Rotational dynamics of water and benzene controlled by anion field in ionic liquids: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and hexafluorophosphate

The rotational correlation time (tau(2R)) is determined for D(2)O (polar) and C(6)D(6) (apolar) in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([bmim][Cl]) and hexafluorophosphate ([bmim][PF(6)]) by measuring (2)H (D) nuclear magnetic resonance spin-lattice relaxation time (T(1)) in the temperature range from -20 to 110 degrees C. The tau(2R) ratio of water to benzene (tau(WB)) was used as a measure of solute-solvent attraction. tau(WB) is 0.73 and 0.52 in [bmim][Cl] and [bmim][PF(6)], respectively, whereas the molecular volume ratio is as small as 0.11. The slowdown of the water dynamics compared to the benzene dynamics in ionic liquids is interpreted by the Coulombic attractive interaction between the polar water molecule and the anion. As for the anion effect, the rotational dynamics of water solvated by Cl(-) is slower than that solvated by PF(6) (-), whereas the rotational dynamics of benzene is similar in the two ionic liquids. This is interpreted as an indication of the stronger solvation by the anion with a larger surface charge density. The slowdown of the water dynamics via Coulombic solvation is actually significant only at water concentrations lower than approximately 9 mol dm(-3) at room temperature, and it is indistinguishable at temperatures above approximately 100 degrees C. The quadrupolar coupling constants determined for D(2)O and C(6)D(6) in the ionic liquids were smaller by a factor of 2-3 than those in the pure liquid state.     

Slowdown of H/D exchange reaction rate and water dynamics in ionic liquids: deactivation of solitary water solvated by small anions in 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride

The H/D exchange reaction and the rotational dynamics of heavy water (D2O) are studied at 50 degrees C in the ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([bmim][Cl]), in the [D2O] range of 3-55 M. The initial H/D exchange rates are observed as 1.0 x 10(-7), 4.5 x 10(-6), 1.0 x 10(-5), 4.1 x 10(-5), 1.1 x 10(-4), and 3.7 x 10(-4) s(-1), respectively, at [D2O] of 2.8, 7.1, 8.1, 11, 15, and 25 M. The rate is very slow and less than 10(-5) s(-1) at [D2O] below approximately 7 M. It steeply increases to the order of 10(-4)s(-1) for 7 M < [D2O] < 10 M, and linearly increases with [D2O] in the more water-rich region. The intercept of the linear region at [D2O] = approximately 9 M is interpreted by considering that each chloride anion deactivates 1.6 equiv water molecules due to the strong solvation. Correspondingly, the rotational correlation time of D2O at [D2O] < 7 M is 1 order of magnitude larger than that in water-rich conditions.     

Organic field-effect transistors based on heterocyclic co-oligomers containing a pyrazine ring

New oligomers containing a pyrazine unit have been prepared: the bithienyl derivatives afforded p-type FET devices whereas the trifluoromethylphenyl derivatives showed n-type FET behavior.     

Controlled Synthesis of Nanoporous Nickel Oxide with Two‐Dimensional Shapes through Thermal Decomposition of Metal–Cyanide Hybrid Coordination Polymers

The urgent need for nanoporous metal oxides with highly crystallized frameworks is motivating scientists to try to discover new preparation methods, because of their wide use in practical applications. Recent work has demonstrated that two‐dimensional (2D) cyanide‐bridged coordination polymers (CPs) are promising materials and appropriate for this purpose (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.­ 2013 , 52, 1235). After calcination, 2D CPs can be transformed into nanoporous metal oxides with a highly accessible surface area. Here, this strategy is adopted in order to form 2D nanoporous nickel oxide (NiO) with tunable porosity and crystallinity, using trisodium citrate dihydrate as a controlling agent. The presence of trisodium citrate dihydrate plays a key role in the formation of 2D nanoflakes by controlling the nucleation rate and the crystal growth. The size of the nanoflakes gradually increases by augmenting the amount of trisodium citrate dihydrate in the reaction. After heating the as‐prepared CPs in air at different temperatures, nanoporous NiO can be obtained. During this thermal treatment, organic units (carbon and nitrogen) are completely removed and only the metal content remains to take part in the formation of nanoporous NiO. In the case of large‐sized 2D CP nanoflakes, the original 2D flake‐shapes are almost retained, even after thermal treatment at low temperature, but they are completely destroyed at high temperature because of further crystallization in the framework. Nanoporous NiO with high surface area shows significant efficiency and interesting results for supercapacitor application.     

Polymeric Micelle Assembly with Inorganic Nanosheets for Construction of Mesoporous Architectures with Crystallized Walls

Here we propose a novel way to construct mesoporous architectures through evaporation‐induced assembly of polymeric micelles with crystalline nanosheets. As a model study, we used niobate nanosheets exfoliated by the direct reaction of K₄Nb₆O₁₇?3 H₂O crystals with an aqueous solution of propylamine. The electrostatic interaction between negatively charged nanosheets and positively charged polymeric micelles enable us to form composite micelles with the nanosheets. Removal of the micelles by calcination results in robust mesoporous oxides with the original crystalline structure.     

