NMR Study of Pore Surface and Size in a Mesoporous Material FSM-16

Surface structure, pore size distribution and pore wall thickness of a mesoporous material FSM-16 have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ^lH and ²⁹Si MAS NMR and ¹H liquid-state NMR, and by applying surface silylation as a probe. Concentrations of surface hydroxyl groups for FSM-16 are estimated from ²⁹Si and ¹H MAS NMR, which are about 3×l0²¹ g^-1, corresponding to approximately 3 nm^-2. O₂ molecules contribute to ²⁹Si spin-lattice relaxation of Q² and Q³ as well as Q⁴, suggesting thin wall thickness. ¹H MAS NMR spectra indicate the presence of isolated and hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups. Both hydroxyl groups are silylated, where the silylated fraction is about 50%. The spatial distribution of surface hydroxyl groups is estimated from the line width in ¹H static spectra. A rather homogeneous distribution is demonstrated in one of the samples. The sample with less homogeneous distribution has a larger affinity for moisture. Pore size and pore wall thickness were determined by ¹H NMR measurements on water saturated FSM-16 samples, which are in good agreement with literature values obtained by N₂ adsorption isotherms and transmission electron micrographs on a similar sample. In benzene saturated samples, a non-freezing surface layer of benzene is much thicker than that of water, which indicates a stronger interaction between benzene and the FSM-16 surface.     

Structure and photochemical properties of (mu-alkoxo)bis(mu-carboxylato)diruthenium complexes with naphthylacetate ligands

Two new dinuclear Ru(III) complexes containing naphthalene moieties, K[Ru2(dhpta)(mu-O2CCH2-1-naph)2] (1) and K[Ru2(dhpta)(mu-O2CCH2-2-naph)2] (2) (H5dhpta = 1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, naph-1-CH2CO2H = 1-naphthylacetic acid, naph-2-CH2CO2H = 2-naphthylacetic acid), were synthesized. Complex 2 crystallized as an orthorhombic system having a space group of Pbca with unit cell parameters a = 10.6200(5) A, b = 20.270(1) A, c = 35.530(2) A, and Z = 8. EXAFS analysis of 1 and 2 in the solid states and in solution clarified that the dinuclear structures of 1 and 2 were kept in DMSO solutions. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data indicated that the two Ru(III) centers are strongly antiferromagnetically coupled as shown by the large coupling constants, J = -581 cm(-1) (1) and -378 cm(-1) (2). In the cyclic voltammograms of 1 and 2, one oxidation peak and two reduction peaks which were assigned to the redox reaction of the ruthenium moieties were observed in DMF. The large conproportionation constants estimated from the reduction potentials of Ru(III)Ru(III) and Ru(III)Ru(II) indicated the great stability of the mixed-valent state. The mixed-valent species [Ru(III)Ru(II)(dhpta)(mu-O2CCH2-R)2](2-) (R = 1-naph (6) and R = 2-naph (7)) were prepared by controlled potential electrolysis of 1 and 2 in DMF. The electronic absorption spectra of 6 and 7 were similar to that of [Ru(III)Ru(II) (dhpta)(mu-O2CCH3)2](2-) which is a typical Class II type mixed-valent complex. The fluorescence decay of 1 and 2 indicated that there are two quenching processes which come from the excimer and monomer states. The short excimer lifetimes of 1 and 2 were ascribed to the energy transfer from the naphthyl moieties to the Ru centers. The different excimer ratio between 1 and 2 suggested that the excimer formation is affected by the conformation of the naphthyl moieties in the diruthenium(III) complexes.     

Effect of Linewidth Enhancement Factor on Doppler Beat Waveform Obtained from a Self-Mixing Laser Diode

The asymmetry and fringe inclination of the sawtooth-like waveform observed in the self-mixing signal obtained from a semiconductor laser with optical feedback enable the direction discrimination of line-of-sight motion of external target surfaces. We investigated the effects of linewidth enhancement factor and feedback strength on the asymmetry and the direction of fringe inclination of the signal by numerical simulations. For the first time, we show that direction of the fringe inclination is determined not only by the direction of the target motion but also by the value of the linewidth enhancement factor.     

Dynamic study of metal-ion incorporation into porphyrins based on the dynamic characterization of metal ions and on sitting-atop complex formation.

