Bound states and Cooper pairs of molecules in 2D optical lattices bilayer

We investigate the formation of Cooper pairs, bound dimers and the dimer‐dimer elastic scattering of ultracold dipolar Fermi molecules confined in a 2D optical lattice bilayer configuration. While the energy and their associated bound states are determined in a variational way, the correlated two‐molecule pair is addressed as in the original Cooper formulation. We demonstrate that the 2D lattice confinement favors the formation of zero center mass momentum bound states. Regarding the Cooper pairs binding energy, this depends on the molecule populations in each layer. Maximum binding energies occur for non‐zero (zero) pair momentum when the Fermi system is polarized (unpolarized). We find an analytic expression for the dimer‐dimer effective interaction in the deep BEC regime. The present analysis represents a route for addressing the BCS‐BEC crossover in dipolar Fermi gases confined in 2D optical lattices within the current experimental panorama.     

Two-dimensional quantum ring in a graphene layer in the presence of a Aharonov–Bohm flux

In this paper we study the relativistic quantum dynamics of a massless fermion confined in a quantum ring. We use a model of confining potential and introduce the interaction via Dirac oscillator coupling, which provides ring confinement for massless Dirac fermions. The energy levels and corresponding eigenfunctions for this model in graphene layer in the presence of Aharonov–Bohm flux in the centre of the ring and the expression for persistent current in this model are derived. We also investigate the model for quantum ring in graphene layer in the presence of a disclination and a magnetic flux. The energy spectrum and wave function are obtained exactly for this case. We see that the persistent current depends on parameters characterizing the topological defect.     

Information depth determination for hard X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy up to 15 keV photoelectron kinetic energy

In the present work, we have determined the information depth in a solid for hard X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) up to a photoelectron kinetic energy of 15 keV. For that, we have followed the evolution of the photoemission signal from different core levels of a gold overlayer grown in situ on a polycrystalline copper substrate as a function of the photoelectron kinetic energy. We demonstrate that in the case of gold, an information depth of 57 nm can be achieved by detecting photoelectrons with 15‐keV kinetic energy. The photoemission signal produced at this depth corresponds to 0.2% of the signal coming from a semi‐infinite solid bulk. Such a high sensitivity can only be reached with the combination of a third‐generation synchrotron radiation beam with a high‐transmission electron analyzer. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energetics of binding and protein unfolding upon amphiphilic drug complexation with a globular protein in different aqueous media

The interactions and complexation process of the structurally related amphiphilic phenothiazines promazine and triflupromazine hydrochlorides with horse myoglobin in aqueous buffered solutions of pH 2.5, 5.5 and 9.0 have been examined by zeta-potential, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), UV-vis spectroscopy and dynamic light-scattering techniques with the aim of analyzing the effect of hydrophobic and electrostatic forces, the alteration of protein conformation and the effect of substituents in the drug molecular structure on the binding mechanism and structure of the resulting complexes. The energetics and stoichiometry of the binding process was derived from ITC. The enthalpies of binding obtained are small and exothermic, and the Gibbs energies of binding are dominated by large increases in entropy consistent with hydrophobic interactions. Binding isotherms were obtained from microcalorimetric data by using a theoretical model based on the Langmuir isotherm. zeta-Potential data showed a reversal in the sign of the protein charge at pH 9.0 as a consequence of drug binding. Gibbs energies of drug binding per mole of drug were also derived from zeta-potential data. On the other hand, binding of the phenothiazines causes a conformational transition on protein structure which was followed as a function of drug concentration by using UV-vis spectroscopy. These data were analyzed to obtain the Gibbs energy of the transition in water (DeltaG(w)(degrees)) and in a hydrophobic environment (DeltaG(hc)(degrees)). Finally, the population distribution of the different species in solution and their size was analyzed through dynamic light scattering. The existence of an aggregation process of drug/protein complexes, mainly at pH 2.5, was observed. We think this is a consequence of the already expanded structure of the protein at this pH and the subsequent binding of drug molecules to the protein.     

On the localization of water-soluble porphyrins in micellar systems evaluated by static and time-resolved frequency-domain fluorescence techniques

Fluorescence quenching of meso-tetrakis-4-sulfonatophenyl (TPPS(4)) and meso-tetrakis-4-N-methylpyridil (TMPyP) porphyrins is studied in aqueous solution and upon addition of micelles of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS) and t-octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-100). Potassium iodide (KI) was used as quencher. Steady-state Stern-Volmer plots were best fitted by a quadratic equation, including dynamic (K(D)) and static (K(S)) quenching. K(S) was significantly smaller than K(D). Frequency-domain fluorescence lifetimes allowed estimating bimolecular quenching constants, k(q). At 25 degrees C, in aqueous solution, TMPyP shows k(q) values a factor of 2-3 higher than the diffusional limit. TPPS(4) shows collisional quenching with pH dependent k(q) values. For TMPyP quenching results are consistent with reported binding constants: a significant reduction of quenching takes place for SDS, a moderate reduction is observed for HPS and almost no change is seen for Triton X-100. Similar data were obtained at 50 degrees C. For CTAC-TPPS(4) system an enhancement of quenching was observed as compared to pure buffer. This is probably associated to accumulation of iodide at the cationic micellar interface. The attraction between CTAC headgroups and I(-), and repulsion between SDS and I(-), enhances and reduces the fluorescence quenching, respectively, of porphyrins located at the micellar interface. The small quenching of TPPS(4) in Triton X-100 is consistent with strong binding as reported in the literature.     

