Kinetics of the interconversion of parahydrogen and orthohydrogen catalyzed by paramagnetic complex ions

The rate constants of para-/orthohydrogen (p-/o-H2) nuclear spin isomerization have been measured by means of 1H NMR in deuterated solvents at 298.2 K. The indicated reaction is catalyzed by paramagnetic complex ions giving rate constants that are proportional to the concentrations of the catalysts. The second-order rate constants are directly proportional to the squares of the magnetic moments for the solvated metal complexes for two classifications: M(solv)m2+, M = 3d transition metals; Ln(solv)n3+, where in 1:9 D2O-CD3CN the aqua complexes are the predominant species, Ln = lanthanides. The other 3d transition metal complexes with different ligands show rate constants that also depend on the sizes of ligands. Whereas the correlation between the second-order rate constants and magnetic moments is consistent with Wigner's theory, the size of catalyst shows a more modest effect on the rate constants than expected. The effective collision radii of the complexes, calculated from the rate constants, proved to be approximately constant for each series of solvated metal complexes.     

Radical-initiated homo- and copolymerization of α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone

The kinetics of α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (α-MBL) homopolymerization was investigated in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) with azobis(isobutyronitrile) as initiator. The rate of polymerization (R_p) was expresed by R_p = k[AIBN]^0.54[α-MBL]^1.1 and the overall activation energy was calculated as 76.1 kJ/mol. Kinetic constants for α-MBL polymerization were obtained as follows: k_p/k_t^1/2 = 0.161 L^1/2 mol^?1/2·s^?1/2; 2fk_d = 2.18 × 10^?5 s^?1. The relative reactivity ratios of α-MBL(M₂) copolymerization with styrene (r₁ = 0.14, r₂ = 0.87) were obtained. Applying the Q–e scheme led to Q = 2.2 and e = 0.65. These Q and e values for α-MBL are higher than those for MMA     

Selectively embedded growth by chemical beam epitaxy for the fabrication of InGaAs/InP double-heterostructure lasers

In order to fabricate InGaAs/InP double-heterostructure (DH) lasers, a novel selectively embedded one-step growth by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) was adopted. Before the selective CBE growth, 6–8 μm wide channels on an n-InP substrate were undercut by wet chemical etching through a 170 nm thick SiO₂ film mask. A 6 μm wide stripe-geometry DH laser structure with an active layer of 0.14 μm thickness was grown selectively with good planarity into the channels and operated by a pulse.     

Sum-rules and Goldstone modes from extended random phase approximation theories in Fermi systems with spontaneously broken symmetries

The Self-Consistent RPA (SCRPA) approach is elaborated for cases with a continuouslybroken symmetry, this being the main focus of the present article. Correlations beyondstandard RPA are summed up correcting for the quasi-boson approximation in standard RPA.Desirable properties of standard RPA such as fulfillment of energy weighted sum rule andappearance of Goldstone (zero) modes are kept. We show theoretically and, for a modelcase, numerically that, indeed, SCRPA maintains all properties of standard RPA forpractically all situations of spontaneously broken symmetries. A simpler approximate formof SCRPA, the so-called renormalised RPA, also has these properties. The SCRPA equationsare first outlined as an eigenvalue problem, but it is also shown how an equivalent manybody Green’s function approach can be formulated.     

Fragmentation in doubly charged ion mass spectra of anhydropisatin and related compounds

The doubly charged ion mass spectra of anhydropisatin, 4-methoxyanhydropisatin, 3, 8, 9-trimethoxypterocarpen and 3, 4, 8, 9-tetramethoxypterocarpen were determined, and the fragmentation was explained by assuming that the paired electrons were partially localized in the fragmentations and by comparing the spectra with that of 3-(CD₃)-anhydropisatin. Conventional mass spectra of these compounds were very simple, but the doubly charged ion spectra were sufficiently characteristic for the reliable identification.     

