Ultrafast nuclear dynamics induced by photodetachment of Ag2- and Ag2O2-: oxygen desorption from a molecular silver surface

Femtosecond nuclear dynamics of mass-selected neutral Ag2 and Ag2O2 clusters are investigated with the 'negative ion-to neutral-to positive ion'(NeNePo) technique. For the bare silver dimer, wave packet dynamics occurring in the neutral electronic ground state and in the first excited triplet state are observed after photodetachment from the anion with 3.05 eV photon energy. While the dynamics in the ground state lead to an oscillatory structure in the NeNePo-pump-probe spectra with a vibrational constant of 185 cm-1, the dynamics in the triplet state are assigned to a bound-free transition leading to dissociation. Photodetachment from the Ag2O2- complex results in the desorption of O2. The experimental data clearly show the influence of the desorbing oxygen ligand on the nuclear dynamics of the silver dimer inducing a red shift in the vibrational frequency and an intensity enhancement of the oscillatory signal.     

Near infrared photochemistry of pyruvic acid in aqueous solution

Recent experimental and theoretical results have suggested that organic acids such as pyruvic acid, can be photolyzed in the ground electronic state by the excitation of the OH stretch vibrational overtone. These overtones absorb in the near-infrared and visible regions of the spectrum where the solar photons are plentiful and could provide a reaction pathway for the organic acids and alcohols that are abundant in the earth's atmosphere. In this paper the overtone initiated photochemistry of aqueous pyruvic acid is investigated by monitoring the evolution of carbon dioxide. In these experiments CO(2) is being produced by excitation in the near-infrared, between 850 nm and ～1150 nm (11,765-8696 cm(-1)), where the second OH vibrational overtone (Δν = 3) of pyruvic acid is expected to absorb. These findings show not only that the overtone initiated photochemical decarboxylation reaction occurs but also that in the aqueous phase it occurs at a lower energy than was predicted for the overtone initiated reaction of pyruvic acid in the gas phase (13,380 cm(-1)). A quantum yield of (3.5 ± 1.0) × 10(-4) is estimated, suggesting that although this process does occur, it does so with a very low efficiency.     

Vibrational spectroscopy of perfluorocarboxylic acids from the infrared to the visible regions

We report here the gas-phase mid-IR, near-IR, and visible vibrational spectra of perfluoropropionic, perfluorooctanoic, and perfluorononanoic acids using Fourier transform and cavity ring-down spectroscopy. The impetus for this work was to provide insight into the behavior of environmentally persistent perfluorocarboxylic acids. Although the most intense transition for all three perfluorocarboxylic acids in the fundamental spectra is the CF3 stretch, the O-H stretch carries the most intensity in the overtone region. We record the O-H stretching transition frequencies and absorption cross-sections in the DeltavOH = 1-5 regions. Our work suggests that perfluorocarboxylic acids have more harmonic O-H bonds, smaller transition frequencies, and smaller intensities as compared to shorter-chain hydrocarbon acids, alcohols, and peroxides.     

Vibrational overtone induced elimination reactions within hydrogen-bonded molecular clusters: the dynamics of water catalyzed reactions in CH2FOH.H2On

The dynamics of the light initiated OH-overtone induced elimination reactions CH(2)FOH.(H(2)O)(n) + hnu--> HF + CH(2)O + n(H(2)O), n = 1-3, are studied using classical trajectory simulations where the ab initio potential energy surface is computed "on-the-fly". Hydrogen bonding to the water is found to lower the barrier to reaction by over 20 kcal mol(-1) and modifies the mechanism to a concerted multiple H-atom transfer process. The reaction process is found to occur on a rapid timescale, <100 fs, and involves the hydronium ion as an intermediate. An essential aspect of dynamics is the successful competition of reaction with energy dissipation through water evaporation from the cluster.     

On kinematics of a parallel robot used for the minimally invasive surgery

One of the pioneer fields for robots is their assimilation in surgery, especially in minimally invasive procedures. The paper presents the kinematics of an innovative parallel structure for the manipulation of surgical instruments in minimally invasive surgery. The parallel architecture has been chosen for its superiority in precision, repeatability, stiffness, higher speeds and occupied volume. The equations, which model the kinematics are pointed out for this robot based on its mathematically determined functional parameters. The results of the kinematical modeling are systematically presented and lead to the facile solving of the parallel structure. Some simulation results have been presented. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Calculated electronic transitions of the water ammonia complex

We have calculated vertical excitation energies and oscillator strengths of the low lying electronic transitions in H2O, NH3, and H2ONH3 using a hierarchy of coupled cluster response functions [coupled cluster singles (CCS), second order approximate coupled cluster singles and doubles (CC2), coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD), and third order approximate coupled cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CC3)] and correlation consistent basis functions (n-aug-cc-pVXZ, where n=s,d,t and X=D,T,Q). Our calculations indicate that significant changes in the absorption spectra of the photodissociative states of H2O and NH3 monomers occur upon complexation. In particular, we find that the electronic transitions originating from NH3 are blueshifted, whereas the electronic transitions originating from H2O are redshifted.     

Convenient Synthesis of Pyrazolo[4′,3′:5,6]pyrano[4,3-c][1,2]oxazoles via Intramolecular Nitrile Oxide Cycloaddition

A simple and efficient synthetic route to the novel 3a,4-dihydro-3H,7H- and 4H,7H-pyrazolo[4′,3′:5,6]pyrano[4,3-c][1,2]oxazole ring systems from 3-(prop-2-en-1-yloxy)- or 3-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)-1H-pyrazole-4-carbaldehyde oximes has been developed by employing the intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition (INOC) reaction as the key step. The configuration of intermediate aldoximes was unambiguously determined using NOESY experimental data and comparison of the magnitudes of ¹J_CH coupling constants of the iminyl moiety, which were greater by approximately 13 Hz for the predominant syn isomer. The structures of the obtained heterocyclic products were confirmed by detailed ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR spectroscopic experiments and HRMS measurements.     

Application of 204mPb perturbed angular correlation of γ-rays spectroscopy in coordination chemistry

(204m)Pb perturbed angular correlation of γ-rays (PAC) spectroscopy has been applied successfully for the first time to detect the nuclear quadrupole interaction in a lead(II) coordination compound in a molecular crystal [tetraphenylarsonium lead(II) isomaleonitriledithiolate ([AsPh(4)](4)[Pb(2)(i-mnt)(4)])]. The recorded parameters from a powder crystalline sample are ν(Q) = 0.178(1) GHz and η = 0.970(7). The electric field gradient (EFG) was determined at the PW91/QZ4P level including relativistic effects using the two-component zeroth-order regular approximation method for both the [Pb(i-mnt)(2)](2-) monomer and the [Pb(2)(i-mnt)(4)](4-) dimer. Only the EFG for the latter compares favorably with the experimental data, indicating that the picture of this complex as a prototypical hemidirected coordination geometry with a stereochemically active lone pair on lead(II) is inadequate. Advantages and limitations of (204m)Pb PAC spectroscopy as a novel technique to elucidate the electronic and molecular structures of lead-containing complexes and biomolecules are presented.