Evidence for the decay sigma+ --> pmu+ mu-

We report the first evidence for the decay Sigma(+)-->pmu(+)mu(-) from data taken by the HyperCP (E871) experiment at Fermilab. Based on three observed events, the branching ratio is B(Sigma(+)-->pmu(+)mu(-))=[8.6(+6.6)(-5.4)(stat)+/-5.5(syst)]x10(-8). The narrow range of dimuon masses may indicate that the decay proceeds via a neutral intermediate state, Sigma(+)-->pP(0),P0-->mu(+)mu(-) with a P0 mass of 214.3+/-0.5 MeV/c(2) and branching ratio B(Sigma(+)-->pP(0),P0-->mu(+)mu(-))=[3.1(+2.4)(-1.9)(stat)+/-1.5(syst)]x10(-8).     

Synthesis and crystal structure of three new copper(II) complexes with a tridentate amine and its Schiff bases

Three new mononuclear complexes of copper(II), viz. [Cu(L)(N₃)Cl] (1), [Cu(L′)(H₂O)]ClO₄ (2) and [Cu(L″)] (3) where L = N-(3-aminopropyl)-N-methylpropane-1,3-diamine, L′ = 2-(N-{3-[(3-aminopropyl)(methyl)amino]propyl}ethanimidoyl)phenolate ion and L″ = 2,2′-{(methylimino)bis[propane-3,1-diylnitrilo(1E)eth-1-yl-1-ylidene]}diphenolate ion, have been prepared. The synthesis of complex 1 has been achieved by reacting copper chloride with the triamine (L) and sodium azide in a 1:1:1 M ratio. The other two compounds have been synthesized by the reaction of copper perchlorate with the same triamine, L, plus 2-hydroxyacetophenone in a molar ratio of 1:1:1 (for 2) and 1:1:2 (for 3), so that the respective tetradentate and pentadentate Schiff bases HL′ and H₂L″ are formed in situ to bind the copper(II) ions. The complexes have been characterized by microanalytical, spectroscopic and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Structural studies reveal that the mononuclear units of all the three complexes adopt a distorted square pyramidal geometry and are held together by either intermolecular H-bonding (in 1 and 2) or C-H?π interactions (in 3) to form supramolecular networks in the solid state.     

Sensitivity of protein adsorption to architectural variations in a protein-resistant polymer brush containing engineered nanoscale adhesive sites

Patchy polymer brushes contain nanoscale (5-15 nm) adhesive elements, such as polymer coils or nanoparticles, embedded at their base at random positions on the surface. The competition between the brush's steric (protein resistant) repulsions and the attractions from the discrete adhesive elements provides a precise means to control bioadhesion. This differs from the classical approach, where functionality is placed on the brush's periphery. The current study demonstrates the impact of poly(etheylene glycol) (PEG) brush architecture and ionic strength on fibrinogen adsorption on brushes containing embedded poly-l-lysine (PLL, 20K MW) coils or "patches". The consistent appearance of a fibrinogen adsorption threshold, a minimum loading of patches on the surface, below which protein adsorption does not occur, suggests multivalent protein capture: Adsorbing proteins simultaneously engage several patches. The surface composition (patch loading) at the threshold is extremely sensitive to the brush height and ionic strength, varying up to a factor of 5 in the surface loading of the PLL patches (~50% of the range of possible surfaces). Variations in ionic strength have a similar effect, with the smallest thresholds seen for the largest Debye lengths. While trends with brush height were the clearest and most dominant, consideration of the PEG loading within the brush or its persistence length did not reveal a critical brush parameter for the onset of adsorption. The lack of straightforward correlation on brush physics was likely a result of multivalent binding, (producing an additional dependence on patch loading), and might be resolved for univalent adsorption onto more strongly binding patches. While studies with similar brushes placed uniformly on a surface revealed that the PEG loading within the brush is the best indicator of protein resistance, the current results suggest that brush height is more important for patchy brushes. Likely the interactions producing brush extension normal to the interface act similarly to drive lateral tether extension to obstruct patches.     

Syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties of two dicopper(II) complexes and a zigzag 1-D Cu(II) complex of a bidentate pyridyl-pyrazole ligand

Two new dinuclear copper compounds, [Cu₂(pypz)₂(N₃)₂(NO₃)₂] (1) and [Cu₂(pypz)₂(OH)₂(NO₃)₂] (2), and one 1-D polymeric Cu(II) complex, [Cu(pypz)(dca)₃]_n (3) [‘pypz’ = (3,5dimethyl-1-(2′-pyridyl)pyrazole) and dca = (dicyanamide)], have been synthesized and characterized crystallographically and spectroscopically. Complex 1 is pseudo-octahedral, adjacent Cu atoms are connected by a pair of μ(1,1) azido groups and the structure is stabilized by π-π interactions between two pyridyl moieties from two different neighboring complex molecules. Complexes 2 and 3 are square pyramidal. The hydroxo bridged complex 2 is further stabilized through H-bonding. The 1-D polymeric chain of 3 is bridged by an end-to-end dicyanamide bridge and it propagates along the crystallographic b axis, whilst the polymer chains are stacked one upon another along the crystallographic c axis. Low temperature magnetic measurement shows that complexes 1 and 2 are ferromagnetic (J values are 30.81 and 14.79 cm⁻¹, respectively), whereas due to larger Cu-Cu distances, complex 3 shows weak ferromagnetism.     

Radiochemical study of Cd,Co and Eu coprecipitation with iron hydroxide in seawater

The co-precipitation of Cd, Co and Eu from seawater onto ferric hydroxide was studied, using the radioactive tracers¹⁰⁹Cd,⁶⁰Co and^152–154Eu, as a function of the pH, the concentration of the collector iron, the concentration of the metal spike and the aging of the internally formed precipitate. For preconcentration purpose, a pH 9 and a 35 ppm iron concentration appeared to be suitable. At pH 8, the natural pH of seawater, the distribution coefficients for Cd, Co and Eu are 10^4.5, 10⁵ and 10⁷, respectively.On leave from: Department of Chemistry, Rammohan College, Calcutta, India.     

Energy–entropy method using multiscale cell correlation to calculate binding free energies in the SAMPL8 host–guest challenge

Free energy drives a wide range of molecular processes such as solvation, binding, chemical reactions and conformational change. Given the central importance of binding, a wide range of methods exist to calculate it, whether based on scoring functions, machine-learning, classical or electronic structure methods, alchemy, or explicit evaluation of energy and entropy. Here we present a new energy–entropy (EE) method to calculate the host–guest binding free energy directly from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Entropy is evaluated using Multiscale Cell Correlation (MCC) which uses force and torque covariance and contacts at two different length scales. The method is tested on a series of seven host–guest complexes in the SAMPL8 (Statistical Assessment of the Modeling of Proteins and Ligands) “Drugs of Abuse” Blind Challenge. The EE-MCC binding free energies are found to agree with experiment with an average error of 0.9 kcal mol^?1. MCC makes clear the origin of the entropy changes, showing that the large loss of positional, orientational, and to a lesser extent conformational entropy of each binding guest is compensated for by a gain in orientational entropy of water released to bulk, combined with smaller decreases in vibrational entropy of the host, guest and contacting water.

     

Structural studies and T c dependence in La2−x Dy x Ca y Ba2Cu4+y O z type mixed oxide superconductors

A new series of mixed oxide superconductors with the stoichiometric composition La_2−x Dy _x Ca _y Ba₂Cu_4+y O _z (x=0.0 − 0.5, y=2x) has been studied for structural and superconductiong properties. Our earlier studies on La_2−x (Y/Er) _x Ca _y Ba₂Cu_4+y O _z series, show a strong dependence of T _c on hole concentration (p _sh). In the present work, the results of the analysis of the neutron diffraction measurements at room temprerature on x=0.3 and 0.5 samples are reported. It is interesting to know that Ca substitutes for both La and Ba site with concomitant displacement of La onto Ba site. Superconductivity studies show that maximum T _c is obtained for x=0.5, y=1.0 sample (T _c ∼ 75 K), for La_1.5Dy_0.5Ca₁Ba₂Cu₅O _z (La-2125).     

Mössbauer effect studies of alkali borate glasses

Mössbauer studies of a large number of glass samples prepared with alkali oxides in the region of glass formation are reported. Some representative samples are studied in the temperature range 85–500 K. The following glass systems are studied.

Room-temperature isomer shift values decrease gradually with the addition of alkali oxide and the values fall sharply for alkali content higher than 22 mol%. We conclude that iron is in the ferric state and that the oxygen polyhedra of iron changes from octahedral to tetrahedral. The structural change results from the fact that the alkali introduces an extra non-bridging oxygen ion. The size of the alkali cation introduced into the glass has considerable influence on the isomer shift values of iron. In fact, the polarizing power decreases in the order LiNaK, hence the s-character of the FeO bond increases in the order LiNaK. Addition of Al₂O₃ has no effect on the isomer shift values of iron, showing that aluminium ions occupy network-forming positions.For some representative samples the second-order Doppler effect was studied as a function of temperature in the range 85–500 K. The thermal red shifts due to second-order Doppler effect are used to estimate the local specific heats of ferric ion in the glass system. The quadrupole splitting has weak temperature dependence, showing that Fe³⁺ is in a high-spin state.