Accurate optical lattice clock with 87Sr atoms

We report a frequency measurement of the 1S0-3P0 transition of 87Sr atoms in an optical lattice clock. The frequency is determined to be 429 228 004 229 879(5) Hz with a fractional uncertainty that is comparable to state-of-the-art optical clocks with neutral atoms in free fall. The two previous measurements of this transition were found to disagree by about 2 x 10(-13), i.e., almost 4 times the combined error bar and 4 to 5 orders of magnitude larger than the claimed ultimate accuracy of this new type of clocks. Our measurement is in agreement with one of these two values and essentially resolves this discrepancy.     

Fate of vacancy-induced supersolidity in 4He

The supersolid state of matter, exhibiting nondissipative flow in solids, has been elusive for 35 years. The recent discovery of a nonclassical moment of inertia in solid 4He by Kim and Chan provided the first experimental evidence, although the interpretation in terms of supersolidity of the ideal crystal phase remains a subject to debate. Using quantum Monte Carlo methods we investigate the long-standing question of vacancy-induced superflow and find that vacancies in a 4He crystal phase separate instead of forming a supersolid. On the other hand, nonequilibrium vacancies relaxing on defects of polycrystalline samples could provide an explanation for the experimental observations.     

Use of PLL-g-PEG in micro-fluidic devices for localizing selective and specific protein binding

By utilizing flow-controlled PLL-g-PEG and PLL-g-PEGbiotin modification of predefined regions of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) micro-fluidic device, with an intentionally chosen large (approximately 1 cm2) internal surface area, we report rapid (10 min), highly localized (6 x 10(-6) cm2), and specific surface-based protein capture from a sample volume (100 microL) containing a low amount of protein (160 attomol in pure buffer and 400 attomol in serum). The design criteria for this surface modification were achieved using QCM-D (quartz crystal microbalance with energy dissipation monitoring) of serum protein adsorption onto PLL-g-PEG-modified oxidized PDMS. Equally good, or almost as good, results were obtained for oxidized SU-8, Topas, and poly(methyl metacrylate) (PMMA), demonstrating the generic potential of PLL-g-PEG for surface modification in various micro-fluidic applications.     

Order-disorder transition coupled with magnetic bistability in the ferricinium salt of a radical nickel dithiolene complex

The ferricinium salt of the anionic, S = (1)/(2), dithiolene complex [Ni(tfadt)(2)](-) (where tfadt is the asymmetrically substituted 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylonitrile-1,2-dithiolate) crystallizes at room temperature (rt) into uniform chains of dithiolene complexes, separated by ferricinium cations. Both ionic entities are characterized by disorder affecting one CF(3) and one Cp moiety. Above 250 K, this compound displays a Curie-type behavior. At lower temperatures, two first-order transitions around 249 and 137 K are revealed by susceptibility measurements and the observation of hysteresis effects. Crystal structure determinations performed at 230 and 120 K show that the high-temperature transition is associated with an ordering of the CF(3) and Cp groups together with a dimerization of the anionic stacks that thus induces a drop of the susceptibility. The second, low-temperature transition leads to a tetramerization of these nickel dithiolene stacks now in a complete diamagnetic state while the remaining susceptibility originates from the sole ferricinium contribution. The first order character of the 249 K transition with its associated bistable behavior is likely correlated with the structural order-disorder transition, an original behavior in this class of materials where bistability is most often associated with a strengthening of interstack intermolecular interactions (hydrogen bonding, pi-pi interactions ...).     

Cyanido-bridged one-dimensional systems assembled from [ReIVCl4(CN)2]2? and [MII(cyclam)]2+ (M = Ni, Cu) precursors

Three new cyanido-bridged heterometallic Re^IVNi^II and Re^IVCu^II one-dimensional systems were synthesized and extensively characterized both structurally and magnetically. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that these compounds display a common topology, with chains composed of alternating [Re^IVCl₄(CN)₂]^2? and [M^II(cyclam)]²⁺ (M = Ni in 1, Cu in 2) or [Cu^II(N,N??-dimethylcyclam)]²⁺ (in 3) building units. Two different chain orientations with a tilt angle of ca. 51° to 55° are present in the crystal packing of these compounds. The magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest the presence of intrachain ferromagnetic interactions between the S = 3/2 Re^IV centers and the 3d metal ions: S = 1 Ni^II or S = 1/2 Cu^II. At low temperature, a three-dimensional ordered magnetic phase induced by interchain antiferromagnetic interactions (antiferromagnetic for 1 and 2; canted antiferromagnetic for 3) is detected for the three compounds.     

