Wet-Chemically Prepared Porphyrin Layers on Rutile TiO2(110)

Porphyrins are large organic molecules that are interesting for different applications, such as photovoltaic cells, gas sensors, or in catalysis. For many of these applications, the interactions between adsorbed molecules and surfaces play a crucial role. Studies of porphyrins on surfaces typically fall into one of two groups: (1) evaporation onto well-defined single-crystal surfaces under well-controlled ultrahigh vacuum conditions or (2) more application-oriented wet chemical deposition onto less well-defined high surface area surfaces under ambient conditions. In this study, we will investigate the wet chemical deposition of 5-(monocarboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin (MCTPP) on well-defined rutile TiO₂(110) single crystals under ambient conditions. Prior to deposition, the TiO₂(110) crystals were also cleaned wet-chemically under ambient conditions, meaning none of the preparation steps were done in ultrahigh vacuum. However, after each preparation step, the surfaces were characterized in ultrahigh vacuum with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the result was compared with porphyrin layers prepared in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) by evaporation. The differences of both preparations when exposed to zinc ion solutions will also be discussed.     

Controlling the early stages of pentacene growth by supersonic molecular beam deposition

The key role of the pentacene kinetic energy (Ek) in the early stages of growth on SiOx/Si is demonstrated: islands with smooth borders and increased coalescence differ remarkably from fractal-like thermal growth. Increasing Ek to 6.4 eV, the morphology evolves towards higher density of smaller islands. At higher coverage, coalescence grows with Ek up to a much more uniform, less defected monolayer. The growth, interpreted by the diffusion mediated model, shows the critical nucleus changing from 3 to 2 pentacene for Ek>5-6 eV. Optimal conditions to produce single crystalline films are envisaged.     

Correcting saturation effects of the arterial input function in dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MRI: a Monte Carlo simulation

To prevent systematic errors in quantitative brain perfusion studies using dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI), a reliable determination of the arterial input function (AIF) is essential. We propose a novel algorithm for correcting distortions of the AIF caused by saturation of the peak amplitude and discuss its relevance for longitudinal studies. The algorithm is based on the assumption that the AIF can be separated into a reliable part at low contrast agent concentrations and an unreliable part at high concentrations. This unreliable part is reconstructed, applying a theoretical framework based on a transport-diffusion theory and using the bolus-shape in the tissue. A validation of the correction scheme is tested by a Monte Carlo simulation. The input of the simulation was a wide range of perfusion, and the main aim was to compare this input to the determined perfusion parameters. Another input of the simulation was an AIF template derived from in vivo measurements. The distortions of this template was modeled via a Rician distribution for image intensities. As for a real DSC-MRI experiment, the simulation returned the AIF and the tracer concentration-dependent signal in the tissue. The novel correction scheme was tested by deriving perfusion parameters from the simulated data for the corrected and the uncorrected case. For this analysis, a common truncated singular value decomposition approach was applied. We find that the saturation effect caused by Rician-distributed noise leads to an overestimation of regional cerebral blood flow and regional cerebral blood volume, as compared to the input parameter. The aberration can be amplified by a decreasing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or an increasing tracer concentration. We also find that the overestimation can be successfully eliminated by the proposed saturation-correction scheme. In summary, the correction scheme will allow DSC-MRI to be expanded towards higher tracer concentrations and lower SNR and will help to increase the measurement to measurement reproducibility for longitudinal studies.     

Negishi Cross-Coupling Provides Alkylated Tryptophans and Tryptophan Regioisomers

Mild transition-metal catalysed cross-couplings enable direct functionalisation of biocatalytically halogenated tryptophans with alkyl iodides, representing a new alternative for late-stage derivatisations of halogenated aromatic amino acids. Moreover, this strategy enables preparation of (homo)tryptophan regioisomers in a simple two-step synthesis using a Pd-catalysed Negishi cross coupling. This method provides access to non-canonical constitutional surrogates of tryptophan, ready for use in peptide synthesis.     

New q‐Hermite polynomials: characterization,operators algebra and associated coherent states

This paper addresses a construction of new q‐Hermite polynomials with a full characterization of their main properties and corresponding raising and lowering operator algebra. The three‐term recursive relation as well as the second‐order differential equation obeyed by these new polynomials are explicitly derived. Relevant operator actions, including the eigenvalue problem of the deformed oscillator and the self‐adjointness of the related position and momentum operators, are investigated and analyzed. The associated coherent states are constructed and discussed with an explicit resolution of the induced moment problem. The phase collapse in a q‐deformed boson system is studied.     

