Synthesis of electronically and coordinatively unsaturated complexes [Ru2(CO)4(μ-H)(μ-PBu2)(μ-L2)] (L2 = biphosphanes)

A convenient synthesis and the characterization of six new electronically and coordinatively unsaturated complexes of the formula [Ru₂(CO)₄(μ-H)(μ-P^tBu₂)(μ-L₂)] (2b-g) (RuRu) is described exhibiting a close relation to the known [Ru₂(CO)₄(μ-H)(μ-P^tBu₂)(μ-dppm)] (2a). The complexes 2b-g were obtained in a kind of one-pot synthesis starting from [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] and P^tBu₂H in the first step followed by the reaction with the bidentate bridging ligand in the second step. The method was developed for the following bridging ligands (μ-L₂): dmpm (2b, dmpm = Me₂PCH₂PMe₂), dcypm (2c, dcypm = Cy₂PCH₂PCy₂), dppen (2d, dppen = Ph₂PC(=CH₂)PPh₂), dpppha (2e, dpppha = Ph₂PN(Ph)PPh₂), dpppra (2f, dpppra = Ph₂PN(Pr)PPh₂), and dppbza (2g, dppbza = Ph₂PN(CH₂Ph)PPh₂). The molecular structures of all new complexes 2b−g were determined by X-ray diffraction.     

Electron Impact Induced Fragmentation of Aromatic Alkoxyimines II [5]. Formation and Transformation of Heterocyclic Radical Cations in the Gas Phasea

 The molecular ion 1 of N-(n-propoxy)benzaldimine I rearranges by an 1,5-H-shift to the δ-distonic ion 2 which subsequently cyclizes to the α-distonic ion 3. Homolytic cleavage of the N–O bond in 3 results in the δ-distonic ion 4 which expels CH₂O leading to the β-distonic ion 5. Ion 5 is also formed from the molecular ions of tetrahydrooxazines II and III and from M^+• of phenylazetidine IVa. In a subsequent step, ion 5 cyclizes to the N-protonated 3,4-dihydroisoquinolinium ion 6. The syntheses of II–IV and their derivatives are described.     

A 50% n-octylmethyl, 50% diphenyl-polysiloxane as stationary phase with unique selectivity for gas chromatography

An n-octylmethyl, diphenyl-polysiloxane called SOP-50-Octyl was prepared by a condensation reaction of bis(dimethylamino) n-octylmethylsilane with diphenylsilanediol. The resulting copolymer was a gum with high molecular weight and was obtained with a yield of 80%. 1H and 29Si NMR spectroscopy revealed that the copolymer was a 52% octylmethyl, 48% diphenyl-polysiloxane with random microstructure. Small cyclic impurities could be almost quantitatively removed via a purification step. SOP-50-Octyl was used as stationary phase for the preparation of wall coated open tubular fused silica capillary columns for gas-liquid chromatography. The capillary columns exhibited high separation efficiency and high inertness. The stationary phase offered a unique selectivity due to its unique composition. The Rohrschneider-McReynolds constants indicated a low overall polarity in spite of the high phenyl content, as the polarity was distinctly decreased by the octyl substituent. Furthermore, the octyl substituent was responsible for a high column bleed, reducing the maximum allowable operating temperature to 280 degrees C. The elution temperatures of apolar compounds were increased due to increased interaction of the octyl substituent with the analytes. Some applications with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds illustrate that SOP-50-Octyl is an excellent choice for confirmational analyses.     

Immunoaffinity screening with capillary electrochromatography

Highly efficient capillary electrochromatographic separations of cardiac glycosides and other steroids are presented. Employing butyl-derivatized silica particles as stationary phase resulted in a nearly three times faster electroosmotic flow (EOF) compared to capillary electrochromatography (CEC) with octadecyl silica particles. On-column focusing with a preconcentration factor of 180 was performed and separation efficiencies of up to 240,000 plates per meter were obtained. Using label-free standard UV absorbance, detection limits of 10-80 nM were reached for all steroids tested. For screening of cardiac glycosides, e.g., digoxin and digitoxin in mixtures of steroids, CEC was combined with immunoaffinity extraction using immobilized polyclonal anti-digoxigenin antibodies and F(ab) fragments. Simply adding small amounts of antibody carrying particles to the samples and comparing chromatograms before and after antibody addition allowed screening for high affinity antigens in mixtures with moderate numbers of compounds. Under conditions of competing antigens, affinity fingerprints of immobilized anti-digoxigenin and anti-digitoxin antibodies were obtained, reflecting the cross-reactivity of eleven steroids. The method provides high selectivity due to the combination of bioaffinity interaction with highly efficient CEC separation and UV detection at several wavelengths in parallel. This selectivity was exploited for the detection of four cardiac glycosides in submicromolar concentrations in an untreated urine sample.     

