Preparation of57Fe enriched K4[Fe(CN)6] and K3[Fe(CN)6]

A simple method to prepare⁵⁷Fe enriched K₄[Fe(CN)₆] and K₃[Fe(CN)₆] is described. The yields of the products are much better than those reported in the literature so far. The enrichment is essential for⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer investigation in a variety of Prussiate type complexes and other inorganic compounds which are conveniently prepared from K₄[Fe(CN)₆] and K₃[Fe(CN)₆]. K₄[Fe(CN)₆] was obtained by reacting freshly prepared Fe(OH)₃ with glacial acetic acid and treating with iron acetate in boiling aqueous solution of KCN. The novel feature of the procedure to obtain K₃[Fe(CN)₆] is that the oxidation of K₄[Fe(CN)₆] has been carried out in the solid state by passing chlorine gas over the powdered specimen. K₃[Fe(CN)₆] was crystallised from alkaline solution of this oxidised powder. The compounds were characterised by Mössbauer spectroscopy.     

Polymer translocation through a nanopore induced by adsorption: Monte Carlo simulation of a coarse-grained model

Dynamic Monte Carlo simulation of a bead-spring model of flexible macromolecules threading through a very narrow pore in a very thin rigid membrane are presented, assuming at the cis side of the membrane a purely repulsive monomer-wall interaction, while the trans side is attractive. Two choices of monomer-wall attraction epsilon are considered, one choice is slightly below and the other slightly above the "mushroom to pancake" adsorption threshold epsilon(c) for an infinitely long chain. Studying chain lengths N=32, 64, 128, and 256 and varying the number of monomers N(trans) (time t=0) that have already passed the pore when the simulation started, over a wide range, we find for epsilonepsilon(c) a finite number N(trans)(t=0) suffices that the translocation probability is close to unity. In the case epsilonepsilon(c), we find that the translocation time scales as tau proportional, variant N(1.65+/-0.08). We suggest a tentative scaling explanation for this result. Also the distribution of translocation times is obtained and discussed.     

Charge Transfer in the Electron Donor-Acceptor Complexes of [60]Fullerene/PM567 and [70]Fullerene/PM567

UV-Vis spectroscopic investigations of electron donor-acceptor complexes of [60]- and [70]fullerenes with a well-known laser dye, viz., 4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7,8-pentamethyl-2,6-diethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indecene (PM567), are reported in toluene solutions. Absorption bands due to charge transfer (CT) transitions have been located in the visible region. The vertical ionization potential of PM567 has been determined utilizing Mulliken’s equation. A possible mechanism for the interaction between the electronic subsystems of [60]- and [70]fullerenes with PM567 is discussed. Oscillator strengths, resonance energies and electronic coupling elements of the CT complexes were estimated. Formation constant data and ab initio calculations suggest that PM567 binds more tightly with [60]fullerene compared to [70]fullerene.     

Oxidative damage by ruthenium complexes containing the dipyridophenazine ligand or its derivatives: a focus on intercalation

Interactions with DNA by a family of ruthenium(II) complexes bearing the dppz (dppz = dipyridophenazine) ligand or its derivatives have been examined. The complexes include Ru(bpy)(2)(dppx)(2+) (dppx = 7,8-dimethyldipyridophenazine), Ru(bpy)(2)(dpq)(2+) (dpq = dipyridoquinoxaline), and Ru(bpy)(2)(dpqC)(2+) (dpqC = dipyrido-6,7,8,9-tetrahydrophenazine). Their ground and excited state oxidation/reduction potentials have been determined using cyclic voltammetry and fluorescence spectroscopy. An intercalative binding mode has been established on the basis of luminescence enhancements in the presence of DNA, excited state quenching, fluorescence polarization values, and enantioselectivity. Oxidative damage to DNA by these complexes using the flash/quench method has been examined. A direct correlation between the amount of guanine oxidation obtained via DNA charge transport and the strength of intercalative binding was observed. Oxidative damage to DNA through DNA-mediated charge transport was also compared directly for two DNA-tethered ruthenium complexes. One contains the dppz ligand that binds avidly by intercalation, and the other contains only bpy ligands, that, while bound covalently, can only associate with the base pairs through groove binding. Long range oxidative damage was observed only with the tethered, intercalating complex. These results, taken together, all support the importance of close association and intercalation for DNA-mediated charge transport. Electronic access to the DNA base pairs, provided by intercalation of the oxidant, is a prerequisite for efficient charge transport through the DNA pi-stack.     

Quenching of fluorescence of 1-hydroxypyrene-3,6,8-trisulfonate (HPTS) by Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+, I-, and cetylpyridinium (CP+) ions in water/AOT/heptane microemulsion

The quenching of the fluorescence of HPTS (1-hydroxypyrene-3,6,8-trisulfonate) by Cu(2+), Ni(2+), Co(2+), I(-), and CP(+) (cetylpyridinium cation) has been studied in the w/o microemulsion medium formed with water, AOT [sodium salt of bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinic acid], and heptane as components at two [H(2)O]/[AOT] ratios (omega), 6 and 20. The quenching process has been found to be dynamic in nature. The lifetimes of HPTS in the microemulsion medium in the absence and in the presence of quencher have been determined. The analysis of the results has been performed in terms of the Stern-Volmer equation and the quenching sphere of action model. The Poisson distribution equation has been also used in the analysis of the probability of quencher distribution in the microemulsion compartment. The quenching of HPTS has been found to be much lower in microemulsion than in bulk water.     

