Importance of the Anchor Group Position (Para versus Meta) in Tetraphenylmethane Tripods: Synthesis and Self‐Assembly Features

The efficient synthesis of tripodal platforms based on tetraphenylmethane with three acetyl‐protected thiol groups in either meta or para positions relative to the central sp³ carbon for deposition on Au (111) surfaces is reported. These platforms are intended to provide a vertical arrangement of the substituent in position 4 of the perpendicular phenyl ring and an electronic coupling to the gold substrate. The self‐assembly features of both derivatives are analyzed on Au (111) surfaces by low‐temperature ultra‐high‐vacuum STM, high‐resolution X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and reductive voltammetric desorption studies. These experiments indicated that the meta derivative forms a well‐ordered monolayer, with most of the anchoring groups bound to the surface, whereas the para derivative forms a multilayer film with physically adsorbed adlayers on the chemisorbed para monolayer. Single‐molecule conductance values for both tripodal platforms are obtained through an STM break junction experiment.     

Electrochemical Detection of Host–Guest Interactions of Dicarboximide Pesticides with Cyclodextrins

Electrochemical methods sensitively detect the formation of host–guest complexes of cyclodextrins and three redox-active pesticides: vinclozoline (3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-5-methyl-5-vinyl-1,3-oxazolidine-2,4-dione), iprodione (3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-N-(1-methylethyl)-2,4-dioxo-1-imidazolidinecarboxamide), and procymidone (3-(3,5-dichloro-phenyl)-1,5-dimethyl-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,4-dione). The protecting environment of the CD cavity allows a four-electron heterogeneous reaction leading to a preferential cleavage of the C–Cl bonds and conservation of the heterocycle structure for a further second electron transfer step. This interpretation is supported by numerical simulation of the voltammetric curves and by quantum-chemical calculations of the LUMO changes of vinclozoline. Electrochemical detection of these host–guest interactions is far superior to the spectral methods.     

Parameters influencing the electrodeposition of a Ni-Cu coating on Fe powders. I. Effect of the electrolyte composition and current density

Electrochemical deposition of a two-component Ni-Cu coating onto Fe powder particles was studied by constant current electrolysis. The influence of the Ni(II) to Cu(II) salts ratio in the electrolyte, of the addition of sodium citrate as complexing agent to the electrolyte, and of the current density with respect to the total surface of compact and dispersed electrodes was studied. It was shown that the less noble Ni deposition is facilitated mainly by its large excess in the electrolyte and by an increase in current density. The addition of a complexing agent exhibits only a very slight influence on the coating composition but does suppress the spontaneous deposition of Cu. The current efficiencies of Ni, Cu and Ni-Cu deposition on the powder particles decrease with increasing sodium citrate concentration and current density.     

Study of enzymatic reaction by electrophoretically mediated microanalysis in a partially filled capillary with indirect or direct detection

Electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA), in combination with a partial filling technique and indirect or direct detection, is described for the study of enzymes reacting with the high mobility inorganic or organic anions as substrates or products. Part of the capillary is filled with a buffer optimized for the enzymatic reaction, the rest of the capillary with the background electrolyte being optimal for the separation of substrates and products. With haloalkane dehalogenase, chosen as a model enzyme, the enzymatic reaction was performed in a 20 mM glycine buffer (pH 8.6). Because of the wide substrate specificity of this enzyme, utilizing chlorinated as well as brominated substrates and producing either nonabsorbing chloride or absorbing bromide ions, two different background electrolytes and detection approaches were adopted. A 10 mM chromate-0.1 mM cetyltrimethylammonium bromide background electrolyte (pH 9.2) was used in combination with indirect detection and 20 mM beta-alanine-hydrochloric acid (pH 3.5) in combination with direct detection. The Michaelis constant (K(m)) of haloalkane dehalogenase for 1-bromobutane was determined. The K(m) values 0.59 mM estimated by means of indirect detection method and 0.17 mM by means of direct detection method were comparable with the value 0.13 mM estimated previously by gas chromatography.     

Electron dopable molecular wires based on the extended viologens

Facile electron transfer in molecules with one dimension greatly exceeding the other two is essential in the development of new molecular electronic devices as these molecules can serve as so-called molecular wires. In this communication the electrochemical behavior of a series of molecules with multiple extended viologen moieties has been studied. We show that the electron transfer in the shortest wire is due to reduction of two identical communicating pyridinium moieties leading to a full charge delocalization, whereas the electron transfer in molecules with n≥ 2 is due to reduction of initially non-communicating centers. This was confirmed by digital simulation of cyclic voltammograms. All studied molecules accept reversibly at least four and up to ten electrons without any long-term chemical changes, which is a prerequisite for their future application. Chemical stability of these molecules after multiple electron transfer was confirmed by in situ UV-Vis spectroelectrochemical detection.     

Double-layer effects and distance dependence of electron transfer in reduction of nitro aromatic radical anions

The first example of the effect of an electric double layer on the reduction of electrochemically generated radical species is reported. The anion radical of methyl 5-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoate (pesticide bifenox) is electrochemically reduced in acetonitrile to a phenylhydroxylamine derivative in a process involving three electrons. This heterogeneous reaction is strongly influenced by the concentration and nature of the cation of the indifferent electrolyte. Depending on the type of tetraalkylammonium cation, the redox potential changes by 0.45 V. The kinetic parameters were obtained for five tetraalkylammonium hexafluorophosphate salts. The Frumkin correction, which assumes that the outer Helmholtz plane coincides with the reaction site, was applied to kinetic data of the radical anion reduction. The correction of the apparent rate accounted for the observed effect only in the case of tetramethylammonium salt. The presence of higher tetraalkylammonium homologues causes deviations from the predicted dependence of the electron-transfer rate on the phi2 potential of the outer Helmholtz plane. Hence, the nature of the cation of the electrolyte exerts a further effect extending beyond the electrostatic repulsion only. The corrected rate of electron transfer decreases exponentially with increasing size of the alkyl chain of the indifferent electrolyte cation in the order methyl > ethyl > propyl > butyl > hexyl. The rate decay is characterized by an exponent beta = 0.83. This confirms that the reaction plane for the reduction of the bifenox radical anion is different for each electrolyte. Due to this fact the Frumkin correction cannot fully account for the observed dependence of the heterogeneous rate on the solution composition. The observed effect is not specific to the bifenox radical. A similar influence of the concentration and nature of the cation of the indifferent electrolyte was observed for other nitro compounds, namely, nitrobenzene, nitrobenzoate, and nitrofen.     

Surface interactions of s-triazine-type pesticides. An electrochemical impedance study

Two pesticides, atrazine and terbutylazine, have very similar chemical structures differing only by iso-propyl and tert-butyl substituents on their 6 amino groups. This minor structural difference causes profound effects in decomposition rates in the environment, leading to a ban of atrazine in the European Union. Here we present a study of adsorption at ideally polarized electrochemical interface in the absence of specifically adsorbed halides. The interfacial charge and the temperature determine which type of an adsorbed film is formed. The double layer capacitance measurements yield the critical temperature of the surface film transition, which is markedly different for the two pesticides. The time-resolved impedance spectroscopy indicates slow changes within the film structure that becomes disordered and can be characterized in terms of the fractal geometry.