Exploring the emissive properties of new azacrown compounds bearing aryl, furyl, or thienyl moieties: a special case of chelation enhancement of fluorescence upon interaction with Ca(2+), Cu(2+), or Ni(2+)

Three new compounds bearing furyl, aryl, or thienyl moieties linked to an imidazo-crown ether system (1, 2, and 3) were synthesized and fully characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, UV-vis absorption, and emission spectroscopy, X-ray crystal diffraction, and MALDI-TOF-MS spectrometry. The interaction toward metal ions (Ca(2+), Cu(2+), Ni(2+), and Hg(2+)) and F(-) has been explored in solution by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Mononuclear and binuclear metal complexes using Cu(2+) or Hg(2+) as metal centers have been synthesized and characterized. Compounds 2 and 3 show a noticeable enhancement of the fluorescence intensity in the presence of Ca(2+) and Cu(2+) ions. Moreover compound 3 presents a dual sensory detection way by modification of the fluorimetric and colorimetric properties in the presence of Cu(2+) or Hg(2+). EPR studies in frozen solution and in microcrystalline state of the dinuclear Cu(II)3 complex revealed the presence of an unique Cu(2+) type.     

Structural analysis, spectroscopic, and magnetic properties of the 1D triple-bridged compounds [M(dca)2(bpa)] (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Zn; dca = dicyanamide; bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane) and the 3D [Ni(dca)(bpa)2]dca·6H2O

The family of compounds [Mn(dca)(2)(bpa)] (1), [Fe(dca)(2)(bpa)] (2), [Co(dca)(2)(bpa)] (3), [Zn(dca)(2)(bpa)] (4), and [Ni(dca)(bpa)(2)]dca·6H(2)O (5), with dca = dicyanamide and bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, has been synthesized. These compounds have been characterized by single crystal (1, 2, 4, and 5) and powder X-ray diffraction (3), by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-vis, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies, and by magnetic measurements. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, Z = 4, with a = 16.757(6), b = 9.692(3), and c = 13.073(4) ?, and β = 123.02(2)°; Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, Z = 4, with a = 16.588(5), b = 9.661(3), c = 12.970(5) ?, and β = 123.16(3)°; Compound 4 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, Z = 4, with a = 16.519(2), b = 9.643(2), c = 12.943(2) ?, and β = 123.15(1)°; Compound 5 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, Z = 4, with a = 18.504(4), b = 19.802(3), and c = 8.6570(18) ?, and β = 99.74(2)°. The compounds 1-4 are isostructural and show a one dimensional (1D) disposition, with the metal(II) ions bridged by double μ(1,5) dca ligands and unusually by a third bridge consisting of the bpa ligand, which adopts a very low torsion angle to accommodate in the structure. This kind of structure is unusual, even considering the voluminous bpa bridge. The compound 5 shows a 3D structure with layers of Ni-bpa joined by single dca bridges. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show antiferromagnetic couplings, increasing for 1-3. Compound 5 shows very slight antiferromagnetic interactions.     

A Comparative Kinetic and Mechanistic Study Between Tetrahydrozoline and Naphazoline Toward Photogenerated Reactive Oxygen Species

Kinetic and mechanistic aspects of the vitamin B2 (riboflavin [Rf])-sensitized photo-oxidation of the imidazoline derivates (IDs) naphazoline (NPZ) and tetrahydrozoline (THZ) were investigated in aqueous solution. The process appears as important on biomedical grounds, considering that the vitamin is endogenously present in humans, and IDs are active components of ocular medicaments of topical application. Under aerobic visible light irradiation, a complex picture of competitive interactions between sensitizer, substrates and dissolved oxygen takes place: the singlet and triplet (³Rf*) excited states of Rf are quenched by the IDs: with IDs concentrations ca.  5.0 m m and 0.02 m m Rf, ³Rf* is quenched by IDs, in a competitive fashion with dissolved ground state oxygen. Additionally, the reactive oxygen species: O₂(¹Δ_g), O₂^•−, HO^• and H₂O₂, generated from ³Rf* and Rf ^•−, were detected with the employment of time-resolved methods or specific scavengers. Oxygen uptake experiments indicate that, for NPZ, only H₂O₂ was involved in the photo-oxidation. In the case of THZ, O₂^•−, HO^• and H₂O₂ were detected, whereas only HO^• was unambiguously identified as THZ oxidative agents. Upon direct UV light irradiation NPZ and THZ generate O₂(¹Δ_g.), with quantum yields of 0.2 (literature value, employed as a reference) and 0.08, respectively, in acetonitrile.     

