Classical, phenomenological analysis of the kinetics of reactions at the gas-exposed surface of mixed ionic electronic conductors

The kinetics of reactions occurring at the gas-exposed surfaces of charged mixed ionic electronic conductors (MIECs) are examined from theoretical first principles. Analysis based on the classical electrochemical potential-transition state theory model reveals that the nature of the reactions is electrochemical in general. However, the influence of the surface potential on the reaction rate is opposite for adsorption and incorporation reactions. Two-dimensional finite volume models of an MIEC as working electrode in a half-cell configuration are presented. The results for a simple, two-step reduction process show that the effect of the surface potential on the rate of reactions is minimal for incorporation-limited reactions but more influential for adsorption-limited reactions. An erratum to this article is available at .     

A New Method to Examine Interfacial Reactions of a Multilayered System NiAl–Hf–hBN on a Sapphire Fibre

Fibre reinforced NiAl offers new possibilities for the development of high strength structural materials of low density applicable in gas turbines at high operating temperatures. The properties of composite materials are strongly influenced by the strength of the fibre–matrix interface. In addition, if fibre and matrix differ in their thermal expansion coefficients, a well controlled interface reaction at high temperature changes is demanded. Therefore, two layers consisting of BN and Hf were embedded between a sapphire fibre and NiAl and heated at 1350 °C to find a compromise between adhesion and ductility. The control and characterization of the reaction zone is essential for the development of these new materials. Especially, the characterization of the fibre-coating interface is a challenge. The different hardness of fibre and coating makes it nearly impossible to use a conventional cross-section preparation. Further, the small dimension of the reaction zone requires the use of analytical techniques providing high lateral resolution. In order to accomplish these requirements, a newly developed technique FIB (Focused Ion Beam)-EPMA (Electron Probe Microanalysis) was combined with XRD (X-ray diffraction). XRD was performed for the identification of the phases. The reaction zone was exposed by a special FIB preparation technique and examined by surface-sensitive EPMA. This allowed to determine the spatial distribution of the different phases.     

RNA unrestrained molecular dynamics ensemble improves agreement with experimental NMR data compared to single static structure: a test case

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provides structural and dynamic information reflecting an average, often non-linear, of multiple solution-state conformations. Therefore, a single optimized structure derived from NMR refinement may be misleading if the NMR data actually result from averaging of distinct conformers. It is hypothesized that a conformational ensemble generated by a valid molecular dynamics (MD) simulation should be able to improve agreement with the NMR data set compared with the single optimized starting structure. Using a model system consisting of two sequence-related self-complementary ribonucleotide octamers for which NMR data was available, 0.3 ns particle mesh Ewald MD simulations were performed in the AMBER force field in the presence of explicit water and counterions. Agreement of the averaged properties of the molecular dynamics ensembles with NMR data such as homonuclear proton nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE)-based distance constraints, homonuclear proton and heteronuclear ¹H–³¹P coupling constant (J) data, and qualitative NMR information on hydrogen bond occupancy, was systematically assessed. Despite the short length of the simulation, the ensemble generated from it agreed with the NMR experimental constraints more completely than the single optimized NMR structure. This suggests that short unrestrained MD simulations may be of utility in interpreting NMR results. As expected, a 0.5 ns simulation utilizing a distance dependent dielectric did not improve agreement with the NMR data, consistent with its inferior exploration of conformational space as assessed by 2-D RMSD plots. Thus, ability to rapidly improve agreement with NMR constraints may be a sensitive diagnostic of the MD methods themselves.     

Phospholipids from some common fungi associated with damp building materials

Methods for the analysis of fungal biomass in contaminated building materials have been limited to methods that use viable propagules as well as indicators of total biomass such as fungal glucan and ergosterol. Because of large differences in the survival times of spores, and limitations imposed by the use of agar media to assess fungal cells for the former approach, no quantitative information and poor qualitative information is obtained. The use of the biochemical indicators provides reliable quantitative information but no qualitative data. Analysis of phospholipids of various bacteria and, recently, of fungi common in outdoor air has provided both qualitative and quantitative data on their distributions in various substrates including in outdoor air samples. In this report, we provide new data on the signature lipids of some fungi common on moldy building materials. Using the LC/MS/MS analysis described, an estimate can be made of the fresh weight of fungal cells and the relative abundance of the common genera of fungi typically found on moldy materials.     

Ultra-rapid separation of an angiotensin mixture in nanochannels using shear-driven chromatography

The present paper reports on the separation of a mixture of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled angiotensin I and II peptides in a shear-driven nanochannel with a C18-coating and using an eluent consisting of 5% acetonitrile in 0.02 M aqueous phosphate buffer at pH 6.5. The flat-rectangular nanochannel in fused silica consisted of an etched structure in combination with a flat moving wall. The very fast separation kinetics that can be achieved in a nanochannel allowed to separate the angiotensin peptides in less then 0.2 s in a distance of only 1.8 mm. Plate heights as small as 0.4 microm were calculated after substraction of the injection effect.     

Electronic structure and molecular properties of the heptacyanorhenate [Re(CN)7]3- and [Re(CN)7]4- complexes

We report scalar relativistic and Dirac scattered wave (DSW) calculations on the heptacyanorhenate [Re(CN)7](3-) and Re(CN)7(4-) complexes. Both the ground and lowest excited states of each complex split by spin-orbit interaction by about 0.3 eV. The calculated molecular electronegativities chi indicate that the open-shell complex is less reactive than the closed-shell complex, in agreement with experimental observations. The calculations indicate that the ground state spin density is highly anisotropic and that spin-orbit effects are responsible for the magnetic anisotropy of the molecular g tensor of the Re(CN)7(3-) complex. The calculated optical electronic transitions for both complexes with a polarizable continuum model using a time-dependent density functional (TDDFT)/B3LYP formalism are in reasonable agreement with those observed in the absorption spectrum.     

