A generalized gradient approximation for exchange derived from the model potential of van Leeuwen and Baerends

The common way to obtain energies from Kohn-Sham exchange potentials is by using the Levy-Perdew virial relation. For potentials that are not functional derivatives (i.e., nearly all model exchange potentials in existence), this approach leads to energy expressions that lack translational and rotational invariance. We propose a method for constructing potential-based energy functionals that are free from these artifacts. It relies on the same line-integration technique that gives rise to the Levy-Perdew relation, but uses density scaling instead of coordinate scaling. The method is applicable to any exchange or correlation potential that depends on the density explicitly, and correctly recovers the parent energy functional from a functional derivative. To illustrate our approach we develop a properly invariant generalized gradient approximation for exchange starting from the model potential of van Leeuwen and Baerends.     

Unusual Inherent Electrochemistry of Graphene Oxides Prepared Using Permanganate Oxidants

Graphene and graphene oxides are materials of significant interest in electrochemical devices such as supercapacitors, batteries, fuel cells, and sensors. Graphene oxides and reduced graphenes are typically prepared by oxidizing graphite in strong mineral acid mixtures with chlorate (Staudenmaier, Hofmann) or permanganate (Hummers, Tour) oxidants. Herein, we reveal that graphene oxides pose inherent electrochemistry, that is, they can be oxidized or reduced at relatively mild potentials (within the range ±1 V) that are lower than typical battery potentials. This inherent electrochemistry of graphene differs dramatically from that of the used oxidants. Graphene oxides prepared using chlorate exhibit chemically irreversible reductions, whereas graphene oxides prepared through permanganate‐based methods exhibit very unusual inherent chemically reversible electrochemistry of oxygen‐containing groups. Insight into the electrochemical behaviour was obtained through cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments. Our findings are of extreme importance for the electrochemistry community as they reveal that electrode materials undergo cyclic changes in charge/discharge cycles, which has strong implications for energy‐storage and sensing devices.     

Molecular Recognition of Aromatic Nitro Compounds at Cyclodextrin Dithiocarbamate-modified Electrodes

Silver electrodes were modified by the adsorption of α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrin dithiocarbamates (2α–γ) and characterized by reductive desorption experiments. Their molecular recognition properties were studied by cyclic voltammetry using three families of positional isomers of aromatic nitro compounds. Electrodes modified with 2α and 2β were selective for meta and para isomers while 2γ showed little selectivity. These observations are explained in terms of cavity sizes and guest structure. Computational studies suggest that the main reason for the observed selectivity is the different position of the NO² group in ortho and para isomers with respect to the CD cavity.     

Evidence for a trigonal twist mechanism involving a phosphite ligand of Os3(CO)7,[P(OMe)3]5

The fluxional molecule Os₃(CO)₇[P(OMe)₃]₅ has been prepared from OS₃(CO)₁₂ and P(OMe)₃ by a combination of thermal and UV irradiation synthetic methods. An investigation by ³¹P and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy indicated that the mechanism of fluxionality in this compound probably involves the P(OMe)₃ ligand of the Os(CO)₃[P(OMe)₃] unit moving from one equatorial site to the other via a trigonal twist mechanism.     

Polyaniline‐tailored electromechanical responses of the silver/epoxy conductive adhesive composites

In this article, the electromechanical properties of silver‐in‐epoxy conductive adhesives with the polyaniline (PANI) micron particles as cofillers have been investigated. PANI is a conductive polymer and has a moderate conductivity in between those of silver and epoxy. It was found that PANI can be used to tailor both the adhesive's electrical contact resistance and its relaxation behavior; however, the effects of adding PANI were complex. The addition of small amount of PANI (2 wt %) dramatically increased the contact resistance; it might block the electrical contacts among silver flakes and was not able to form a continuous path among themselves. The addition of more PANI showed a moderate increase in contact resistance, which increased with the weight fraction of PANI from 6 to 15 wt %. Interdependent behavior of compressive strain and relaxation in electrical contact resistance is characterized to evaluate the origin of this relaxation. The addition of PANI made the relaxation in electrical contact resistance more sensitive to the compressive strain and the electromechanical coupling to deviate from the linear relationship. These research findings provide insights into the way to use PANI to tailor the electromechanical properties of the adhesive bonds or joints in the development of advanced functional devices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013, 51, 1448–1455     

Structures of Pd(CN)2 and Pt(CN)2: intrinsically nanocrystalline materials?

