Photophysics of aromatic molecules with low-lying pi sigma* states: excitation-energy dependence of fluorescence in jet-cooled aromatic nitriles

Excitation-energy dependence of fluorescence intensity and fluorescence lifetime has been measured for 4-dimethylaminobenzonitrile (DMABN), 4-aminobenzonitrile (ABN), 4-diisopropylaminobenzonitrile (DIABN), and 1-naphthonitrile (NN) in a supersonic free jet. In all cases, the fluorescence yield decreases rather dramatically, whereas the fluorescence lifetime decreases only moderately for S1 (pi pi*, L(b)) excess vibrational energy exceeding about 1000 cm(-1). This is confirmed by comparison of the normalized fluorescence excitation spectrum with the absorption spectrum of the compound in the vapor phase. The result indicates that the strong decrease in the relative fluorescence yield at higher energies is due mostly to a decrease in the radiative decay rate of the emitting state. Comparison of the experimental results with the TDDFT potential energy curves for excited states strongly suggests that the decrease in the radiative decay rate of the aminobenzonitriles at higher energies is due to the crossing of the pi pi* singlet state by the lower-lying pi sigma*(C[triple bond]N) singlet state of very small radiative decay rate. The threshold energy for the fluorescence "break-off" is in good agreement with the computed energy barrier for the pi pi*/pi sigma* crossing. For NN, on the other hand, the observed decrease is in fluorescence yield at higher excitation energies can best be attributed to the crossing of the pi pi* singlet state by the pi sigma* triplet state.     

Complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments of aurasperone A and fonsecinone A, two bis-naphthopyrones produced by Aspergillus aculeatus

Complete assignments of 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts of the polyketides aurasperone A and fonsecinone A were made by means of nuclear Overhauser enhancement and heteronuclear NMR correlation experiments. These compounds were isolated for the first time from Aspergillus aculeatus, an endophytic fungus obtained from leaves of Melia azedarach(Meliaceae).     

Compositional Profiles in Silica-Based Sol-Gel Films Doped with Erbium and Silver, by RBS and ERDA

Photosensitive organic-titania hybrid materials have been prepared from metal alkoxides and various organic ester compounds with double bonds. The refractive index of the film increases with the decrease of the concentration of the organic ester compound, and the highest refractive index of 1.62 is obtained when 2-hydroxymethyl acrylate (HOA) is used as the organic ester and the molar ratio of HOA to Ti is 0.5. The material with the highest refractive index is exposed to femtosecond pulse using the multi-beam laser interference technique. After laser irradiation, the irradiated parts of the material are photopolymerized and periodic structures can be obtained by development of the unirradiated parts. In the case of laser irradiation of 120 J total energy for 5 min, the periodic structure obtained corresponds to 2D photonic crystal structure which is composed of two parts; the material with the highest refractive index and the air.     

Copolymerization of ethylene and non-conjugated diene using homogenous catalyst

Ethylene and different amounts of 1,7-octadiene were copolymerized using the metallocene catalyst system ethylidene-bis(fluorenyl) zirconium dichloride and methylaluminoxane (MAO) at both 50 and 90 °C. The catalyst activity has slightly increased with the addition of low amounts of the diene in relation to the homopolymerization of ethylene. The obtained polymers were characterized according to their melting temperature (T_m) and crystallinity degree (x_c) by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Weight-average molecular weight (M_w) and polydispersity were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Diene contents in the copolymer were obtained through the FTIR spectroscopy. The results indicated that at polymerization temperature of 90 °C, crosslinking bonds in the obtained copolymers were low, differently from what was observed at 50 °C. The diene content in the copolymer achieved more than 3 mol% and the comonomer conversion was around 15%. Moreover, the obtained copolymers have M_w around 100,000 and large polydispersity.     