Zinc and Cobalt Complexes Derived from Tetradentate Tripodal Ligands with N2O2 Donorset as Model Compounds for Phosphatases

Starting from the tripodal tetradentate ligands ‐(3,5‐dibromo‐2‐hydroxybenzyl)(2‐hydroxybenzyl)(2‐pyridyl)methylamine (H₂L1), (3,5‐dibromo‐2‐hydroxybenzyl)(2‐hydroxy‐5‐nitrobenzyl)(2‐pyridyl)methylamine (H₂L2), and (3,5‐dichloro2‐hydroxybenzyl)(2‐hydroxy‐5‐nitrobenzyl)(2‐pyridyl)methylamine (H₂L3) the new isostructural dinuclear zinc compounds [Zn₂(L1)₂]·N(CH₂CH₃)₃ ( 1 ), [Zn₂(L2)₂]·2CH₃OH ( 2 ) and [Zn₂(L3)₂]·C₄H₁₀O ( 3 ) were synthesized. Due to their enzyme‐like trigonal bipyramidal N₂O₃ coordination environment of the zinc ions and the similar Zn···Zn distances the complexes can be considered to be structural models for the active sites in phospholipase C and nuclease P1. With H₂L3 also the dinuclear complex [Co₂(L2)₂(CH₃OH)]·2CH₃OH·0.5C₄H₁₀O ( 4 ) could be prepared. The new compounds were isolated and characterized by single crystal X‐ray crystallography as well as infrared spectroscopy. The cobalt compound 4 was additionally characterized by UV‐Vis spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with a = 11.2814(2), b = 28.6154(2), c = 13.1866(3) Å, β = 96.995(1)°, V = 4225.2(2) ų, Z = 4. 2 and 3 are monoclinic, space group C2/c with a = 23.084(5), b = 9.232(2), c = 21.849(4) Å, &β; = 96.83(3)°, V = 4623(2) ų, Z = 4, and a = 22.7834(3), b = 9.2463(1), c = 21.6351(3) Å, &β; = 97.592(1)°, V = 4517.7(2) ų, Z = 4, respectively. 4 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group I2/a with a = 22.4680(4), b = 20.5517(4), c = 22.8910(6) Å, &β; = 111.938(1)°, V = 9804.7(4) ų, Z = 8. 4 shows an effective magnetic moment of 6.72 μ_B at 300 K which clearly indicates the presence of two cobalt(II) high spin ions with Curie‐Weiss behaviour above 80 K. At lower temperatures a decrease of the effective magnetic moment was observed.     

Photophysical characterization of imidazolium-substituted Pd(II), In(III), and Zn(II) porphyrins as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy

The photophysical properties of four imidazolium-substituted metalloporphyrins have been assessed to gain insights into the relative efficacy of the compounds for photodynamic therapy (PDT). A set of zinc(II), palladium(II), and chloro-indium(III) porphyrins all bear a net positive charge owing to the diethylimidazolium unit; one zinc chelate bears a negative charge owing to a bis(sulfobutyl)imidazolium unit. The photophysical properties of the cationic and anionic zinc porphyrins are very similar to one another in organic solvents, phosphate-buffered saline, and in the presence of bovine serum albumin. The properties of the zinc and palladium porphyrins bearing charged peripheral groups are generally similar to those of neutral analogs in organic solvents. The palladium porphyrin shows an essentially quantitative yield (≥0.99) of the triplet excited state compared to the zinc porphyrins (0.9), and all are quantitatively quenched (at the diffusion limit) by molecular oxygen in air-saturated fluid solution. If the rate constant and yield of quenching of the triplet excited state by energy or electron transfer to molecular oxygen is the same in the cellular environment as in solution, then these processes combined with the triplet yield contribute only a factor of 1.3 to the higher PDT activity of analogous palladium versus zinc porphyrins, which is much smaller than what is observed. Therefore, other factors such as transient reduction of the excited porphyrin or delivery to the target site must predominantly underlie the difference in PDT efficacy of these sensitizers.     

Effect of sorbed methanol, current, and temperature on multicomponent transport in nafion-based direct methanol fuel cells

The CO2 in the cathode exhaust of a liquid feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has two sources: methanol diffuses through the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to the cathode where it is catalytically oxidized to CO2; additionally, a portion of the CO2 produced at the anode diffuses through the MEA to the cathode. The potential-dependent CO2 exhaust from the cathode was monitored by online electrochemical mass spectrometry (ECMS) with air and with H2 at the cathode. The precise determination of the crossover rates of methanol and CO2, enabled by the subtractive normalization of the methanol/air to the methanol/H2 ECMS data, shows that methanol decreases the membrane viscosity and thus increases the diffusion coefficients of sorbed membrane components. The crossover of CO2 initially increases linearly with the Faradaic oxidation of methanol, reaches a temperature-dependent maximum, and then decreases. The membrane viscosity progressively increases as methanol is electrochemically depleted from the anode/electrolyte interface. The crossover maximum occurs when the current dependence of the diffusion coefficients and membrane CO2 solubility dominate over the Faradaic production of CO2. The plasticizing effect of methanol is corroborated by measurements of the rotational diffusion of TEMPONE (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone N-oxide) spin probe by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. A linear inverse relationship between the methanol crossover rate and current density confirms the absence of methanol electro-osmotic drag at concentrations relevant to operating DMFCs. The purely diffusive transport of methanol is explained in terms of current proton solvation and methanol-water incomplete mixing theories.