Enhanced emission and its switching in fluorescent organic nanoparticles

A new class of organic nanoparticles (CN-MBE nanoparticles) with a mean diameter of ca. 30-40 nm, which exhibit a strongly enhanced fluorescence emission, were prepared by a simple reprecipitation method. CN-MBE (1-cyano-trans-1,2-bis-(4'-methylbiphenyl)ethylene) is very weakly fluorescent in solution, but the intensity is increased by almost 700 times in the nanoparticles. Enhanced emission in CN-MBE nanoparticles is attributed to the synergetic effect of intramolecular planarization and J-type aggregate formation (restricted excimer formation) in nanopaticles. On/off fluorescence switching for organic vapor was demonstrated with CN-MBE nanoparticles.     

Thermodynamics of electrolyte solutions. The system HCl + CaCl2 + H2O at 298.15°K

Activity coefficients of hydrochloric acid have been determined from electromotive-force measurements of cells containing mixtures of hydrochloric acid and calcium chloride at constant total ionic strengthsI=0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mole-kg^–1 at 298.15°K. Interpretations based on Scatchard's and Pitzer's equations indicate that Pitzer's equations probably provide a more convenient guide to the thermodynamic properties of the mixed-electrolyte solutions. Activity coefficients for calcium chloride were derived from these equations.     

Determination of trace elements in human serum by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry with flow injection

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of some trace elements (Au, Fe, Mg, Li, Sr, Zn) in human serum by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) with flow injection is described. Physical interference caused by the change of sample viscosity is discussed. When 100 μl of serum was injected, the relevant recoveries of > 99% for Li, > 98% for Cu and Mg, > 95% for Fe were obtained for an NIST SRM with R.S.D. > 1.3% using optimized flow injection parameters. The prepared lyophilized control serum for routine analysis in clinical laboratories was analyzed and verified for the validity of the technique employed in this experiment using NIST SRM 909 as a primary reference material.     

Synthesis of 4-acetylisocoumarin: first total syntheses of AGI-7 and sescandelin

A practical synthetic route to 4-acetylisocoumarins and the first total synthesis of AGI-7 (5) and sescandelin (4) are described. The readily available homophthalate 8 was transformed to the vinylogous amide ester 13 in high overall yield. Upon treatment of 13 with refluxing aqueous formic acid, the desired 4-acetylisocoumarin (5) and its regioisomer 3-methyl-4-formylisocoumarin (17) were produced in a 3:1 ratio. After separation of the desired product (5) from the unwanted minor isomer, the enantioselective reduction of AGI-7 by borane in the presence of Corey's (S)-oxazaborolidine reagent afforded (+)-sescandelin (4) with a 93% ee.     

Biomimetic alcohol oxidations by an iron(III) porphyrin complex: relevance to cytochrome P-450 catalytic oxidation and involvement of the two-state radical rebound mechanism

The systematic oxidation reactions of a wide range of alcohols have been carried out by using an iron porphyrin complex in order to understand their relation to cytochrome P-450 enzymes and to have a practical application to organic synthesis. The iron porphyrin complex catalyzed efficiently alcohol oxidation to the respective carbonyl compound via a high-valent iron-oxo porphyrin intermediate ((Porp)Fe=O+). Several mechanistic studies such as isotope 18O labeling, deuterium isotope effect, linear free energy relationship, and ring-opening of radical clock substrate, have suggested that the alcohol is oxidized by a sequence of reactions involving an alpha-hydroxyalkyl radical intermediate and oxygen rebound to form the gem-diol, dehydration of which yields the carbonyl compounds. Moreover, it has been proposed that a two-state reactivity mechanism can also be adopted for alcohol oxidation reactions in iron porphyrin model systems as exhibited by P-450 enzymes.     

Regioselective synthesis of polysubstituted benzenes from Baylis-Hillman adducts via [4+2] annulation protocol

A new and regioselective [4+2] benzannulation protocol toward polysubstituted benzenes was developed. A nitroalkane derivative, which was prepared from Baylis-Hillman adduct, served as the four-carbon unit and a Michael acceptor as a two-carbon unit. Vinyltriphenylphosphonium salt could also be used as a Michael acceptor efficiently.     

