Organic phase conversion of bulk (wurtzite) ZnO to nanophase (wurtzite and zinc blende) ZnO

We describe the all-organic phase conversion of bulk commercial ZnO in the wurtzite modification to sub-30 nm ZnO that we find to be partially in the zinc blende [, a=4.568(3) Å] modification. The conversion involves refluxing ZnO in 2,4-pentanedione (acetylacetone) at 413 K to form the zinc 2,4-pentanedionate, which is decomposed by heating at 573 K in an appropriate high-temperature solvent such as dibenzylether to form nanophase ZnO. This nanophase, partially zinc blende ZnO can also be obtained in a single step by heating commercial zinc 2,4-pentanedionate in refluxing dibenzylether. Thermodiffractometry suggests that the conversion of zinc blende ZnO to wurtzite ZnO commences near 650 K.     

Unusually sharp dependence of water exchange rate versus lanthanide ionic radii for a series of tetraamide complexes

The tetraamide ligand, DOTA-tetra(glycine ethyl ester), forms complexes with the lanthanide(III) cations that exist in solution predominantly as the square antiprism structure with single, slowly exchanging inner-sphere water molecule. Variable-temperature 1H and 17O NMR studies revealed that the bound water lifetimes in these complexes were sharply dependent upon the ionic radius of Ln3+ cation. A novel lanthanide-induced shift technique was used to unmask the bound water 17O resonance of SmL3+ and YL3+ complexes from the bulk water resonance. The bound water lifetime (tauM298) was approximately 800 mus in the EuL3+ complex but became much shorter (several microseconds) for Ln3+ cations with larger and smaller ionic radii. This demonstrates that water exchange is exquisitely fine-tuned in this macrocyclic tetraamide system and that a variety of Ln3+ complexes meet with the exchange requirement, Deltaomega*tauM >/= 1, necessary for an efficient MT agent.     

A Novel pH-Sensitive MRI Contrast Agent

A tetrasubstituted derivative of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane with amide coordinating groups and extended noncoordinating phosphonate groups forms a complex with gadolinium(III) (shown in the picture) which contains one slowly exchanging inner-sphere water molecule (tau(M)=21 μs). The 20-MHz water proton relaxivity of the complex was found to be highly pH dependent. Protonation of the noncoordinating phosphonate groups appears to catalyze prototropic exchange of the bound water protons, thereby providing a mechanism for enhanced water contrast below pH 7.     

Sterically demanding diporphyrin ligands and rhodium(II) porphyrin bimetalloradical complexes

A series of sterically demanding diporphyrins H2(por)-X-(por)H2 ligands that contain spacers (X) with different degrees of flexibility were synthesized from the trimesitylporphyrin derivatives 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-trimesitylporphyrin (TMP-OH)H2 (1a) and 5-(2,6-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-trimesityl-porphyrin, (DMTMP-OH)H2 (1b). The monomeric porphyrins 1a,b, which have steric demands similar to that of tetramesitylporphyrin, (TMP)H2, and carry a hydroxyl functional group at the para position of one of the mesophenyl substituents, were constructed from reaction of pyrrole with two aromatic aldehydes by a mixed aldehyde condensation approach. The diporphyrins with alkyl diether tethers were obtained stepwise from reactions of the hydroxy functionalized porphyrins 1a,b with dibromides Br(CH2)nBr. The diporphyrin which contains a more rigid m-xylylene spacer, was made directly from reaction of 1b with alpha,alpha'-dibromo-m-xylene. Rhodium was inserted into the porphyrins using Rh2(CO)2Cl2 and converted to dimethyl complexes Me-Rh(Por)-X-(Por)Rh-Me. The dirhodium(II) derivatives .Rh(por)-X-(por)Rh.) were generated by photolysis of the dimethyl complexes and observed to occur as stable bimetalloradicals because the ligand steric demands prohibit Rh(II)-Rh(II) bonding. EPR spectra of the dirhodium(II) derivatives, triphenyl phospine adducts, and dioxygen complexes are reported. The kinetic advantage of bimetalloradical complexes for substrate reactions that have two metal-centered radicals in the transition state is demonstrated by reactions of dihydrogen with dirhodium(II) bimetalloradical complexes.     

Development of a modified beta-cyclodextrin based fluorosensor for dipyridamole

2,6-O-diethyl-β-cyclodextrins were prepared and immobilized onto silica gel to develop a fluorosensor for dipyridamole. The analytical performance characteristics of the proposed sensor for analysis of dipyridamole were as follows: the detection limit was 0.8 nmol/L with a relative standard deviation of 1.4% for 10 determinations of 50 nmol/L of dipyridamole. The modification of β-CD improved the sensitivity and selectivity for measuring dipyridamole. The recommended method has been successfully tested for the determination of dipyridamole in clinical samples (urine and pharmaceutical preparations). Received: 23 January 1997 / Revised: 14 April 1997 / Accepted: 21 April 1997     

Synthesis of fused polycyclic aromatics by palladium-catalyzed annulation of arynes using 2-halobiaryls

The Pd-catalyzed annulation of arynes by 2-halobiaryls and related vinylic halides provides a very efficient, high yielding synthesis of polycyclic aromatic and heteroaromatic hydrocarbons. This process appears to involve the catalytic, stepwise coupling of two very reactive substrates, an aryne and an organopalladium species, to generate excellent yields of cross-coupled products.     

Influence of extended π-conjugation units on carrier mobilities in conducting polymers

Carrier mobilities in thin films of copolymers with repeat units consisting of oligothiophenes bridged by Si atoms are measured over a range of doping levels, where the numbers of thienylenes in the repeat unit are 7, 8, 10, 12, and 14. The mobilities for these polymer films increased with the increase in doping level and the mobility enhancement followed an increasing order of the π-conjugation length. The magnitude of the mobility increase for the Si polymer comprising 14 thiophene units reached ca. 10⁴, implying that this π-conjugation length is almost sufficient to reproduce transport properties of polythiophenes.     

Migration of 99Tc in a Weak Loess Aquifer: A Field Column Experiment

The migration of ⁹⁹Tc in a weak loess aquifer was investigated in-situ with undisturbed aquifer medium columns. The columns were obtained horizontally at a depth of 3236 m in an Underground Research Facility (URF). Quartz containing ³H (HTO) and ⁹⁹Tc (in the form of ⁹⁹TcO₄ ^-) was introduced into one end of the columns and the columns were covered tightly. Aquifer water was introduced into the columns directly from an experimental shaft in the UFR. Effluents from the columns were collected and the activity of ³H and ⁹⁹Tc were determined with a liquid scintillation analyzer. The breakthrough curves of ³H and ⁹⁹Tc indicate that ⁹⁹Tc migrates a little faster than that ³H does in the aquifer.     

A ferrocene based palladacyclic precatalyst for the Suzuki cross-coupling of aryl chlorides

Addition of palladium acetate to 2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-phenylferrocene gave palladacycle 16 that is a very effective precatalyst for the Suzuki cross-coupling of aryl chlorides at room temperature (1 mol% 16) or 60 degrees C (> or = 0.01 mol% 16).