Synthesis and Structural Determination of the Disordered Bixbyite Cu3‐xSb1+xO5.5+3x/2 with Spin‐Glass Behaviour

The ternary copper antimony oxide Cu_3‐xSb_1+xO_5.5+3x/2 (x=0.23) has been synthesized under 0.8–1.3 MPa pO₂ at 1022–1082 °C. Rietveld refinements of X‐ray and neutron powder diffraction patterns concluded that the oxide adopts a bixbyite type structure, crystallising in the cubic space group Ia‐3 with the unit cell parameter a=9.61164(4) Å at room temperature from powder neutron diffraction data. The cationic 8b and 24d sites were found to be occupationally disordered where both Cu and Sb could be found on both sites. This is supported by X‐ray absorption spectroscopy experiments showing more than one possible Cu environment. There was a significant net deficiency of oxygen in the compound which was first inferred from observations of a thermochromic‐like phenomena and also seen from in situ high temperature neutron diffraction experiments. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization measurements show paramagnetic behaviour with spin‐glass like transition below 6 K.     

Ionic conductivity and thermal expansion of anion-deficient Sr11Mo4O23 perovskite

Transport properties of perovskite-type Sr₁₁Mo₄O₂₃ and composite Sr₁₁Mo₄O₂₃ - 1 wt% Al₂O₃ were studied at 400–1300 K in the oxygen partial pressure range from 0.21 down to 10⁻¹⁹ atm. The electromotive force and faradaic efficiency measurements, in combination with the energy-dispersive spectroscopy of the fractured electrochemical cells, unambiguously showed prevailing role of the oxygen ionic conductivity under oxidizing conditions. At temperatures above 600 K, protonic and cationic transport can be neglected. The oxygen ion transference numbers vary in the range of 0.95–1.00 at 973–1223 K. At temperatures lower than 550 K, the total conductivity of Sr₁₁Mo₄O₂₃ - 1 wt% Al₂O₃ composite measured by impedance spectroscopy tends to increase in wet atmospheres, thus indicating that hydration and protonic transport become significant. Reducing oxygen partial pressure below 10⁻¹⁰–10⁻⁹ atm leads to a significant increase in the n-type electronic conduction. The average thermal expansion coefficients in oxidizing atmospheres are (14.3–15.0) × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ at 340–740 K and (18.3–19.2) × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ at 870–1370 K.

     

Ferromagnetically Coupled S=1 Chains in Crystals of Verdazyl-Nitronyl Nitroxide Diradicals

Thermally stable organic diradicals with a triplet ground state along with large singlet-triplet energy gap have significant potential for advanced technological applications. A series of phenylene-bridged diradicals with oxoverdazyl and nitronyl nitroxide units were synthesized via a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of iodoverdazyls with a nitronyl nitroxide-2-ide gold(I) complex with high yields. The diradicals exhibit high stability and do not decompose in an inert atmosphere up to 180 °C. For the diradicals, both substantial AF (ΔE_ST≈−64 cm⁻¹) and FM (ΔE_ST≥25 and 100 cm⁻¹) intramolecular exchange interactions were observed. The sign of the exchange interaction is determined both by the bridging moiety (para- or meta-phenylene) and by the type of oxoverdazyl block (C-linked or N-linked). Upon crystallization, diradicals with the triplet ground state form unique one-dimensional exchange-coupled chains with strong intra- and weak inter-diradical ferromagnetic coupling.     

Combinatorial discovery of fluorescent pharmacophores by multicomponent reactions in droplet arrays

Fluorescence imaging in clinical diagnostics and biomedical research relies to a great extent on the use of small organic fluorescent probes. Because of the difficulty of combining fluorescent and molecular-recognition properties, the development of such probes has been severely restricted to a number of well-known fluorescent scaffolds. Here we demonstrate that autofluorescing druglike molecules are a valuable source of bioimaging probes. Combinatorial synthesis and screening of chemical libraries in droplet microarrays allowed the identification of new types of fluorophores. Their concise and clean assembly by a multicomponent reaction presents a unique potential for the one-step synthesis of thousands of structurally diverse fluorescent molecules. Because they are based upon a druglike scaffold, these fluorophores retain their molecular recognition potential and can be used to design specific imaging probes.     

Synthesis of stereoarray isotope labeled (SAIL) lysine via the "head-to-tail" conversion of SAIL glutamic acid

A stereoarray isotope labeled (SAIL) lysine, (2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-[3,4,5,6-(2)H(4);1,2,3,4,5,6-(13)C(6);2,6-(15)N(2)]lysine, was synthesized by the "head-to-tail" conversion of SAIL-Glu, (2S,3S,4R)-[3,4-(2)H(2);1,2,3,4,5-(13)C(5);2-(15)N]glutamic acid, with high stereospecificities for all five chiral centers. With the SAIL-Lys in hand, the unambiguous simultaneous stereospecific assignments were able to be established for each of the prochiral protons within the four methylene groups of the Lys side chains in proteins.     

