Synthesis, structure, and properties of nitronyl nitroxyl tetraradical with calix[4]arene framework

A reaction of calix[4]arene tetraaldehyde with 2,3-bis(hydroxyamino)-2,3-dimethylbutane in DMF resulted in the corresponding 1,3-dihydroxyimidazolidine tetraadduct, whose oxidation gave a calix[4]arene (1,3-alternate) bearing four nitronyl nitroxyl-containing substituents at the upper rim.     

Spin transition in the molecular heterospin complex of Cu(hfac)2 with 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-(1-methylpyrazol-5-yl)-4,5-dihydroimidazole-1-oxyl 3-oxide

The synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of the products of the reaction for Cu(hfac)₂ (hfac is hexafluoroacetylacetonate) with spin-labeled nitronyl nitroxides 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-(1-R-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-3-imidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxides L^5/R (R = Me, Et, Pr, Bu), viz., binuclear complex [Cu(hfac)₂L^5/Me]₂ and chain polymer complexes [Cu(hfac)₂L^5/R]_n, are described. The polymer heterospin chains are built according to “head-to-head” (R = Me, Et, Pr, Bu) and “head-to-tail” (R = Pr, Bu) motifs. Compound [Cu(hfac)₂L^5/Me]₂ is characterized by the ability to reveal the reversible effect of thermally induced spin transition at a temperature about 75 K (without hysteresis). In the set of heterospin Cu^II compounds with spin-labeled pyrazoles, this is the earlier unknown example of a molecular complex exhibiting a similar magnetic anomaly.     

A Molecular Photosensitizer in a Porous Block Copolymer Matrix-Implications for the Design of Photocatalytically Active Membranes

Recently, porous photocatalytically active block copolymer membranes were introduced, based on heterogenized molecular catalysts. Here, we report the integration of the photosensitizer, i. e., the light absorbing unit in an intermolecular photocatalytic system into block copolymer membranes in a covalent manner. We study the resulting structure and evaluate the orientational mobility of the photosensitizer as integral part of the photocatalytic system in such membranes. To this end we utilize transient absorption anisotropy, highlighting the temporal reorientation of the transition dipole moment probed in a femtosecond pump-probe experiment. Our findings indicate that the photosensitizer is rigidly bound to the polymer membrane and shows a large heterogeneity of absolute anisotropy values as a function of location probed within the matrix. This reflects the sample inhomogeneity arising from different protonation states of the photosensitizer and different intermolecular interactions of the photosensitizers within the block copolymer membrane scaffold.     

The influence of Au-nanoparticles presence in PDMS on microstructures creation by ion beam lithography

3D microstructures in pure poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and PDMS with embedded Au nanoparticles were prepared by ion beam lithography without any further etching. Two mega-electron volts helium and 10 MeV oxygen ions were used for ion microstructuring. Parallel lines of 1 mm in length and 10 μm in thickness were fabricated for investigation of the effect of the nanoparticles presence in the polymer on the surface morphology of the created microstructures. The created microstructures were checked by optical microscope. Infrared (IR) spectrometry was used to study the effect of the ions type and fluence on the chemical changes of the material. Atomic force microscopy was used for the fine detail study as well as for checking the microstructure quality. Analysis revealed an increased radiation resistance of the nanocomposite compared to the pure PDMS. Shrinkage is proportional to the fluence, but the maximum value for both materials is limited by saturation. 3D microstructure in modified PDMS obtained at the same irradiation condition as pure PDMS is characterized by its smaller height. Obtaining the microstructure in nanocomposite of the same height as in pure PDMS by increasing the fluence can be impossible due to saturation of shrinkage and/or radiation-induced heating of the material.     

Seven-membered metallocycle in the CuII complex with deprotonated 2-(2-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-1-oxyl 3-oxide

The reaction of CuCl₂ with deprotonated 2-(2-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-1-oxyl 3-oxide afforded a bis-chelate complex containing seven-membered metallocycles.