Dithiolene complexes as metalloligands: [Cu(en)2][Cu(mnt)2], an S = ½ spin chain

The paramagnetic dithiolene complex [Cu(mnt)₂]^2– (mnt: 1,2-dicyanoethylene-1,2-dithiolate) is used as metalloligand for coordination of dicationic [Cu(en)₂]²⁺ (en: ethylenediamine) complex, leading to the formation of chains of alternating [Cu(mnt)₂]^2–and [Cu(en)₂]²⁺ moieties through C≡N•••Cu•••N≡C trans coordination with N•••Cu distance of 2.664(4) Å and a noticeable deviation from linearity as the C≡N•••Cu angle amounts to 146.3(3)°. The [Cu(en)₂][Cu(mnt)₂] salt exhibits weak antiferromagnetic interactions between spin carriers along the chains and slightly stronger inter-chain [Cu(mnt)₂]•••[Cu(mnt)₂] antiferromagnetic interactions through intermolecular S•••S contacts.     

Cyclo- and carbophosphazene-supported ligands for the assembly of heterometallic (Cu2+/Ca2+, Cu2+/Dy3+, Cu2+/Tb3+) complexes: synthesis, structure, and magnetism

The carbophosphazene and cyclophosphazene hydrazides, [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))NH(2)}(2)}] (1) and [N(3)P(3)(O(2)C(12)H(8))(2){N(CH(3))NH(2)}(2)] were condensed with o-vanillin to afford the multisite coordination ligands [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-OH)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}] (2) and [{N(2)P(2)(O(2)C(12)H(8))(2)}{NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C (6)H(3)-(o-OH)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}] (3), respectively. These ligands were used for the preparation of heterometallic complexes [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{CuCa(NO(3))(2)}] (4), [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{Cu(2)Ca(2)(NO(3))(4)}]·4H(2)O (5), [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{CuDy(NO(3))(4)}]·CH(3)COCH(3) (6), [{NP(O(2)C(12)H(8))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{CuDy(NO(3))(3)}] (7), and [{NP(O(2)C(12)H(8))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{CuTb(NO(3))(3)}] (8). The molecular structures of these compounds reveals that the ligands 2 and 3 possess dual coordination pockets which are used to specifically bind the transition metal ion and the alkaline earth/lanthanide metal ion; the Cu(2+)/Ca(2+), Cu(2+)/Tb(3+), and Cu(2+)/Dy(3+) pairs in these compounds are brought together by phenoxide and methoxy oxygen atoms. While 4, 6, 7, and 8 are dinuclear complexes, 5 is a tetranuclear complex. Detailed magnetic properties on 6-8 reveal that these compounds show weak couplings between the magnetic centers and magnetic anisotropy. However, the ac susceptibility experiments did not reveal any out of phase signal suggesting that in these compounds slow relaxation of magnetization is absent above 1.8 K.     

Formation and Fragmentation of Radical Peptide Anions: Insights from Vacuum Ultra Violet Spectroscopy

We have studied the photodissociation of gas-phase deprotonated caerulein anions by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photons in the 4.5 to 20 eV range, as provided by the DESIRS beamline at the synchrotron radiation facility SOLEIL (France). Caerulein is a sulphated peptide with three aromatic residues and nine amide bonds. Electron loss is found to be the major relaxation channel at every photon energy. However, an increase in the fragmentation efficiency (neutral losses and peptide backbone cleavages) as a function of the energy is also observed. The oxidized ions, generated by electron photodetachment were further isolated and activated by collision (CID) in a MS³ scheme. The branching ratios of the different fragments observed by CID as a function of the initial VUV photon energy are found to be independent of the initial photon energy. Thus, there is no memory effect of the initial excitation energy on the fragmentation channels of the oxidized species on the time scale of our tandem MS experiment. We also report photofragment yields as a function of photon energy for doubly deprotonated caerulein ions, for both closed-shell ([M–2H]^2–) non-radical ions and open-shell ([M–3H]^2–•) radical ions. These latter ions are generated by electron photodetachment from [M–3H]^3– precursor ions. The detachment yield increases monotonically with the energy with the appearance of several absorption bands. Spectra for radical and non-radical ions are quite similar in terms of observed bands; however, the VUV fragmentation yield is enhanced by the presence of a radical in caerulein peptides.     

