Front Cover: Enhancement of Chiroptical Responses of trans‐Bis[(β‐iminomethyl)naphthoxy]platinum(II) Complexes with Distorted Square Planar Coordination Geometry (ChemistryOpen 4/2022)

The Front Cover shows the comparison of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties of square planar platinum(II) complexes with different coordination geometries. Computational studies have revealed that the distortion of the coordination geometry is key to enhancement of the chiroptical responses of these compounds. More information can be found in the Research Article by Masahiro Ikeshita et al.     

Comprehensive Metabolite Profiling in Genetic Resources of Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Collected from Different Geographical Regions

Garlic (Allium sativum) is the second most important Allium crop that has been used as a vegetable and condiment from ancient times due to its characteristic flavor and taste. Although garlic is a sterile plant that reproduces vegetatively through cloves, garlic shows high biodiversity, as well as phenotypic plasticity and environmental adaptation capacity. To determine the possible mechanism underlying this phenomenon and to provide new genetic materials for the development of a novel garlic cultivar with useful agronomic traits, the metabolic profiles in the leaf tissue of 30 garlic accessions collected from different geographical regions, with a special focus on the Asian region, were investigated using LC/MS. In addition, the total saponin and fructan contents in the roots and cloves of the investigated garlic accessions were also evaluated. Total saponin and fructan contents did not separate the garlic accessions based on their geographical origin, implying that saponin and fructan contents were clone-specific and agroclimatic changes have affected the quantitative and qualitative levels of saponins in garlic over a long history of cultivation. Principal component analysis (PCA) and dendrogram clustering of the LC/MS-based metabolite profiling showed two major clusters. Specifically, many Japanese and Central Asia accessions were grouped in cluster I and showed high accumulations of flavonol glucosides, alliin, and methiin. On the other hand, garlic accessions grouped in cluster II exhibited a high accumulation of anthocyanin glucosides and amino acids. Although most of the accessions were not separated based on country of origin, the Central Asia accessions were clustered in one group, implying that these accessions exhibited distinct metabolic profiles. The present study provides useful information that can be used for germplasm selection and the development of new garlic varieties with beneficial biotic and abiotic stress-adaptive traits.     

Dumbbell-Shaped 2,2’-Bipyridines: Controlled Metal Monochelation and Application to Ni-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings

2,2’-Bipyridine ligands (dsbpys) with dumbbell-like shapes and differently substituted triarylmethyl groups at the C5 and C5’ positions showed high ligand performance in the Ni-catalyzed cross-electrophile coupling and the Ni/photoredox-synergistically catalyzed decarboxylative coupling reactions. The superior ligand effects of dsbpys compared to the conventional bpy ligands were attributed to the monochelating nature of dsbpys.     

Extraction chromatography with macroreticular polymer beads impregnated with monothiodibenzoylmethane solution

Extraction chromatography using macroreticular ethylstyrene-divinylbenzene beads impregnated with monothiodibenzoylmethane (SBB) solution has been investigated. Of the solvents used as the stationary phase, heptan-1-ol showed the highest rate of metal extraction, and loading with 0.5 ml of the solvent per g of resin was found to be the optimum. A column packed with such loaded beads can be used for the separation of nickel(II), iron(III) and cobalt(II).     

Interaction between the end groups and the main chain of conjugated polymers by time-resolved EPR and fluorescence spectroscopy

ABSTRACT

Interaction between a zinc porphyrin (ZnPor) as the end-group and poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorene-2,7-vinylene) (PFV) as the main chain in a porphyrin end-modified fluorescent conjugated polymer, ZnPFV, was studied by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and fluorescence spectroscopy. While fluorescence from the PFV part of ZnPFV showed a spectral profile almost identical to that of a PFV oligomer without end-modification, the emission spectrum of the ZnPor part exhibited a much broader profile compared to that of the reference zinc porphyrin monomer. Based on the analysis of lifetimes and quantum yields, it was found that radiative rate constant of the ZnPor part was enhanced by nearly three times. The observed unusual enhancement in the radiative rate constant was rationalised in terms of a partial π-conjugation between the end group and the main chain, as a result of co-planarisation in fluid solution. On the other hand, the time-resolved EPR spectrum of ZnPFV at 100?K basically showed a similar spectral pattern to that of the reference zinc porphyrin, but with significant differences in zero-field spitting parameters and initial population ratios. The π-system of the excited triplet state is deduced to deviate from D_4h symmetry in the end zinc porphyrin groups. The obtained results show that interaction of the porphyrin end group with the main chain of the polymer significantly influences the excited singlet state properties of the porphyrin, while its triplet state properties were affected to a lesser extent.     

面向单晶SiC原子级表面制造的等离子体辅助抛光技术

目前Si基半导体由于其自身材料特性的限制,已经越来越难以满足高速发展的现代电力电子技术对半导体器件的性能要求.SiC作为新一代半导体材料具有显著的性能优势,但由于其属于典型的难加工材料,实现SiC晶圆的高质量与高效率加工成为了推动其产业化应用进程的关键.本综述在回顾近年来SiC超精密加工技术研究进展的基础上,重点介绍了一种基于等离子体氧化改性的SiC高效超精密抛光技术,分析了该技术的材料去除机理、典型装置、改性过程及抛光效果.分析结果表明,该技术具有较高的去除效率,能够获得原子级平坦表面,并且不会产生亚表面损伤.同时针对表面改性辅助抛光技术加工SiC表面过程中出现的台阶现象,探讨了该台阶结构的产生机理及调控策略.最后对等离子体辅助抛光技术的发展与挑战进行了展望.