A Polymorphic Azobenzene Cage for Energy-Efficient and Highly Selective p-Xylene Separation

Developing the competence of molecular sorbents for energy-saving applications, such as C8 separations, requires efficient, stable, scalable, and easily recyclable materials that can readily transition to commercial implementation. Herein, we report an azobenzene-based cage for the selective separation of p-xylene isomer across a range of C8 isomers in both vapor and liquid states with selectivity that is higher than the reported all-organic sorbents. The crystal structure shows non-porous cages that are separated by p-xylene molecules through selective CH–π interactions between the azo bonds and the methyl hydrogen atoms of the xylene molecules. This cage is stable in solution and can be regenerated directly under vacuum to be used in multiple cycles. We envisage that this work will promote the investigation of the azo bond as well as guest-induced crystal-to-crystal phase transition in non-porous organic solids for energy-intensive separations.     

HEMATOPORPHYRIN PHOTOSENSITIZATION OF SERUM ALBUMIN and SUBTILISIN BPN'

—The photosensitized inactivation of subtilisin BPN' by free hematoporphyrin (HP) followed exponential kinetics with positive mechanistic tests for the involvement of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) as the principal intermediate. The photoinactivation quantum yield was 0.029 at 390 nm in oxygen-saturated, D₂O buffer at pH 7.0. The effects of HP binding were investigated for tryptophan oxidation in bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA) at high protein:HP concentration ratios where the HP was > 97% complexed. The reaction kinetics were non-exponential and mimick a second-order process in the initial stages. The rate of HP photobleaching was 30-fold faster for complexed HP compared with free HP, which was shown to account for the observed kinetics. Mechanistic tests showed that ¹O₂ was the dominant photooxidizing intermediate of tryptophan residues and that it was not involved in the accompanying photobleaching of HP. The quantum yield for tryptophan oxidation in BSA was 0.11 at 390 nm in oxygen-saturated, D₂O buffer at pH 8.0. The reactivity of HSA was approximately 2-fold lower than BSA for equivalent conditions. Estimates of the reaction cross sections led to 3 Ų for the inactivation of subtilisin BPN' by ¹O₂ and 20 Ų for the oxidation of tryptophan in BSA.     

Discrete model of a dynamo with diffusion

A model of magnetic field generation by the turbulent motions of a highly conducting fluid is constructed. It is assumed that the field is generated in individual cells of space in a statistically independent manner. A coupling between the cells is realized by magnetic diffusion. The rates of growth of the field and its moments are calculated. The field distribution generated by this mechanism possesses an intermittent nature in both time and space.     

σ-bond conjugation in polysilanes,a pes scaled free-electron approach for the interpretation of skeletal cleavage reactions

The σ-orbital energies calculated by the simple free-electron model with a parametrization procedure proposed recently by Von Szentplay correlate very closely with the σ-band positions of the corresponding photoelectron spectra. For the σ-orbitals of three series of molecules: H(CH₂)_nH (n = 2–4); H(SiH₂)_nH (n = 2–5); Me(SiMe₂)_nMe (n = 2–4) the FEMO model yields a standard error SE) of 0.060 eV. Compared with HMO results (LCGO, LCBO and Sandorfy C) the correlation is significantly improved. The free-electron results are more accurate than those obtained using the PPP, CNDO/2, MINDO/3, SAMO and ab initio methods.The free-electron frontier orbital densities were successfully used to account for features of the skeletal cleavage reactions of polysilanes.     

Local electrostatic field induced by the carotenoid bound to the reaction center of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Electroabsorption (EA) spectra were recorded in the region of the reaction center (RC) Qy absorption bands of bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) and bacteriopheophytin, to investigate the effect of carotenoid (Car) on the electrostatic environment of the RCs of the purple bacterium Rhodobacter (Rb.) sphaeroides. Two different RCs were prepared from Rb. sphaeroides strain R26.1 (R26.1-RC); R26.1 RC lacking Car and a reconstituted RC (R26.1-RC+ Car) prepared by incorporating a synthetic Car (3,4-dihydrospheroidene). Although there were no detectable differences between these two RCs in their near infrared (NIR) absorption spectra at 79 and 293 K, or in their EA spectra at 79 K, significant differences were detected in their EA spectra at 293 K. Three nonlinear optical parameters of each RC were determined in order to evaluate quantitatively these differences; transition dipole-moment polarizability and hyperpolarizability (D factor), the change in polarizability upon photoexcitation (Deltaalpha), and the change in dipole-moment upon photoexcitation (Deltamu). The value of D or Deltaalpha determined for each absorption band of the two RC samples showed similar values at 77 or 293 K. However, the Deltamu values of the special pair Bchls (P) and the monomer Bchls absorption bands showed significant differences between the two RCs at 293 K. X-ray crystallography of the two RCs has revealed that a single molecule of the solubilizing detergent LDAO occupies part of the carotenoid binding site in the absence of a carotenoid. The difference in the value of Deltamu therefore represents the differential effect of the detergent LDAO and the carotenoid on P. The change of electrostatic field around P induced by the presence of Car was determined to be 1.7 x 10(5) [V/cm], corresponding to a approximately 10% change in the electrostatic field around P.     

