Van der waals-like isotherms in a confined electrolyte by spherical and cylindrical nanopores

Electrolytes confined by spherical, cylindrical, and slit-like charged nanopores are studied. Results for ionic distribution profiles, pressures of the confined fluid, and absorption isotherms are obtained through the hypernetted chain/mean spherical approximation (HNC/MSA) integral equations theory. In spherical and cylindrical geometries, an inward, non-monotonic behavior of the pressure is found as confinement increases, implying a negative compressibility. The pressure vs volume isotherms resemble liquid-vapor van der Waals-like phase transition diagrams. This effect is correlated with a charge separation inside a spherical pore previously reported (Phys. Rev. Lett., 79, 3656, 1997). Here, the mechanism of charge separation and negative compressibility are explored in detail. When compared with the slit-like pore pressure, important qualitative differences are found.     

Oligomerization and regioselective hydrosilylation of styrenes catalyzed by cationic allyl nickel complexes bearing allylphosphine ligands

The complexes [Ni(eta(3)-CH(2)CHCH(2))Br(kappa(1)P-PR(2)CH(2)CH=CH(2))] (R = Ph 1, (i)Pr2 ) and [Ni(eta(3)-CH(2)C(R')CH(2))(kappa(1)P-PR(2)CH(2)CH=CH(2))(2)][BAr'(4)] (R' = H, R = Ph 4a, R = (i)Pr 4b; R' = CH(3), R = Ph 5a, R = (i)Pr 5b; Ar' = 3,5-C(6)H(3)(CF(3))(2)) have been prepared and characterized. The X-ray crystal structures of 1, 2 and 5b have been determined. 4a-b and 5a-b are catalyst precursors for the oligomerization of RC(6)H(4)CH=CH(2) to oligostyrene (R = H) or oligo(4-methylstyrene) (R = CH(3)) respectively, without the need of a co-catalyst such as methylalumoxane. The catalytic activities range from moderate to high. The oligomerization reactions are carried out in the temperature interval 25-40 degrees C in 1,2-dichloroethane, using an olefin/catalyst ratio equal to 200, yielding oligostyrenes with a high isotactic fraction content P(m), with M(n) in the range 700-1900 Dalton, and polydispersities between 1.22 and 1.64. The cationic complexes 4a-b and 5a-b are also effective catalyst precursors for the hydrosilylation reactions of styrene or 4-methylstyrene with PhSiH(3) in 1,2-dichloroethane at 40 degrees C using an olefin/catalyst ratio equal to 100, leading selectively to RC(6)H(4)CH(SiH(2)Ph)CH(3) (R = H, CH(3)) in 50-79% yield.     

Crystal chemistry of the (Ta6Si4O26)6− and (Ta14Si4O47)8− frameworks

The range of chemical flexibilities of the hexagonal frameworks (Ta₆Si₄O₂₆)^6? and (Ta₁₄Si₄O₄₇)^8? have been partially explored. This has been done with high-temperature preparations as in general ionic mobilities in these frameworks are too low to permit low-temperature ion exchange. Ionic site potential calculations indicate that preferential site-occupancy factors as well as geometric constraints are responsible for the absence of ionic motion. New phases K_6?xNa_xTa₆Si₄O₂₆ (x ? 4), K_8?xNa_xTa₁₄Si₄O₄₇ (x ? 5), and impure Ba_3?xNa_2xTa₆Si₄O₂₆ have been prepared. Introduction of up to 2 moles of Li⁺ and 1 mole of Mg²⁺ ions per formula unit into sites of the framework not normally occupied has been demonstrated as well as the possibility of partially substituting Zr⁴⁺ for Ta⁵⁺ ions. Substitutions designed to introduce large tunnel vacancies in the presence of only monovalent K⁺ or Na⁺ ions (P for Si, W for Ta and F for O) generally proved unsuccessful. Competitive phases also frustrated attempts to substitute either the larger Rb⁺ or the smaller Li⁺ ions into the large-tunnel sites. A large area of solid solution was discovered in the BaONa₂OTa₂O₅ phase diagram; it has a (TaO₃)-framework with the structure of tetragonal potassium tungsten bronze.     

