Evidence of different stoichiometries for the limiting carbonate complexes across the lanthanide(III) series: a capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry study

The electrophoretic mobilities (mu ep,Ln) of twelve lanthanides (not Ce, Pr and Yb) were measured by CE-ICP-MS in 0.15 and 0.5 mol L(-1) Alk2 CO3 aqueous solutions for Alk+ = Li+, Na+, K+ and Cs+. In 0.5 mol L(-1) solutions, two different mu ep,Ln values were found for the light (La to Nd) and the heavy (Dy to Tm) lanthanides, which suggests two different stoichiometries for the carbonate limiting complexes. These results are consistent with a solubility study that attests the Ln(CO3)3(3-) and Ln(CO3)4(5-) stoichiometries for the heavy (small) and the light (big) lanthanides, respectively. The Alk+ counterions influence the mu ep,Ln Alk2 CO3 values, but not the overall shape of the mu ep,Ln Alk2 CO3 plots as a function of the lanthanide atomic numbers: the counterions do not modify the stoichiometries of the inner sphere complexes. The influence of the Alk+ counterions decreases in the Li+ > Na+ > K+ > Cs+ series. The K3,Ln stepwise formation constants of the Ln(CO3)3(3-) complexes slightly increase with the atomic numbers of the lanthanides while K4,Ln, the stepwise formation constants of Ln(CO3)4(5-) complexes, slightly decrease from La to Tb, and is no longer measurable for heavier lanthanides.     

The reaction of 2‐aroyl‐3,3‐bis(alkylsulfanyl)acrylaldehydes and hydroxylamine hydrochloride: Facile synthesis of differently substituted isoxazoles

2‐Aroyl‐3,3‐bis(alkylsulfanyl)acrylaldehyde was utilized for the synthesis of three different isoxazoles by reacting with hydroxylaminehydrochloride. We synthesized differently substituted isoxazoles like (aryl)[5‐(methylsulfanyl)‐4‐isoxazolyl]methanones, 3‐(methylsulfanyl)‐5‐phenyl‐4‐isoxazolecarbonitriles and 5‐aryl‐3‐(methylsulfanyl)‐4‐isoxazolecarbaldehyde oximes in good yields by varying the substratereagent stoichiometry and temperature of the reaction medium.     

Metal–organic frameworks in diagnostics,therapeutics, and other biomedical applications

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging porous coordination polymers constructed by metal ions and organic linkers that have attracted numerous interests in recent years. The large surface area, high porosity, tunable size, and versatile functionality make them promising materials for cargo delivery (i.e., drugs, mRNA, dyes) and sensing (i.e., nucleic acids, small molecules, ions). In addition, the metal ions released from MOFs offer antibacterial and antifungal utility. This review presents a snapshot of current MOF-related research, highlighting the synthesis approaches, and the various bioapplications of MOFs in terms of biosensing platforms, drug delivery, and antimicrobial agents, exposing potential for future research in the MOF field.     

Synthesis,structure and magnetic properties of unsymmetrical dodecanuclear Mn–Ln clusters

Reaction of manganese acetate and lanthanide nitrates in the presence of excess of PhCOOH affords highly asymmetric dodecanuclear mixed-metal [Mn₁₀Ln₂(OH)(O)₈(PhCOOH)(PhCOO)₁₉] (Ln = Pr^III (1), Nd^III (2)) clusters. The similar reaction, but with only 2 equiv. of PhCOOH resulted in the compounds with higher nuclearity [Mn₁₁Eu₄(O)₈(OH)₈(PhCOO)₁₈(NO₃)₂(H₂O)₆]NO₃ · 4CH₃CN (3). Variable-temperature solid-state magnetic susceptibility of 1 and 2 in the temperature range 1.8–300 K were carried out, and for both complexes antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the metal centers were observed, giving an estimated S = 17/2 ground state. AC magnetic susceptibility data have revealed out-of-phase signals, which suggest that these complexes exhibit a slow relaxation of magnetization as observed in single-molecule magnets.     

Profiling protein-surface interactions of multicomponent suspensions via flow cytometry

This study presents the use of flow cytometry as a high-throughput quantifiable technique to study multicomponent adsorption interactions between proteins and surfaces. Flow cytometry offers the advantage of high-throughput analysis of multiple parameters on a very small sampling scale. This enables flow cytometry to distinguish between individual adsorbent particles and adsorbate components within a suspension. As a proof of concept study, the adsorption of three proteins--bovine serum albumin (BSA), bovine immunoglobulin gamma (IgG) and fibrinogen--onto five surface-modified organosilica microsphere surfaces was used as a model multicomponent system for analysis. By uniquely labeling each protein and solid support type with spectrally distinguishable fluorescent dyes, the adsorption process could be "multiplexed" allowing for simultaneous screening of multiple adsorbate (protein) and adsorbent (particle surface) interactions. Protein adsorption experiments quantified by flow cytometry were found to be comparable to single-component adsorption studies by solution depletion. Quantitative distribution of the simultaneous competitive adsorption of BSA and IgG indicated that, at concentrations below surface saturation, both proteins adsorbed onto the surface. However, at concentrations greater than surface saturation, BSA preferentially adsorbed. Multiplexed particle suspensions of optically encoded particles were modified to produce a positively and negatively charged surface, a grafted 3400 MW poly(ethylene glycol) layer, or a physisorbed BSA or IgG layer. It was observed that adsorption was rapid and irreversible on all of the surfaces, and preadsorbed protein layers were the most effective in preventing further protein adsorption.     

