Ab Initio High Pressure Investigations of InI

The high pressure behaviour of InI is studied by DFT‐calculations and compared with experimental data. The existence of a 5s² electron pair in In⁺ represents an unfavourable bonding situation for high symmetry structures because of effective closed shell repulsion. Since cations with a ns² electron pair are highly polarizable and the electronic situation is more favourable in the low symmetry structure InI prefers a TlI‐type structure at ambient pressure. A pressure induced transition to the more densely packed high symmetry CsCl‐type structure takes place at about 19 GPa according to our calculations. At ambient pressure the interactions are predominantly ionic. However with increasing pressure the distances between In⁺ cations in the TlI‐type structure diminish drastically, mainly due to the changing space requirement of the lone electron pair. Apart from ionic interactions further bonding interactions between the In⁺ cations occur. At elevated pressure the electron localization function (ELF) as well as the band structure diagrams suggest metallic bonding between the In⁺ within the zigzag chain, i. e. increasing bonding interactions between the In⁺ cations due to the electron pair and its s‐p‐mixing. At ambient pressure In‐In interactions are rather weak and the space requirement of the lone electron pair mainly determines the characteristic arrangement of the ions. At elevated pressure the In‐In interactions become stronger and stabilise themselves additionally the specific structural arrangement.     

Photoinitiators for UV and visible curing of coatings: Mechanisms and properties

The radiation curing industry is one of the most rapidly developing fields in the entire coatings industry. The low toxicity, cheapness, speed, control and ease of formulation and operation are some of the main advantages of this growing technology. UV and/or visible light radiation is used to induce photochemical polymerization or crosslinking of a monomer, oligomer or prepolymer formulation containing a certain type of unsaturation, such as an acrylic group, and an appropriate initiator. The latter is used to absorb the light energy and transform it into active species, such as radicals or ions, capable of inducing such reactions. Applications extend to general coatings for paper, board, wood, tapes, compact discs and holograms, inks, photoresists for imaging processes and adhesives for welding and sealing in electronic circuit boards. The photoinitiator is the key to the control of these processes and, in recent years, has seen many new developments. These include the need for water-soluble, co-reactive and polymeric structures with low migration rates, as well as cheaper UV/ visible sensitizers with enhanced speed. New and effective cationic systems are also on the scene and, although expensive, are attracting significant academic and commercial interest.     

Effects of annealing treatment on the properties of MEH-PPV/titania hybrids prepared via in situ sol-gel reaction

A uniform poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV)/titania hybrid film was successfully prepared by an in situ sol-gel reaction of titanium isopropoxide (TIP) in the presence of MEH-PPV/2-chlorophenol solution. The annealing treatment increased the conversion of TIP to titania as determined from evidence of the formation of Ti-O-Ti bonds in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) photographs showed that the morphology and distribution of titania in the hybrid film were strongly related to the amount of water in the in situ sol-gel reaction. The thermal stability of MEH-PPV/titania hybrids was enhanced by the annealing treatment. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicated that annealing treatment promoted the ordered aggregation of the MEH-PPV chains and crystallization of titania to a certain extent. The blue shift in Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption of pure MEH-PPV after annealing was ascribed to the small extent of decomposition and coil conformation which occurred at high temperature. A more-obvious blue shift for the hybrids was observed, which resulted from irregular aggregation and coil conformation of the MEH-PPV chains induced by heterogeneous point, TIP (titania). The red shift in the photoluminescent (PL) emission for pure MEH-PPV resulted from a certain extent of ordered aggregation after annealing. However, only a slight red shift in the PL emission peak for the hybrids was found due to the hindrance of ordered aggregation of MEH-PPV chains in the presence of TIP (titania).     

Thermal and mechanical properties of UV irradiated collagen/chitosan thin films

The thermal and mechanical properties of collagen/chitosan blends before and after UV irradiation have been investigated using thermal analysis and mechanical (Instron) techniques. Comparisons were made with the thermal and mechanical properties of both collagen and chitosan films. Air-dried collagen, chitosan and collagen/chitosan films were exposed to UV irradiation (wavelength 254 nm) for different time intervals. Thermal properties of collagen/chitosan blends depend on the composition of the blend and are not significantly altered by UV irradiation.Mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength and ultimate percentage of elongation were much better for collagen films than for collagen/chitosan films. The results have shown that the mechanical properties of the blends were greatly affected by the duration of UV irradiation. Ultimate tensile strength and ultimate percentage elongation decreased after UV irradiation of the blend. Increasing UV irradiation leads to an increase in Young's modulus of the collagen/chitosan blend.     

A New Tool in Peptide Engineering: A Photoswitchable Stilbene‐type β‐Hairpin Mimetic

Peptide secondary structure mimetics are important tools in medicinal chemistry, as they provide analogues of endogenous peptides with new physicochemical and pharmacological properties. The development, synthesis, photochemical investigation, and conformational analysis of a stilbene‐type β‐hairpin mimetic capable of light‐triggered conformational changes have been achieved. In addition to standard spectroscopic techniques (nuclear Overhauser effects, amide temperature coefficients, circular dichroism spectroscopy), the applicability of self‐diffusion measurements (longitudinal eddy current delay pulsed‐field gradient spin echo (LED‐PGSE) NMR technique) in conformational studies of oligopeptides is demonstrated. The title compound shows photoisomerization of the stilbene chromophore, resulting in a change in solution conformation between an unfolded structure and a folded β‐hairpin.     