Influence of substituents on the anharmonicity of nus(OH) vibration in phenol derivatives explored by experimental and theoretical approach

Very good reproducibility of the first five vibrational transitions of phenol in the gas phase by the MP2/ 6-31G potential for O-H bond stretching was found. The vibrational levels were calculated by a program for variational solving of the time-independent Schr?dinger equation in one dimension. Relative intensities of particular transitions were determined on the basis of the function of the dipole moment. The substituent effects on the nu(s)(OH) transitions and on the intensity of these transitions, as well as on the structure of eleven phenols, was analyzed as a function of the pK(a) values.     

Synthesemethoden für keramische Materialien. Hochtechnologiewerkstoffe

The new developments in the field of gas phase synthesis, synthesis from the condensed phases and solid‐state synthesis allowing for the fabrication of new ceramic materials for diverse technical applications have been reviewed. The Flame Spray Pyrolysis, aqueous and non‐aqueous sol‐gel techniques, hydro‐ and solvothermal methods, polymer pyrolysis route and high pressure techniques have been considered as synthesis methods with great technical potential.     

Three 18-Electron Tantalum(I) Compounds, TaCl(CO)(2)(dppe)(2), [TaCl(CO)(2)(dppe)(2)](2x), and TaCl(CO)(4)(dppe) (dppe = 1,2-Bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane), Which Exhibit Low Levels of Paramagnetism

Reductive carbonylation of TaCl(5) in the presence of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) under the appropriate conditions results in the formation of TaCl(CO)(2)(dppe)(2) (1), as the major product, and the possibly cyclic oligomer [TaCl(CO)(2)(dppe)(2)](2)(x)() (2, 2x >/= 4) as a minor product. Carbonylation of 1 (1 atm) results in the rapid but reversible formation of TaCl(CO)(4)(dppe) (3). Solutions of all three compounds exhibit low levels of paramagnetism, possibly attributable to thermal population of low-lying triplet excited states. Crystal data for the toluene solvate of 1, C(68)H(64)ClO(2)P(4)Ta: triclinic, P&onemacr; (No. 2), a = 13.937(12) ?, b = 14.811(7) ?, c = 14.929(9) ?, alpha = 102.30(5) degrees, beta = 95.60(7) degrees, gamma = 98.41(5) degrees, Z = 2.     

The photoinduced isomerization and its implication in the photo-dynamical processes in two simple Schiff bases isolated in solid argon

Two Schiff bases: 2-(1-(methylimino)methyl)-phenol (SMA) and its chlorosubstituted derivative 2-(1-(methylimino)methyl)-6-chlorophenol (SMAC), and SMA complexes with water were studied by infrared matrix isolation spectroscopy and DFT/B3LYP/6-311G++(2d,2p) quantum chemical calculations. SMA and SMAC bases trapped in an argon matrix from the vapor above the liquid and solid samples have the most stable enol conformation with intramolecular O-H···N bonding. Irradiation (λ > 320 nm) leads in both bases to a rotational isomerization reaction in which the scission of the O-H···N bond occurs and the C(H)NCH(3) and OH groups are turned by 180° around the C-C and C-O bonds, respectively. In SMAC a competitive photoreaction channel yields the trans-keto tautomer. The identification of the two SMAC photoproducts evidences that in the excited enol form of this compound two processes compete with each other: the rotational isomerization and intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). In the argon matrices doped with SMA and H(2)O the SMA-water complexes were identified and characterized spectroscopically. Interaction of SMA with one or two water molecules does not affect the photochemistry of SMA.