Sensitively probing the cofactor redox species and photo-induced electron transfer of wild-type and pheophytin-replaced photosynthetic proteins reconstituted in self-assembled monolayers

An ultrathin, ordered, and packed protein film, consisting of the 2-mercaptoacetic acid (MAA), polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride (PDDA), and wild-type (WT) photosynthetic reaction center (RC; termed as WT-RC) or its pheophytin (Phe)-replaced counterpart (termed as Phe-RC), was fabricated by self-assembling technique onto gold electrode for facilitating the electron transfer (ET) between RC and the electrode surface. Near-infrared (NIR)-visible (Vis) absorption and fluorescence (FL) emission spectra revealed the influence of pigment substitution on the cofactors arrangement and excitation relaxation of the proteins, respectively. Square wave voltammetry (SWV) and photoelectric tests were employed to systematically address the differences between the WT-RC films and mutant ones on the direct and photo-induced ET. The electrochemical results demonstrated that ET initiated by the oxidation of the primary donor (P) was obviously slowed down, and the formed P⁺ had more population as well as more positive redox potential in the Phe-RC films compared with those in the WT ones. The photoelectrochemical results displayed the dramatically enhanced photoelectric performances of the mutant ones, further suggesting the slow-down formation of final charge-separated state in Phe-RC. The functionalized protein films introduced in this paper provided an efficient approach to sensitively probe the redox cofactors and ET differences resulting from only minor changes in pigment arrangement in the pigment–protein complex. The favored ET process observed for the membrane proteins RC was potentially valuable for a deep understanding of the multi-step biological ET process and development of versatile bioelectronic devices.     

Development of a non-invasive method for the determination of the macroscopic neutron cross sections of a sample matrix in large-sample prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis

In order to correct for neutron self-shielding in large-sample prompt gamma NAA, a method has been developed to determine the macroscopic scattering and absorption cross sections, i.e., Σ _a and Σ _s, using four Cu flux monitors placed around the sample. With Monte Carlo computations, the neutron densities throughout the sample and the resulting and the corresponding self-shielding factor as calculated from the Σ _a and Σ _s as obtained through the Cu monitors were compared to the true values. The derived Σ _a and Σ _s were found to be sufficiently accurate as long as Σ _t = Σ _a + Σ _s was less than 0.6 cm⁻¹ and Σ _s/Σ _t was greater than 0.1.     

Thermal analysis and microscopical characterization of cholesterol in gallstones

Summary Cholesterol constitutes the major component of most gallstones. It was identified and determined in gallstones by thermal analysis technique (DSC and TG-DTA), mainly by the use of the melting temperature (T_onset=145°C and T_max=149°C) and by DTG peak decomposition (T_max=364°C). Cholesterol anhydrous (ChA), which showed endothermic polymorphic peak, T_max=40°C, without mass loss, was differentiated from cholesterol monohydrate (ChH), which showed a broad endothermic peak, T_max=59°C, attributed to loss of water of crystallization (theoretical 4.45%). Morphological studies of gallstones were performed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The stones consisted of a pigmented core with a variably-sized irregular central cavity, surrounded by a radially arranged deposits of plate-like ChH. The outer part of the stones showed ChA crystal arborescences. X-ray microanalysis gave a typical spectrum rich in C and O, and in some instances the presence of P, which was attributed to the presence of phospholipids. CaCO₃ was easily characterized by TG with the use of DTG decomposition peak at 674°C.     

Stereocontrol in Organic Synthesis Using the Diphenylphosphoryl Group

In 1959, Horner showed that metalated alkyldiphenylphosphane oxides react with aldehydes or ketones to give alkenes. With this reaction, the diphenylphosphoryl (Ph₂PO) group made its entrance into synthetic organic chemistry. In the thirty-six years since that date, extensive research has shown that this olefination, the Horner–Wittig reaction, has unique properties that make it much more than simply the phosphane oxide cousin of the more famous phosphorus-based olefinations—the Wittig reaction (based on phosphonium salts) and the Wadsworth–Emmons reaction (based on phosphonate esters). Early work on the Horner–Wittig reaction concentrated on the reactivity of phosphane oxides and the regioselectivity of their reactions, but more recently the power of the Ph₂PO group to control the stereochemistry of alkenes, and to produce “on demand” either stereoisomer in high stereochemical purity, has emerged. From the study of these stereocontrolled Horner–Wittig reactions arose the realization that the Ph₂PO group is useful not only for the control of the two-dimensional stereochemistry of alkenes, but also of three-dimensional stereochemistry in general. After a brief introduction to phosphane oxide chemistry, this review will examine the Horner–Wittig reaction, in both its original and “stereocontrolled” varieties. From there, we will move on to an account of the stereoselective construction of molecules containing the Ph₂PO group, concentrating on the stereochemical directing effects of the Ph₂PO group and on the role of its unique combination of attributes—steric bulk, electronegativity, and Lewis basicity—in controlling these reactions. Finally, we will present what is intended as a practical guide to this chemistry, covering the type of functionalized alkenes that have been made with the help of the Ph₂PO group and giving guidelines that we hope will help the organic chemist to make the most of the chemistry the Ph₂PO group has to offer.     

