A miniaturized high-voltage integrated power supply for portable microfluidic applications

In this work a portable microfluidic device with a reusable integrated high voltage power supply is presented, which allows for quick exchange of inexpensive disposable poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) microfluidic chips on a carrier only slightly larger than a microscope slide. The device is powered by an onboard MN21 cell battery (5 mm radius, 30 mm long) and is demonstrated through the rapid and controlled transport of a fluorescent dye through an expansion chamber geometry. Power consumption experiments demonstrate the device's ability to complete over 40 dispense-flushing cycles on a single battery.     

Theoretical prediction of noble gas containing anions FNgO- (Ng = He, Ar, and Kr)

The structures and energies of the noble gas containing anions FNgO- (Ng = He, Ar, and Kr) have been calculated by high-level ab initio calculations. The FNgO- anions were found to be deep-energy minima at the singlet electronic state, and their energies are significantly lower than those at the triplet state. High dissociation energy barriers to Ng + OF- were also predicted. The unexpected stability of the FNgO- was due to the dramatic ion-induced O=Ng bond formation. The calculated results suggested possible experimental identification of the anionic species and even some related "ionic compounds" under cryogenic conditions.     

Cationic ring-opening polymerization of 3,3-bis（chloromethyl）oxacyclobutane in ionic liquids

Cationic ring-opening polymerization of 3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxacyclobutane catalyzed by BF_3·OEt_2 was carried out in ionic liquids [bmim]BF_4 and [bmim]PF_6.The influences of BCMO concentration and molar ratio of BCMO/BF_3·OEt_2 on the molecular weights and yield of PBCMO were investigated.The polymerization in ionic liquids proceed to high conversions,although molecular weights are limited,similar to polymerization in organic solvent such as CH_2Cl_2.Follow a viewpoint of green chemistry, we feel ionic liquid [bmim]BF_4 is superior to [bmim]PF_6.Extracting [bmim]PF_6 from the product using organic solvent as extractant limits its advantage as a green reaction media.     

Hypervalency avoided: simple substituted BrF3 and BrF5 molecules. Structures, thermochemistry, and electron affinities of the bromine hydrogen fluorides HBrF2 and HBrF4

Five different pure density functional theory (DFT) and hybrid Hartree-Fock/DFT methods have been used to search for the molecular structures, thermochemistry, and electron affinities of the bromine hydrogen fluorides HBrF(n)/HBrF(n)(-) (n = 2, 4). The basis sets used in this work are of double-zeta plus polarization quality in conjunction with s- and p-type diffuse functions, labeled as DZP++. Structures with Br-F and Br-H normal bonds, that is, HBrF(2)/HBrF(2)(-) with C(2v) or C(s) symmetry and HBrF(4)/HBrF(4)(-) with C(4v) or C(s) symmetry, are genuine minima. However, unlike the original BrF(3) and BrF(5) molecules, the global minima for HBrF(n)/HBrF(n)(-) (n = 2, 4) species are predicted to be complexes, some of which contain hydrogen bonds. The demise of the hypervalent structures is due to the availability of favorable dissociation products involving HF, which has a much larger dissociation energy than F(2). Similar reasoning suggests that PF(4)H, SF(3)H, SF(5)H, ClF(2)H, ClF(4)H, AsF(4)H, SeF(3)H, and SeF(5)H will all be hydrogen bond structures incorporating diatomic HF. The most reasonable theoretical values of the adiabatic electron affinities (EA(ad)) are 3.69 (HBrF(2)) and 4.38 eV (HBrF(4)) with the BHLYP method. These electron affinities are comparable to those of the analogous molecules: Br(2)F(n), ClBrF(n), and BrF(n)(+1) systems. The first F-atom dissociation energies for the neutral global minima are 60 (HBrF(2)) and 49 kcal/mol (HBrF(4)) with the B3LYP method. The first H-atom dissociation energies for the same systems are 109 (HBrF(2)) and 116 kcal/mol (HBrF(4)). The large Br-H bond energies are not sufficient to render the hypervalent structures energetically tenable. The dissociation energies for the complexes to their fragments are relatively small.     

