Hydrocarbon-Soluble Mercuracarborands: Syntheses, Halide Complexes, and Supramolecular Chemistry

The syntheses of macrocyclic species composed of carborane derivatives joined via their carbon vertices by electrophilic mercury atoms are described. The reaction of closo-1,2-Li(2)[C(2)B(10)H(10)(-)(x)()R(x)()] with HgI(2) gives Li(2)[(1,2-C(2)B(10)H(10)(-)(x)()R(x)()Hg)(4)I(2)] [R = Et, x = 2 (5.I(2)Li(2)); R = Me, x = 2 (6.I(2)Li(2)); R = Me, x = 4 (7.I(2)Li(2))]. 6.I(2)(K.[18]dibenzocrown-6)(2) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/m [a = 28.99(2) ?, b = 18.19(1) ?, c = 13.61(1) ?, beta = 113.74(2) degrees, V = 6568 ?(3), Z = 4, R = 0.060, R(w) = 0.070]; 7.I(2)(NBu(4))(2) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c [a = 12.77(1) ?, b = 21.12(2) ?, c = 20.96(2) ?, beta = 97.87(2) degrees, V = 5600 ?(3), Z = 2, R = 0.072, R(w) = 0.082]. The precursor to 7, closo-8,9,10,12-Me(4)-1,2-C(2)B(10)H(8) (4), is made in a single step by reaction of closo-1,2-C(2)B(10)H(12) with MeI in trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. The free hosts 5, 6, and 7 are obtained by reaction of the iodide complexes with stoichiometric quantities of AgOAc. A (199)Hg NMR study indicates that sequential removal of iodide from 5.I(2)Li(2) and 6.I(2)Li(2) with aliquots of AgOAc solution leads to formation of two intermediate host-guest complexes in solution, presumed to be 5(6)ILi and 5(2)(6)(2).ILi. Crystals grown from a solution of 6.I(2)Li(2) to which 1 equiv of AgOAc solution had been added proved to be an unusual stack structure with the formula 6(3).I(4)Li(4) [tetragonal, I4/m, a = 21.589(2) ?, c = 21.666(2) ?, V = 10098 ?(3), Z = 2, R = 0.058, R(w) = 0.084]. Addition of 2 equiv of NBu(4)Br ion to 5 or 6 gives 5.Br(2)(NBu(4))(2) and 6.Br(2)(NBu(4))(2), respectively, while addition of 1 equiv of KBr to 6 forms 6.BrK. 5.Br(2)(NBu(4))(2) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr;, [a = 10.433(1) ?, b = 13.013(1) ?, c = 15.867(2) ?, alpha = 91.638(2) degrees, beta = 97.186(3) degrees, gamma = 114.202(2) degrees, V = 1492 ?(3), Z = 1, R = 0.078, R(w) = 0.104]. The hosts 5 and 6 form 1:1 supramolecular adducts with the polyhedral anions B(10)I(10)(2)(-) and B(12)I(12)(2)(-) in solution.     

Effect of column diameter on efficiency in capillary supercritical fluid chromatography

Fused silica capillary columns with internal diameters from 100 to 25 μm were coated with SE-54 and evaluated under supercritical fluid chromatographic conditions using carbon dioxide as mobile phase. Experimental results compared well with theoretical predictions. At ten times the optimum mobile phase velocity and for a capacity factor, k of 3, efficiencies of 2300 to 5600 plates m^?1 were obtained for column diameters of 100 to 25 μm, respectively.     

PHOTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF COVALENTLY-LINKED PORPHYRIN-QUINONE COMPLEXES*

Abstract— The fluorescence properties of a covalently-linked porphyrin-quinone complex and its zinc derivative were studied in a variety of organic solvents. The kinetics of fluorescence decay for both the quinone and hydroquinone oxidation states were measured in acetonitrile, dichloromethane, dimethyl-formamide, and pentane. The fluorescence yield and kinetics of decay at room temperature were little affected in the porphyrin or zinc porphyrin complexes when the attached quinone was reduced. However, for these complexes the fluorescence yield and lifetimes were both substantially decreased in acetonitrile and dichloromethane when the quinone was in its oxidized state. These latter decay kinetics were not explainable by a process having a single exponential decay. On the other hand, little fluorescence quenching or lifetime shortening was observed in dimethylformamide or pentane, indicating unique solvent dependencies for the quenching process. Evidence was obtained for photoproduced charge separation from EPR measurements on the covalently-linked zinc porphyrin-quinone complex. The EPR data showed equivalent concentrations of a Zn porphyrin cation radical and a benzoquinone anion radical in acetonitrile or dichloromethane at both room temperature and 77 K. The charge separated state rapidly decayed at room temperature (in sub-millisecond times) but was quite stable at 77 K. It is concluded that light-induced charge separation in acetonitrile and dichloromethane at room temperature may occur from the excited singlet state with a high quantum efficiency. A photoproduced charge separated state also occurred when the covalently-linked complexes were incorporated into egg yolk phosphatidylcholine liposomes. The quantum yield for radical formation in this latter system was 0.1 and the lifetimes of the radical species formed were many minutes.     