Photocatalytic oxidation of phenol in aqueous solutions with oxygen catalyzed by supported metallophthalocyanine catalyst

In this paper, zinc tetraaminophthalocyanine (Zn-APc) was immobilized on cellulosic fiber by covalent bond to obtain a novel cellulosic fiber supported metallophthalocyanine, named Zn-TDTAPc-F. At pH 11, upon visible light irradiation for 6 h in the presence of O2, Zn-TDTAPc-F was found to be highly effective for the degradation of phenol in aqueous solution, and the degradation rate of phenol was more than 95%. HPLC was used to confirm formic acid, fumaric acid and maleic acid as its main degradation products.     

Paradigms and paradoxes: patterns and estimation of the entropy of formation of aqueous hydrogen containing mono and polynuclear oxyanions

“Simple” energetic patterns, where simple means the use of parameters derived only from the stoichiometry of these species, are relatively rarely discussed in the literature. In addition, entropy studies have been dominated by derivation of the absolute quantity S° rather than the entropy of formation (TΔ_f S ^o). Relationships between the entropy of formation and different parameters such as negative value of the charge of the species, the number of oxygen atoms, the natural logarithm of the molecular weight, the total number of atoms and the number of central atoms that are gases were recently discussed by us for aqueous polynuclear oxyanions. As shown here hydrogen containing anions do not follow this pattern. In this study, new approaches for the estimation of the entropy of formation of aqueous hydrogen containing mono and polynuclear oxyanions are suggested, evaluated and recommended.     

A sequential molecular mechanics/quantum mechanics study of the electronic spectra of amides

We report gas-phase electronic spectra of formamide, N-methyformamide, acetamide, and N-methylacetamide at 300 K calculated using a combination of classical molecular dynamics and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). In comparison to excitation energies computed using the global minima structures, the valence npi* and pi(nb)pi* states show a significant red-shift of 0.1-0.35 eV, while smaller shifts are found for the n3s and pi(nb)3s Rydberg states. In this work, we have identified the physical origin of these shifts arising from variations of the molecular structure. We present simple relationships between key geometrical parameters and spectral shifts. Consequently, electronic spectra can be generated directly from ground-state structures, without additional quantum chemical calculations. The electronic spectrum of formamide in aqueous solution is computed using TDDFT using an explicit solvent model. This provides a quantitative determination of the condensed-phase spectrum. In general, this study shows that temperature effects can change the predicted excitation energies significantly and demonstrates how electronic spectra at elevated temperatures can be computed in a computationally efficient way.     

Ferromagnetism in Metallocene-Doped Fullerenes

 Ferromagnetism in fullerene-based systems doped with metallocenes is reviewed. These compounds form a ferromagnetic state by spin-coupling between π electrons on fullerene units, while the metallocene molecules do not contribute to the spin ordering. One of these compounds has the highest critical temperature (19 K) for this class of compound. The magnetic properties of these materials are very strongly dependent on the crystallization conditions. Corresponding author. E-mail: Dragan.Mihailovic@ijs.si Received September 4, 2002; accepted September 6, 2002     

Experimental measurement and prediction of hydrate forming conditions in the nitrogen-propane-water system

Experimental data on initial hydrate formation conditions have been obtained for the nitrogen-propane-water system in the L₁HG, L₁L₂H, and L₁L₂HG regions, where L₁ is the water rich liquid phase, L₂ is the hydrocarbon rich liquid phase, H is the hydrate and the G is the vapor phase. The measurements covered a range of temperatures from about 275 to 293 K and pressures from about 0.3 to 17.0 MPa. The concentrations covered for the L₁HG region extended from 0.94 to 75.0 mole percent propane in the gas phase, and for the L₁L₂H region they extended from 83.1 to 99.0 mole percent in the condensed liquid phase. Four-phase measurements were made at concentrations of propane from 18.1 to 71.1 mole percent in the gas phase.The experimental data were used to find a fitted binary interaction parameter for predicting hydrate formation in systems containing nitrogen and propane.     

Application of the energy gap law to the decay of charge transfer excited states,solvent effects

Values of non-radiative decay rate constants (k_nr) and emission energies (E_cm) have been obtained for Os(Phen₃)²⁺ in a series of solvents and the results are consistent with the energy gap law. For hydroxylic solvents like water or methanol related studies suggest the existence of strong, specific contributions to the vibrational trapping energy of the solvent.