Fermi surface reconstruction by dynamic magnetic fluctuations

We demonstrate that nearly critical quantum magnetic fluctuations in strongly correlated electron systems can change the Fermi surface topology and also lead to spin charge separation in two dimensions. To demonstrate these effects, we consider a small number of holes injected into the bilayer antiferromagnet. The system has a quantum critical point (QCP) which separates magnetically ordered and disordered phases. We demonstrate that in the physically interesting regime, there is a magnetically driven Lifshitz point (LP) inside the magnetically disordered phase. At the LP, the topology of the hole Fermi surface is changed. We also demonstrate that in this regime, the hole spin and charge necessarily separate when approaching the QCP. The considered model sheds light on generic problems concerning the physics of the cuprates.     

Separation of intact pyruvate dehydrogenase complex using blue native agarose gel electrophoresis

We show that the blue native gel polyacrylamide electrophoresis system (BN-PAGE) can be applied to pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). BN-PAGE has been used extensively to study the multisubunit enzymes of oxidative phosphorylation, as nondenaturing separation in the first dimension maintains holoenzyme integrity. However, the standard protocol was inappropriate for PDC as, at 10 MDa, it is approximately ten times larger than the largest respiratory chain enzyme complex. Therefore, agarose was substituted for polyacrylamide. Moreover, a substantial decrease in salt concentration was necessary to prevent dissociation of PDC. As with standard BN-PAGE, immunoblots of second-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE (SDS-PAGE) provided more detailed information on specific subunits and subcomplexes. The method was applied to human heart mitochondrial fragments, control cultured human cells, rho0 cells that lack mitochondrial DNA, and two cell lines derived from patients with PDC deficiency. The PDC deficient cell lines showed a clear correlation between amount of PDC holoenzyme and disease severity. In cells lacking mitochondrial DNA, synthesis and assembly of all PDC subunits (all nuclearly encoded) appeared normal, suggesting that respiratory function has no regulatory role in PDC biogenesis. Blue native agarose gel electrophoresis coupled with standard second-dimensional SDS-PAGE provides a new tool to be used in conjunction with biochemical assays and immunoblots of one-dimensional SDS-PAGE to further elucidate the nature of PDC in normal and disease states. Furthermore, other cellular protein complexes of 1 MDa or more can be analysed by this method.     

Spectroscopic characterization of Brooker’s merocyanine in Silicalite-1 and ZSM-5 leading to second harmonic generation

The use of porous materials has become increasingly significant in the pursuit of novel composite materials with nonlinear optical properties. The microporous channels in Silicalite-1 and ZSM-5, which have identical crystal frameworks but different chemical composition, were used to study the role of zeolite composition on dye adsorption and organization, leading to second-harmonic generation (SHG). The dye molecule, known as Brooker’s merocyanine (4-[(1-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinylidene)ethylidene]-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-one), exhibits one of the largest known molecular hyperpolarizabilities for small dye molecules, but it crystallizes centrosymmetrically. When Brooker’s merocyanine was adsorbed to Silicalite-1 powder, no SHG was detected, but when adsorbed to ZSM-5, the powder was SHG-active. Spectroscopic characterization of the new materials was used to determine the dye loading in each zeolite. The hydrophilic ZSM-5 channels proved to be essential for dye adsorption and alignment within the channels as compared to the hydrophobic Silicalite-1 which did not appreciably adsorb the dye. The effect of dye protonation and isomerization on adsorption to each zeolite was also studied, with neither having an effect on the amount of dye adsorbed.     

Formation of N2O from a nickel nitrosyl: isolation of the cis-[N2O2]2- intermediate

Addition of 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) to [Ni(NO)(bipy)][PF(6)] (1) results in formation of a rare five-coordinate nickel nitrosyl [Ni(NO)(bipy)(2)][PF(6)] (2). This complex exhibits a bent NO(-) ligand in the solid state. On standing in acetonitrile, 2 furnishes the NO coupled product, [Ni(κ(2)-O(2)N(2))(bipy)] (8) in moderate yield. Subsequent addition of 2 equiv of acetylacetone (H(acac)) to 8 results in formation of [Ni(acac)(2)(bipy)], N(2)O, and H(2)O. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the N-N bond is formed via a bimetallic coupling reaction of two NO(-) ligands.     

Predictive model for ice formation on superhydrophobic surfaces

The prevention and control of ice accumulation has important applications in aviation, building construction, and energy conversion devices. One area of active research concerns the use of superhydrophobic surfaces for preventing ice formation. The present work develops a physics-based modeling framework to predict ice formation on cooled superhydrophobic surfaces resulting from the impact of supercooled water droplets. This modeling approach analyzes the multiple phenomena influencing ice formation on superhydrophobic surfaces through the development of submodels describing droplet impact dynamics, heat transfer, and heterogeneous ice nucleation. These models are then integrated together to achieve a comprehensive understanding of ice formation upon impact of liquid droplets at freezing conditions. The accuracy of this model is validated by its successful prediction of the experimental findings that demonstrate that superhydrophobic surfaces can fully prevent the freezing of impacting water droplets down to surface temperatures of as low as -20 to -25 °C. The model can be used to study the influence of surface morphology, surface chemistry, and fluid and thermal properties on dynamic ice formation and identify parameters critical to achieving icephobic surfaces. The framework of the present work is the first detailed modeling tool developed for the design and analysis of surfaces for various ice prevention/reduction strategies.     

