Synthese und Kristallstruktur von Terbium(III)‐meta‐Oxoborat Tb(BO2)3 (≡ TbB3O6)

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Terbium(III) meta‐Oxoborate Tb(BO₂)₃ (≡ TbB₃O₆) The terbium meta‐oxoborate Tb(BO₂)₃ (≡ TbB₃O₆) is obtained as single crystals by the reaction of terbium, Tb₄O₇ and TbCl₃ with an excess of B₂O₃ in gastight sealed platinum ampoules at 950 °C after three weeks. The compound appears to be air‐ and water‐resistant and crystallizes as long, thin, colourless needles which tend to growth‐twinning due to their marked fibrous habit. The crystal structure of Tb(BO₂)₃ (orthorhombic, Pnma; a = 1598.97(9), b = 741.39(4), c = 1229.58(7) pm; Z = 16) contains strongly corrugated oxoborate layers {(BO₂)^‐} built of vertex‐linked [BO₄]^5‐ tetrahedra (d(B‐O) = 143 ‐ 154 pm, ?(O‐B‐O) = 102‐115°) which spread out parallel (100). The four crystallographically different Tb³⁺ cations all exhibit coordination numbers of eight towards the oxygen atoms (d(Tb‐O) = 228‐287 pm). The corresponding metal cation polyhedra [TbO₈]¹³⁺ too convene to layers (composition: {(Tb₂O₁₁)^16‐}) which are likewise oriented parallel to the (100) plane.     

Dimetallic functionalities in liposome bilayers

A dicopper(II) complex can be covalently linked to palmitate/palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (PA/POPC) liposomes using the following one-pot strategy: preformed [Cu₂(bpbp)(PA)](ClO₄)₂ (bpbp^?  = 2,6-bis((N,N′-bis(2-picolyl)amino)methyl)-4-tertbutylphenolato) was incorporated into POPC liposomes with a loading of up to 10 mol%. Despite its shape and charge, the decoration of PA/POPC liposomes with {Cu₂(bpbp)}³⁺ did not disrupt the liposome structure; however, the mean liposome diameter increased from about 130 nm (0 mol% dicopper complex) to about 150 nm (10 mol% dicopper complex). Single-crystal X-ray structures furnish ‘snapshots’ of the pH-dependent solution state derivatives of {Cu₂(bpbp)}³⁺, and model the structure of the [Cu₂(bpbp)(PA)]²⁺ head group at the surface of the liposomes. An impressive plasticity in the intramolecular non-bonded Cu….Cu distance for these ions, ranging from 3 to 4 Å, in [Cu₂(bpbp)OH]²⁺, [Cu₂(bpbp)(OAc)(H₂O)]²⁺ and [Cu₂(bpbp)(H₂O)₂]³⁺ allows for their utility as labile reagents in water. Remarkably, the flexible dicopper site is selective for a single carboxylate ligand, so that [Cu₂(bpbp)(PA)]²⁺ is favoured even in the presence of other chemically similar oxoanions, such as CO₃^2 ? , HCO₃^? , NO₃^? , ClO₄^? , ReO₄^?  and CF₃SO₃^? .     

Canonical characters on simple graphs

A multiplicative functional on a graded connected Hopf algebra is called the character. Every character decomposes uniquely as a product of an even character and an odd character. We apply the character theory of combinatorial Hopf algebras to the Hopf algebra of simple graphs. We derive explicit formulas for the canonical characters on simple graphs in terms of coefficients of the chromatic symmetric function of a graph and of canonical characters on quasi-symmetric functions. These formulas and properties of characters are used to derive some interesting numerical identities relating multinomial and central binomial coefficients.     

High Throughput Multidimensional Kinetic Screening in Continuous Flow Reactors

An automated high throughput multidimensional reaction screening platform based on an inline Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy is presented. By combining flow chemistry, machine automation and inline analysis, the platform is able to screen reactions in multidimensions (residence time, monomer concentration, degree of polymerization, reaction temperature and monomer conversion) rapidly and efficiently way. Kinetic data libraries associated with high data precision (absolute error <4 %), high reproducibility and high data density are built with ease from the platform. To test the method, we screened the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of methyl acrylate in unmatched detail, and the ring opening metathesis polymerization of methyl-5-norbornene-2-carboxylate. The method we introduce is a key step in providing “big data” for data driven research in the future, and already at present allows for precise prediction of reaction outcomes within the high-dimensional chemical parameter space that is screened.     

Entropic Contributions to Sodium Solvation and Solvent Stabilization upon Electrochemical Sodium Deposition from Diglyme and Propylene Carbonate Electrolytes

The formation of an appropriate solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at the anode of a sodium battery is crucially dependent on the electrochemical stability of solvent and electrolyte at the redox potential of Na/Na⁺ in the respective system. In order to determine entropic contributions to the relative stability of the electrolyte solution, we measure the reaction entropy of Na metal deposition for diglyme (DG) and propylene carbonate (PC) based electrolyte solutions by electrochemical microcalorimetry at single electrodes. We found a large positive reaction entropy for Na⁺ deposition in DG of Δ_R 234 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ (c.f.: Δ_R 83 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹), which signals substantial entropic destabilization of Na⁺ in DG by about 0.73 eV, thus increasing the stability of solvent and electrolyte relative to Na⁺ reduction. We attribute this strong entropic destabilization to a highly negative solvation entropy of Na⁺, due to the low dielectric constant and high freezing entropy of DG.     

New organic supports for metallocene catalysts applied in olefin polymerizations

Nano-sized latex particles as organic supports for metallocenes applied in olefin polymerizations are introduced. The particles are functionalized with nucleophilic surfaces such as polyethylenoxide (PEO), polypropyleneoxide (PPO) or pyridine units allowing an immobilization of the metallocene catalysts via a non-covalent immobilization process. The latices are obtained by emulsion or miniemulsion polymerization with styrene, divinylbenzene as the crosslinker, and either PEO or PPO functionalized styrene or 4-vinylpyridine for surface functionalization. The supported catalysts, e.g. [Me₂Si(2MeBenzInd)₂ZrCl₂/MAO] on PPO containing latices or Cp₂ZrMe₂/([Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]) on pyridine functionalized materials were tested in ethylene polymerizations. Remarkably, high activities and excellent product morphologies were obtained. The influence of the degree of surface functionalization on activity and productivity was investigated. Furthermore, the fragmentation of the catalyst was studied by electron microscopy using bismuth-labeled latex particles or by fluorescence and confocal fluorescence microscopy using dye-labeled supports. Finally, a self-immobilizing catalyst/monomer system is presented. It is demonstrated that by using PEO-functionalized olefins, the metallocenes were immobilized on the monomers. Subjecting these mixtures to an ethylene copolymerization, again high activities and productivities as well as polyolefin beads with high bulk densities are observed, indicating that an extra supporting process for controlling the product size and shape of the polyolefins is not necessary for these monomers.     

ChemInform Abstract: Electronic Properties of the Two Rutiles TiO2 and VF2: A Comparative Study.

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