Combining electrophoresis with detection under ultraviolet light and multiple ultrafiltration for isolation of humic fluorescence fractions

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of chernozem soil humic acids (HAs) followed by observation under UV (312 nm) excitation light reveals new low molecular weight (MW) fluorescent fractions. Ultrafiltration of HAs sample in 7 M urea on a membrane of low nominal MW retention (NMWR, 5 kDa) was repetitively used for separation of fluorescent and non-fluorescent species. Thirty ultrafiltrates and the final retentate R were obtained. Fluorescence maxima of separate ultrafiltrates were different and non-monotonously changed in the range of 475–505 nm. Fluorescence maxima of less than 490 nm were detected only in the four first utrafiltrates. For further physical–chemical analyses all utrafiltrates were combined into a fraction called UF < 5 (NMW < 5 kDa). Retentate R demonstrated very weak fluorescence under 270 nm excitation, while fluorescence intensity of UF < 5 was about six times higher than of the bulk HAs. Fraction UF < 5 was further ultrafiltrated on membranes of MNWR 3 kDa and 1 kDa, yielding three subfractions UF3-5, UF1-3 and UF < 1 with NMW 3–5 kDa, 1–3 kDa and <1 kDa, respectively. The validation of the UF procedure was performed by size exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-25 column. The fluorescence maxima were found to be at 505, 488 and 465 nm for UF3-5, UF1-3 and UF < 1, respectively, with increasing of fluorescence intensity from UF3-5 to UF1-3 to UF < 1 fraction. EPR analysis showed that the amount of free radicals was the largest in retentate R and drastically decreased in fluorescent ultrafiltrates. The results demonstrate that more than one fluorophore is present in chernozem soil HAs complex.     

Synthesis and characterization of phosphates in molten systems Cs2O-P2O5-CaO-M2O3 (M—Al, Fe, Cr)

The crystallization of complex phosphates from the melts of Cs₂O-P₂O₅-CaO-M^III₂O₃ (M^III—Al, Fe, Cr) systems have been investigated at fixed value Cs/P molar ratios equal to 0.7, 1.0 and 1.3 and Са/Р=0.2 and Ca/М^III=1. The fields of crystallization of CsCaP₃O₉, β-Ca₂P₂O₇, Cs₂CaP₂O₇, Cs₃CaFe(P₂O₇)₂, Ca₉M^III(PO₄)₇ (M^III—Fe, Cr), Cs_0.63Ca_9.63Fe_0.37(PO₄)₇ and CsCa₁₀(PO₄)₇ were determined. Obtained phosphates were investigated using powder X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy. Novel whitlockite-related phases CsCa₁₀(PO₄)₇ and Cs_0.63Ca_9.63Fe_0.37(PO₄)₇ have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction: space group R3c, a=10.5536(5) and 10.5221(4) Å, с=37.2283(19) and 37.2405(17) Å, respectively.     

Hybrid silica-organic material with immobilized amino groups: surface probing and use for electrochemical determination of nitrite ions

A sol–gel based hybrid process was developed by manipulating different techniques in sol–gel process to synthesize γ-alumina and (CuO, CuO + ZnO) doped γ-alumina spherical particles. Catalysts having spherical geometry have an important advantage over powders or pellets which are impervious to fluids, when packed in a reactor. Boehmite sol was used as alumina precursor for synthesizing porous γ-alumina and doped materials. γ-alumina particles having 5 wt% CuO, 4 wt% CuO + 1 wt% ZnO, 3 wt% CuO + 2 wt% ZnO and 2 wt% CuO + 3 wt% ZnO were prepared by adding required amounts of Cu(NO₃)₂ and Zn(NO₃)₂ solutions prior to gelation of the sol. Methanol dehydration studies were carried out by employing these synthesized catalysts. Hundred percent conversion of methanol to dimethyl ether was observed with (4 wt% CuO + 1 wt% ZnO)-γ-alumina and (5 wt% CuO)-γ-alumina microspheres at 325 and 350 °C, respectively.     

Helicenes Built from Silacyclopentadienes via Ring‐by‐Ring Knitting of the Helical Framework

Despite the apparent diversity of the protocols developed for the synthesis of helicenes, they essentially follow the same strategy: the closure of one, or several, internal rings in a key step. Herein, we report the synthesis of a new family of the heterohelicenes consisting of fused silacyclopentadiene rings formed via a facile and novel process. The treatment of oligo(alkynilydenesilylene) precursors of type H₂C=CH?(SiMe₂?C≡C)_n?R (n=3–7), bearing a vinyl group on the terminal silicon atom, with 9‐borabicyclononane leads first to 1,2‐hydroboration of the terminal double bond which then continues with a cascade of intramolecular 1,1‐carboboration reactions accompanied with the closure of a new silole ring after each step affording the target silahelicenes with, currently, up to seven condensed silole rings and with excellent yields. According XRD analysis, the seven fused silole rings of the heptacyclic compound 11 b form an almost complete turn of a helix. The presented one‐pot sequence of reactions is the first example of ring‐by‐ring knitting of a helical framework starting from easily available linear precursors.     