Cationic iridium complexes of the Xantphos ligand. Flexible coordination modes and the isolation of the hydride insertion product with an alkene

Reaction of the Ir(I)-Xantphos complex [Ir(κ²-Xantphos)(COD)][BAr^F₄] (Xantphos = 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethylxanthene, Ar^F = C₆H₃(CF₃)₂) with H₂ in acetone or CH₂Cl₂/MeCN affords the Ir(III)-hydrido complexes [Ir(κ³-Xantphos)(H)₂(L)][BAr^F₄], L = acetone or MeCN, whereas in non-coordinating CH₂Cl₂ solvent dimeric [Ir(κ³-Xantphos)(H)(μ-H)]₂[BAr^F₄]₂ is formed. A common intermediate in these reactions that invokes a (σ, η²-C₈H₁₃) ligand is reported. Addition of excess tert-butylethene (tbe) to [Ir(κ³-Xantphos)(H)₂(MeCN)][BAr^F₄] results in insertion of a hydride into the alkene to form [Ir(κ³-Xantphos)(MeCN)(CH₂CH₂C(CH₃)₃)(H)][BAr^F₄], an Ir(III) alkyl-hydrido-Xantphos complex. This reaction is reversible, and heating (80 °C) results in the reformation of [Ir(κ³-Xantphos)(H)₂(MeCN)][BAr^F₄] and tbe. These complexes have been characterised by NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. They show variable coordination modes of the Xantphos ligand: cis-κ²-P,P, fac-κ³-P,O,P and mer-κ³-P,O,P with the later coordination mode like that found in related PNP-pincer complexes.     

Microwave activation of electrochemical processes: enhanced PbO2 electrodeposition, stripping and electrocatalysis

Microwave activation of electrochemical processes has recently been introduced as a new technique for the enhancement and control of processes at electrode|solution (electrolyte) interfaces. This methodology is extended to processes at glassy carbon and boron-doped diamond electrodes. Deposition of both Pb metal and PbO₂ from an aqueous solution of Pb²⁺ (0.1 M HNO₃) are affected by microwave radiation. The formation of PbO₂ on anodically pre-treated boron-doped diamond is demonstrated to change from kinetically sluggish and poorly defined at room temperature to nearly diffusion controlled and well defined in the presence of microwave activation. Calibration of the temperature at the electrode|solution (electrolyte) interface with the Fe^3+/2+ (0.1 M HNO₃) redox system allows the experimentally observed effects to be identified as predominantly thermal in nature and therefore consistent with a localized heating effect at the electrode|solution interface. The microwave-activated deposition of PbO₂ on boron-doped diamond remains facile in the presence of excess oxidizable organic compounds such as ethylene glycol. An increase of the current for the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol at PbO₂/boron-doped diamond electrodes in the presence of microwave radiation is observed. Preliminary results suggest that the electrodissolution of solid microparticles of PbO₂ abrasively attached to the surface of a glassy carbon electrode is also enhanced in the presence of microwave radiation. Electronic Publication     

Silyl‐Phosphino‐Carbene Complexes of Uranium(IV)

Unprecedented silyl‐phosphino‐carbene complexes of uranium(IV) are presented, where before all covalent actinide–carbon double bonds were stabilised by phosphorus(V) substituents or restricted to matrix isolation experiments. Conversion of [U(BIPM^TMS)(Cl)(μ‐Cl)₂Li(THF)₂] ( 1 , BIPM^TMS=C(PPh₂NSiMe₃)₂) into [U(BIPM^TMS)(Cl){CH(Ph)(SiMe₃)}] ( 2 ), and addition of [Li{CH(SiMe₃)(PPh₂)}(THF)]/Me₂NCH₂CH₂NMe₂ (TMEDA) gave [U{C(SiMe₃)(PPh₂)}(BIPM^TMS)(μ‐Cl)Li(TMEDA)(μ‐TMEDA)_0.5]₂ ( 3 ) by α‐hydrogen abstraction. Addition of 2,2,2‐cryptand or two equivalents of 4‐N,N‐dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) to 3 gave [U{C(SiMe₃)(PPh₂)}(BIPM^TMS)(Cl)][Li(2,2,2‐cryptand)] ( 4 ) or [U{C(SiMe₃)(PPh₂)}(BIPM^TMS)(DMAP)₂] ( 5 ). The characterisation data for 3 – 5 suggest that whilst there is evidence for 3‐centre P?C?U π‐bonding character, the U=C double bond component is dominant in each case. These U=C bonds are the closest to a true uranium alkylidene yet outside of matrix isolation experiments.