New oxypnictide superconductors: PrOFe1−xCoxAs

Oxypnictides of the type PrOFe_1−xCo_xAs (x≤0.3) were synthesized for the first time by the sealed tube method. All the compounds were found to be monophasic and crystallize in the tetragonal ZrCuSiAs type structure (space group=P4/nmm) and the lattice parameters (a and c) decrease with increase in cobalt content. Mössbauer measurements of the compounds indicate low spin Fe²⁺ in tetrahedral coordination. Resistivity and magnetization studies reveal superconducting transitions in compounds with ‘x’=0.05, 0.10 and 0.15, with maximum transition temperature (T_c) at ∼14 K in the compound with ‘x’=0.1. The variation of resistivity with temperature under different magnetic field has been studied to estimate the upper critical field (H_c2) (∼50.2 T for the ‘x’=0.1 composition). The Seebeck and Hall coefficient (R_H) suggests electron type charge carriers in these compound and the charge carrier density increases with increase in Co-doping.     

Hydrophobic self-assembly of a perylenediimide-linked DNA dumbbell into supramolecular polymers

The self-assembly of DNA dumbbell conjugates possessing hydrophobic perylenediimide (PDI) linkers separated by an eight-base pair A-tract has been investigated. Cryo-TEM images obtained from dilute solutions of the dumbbell in aqueous buffer containing 100 mM NaCl show the presence of structures corresponding to linear end-to-end assemblies of 10-30 dumbbell monomers. The formation of assemblies of this size is consistent with analysis of the UV-vis and fluorescence spectra of these solutions for the content of PDI monomer and dimer chromophores. Assembly size is dependent upon the concentration of dumbbell and salt as well as the temperature. Kinetic analysis of the assembly process by means of salt-jump stopped-flow measurements shows that it occurs by a salt-triggered isodesmic mechanism in which the rate constants for association and dissociation in 100 mM NaCl are 3.2 × 10(7) M(-1)s(-1) and 1.0 s(-1), respectively, faster than the typical rate constants for DNA hybridization. TEM and AFM images of samples deposited from solutions having higher concentrations of dumbbell and NaCl display branched assemblies with linear regions >1 μm in length and diameters indicative of the formation of small bundles of dumbbell end-to-end assemblies. These observations provide the first example of the use of hydrophobic association for the assembly of small DNA duplex conjugates into supramolecular polymers and larger branched aggregates.     

Revised thermochemistry of gaseous ammonium nitrate, NH₄NO₃(g)

In an earlier paper (Hildenbrand, D. L., Lau, K. H., and Chandra, D. J. Phys. Chem. B 2010, 114, 330.), we detected the presence of NH?NO?(g) in the vapor over the solid nitrate and evaluated its partial pressure along with those of HNO? and NH?. The molecular constants of the gaseous nitrate were estimated in the absence of experimental values in an attempt to derive its enthalpies of sublimation and formation. After publication, we became aware of the sought molecular data, evaluated primarily from high-level theoretical calculations, and revised the analysis to yield Δ(f)H???°(NH?NO?(g)) = ?61.8 ± 5 kcal mol?1.     

Tri- and tetraprotonated ethane (C2H9(3+) and C2H10(4+)) containing five- and six-coordinate carbons

Triprotonated ethane (C(2)H(9)(3+)) 4 and tetraprotonated ethane (C(2)H(10)(4+)) 6 were found by ab initio MP2/cc-pVTZ calculations as viable energy minima. Their structure has three and four two-electron three-center (2e-3c) bonds, respectively. In contrast, calculations showed no minimum-energy structure on the potential energy surface of pentaprotonated ethane (C(2)H(11)(5+)). Charge-charge repulsion may approach its limit in this case. Sufficient stabilization of polycations by Schmidbaur-type auration with (C(6)H(5))(3)PAu, an isolobal analogue of H(+), should be possible for the preparation of the polyaurate derivatives of poly protonated ethane allowing their structural study.     

Excess electron and lithium atom solvation in water clusters at finite temperature: an ab initio molecular dynamics study of the structural, spectral, and dynamical behavior of (H2O)6- and Li(H2O)6

The roles of hydrogen bonds in the solvation of an excess electron and a lithium atom in water hexamer cluster at 150 K have been studied by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the hydrogen bonded structures of (H(2)O)(6)(-) and Li(H(2)O)(6) clusters are very different from each other and they dynamically evolve from one conformer to other along their simulation trajectories. The populations of the single acceptor, double acceptor, and free type water molecules are found to be significantly high unlike that in pure water clusters. Free hydrogens of these type of water molecules primarily capture the unbound electron density in these clusters. It is found that the binding motifs of the free electron evolve with time and the vertical detachment energy of (H(2)O)(6)(-) and vertical ionization energy of Li(H(2)O)(6) also change with time. Assignments of the observed peaks in vibrational power spectra are done, and we found direct correlations between the time-averaged population of water molecules in different hydrogen bonding states and the spectral features. The dynamical aspects of these clusters have also been studied through calculations of time correlations of instantaneous stretch frequencies of OH modes which are obtained from the simulation trajectories through a time series analysis.     

Development of Pr(III) Selective Electrode Using 1,6,7,12‐Tetramine‐2,5,8,11‐tetraoxo‐1(12),6(7)‐di(biphenyl)‐dodecane (TATODBDD) as a Neutral Carrier

A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane based Pr(III) selective electrode was constructed using 1,6,7,12‐tetramine‐2,5,8,11‐tetraoxo‐1(12),6(7)‐di(biphenyl)dodecane (TATODBDD) as a neutral carrier. The sensor exhibits a Nernstian response for Pr(III) ions, a wide concentration range of 3.9×10^?7?1.0×10^?1 mol/L with a detection limit of 5.0×10^?8 mol/L and slope of 19.5 mV/decade. The developed sensor revealed relatively good selectivity and high sensitivity for Pr(III) ions over the other lanthanide ions. The potentiometric response of the sensor is independent in the pH range 2.9–9.5. The advantages of sensor are low resistance, very fast response time (<10 s) with good selectivity. This sensor can be used up to 6 weeks without any divergences in potential response.     

He's variational iteration method for the solution of nonlinear Newell-Whitehead-Segel equation

In this paper, we apply He''s Variational iteration method (VIM) for solving nonlinear Newell-Whitehead-Segel equation. By using this method three different cases of Newell-Whitehead-Segel equation have been discussed. Comparison of the obtained result with exact solutions shows that the method used is an effective and highly promising method for solving different cases of nonlinear Newell-Whitehead-Segel equation.