The synthesis and reactivity of the heptanuclear dianion [Os7(CO)20]2− including the synthesis and structural characterizations of the compounds [Os7(CO)20(AuPEt)3 2] and [Os8(CO)20(η6-C6H6]

Reduction of the heptaosmium cluster [Os₇(CO)₂₁] With [Et₄N][NH₄) gives the cluster dianion [Os₇(CO)₂₀]^2–,1, in high yield. The reaction of the dianion with [AuPR ₃Cl] (R=Et or Ph) in the presence of TlPF₆ forms [Os₇((CO)₂₀(AuPR ₃)₂] [R=Et (2a);R = Ph(2b)] in 80% yield, while the corresponding reaction with (Os(C₆H₆)(CH₃CN)₃]²⁺ gives [Os₈(CO)₂₀ ( ⁶-C₆H₆)] (3) in reasonable yield (ca. 30%). The dianion,1, and the clusters2 and3 have been fully characterized by bout spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. The crystal structure of the [Ph₄P]⁺ salt of1 shows that the metals in the anion adopt a capped octahedral geometry, with all twenty carbonyl ligands in terminal sites. The metal core geometry in2a is best described as a tricapped octahedron, and is based on the structure of the dianion1 with two adjacent octahedral faces capped by the Au atoms of the two AuPEt₃ groups. In a similar fashion, the geometry of3 is related to that of1 with the addition of an Os(C₆H₆) unit capped to a triangular face, to give a bicapped octahedral framework.     

Synthesis and X-ray diffraction studies of chiral nickel(II), zinc(II), manganese(II), and cobalt(II) complexes with C 2-symmetric 2,6-bis[4′-(R)-ethoxyoxazolin-2′-yl]pyridine

Chiral nickel(II), zinc(II), manganese(II), and cobalt(II) complexes with C ₂-symmetric 2,6-bis[4′-(R)-ethoxyoxazolin-2′-yl]pyridine were prepared, the single crystal of nickel(II) complex, [Ni((R,R)-Et-Py-box)(H₂O)₂Cl]Cl ((R,R)-Et-Pybox is 2,6-bis[4′-(R)-ethoxyoxazolin-2′-yl]pyridine), was obtained and indicated by X-ray diffraction analysis. The nickel(II) complex crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group P2₁2₁2₁ with a = 7.7346(4) Å, b = 19.7133(13) Å, c = 25.8014(14) Å, V = 3934.1(4) ų, Z = 8, and R = 0.0526 against 7010 reflections with I > 2σ (I). A feature of interest was noted in the unit cell of the compound, where two types of molecules exist, which similarly have a distorted octahedral geometry but only slightly differ in the orientation of the coordinated atoms to the central Ni atom. These two types of molecules interact with each other by O-H…Cl hydrogen bonds, giving rise to one dimensional ribbon structure.     

Study on the isolation, purification and physicochemical properties of polysaccharides from Indocalamus tesselatus

Polysaccharides prepared from Chinese traditional medicine "Ruoye" (Indocalamus tesselatus), a kind of bamboo leaves, were studied. Eight crude polysaccharides were isolated from the dried leaves by successive extraction with 85% ethanol (FE), 0.9% sodium chloride (FS), hot water (FI), 1% ammonium oxalate (FII), 5% NaOH (FIII-a, FIII-b) and 20% NaOH (FIV-a, FIV-b). They were decolorized by hydrogen peroxide treatment and the protein was removed with Savag's method. The polysaccharides were precipitated by three volumes of absolute ethanol. After further purification by gel filtration chromatography on a Sephadex G-200 column, these polysaccharides were lyophilized. Their physicochemical properties and structural feature were elucidated by modern analytical technique such as UV, elemental analysis and high performance gel permeation chromatography. From the results of partial hydrolysis, FE and FIII-b have a main chain comprised solely of glucuronic acid and xylose residues, respectively.     

Optically switchable liquid crystal photonic structures

Photo-optic materials offer the possibility of light controlled photonic devices, intelligent and environmentally adaptive optical materials. One strategy for creating these materials is the combination of structure formation through holographic photopolymerization and the variable optical properties of liquid crystals. Holographically patterned, polymer stabilized liquid crystals (HPSLCs) have proven to be useful optical materials. By incorporating photo-optic, azobenzene-derived liquid crystal blends into such material systems, we have generated practical photoresponsive optical materials.