Controlling the profile of ion-cyclotron-resonant ions in JET with the wave-induced pinch effect

Experiments on the JET tokamak show that the wave-induced pinch in the presence of toroidally asymmetric waves can provide a tool for controlling the profile of ion-cyclotron-resonant 3He ions. Direct evidence for the wave-induced pinch has been obtained from the measured gamma-ray emission profiles. Concurrent differences in the excitation of Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs), sawtooth stabilization, electron temperatures, and fast-ion stored energies are observed. The measured location of the AEs and gamma-ray emission profiles are consistent with the fast-ion radial gradient providing the drive for AEs.     

Pressure induced friction collapse of rare gas boundary layers sliding over metal surfaces

In this Letter we show that friction of anticorrugating systems can be dramatically decreased by applying an external load. The counterintuitive behavior that deviates from the macroscopic Amonton law is dictated by quantum mechanical effects that induce a transformation from anticorrugation to corrugation in the near-surface region. We describe the load-driven modifications occurring in the potential energy surface of different rare gas-metal adsorbate systems, namely, Ar, Kr, Xe on Cu(111), and Xe on Ag(111), and we calculate the consequent friction drop for the commensurate Xe/Cu system by means of combined ab initio and classical molecular dynamics simulations.     

Direct, regioselective, and chemoselective preparation of novel boronated tryptophans by Friedel-Crafts alkylation

A facile synthetic approach to the direct preparation of various novel unnatural boronated protected tryptophans using a regio- and chemoselective electrophilic substitution of 4- and 5-boronated indoles with N-protected dehydroalanine is described. The gram-scale synthesis of two free tryptophan boronic acids is also reported.     

Steric distortion of planar NiP<Subscript>2</Subscript>N<Subscript>2</Subscript> chromophores: a spectral,cyclic voltammetric and single crystal X-ray structural study

The complexes trans-[Ni(4-MP)₂(NCS)₂]·MeCN (1) and trans-[Ni(3-MP)₂(NCS)₂] (2) (4-MP = tri(4-methylphenyl)phosphine, 3-MP = tri(3-methylphenyl)phosphine) were prepared and characterized by IR, UV–visible, NMR spectra, CV, TGA and single crystal X-ray crystallography. Both the complexes have planar geometry and are diamagnetic. The Ni–P distances in both complexes are relatively short as a result of strong back donation from nickel to phosphorus. The phenyl rings in the 3-MP analogue (2) show increased pitching with reference to the plane formed by the ipso carbons due to increased steric effects. For complex (2), the N–Ni–N and P–Ni–P angles are significantly lower than the almost linear N–Ni–N and N–Ni–P angles observed for both complex (1) and trans-[Ni(PPh₃)₂(NCS)₂]. This observation indicates that the 3-methylphosphine ligand forces complex (2) to distort towards a tetrahedral geometry. IR spectra of both complexes show strong bands around 2,090 cm⁻¹ due to N-coordinated thiocyanate, while the electronic spectra contain d–d transitions around 452 nm. Cyclic voltammograms show that the irreversible one-electron reduction potentials increase in the following order: trans- [Ni(PPh₃)₂(NCS)₂] < trans- [Ni(3-MP)₂(NCS)₂] < trans-[Ni(4-MP)₂(NCS)₂], revealing the electron releasing effect of the methyl groups. The planar complexes exhibit interallogony in coordinating solvents.     

Electrospinning of Gelatin/PEO Blends: Influence of Process Parameters in the Nanofiber Properties

Summary: Results of electrospinning of gelatin/PEO blends from aqueous solutions are presented. The effects of applied electric field (15–25 kV), flow rate (0.25–0.75 mL/h) and gelatin concentration in the final fiber diameter were studied. It was observed that the resulting fiber system presented high polydispersity, where fiber diameters ranged from 150 nm to 1.3 µm. In some cases an adequate fibrous system were not obtained. It was observed that the average diameter decreased mainly when the flow rate and gelatin concentration decreased.     

Trans influence of triphenylphosphines and pseudohalogens on Ni-S bonds: Synthesis, spectral and single crystal X-ray structural studies on NiS2PN and NiS2PC chromophores

Trans influence of triphenylphosphines and pseudohalogens on Ni-S bonds of NiS₂PN and NiS₂PC chromophores has been investigated by synthesizing and characterizing them. The complexes show the characteristic thioureide IR band at ∼ 1530 cm⁻¹. Electronic spectrum of the cyanide analogue shows a strong blue shift relative to others. X-ray structures of [Ni(pipdtc)(4-MP)(NCS)] (1), [Ni(pipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)] (2) and [Ni(pipdtc)(PPh₃)(CN)] (3) (pipdtc = piperidinecarbodithioate anion, 4-MP = tri(4-methylphenyl)phopshine) are reported. Ni-S bond distance trans to 4-MP(1) is longer than the distances in (2) and (3) and Ni-S bond distances trans to Ni-NCS/CN decrease as follows: (3) > (2) > (1). Particularly, 4-MP shows a highly significant trans influence than triphenylphosphine on Ni-S bond. Similarly, CN⁻ exerts a marginally significant trans influence compared to NCS-. Thioureide C-N distances are relatively very short due to the drift of electron density towards the metal. The Ni-N-C angle (163.5(2)°) observed in (2) indicates deviation from linearity to a larger extent compared to that in (1) (176.3(3)°) due to the steric effect of the 4-methyl group. The reduction potentials (CV) for the mixed ligand complexes are much less compared to that of the parent NiS₄ chromophore due to the π-acidic phosphines.      

A highly regioselective azidolysis of 2,3-epoxy amines: an unexpected [Ti(O-i-Pr)2(N3)2] mediated C-2 opening

The Lewis acid-catalysed regioselective azidolysis of 2,3-epoxy amines has been investigated. The results obtained demonstrated that using TMSN₃ as a source of azide, the appropriate choice of Lewis acid allowed to direct the regiochemistry of the ring opening. The present methodologies provide a powerful tool in organic synthesis for the preparation of diaminoalcohol moieties.     

Enantioselective Strategies for The Synthesis of N−N Atropisomers

Axially chiral compounds have been always considered a laboratory curiosity with rare prospects of being applied in asymmetric synthesis. Things have changed very quickly in the last twenty years when it was understood the important role and the enormous impact that these compounds have in medicinal, biological and material chemistry. The asymmetric synthesis of atropisomers became a rapidly expanding field and recent reports on the development of N−N atropisomers strongly prove how this research field is a hot topic open to new challenges and frontiers of asymmetric synthesis. This review focuses on the recent advances in the enantioselective synthesis of N−N atropisomers highlighting the strategies and breakthroughs to obtain this novel and stimulating atropisomeric framework.