Unexpected dimerization of 1,3‐dimethyl‐5‐methylenebarbituric acid revealed by a combined experimental and computational study

A comparison of experimental and calculated ¹³C‐nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shifts reveals the molecular structure of a dimer that was obtained by an unexpected dimerization of 1,3‐dimethyl‐5‐methylenebarbituric acid. Furthermore, the puckering angle of the cyclobutane unit linking the six‐membered rings is discussed in detail. The influence of substituents on 1,3‐position of the cyclobutane ring on the puckering angle is demonstrated based on 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylcyclobutane. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanism of Host–Guest Complex Formation and Identification of Intermediates through NMR Titration and Diffusion NMR Spectroscopy

The formation of host–guest (H‐G) complexes between 1,8‐bis[(diethylgallanyl)ethynyl]anthracene (H) and the N‐heterocycles pyridine and pyrimidine (G) was studied in solution using a combination of NMR titration and diffusion NMR experiments. For the latter, diffusion coefficients of potential host–guest structures in solution were compared with those of tailor‐made reference compounds of similar shape (synthesized and characterized by NMR, HRMS, and in part XRD). Highly dynamic behavior was observed in both cases, but with different host–guest species and equilibria. With increasing concentrations of the pyridine guest, the equilibrium H₂?H₂κ¹‐G₁?HG₂ is observed (in the second step a host dimer coordinates one guest molecule); for pyrimidine the equilibrium H₂→H₁κ²‐G₁?HG₂ is observed (the formation of a 1:1 aggregate is the second step).     

Tetracyanoquinodimethane Reduction by Complexed Guanidinyl‐Functionalized Aromatic Compounds

In this work, we report on the reduction of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) with dicationic complexes of guanidinyl‐functionalized aromatic (GFA) electron donors. In contrast to reduction with free GFAs, milder reduction conditions were achieved, and this led to semiconducting materials with extended TCNQ π stacking. The charge on the TCNQ units was estimated from the structural data obtained by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis and from IR spectroscopic data. The electrical conductivity was studied and the activation energy of the semiconducting materials was estimated from the temperature dependence of the conductivity.     

Water-based Synthesis and Properties of a Scandium 1,4-Naphthalenedicarboxylate

A new scandium naphthalenedicarboxylate with the framework composition [Sc₂(1,4-NDC)₃] (H₂-1,4-NDC = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid) was obtained under hydrothermal synthesis conditions. A structure model could be developed by a combination of 3D electron diffraction measurements and computationally assisted structure determination, which was further validated by a good agreement with the experimental powder X-ray diffraction pattern. The structure consists of isolated ScO₆ octahedra interconnected by the carboxylate groups of linker molecules to form chains. These chains are connected by the naphthalene-moieties to form a three-dimensional framework with square-shaped pores and the organic group pointing into the pores. Although very similar synthesis conditions were chosen, [Sc₂(1,4-NDC)₃] is not isostructural to aluminum naphthalenedicarboxylate [Al(OH)(1,4-NDC)], which crystallizes in a MIL-53 type structure. This can be traced back to the different inorganic building units that are observed. The compound was thoroughly characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, sorption measurements, thermogravimetric analysis and luminescence measurements. [Sc₂(1,4-NDC)₃] exhibits a high thermal stability and a ligand-based blue luminescence in the solid state at room temperature.     

One-Pot Cooperation of Single-Atom Rh and Ru Solid Catalysts for a Selective Tandem Olefin Isomerization-Hydrosilylation Process

Realizing the full potential of oxide-supported single-atom metal catalysts (SACs) is key to successfully bridge the gap between the fields of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Here we show that the one-pot combination of Ru₁/CeO₂ and Rh₁/CeO₂ SACs enables a highly selective olefin isomerization-hydrosilylation tandem process, hitherto restricted to molecular catalysts in solution. Individually, monoatomic Ru and Rh sites show a remarkable reaction specificity for olefin double-bond migration and anti-Markovnikov α-olefin hydrosilylation, respectively. First-principles DFT calculations ascribe such selectivity to differences in the binding strength of the olefin substrate to the monoatomic metal centers. The single-pot cooperation of the two SACs allows the production of terminal organosilane compounds with high regio-selectivity (>95 %) even from industrially-relevant complex mixtures of terminal and internal olefins, alongside a straightforward catalyst recycling and reuse. These results demonstrate the significance of oxide-supported single-atom metal catalysts in tandem catalytic reactions, which are central for the intensification of chemical processes.