Infrared Evidence for Hoffman Reaction During Calcination of Surfactant-Templated Silica Films and Analysis of the Resulting Surface Sites

Fourier Transform Infrared transmission spectroscopy is used to characterize surfactant-templated silica films on glass. The calcination process is followed in situ and evidence for the removal of the surfactant along the Hoffman reaction is given. Once calcined, the surface of the pores of the mesoporous films is proven by deuteration experiment to be hydroxylated. Bands are attributed to isolated and hydrogen-bonded silanols. Silylation reaction with hexamethyldisilazane only occurs with isolated silanol groups.     

Formation of negative oxidation states of platinum and gold in redox ionic liquid: Electrochemical evidence

The electrochemical reduction of noble metal electrodes in the presence of redox ionic liquid, 1-ferrocenylethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [FcEMIM][TFSI], was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Our experiments suggest the formation of metal with negative oxidation states, in the cases of platinum and gold electrodes [M_n⁻, FcEMIM⁺]. By analogy with the previous work, the formation of these phases is concomitant with the insertion of the supporting electrolyte; which correspond in our experimental condition to the redox cation of the ionic liquid. As an exciting result, the electrochemical investigations of the reduced electrode in electrolytic solution, containing solvent and supporting electrolyte, evidence the presence of the ferrocene groups at the electrode surface. Moreover, the reduced electrode exhibits the presence of the ferrocene even after, contact with air, after ultrasound, and after physical polishing, highlighting the large stability of this organo-metallic phases formed in this media. The AFM investigations demonstrate the morphological change of the platinum surface after the reduction process. Finally, our works bring a formal electrochemical proof of the presence of the ionic liquid cation inside the electrode material after the cathodic treatment in this media.     

Gadolinium chelate coated gold nanoparticles as contrast agents for both X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

Functionalized gold nanoparticles were applied as contrast agents for both in vivo X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging. These particles were obtained by encapsulating gold cores within a multilayered organic shell which is composed of gadolinium chelates bound to each other through disulfide bonds. The contrast enhancement in MRI stems from the presence of gadolinium ions which are entrapped in the organic shell, whereas the gold core provides a strong X-ray absorption. This study revealed that these particles suited for dual modality imaging freely circulate in the blood vessels without undesirable accumulation in the lungs, spleen, and liver.     

Dimeric Sandwich‐like Ion Pairs in the Crystal Structure of Tetrabutylammonium Ozonide Ammoniate

The novel ionic ozonide {[N(C₄H₉)₄](O₃)}₄·4.75NH₃ was synthesized by ion‐exchange reaction in liquid ammonia. The crystal structure was determined by single crystal diffraction at 100 K (monoclinic space group P2₁, a = 15.014(11) Å, b = 13.696(10) Å, c = 19.890(15) Å, β = 105.407(12)°, V = 3943(5) ų, Z = 2). The structure consists of a packing of sandwich‐like dimeric ion pairs in which two ozonide anions are interspersed between two tetrabutylammonium cations. Ammonia molecules from the solvent are localized in cavities in the structure. They are involved in hydrogen bonding with the ozonide ions. The desolvated tetrabutylammonium ozonide forms stable solutions in dichloromethane which may open up novel possibilities of tapping into the synthetic potential of the ozonide ion.     

Far-infrared spectroscopy of small polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Both experimental and theoretical spectroscopic studies on small gas phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the far-infrared spectral region are reported. The experimental set-up based on thermal emission and Fourier transform far infrared analysis led to the detection of relatively broad vibrational bands, unresolved in rotation, representative of each molecule. Detailed theoretical investigations were performed, including both ab initio calculations and spectral simulations. For the majority of the samples, this study provides the first detection of the vibrational modes associated with the skeleton motions.     

Excited-state absorption properties of platinum(II) terpyridyl acetylides

A comprehensive photophysical study is presented which compares the ground- and excited-state properties of four platinum(II) terpyridyl acetylide compounds of the general formula [Pt(tBu3tpy)(CCR)]+, where tBu3tpy is 4,4',4' '-tri-tert-butyl-2,2':6',2' '-terpyridine and R is an alkyl or aryl group. [Ru(tBu3tpy)3]2+ and the pivotal synthetic precursor [Pt(tBu3tpy)Cl]+ were also investigated in the current work. The latter two complexes possess short excited-state lifetimes and were investigated using ultrafast spectrometry while the other four compounds were evaluated using conventional nanosecond transient-absorption spectroscopy. The original intention of this study was to comprehend the nature of the impressive excited-state absorptions that emanate from this class of transition-metal chromophores. Transient-absorbance-difference spectra across the series contain the same salient features, which are modulated only slightly in wavelength and markedly in intensity as a function of the appended acetylide ligand. More intense absorption transients are observed in the arylacetylide structures relative to those bearing an alkylacetylide, consistent with transitions coupled to the pi system of the ancillary ligand. Reductive spectroelectrochemical measurements successfully generated the electronic spectrum of the tBu3tpy radical anion in all six complexes at room temperature. These measurements confirm that electronic absorptions associated with the tBu3tpy radical anion simply do not account for the intense optical transitions observed in the excited state of the Pt(II) chromophores. Transient-trapping experiments using the spectroscopically silent reductive quencher DABCO clearly demonstrate the loss of most transient-absorption features in the acetylide complexes throughout the UV, visible, and near-IR regions following bimolecular excited-state electron transfer, suggesting that these features are strongly tied to the photogenerated hole which is delocalized across the Pt center and the ancillary acetylide ligand.     