Direct observation of the preference of hole transfer over electron transfer for radical ion pair recombination in donor-bridge-acceptor molecules

Understanding how the electronic structures of electron donor-bridge-acceptor (D-B-A) molecules influence the lifetimes of radical ion pairs (RPs) photogenerated within them (D+*-B-A-*) is critical to designing and developing molecular systems for solar energy conversion. A general question that often arises is whether the HOMOs or LUMOs of D, B, and A within D+*-B-A-* are primarily involved in charge recombination. We have developed a new series of D-B-A molecules consisting of a 3,5-dimethyl-4-(9-anthracenyl)julolidine (DMJ-An) electron donor linked to a naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) (NI) acceptor via a series of Phn oligomers, where n = 1-4, to give DMJ-An-Phn-NI. The photoexcited charge transfer state of DMJ-An acts as a high-potential photoreductant to rapidly and nearly quantitatively transfer an electron across the Phn bridge to produce a spin-coherent singlet RP 1(DMJ+*-An-Phn-NI-*). Subsequent radical pair intersystem crossing yields 3(DMJ+*-An-Phn-NI-*). Charge recombination within the triplet RP then gives the neutral triplet state. Time-resolved EPR spectroscopy shows directly that charge recombination of the RP initially produces a spin-polarized triplet state, DMJ-An-Phn-3*NI, that can only be produced by hole transfer involving the HOMOs of D, B, and A within the D-B-A system. After the initial formation of DMJ-An-Phn-3*NI, triplet-triplet energy transfer occurs to produce DMJ-3*An-Phn-NI with rate constants that show a distance dependence consistent with those determined for charge separation and recombination.     

Anion-perturbed magnetic slow relaxation in planar {Dy4} clusters

Two planar tetranuclear dysprosium(III) complexes, [Dy(4)(mu(3)-OH)(2)(hmmpH)(2)(hmmp)(2)(Cl)(4)].3MeCN.MeOH (1) and [Dy(4)(mu(3)-OH)(2)(hmmpH)(2)(hmmp)(2)(N(3))(4)].4MeOH (2) {hmmpH(2) = 2-[(2-hydroxyethylimino)methyl]-6-methoxyphenol}, which exhibit an anion-dependent magnetic slow relaxation behavior, have been synthesized by in situ condensation of o-vanillin and 2-aminoethanol. The higher energy barrier observed in 2 could be the result of a more favorable crystal field and/or orientations of single-ion easy axes of magnetization of the Dy(III) ions.     

Decomposition of dinuclear manganese complexes for the preparation of nanostructured oxide materials

The crystal structures of several dinuclear complexes of manganese are reported, and the decomposition and analysis of the nanostructured products derived from them are presented. 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) forms dinuclear complexes 1-4 containing doubly oxo-bridged or oxo-acetato bridging ligands depending on the manganese salt used for the reaction. Doubly oxo-bridged 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma, a = 22.3850(14) A, b = 9.1934(5) A, c = 13.2424(10) A, V = 2725.2(3) A(3). 2, containing [Mn(SCN)5](3-) conteranions, crystallizes in monoclinic space group I2/a with a = 18.2699(10) A, b = 11.2384(6) A, c = 18.6432(9) A, alpha = 90.00 degrees, beta = 114.510(6) degrees, gamma = 90.00 degrees, V = 3483.0(3) A(3). Oxo-acetato-bridged 3 crystallizes in orthorhombic space group Pca21, a = 13.9322(11) A, b = 16.2332(13) A, c = 14.6794(8) A, V = 3320.0(4) A(3). Compound 4 consists of a templated quasi-one-dimensional manganese oxalate crystallized in the triclinic space group P1, a = 9.5442(11) A, b = 10.3758(10) A, c = 21.851(2) A, alpha = 83.720(12) degrees, beta = 80.106(13) degrees, gamma = 85.457(13) degrees, V = 2114.9(4) A(3). Compounds 1, 3, and 4 decompose to nanostructured oxide materials, which may be isolated in bulk as lamellar-structured particles or microspheres or deposited on substrates.     

Assessing bias in total mercury results after removing a subsample from the bottle

U.S. EPA Method 1631 for total mercury (THg) analysis in water recommends that bromine monochloride (BrCl) be added to the original bottle in which the sample was collected, to draw into solution any Hg that may have adsorbed to the bottle walls. The method also allows for the removal of a subsample of water from the sample bottle for methylmercury (MeHg) analysis prior to adding BrCl. We have demonstrated that the removal of a subsample from the sample bottle prior to THg analysis can result in a positive concentration bias. The proposed mechanism for the bias is that ‘excess’ inorganic Hg, derived from the subsample that was removed from the bottle, adsorbs to the bottle walls and is then drawn into solution when BrCl is added. To test for this bias, we conducted an interlaboratory comparison study in which nine laboratories analysed water samples in fluorinated polyethylene (FLPE) bottles for THg after removing a subsample from the sample bottle, and analysed a replicate sample bottle from which no subsample was removed. We received seven complete data sets, or 63 unique sample pairs. The positive concentration bias between the bottles was significant when comparing all samples in aggregate (1.76 ± 0.53 ng/L after subsample removal, 1.57 ± 0.58 ng/L with no subsample removal, P < 0.05), however when comparing each of the three samples individually, the only significant bias was in the saline sample (Site UJ; 1.51 ± 0.31 ng/L after subsample removal, 1.32 ± 0.47 ng/L with no subsample removal, P < 0.05). Based on the findings presented here, we conclude that water chemistry, volume of water poured off, and the sample storage temperature explain some but not all of the observed bias, and we recommend collecting THg and MeHg samples in separate bottles whenever possible.