Controlling Electronic Events Through Rational Structural Design in Subphthalocyanine–Corrole Dyads: Synthesis,Characterization, and Photophysical Properties

Porphyrinoids are considered perfect candidates for their incorporation into electron donor–acceptor (D–A) arrays due to their remarkable optoelectronic properties and low reorganization energies. For the first time, a series of subphthalocyanine (SubPc) and corrole (Cor) were covalently connected through a short-range linkage. SubPc axial substitution strategies were employed, which allowed the synthesis of the target molecules in decent yields. In this context, a qualitative synthetic approach was performed to reverse the expected direction of the different electronic events. Consequently, in-depth absorption, fluorescence, and electrochemical assays enabled the study of electronic and photophysical properties. Charge separation was observed in cases of electron-donating Cors, whereas a quantitative energy transfer from the Cor to the SubPc was detected in the case of electron accepting Cors.     

Causal loop diagrams as a de-escalation technique

Escalation of commitment, the tendency of decision makers to keep on investing in losing courses of action, has been shown to be a costly decision bias that affects many areas of decision making. Even though escalation is a widely studied phenomenon, there has been comparatively little research on how to avoid this bias. The present study focuses on de-escalation of commitment and proposes that causal loop diagrams (CLDs) can help to decrease escalating commitment to a failing course of action. By means of an experiment, this study shows that using a CLD decreases escalation tendencies.     

Raman spectroscopic investigations of natural jennite from Maroldsweisach,Bavaria, Germany

A full‐range pattern (100–3700 cm⁻¹) analysis of natural jennite was performed for the first time by Raman spectroscopy, applying a polarized laser at a wavelength of 532 nm. A prominent structural feature of jennite is the preferred orientation of Si‐tetrahedron and Ca‐octahedron chains parallel [010]. The latter ones are additionally coupled to H₂O molecules and OH groups. This arrangement leads to a strong dependence on orientation for the intensity ratios of mainly three different regions in the Raman spectra: 180–210, 950–1050 and 3100–3650 cm⁻¹. These sections can be assigned to Ca–O lattice vibrations, Q² Si–tetrahedron stretching and O–H vibrations of H₂O molecules and Ca–OH structures, respectively. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Different coordination modes of the dimethyldisulfide ligand in trimethylplatinum(IV) complexes

The reaction of [PtMe₃(bpy)(Me₂CO)](BF₄) (2) (prepared from [PtMe₃I(bpy)] (1) plus Ag(BF₄)) with MeSSMe resulted in the formation of [PtMe₃(bpy)(MeSSMe-κS)](BF₄) (3). A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed in the octahedral Pt(IV) complex (configuration index: OC-6-33), a conformation of the monodentately κS bound MeSSMe ligand (C–S–S–C 92.7(4)°) being very close to that in non-coordinated MeSSMe, thus allowing some hyperconjugative interaction stabilizing the S–S bond. The reaction of [K(18C6)][(PtMe₃)₂(μ-I)(μ-pz)₂] (4; 18C6 = 18-crown-6, Hpz = pyrazole) with Ag(BF₄) and MeSSMe resulted in the formation of dinuclear complexes [(PtMe₃)₂(μ-pz)₂(μ-MeSSMe)] existing at room temperature in acetone solution as different fast interconverting isomers. At –40 °C, two isomers with a μ-1κS:2κS (5a) and a μ-1κS:2κS′ (5b) coordinated MeSSMe ligand in the ratio 2:1 could be identified ¹H NMR spectroscopically. DFT calculations of type 5 complexes revealed the existence of two conformers with a μ-MeSSMe-1κS:2κS ligand, which differ mainly in the C–S–S–C dihedral angle (66.4 vs. 180.0° 6a/6a′). They have essentially the same energy and a very low activation barrier in acetone as solvent (1.3 kcal/mol) for their mutual interconversion. A further equilibrium structure was identified to be an isomer having a μ-MeSSMe-1κS:2κS′ ligand (6b) that proved to be only 1.9 kcal/mol higher in energy than 6a/6a′.     

Cobalt(II) Complexes of Nitrile‐Functionalized Ionic Liquids

A series of nitrile‐functionalized ionic liquids were found to exhibit temperature‐dependent miscibility (thermomorphism) with the lower alcohols. Their coordinating abilities toward cobalt(II) ions were investigated through the dissolution process of cobalt(II) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and were found to depend on the donor abilities of the nitrile group. The crystal structures of the cobalt(II) solvates [Co(C₁C_1CNPyr)₂(Tf₂N)₄] and [Co(C₁C_2CNPyr)₆][Tf₂N]₈, which were isolated from ionic‐liquid solutions, gave an insight into the coordination chemistry of functionalized ionic liquids. Smooth layers of cobalt metal could be obtained by electrodeposition of the cobalt‐containing ionic liquids.     

The Use of Second‐Harmonic Generation to Study Diffusion through Films under a Liquid Phase

Knowledge of the diffusion of chemicals through buried films is important for a wide variety of systems—from sensing to drug delivery. Herein, we show that second‐harmonic generation (SHG) can be used to follow the diffusion through a thin film buried under a liquid in situ. More specifically, the diffusion of 4‐(4‐diethylaminostyryl)‐1‐methylpyridinium iodide through zeolite precursor films of different thickness is followed. The diffusion coefficients are calculated according to Fick’s law.     

The unexpected role of pyridine-2-carboxylic acid in manganese based oxidation catalysis with pyridin-2-yl based ligands

A number of manganese-based catalysts employing ligands whose structures incorporate pyridyl groups have been reported previously to achieve both high turnover numbers and selectivity in the oxidation of alkenes and alcohols, using H(2)O(2) as terminal oxidant. Here we report our recent finding that these ligands decompose in situ to pyridine-2-carboxylic acid and its derivatives, in the presence of a manganese source, H(2)O(2) and a base. Importantly, the decomposition occurs prior to the onset of catalysed oxidation of organic substrates. It is found that the pyridine-2-carboxylic acid formed, together with a manganese source, provides for the observed catalytic activity. The degradation of this series of pyridyl ligands to pyridine-2-carboxylic acid under reaction conditions is demonstrated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. In all cases the activity and selectivity of the manganese/pyridyl containing ligand systems are identical to that observed with the corresponding number of equivalents of pyridine-2-carboxylic acid; except that, when pyridine-2-carboxylic acid is used directly, a lag phase is not observed and the efficiency in terms of the number of equivalents of H(2)O(2) required decreases from 6-8 equiv. with the pyridin-2-yl based ligands to 1-1.5 equiv. with pyridine-2-carboxylic acid.     

A practical approach to screen for authorised and unauthorised genetically modified plants

In routine analysis, screening methods based on real-time PCR are most commonly used for the detection of genetically modified (GM) plant material in food and feed. In this paper, it is shown that the combination of five DNA target sequences can be used as a universal screening approach for at least 81 GM plant events authorised or unauthorised for placing on the market and described in publicly available databases. Except for maize event LY038, soybean events DP-305423 and BPS-CV127-9 and cotton event 281-24-236 × 3006-210-23, at least one of the five genetic elements has been inserted in these GM plants and is targeted by this screening approach. For the detection of these sequences, fully validated real-time PCR methods have been selected. A screening table is presented that describes the presence or absence of the target sequences for most of the listed GM plants. These data have been verified either theoretically according to available databases or experimentally using available reference materials. The screening table will be updated regularly by a network of German enforcement laboratories.