The sixteen CB(11)H(n)Me(12-n)(-) anions with fivefold substitution symmetry: anodic oxidation and electronic structure

The 15 symmetrically methylated derivatives of the CB11H12(-) anion (1a) have been synthesized and found to vary greatly in ease of oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry in liquid SO2 yielded fully reversible oxidation potentials for five of those that have no adjacent unsubstituted vertices in positions 7-12; three others showed some indication of reversibility. The anions 1a-16a and the Jahn-Teller distorted neutral radicals 1r-16r have been characterized by ab initio and density functional theory calculations. In the state average CASSCF(13,12)/6-31+G* approximation, the ground state potential energy surface of 1r contains five symmetry-related pairs of minima. The computational results account for the reversible redox potentials very well when the solvent is included explicitly (RI-DFT(BP)/TZVP, COSMO). For display and for a semiquantitative understanding of methyl substituent effects in terms of perturbation theory, the molecular orbitals of 1a have been expressed in the symmetry-adapted cluster basis. The results serve as an underpinning for a set of additive empirical increments for redox potential prediction. Relative to the usual hydrogen standard, a single methyl group facilitates oxidation by approximately 50, 70, 70, and 10 mV in positions 1, 2, 7, and 12, respectively. This electron donor effect on the redox potential is due to a contribution, whereas those of (inductive and direct field) type are negligible.     

Photophysical properties of acene DCDHF fluorophores: long-wavelength single-molecule emitters designed for cellular imaging

We report the solvatochromic, viscosity-sensitive, and single-molecule photophysics of the fluorophores DCDHF-N-6 and DCDHF-A-6. These molecules are members of the dicyanomethylenedihydrofuran (DCDHF) class of single-molecule emitters that contain an amine electron donor and a DCDHF acceptor linked by a conjugated unit; DCDHF-N-6 and DCDHF-A-6 have naphthalene- and anthracene-conjugated linkers, respectively. These molecules maintain the beneficial photophysics of the phenylene-linked DCDHF (i.e., photostability, emission wavelength dependence on solvent polarity, and quantum yield sensitivity to solvent viscosity), yet offer absorption and emission at longer wavelengths that are more appropriate for cellular imaging. We demonstrate that these new fluorophores are less photolabile in an aqueous environment than several other commonly used dyes (rhodamine 6G, Texas Red, and fluorescein). Finally, we image single copies of the acene DCDHFs diffusing in the plasma membrane of living cells.     

Covalently closed microemulsions in presence of triblock terpolymers

This paper is focused on the influence of polystyrene (PS)-poly(1,4-butadiene) (PB)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) triblock terpolymers on the w/o microemulsion of the pseudo-ternary system water/sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)/xylene-pentanol. Despite the insolubility of the copolymer in water as well as in the xylene-pentanol mixture, it can be incorporated into the w/o microemulsion and interactions between the triblock terpolymer molecules and the anionic surfactant headgroups can be detected by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Furthermore, dynamic light scattering measurements were used to determine the aggregate diameter of the modified microemulsions. For lower polymer concentrations large aggregates between 100 and 500 nm can be observed. Surprisingly, at a higher terpolymer concentration of 5 wt%, significant smaller aggregate diameters can be identified by dynamic light scattering and Cryo-SEM. One can conclude that the copolymers are incorporated in the inverse microemulsion droplets, where the PB blocks cover the water droplets. The thermally induced radical cross-linking of the butadiene units in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) leads then to covalently closed nanocapsules with an average size of 10 nm.     

The iromycins, a new family of pyridone metabolites from Streptomyces sp. I. Structure, NOS inhibitory activity, and biosynthesis

The iromycins A-D are members of a new family of rare alpha-pyridone metabolites. The isolation and structure elucidation of these microbial secondary metabolites from Streptomyces sp. Dra 17 revealed a N-heterocyclic core structure with two unusual side chains. Iromycins act as inhibitors of nitric oxide synthases (NOS), a protein family, which produces the crucial second messenger nitric oxide (NO). Importantly, these compounds inhibit selectively endothelial NOS rather than neuronal NOS and thus set prospects for both medical therapy and basic research. Feeding experiments with 13C- and 15N -labeled precursors indicated an uncommon type of polyketide biosynthesis and clearly ruled out an isoprenoid origin. A detoxification pathway of a particular secondary metabolite in the host strain is a rare observation and here we demonstrate it with the iromycin family.     

FE Modelling of NiTi‐Composed Structures

The present contribution focuses on the finite element modelling of NiTi‐based shape memory alloys. For this purpose, the concept of Helm [1] has been further developed and implemented into a finite element formulation. The model is able to describe the multiaxial behaviour of SMA and therefore useful for the simulation of complex problems. Additional emphasis is put on the modelling of the shape memory effect in composites where the interaction between the alloy and other materials like e.g. polymers plays an important role. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A deforming-mesh finite-element approach applied to the large-translation and free-surface scenario of fused deposition modeling

A numerical study of the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process using a boundary-conforming free-surface finite element approach is performed. Due to the complexity of the FDM process, among all of its parts, we focus on the deposition and spreading of an individual filament. The polymer behavior, that is, the shear rate dependent and temperature-dependent viscosity, is included by the Cross-WLF viscosity model. The moving domain is addressed by the virtual region mesh update method, which, in the present article, is extended to free-surface problems. The particularity of dividing the mesh domain into an activated and a deactivated domain makes it possible to handle large translatory mesh deformation. In this work, we make use of the level of detail offered by a boundary-conforming approach regarding both topology accuracy and the imposition of boundary conditions in order to study the deposition of a single filament at a small scale. Parameters with a direct impact on the mechanical properties of the final object can be straightforwardly computed by a boundary-conforming approach, for instance, the cross-section, the contact area, the temperature distribution, and the heat fluxes over the surfaces. The presented approach is validated by a two-dimensional benchmark test case before the numerical results of the three-dimensional simulation of the filament deposition are shown.     

Zur Darstellung phosphido‐chalkogenido‐verbrückter Dirheniumkomplexe vom Typ Re2(μ‐PCy2)(μ‐ER)(CO)8 (E = S,Se, Te; R = org. Rest)

Synthesis of Phosphido Chalcogenido Bridged Dirhenium Complexes of the Type Re₂(μ‐PCy₂)(μ‐ER)(CO)₈ (E = S, Se, Te; R = org. Residue) The reaction of Re₂(μ‐Br)(μ‐PCy₂)(CO)₈ with nucleophiles MER (M = Na, Li; E = S, Se, Te; R = org. residue) gives via substitution of the bromido bridge phosphido chalcogenido bridged dirhenium complexes of the general formula Re₂(μ‐PCy₂)(μ‐ER)(CO)₈. The new compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic data and by elemental analyses. In addition the molecular structures for E = S, Se, Te and R = Ph as well as for E = S and R = H, n‐Bu, 2‐pyridyl have been established by single crystal X‐ray analysis. ¹³C NMR spectra of Re₂(μ‐PCy₂)(μ‐EPh)(CO)₈ (E = S, Se, Te) prove that the sulfur and selenium compounds are at room temperature dynamic molecules due to inversion of the pyramidal chalcogenido bridge. The tellurium compound, however, is rigid on the time scale of ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Eventually the reactivity of the SH function of the novel complex Re₂(μ‐PCy₂)(μ‐SH)(CO)₈ was investigated by reaction with Re₂(CO)₈(MeCN)₂. In toluene at 90 °C the novel spirocyclic complex Re₂(μ‐PCy₂)(CO)₈(μ₄‐S)Re₂(μ‐H)(CO)₈ was formed by SH oxidative addition.