Hot Branching Dynamics in a Light-Harvesting Iron Carbene Complex Revealed by Ultrafast X-ray Emission Spectroscopy

Iron N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes have received a great deal of attention recently because of their growing potential as light sensitizers or photocatalysts. We present a sub-ps X-ray spectroscopy study of an Fe^IINHC complex that identifies and quantifies the states involved in the deactivation cascade after light absorption. Excited molecules relax back to the ground state along two pathways: After population of a hot ³MLCT state, from the initially excited ¹MLCT state, 30 % of the molecules undergo ultrafast (150 fs) relaxation to the ³MC state, in competition with vibrational relaxation and cooling to the relaxed ³MLCT state. The relaxed ³MLCT state then decays much more slowly (7.6 ps) to the ³MC state. The ³MC state is rapidly (2.2 ps) deactivated to the ground state. The ⁵MC state is not involved in the deactivation pathway. The ultrafast partial deactivation of the ³MLCT state constitutes a loss channel from the point of view of photochemical efficiency and highlights the necessity to screen transition-metal complexes for similar ultrafast decays to optimize photochemical performance.     

Selection of G-quadruplex folding topology with LNA-modified human telomeric sequences in K+ solution

G-rich nucleic acid oligomers can form G-quadruplexes built by G-tetrads stacked upon each other. Depending on the nucleotide sequence, G-quadruplexes fold mainly with two topologies: parallel, in which all G-tracts are oriented parallel to each other, or antiparallel, in which one or more G-tracts are oriented antiparallel to the other G-tracts. In the former topology, all glycosidic bond angles conform to anti conformations, while in the latter topology they adopt both syn and anti conformations. It is of interest to understand the molecular forces that govern G-quadruplex folding. Here, we approach this problem by examining the impact of LNA (locked nucleic acid) modifications on the folding topology of the dimeric model system of the human telomere sequence. In solution, this DNA G-quadruplex forms a mixture of G-quadruplexes with antiparallel and parallel topologies. Using CD and NMR spectroscopies, we show that LNA incorporations can modulate this equilibrium in a rational manner and we establish a relationship between incorporation of LNA nucleotides in syn and/or anti positions and the shift of the equilibrium to obtain exclusively the parallel G-quadruplex. The change in topology is driven by a combination of the C3'-endo puckering of LNA nucleotides and their preference for the anti glycosidic conformation. In addition, the parallel LNA-modified G-quadruplexes are thermally stabilised by about 11 °C relative to their DNA counterparts.     

Equilibrium balking strategies for a clearing queueing system in alternating environment

We consider a Markovian clearing queueing system, where the customers are accumulated according to a Poisson arrival process and the server removes all present customers at the completion epochs of exponential service cycles. This system may represent the visits of a transportation facility with unlimited capacity at a certain station. The system evolves in an alternating environment that influences the arrival and the service rates. We assume that the arriving customers decide whether to join the system or balk, based on a natural linear reward-cost structure. We study the balking behavior of the customers and derive the corresponding Nash equilibrium strategies under various levels of information.     

Chemometric Study of Fatty Acid Composition of Virgin Olive Oil from Four Widespread Greek Cultivars

Virgin olive oil (VOO) is one of the key components of the Mediterranean diet owing to the presence of monounsaturated fatty acids and various bioactive compounds. These beneficial traits, which are usually associated with the cultivar genotype, are highlighting the demand of identifying characteristics of olive oil that will ensure its authenticity. In this work, the fatty acid (FA) composition of 199 VOO samples from Koroneiki, Megaritiki, Amfissis, and Manaki cultivars was determined and studied by chemometrics. Olive cultivar greatly influenced the FA composition, namely, oleic acid (from 75.36% for Amfissis to 65.81% for Megaritiki) and linoleic acid (from 13.35% for Manaki to 6.70% for Koroneiki). Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients revealed differences and similarities among the olive oil cultivars. The use of the forward stepwise algorithm identified the FAs arachidonic acid, gadoleic acid, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, palmitoleic acid, and palmitic acid as the most significant for the differentiation of samples. The application of linear and quadratic cross-validation discriminant analysis resulted in the correct classification of 100.00% and 99.37% of samples, respectively. The findings demonstrated the special characteristics of the VOO samples derived from the four cultivars and their successful botanical differentiation based on FA composition.     