Carbohydrate chain of ganglioside GM1 as a ligand: identification of the binding strategies of three 15 mer peptides and their divergence from the binding modes of growth-regulatory galectin-1 and cholera toxin

The branched pentasaccharide chain of ganglioside GM1 is a prominent cell surface ligand, for example, for cholera toxin or tumor growth-regulatory homodimeric galectins. This activity profile via protein recognition prompted us to examine the binding properties of peptides with this specificity. Our study provides insights into the mechanism of molecular interaction of this thus far unexplored size limit of the protein part. We used three pentadecapeptides in a combined approach of mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling to analyze the ligand binding in solution. Availability of charged and hydrophobic functionalities affected the intramolecular flexibility of the peptides differently. Backfolding led to restrictions in two cases; the flexibility was not reduced significantly by association of the ligand in its energetically privileged conformations. Major contributions to the interaction energy arise from the sialic acid moiety contacting Arg/Lys residues and the N-terminal charge. Considerable involvement of stacking between the monovalent ligand and aromatic rings could not be detected. This carbohydrate binding strategy is similar to how an adenoviral fiber knob targets sialylated glycans. Rational manipulation for an affinity enhancement can now be directed to reduce the flexibility, exploit the potential for stacking and acquire the cross-linking capacity of the natural lectins by peptide attachment to a suitable scaffold.     

Oxidation and β‐Alkylation of Alcohols Catalysed by Iridium(I) Complexes with Functionalised N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands

The borrowing hydrogen methodology allows for the use of alcohols as alkylating agents for C?C bond forming processes offering significant environmental benefits over traditional approaches. Iridium(I)‐cyclooctadiene complexes having a NHC ligand with a O‐ or N‐functionalised wingtip efficiently catalysed the oxidation and β‐alkylation of secondary alcohols with primary alcohols in the presence of a base. The cationic complex [Ir(NCCH₃)(cod)(MeIm(2‐ methoxybenzyl))][BF₄] (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene, MeIm=1‐methylimidazolyl) having a rigid O‐functionalised wingtip, shows the best catalyst performance in the dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol in acetone, with an initial turnover frequency (TOF₀) of 1283 h^?1, and also in the β‐alkylation of 2‐propanol with butan‐1‐ol, which gives a conversion of 94 % in 10 h with a selectivity of 99 % for heptan‐2‐ol. We have investigated the full reaction mechanism including the dehydrogenation, the cross‐aldol condensation and the hydrogenation step by DFT calculations. Interestingly, these studies revealed the participation of the iridium catalyst in the key step leading to the formation of the new C?C bond that involves the reaction of an O‐bound enolate generated in the basic medium with the electrophilic aldehyde.     

Mass spectrometry detection of minor new meridianins from the antarctic colonial ascidians Aplidium falklandicum and Aplidium meridianum

Taking into account the broad biological activities found in the meridianin indole alkaloids isolated to date, we have re‐examined the organic extracts of an Antarctic collection of the tunicates Aplidium meridianum and A. falklandicum (Chordata: Ascidiacea) by HPLC in conjunction with a high‐resolution mass spectrometer (HPLC‐MS). A new set of analogs of meridianins A–G has been detected, and their structures are proposed on the basis of the molecular formulae identified by LC‐HRMS analysis using a C18 column with a gradient of water/acetonitrile and an LTQ‐FT‐MS Orbitrap detector. Remarkably, dimers derived from meridianin A and from meridianin B or E were also detected. Our findings provide further evidence of the broad variability within the meridianin‐like derivatives of this highly bioactive alkaloid family. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

UV Emission of Gd3+ in the Presence of Cu2+: Towards Luminescence Quenching through Quantum Cutting?

The first investigation into the ultraviolet (UV) photoluminescence of gadolinium(III) in the presence of copper(II) is reported. A melt‐quenched barium phosphate glass was used as a model matrix. The optical spectroscopy assessment shows that with increasing CuO concentration the Cu²⁺ absorption band grows steadily, whereas the UV emission from Gd³⁺ ions is progressively quenched. The data, thus, suggests the existence of a Gd³⁺→Cu²⁺ energy‐transfer process ocurring through quantum cutting. A downconversion/cross‐relaxation pathway proceeding through a virtual state in Gd³⁺ is proposed. These findings suggest gadolinium(III) could potentially be used in the optical sensing of copper(II).     