New Yorkite: A 4,8-connected tetragonal structural pattern in the space group <Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>4/<Emphasis Type="Italic">mmm</Emphasis>

A novel hypothetical 4,8-connected tetragonal crystalline structure with a ternary stoichiometry AB₂C₂ is described. The novel pattern belongs to the space group P4/mmm (no. 123). The structure includes novel 8-connected anticube-centered vertices along with ordinary 8-connected cube-centered and 4-connected square-planar vertices. The structure may be representative of a ternary bimetallic fluoride, such as MRe₂F₂ or MTa₂F₂, where M is an alkaline-earth metal. The novel structure is unusual due to the absence of strains.     

Analysis of the electronic origin of the 1JCH spin-spin coupling trend in 1-X-cyclopropanes: experimental and DFT study

A conceptual analysis of the CLOPPA (Contributions from Localized Orbitals within the Polarization Propagator Approach) expressions that deconvolute NMR spin-spin coupling constants [Diz A. C.; Giribet C. G.; Ruiz de Azua, M. C.; Contreras, R. H. Int. J. Quantum Chem. 1990, 37, 663.] into orbital contributions can provide an in-depth insight into the features of the electronic molecular structure that originate a given 1JCH experimental trend. In this work, several 1-X-cyclopropane derivatives are taken as model compounds to apply such ideas to rationalize substituent effects on the Fermi contact term of 1JC1,H spin-spin coupling. It is shown that in this type of coupling, its experimental trend, as measured in this work, cannot be accounted for with only the "bond" and the "other bond" contributions, requiring the inclusion of "other antibonding contributions". Such effect is discussed in terms of hyperconjugative interactions.     

Self-assembling of phenothiazine compounds investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) have been carried out to investigate the structure of the self-aggregates of two phenothiazine drugs, chlorpromazine (CPZ) and trifluoperazine (TFP), in aqueous solution. In the SAXS studies, drug solutions of 20 and 60 mM, at pH 4.0 and 7.0, were investigated and the best data fittings were achieved assuming several different particle form factors with a homogeneous electron density distribution in respect to the water environment. Because of the limitation of scattering intensity in the q range above 0.15 A(-1), precise determination of the aggregate shape was not possible and all of the tested models for ellipsoids, cylinders, or parallelepipeds fitted the experimental data equally well. The SAXS data allows inferring, however, that CPZ molecules might self-assemble in a basis set of an orthorhombic cell, remaining as nanocrystallites in solution. Such nanocrystals are composed of a small number of unit cells (up to 10, in c-direction), with CPZ aggregation numbers of 60-80. EPR spectra of 5- and 16-doxyl stearic acids bound to the aggregates were analyzed through simulation, and the dynamic and magnetic parameters were obtained. The phenothiazine concentration in EPR experiments was in the range of 5-60 mM. Critical aggregation concentration of TFP is lower than that for CPZ, consistent with a higher hydrophobicity of TFP. At acidic pH 4.0 a significant residual motion of the nitroxide relative to the aggregate is observed, and the EPR spectra and corresponding parameters are similar to those reported for aqueous surfactant micelles. However, at pH 6.5 a significant motional restriction is observed, and the nitroxide rotational correlation times correlate very well with those estimated for the whole aggregated particle from SAXS data. This implies that the aggregate is densely packed at this pH and that the nitroxide is tightly bound to it producing a strongly immobilized EPR spectrum. Besides that, at pH 6.5 the differences in motional restriction observed between 5- and 16-DSA are small, which is different from that observed for aqueous surfactant micelles.     

Theoretical and experimental studies of diruthenium tetracarboxylates structure, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry

Quantum mechanical calculations at the density functional theory (DFT) level have been performed on diruthenium tetracarboxylates of different levels of molecular complexity: from unsolvated monomers to oligomers. The agreement between the calculated and experimental molecular structures and vibrational modes of the simple [Ru2(micro-O2CCH3)4]0/+ and [Ru2(micro-O2CCH3)4(H2O)2]0/+ systems made us confident in our calculation methodology. Therefore, it has been applied to the analysis of two different kinds of properties of these compounds: the trends in the UV/vis spectroscopy and electrochemistry along the [Ru2(micro-O2CCH3)4X2]- (X=Cl-, Br-, I-) series, and the crystalline polymorphism related to the polymeric strand conformation in extended Ru2(micro-O2CR)4Cl compounds. For the [Ru2(micro-O2CCH3)4X2]- series, we report new spectroscopic and electrochemical results and interpret the trends on the basis of time dependent DFT-polarized continuum model calculations, local charge and spin analysis, and X donor properties. As far as the polymeric conformation is concerned, it has been previously suggested that the Ru-Cl-Ru angle results from a compromise between packing, orbital overlap, and microsegregation. Our calculations on [Ru2(micro-O2CCH3)4Cl]2Cl- and [Ru2(micro-O2CCH3)4Cl]3Cl- oligomers provide insights on the influence of the first two factors on the strand conformation and allows a suggestion on what is the equatorial aliphatic chain's influence on this issue.