Thermally activated conduction in molecular junctions

We report temperature dependence measurements on the conductance of individual molecular wires. The results show for the first time in a molecular junction the theoretically predicted transition from coherent superexchange tunneling conductance to an activated hopping mechanism as temperature is increased.     

Synthese und Molekülstrukturen von N‐substituierten Diethylgallium‐2‐pyridylmethylamiden

Synthesis and Molekular Structures of N‐substituted Diethylgallium‐2‐pyridylmethylamides (2‐Pyridylmethyl)(tert‐butyldimethylsilyl)amine ( 1a ) and (2‐pyridylmethyl)‐di(tert‐butyl)silylamine ( 1b ) form with triethylgallane the corresponding red adducts 2a and 2b via an additional nitrogen‐gallium bond. These oily compounds decompose during distillation. Heating under reflux in toluene leads to the elimination of ethane and the formation of the red oils of [(2‐pyridylmethyl)(tert‐butyldimethylsilyl)amido]diethylgallane ( 3a ) and [(2‐pyridylmethyl)‐di(tert‐butyl)silylamido]diethylgallane ( 3b ). In order to investigate the thermal stability solvent‐free 3a is heated up to 400 °C. The elimination of ethane is observed again and the C‐C coupling product N, N′‐Bis(diethylgallyl)‐1, 2‐dipyridyl‐1, 2‐bis(tert‐butyldimethylsilyl)amido]ethan ( 4 ) is found in the residue. Substitution of the silyl substituents by another 2‐pyridylmethyl group and the reaction of this bis(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine with GaEt₃ yield triethylgallane‐diethylgallium‐bis(2‐pyridylmethyl)amide ( 5 ). The metalation product adds immediately another equivalent of triethylgallane regardless of the stoichiometry. The reaction of GaEt₃ with 2‐pyridylmethanol gives quantitatively colorless 2‐pyridylmethanolato diethylgallane ( 6 ).     

Spontaneous Assembly of Miktoarm Stars into Vesicular Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes

Mixing a bis‐hydrophilic, cationic miktoarm star polymer with a linear polyanion leads to the formation of unilamellar polymersomes, which consist of an interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) wall sandwiched between poly(ethylene oxide) brushes. The experimental finding of this rare IPEC morphology is rationalized theoretically: the star architecture forces the assembly into a vesicular shape due to the high entropic penalty for stretching of the insoluble arms in non‐planar morphologies. The transmission electron microscopy of vitrified samples (cryogenic TEM) is compared with the samples at ambient conditions (in situ TEM), giving one of the first TEM reports on soft matter in its pristine environment.

     

Fluxes in "free" and total zinc are essential for progression of intraerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum

Dynamic fluxes in the concentration of ions and small molecules are fundamental features of cell signaling, differentiation, and development. Similar roles for fluxes in transition metal concentrations are less well established. Here, we show that massive zinc fluxes are essential in the infection cycle of an intracellular eukaryotic parasite. Using single-cell quantitative imaging, we show that growth of the blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasite requires acquisition of 30 million zinc atoms per erythrocyte before host cell rupture, corresponding to a 400% increase in total zinc concentration. Zinc accumulates in a freely available form in parasitophorous compartments outside the food vacuole, including mitochondria. Restriction of zinc availability via small molecule treatment causes a drop in mitochondrial membrane potential and severely inhibits parasite growth. Thus, extraordinary zinc acquisition and trafficking are essential for parasite development.     

Stöber silica particles as basis for redox modifications: particle shape, size, polydispersity, and porosity

The synthesis of Stöber silica particles as basis for redox modifications is optimized for desired properties, in particular diameter in a wide sub-micrometer range, spherical shape, monodispersity, the absence of porosity, and aggregation free isolability for characterization and later covalent modification. The materials are characterized by SEM, DLS, nitrogen sorption isotherms, helium as well as Gay-Lussac (water) pycnometry, and DRIFT spectroscopy. Particles with diameters between approximately 50 and 800 nm are obtained by varying the concentrations of the reagents and reactants, the type of solvent as well as the temperature. The use of high water concentrations and post-synthetic calcination at 600 °C results in silica particles that can be considered as nonporous with respect to the size of the active molecules to be immobilized. The effect of reaction temperature on size distribution is identified. Low polydispersity is achieved by performing the reaction in a temperature range in which a change in temperature has only a weak or no effect on the final particle diameter. Upon optimization of the sol–gel process, the shape of the particles is still spherical. The agreement between experimental and geometric data is within the expected precision of the characterization techniques.