Core-shell nanostructures from single poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) macromolecules: stabilization and visualization

Formation of core-shell poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) single-molecule nanostructures due to interaction of PVCL with metal ions was studied using transmission electron microscopy, 13C NMR, and light scattering. This study demonstrates that addition of CoCl2 to PVCL in its globular conformation yields unimolecular core-shell polymer particles with the core decorated with Co(II) ions. The crucial condition for formation of well-defined unimolecular nanostructures is the presence of stable globular aggregates in aqueous solution. Moreover, the metal ions should have a sufficiently high coordination number (higher than 2) to provide a cross-linking and stabilization of the core.     

Thermodynamic investigation of zirconium diselenite

Summary On the basis of calorimetric research of selenium dioxide, zirconium dioxide and zirconium diselenite dissolution reactions in the hydrofluoric acid solution under 298 K a standard enthalpy of Zr(SeO₃)₂ formation reaction from ZrO₂ and SeO₂ and a standard enthalpy of zirconium diselenite formation have been obtained. The value of enthalpy has been equal to -58.1±3.43 kJ mol^-1 in ZrO_2(solid)+2SeO_2(solid) Zr(SeO₃)_2(solid) reaction. The standard enthalpy of zirconium diselenite formation is equal to H_f,298⁰Zr(SeO₃)_2(solid)= -1603.2±3.8 kJ mol^-1. The H_f,298⁰ Zr(SeO₃)_2(solid) value has been determined for the first time.     

Infinite relativistic string with a point-like mass

Exact classical solutions of the equations of motion for the infinite relativistic string loaded with a point-like mass are obtained in terms of the Fourier integrals. The gauge when the time evolution parameter is proportional to the proper time of a point-like particle is used. The gauge conditions in this case are the second-class constraints. So in the quantum case the commutators of the dynamical variables have to be defined by the Dirac brackets.     

Reactions of 4,7‐dihydro‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidines with α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds

The reaction of 5,7‐diphenyl‐4,7‐dihydro‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine ( 1 ) with α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds 2a‐f led to the formation of the alkylated heterocycles 3a‐f (Figure 1). However, the reaction of 5‐methyl‐7‐phenyl‐4,7‐dihydro‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine ( 5 ) with 2a‐c yielded under the same conditions the triazolo[5,1‐b]quinazolines 6a‐c (Figure 3). In this case, the alkylation is followed by a cyclocondensation. The structure elucidation of the products is based on ir, ms, ¹H and ¹³C nmr measurements and on an X‐ray diffraction study.     

Thermal behavior of polyacrylonitrile polymers synthesized under different conditions and comonomer compositions

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymers are used as precursors for carbon fiber production. This process requires an oxidative stabilization step, which can be studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In this sense, thermal behavior of PAN based terpolymers by different polymerization processes, compositions and itaconic acid concentrations in the reaction media were investigated. The obtained results showed that the addition of itaconic acid and methyl acrylate as comonomers resulted a lower heat flow during the process comparing to the PAN homopolymer. It suggested that these comonomers aid the oxidative stabilization stage for all studied process. The redox system polymerization at 40°C resulted in a lower heat flow. Itaconic acid decreases slightly initial and peak temperatures of the terpolymer and heat flow until concentration of 3y. The cyclization temperature decreases when MAis incorporated into the terpolymer compared to the MMA terpolymer and increases when MAA is the acidic monomer. Among terpolymers the AN/MA/AA polymer showed the best thermal behavior for carbon fiber producing.     

Bioelectrochemical application of some PQQ-dependent enzymes.

This paper focuses on the use of PQQ-dependent enzymes (PQQ enzymes) in amperometrical biosensors and gives emphasis on their innovative designs and applications. The study covers some aspects in the evolution of biosensors based on PQQ enzymes. Main attention is focused on the electrochemical properties of PQQ enzymes as very promising materials for the formation of electrochemical biosensors. Immobilization approaches and redox mediators recently used in PQQ enzymes based biosensors are reviewed. The acceptance of polypyrrole as a very promising immobilization matrix for some PQQ enzymes is discussed.     

On the geometric origin of the equation ϕ,11 — ϕ,22 = eϕ — e-2ϕ

It is shown that the equation ,11 — ,22 = e — e^-2 determines the intrinsic geometry of the two-dimensional affine sphere in the three-dimensional unimodular affine space like the sine-Gordon equation describes the metric on the surface of a constant negative curvature in the three-dimensional Euclidean space. The linear equations that determine the moving frame on the affine sphere are the Lax operators to the equation ,11 — ,22 = e — e^-2.     

