Controlled synthesis and self-assembly of highly monodisperse Ag and Ag(2)S nanocrystals

A facile method to control the synthesis and self‐assembly of monodisperse Ag and Ag₂S nanocrystals with a narrow‐size distribution is described. Uniform Ag nanoparticles of less than 4 nm were obtained by thermolysis of Ag–oleate complexes in the presence of oleic acid and dodecylamine, and monodisperse Ag nanoparticles of less than 10 nm were also prepared in one step by using dodecylamine and oleic acid as capping agents. Moreover, the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of the Ag substrates have also been investigated. It is worth mentioning that these Ag nanoparticles and assemblies show great differences in the SERS activities of Rhodamine B dye. In addition, the superlattices of Ag₂S nanocrystals were synthesized with Ag–oleate complexes, alkanethiol, and sulfur as the reactants. The resulting highly monodisperse nanocrystals can easily self‐assemble into interesting superstructures in the solution phase without any additional assembly steps. This method may be extended to the size‐controlled preparation and assembly of many other noble‐metal and transition‐metal chalcogenide nanoparticles. These results will aid the study of the physicochemical properties of the superlattice assemblies and construction of functional macroscopic architectures or devices.     

Theoretic calculation for understanding the oxidation process of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene-based compounds as redox shuttles for overcharge protection of lithium ion batteries

The effect of substituents on the oxidation potential for the one-electron reaction of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene was understood with a theoretical calculation based on density functional theory (DFT) at the level of B3LYP/6-311+G(d). It is found that the oxidation potential for the one-electron reaction of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene is 4.13 V (vs Li/Li(+)) and can be changed from 3.8 to 5.9 V (vs Li/Li(+)) by substituting electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups for the hydrogen atoms on the aromatic ring. These potentials are in the range of the limited potentials for the lithium ion batteries using different cathode materials, and thus the substituted compounds can be selected as the redox shuttles for the overcharge prevention of these batteries. The oxidation potential of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene decreases when the hydrogen atoms are replaced with electron-donating groups but increases when replaced with electron-withdrawing groups. The further oxidation of these substituted compounds was also analyzed on the basis of the theoretic calculation.     

The kinetics of CO pathway in methanol oxidation at Pt electrodes, a quantitative study by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

Methanol (MeOH) oxidation reaction (MOR) at Pt electrodes under potentiostatic conditions has been investigated by electrochemical in situ FTIR spectroscopy (FTIRS) in attenuated-total-reflection configuration under controlled flow conditions in 0.1 M HClO(4) with 2 M MeOH, where the mass transport effects are largely eliminated using a flow cell. Our results reveal that (i) at constant potentials, the methanol dehydrogenation rate decreases while the CO(ad) oxidation rate increases with the accumulation of CO(ad) until the maximum CO(ad) coverage (ca. 0.5 ML i.e., the steady state) is reached; (ii) at fixed CO(ad) coverage, the rates for MeOH decomposition to CO(ad) and CO(ad) oxidation increases with potential from 0.3 to 0.7 V (vs. RHE), with Tafel slopes for MeOH dehydrogenation of ca. 440 ± 30 mV/dec, which is independent of CO(ad) coverage; (iii) the current efficiency of the CO pathway in MOR at 0.6 and 0.7 V is below 20% and it decreases toward higher potentials. The mechanisms as well as the potential induced change in the kinetics of different pathways involved in MOR are briefly discussed.     

Highly stereoselective construction of tetrahydroquinolines via cascade aza-Michael-Michael reaction: Formal [4+2] cycloaddition of β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters with 2-aminochalcones

An efficient cascade aza-Michael-Michael sequence for the preparation of tetrahydroquinolines has been established. Three contiguous stereogenic centers are created with high levels of enantioselectivities (79–99% ee) and exclusive diastereoselectivities in the presence of a bifunctional squaramide. This approach is compatible with a broad range of β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters and 2-aminochalcones. Our protocol indicated that β-site of β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoester is an available pro-nucleophilic site.     