Substituent-dependent reactivity in the photodimerization of N-substituted dibenz[b,f]azepines

The photoprocesses of a series of N-substituted dibenz[b,f]azepines (iminostilbenes) were studied by absorption and emission spectroscopy, by laser flash photolysis, and by preparative irradiation with NMR analysis. In solutions, 2pi+2pi photodimers of N-cyano and N-acyl dibenzazepines are formed via the triplet state upon acetone- or benzophenone-sensitized energy transfer. T-T absorption spectra were measured and absorption coefficients were determined. The triplet energy transfer is equally efficient for N-alkyl dibenzazepines, which do not dimerize. Excited states of npi* character in the latter cases are discussed to rationalize the different reactivities. In spite of negligible intersystem crossing of 21 dibenzazepine derivatives, photodimers of N-acyl and N-cyano dibenzazepines are formed upon direct excitation in concentrated solutions (0.01-0.1 mol dm(-3)) as well as in the solid state. A selective anti-configuration of the photodimers was found throughout.     

Additive telluromolybdates. Structure and catalysis in oxidation

Additive telluromolybdates, MoO₃·2TeO₂ and M^IIO·TeO₂·MoO₃ (M^IITeMoO₆; M^II = Co, Mn, Zn), converted ethyl lactate selectively to pyruvate in a vaporphase fixedbed flow system at 250–300 °C. A synergy in activity was observed for binary TeO₂–MoO₃, and crystalline Te₂MoO₇ was suggested as the active species. The Rietveld analysis of powder XRD patterns of ternary CoTeMoO₆ revealed the layer structure quite different from that of the reference Te₂MoO₇, but tellurium was again located adjacent to molybdenum linked through lattice oxygen.     

Oxidation of 1-methylcyclobutanol by Pb(IV) and Mn(III) compounds

The main product of the reaction of 1-methylcyclobutanol with Pb(OAc)₄ in benzene is 1-phenyl-4-pentanone; the use of Mn(OAc)₃ in acetic acid gives a mixture of 2,9-decanedione and methyl propyl ketone; 1-(chloro-, bromo-, thiocyano-, or cyano)-4-pentanone is formed in the presence of the systems Pb(OAc)₄-metal halide or Mn(OAc)₃-metal halide.N. D. Zelinskii Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117913 Moscow. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2760–2763, December, 1992.     

Schnelle Photometrie komplizierter biochemischer Mehrkomponentensysteme

Zusammenfassung Eine Übersicht über die schnelle photometrische Analyse komplizierter biochemischer Mehrkomponentensysteme wird gegeben. Zunächst werden apparative Probleme und Meßbedingungen behandelt. Anschließend werden die Auswertverfahren für Mehrstoffsysteme in homogener Lösung (multiplikative Farbmischung) und für solche mit inhomogener Verteilung (additive Farbmischung) beschrieben. Als praktische Anwendungsbeispiele dienen die Analyse von Nucleotidsummenspektren und Meerschweinchengehirnreflexionspektren sowie die Bestimmung des Oxigenierungsgrades von Hämoglobin.

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Rapid photometry of complicated biochemical multi-component systems

After discussing general problems concerning apparatus and measuring conditions the analysis of multi-component systems in homogeneous solutions (multiplicative colour mixture) and of those with inhomogeneous distribution (additive colour mixture) is described. Analysis of nucleotides and guinea pig brain and determination of the degree of oxygenation of haemoglobin are presented as examples.

     

Synthesis, structure and magnetic properties of the S=1/2, one-dimensional antiferromagnet, Y5Re2O12

Single crystals of Y₅Re₂O₁₂ have been grown, and the crystal structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction. This compound crystallizes in space group C2/m with cell dimensions of a=12.4081(10) Å b=5.6604(5)Å, c=7.4951(6) Å, β=107.837(3)°, Z=2. The final refinement led to R1=0.0238, WR2=0.0459 for 1053 observed reflections with F>4σ(F₀). Edge-sharing ReO₆ octahedra form infinite linear [ReO₂O_4/2]_n chains along the b direction with alternating short and long Re-Re distances. Three crystallographically independent yttrium atoms surround O2 to form OY₄ tetrahedra, which share edges and corners in the ab plane to form a two-dimensional Y₅O₄ network which separates the [ReO₂O_4/2]_n magnetic chains. This compound is therefore isostructural with the series Ln₅Re₂O₁₂Ln=Gd-Lu, which have been known since 1969. The average Re oxidation state is +4.5 in the chains and a reasonable, if qualitative MO scheme results in one unpaired electron per Re dimer. Consistent with this, magnetic susceptibility data can be fitted to the one-dimensional antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model with S=1/2 and parameters J^intra/k=−89(1)K, g=2.15(4) and χ(TIP)=5(1)×10⁻⁴ emu/mol. There is no sign of long-range magnetic order down to 2 K. These results are contrasted with those for the isostructural Y₅Mo₂O₁₂.