Structure and properties of new mixed-valent [Mn(III)2Mn(IV)3Ln(III)5O5] complexes (Ln(III) = Tm(III), Lu(III), and Yb(III))

By using 2'-hydroxyacetophenoxime, a new family of complexes with an [Mn(III)(2)Mn(IV)(3)Ln(5)O(5)] core was obtained with Ln = Tm (1), Lu (2), and Yb (3). Heterometallic Mn/Tm and Mn/Lu combinations have had no precedence so far. Studies of the magnetic properties indicate the presence of intracomplex antiferromagnetic interactions in 1 and 3, as well as a dominating ferromagnetic interaction between Mn(III) and Mn(IV) spins in 2, leading to an S(T) = 5/2 ground state.     

Cyanido-bridged Fe(III)-Mn(III) heterobimetallic materials built from Mn(III) Schiff base complexes and di- or tri-cyanido Fe(III) precursors

The reaction of [Fe(III)L(CN)(3)](-) (L being bpca = bis(2-pyridylcarbonyl)amidate, pcq = 8-(pyridine-2-carboxamido)quinoline) or [Fe(III)(bpb)(CN)(2)](-) (bpb = 1,2-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)benzenate) ferric complexes with Mn(III) salen type complexes afforded seven new bimetallic cyanido-bridged Mn(III)-Fe(III) systems: [Fe(pcq)(CN)(3)Mn(saltmen)(CH(3)OH)]·CH(3)OH (1), [Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)Mn(3-MeO-salen)(OH(2))]·CH(3)OH·H(2)O (2), [Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)Mn(salpen)] (3), [Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)Mn(saltmen)] (4), [Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)Mn(5-Me-saltmen)]·2CHCl(3) (5), [Fe(pcq)(CN)(3)Mn(5-Me-saltmen)]·2CH(3)OH·0.75H(2)O (6), and [Fe(bpb)(CN)(2)Mn(saltmen)]·2CH(3)OH (7) (with saltmen(2-) = N,N'-(1,1,2,2-tetramethylethylene)bis(salicylideneiminato) dianion, salpen(2-) = N,N'-propylenebis(salicylideneiminato) dianion, salen(2-) = N,N'-ethylenebis(salicylideneiminato) dianion). Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies were carried out for all these compounds indicating that compounds 1 and 2 are discrete dinuclear [Fe(III)-CN-Mn(III)] complexes while systems 3-7 are heterometallic chains with {-NC-Fe(III)-CN-Mn(III)} repeating units. These chains are connected through π-π and short contact interactions to form extended supramolecular networks. Investigation of the magnetic properties revealed the occurrence of antiferromagnetic Mn(III)···Fe(III) interactions in 1-4 while ferromagnetic Mn(III)···Fe(III) interactions were detected in 5-7. The nature of these Mn(III)···Fe(III) magnetic interactions mediated by a CN bridge appeared to be dependent on the Schiff base substituent. The packing is also strongly affected by the nature of the substituent and the presence of solvent molecules, resulting in additional antiferromagnetic interdinuclear/interchain interactions. Thus the crystal packing and the supramolecular interactions induce different magnetic properties for these systems. The dinuclear complexes 1 and 2, which possess a paramagnetic S(T) = 3/2 ground state, interact antiferromagnetically in their crystal packing. At high temperature, the complexes 3-7 exhibit a one-dimensional magnetic behavior, but at low temperature their magnetic properties are modulated by the supramolecular arrangement: a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order with a metamagnetic behavior is observed for 3, 4, and 7, and Single-Chain Magnet properties are detected for 5 and 6.