Magnetic iron oxide nanoclusters with tunable optical response

We have developed a modified synthetic protocol for the growth of monodispersed, superparamagnetic, flower-like colloidal nanoclusters (CNCs), which are consisted of smaller iron oxide nanocrystals with adjustable size. We show that their optical properties can be tuned by applying an external magnetic field. The latter controls the subtle balance of the CNCs’ mutual interactions (magnetic versus electrostatic) and drives their assembly in aqueous media. Spectrophotometric measurements reveal that a diffuse reflectance maximum, in the visible range, is related to the CNCs organization. As the strength of the external magnetic field increases, in the range 160–600 G, the spectral weight of this feature shifts towards the blue region of the spectrum. The induced photonic crystal-like response entails a remarkable magneto-optical behavior, closely associated with the size-dependent characteristics of the CNCs ensemble. Such materials pave the way for promising technological implementations in photonics.     

Leaching kinetics of electric arc furnace dust in nitric acid solutions

Electric arc furnace dust contains mainly ZnO, ZnFe₂O₄, and iron oxides. In this study, chemical composition of ZnO, ZnFe₂O₄, and Fe₂O₃ and leaching kinetics of ZnO, ZnFe₂O₄, and Fe₂O₃ in HNO₃ solutions were investigated. It was seen that the dissolution of ZnO is very fast, therefore the leaching kinetics of ZnO cannot be determined. Kinetic parameters and model equations were derived for the leaching of ZnFe₂O₄ and Fe₂O_3. Leaching kinetics of ZnFe₂O₄ was explained by the pseudohomogeneous reaction model. Activation energy and order of HNO₃ concentration were found to be as 37.5 kJ mol⁻¹ and 0.37, respectively. The model equation was derived as . It was determined that experimental data for the leaching kinetics of Fe₂O₃ best fit with the shrinking core model (SCM). Activation energy and order of HNO₃ concentration were found to be as 51.5 kJ mol⁻¹ and 0.67, respectively The model equation was derived using SCM as _.     

Time distribution of adsorption entropy of gases on heterogeneous surfaces by reversed-flow gas chromatography

The reversed-flow gas chromatography (RF-GC) technique has been applied to measure the adsorption entropy over time, when gaseous pentane is adsorbed on the surface of two solids (gamma-alumina and a silica supported rhodium catalyst) at 393.15 and 413.15K, respectively. Utilizing experimental chromatographic data, this novel methodology also permits the simultaneous measurement of the local adsorption energy, epsilon, local equilibrium adsorbed concentration, c(s)(*), and local adsorption isotherm, theta(p, T, epsilon) in a time resolved way. In contrast with other inverse gas chromatographic methods, which determine the standard entropy at zero surface coverage, the present method operates over a wide range of surface coverage taking into account not only the adsorbate-adsorbent interaction, but also the adsorbate-adsorbate interaction. One of the most interesting observations of the present work is the fact that the interaction of n-pentane is spontaneous on the Rh/SiO(2) catalyst for a very short time interval compared to that on gamma-Al(2)O(3). This can explain the different kinetic behavior of each particular gas-solid system, and it can be attributed to the fact that large amounts of n-C(5)H(12) are present on the active sites of the Rh/SiO(2) catalyst compared to those on gamma-Al(2)O(3), as the local equilibrium adsorbed concentration values, c(s)(*), indicate.     

Einfache Synthese von Alkylaluminium‐ und Alkylgalliumhydriden – Kristallstrukturen von [(Me3C)2GaH]3 und den neuartigen Sesquihydriden [(Me3C)2EH]2[EH2CMe3]2 (E = Al,Ga)

Facile Syntheses of Alkylaluminium and Alkylgallium Hydrides – Crystal Structures of [(Me₃C)₂GaH]₃ and the Novel Sesquihydrides [(Me₃C)₂EH]₂[EH₂CMe₃]₂ (E = Al, Ga) The facile syntheses of some important, sterically highly shielded dialkylaluminium hydrides R₂AlH [R = CMe₃, CH(SiMe₃)₂] succeeded by the reaction of the corresponding trialkylaluminium compounds with the alane adduct AlH₃ × NMe₂Et in a 2 to 1 molar ratio. This route is not suitable for the synthesis of monoalkylaluminium dihydrides. An excess of AlH₃ yielded the novel sesquihydride [(Me₃C)₂AlH]₂[AlH₂CMe₃]₂ ( 3 ) as the hydride richest compound which possesses an unprecedented heterocycle comprising four aluminium and four hydrogen atoms in the solid state. The dialkylgallium hydride (Me₃C)₂GaH ( 4 ) was formed on a similar route by the treatment of tri(tert‐butyl)gallane with the adduct GaH₃ · NMe₂Et. As shown by a crystal structure determination, compound 4 is a trimer in the solid state possessing a Ga₃H₃ heterocycle. A gallium sesquihydride analogous to compound 3 , [(Me₃C)₂GaH]₂[GaH₂CMe₃]₂ ( 5 ), was formed on employing an excess of GaH₃.