Steric Stabilization of Colloids by Poly(dimethylsiloxane) in Carbon Dioxide: Effect of Cosolvents

Steric stabilization and flocculation of colloids with surface-grafted poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) chains are examined in liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide with and without hexane as a cosolvent. Neither poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nor silica particles with grafted 10,000 g/mol PDMS could be stabilized in pure CO(2) at pressures up to 345 bar at 25 degrees C and 517 bar at 65 degrees C without stirring. The addition of 15 wt% hexane to CO(2) led to stable dispersions with sedimentation velocities of 0.2 mm/min for 1-2 μm PMMA particles. The critical flocculation pressure of the colloids in the hexane/CO(2) mixture, determined from turbidity versus time measurements, was found to be the same for silica and PMMA particles and was well above the upper critical solution pressure for the PDMS-CO(2) system. The addition of a nonreactive cosolvent, hexane, eliminates flocculation of PMMA particles synthesized through dispersion polymerization in CO(2) with PDMS-based surfactants. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Non self-consistent field theory — A new approach in quantum mechanical calculations

An R ^o-independent electronic repulsion matrix is constructed, replacing the R ^o-dependent Hamiltonian matrix (R ^o is the density matrix). A non-SCF theory is developed to solve the eigenequation without using an iterative procedure. Three methods are proposed to solve for the eigenvectors and eigenvalues. Illustrative calculations are reported comparing the non-SCF and SCF theories. The calculated results are as expected: the ground state energies are nearly unchanged while the orbital energies are nearer to the experimental results. Other physical properties and spectral quantities are also compared. It is found that the ZDO assumption is applicable in the non-SCF theory if it is applicable in SCF theory.

---

Zusammenfassung Eine R ^o-unabhängige Elektronenabstoßungsmatrix wird eingeführt, die die R ^o-abhängige Hamiltonmatrix ersetzt (R ^o ist die Dichtematrix). Zur Lösung der Eigenwertgleichung ohne iterative Prozeduren wird eine sog. Nicht-SCF-Theorie aufgestellt. An Beispielen werden die Ergebnisse von SCF- und Nicht-SCF-Rechnungen verglichen; dabei erweisen sich die Energien des Grundzustandes als nahezu unverändert, während die Energien der Orbitale näher bei den experimentellen Werten liegen. Die zero-differential-overlap-Näherung ist immer dann in der neuen Theorie anwendbar, wenn sie in der SCF-Theorie anwendbar ist.

---

Résumé Une matrice de répulsion électronique indépendante de R ^o est construite, remplaçant la matrice hamiltonienne dépendant de R ^o (R ^o matrice de densité). Une théorie non SCF est développée afin de résoudre l'équation aux valeurs propres sans itérations. Trois méthodes de résolution du problème aux valeurs propres sont proposées. Des calculs illustrent la comparaison entre les théories SCF et non SCF. Les résultats des calculs sont comme prévus: l'énergie de l'état fondamental varie peu alors que les énergies orbitales sont plus proches des résultats expérimentaux. D'autres propriétés physiques ainsi que des grandeurs spectrales sont comparées. On trouve que l'approximation du recouvrement différentiel nul est applicable dans la théorie non SCF si elle est applicable dans la théorie SCF.

     

Regioselective hydroborations of methylvinylchlorosilanes

The regioselectivity of the hydroboration of the methylchlorovinylsilanes, Cl_nMe_3?nSiCHCH₂ (n= 0 ? 3), has been investigated using BH₃←THF, 9-BBN, disiamyl- and dicyclohexylborane. Methylation of the adducts with methylmagnesium bromide is complicated by formation of tetraalkylboronates. Alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation of the boronates gives reasonable yields of the corresponding α- and β-trimethylsilylethanols forn= 0 and 1. Forn= 2 and 3, conversion of the adducts to the corresponding α- and β- deuteroethylsilanes by treatment with excess sodium methoxide in methanol-0-d provides a more effective means of derivatization. Addition of the alkenes,n= 2 or 3, to excess BH₃←THF givesca. 90% of the α-boro-organo-chlorosilanes. For all of the alkenes, the dialkylboranes giveca. 80% of the β-boron adducts.     

Computational study of conformational preferences of thioamide-containing azaglycine peptides

The effect of thioamide substitution on the conformational stability of an azaglycine-containing peptide, For-AzaGly-NH2 (1), was investigated for the sake of finding possible applications by using ab initio and DFT methods. As model compounds, For-[psiCSNH]-AzaGly-NH2 (2), For-AzaGly-[psiCSNH]-NH2 (3), and For-[psiCSNH]-AzaGly-[psiCSNH]-NH2 (4) were used. Two-dimensional phi-psi potential energy surfaces (PESs) for 2-4 were calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G*//HF/6-31G* level in gas (epsilon = 1.0) and in water (epsilon = 78.4) by applying the isodensity polarizable continuum model (IPCM) method. On the basis of these PESs, the minimum energy conformations for 2-4 were characterized at the B3LYP level with 6-31G*, 6-311G**, and 6-31+G** basis sets. The remarkable structural effect of thioamide substitution for 2-4 is that beta-strand structure is observed as a global or local minimum. The minima of 2-4 are also compared with those for glycine and thioamide-containing glycine peptides. Our theoretical results demonstrate that compounds 2-4 would be used to design controllable secondary structures.