Ion-pair recognition based on halogen bonding: a case of the crown-ether receptor with iodo-trizole moiety

The development of halogen-bond-based ditopic receptors capable of binding simultaneously both a cation and an anion has attracted recent research interest. In this work, the crown-ether receptor 1, which consists of an iodo-trizole moiety for anion recognition through halogen bonding and a Lewis-basic center for cation binding, was investigated using density functional theory calculations. The structural and energetic features for the complexes of 1 with single cations, single halide anions, and ion pairs were explored. Intermolecular interactions in these complexes were systematically analyzed by the atoms in molecules and noncovalent interaction index methods. The presence of the coordinated cation significantly increases the anion-binding affinity, while the binding of halide anions has a slight influence on the cation-binding affinity. Anti-cooperative effects were found in the ion-pair recognition of 1, due to the strong attraction between the two counterions in the complexes. The solvent weakens the interaction strength considerably, and anti-cooperativity becomes very small in solvent. The results reported in this work are of fundamental importance in the design of ion-pair receptors based on halogen bonding.     

Separation and purification of antioxidants from Ampelopsis heterophylla by counter‐current chromatography

In this study, bioactive components from Ampelopsis heterophylla were separated by counter‐current chromatography (CCC). The antioxidant activity of the crude extract was initially evaluated by an online HPLC method. Five compounds in the crude extract exhibited good antioxidant activities, namely, hyperoside ( 1 ), isoquercitrin ( 2 ), rutin ( 3 ), kaempferol‐3‐rutinoside ( 4 ), and quercetin ( 5 ). These compounds were further separated by CCC with biphasic solvent systems and their structures were identified by MS and NMR spectroscopy. All the compounds exhibited significant 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl radical scavenging activities with IC₅₀ values at 18.2 ± 1.3, 17.0 ± 1.4, 24.2 ± 1.2, 38.1 ± 1.7, and 9.0 ± 1.2 μM, respectively. The scavenging ratios of the compounds against hydroxyl radicals were 65 ± 5, 68 ± 4, 96 ± 2, 70 ± 4, and 98 ± 2%, respectively.     

Theoretical computation of low‐lying electronic states of HCNS: A CASPT2 study

Complete active space self‐consistent field (CASSCF) and complete active space second‐order perturbation theory (CASPT2) calculations in conjunction with the aug‐cc‐pVTZ basis set have been used to investigate the low‐lying electronic states of thiofulminic acid (HCNS), HCNS⁺, and HCNS^?. The result of geometry optimization using CASPT2/aug‐cc‐pVTZ shows that theoretically determined geometric parameters and harmonic vibrational frequencies for the HCNS ground state X¹Σ⁺(X¹A′) are in agreement with previous studies. The ionization energies, the electron affinity energies, the adiabatic excitation energies, and vertical excitation energies have been calculated and the corresponding cation and anion states are identified. By calculating adiabatic electron affinity, the states of HCNS^? have been identified to contain both π orbital states (X²A′ and 1²A″) and dipole‐bond states (1⁴A′ and 1⁴A″). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The unusual paramagnetic mixed-metal carbonyl chalcogenide clusters: [E(2)Cr(2)Fe(CO)(10)](2-) (E = Te,Se)

The rare examples of electron-rich mixed-metal carbonyl telluride and selenide clusters [E(2)Cr(2)Fe(CO)(10)](2-) (E = Te, Se) have been demonstrated. These two novel carbonyl complexes exhibit the unusual paramagnetic behavior.     

Synthesis of light-harvesting dendrimers focally anchored with crown ethers or terpyridine ligands

Crown ethers and terpyridine ligands have been successfully attached to the focal point of light harvesting phenylacetylene monodendrons through Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions. The structures of these functional monodendrons were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. Such binding-ligand anchored dendrons exhibit broad absorption, large molar extenction coefficients and high fluoresence quantum yields. Coordination of crown ethers with alkali ions results in a significant increase in absorption strength in the UV range, but little alteration in either intensity or position of fluorescence emission. Coordination of terpyridine ligands with Ru2+, however, does efficiently quench the fluorescence from the dendrons,albeit only the smallest dendron exhibits efficient binding.