Platinum nanoparticle-modified electrodes, morphologic, and electrochemical studies concerning electroactive materials deposition

The present work describes the synthesis of platinum nanoparticles followed by their electrophoretic deposition onto transparent fluorine-doped tin oxide electrodes. The nano-Pt-modified electrodes were characterized by voltammetric studies in acidic solutions showing a great electrocatalytic behavior towards H⁺ reduction being very interesting for fuel cell applications. Morphological characterization was performed by atomic force microscopy on different modified electrodes showing a very rough surface which can be tuned by means of time of deposition. Also, nickel hydroxide thin films were galvanostatically grown onto these electrodes showing an interesting electrochemical behavior as sharper peaks, indicating a faster ionic exchange from the electrolyte to the film.     

Determination of trace chromium(VI) in drinking water using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry after solid-phase extraction

A new, simple, and selective method for preconcentration and determination of Cr(VI) in aqueous samples. After adsorption in “batch mode” on Aliquat 336-AC, determinations were made directly on the solid by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, which had the advantage of not requiring the step of elution of the chromium retained. The enrichment factor was calculated considering that the tablets obtained from 10 mL solution of Cr(VI) (1000 μg L^-1) had a final thickness of 0.64 mm and a diameter of 16.7 mm; the volume deposited on the pellet was 0.14 cm³. The preconcentration factor obtained was 71-fold, which was highly satisfactory for chromium trace analysis by XRF. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the determination of Cr(VI) in drinking water samples.     

Classification of wines from five Spanish origin denominations by aromatic compound analysis

Wine is a complex matrix in which aroma compounds play an important role in the characterization of the flavor pattern of a given wine. Twelve volatile compounds were determined in 244 samples of Spanish red wines from different denominations of origin: Rioja, Navarra, Valdepe?as, La Mancha, and Cari?ena. The samples were analyzed by GC using headspace solid-phase microextraction. The concentration (mg/mL) intervals obtained were 3-methyl-butyl acetate (3.9 to 116), 3-methyl-1-butanol (93 to 724), ethyl hexanoate (0.8 to 39), 1-hexanol (0.3 to 6.7), ethyl octanoate (1.4 to 41), diethyl succinate (0.2 to 13), 2-phenyl ethyl acetate (0 to 5.3), hexanoic acid (0 to 8.3), geraniol (0 to 3.0), 2-phenylethanol (1.5 to 56), octanoic acid (0 to 20), and decanoic acid (0 to 3.3). Wines were classified by multivariate statistical methods: principal component analysis, and lineal discriminant analysis. A correct differentiation among wines according to their origin was obtained by lineal discriminant analysis.     

Tautomerism and microsolvation in 2-hydroxypyridine/2-pyridone

The Fourier transform microwave spectra of the hydrated forms of the tautomeric pair 2-pyridinone/2-hydroxypyridine (2PO/2HP) have been investigated in a supersonic expansion. Three hydrated species, 2PO-H?O, 2HP-H?O, and 2PO-(H?O)?, have been observed in the rotational spectrum. Each molecular complex was confidently identified by the features of the 1?N quadrupole hyperfine structure of the rotational transitions. The presence of water affects the tautomeric equilibrium -N═C(OH)- ? -NH-C(═O)-, which is shifted to the enol form for the bare molecules 2PO/2HP but to the keto tautomer for the hydrated forms.     

Decision making with imprecise probabilities and utilities by means of statistical preference and stochastic dominance

A problem of decision making under uncertainty in which the choice must be made between two sets of alternatives instead of two single ones is considered. A number of choice rules are proposed and their main properties are investigated, focusing particularly on the generalizations of stochastic dominance and statistical preference. The particular cases where imprecision is present in the utilities or in the beliefs associated to two alternatives are considered.