Loop homology of bi-secondary structures II

Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics - In this paper, we analyze the homology of the simplicial complex induced by a given pair of RNA secondary structures, $$R=(S,T)$$ . Such a pair induces a...     

Color Tuning in New Metal‐Free Organic Sensitizers (Bodipys) for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Fun in the sun! A strategy has been devised for functionalizing and solubilizing boron dipyrromethene (Bodipy) dyes at the central boron atom and changing the color by increasing delocalization on the central core. This approach leads to the formation of stable B? C≡C and pyrrole? C?C linkages suitable for use in TiO₂‐sensitized devices (see figure).

     

Updates on softwood-to-ethanol process development

Softwoods are generally considered to be one of the most difficult lignocellulosic feedstocks to hydrolyze to sugars for fermentation, primarily owing to the nature and amount of lignin. If the inhibitory effect of lignin can be significantly reduced, softwoods may become a more useful feedstock for the bioconversion processes. Moreover, strategies developed to reduce problems with softwood lignin may also provide a means to enhance the processing of other lignocellulosic substrates. The Forest Products Biotechnology Group at the University of British Columbia has been developing softwood-to-ethanol processes with SO₂-catalyzed steam explosion and ethanol organosolv pretreatments. Lignin from the steam explosion process has relatively low reactivity and, consequently, low product value, compared with the highvalue coproduct that can be obtained through organosolv. The technical and economic challenges of both processes are presented, together with suggestions for future process development.     

Water-soluble phosphonate-substituted BODIPY derivatives with tunable emission channels

Water-soluble BODIPY dyes have been readily obtained by introduction of phosphonate fragments either on the boron for the green and yellow emitting dyes or on the side chain for the red emitting dyes. Hydrolysis of the phosphonate is realized at the end of the reaction sequence and allows isolation of the targets by precipitation. All these novel dyes are soluble and fluorescent in water with quantum yields in the 23-59% range and emission wavelength spanning from 667 to 509 nm.     

Artificial light-harvesting arrays: electronic energy migration and trapping on a sphere and between spheres

A sophisticated model of the natural light-harvesting antenna has been devised by decorating a C(60) hexa-adduct with ten yellow and two blue boron dipyrromethene (Bodipy) dyes in such a way that the dyes retain their individuality and assist solubility of the fullerene. Unusually, the fullerene core is a poor electron acceptor and does not enter into light-induced electron-transfer reactions with the appended dyes, but ineffective electronic energy transfer from the excited-state dye to the C(60) residue competes with fluorescence from the yellow dye. Intraparticle electronic energy transfer from yellow to blue dyes can be followed by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and by excitation spectra for isolated C(60) nanoparticles dissolved in dioxane at 293 K and at 77 K. The decorated particles can be loaded into polymer films by spin coating from solution. In the dried film, efficient energy transfer occurs such that photons absorbed by the yellow dye are emitted by the blue dye. Films can also be prepared to contain C(60) nanoparticles loaded with the yellow Bodipy dye but lacking the blue dye and, under these circumstances, electronic energy migration occurs between yellow dyes appended to the same nanoparticle and, at higher loading, to dye molecules on nearby particles. Doping these latter polymer films with the mixed-dye nanoparticle coalesces these multifarious processes in a single system. Thus, long-range energy migration occurs among yellow dyes attached to different particles before trapping at a blue dye. In this respect, the film resembles the natural photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes, albeit at much reduced efficacy. The decorated nanoparticles sensitize amorphous silicon photocells.     

Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance Study of FeS Particles Attached to Au Surface

Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) measurements were employed for studying of the redox processes of FeS microparticles immobilized on Au electrode surface in contact with aqueous solutions of NaCl, NaCl‐NaHCO₃, and NaCl‐Na₂S. The objective was to shed light on the complexity of the iron sulfide electrochemistry. For the sake of comparison electrochemical behavior of FeS suspension was also investigated on the paraffin‐impregnated graphite (PIGE) and hanging mercury drop (HMDE) electrodes. In order to understand the complex nature of the redox transformations of FeS, Mohr‐salt was dissolved in NaCl and NaCl‐NaHCO₃ solutions, respectively, and the deposition‐dissolution processes occurring in the course of the reduction of Fe(II) and reoxidation of Fe(0) were also monitored.