Electronic interplay on illuminated aqueous carbon nanohorn-porphyrin ensembles

Tetracationic water-soluble porphyrin (H(2)P(4+)) has been immobilized by pi-pi stacking interactions onto the skeleton of carbon nanohorns (CNH), without disrupting their pi-electronic network. The stable aqueous solution of the CNH-H(2)P(4+) nanoensemble was examined by both electron microscopy and spectroscopic techniques. The efficient fluorescence quenching of the H(2)P(4+) moiety in the CNH-H(2)P(4+) nanoensemble was probed by steady-state as well as time-resolved fluorescence emission spectroscopy, suggesting charge separation from the photoexcited H(2)P(4+) to CNH. In the presence of methyl viologen dication (MV(2+)) and a hole trap, accumulation of the reduced species of methyl viologen was observed by the photoillumination of CNH-H(2)P(4+), suggesting that the electron migration from the initially formed charge-separated state takes place. Transient absorption spectroscopy gave further insights on the transient species such as the charge-separated state (CNH(*-))-(H(2)P(4+))(*+), which was consumed in the presence of MV(2+) and hole shifter, leaving the reduced methyl viologen.     

Zur Untersuchung und Beurteilung von Trinkbranntweinen

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A study of Nafion-coated bismuth-film electrodes for the determination of trace metals by anodic stripping voltammetry

This work reports on the fabrication, characterization and applications of Nafion-coated bismuth-film electrodes (NCBFE's) for the determination of trace metals by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). A NCBFE was typically prepared by first applying a 5 microl drop of a 1% Nafion solution onto the surface of a glassy-carbon rotating-disk electrode. After evaporation of the solvent, the Bi film was plated on the electrode in situ(i.e. by spiking the sample with 1000 microg l(-1) of Bi(iii) and simultaneous electrolytic deposition of the metal ions and bismuth film on the electrode surface at -1.4 V) or ex-situ(i.e. by electrolytic deposition of the bismuth film in a separate solution containing 1000 microg l(-1) of Bi(iii), followed by the ASV measurement step in the sample solution). Various fabrication and operational parameters were thoroughly investigated and discussed in terms of their effect on the ASV signals. It was found that this voltammetric sensor was suitable for the determination of metals at trace levels by square-wave ASV (SWASV) due to its multi-element detection potential, improved analytical sensitivity, high resistance to surfactants, low cost, ease of fabrication, robustness, speed of analysis and low toxicity (as compared to traditional mercury electrodes). In the presence of 4 mg l(-1) of Triton X-100, the NCBFE afforded a 10-fold peak height enhancement for the Pb peak and a 14-fold enhancement for the Cd peak over a bare BFE while the determination of Zn was feasible only on the NCBFE. The limits of detection (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) were 0.1 microg l(-1) for Cd and Pb and 0.4 microg l(-1) for Zn for a deposition time of 10 min. Finally, the electrode was applied to different real samples (tap-water, urine and wine) for the analysis of trace metals with satisfactory results.     

Dimensionality control of coupled scattering equations using partitioning techniques

A method of variable reduction of the dimensionality of the coupled equations for inelastic scattering is presented, based upon a projection operator P with a restricted range of orbital angular momentum states. For rotational states in the range O?j ?j^* and total angular momentum large, the coupled equations have dimensionality (j^* + 1) ? N ?(j^* + 1)², where the value of N is controlled by the choice of P. This is in contrast to conventional partitioning techniques which utilize further restrictions on the important molecular rotational states. The equations for the P subspace and its complementary Q subspace are decoupled by an approximation on the equation of motion of Qψ_scat. Information about scattering into the Q subspace is retained, within this degree of approximation, and is reintroduced at the end of the computation with little additional labor. The theory is developed in terms of atom-rigid-rotor scattering, although addition of vibrational modes would not in any way interfere with the basic techniques used.     

Structure of bis(2-pyridine-N-oxide) diselenide and its formation from tetraphenylantimony(V)selenopyridine-N-oxide

The structure of bis(2-pyridine-N-oxide) diselenide was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallized in the triclinic system and the structure was solved in the space group . The lattice constants were determined to bea=7.174(2),b=7.176(2),c=11.070(2) , =87.67(2)°, =73.68(2)°, and =89.57(2)°;Z=2,D _x=1.906 Mg m^–3. The final least squares refinement based on 1942 independent observed reflections yieldedR=0.033,wR=0.044. The Se–Se bond length is 2.326(1) and each Se is coordinated to the O atom of the corresponding N-oxide moiety at a distance of about 2.6 .     