Formation of transient pairs of F and H centers at next nearest neighbor sites in alkali chloride crystals studied by the time delayed double excitation spectroscopy in picosecond range

Abstract

By making use of the time delayed double excitation spectroscopy, transient absorption spectra just after the excitation of self-trapped excitons (STE) from the lowest triplet state to higher excited states have been observed to find the transient F-H center pair [F-H]. Absorption bands due to transient [F-H] appeared as a doublet peaking at 2.70eV and 2.86eV (NaCl), at 2.25eV and 2.38eV (KCl) and at 1.97eV and 2.09eV (RbCl) at 108ps after the excitation. The ratio of peak heights between bands at low and high energy sides was 2:1 in all crystals. The results were tentatively understood by a recent theory for the STE by Song et al. (1987).     

Hyrtioseragamines A and B, new alkaloids from the sponge Hyrtios species

Two novel alkaloids with a furo[2,3-b]pyrazin-2(1H)-one moiety and a guanidino group, hyrtioseragamines A (1) and B (2), have been isolated from an Okinawan marine sponge Hyrtios species. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical conversions. Compounds 1 and 2 are the first natural products possessing a furo[2,3-b]pyrazine-related moiety.     

Preparation of liposomes containing Ceramide 3 and their membrane characteristics

Liposomes composed of Ceramide 3, [2S,3S,4R-2-stearoylamide-1,3,4-octadecanetriol], and L-alpha-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) were prepared by varying the amount of Ceramide 3, and the effects of Ceramide 3 on the liposome formation, particle size, dispersibility, microviscosity and phase transition temperature were examined by means of a microscopy, a dynamic light scattering method, a fluorescence polarization method, a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and so on. All the DPPC was able to contribute to the formation of liposomes up to 0.130 mol fraction of Ceramide 3. The particle size of liposomes was almost unaffected by the addition of Ceramide 3. The dispersibility of liposomes containing Ceramide 3 was maintained for at least 15 days. The microviscosity of liposomal bilayer membranes in the liquid crystalline state was increased with increasing the mole fraction of Ceramide 3, while that in the gel state was independent of the mole fraction of Ceramide 3. The phase transition temperature from gel to liquid crystalline states of DPPC bilayer membranes was shifted upwards with the addition of Ceramide 3, indicating a cooperative interaction between DPPC and Ceramide 3 molecules. However, a sharp DSC peak became broad and split at higher mole fractions of Ceramide 3, suggesting a phase separation in the mixed DPPC/Ceramide 3 liposomal bilayer membranes. These phenomena were suggested to be related to the previously observed fact for the mixed DPPC/Ceramide 3 monolayers that Ceramide 3 interacts with DPPC in the liquid-expanded phase with consequent phase separation accompanied with domain formation.     

Liquid-crystalline characteristics of cellulose derivatives: Binary and ternary mixtures of ethyl cellulose,hydroxypropyl cellulose,and acrylic acid

Phase behavior in binary and ternary mixtures of ethyl cellulose (EC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), and acrylic acid (AA) was investigated by optical techniques including polarized-light microscopy (POM), refractometry, UV absorption, and circular dichroism (CD) spectrophotometries, and laser-light scattering. Both derivatives of cellulose formed a cholesteric liquid-crystal phase in concentrated solutions in AA. EC and HPC homopolymer solutions in AA showed iridescent colors in the concentration range of 42–50 wt% and 65–80 wt%, respectively. In the 30–50 wt% HPC/AA solutions, an optical image with fingerprint-like patterns was observed between crossed polars. CD revealed that the cholesteric helical sense was right-handed in the HPC/AA mesophase, while the EC/AA mesophase formed left-handed structures. Anisotropic samples of HPC/AA and EC/AA also showed a POM image with a grid-like texture, which was much coarser in the former system compared with that in the latter. A phase diagram constructed for the ternary system EC/HPC/AA was divided into five distinct regions: (1) isotropic (I) monophase, (2) I + HPC mesophase (HLC), (3) I + HLC + EC mesophase (ELC), (4) HLC + ELC, and (5) anisotropic monophase, with the optical appearance changeable depending on polymer composition and concentration. In region 5 the anisotropic system was apparently monophasic in POM observations; however, CD and UV results indicated that the biphasic separation into the two cholesteric structures still occurred. Optical anisotropy and phase behavior were also examined for the EC/ HPC binary blends prepared from solutions and melt.     

Ambipolar behavior of hydrogen-bonded diketopyrrolopyrrole-thiophene co-oligomers formed from their soluble precursors

Organic field-effect transistors with hydrogen-bonded diketopyrrolopyrrole-thiophene co-oligomers were fabricated by a solution-process method with annealing at 200 °C, showing ambipolar charge-carrier transfer with field-effect mobilities up to μ(h) = 6.7 × 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1)s(-1) and μ(e) = 5.6 × 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1).