Time resolved velocity map imaging of H-atom elimination from photoexcited imidazole and its methyl substituted derivatives

The photoresistive properties of DNA bases, amino acids and corresponding subunits have received considerable attention through spectroscopic studies in recent years. One photoresistive property implicates the participation of (1)πσ* states, allowing electronically excited states to evolve either back to the electronic ground state or undergo direct dissociation along a heteroatom-hydride (X-H) coordinate. To this effect, time-resolved velocity map imaging (TR-VMI) studies of imidazole (a subunit of both adenine and histidine) and methylated derivatives thereof have been undertaken, with the goal of understanding the effects of increasing molecular complexity, through methylation, on the dynamics following photoexcitation at 200 nm. The results of these measurements clearly show that H-atom elimination along the N-H coordinate results in a bimodal distribution in the total kinetic energy release (TKER) spectra in both imidazole and it's methylated derivatives: 2-methyl, 4-methyl and 2,4-dimethylimidazole. The associated time constants for H-atoms eliminated with both high and low kinetic energies are all less than 500 fs. A noticeable increase in the time constants for the methylated derivatives is also observed. This could be attributed to either: ring methylation hindering in-plane and out-of-plane ring distortions which have been implicated as mediating excited state dynamics of these molecules or; an increase in the density of vibrational states at 200 nm causing an increased sampling of orthogonal modes, as opposed to modes which drive any dynamics that cause subsequent H-atom elimination. The results of these findings once again serve to illustrate the seemingly ubiquitous nature of (1)πσ* states in the photoexcited state dynamics of biomolecules and their subunits.     

How to detect the Chandler and the annual wobble of the Earth with a large ring laser gyroscope

We demonstrate a 16 m(2) helium-neon ring laser gyroscope with sufficient sensitivity and stability to directly detect the Chandler wobble of the rotating Earth. The successful detection of both the Chandler and the annual wobble is verified by comparing the time series of the ring laser measurements against the "C04 series" of Earth rotation data from the International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service.     

Syntheses, crystal structures, and physical properties of La5Cu6O4S7 and La5Cu6.33O4S7

Single crystal and bulk powder samples of the quaternary lanthanum copper oxysulfides La5Cu6.33O4S7 and La5Cu6O4S7 have been prepared by means of high-temperature sealed-tube reactions and spark plasma sintering, respectively. In the structure of La 5Cu6.33O4S7, Cu atoms tie together the fluorite-like (2)infinity[La5O4S(5+)] and antifluorite-like (2) infinity[Cu6S6(5-)] layers of La5Cu6O4S7. The optical band gap, E g, of 2.0 eV was deduced from both diffuse reflectance spectra on a bulk sample of La5Cu6O4S7 and for the (010) crystal face of a La 5Cu6.33O4S7 single crystal. Transport measurements at 298 K on a bulk sample of La 5Cu 6O 4S 7 indicated p-type metallic electrical conduction with sigma electrical =2.18 S cm(-1), whereas measurements on a La 5Cu6.33O4S7 single crystal led to sigma electrical =4.5 10(-3) S cm(-1) along [100] and to semiconducting behavior. In going from La 5Cu6O4S7 to La5Cu6.33O4S7, the disruption of the (2)infinity[Cu6S6(5-)] layer and the decrease in the overall Cu(2+)(3d(9)) concentration lead to a significant decrease in the electrical conductivity.     

Benzimidazole-based anion receptors exhibiting selectivity for lactate over pyruvate

The influence of anions on tautomerism in benzimidazole containing anion receptors has been studied via a variety of techniques in both solution and the solid state. The results show that hydrogen bonding interactions between the receptors and guests have a significant effect of the nature of the tautomer present. The compounds show a preference for complexation of lactate over pyruvate.     

A quantum chemical study of comparison of various propylene epoxidation mechanisms using H2O2 and TS-1 Catalyst