Studies on diastereoselective reduction of cyclic β-ketoesters with boron hydrides. Part 4: The reductive profile of functionalized cyclohexanone derivatives

Reduction of 2-allyl-2-carboalkoxycyclohexanones (3d-f), 2-propyl-2-carboethoxycyclohexanone (3g) and 2-benzyl-2-carboethoxycyclohexanone (3h) with boron hydrides in the presence and absence of several chelating agents were studied. Molecular modeling studies using semiempirical PM3 method were performed in order to find a suitable explanation of the diastereoselection of ketone carbonyl faces during the reductive process, which yielded trans-2-allyl-2-carboethoxycyclohexanol (6e) and cis-2-allyl-2-carboethoxycyclohexanol (7e) in good diastereomeric excess by using inexpensive sodium and tetrabutylammonium borohydrides.     

The diastereoselective synthesis of functionalised isoxazolidines using a Cope elimination/intramolecular nitrone cycloaddition strategy

Functionalised hydroxylamine derivatives of (S)-prolinol prepared by a Cope elimination have been found to undergo oxidation to the nitrone either in the presence of air or a catalytic quantity of TPAP. These undergo intramolecular cycloaddition to give tricyclic isoxazolidines with high diastereoselectivity.     

Stability of anthocyanins extracted from grape skins

Summary The extractability and stability of anthocyanins from the skins ofVitis vinifera were determined at different pH values. Anthocyanins were extracted using acetone, partitioned with chloroform and pre-purified by solid-phase extraction (SPE). They were analysed by RP-HPLC, and the kinetic parameters of decomposition were calculated. The total monomeric anthocyanin content was determined by spectrophotometry. Anthocianins were well separated by RP-HPLC. The efficiency of extraction depended strongly on the pH of the extracting agent and on the character of the pigment to be extracted. The amount of anthocyanins decreased with increasing duration of storage, more so at elevated temperatures. Presented at Balaton Symposium '01 on High-Performance Separation Methods Siófok, Hungary, September 2–4, 2001.     

Anion exchange in trimethyl‐ and triphenyltin complexes with chromogenic ligands: solution equilibria and colorimetric anion sensing

A series of organotin(IV) compounds R₃Sn(A) where R = Me or Ph and A is a chromogenic nitrophenolate ligand were prepared and studied as possible colorimetric sensors for anions (F⁻, Cl⁻, Br⁻, AcO⁻, H₂PO₄⁻). Equilibrium constants for a complete set of reactions between R₃Sn(A) with A = 2‐amino‐4‐nitrophenolate (ANP) or 4‐nitrophenolate and anions (X⁻) involving formation of complexes R₃Sn(A)(X)⁻ and substitution products R₃Sn(X) and R₃Sn(X)₂⁻ were determined by UV‐vis and ¹H NMR titrations in MeCN and DMSO. The binding selectivity was AcO⁻ > F⁻ > H₂PO₄⁻ > Cl⁻ ≫ Br⁻ in both solvents and both for R = Me and Ph with higher affinity for R = Ph. Compounds with A = ANP were found to have the optimum properties as anion sensors allowing optical detection of F⁻, AcO⁻ and H₂PO₄⁻ anions in the 5–100 µM range by appearance of an intense absorption band of free ANP resulting from its substitution with the analyte. Selectivity and affinity of anion interactions with R₃Sn(ANP) are similar to those for thiourea receptors, but the organotin receptor produces a much larger naked eye detected optical signal, operates equally well in nonpolar and polar solvents and tolerates the presence of up to 20% vol. of water in DMSO. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Separation and quantitation of colour pigments of chili powder (Capsicum frutescens) by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection

The performance of reversed-phase thin-layer (RP-TLC) and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was compared for the separation and determination of the colour pigments of chili (Capsicum frutescens) powder using a wide variety of eluent systems. No separation of pigments was achieved in RP-TLC, however, it was established that tetrahydrofuran shows an unusually high solvent strength. RP-HPLC using water-methanol-acetonitrile gradient elution separated the chili pigments in many fractions. Diode array detection (DAD) indicated that yellow pigments are eluted earlier than the red ones and chili powder contains more yellow pigments than common paprika powders. It was established that the very different absorption spectra of pigments make the use of DAD necessary.