The blocking and structural properties of a Schiff base self-assembled monolayer on the surface of Au(111)

Electrochemistry and in situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were used to study the blocking and structural properties of Shiff base V-ape-V self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the surface of Au(111) in perchloric acid solution. The complex-plane impedance plots for the SAM covered Au(111) electrodes, with the redox couple of Fe(CN)₆^4–/3– present in solution, exhibit arc shapes, revealing that the electrochemical kinetics were controlled by the electron-transfer step. For bare Au(111), the electrode process was mass transport limited. The molecules adsorb on Au(111) with a flat-lying orientation and form a long-range well-defined adlayer. A new structure of was observed in the double-layer potential region. A structural model is proposed to interpret the molecular registry with Au(111) substrate.     

Structural and process controls of AIEgens for NIR-II theranostics

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is a cutting-edge fluorescence technology, giving highly-efficient solid-state photoluminescence. Particularly, AIE luminogens (AIEgens) with emission in the range of second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) have displayed salient advantages for biomedical imaging and therapy. However, the molecular design strategy and underlying mechanism for regulating the balance between fluorescence (radiative pathway) and photothermal effect (non-radiative pathway) in these narrow bandgap materials remain obscure. In this review, we outline the latest achievements in the molecular guidelines and photophysical process control for developing highly efficient NIR-II emitters or photothermal agents with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) attributes. We provide insights to optimize fluorescence efficiency by regulating multi-hierarchical structures from single molecules (flexibilization) to molecular aggregates (rigidification). We also discuss the crucial role of intramolecular motions in molecular aggregates for balancing the functions of fluorescence imaging and photothermal therapy. The superiority of the NIR-II region is demonstrated by fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging of blood vessels and the brain as well as photothermal ablation of the tumor. Finally, a summary of the challenges and perspectives of NIR-II AIEgens for in vivo theranostics is given.

Structural and process controls of NIR-II AIEgens realize manipulating of radiative (R) and nonradiative (NR) decay for precise theranostics.     

Screening and analysis of bioactive compounds with biofingerprinting chromatogram analysis of traditional Chinese medicines targeting DNA by microdialysis/HPLC

Biofingerprinting chromatogram analysis, which is defined as the comparison of fingerprinting chromatograms of the extract of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) before and after the interaction with biological systems (DNA, protein, cell, etc.), was proposed for screening and analysis of the multiple bioactive compounds in TCMs. A method of microdialysis sampling combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied to the study of DNA-binding property for the extracts of TCMs. Seven compounds were found to bind to calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) from the TCMs of Coptis chinensis Franch (Coptis), but only three ones from Phellodendron amurense Rupr. (Phellodendron) and none from Sophoraflavescens Ait. (Sophora) to bind to ct-DNA, respectively. Three of them were identified as berberine, palmatine and jatrorrhizine and their association constants (K) to ct-DNA were determined by microdialysis/HPLC. Competitive binding behaviors of them to ct-DNA were also investigated.     

含氢碳原子团簇的初步研究

介绍直接用激光溅射芳香化合物固态样品产生的含氢磷原子团簇离子（C_nH~＋_m），并用飞行时间质谱仪研究了其组成和结构．实验发现，在低质量区（n＝32－56）得到了具有奇偶碳原子数的含氢磷原子簇，而在高质量区（n＞100）除了得到纯碳原子簇以外，还得到了含氢碳原子簇．根据对实验结果的分析提出了两种结构模型：对低质量区的团簇，其结构为芳香基团与富勒烯笼状框架的复合体；对高质量区的团簇，其结构为蜗牛形与圆柱形的复合体．     

Organosulfur-functionalized Au, Pd, and Au-Pd nanoparticles on 1D silicon nanowire substrates: preparation and XAFS studies

A hybrid preparative method was developed to prepare organosulfur-functionalized Au nanoparticles (NPs) on silicon nanowires (SiNWs) by reacting HAuCl(4) with SiNW in the presence of thiol. A number of organosulfur molecules-dodecanethiol, hexanethiol, 1,6-hexanedithiol, and tiopronin-were used to functionalize the Au surface. Size-selected NPs ranging from 1.6 to 7.5 nm were obtained by varying the S/Au ratio and the concentration of HAuCl(4). This method was further extended to the preparation Pd and Pd-Au bimetallic NPs on SiNWs. The morphology of the metal nanostructures was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The local structure and bonding of the SiNW-supported metal nanostructures were studied using X-ray absorption fine structures (XAFS) [including both X-ray near-edge structures (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structures (EXAFS)] at the Au L(3)-, Pd K-, S K-, and Si K-edges. It was also found that the annealing of the thiol-capped Au NPs up to 500 degrees C transforms the surface of the thiol-capped NPs to gold sulfide, as identified using Au L(3)- and S K-edge XANES. We also illustrate that this preparative approach can be used to form size-controllable Au NPs on carbon nanotubes.     

Modeling of a counterflow plasma reactor

Modeling of a counterflow plasma reactor is presented, using liquid injection for the synthesis of fine particles. An experimental reactor has been developed in this laboratory, and feasibility has been demonstrated for synthesizing advanced ceramic powders. The flow field calculations show two major recirculating regions which are of importance for increasing the particles' residence time inside of the reactor. In addition, the temperature within these recirculation zones remains relatively uniform. For simulation, water droplet trajectories have been calculated for droplets produced by an injection probe. It is shown that the droplets in a size range below 50 m in diameter will follow the streamlines and evaporate completely within a short traveling distance. This finding suggests that this reactor configuration provides a favorable environment for the synthesis of fine particles using liquid precursors.