Deoxygenative α-alkylation and α-arylation of 1,2-dicarbonyls

Construction of C–C bonds at the α-carbon is a challenging but synthetically indispensable approach to α-branched carbonyl motifs that are widely represented among drugs, natural products, and synthetic intermediates. Here, we describe a simple approach to generation of boron enolates in the absence of strong bases that allows for introduction of both α-alkyl and α-aryl groups in a reaction of readily accessible 1,2-dicarbonyls and organoboranes. Obviation of unselective, strongly basic and nucleophilic reagents permits carrying out the reaction in the presence of electrophiles that intercept the intermediate boron enolates, resulting in two new α-C–C bonds in a tricomponent process.

α-Branched carboxylic acids and other carbonyls are readily accessed by a metal- and base-free deoxygenative α-alkylation and α-arylation of 1,2-dicarbonyls via boron enolates, resulting in a tricomponent coupling with unconventional electrophiles.     

Reversible addition of ethylene to a pincer-based boryl-iridium unit with the formation of a bridging ethylidene

This report examines reactions of a series of Ir complexes supported by the diarylboryl/bis(phosphine) PBP pincer ligand with ethylene: (PBP)IrH₄ (1), (PBP)IrH₂(CO) (2), and (PBP)Ir(CO)₂ (3). The outcomes of these reactions differ from those typical for Ir complexes supported by other pincer ligands and do not give rise to simple ethylene adducts or products of insertion of Ir into the C–H bond of ethylene. Instead, the elements of ethylene are incorporated into the molecules to result in B–C bonds. In the case of 2 and 3, ethylene addition results in the formation of B/Ir bridging ethylidene complexes 5 and 6. For 6, the addition of ethylene (and the analogous addition of 1-hexene) is shown to be partially reversible. Addition of ethylene to 2 and 3 is remarkable because they are saturated at Ir and yet the net outcome is such that ethylene binds without replacing any ligands already present. A mechanistic inquiry suggests that dissociation of CO from 3 or 6 is necessary in order for the addition or loss of ethylene to proceed.

(PBP)Ir pincer complexes containing a boryl-iridium linkage reversibly bind ethylene as an ethylidene bridging B and Ir.     

Observation of bi-polarons in blends of conjugated copolymers and fullerene derivatives

From a fundamental and application point of view it is of importance to understand how charge carrier generation and transport in a conjugated polymer (CP):fullerene blend are affected by the blend morphology. In this work light-induced electron spin resonance (LESR) spectra and transient ESR response signals are recorded on non-annealed and annealed blend layers consisting of alkyl substituted thieno[3,2-b]thiophene copolymers (pATBT) and the soluble fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) at temperatures ranging from 10 to 180 K. Annealing of the blend sample leads to a reduction of the steady state concentration of light-induced PCBM anions within the blend at low temperatures (T = 10 K) and continuous illumination. This is explained on the basis of the reducing interfacial area of the blend composite on annealing, and the high activation energy for electron diffusion in PCBM blends leading to trapped electrons near the interface with the CP. As a consequence, these trapped electrons block consecutive electron transfer from an exciton on a CP to the PCBM domain, resulting in a relatively low concentration charge carriers in the annealed blend. Analysis of the transient ESR data allows us to conclude that in annealed samples diamagnetic bi-polaronic states on the CPs are generated at low temperature. The formation of these states is related to the generation and interaction of multiple positive polarons in the large crystalline polymer domains present in the annealed sample.     

Ab initio rotation-vibration spectra of HCN and HNC

We have calculated an ab initio HCN/HNC linelist for all transitions up to J= 25 and 18000 cm(-1) above the zero point energy. This linelist contains more than 200 million lines each with frequencies and transition dipoles. The linelist has been calculated using our semi-global HCN/HNC VQZANO + PES and dipole moment surface, which were reported in van Mourik et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 115 (2001) 3706). With this linelist we synthesise absorption spectra of HCN and HNC at 298 K and we present the band centre and band transition dipoles for the bands which are major features in these spectra. Several of the HCN bands and many of the HNC bands have not been previously studied. Our line intensities reproduce via fully ab initio methods the unusual intensity structure of the HCN CN stretch fundamental (00(0)1) for the first time and also the forbidden (02(2)0) HCN bending overtone. We also compare the J = 1-->0 pure rotational transition dipole in the HCN/HNC ground and vibrationally excited states with experimental and existing ab initio results.     

Metal‐Ion‐Binding Analogs of Ribonucleosides: Preparation and Formation of Ternary Pd2+ and Hg2+ Complexes with Natural Pyrimidine Nucleosides

Four metal‐ion‐binding nucleosides, viz. 2,6‐bis(1‐methylhydrazinyl)‐9‐(β‐D ‐ribofuranosyl)‐9H‐purine ( 2a ) and its N‐acetylated derivative, 2b , 2,4‐bis(3,5‐dimethyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐1‐yl)‐5‐(β‐D ‐ribofuranosyl)pyrimidine ( 3 ), and 2,4‐bis(1‐methylhydrazinyl)‐5‐(β‐D ‐ribofuranosyl)pyrimidine ( 4 ) have been synthesized. The ability of these nucleosides and the previously prepared 2,6‐bis(3,5‐dimethyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐1‐yl)‐9‐(β‐D ‐ribofuranosyl)‐9H‐purine to form Pd²⁺‐ and Hg²⁺‐mediated complexes with uridine has been studied by ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. To obtain additional support for the interpretation of the NMR data, comparative measurements on the ternary‐complex formation between pyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxamide ( 5 ), pyrimidine nucleosides, and K₂PdCl₄ were carried out.