Analysis and modeling of X-ray and neutron Bragg and total diffraction data show that the compounds referred to in the literature as "Pd(CN)(2)" and "Pt(CN)(2)" are nanocrystalline materials containing small sheets of vertex-sharing square-planar M(CN)(4) units, layered in a disordered manner with an intersheet separation of ~3.44 ? at 300 K. The small size of the crystallites means that the sheets' edges form a significant fraction of each material. The Pd(CN)(2) nanocrystallites studied using total neutron diffraction are terminated by water and the Pt(CN)(2) nanocrystallites by ammonia, in place of half of the terminal cyanide groups, thus maintaining charge neutrality. The neutron samples contain sheets of approximate dimensions 30 ? × 30 ?. For sheets of the size we describe, our structural models predict compositions of Pd(CN)(2)·xH(2)O and Pt(CN)(2)·yNH(3) (x ≈ y ≈ 0.29). These values are in good agreement with those obtained from total neutron diffraction and thermal analysis, and are also supported by infrared and Raman spectroscopy measurements. It is also possible to prepare related compounds Pd(CN)(2)·pNH(3) and Pt(CN)(2)·qH(2)O, in which the terminating groups are exchanged. Additional samples showing sheet sizes in the range ~10 ? × 10 ? (y ~ 0.67) to ~80 ? × 80 ? (p = q ~ 0.12), as determined by X-ray diffraction, have been prepared. The related mixed-metal phase, Pd(1/2)Pt(1/2)(CN)(2)·qH(2)O (q ~ 0.50), is also nanocrystalline (sheet size ~15 ? × 15 ?). In all cases, the interiors of the sheets are isostructural with those found in Ni(CN)(2). Removal of the final traces of water or ammonia by heating results in decomposition of the compounds to Pd and Pt metal, or in the case of the mixed-metal cyanide, the alloy, Pd(1/2)Pt(1/2), making it impossible to prepare the simple cyanides, Pd(CN)(2), Pt(CN)(2), or Pd(1/2)Pt(1/2)(CN)(2), by this method.     

The orientation and charge of water at the hydrophobic oil droplet-water interface

We established the charge and structure of the oil/water interface by combining ζ-potential measurements, sum frequency scattering (SFS) and molecular dynamics simulations. The SFS experiments show that the orientation of water molecules can be followed on the oil droplet/water interface. The average water orientation on a neat oil droplet/water interface is the same as the water orientation on a negatively charged interface. pH dependent experiments show, however, that there is no sign of selective adsorption of hydroxide ions. Molecular dynamics simulations, both with and without intermolecular charge transfer, show that the balance of accepting and donating hydrogen bonds is broken in the interfacial layer, leading to surface charging. This can account for the negative surface charge that is found in experiments.     

Copper redox cycling in the prion protein depends critically on binding mode

The prion protein (PrP) takes up 4-6 equiv of copper in its extended N-terminal domain, composed of the octarepeat (OR) segment (human sequence residues 60-91) and two mononuclear binding sites (at His96 and His111; also referred to as the non-OR region). The OR segment responds to specific copper concentrations by transitioning from a multi-His mode at low copper levels to a single-His, amide nitrogen mode at high levels (Chattopadhyay et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 12647-12656). The specific function of PrP in healthy tissue is unclear, but numerous reports link copper uptake to a neuroprotective role that regulates cellular stress (Stevens, et al. PLoS Pathog.2009, 5 (4), e1000390). A current working hypothesis is that the high occupancy binding mode quenches copper's inherent redox cycling, thus, protecting against the production of reactive oxygen species from unregulated Fenton type reactions. Here, we directly test this hypothesis by performing detailed pH-dependent electrochemical measurements on both low and high occupancy copper binding modes. In contrast to the current belief, we find that the low occupancy mode completely quenches redox cycling, but high occupancy leads to the gentle production of hydrogen peroxide through a catalytic reduction of oxygen facilitated by the complex. These electrochemical findings are supported by independent kinetic measurements that probe for ascorbate usage and also peroxide production. Hydrogen peroxide production is also observed from a segment corresponding to the non-OR region. Collectively, these results overturn the current working hypothesis and suggest, instead, that the redox cycling of copper bound to PrP in the high occupancy mode is not quenched, but is regulated. The observed production of hydrogen peroxide suggests a mechanism that could explain PrP's putative role in cellular signaling.     

Efficient NMR enantiodiscrimination of bridge fluorinated paracyclophanes using lanthanide tris β-diketonate complexes

A selection of amino-substituted 1,1,2,2,9,9,10,10 octafluoro[2.2]paracyclophanes were tested for enantiodiscrimination by ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy via their interaction with different lanthanide tris β-diketonate chiral shift reagents. The amino-, and the pseudo-ortho di-amino substituted octafluoro[2.2]paracyclophanes, both of which exhibit planar chirality, revealed significant shifts and splittings of various ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR signals upon the addition of the chiral shift reagents, which allowed the easy determination of the enantiomeric purity. When the chiral shift reagent was added to an inseparable mixture of the (chiral) pseudo-meta, and (achiral) pseudo-para diamino analogues, both the chiral and achiral molecules revealed NMR doubling. In the case of the achiral molecule, this NMR behavior is due to the meso nature of the pseudo-para species.