Side‐Chain‐Functionalized Polyacetylenes, 1. Liquid Crystalline and Stereomutational Properties

Stereospecific polymerizations of functionalized acetylenes were successfully performed using a Rh complex as the catalyst and triethylamine as a base yielding poly(3,4,5‐tridodecyloxyphenylacetylene) ( Poly5 ) and poly[3,4,5‐tris((S)‐3,7‐dimethyloctyloxy)phenylacetylene] ( Poly6 ). Poly5 and Poly6 are liquid crystalline with presumably a bilayer‐type architecture in which the mesogens are arranged in an antiparallel overlapping interdigitated manner. Poly6 showed unusual thermal stereomutation in solution in a very narrow temperature range.     

The adsorption of CO on transition metal clusters: A case study of cluster surface chemistry

We present a discussion of recent experimental studies on the interaction of single CO molecules with transition metal clusters in the gas-phase, typically in the size range of 3 to more than 20 atoms, emphasizing specifically the insights gained from vibrational spectroscopy. Trends across the transition metals (TM) for molecular vs. dissociative chemisorption as well as for adsorption geometries are discussed and compared with the behaviour of CO adsorbed on extended surfaces. The dependence of the frequency of the internal CO stretch vibration on the size and charge of the cluster enables one to gauge quantitatively the effects of charge transfer between deposited nanoparticles and the substrate as well as of electron transfer due to the binding of co-adsorbed species.     

Speciation of Rare‐Earth Metal Complexes in Ionic Liquids: A Multiple‐Technique Approach

The dissolution process of metal complexes in ionic liquids was investigated by a multiple‐technique approach to reveal the solvate species of the metal in solution. The task‐specific ionic liquid betainium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Hbet][Tf₂N]) is able to dissolve stoichiometric amounts of the oxides of the rare‐earth elements. The crystal structures of the compounds [Eu₂(bet)₈(H₂O)₄][Tf₂N]₆, [Eu₂(bet)₈(H₂O)₂][Tf₂N]₆?2H₂O, and [Y₂(bet)₆(H₂O)₄][Tf₂N]₆ were found to consist of dimers. These rare‐earth complexes are well soluble in the ionic liquids [Hbet][Tf₂N] and [C₄mim][Tf₂N] (C₄mim=1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium). The speciation of the metal complexes after dissolution in these ionic liquids was investigated by luminescence spectroscopy, ¹H, ¹³C, and ⁸⁹Y NMR spectroscopy, and by the synchrotron techniques EXAFS (extended X‐ray absorption fine structure) and HEXS (high‐energy X‐ray scattering). The combination of these complementary analytical techniques reveals that the cationic dimers decompose into monomers after dissolution of the complexes in the ionic liquids. Deeper insight into the solution processes of metal compounds is desirable for applications of ionic liquids in the field of electrochemistry, catalysis, and materials chemistry.     

Comprehensive inter‐laboratory calibration of reference materials for δ18O versus VSMOW using various on‐line high‐temperature conversion techniques

Internationally distributed organic and inorganic oxygen isotopic reference materials have been calibrated by six laboratories carrying out more than 5300 measurements using a variety of high‐temperature conversion techniques (HTC) a in an evaluation sponsored by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). To aid in the calibration of these reference materials, which span more than 125‰, an artificially enriched reference water (δ¹⁸O of +78.91‰) and two barium sulfates (one depleted and one enriched in ¹⁸O) were prepared and calibrated relative to VSMOW2 b and SLAP reference waters. These materials were used to calibrate the other isotopic reference materials in this study, which yielded:

Bounds for point recolouring in geometric graphs

We examine a recolouring scheme ostensibly used to assist in classifying geographic data. Given a drawing of a graph with bi-chromatic points, where the points are the vertices of the graph, a point can be recoloured if it is surrounded by neighbours of the opposite colour. The notion of surrounded is defined as a contiguous subset of neighbours that span an angle greater than 180 degrees. The recolouring of surrounded points continues in sequence, in no particular order, until no point remains surrounded. We show that for some classes of graphs the process terminates in a polynomial number of steps. On the other hand, there are classes of graphs with infinite recolouring sequences.