β-Phenylproline: the high β-turn forming propensity of proline combined with an aromatic side chain

The conformational propensities of the proline analogue bearing a phenyl substituent attached to the β carbon, in either a cis or a trans configuration relative to the carbonyl group, have been investigated. The behaviour of cis- and trans(βPh)Pro has been compared with that of proline in homochiral and heterochiral dipeptide sequences. NMR and IR studies as well as X-ray diffraction analysis provide evidence that the β-phenyl substituent does not disrupt the tendency of proline to occupy the i+1 position of a β-turn. The puckering of the pyrrolidine ring is significantly affected by the presence of the aromatic substituent, which tends to occupy positions that minimize steric repulsions. As a consequence, this substituent adopts specific well-defined orientations, which are more restricted for the cis derivative. Interactions between this aromatic group and that in the adjacent phenylalanine residue may be responsible for some of the conformational differences observed among the different peptides studied.     

Physical and electrochemical characterizations of microwave-assisted polyol preparation of carbon-supported PtRu nanoparticles

PtRu nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon and carbon nanotubes were prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The PtRu nanoparticles, which were uniformly dispersed on carbon, were 2-6 nm in diameter. All PtRu/C catalysts prepared as such displayed the characteristic diffraction peaks of a Pt face-centered cubic structure, excepting that the 2theta values were shifted to slightly higher values. XPS analysis revealed that the catalysts contained mostly Pt(0) and Ru(0), with traces of Pt(II), Pt(IV), and Ru(IV). The electro-oxidation of methanol was studied by cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. It was found that both PtRu/C catalysts had high and more durable electrocatalytic activities for methanol oxidation than a comparative Pt/C catalyst. Preliminary data from a direct methanol fuel cell single stack test cell using the Vulcan-carbon-supported PtRu alloy as the anode catalyst showed high power density.     

Stabilization and study of SrFe(1-x)Mn(x)O2 oxides with infinite-layer structure

A series of layered oxides of nominal composition SrFe(1-x)Mn(x)O(2) (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) have been prepared by the reduction of three-dimensional perovskites SrFe(1-x)Mn(x)O(3-δ) with CaH(2) under mild temperature conditions of 583 K for 2 days. The samples with x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2 exhibit an infinite-layer crystal structure where all of the apical O atoms have been selectively removed upon reduction. A selected sample (x = 0.2) has been studied by neutron powder diffraction (NPD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Both techniques indicate that Fe and Mn adopt a divalent oxidation state, although Fe(2+) ions are under tensile stress whereas Mn(2+) ions undergo compressive stress in the structure. The unit-cell parameters progressively evolve from a = 3.9932(4) ? and c = 3.4790(4) ? for x = 0 to a = 4.00861(15) ? and c = 3.46769(16) ? for x = 0.2; the cell volume presents an expansion across the series from V = 55.47(1) to 55.722(4) ?(3) for x = 0 and 0.2, respectively, because of the larger effective ionic radius of Mn(2+) versus Fe(2+) in four-fold coordination. Attempts to prepare Mn-rich compositions beyond x = 0.2 were unsuccessful. For SrFe(0.8)Mn(0.2)O(2), the magnetic properties indicate a strong magnetic coupling between Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) magnetic moments, with an antiferromagnetic temperature T(N) above room temperature, between 453 and 523 K, according to temperature-dependent NPD data. The NPD data include Bragg reflections of magnetic origin, accounted for with a propagation vector k = ((1)/(2), (1)/(2), (1)/(2)). A G-type antiferromagnetic structure was modeled with magnetic moments at the Fe/Mn position. The refined ordered magnetic moment at this position is 1.71(3) μ(B)/f.u. at 295 K. This is an extraordinary example where Mn(2+) and Fe(2+) ions are stabilized in a square-planar oxygen coordination within an infinite-layer structure. The layered SrFe(1-x)Mn(x)O(2) oxides are kinetically stable at room temperature, but in air at ~170 °C, they reoxidize and form the perovskites SrFe(1-x)Mn(x)O(3-δ). A cubic phase is obtained upon reoxidation of the layered compound, whereas the starting precursor SrFeO(2.875) (Sr(8)Fe(8)O(23)) was a tetragonal superstructure of perovskite.