Design of original bioactive formulations based on sugar-surfactant/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory catanionic self-assemblies: a new way of dermal drug delivery

A new kind of catanionic assembly was developed that associates a sugar-based surfactant with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Three different assemblies using indomethacin, ibuprofen and ketoprofen as NSAIDs were easily obtained in water by an acid-base reaction. These assemblies formed new amphiphilic entities because of electrostatic and hydrophobic effects in water and led to the spontaneous formation of vesicles. These catanionic vesicles were then tested as potential NSAID delivery systems for dermatological application. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in vivo, and this study clearly showed an improved therapeutic effect for NSAIDs that were formulated as catanionic vesicles. These vesicles ensured a slower diffusion of the NSAID through the skin. This release probably increased the time of retention of the NSAID in the targeted strata of the skin. Thus, the present study suggests that this catanionic bioactive formulation could be a promising dermal delivery system for NSAIDs in the course of skin inflammation treatment.     

The inconsistency in adsorption properties and powder XRD data of MOF-5 is rationalized by framework interpenetration and the presence of organic and inorganic species in the nanocavities

MOF-5 is the archetype metal-organic framework and has been subjected to numerous studies the past few years. The focal point of this report is the pitfalls related to the MOF-5 phase identification based on powder XRD data. A broad set of conditions and procedures have been reported for MOF-5 synthesis. These variations have led to materials with substantially different adsorption properties (specific surface areas in the range 700 to 3400 m(2)/g). The relatively low weight loss observed for some as synthesized samples upon solvent removal is also indicative of a low pore volume. Regrettably, these materials have all been described as MOF-5 without any further comments. Furthermore, the reported powder XRD patterns hint at structural differences: The variations in surface area are accompanied by peak splitting phenomena and rather pronounced changes in the relative peak intensities in the powder XRD patterns. In this work, we use single-crystal XRD to investigate structural differences between low and high surface area MOF-5. The low surface area MOF-5 sample had two different classes of crystals. For the dominant phase, Zn(OH)2 species partly occupied the cavities. The presence of Zn species makes the hosting cavity and possibly also adjacent cavities inaccessible and thus efficiently reduces the pore volume of the material. Furthermore, the minor phase consisted of doubly interpenetrated MOF-5 networks, which lowers the adsorption capacity. The presence of Zn species and lattice interpenetration changes the symmetry from cubic to trigonal and explains the peak splitting observed in the powder XRD patterns. Pore-filling effects from the Zn species (and partly the solvent molecules) are also responsible for the pronounced variations in powder XRD peak intensities. This latter conclusion is particularly useful for predicting the adsorption properties of a MOF-5-type material from powder XRD.     

In situ layer-by-layer film formation kinetics under an applied voltage measured by optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy

Layer-by-layer (LbL) thin film assembly occurs via the alternate adsorption of positively and negatively charged macromolecular species. We investigate here the control of LbL film growth through the electric potential of the underlying substrate. We employ optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) to obtain in situ kinetic measurements of poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PAH/PSS) and poly(L-lysine)/dextran sulfate (PLL/DXS) multilayer film formation in the presence of an applied voltage difference (deltaV) between the adsorbing substrate, an indium tin oxide- (ITO-) coated waveguiding sensor chip, and a parallel platinum counterelectrode. We find initial layer adsorption to be significantly enhanced by an applied potential for both polyelectrolyte systems: the mass and thickness of (positively charged) PAH and PLL layers on ITO are about 60% and 500% larger, respectively, at deltaV = 2 V than at open circuit potential (OCP), in apparent violation of electrostatics. A kinetic analysis reveals the initial attachment rate constant to decrease with voltage, in agreement with electrostatics. To reconcile these results, we propose a more coiled and loosely bound adsorbed polymer conformation at higher applied potential. Following 10 adsorption steps, the mass and thickness of a PAH/PSS film grown under deltaV = 2 V are about 15% less than those of a comparable film grown under OCP, reflecting a lower degree of complexation between adsorbing polyanions and more highly coiled adsorbed polycations. Following 14 adsorption steps, the mass and thickness of a PLL/DXS film grown under deltaV = 2 V are about 70% greater than those of a comparable film grown under OCP, reflecting the increased charge overcompensation in the initial layer. We find the scaling of film mass () with the number of adsorption steps (n) to be linear in the PAH/PSS system and exponential (i.e., approximately eyn) in the PLL/DXS system, irrespective of applied voltage. We observe to decrease with applied voltage and to exhibit a crossover to a smaller value around n = 5. Extrapolation reveals PLL/DXS multilayer films to be suppressed by increased voltage in the limit of large n: the mass of films grown at OCP and deltaV = 1 V would surpass that of a film grown under deltaV = 2 V at about the 23rd and 18th adsorption steps, respectively. The formation kinetics of PLL/DXS, but not PAH/PSS, change qualitatively under voltage: PLL adsorption is slow to reach a plateau, possibly due to the formation of secondary structure, and a decrease in film mass occurs toward the end of each DXS adsorption step, suggesting spontaneous removal of some PLL/DXS complexes from the film.     

Cobalt-catalyzed hydrohydrazination of dienes and enynes: access to allylic and propargylic hydrazides

[reaction: see text] The cobalt-catalyzed hydrohydrazination reaction of dienes and enynes is presented. Allylic and propargylic hydrazines were obtained in synthetically useful yields (allylic amines, 60-90%; propargylic amines, 47-83%) and good chemo- and regioselectivity.