Geometry changes of a Cu(I) phenanthroline complex on photoexcitation in a confining medium by time-resolved X-ray diffraction

Using a stroboscopic technique, in which the molecule is repeatedly excited and the structural change is probed more than 5000 times per second immediately after excitation, we performed a 16 K time-resolved single-crystal study of the microsecond lifetime triplet state of the Cu(I)phenanthroline derivative[Cu(I)(dmp)(dppe)][PF6] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane). The geometry changes on excitation differ for the two symmetry-independent molecules, but are in the same direction as calculated for an isolated reference molecule, although the flattening distortion in the crystal is significantly smaller, implying that the reorganization energy is greatly affected by the confining medium.     

Direct electrochemistry of recombinant tobacco peroxidase on gold

Direct electron transfer (DET) reactions of recombinant tobacco peroxidase (rTOP), namely direct electroreduction of Compound I/Compound II and heme Fe^3+/2+ conversion, were studied on gold electrodes. rTOP of wild type, non-glycosylated, was produced using an Escherichia coli expression system. At pH 5.0, the redox potential for direct electrochemical transformation of the Fe^3+/2+ of the peroxidase heme was −143 mV vs. AgAgCl, and 0.26 ± 0.07 pmol of the adsorbed rTOP were in DET contact with the gold electrode. The total amount of the adsorbed rTOP estimated from QCM data was 53 ± 5 pmol/cm² or 1.67 pmol when referred to the surface area of the electrodes used for electrochemical measurements. Of 1.67 pmol of adsorbed rTOP, only 0.76 pmol were catalytically active. DET between Au and the enzyme was also studied in the reaction of the bioelectrocatalytic reduction of H₂O₂ by cyclic voltammetry and amperometric detection of H₂O₂ at +50 mV with rTOP-modified Au electrodes placed in a wall-jet flow-through electrochemical cell. Maximal bioelectrocatalytic current response of the rTOP-modified gold electrodes to H₂O₂ was observed at pH 5.0 and stemmed from its bioelectrocatalytic reduction based on DET between Au and the active site of rTOP. Kinetic analysis of the DET reactions gave 52% of the adsorbed rTOP molecules active in DET reactions (0.4 pmol of adsorbed catalytically active rTOP, correspondingly), which correlated well with the non-catalytic-voltammetry data. DET was characterised by a heterogeneous ET rate constant of 13.2 s⁻¹, if one takes into account the QCM data, and 19.6 s⁻¹, if the amount of rTOP estimated from the data on DET transformation of Fe^3+/2+ couple of rTOP is considered. The sensitivity for H₂O₂ obtained for the rTOP-modified Au electrodes was 0.7 ± 0.1 A M⁻¹ cm⁻². These are the first ever-reported data on DET reactions of anionic plant peroxidases on bare gold electrodes.     

Functional analogues of the dioxygen reduction site in cytochrome oxidase: mechanistic aspects and possible effects of Cu(B)

Catalytic reduction of O(2) and H(2)O(2) by new synthetic analogues of the heme/Cu site in cytochrome c and ubiquinol oxidases has been studied in aqueous buffers. Among the synthetic porphyrins yet reported, those employed in this study most faithfully mimic the immediate coordination environment of the Fe/Cu core. Under physiologically relevant conditions, these biomimetic catalysts reproduce key aspects of the O(2) and H(2)O(2) chemistry of the enzyme. When deposited on an electrode surface, they catalyze the selective reduction of O(2) to H(2)O at potentials comparable to the midpoint potential of cytochrome c. The pH dependence of the half-wave potentials and other data are consistent with O-O bond activation at these centers proceeding via a slow generation of a formally ferric-hydroperoxo intermediate, followed by its rapid reduction to the level of water. This kinetics is analogous to that proposed for the O-O reduction step at the heme/Cu site. It minimizes the steady-state concentration of the catalytic intermediate whose decomposition would release free H(2)O(2). The maximum catalytic rate constants of O(2) reduction by the ferrous catalyst and of H(2)O(2) reduction by both ferric and ferrous catalysts are comparable to those reported for cytochrome oxidase. The oxidized catalyst also displays catalase activity. Comparison of the catalytic properties of the biomimetic complexes in the FeCu and Cu-free forms indicates that, in the regime of rapid electron flux, Cu does not significantly affect the turnover frequency or the stability of the catalysts, but it suppresses superoxide-releasing autoxidation of an O(2)-catalyst adduct. The distal Cu also accelerates O(2) binding and minimizes O-O bond homolysis in the reduction of H(2)O(2).