Zero thermal expansion in a Prussian Blue analogue

Isotropic nearly zero thermal expansion (i.e., negligible volume change) is reported in a large temperature range for Fe[Co(CN)6], a member of the Prussian blue family with electronically active metal sublattices and a cubic framework structure built by a cyanide-bridged network of octahedral units. Suitable selection of metal ions and interstitial units could allow such anomalous thermal behavior to be combined with the variety of unusual electronic, optical, and magnetic properties exhibited by Prussian blue analogues.     

Lattice collapse in mixed-valence samarium fulleride Sm(2.75)C(60) at high pressure

Sm(2.75)C(60) displays large negative thermal expansion behaviour in the temperature range 4.2-32 K at ambient pressure as a result of a quasi-continuous valence change from the larger Sm(2+) towards the smaller Sm(2.3+) ion. Here we use the powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction technique at ambient temperature and elevated pressures to study the compression behaviour in the pressure range 0-6 GPa. An abrupt hysteretic phase transition, accompanied by a dramatic volume decrease (approximately =6.0%) and a change in colour from black to golden was found at approximately =4 GPa induced by a sudden Sm valence transition from +2.3 towards +3. Such behaviour is typical of highly correlated Kondo insulators like SmS and makes Sm(2.75)C(60) the first known molecular-based member of this fascinating class of materials.     

Ionic shell and subshell structures in aluminum and gold nanocontacts

Conductance histograms of aluminum and gold nanocontact rupture are studied experimentally and simulated using embedded atom potentials to assess the interplay between electronic and structural properties at room temperature. Our results reveal a crossover from quantized conductance structures to crystalline faceting or geometric shell/subshell structures at 300 K. The absence of electronic shell structure in gold and aluminum is in stark contrast with the behavior of alkaline metal nanowires which emulate their cluster counterparts. Semiclassical arguments suggest why rapid dominance of ionic structures takes place, and possible nanowire architectures are proposed in consistency with both the experimental and simulated nanocontact data.     

From favorable atomic configurations to supershell structures: a new interpretation of conductance histograms.

Simulated minimum cross-section histograms of breaking Al nanocontacts are produced using molecular dynamics. The results allow a new interpretation of the controverted conductance histogram peaks based on preferential geometrical arrangements of nanocontact necks. As temperature increases, lower conductance peaks decrease in favor of broader and higher conductance structures. This reveals the existence of shell and supershell structures favored by the increased mobility of Al atoms.     

On the decidability of the word problem for amalgamated free products of inverse semigroups

We study inverse semigroup amalgams [S ₁,S ₂;U], where S ₁ and S ₂ are finitely presented inverse semigroups with decidable word problem and U is an inverse semigroup with decidable membership problem in S ₁ and S ₂. We use a modified version of Bennett’s work on the structure of Schützenberger graphs of the ℛ-classes of S ₁* _U S ₂ to state sufficient conditions for the amalgamated free products S ₁* _U S ₂ having decidable word problem.     

Liquid chromatography coupled to quadruple time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry for microcystin analysis in freshwaters: method performances and characterisation of a novel variant of microcystin‐RR

Cyanobacteria, also called blue‐green algae, occur worldwide within water blooms in eutrophic lakes and drinking water reservoirs, producing several biotoxins (cyanotoxins). Among these, microcystins (MCs) are a group of cyclic heptapeptides showing potent hepatotoxicity and activity as tumour promoters. So far, at least 89 MCs from different cyanobacteria genera have been characterised. Herein, ion trap, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐ToF) and quadruple time‐of‐flight (Q‐ToF) mass spectrometry (MS)‐based methods were tested and compared for analysing MCs in freshwaters. Method performances in terms of limit of detection, limit of quantification, mean recoveries, repeatability, and specificity were evaluated. In particular, a liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation (LC/ESI)‐Q‐ToF‐MS/MS method was firstly described to analyse MCs in freshwaters; this technique is highly selective and sensitive, and allowed us to characterise the molecular structure of an unknown compound. Indeed, the full structural characterisation of a novel microcystin variant from a bloom of Planktothrix rubescens in the Lake Averno, near Naples, was attained by the study of the fragmentation pattern. The new cyanotoxin was identified as the 9‐acetyl‐Adda variant of microcystin‐RR. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New insights into the seleniranium ion promoted cyclization of prenyl and propenylbenzene aryl ethers

The chromane core is widely represented in nature being part of a wide array of secondary metabolites of plant, fungal, and bacterial origin. In this paper an improved method for the chemical synthesis of differently substituted chromanes is described. Substituted 2H-1-benzopyrans have been synthesized in good to excellent yields (52–81%) by treatment of 3,3-dimethylallyl and propenylbenzene ethers of differently substituted phenols with phenylselenyl chloride.     

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography: an application for the simultaneous determination of suspected fragrance allergens in rinse-off products

The feasibility of microwave-accelerated derivatization for capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was evaluated. The derivatization reaction was performed in a domestic microwave oven. Histidine (His), 1-methylhistidine (1-MH) and 3-methylhistidine (3-MH) were selected as test analytes and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was chosen as a fluorescent derivatizing reagent. Parameters that may affect the derivatization reaction and/or subsequent CE separation were systematically investigated. Under optimized conditions, the microwave-accelerated derivatization reaction was successfully completed within 150 s, compared to 4-24 h in a conventional water-bath derivatization process. This will remarkably reduce the overall analysis time and increase sample throughput of CE-LIF. The detection limits of this method were found to be 0.023 ng/mL for His, 0.023 ng/mL for 1-MH, and 0.034 ng/mL for 3-MH, respectively, comparable to those obtained using traditional derivatization protocols. The proposed method was characterized in terms of precision, linearity, accuracy and successfully applied for rapid and sensitive determination of these analytes in human urine.     

Control of degradation of polypropylene during its radical functionalisation with furan and thiophene derivatives

The traditional melt radical functionalisation of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) with maleic anhydride (MAH) and peroxide affords functionalized samples with a severe decrease of the average molecular weight (MW) due to the β-scission reaction. In this work new push-pull unsaturated molecules were investigated, consisting of a heterocyclic ring conjugated with a double bond bearing an electron attracting group. These molecules were specifically designed as MAH substitute able to limit the iPP degradation, while providing functionalisation through grafting. Butyl 3-(2-furanyl) propenoate (BFA) and butyl 3-(2-thienyl) propenoate (BTA) were comparatively tested. The analysis of the reaction products indicated that both molecules are able to graft onto the iPP backbone by prompt reaction with the macro-radicals formed through H-abstraction from iPP chains, thereby significantly limiting the MW decrease, as the functionalized macro-radicals are stabilized by resonance. Nonetheless, some of iPP macro-radicals can give a parallel chain scission before reacting with the new molecules. In the case of BFA, coupling reactions of the formed macro-radicals can lead to the formation of branched high MW architectures, whereas in the case of the thiophene derivative (BTA) only a partial retaining of polymer chain fragmentation was observed due to the reduction of β-scission.