Amidines derived from Pt(IV)-mediated nitrile-amino alcohol coupling and their Zn(II)-catalyzed conversion into oxazolines

The reaction between the platinum(IV) complex trans-[PtCl(4)(EtCN)(2)] and the amino alcohols NH(2)CH(2)CH(2)OH, NH(2)CH(2)CH(Me)OH-(R)-(-), NH(2)CH(Ph)CH(2)OH-(R)-(-), NH(2)CH(Et)CH(2)OH-(R)-(-), NH(2)CH(Et)CH(2)OH-(S)-(+), and NH(2)CH(Pr(n)())CH(2)OH proceeds rapidly at room temperature in CH(2)Cl(2) to furnish the amidine complexes [PtCl(4)(HN=C(Et)NH(arcraise;)OH)(2)] (1-6) in good yield (70-80%). The related reaction between the platinum(II) complex trans-[PtCl(2)(EtCN)(2)] and monoethanolamine in a molar ratio of 1:2 in CH(2)Cl(2) results in the addition of 4 equiv of NH(2)CH(2)CH(2)OH per mole of complex to give [Pt(HN=C(Et)NHCH(2)CH(2)OH)(2)(NH(2)CH(2)CH(2)OH)(2)](2+) (7). Formulation of 1-6 is based upon satisfactory C, H, N elemental analyses, electrospray mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, and (1)H, (13)C((1)H), (15)N, and (195)Pt NMR spectroscopies, while the structures of trans-[PtCl(4)((Z)-NH=C(Et)NHCH(2)CH(2)OH)(2)] (1), trans-[PtCl(4)((Z)-NH=C(Et)NHCH(2)CH(Me)OH-(R)-(-))(2)] (2), and trans-[PtCl(4)((Z)-NH=C(Et)NHCH(Et)CH(2)OH-(R)-(-))(2)] (4) were determined by X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The Z-amidine configuration of the ligands is preserved in CDCl(3) solutions as confirmed by gradient-enhanced (15)N,(1)H-HMQC spectroscopy and NOE experiments. The amidines, formed upon Pt(IV)-mediated nitrile-amino alcohol coupling, were liberated from their platinum(IV) complexes 1, 3, and 4 by reaction with Ph(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PPh(2) (dppe) giving free NH=C(Et)NHCHRCH(2)OH (R = H 8, Et 9, Ph 10), with the substituents R of different types, and dppe oxides; the P-containing species were identified by (31)P((1)H) NMR spectroscopy. NOESY spectroscopy indicates that the liberated amidines retained the same configuration relative to the C=N double bond, i.e., syn-(H,Et)-NH=C(Et)NHCHRCH(2)OH. The liberated hydroxo-functionalized amidines 8-10 were converted into oxazolines (11-13) in the presence of a catalytic amount of ZnCl(2). A similar catalytic effect has also been reached using anhydrous MSO(4) (M = Cu, Co, Cd), CdCl(2), and AlCl(3).     

Complexes of titanium and zirconium based on [C5Me4CH2-(2-C5H4N)] ligand

Half-sandwich [η⁵:η¹-κN-C₅Me₄CH₂-(2-C₅H₄N)]MCl₃ (M = Ti (4), Zr (5)) and sandwich [η⁵-C₅Me₄CH₂-(2-C₅H₄N)][η⁵-C₅Me₅]ZrCl₂ (6) ring-peralkylated complexes have been prepared and characterized. Evidence of the intramolecular coordination of the side-chain pyridyl group both in 4 and 5 in solutions is provided by NMR spectroscopy data. Crystal structure of an adduct 5-py with one molecule of pyridine has been established by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Phase modulation and ellipticity of the light transmitted through a smectic C* layer with short helix pitch

A chiral ferroelectric smectic C* liquid crystal (FLC) with the helix pitch p ₀?=?330 nm was developed to avoid any scattering of visible light when the helix is not unwound over a certain limit. Planar cells with different FLC layer thickness (16 and 44 μm) have been assembled with helix axis parallel to the glass plates and aligned along the rubbing direction. The ellipticity of the light passing through the cells vs. the electric field was investigated, and a method for evaluating the electrically controlled birefringence via ellipticity measurements has been established. We have found that the FLC cell is an optical retardation layer driven by the electric field, the effective birefringence being proportional to the square electric field. The physical origin of the electrically controlled phase shift of the light passing through the FLC layer has been analysed.     

Synthesis and Some Properties of Sols Prepared by Hydrolysis of Lanthanum Nitrate

The procedure for synthesis of hydrosols by hydrolysis of lanthanum nitrate was developed. The range of pH values was established corresponding to the maximum aggregation stability of sols. The photon-correlation spectroscopy was applied to determine the average hydrodynamic radius of sol particles, equal to 50 nm. The thresholds of fast coagulation of sol in the presence of sodium nitrate and sodium sulfate were determined.