We present a comparison of the following prominent propylene epoxidation mechanisms using H2O2/TS-1 at a consistent density functional theory (DFT) method: (1) the Sinclair and Catlow mechanism on tripodal site through Ti-OOH species, (2) the Vayssilov and van Santen mechanism on tetrapodal site without Ti-OOH formation, (3) the Munakata et al. mechanism involving peroxy (Ti-O-O-Si) species, (4) the defect site mechanism with a partial silanol nest, and (5) the defect site mechanism with a full silanol nest. We have reproduced the previously published (ethylene epoxidation) pathways (1-3) for propylene epoxidation using larger and SiH3-terminated cluster models of the T-6 crystallographic site of TS-1. Mechanism 5 is a new mechanism reported here for the first time. The use of a consistent level of theory for all the pathways allows for the first time a meaningful comparison of the energetics representing the aforementioned pathways. We have rigorously identified the important reaction intermediates and transition states and carried out a detailed thermochemical analysis at 298.15 K and 1 atm. On the basis of the Gibbs free energy of activation, the Sinclair and Catlow mechanism (Delta G(act) = 7.9 kcal/mol) is the energetically most favorable mechanism, which is, however, likely to operate on the external surface of TS-1 due to the tripodal nature of the Ti site in their model. The newly reported defect site mechanism (with a full silanol nest) is a competitive propylene epoxidation mechanism. There are two main steps: (1) hydroperoxy formation (Delta G(act) = 8.9 kcal/mol) and (2) propylene epoxidation (Delta G(act) = 4.6 kcal/mol). This mechanism is likely to represent the chemistry occurring inside the TS-1 pores in the liquid-phase epoxidation (H2O2/TS-1) process and could operate in direct gas-phase epoxidation (H2/O2/Au/TS-1) as well. If only the propylene epoxidation step is considered, then the Munakata peroxo intermediate (Si-O-O-Ti) is the most reactive intermediate, which can epoxidize propylene with a negligible activation barrier. However, formation of the Munakata intermediate is a very activated step (Delta G(act) = 19.8 kcal/mol). We also explain the trends in the activation barriers in different mechanisms using geometric and electronic features such as orientation of adsorbed H2O2 and propylene, hydrogen bonding, O1-Ti bond distance in the Ti-O1-O2-H intermediate, and O1-O2 stretching in the transition state. Implications of different Ti site models are also discussed in light of the nature of external/internal and nondefect/defect sites of TS-1.     

Nonionic urea surfactants: influence of hydrocarbon chain length and positional isomerism on the thermotropic and lyotropic phase behavior

The thermotropic and lyotropic phase behavior of 1- and 5-decyl urea, and 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-dodecyl urea have been studied. This allowed the effect of positional isomerism to be examined. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding by the urea moiety is the dominant factor in determining the solid-state thermal behavior and crystal solubility boundary of these linear nonionic surfactants. The positional isomers where the urea moiety was not situated at the terminus of the hydrocarbon chain exhibited higher melting points than the 1-alkyl ureas. This has been rationalized by postulating interdigitated chains in the solid state. In the urea surfactant-water systems, three phases are observed, viz. crystalline solid, a dilute aqueous solution of the alkyl urea, and an isotropic liquid. The last two phases coexist in the low-surfactant, high-temperature region of the binary phase diagram. An overview of structure-property correlations for linear nonionic urea surfactants is presented in light of the new physicochemical data obtained for the decyl urea and dodecyl urea positional isomers.     

Higgs boson search significance deformations due to mixed-in scalars

The existence of exotic scalars that mix with the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson can affect Higgs boson phenomenology in a multitude of ways. We consider two light Higgs bosons with shared couplings to SM fields and with masses close to each other, in the range where the h→WW→lνlν$h\to WW\to l\nu l\nu$ is an important search channel. In this channel, we do not find the dilution of significance of the ‘SM-like’ Higgs boson that is naively expected because of the mixing. This is because of leakage of events from the other scalar into its signal region. Nevertheless, we show that the broadening of the h→WW→lνlν$h\to WW\to l\nu l\nu$ significance plots of Standard Model Higgs boson searches could indicate the first evidence of the extra scalar state.     

Ensemble Effects on Methanol Oxidation to Formaldehyde on Ferric Molybdate Catalysts

The properties of Mo-doped iron oxide are compared with those of the single oxides of Fe and Mo, and with stoichiometric ferric molybdate for the selective oxidation of methanol. It is found that Mo oxide segregates to the surface of the iron oxide at low loadings, while at higher loadings, but below the stoichiometric ratio, presents layers of ferric molybdate at the surface. The relationship between bulk loading and surface Mo is explored, and it is concluded that the reactivity is dominated by ensemble effects. Simple modelling indicates that four or more Fe cation ensembles are required to combust methanol to CO₂, ensembles of two Mo cations are required for selective oxidation to formaldehyde, whereas it seems that isolated single sites of either Fe or Mo produce CO.