 gels were prepared from alkoxide precursors, and the formation of the forsterite crystal phase was studied after heat treatments up to 1200°C. Prehydrolyzed TEOS in solution with 2-methoxyethanol was mixed with Mg(OEt)2, and the solution was hydrolyzed using excess water. The resultant gels were dried at 100°C to form xerogels which were subsequently powdered. These powders were characterized using thermal analysis (DTA and TGA), surface area analysis (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).DTA and XRD indicated that forsterite crystallized at 770°C, and by 1000°C the powders were predominantly crystalline. BET gave powder surface areas between 400 and 550 m2 g–1. TEM revealed angular particles with sizes between 0.2 and 2 m. The low temperature of crystallization of forsterite indicates a high degree of intimate mixing between the precursor alkoxides, although XRD indicated some degree of inhomogeneity.     

Structural characterization and excited-state properties of luminescent <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tris</Emphasis>-(μ -3-methyl-5- trifluoromethylpyrazolato)trigold(I)

Tris-(-(3-methyl-5-trifluoromethylpyrazolato)-N:N)triangulo-trigold(I), (3,5-tfmpz)₃ Au₃, has been synthesized and exhibits a planar nine-member ring containing a central gold triangle with an average intramolecular Au–Au distance of 3.3455(8) Å. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cc with a = 12.998(2) Å, b = 22.910 (3) Å, c = 7.217(1) Å, and = 104.781(1). The solid-state structure consists of sheets of (3,5-tfmpz)₃Au₃ units stacked in an offset fashion along the c axis such that one gold atom in each Au₃ unit (Au1) lies approximately over the midpoint of the Au1–Au3 edge of the triangle in the layer below it. The intermolecular Au–Au distances are between 3.880(1) and 4.023(1) Å, which are too long for there to be significant intertrimer bonding interaction suggesting that any supramolecular organization may be due to hydrogen-fluorine and fluorine-fluorine interactions between the molecules. The complex exhibits excitation-dependent emission at room temperature in the solid state. The structured higher energy emission (_em = 468, 517, and 556(sh) nm) is believed to be a ligand-centered ^* transition with a lower energy unstructured emission (_em = 658 nm) assigned to the classical Au–Au excited state transition.     

Calcium-catalyzed Pictet-Spengler reactions

Pictet-Spengler reactions of m-tyramine and aldehydes produced tetrahydroisoquinolines in the presence of a catalytic amount of Ca[OCH(CF3)2]2. This reaction occurs with a variety of aryl, heteroaryl, and alkyl aldehydes, producing tetrahydroisoquinolines in high yield and with high regioselectivity. This calcium-promoted Pictet-Spengler reaction provides a mild alternative to the traditional Br?nsted acids typically employed in these reactions.     

Direct arylation of oxazoles at C2. A concise approach to consecutively linked oxazoles

The synthesis of bis- and trisoxazoles via direct arylation is discussed. A variety of aryl groups can be installed at the 2-position of 5-aryl and 5-carboxy-substituted oxazoles under mild conditions using palladium catalysis on water. The direct arylation method can be extended to the synthesis of bis- and trisoxazoles if 2-triisopropylsilyl-4-iodooxazole is used as the electrophile in the arylation.     

Path bundles on n-cubes

A path bundle is a set of 2^a paths in an n-cube, denoted Q_n, such that every path has the same length, the paths partition the vertices of Q_n, the endpoints of the paths induce two subcubes of Q_n, and the endpoints of each path are complements. This paper shows that a path bundle exists if and only if n>0 is odd and 0?a?n-⌈log₂(n+1)⌉.     

Framework functionalisation triggers metal complex binding

Post-synthetic derivatisation of a porous material produces a functionalized material that binds the metal complex V(O)acac2, in contrast to the unfunctionalized precursor, which is inactive for complex binding.     

Metal free thiol-maleimide 'Click' reaction as a mild functionalisation strategy for degradable polymers

The stoichiometric reaction between thiols and maleimide-functional poly(ester)s is demonstrated to be a quantitative, tolerant, mild and efficient method for polymer modification.     

Emission-tunable microwave synthesis of highly luminescent water soluble CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

Water soluble CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles with emission maxima from 511 nm to 596 nm and quantum efficiencies ranging from 11% to 28% are synthesized in a facile two-step method in ambient atmospheric conditions using a commercially available microwave reactor.