Structural anisotropy in unstretched and uniaxially stretched poly(p‐phenylene vinylene)

Poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) or PPV is gaining increasing importance because of its superior electroluminescent efficiency and electrical conductivity. The most widely followed synthetic route for PPV involves synthesis of a precursor polymer using a sulfonium monomer salt. Previous studies have proven that the monomer salt which contains cyclic sulfonium groups yields better quality PPV than when the monomer containing dialkyl sulfonium groups is used. The structure of PPV synthesized using cyclic sulfonium precursor has not been as widely reported as that synthesized using dialkyl sulfonium monomer. In the current work, the structure of PPV, synthesized using a cyclic viz. tetrahydrothiophenium monomer salt, has been studied in detail using the wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) technique. The study reveals that even in the cast (unstretched) form, PPV shows considerable biaxial orientation in the plane of the film. This preferred orientation is found to occur during the casting process and is independent of the solvent used and casting substrate. On stretching these films to a final draw ratio of 7 : 1, this biaxial orientation is transformed into uniaxial orientation with nematic ordering of PPV chains along the stretch direction and PPV chains assuming three preferred orientations in the plane of the film. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 605–614, 1999     

Decomposition results for general polling systems and their applications

In this paper we derive decomposition results for the number of customers in polling systems under arbitrary (dynamic) polling order and service policies. Furthermore, we obtain sharper decomposition results for both the number of customers in the system and the waiting times under static polling policies. Our analysis, which is based on distributional laws, relaxes the Poisson assumption that characterizes the polling systems literature. In particular, we obtain exact decomposition results for systems with either Mixed Generalized Erlang (MGE) arrival processes, or asymptotically exact decomposition results for systems with general renewal arrival processes under heavy traffic conditions. The derived decomposition results can be used to obtain the performance analysis of specific systems. As an example, we evaluate the performance of gated Markovian polling systems operating under heavy traffic conditions. We also provide numerical evidence that our heavy traffic analysis is very accurate even for moderate traffic. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Losartan Interactions with 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-CD

Losartan potassium salt (LSR) is a well-known antihypertensive drug with proven beneficial effects on human health. Its formulation with the non-toxic 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (2-HP-β-CD) could improve its pharmacological profile. Thus, its molecular interactions are studied using a combination of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Molecular Dynamics (MD). First, its complexation is shown through Differential Scanning Calorimetry as lyophilization provided distinct thermal properties in comparison to the mixture. The complexation is further proved by utilizing the chemical shift changes in the complexation and T1 values. Furthermore, the reversible favorable complexation was shown by MD calculations. Such physical chemical properties provide evidence that this formulation must be further explored through biological experiments.     

(+ac,−ac)‐trans‐Bis(hinokitiolato)copper(II) and its chloroform disolvate

The complex trans‐bis(hinokitiolato)copper(II) [systematic name: trans‐bis(3‐isopropyl‐7‐oxocyclohepta‐1,3,5‐trienolato)copper(II); abbreviated name: trans‐Cu(hino)₂], [Cu(C₁₀H₁₁O₂)₂], is a biologically active compound. Three polymorphs of this square‐planar monomer, all with (+sp,−sp) isopropyl substituents, have been reported previously. A fourth polymorph containing (+ac,−ac) isopropyl groups and its chloroform disolvate, [Cu(C₁₀H₁₁O₂)₂]·2CHCl₃, both exhibiting nonmerohedral twinning and with all Cu atoms on centers of crystallographic inversion symmetry, are reported here. One of the differences between all of these polymorphs is the relative conformation of the isopropyl groups with respect to the plane of the molecule. Stacking and Cu...olefin π distances ranging from 3.214 (4) to 3.311 (2) Å are observed, and the chloroform solvent molecules participate in bifurcated C—H...O hydrogen bonds [H...O = 2.26–2.40 Å, C...O = 3.123 (5)–3.214 (5) Å, C—H...O = 127–151° and O...H...O = 74°].     

Novel well-defined star homopolymers and star-block copolymers of poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) by anionic polymerization

Anionic polymerization high-vacuum techniques and appropriate multifunctional initiators/additives were employed for the synthesis of novel star structures of poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) (PHIC). A new trifunctional initiator prepared by the reaction of tris(4-isocyanatophenyl)methane with benzyl sodium was used for the synthesis of three-arm star PHIC. Divinyl benzene and the core-first or the arm-first/core-first (in-out) approach were utilized for the synthesis of multiarm star homopolymers, (PHIC)_n, star-block copolymers, (PHIC-b-PI)_n, and miktoarm star copolymers, (PS)_n(PHIC)_n, where PS is polystyrene. The molecular characteristics obtained by size-exclusion chromatography, equipped with refractive index and two-angle light scattering detectors, nuclear magnetic resonance, spectroscopy, and dilute solution viscometry showed that well-defined structures were synthesized in this study. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2387–2399, 2007