Highly efficient and selective biocatalytic acylation studies on triazolylsugars

Different acid anhydrides (of C₂ to C₇ aliphatic fatty acids and benzoic acid) have been used to study the selective acylation of primary/secondary hydroxyl groups in 2-phenyl-4-(d-threo-1′,2′,3′-trihydroxypropyl)-2H-1,2,3-triazole, 2-phenyl-4-(d-erythro-1′,2′,3′-trihydroxypropyl)-2H-1,2,3-triazole, 2-phenyl-4-(d-arabino-1′,2′,3′,4′-tetrahydroxybutyl)-2H-1,2,3-triazole and 2-phenyl-4-(d-lyxo-1′,2′,3′,4′-tetrahydroxybutyl)-2H-1,2,3-triazole in the presence of Candida antarctica lipase B in diisopropyl ether. Among the different acid anhydrides, butanoic anhydride was found to be the most efficient acylating agent (for butanoylation); for acetylation, vinyl acetate gave the best results. The reactions with both these acylating agents were highly selective and efficient yielding exclusively the monoacylated products in 95-99% yields in 1-5 h.     

Thermodynamic properties of the silver ion in alcohol + water solvent mixtures from electromotive force measurements and thermodynamic solubility product constants of AgX (X = Cl,Br, I or CNS) at different temperatures

The standard potentials of the silver-silver ion electrode in alcohol+water solvent mixtures containing 10 and 20 wt% methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol have been determined from the electromotive force measurements of the cell Ag(s), AgCl(s), NaCl(c), NaNO₃(c)// NaNO₃(c), AgNO₃(c), Ag(s) at seven different temperatures in the range 5–35°C. The standard potentials in each solvent have been represented as a function of temperature. The standard thermodynamic functions for the electrode reaction, the primary medium effects of various solvents upon Ag⁺, and the standard thermodynamic quantities for the transfer of 1 g-ion of Ag⁺ from water to the respective alcohol + water media have been evaluated and discussed in the light of ion-solvent interactions as well as the structural changes of the solvents. From the values of the standard potentials of the Ag/Ag⁺ and Ag/AgX, X^? electrodes, the thermodynamic solubility product constants of silver chloride, silver bromide, silver iodide and silver thiocyanate have been determined in alcohol + water solvent mixtures at different temperatures.     

Influence of hidden halogen mobility on local structure of CsSn(Cl1−xBrx)3 mixed-halide perovskites by solid-state NMR

Tin halide perovskites are promising candidates for lead-free photovoltaic and optoelectronic materials, but not all of them have been well characterized. It is essential to determine how the bulk photophysical properties are correlated with their structures at both short and long ranges. Although CsSnCl₃ is normally stable in the cubic perovskite structure only above 379 K, it was prepared as a metastable phase at room temperature. The transition from the cubic to the monoclinic phase, which is the stable form at room temperature, was tracked by solid-state ¹³³Cs NMR spectroscopy and shown to take place through a first-order kinetics process. The complete solid solution CsSn(Cl_1−xBr_x)₃ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) was successfully prepared, exhibiting cubic perovskite structures extending between the metastable CsSnCl₃ and stable CsSnBr₃ end-members. The NMR spectra of CsSnBr₃ samples obtained by three routes (high-temperature, mechanochemical, and solvent-assisted reactions) show distinct chemical shift ranges, spin-lattice relaxation parameters and peak widths, indicative of differences in local structure, defects and degree of crystallinity within these samples. Variable-temperature ¹¹⁹Sn spin-lattice relaxation measurements reveal spontaneous mobility of Br atoms in CsSnBr₃. The degradation of CsSnBr₃, exposed to an ambient atmosphere for nearly a year, was monitored by NMR spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction, as well as by optical absorption spectroscopy.

Unravelling the atomic-level chemical structure, slow phase conversion or degradation pathways and rapid halogen hopping of cesium tin(ii) halide perovskites using solid-state ¹¹⁹Sn and ¹³³Cs NMR spectroscopy.     

Spectrophotometric method for the estimation of ammonium acetate with sensitized schiff's reagent

A spectrophotometric method has been described for the estimation of ammonium acetate with the help of sensitized Schiff's reagent. 1) Ammonium acetate restores the colour of fuchsin from the Schiff's reagent as shown by the same absorption maxima at 535 mμ of the coloured compound and fuchsin. 2) Standard curves of optical density versus concentration of ammonium acetate with different sets of sensitized Schiff's reagent having varying SO₂ contents have been presented. 3) There is a limit of ammonium acetate concentration beyond which the sensitivity considerably decreases. 4) Appropriate amounts of acetone along with a particular set of sensitized Schiff's reagent make the latter useful for different sensitive ranges of concentrations of ammonium acetate. 5) The method may be extended in its scope for the estimation of ammonium salts of other organic acids which are weaker than H₂SO₂.