Synthesis and properties of V6O16CU(C4H4N2)2 x (H2O)(0.22(1)): charge density matching of a metal-segregated layer structure

A metal-segregated layered compound, containing square nets of Cu(pyz)(2)(2+) and buckled V(6)O(16)(2)(-) layers, has been synthesized using hydrothermal techniques to have the composition V(6)O(16)Cu(C(4)H(4)N(2))(2) x (H(2)O)(0.22(1)) (C(4)H(4)N(2) = pyrazine, pyz). The Cu(II) square nets are nearly regular and undergo an antiferromagnetic transition at 8 K. In contrast to the plethora of recently synthesized metal-oxide clusters, chains, and networks in the VO(x)/M/L (M = late transition element; L = organonitrogen ligand) system, this compound is a relatively rare example that contains two different metals distributed into distinct layers. An application of charge density matching to form layered structures is postulated.     

PHOTOBLEACHING OF PORPHYRINS USED IN PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THERAPY

Abstract— The development of an extraction procedure to quantitate dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE) concentration in tissues correlated to fluorescence measurements from instrumentation developed for in vivo fluorimetry was examined. In vivo fluorometric results from mouse mammary carcinoma (SMT-F) were calibrated against results of the chemical extraction assay quantitated spectrophotometrically. Fluorescence and drug extractable levels increase in a linear fashion with injected dose. Loss of porphyrin fluorescence (photobleaching) and intra-tumoral porphyrin level has been demonstrated both in vitro (NHIK cells) and in vivo (SMT-F tumor) during illumination with light following exposure to Hpd or DHE. This process is essentially independent of porphyrin tumor level in vivo and could lead to tumor protection at very low porphyrin levels. On the other hand, this photobleaching process which occurs concurrent with cellular inactivation and tissue damage due to the photodynamic process can be exploited to protect normal tissue during photodynamic therapy (PDT) and thus greatly enhance the therapeutic ratio. This has been demonstrated in patients undergoing PDT.     

A convenient and efficient synthesis of (S)-lysine and (S)-arginine homologues via olefin cross-metathesis

A convenient five step synthesis of (S)-homolysine, incorporating a key olefin cross-metathesis step in the chain extension methodology, has been developed, together with a six step related synthesis of a new homologue of arginine, (S)-bishomoarginine.     

Determination of copper,nickel, and cadmium in sea water by apdc chelate coprecipitation and flameless atomic absorption spectrometry

Copper, nickel, and cadmium can be determined in 100 ml of sea water by coprecipitation with cobalt pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate and graphite atomizer atomic absorption spectrometry. Concentration ranges likely to be encountered and estimated (1 σ ) analytical precisions are 1–6 nmol kg^-1 (±0.1) for copper, 3–12 nmol kg^-1 (±0.3) for nickel and 0.0–1.1 nmol kg^-1 (±0.1) for cadmium. The technique may be applied to fresh-water samples with slight modification.     

Neo-Pentoxide Precursor Synthesis,Solution Preparation,and Electronic Properties of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 Thin Films Derived from a Solution Route

We have recently isolated the neo-pentoxide (HOCH₂CMe₃, ONp) derivatives of Ba, Sr, and Ti as Ba₄(ONp)₈(HONp)₆(py)₂, Sr₅(O)(ONp)₈(Solv)₅ (Solv = solvent), and Ti₂(ONp)₈, respectively. The combination of these precursors were found to be readily soluble in a wide range of solvents and thus were excellent candidates for preparation of barium strontium titanate ((Ba,Sr)TiO₃ or BST) thin films using spin-cast deposition techniques. The highest quality BST films for this system were generated from ternary mixtures dissolved in either pyridine or pyridine/toluene. By in situ VT-GIXRD analysis it was determined that the perovskite phase of BST was readily formed at 650°C. The electronic properties of films crystallized at 700°C indicated that the thin films (300 nm) possessed a dielectric constant of 120 (tan = 0.03) with a tunability of 29% at ±10 V. 300 nm films (700°C) which had been generated from a standard BST solution modified with a novel tridentate ligand, had a higher dielectric constant of 180 and a tunability of 35% at ±10 V. The collective characteristics of these precursors offer an attractive alternative to the more complex, less stable sol-gel precursors currently in use.     

Covalent and physical cross-linking of photonic crystals with 10-fold-enhanced chemomechanical stability

We report opal photonic crystals that are self-assembled from functional polymer particles. We randomly copolymerized functional side-chain monomers containing motifs that form homodimers or heterobridges. These include ether or methylene bridges, hydrazone bridges, acids for anhydride formation, low- T g copolymers or physical cross-links by hydrogen bonds and/or polarity. To generate particles that are monodisperse, spherical, and functionalized, we combined emulsifier-free synthesis with swelling synthesis steps. Laser diffraction from centimeter-sized beams, white-light interferometry, and atomic force microscopy demonstrates symmetry and homogeneity across the entire crystal without the loss of interstitial volume. Compared to the stability of nonfunctional particles, the stability of the crystal against immersion in water and isopropanol was enhanced from 10 to a perfect 100%. One of the successful approaches (methylene bridges from N-methylolmethacrylamid) is triggered by thermal activation, but as shown, this is operative far from the trivial regime of sintering. We demonstrate successful infiltration with and solvation of a laser-polymerizable resin, thus enabling the processing of 3D photonic waveguide structures.     

A synthesis of (aR,7S)-(−)-N-acetylcolchinol and its conjugate with a cyclic RGD peptide

An asymmetric synthesis of (−)-N-acetylcolchinol is described based on a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling to generate the biaryl pharmacophore. The sole asymmetric centre was introduced by an asymmetric reduction of a dibenzosuberone derivative 24 using lithium borohydride in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of a chiral Lewis acid (TarB-NO₂). A conjugate between an α_Vβ₃ integrin-binding cyclic peptide c[RGDfK] and colchinol (adipoyl linker) was synthesised with an aim to deliver colchinol to solid tumours selectively.