Synthesis of benzylidene-pendant polyphthalimidines from flexible bisphthalides and various diamines

New polyphthalimidine-forming monomers, 5,5′-(oxydi-p-phenylenedicarbonyl)bis(3-benzylidenephthalide) and the 6,6′-derivative, were synthesized by the Friedel–Crafts reaction of diphenyl ether with 5- and 6-chloroformyl-3-benzylidenephthalide, respectively. The direct polycondensation of these bisphthalides with both aliphatic and aromatic diamines in o-phenylphenol at 200–250°C afforded polyphthalimidines having inherent viscosities of 0.2–1.2 dL/g in almost quantitative yields. Syntheses of aliphatic polyphthalimidines with higher inherent viscosities were also achieved by a two-step procedure involving ring-opening polyaddition and subsequent thermal cyclodehydration. All the polymers were amorphous and readily soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), m-cresol, nitrobenzene, pyridine, and chloroform. Tough and flexible films could be cast from NMP solutions of the polymers. Glass transition temperatures of the polyphthalimidines were in the range of 158–246°C. The thermogravimetry of the aromatic polymers showed 10% weight loss in air and nitrogen at 445–515 and 500–520°C, respectively. The crosslinking reaction of some benzylidenependant polyphthalimidines took place at 300°C through double-bond addition to afford cured polymers with improved thermal stability.     

C-H activation on a diphosphine and hydrido-bridged diiridium complex: generation and detection of an active IrII-IrII species [(Cp*Ir)2(micro-dmpm)(micro-H)]+

Reaction of [Cp*Ir(micro-H)](2) (5) (Cp* = eta(5)-C(5)Me(5)) with bis(dimethylphosphino)methane (dmpm) gives a new neutral diiridium complex [(Cp*Ir)(2)(micro-dmpm)(micro-H)(2)] (3). Treatment of 3 with methyl triflate at -30 degrees C results in the formation of [(Cp*Ir)(H)(micro-dmpm)(micro-H)(Me)(IrCp*)][OTf] (6). Warming a solution of above 0 degrees C brings about predominant generation of 32e(-) Ir(II)-Ir(II) species [(Cp*Ir)(micro-dmpm)(micro-H)(IrCp*)][OTf] (7). Further heating of the solution of 7 up to 30 degrees C for 14 h leads to quantitative formation of a new complex [(Cp*Ir)(H)(micro-Me(2)PCH(2)PMeCH(2))(micro-H)(IrCp*)][OTf] (8), which is formed by intramolecular oxidative addition of the methyl C-H bond of the dmpm ligand. Intermolecular C-H bond activation reactions with 7 are also examined. Reactions of 7 with aromatic molecules (benzene, toluene, furan, and pyridine) at room temperature result in the smooth sp(2) C-H activation to give [(Cp*Ir)(H)(micro-dmpm)(micro-H)(Ar)(IrCp*)][OTf] (Ar = Ph (9); Ar = m-Tol (10a) or p-Tol (10b); Ar = 2-Fur (11)) and [(Cp*Ir)(H)(micro-dmpm)(micro-C(5)H(4)N)(H)(IrCp*)][OTf] (12), respectively. Complex also reacts with cyclopentene at 0 degrees C to give [(Cp*Ir)(H)(micro-dmpm)(micro-H)(1-cyclopentenyl)(IrCp*)][OTf] (13). Structures of 3, 8 and 12 have been confirmed by X-ray analysis.     

Photosensitized breakage and damage of DNA by CdSe-ZnS quantum dots

Strand breakages and nucleobase damages in plasmid DNA (pDNA) by CdSe-ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are investigated under different conditions of photoactivation. Here, streptavidin functionalized CdSe-ZnS QDs are conjugated to biotinylated pDNA, and photosensitized strand breakages and nucleobase damages in the conjugates are investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging, gel electrophoreses analyses, and assay of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI). Also, reactions of photoactivated pDNA-QD conjugates with base excision repair enzymes such as formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (Fpg) and endonuclease III (Endo III) show damages of purine and pyrimidine bases. The base excision repair enzymes recognize and remove the damaged bases. The base excision reactions of photoactivated pDNA-QD conjugates resulted in pDNA strand breakages, which appeared as sheared bands in agarose gel images. On the basis of AFM imaging, reactions of Fpg and Endo III with damaged pDNA, ROI assay, and literature reports, we attribute the breakage and damage of pDNA to its reactions with ROI. The production of ROI by photoactivated QDs is confirmed by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) assay. The current work shows that photoactivation of QD-conjugated nucleic acids for an extended period of time is not favorable for their stability. On the other hand, photoinduced production of ROI by QDs is an emerging research area with potential applications in the photodynamic therapy of cancer. In this regard, photosensitized damage of pDNA observed in the current work shows possibilities of QDs in nucleus-targeted photodynamic therapy.