We succeeded in the detection of the sitting-atop (SAT) copper(II) complex of TPP (5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin) in acetonitrile (AN) as a solvent with a very low Br?nsted basicity, where two pyrrolenine nitrogens in the Cu(II)-SAT complex coordinate to the metal ion and two protons still remain on the pyrrole nitrogens. The structure parameters around the copper(II) ion in the Cu(II)-SAT complex, as determined by a fluorescent EXAFS method, suggest an axially elongated and equatorially distorted six-coordinate geometry. We measured the rates of the formation reaction of the SAT complexes for a series of transition metal(II) ions in AN using the stopped-flow technique. We propose the mechanism where there is a rapid deformation equilibrium of the porphyrin ring prior to the rate-determining step of the bond rupture of a coordinated solvent molecule on the metal(II) ion. Furthermore, we measured the rates of the deprotonation reaction of the Cu(II)-SAT complex by some Br?nsted bases and indicated that the rate-determining step is the attack of the base on the proton of the pyrrole nitrogen in the SAT complex. Finally, a unified mechanism relevant to the porphyrin metalation mechanism has been proposed.     

Abietane diterpenoids from the barks of Cryptomeria japonica

From the bark of Cryptomeria japonica were isolated sugikurojins I (1) and J (2), and an abietane derivative (3) was obtained for the first time as a natural product. These structures were elucidated primarily through extensive NMR experiments. Sugikurojin I (1) has a unique skeleton incorporating an abietane diterpene and a 1,10-secocadinane sesquiterpene. Sugikurojin J (2) is a peroxyester of hydroxyabietane diterpene and isopimarane acid diterpene. Compound 3 was p-quinone acid, which occurred by cleavage between C-7 and C-8 of sugiol; it was deduced to [4'-isopropyl-1(S),3,3-trimethyl-3',6'-dioxo-bicyclohexyl-1',4'-dien-2(R)-yl]-acetic acid. Also obtained in this investigation were three known diterpenes (4-6).     

Water exchange dynamics of lithium(I) ion in aqueous solution

The water exchange dynamics of the fourfold coordinated first hydration shell of the lithium(I) ion was studied by both direct and umbrella sampling QM/MM-MD and classical MD simulations. The structural changes and energetics accompanying the activation process are discussed. The overall exchange rate constant was found to be k(ex) = 5.8 x 10(9) s(-1) from classical MD simulations. QM/MM-MD umbrella sampling simulations predict an exchange rate constant of k(TST) = 1.01 x 10(10) s(-1) as obtained from classical transition-state theory. First-shell ligands exchange preferably via an associatively activated mode.     

Proton diffusion in the room-temperature phase of [(NH4)1−xRbx]3H(SO4)2 as studied by 1H spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame

Proton diffusion in the room-temperature phase (phase II) of [(NH₄)_1?xRb_x]₃H(SO₄)₂ (0≤x≤1) has been studied by means of ¹H spin-lattice relaxation times in the rotating frame, T_1ρ. The ¹H T_1ρ values were measured at 200.13 MHz in the range of 380–490 K. The ammonium protons and the acidic protons have independent T_1ρ values in the higher temperature range of phase II, suggesting that the spin diffusion between the two species is ineffective. The translational diffusion of the acidic protons is the most dominant mechanism to relax both the ammonium protons and the acidic protons in phase II. The ¹H T_1ρ values in phase II are analyzed theoretically and the motional parameters are obtained. The results of NMR well explain the macroscopic proton conductivity.     

Electron-transfer reactions through the associated interaction between cytochrome c and self-assembled monolayers of optically active cobalt(III) complexes: molecular recognition ability induced by the chirality of the cobalt(III) units

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of optically active Co(III) complexes ((S)-2/(R)-2) that contain (S)- or (R)-phenylalanine derivatives as a molecular recognition site were constructed on Au electrodes ((S)-2-Au/(R)-2-Au). Molecular recognition characteristics induced by the S and R configurations were investigated by measurements of electron-transfer reactions with horse heart cytochrome c (cyt c). The electrochemical studies indicate that the maximum current of cyt c reduction is obtained when the Au electrode is modified by 2 with a moderate coverage of approximately 4.0 x 10(-11) mol cm(-2). Since the Au electrode is not densely packed with the Co(III) units at this concentration, we conclude that the penetrative association process between cyt c and the Co(III) unit plays an important role in this electron-transfer system. The differences in the electron-transfer rates of (S)-2-Au and (R)-2-Au increase with increasing scan rates, a result indicating that the chiral ligand has an influence on the rate of association of the complexes with cyt c. 3-Au has a mixed monolayer composed of 2 and hexanethiol and exhibits electron-transfer behavior comparable to 2-Au. The difference in the association rates of (S)-3-Au and (R)-3-Au is larger than that between (S)-2-Au and (R)-2-Au, which indicates that the molecular recognition ability of 3-Au has been enhanced by filling the gap between molecules of 2 with hexanethiols. The differences in the oxidation rates of cyt c(II) between (S)-2-Au and (R)-2-Au and between (S)-3-Au and (R)-3-Au were larger than the differences in the rates of the reduction of cyt c(III); this suggests that the size of the heme crevice varies according to the oxidation state of cyt c.