Perturbed angular correlation study of order– disorder transition in HfW2O8

The perturbed angular correlation (PAC) technique has been used to characterize the degree of atomic order in the neighbourhood of radioactive ¹⁸¹Hf isotopes in HfW₂O₈. PAC measurements were carried out at temperatures between 14 and 723 K. The compound was synthesized starting with the oxides HfO₂ and WO₃, using a method involving ball milling, high temperature annealing and quenching in liquid nitrogen. Fast cooling allows to have the compound at temperatures below 1050 K. The compound has a high degree of stability below such temperature and around 430 K atomic ordering occurs. This transition order–disorder is reversible. ^aAlso at Comisión de Investigasiones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.     

Charge‐carrier transport in disordered polymers

The general properties of charge‐carrier transport in disordered organic materials are discussed. The spatial correlation between energies of transport sites determined the form of drift‐mobility field dependence. The type of spatial correlation in a disordered material depends on its nature. Mobility field dependences must be different in polar and nonpolar materials. Different methods of mobility calculation from the shape of photocurrent transient were analyzed. A widely used method is very sensitive to the variation of the shape of the transient and sometimes produces results that effectively masquerade the true dependence of the mobility on the electric field or trap concentration. Arguments in favor of the better, more reliable method are suggested. Charge transport in materials containing charged traps was considered without using the isolated trap approximation, and this led to qualitatively different results. The results indicated that the effect of charged traps can hardly be responsible for the experimentally observed transport properties of disordered organic materials. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2584–2594, 2003     

Phason strains on growth, stability and structure of icosahedral phases

Growth, stability and structure of icosahedral (i-) phases have been studied by electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction in relation with the phason strains. Three alloy systems; AlPdCr, AlPdMn and AlCuV were chosen in this study. An i- Al₇₂Pd₂₅Cr₃ grain has been analysed to have a phason matrix toward to a tetragonal or orthorhombic structure. Stability of the i-phases correlated with the phason relaxation was discussed in Al-Pd-Mn system. A quenched i-Al₇₄Pd₁₇Mn₉ close to but containing significant phason strains, revealed that the phason relaxation induced by precipitation of crystalline phases upon annealing. Phason disorder dominated by the chemical composition was evidenced in a composition study in Al-Pd-Mn system. A high density random phasons characterized the icosahedral glass phase was observed in AlCuV alloys.     

Crystal and molecular structure of [5,10,15,20-tetrakisphenyl-2-ethoxy-3-oxa-chlorinato]Ag(II)

The silver(II) complex of the chlorin-like derivativev [5,10,15,20-tetrakisphenyl-2-ethoxy-3-oxa-chlorinato]Ag(II) (1Ag), formally formed by substitution of one pyrrolic subunit in silvermeso-tetraphenylporphyrin by one ethoxy-substituted hydrooxazole moiety, crystallizes in the tetragonal space groupI4/m witha = 13.4811(10) Å,c = 9.7361(13) Å, andZ = 2. The molecule, which is asymmetric, accommodates the high-symmetry space group by rotational disorder with the silver atom located on the four-fold axis.     

Ab initio X‐ray structural characterization of an inclusion compound with a compositionally disordered chiral guest: no prior knowledge of the crystal composition

The crystal structure and absolute configuration of a molecular host/guest/impurity inclusion complex were established unequivocally in spite of our having no prior knowledge of its chemical composition. The host (4R,5R)‐4,5‐bis(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)‐2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxolane, (I), displays expected conformational features. The crystal‐disordered chiral guest 4,4a,5,6,7,8‐hexahydronaphthalen‐2(3H)‐one, (II), is present in the crystal 85.1 (4)% of the time. It shares a common site with 4a‐hydroperoxymethyl‐4,4a,5,6,7,8‐hexahydronaphthalen‐2(3H)‐one, (III), present 14.9 (4)% of the time, which is the product of autoxidation of (II). This minor peroxide impurity was isolated, and the results of nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and X‐ray fluorescence studies are consistent with the proposed structure of (III). The complete structure was therefore determined to be (4R,5R)‐4,5‐bis(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)‐2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxolane–4,4a,5,6,7,8‐hexahydronaphthalen‐2(3H)‐one–4a‐hydroperoxymethyl‐4,4a,5,6,7,8‐hexahydronaphthalen‐2(3H)‐one (1/0.85/0.15), C₃₁H₃₀O₄·0.85C₁₀H₁₄O·0.15C₁₀H₁₄O₃, (IV). There are host–host, host–guest, and host–impurity hydrogen‐bonding interactions of types S and D in the solid state. We believe that the crystals of (IV) were originally prepared to establish the chirality of the guest (II) by means of X‐ray diffraction analysis of host/guest crystals obtained in the course of chiral resolution during cocrystallization of (II) with (I). In spite of the absence of `heavy' elements, the absolute configurations of all anomeric centres in the structure are assigned as R based on resonant scattering effects.     

Determination of NTBC in serum samples from patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type I by capillary electrophoresis

Hereditary tyrosinemia type I is a serious metabolic disorder leading to liver failure. 2-(2-Nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (NTBC) is a relatively new drug which is used to prevent the accumulation of toxic metabolites in patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type I. In the present study, we have developed a new, simple, fast, and cost-effective capillary electrophoresis method for the quantitative monitoring of this drug in serum samples. Micellar electrochromatographic separation of NTBC was performed using 20 mmol/L phosphate and 40 mmol/L sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) at pH 12 as running electrolyte. Separation of NTBC was achieved in around 4 min. Reproducibilities of migration times and corrected peak areas of NTBC (as R.S.D.%) were found as 0.73 and 1.99, respectively. The detection limit was 3.17 and the quantification limit was 10.6 μmol/L for NTBC using UV detection at 278 nm. The utility of the method was demonstrated by the detection of NTBC in serum samples from patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type I using this drug.     

Utilizing NMR and EPR spectroscopy to probe the role of copper in prion diseases

Copper is an essential nutrient for the normal development of the brain and nervous system, although the hallmark of several neurological diseases is a change in copper concentrations in the brain and central nervous system. Prion protein (PrP) is a copper‐binding, cell‐surface glycoprotein that exists in two alternatively folded conformations: a normal isoform (PrP^C) and a disease‐associated isoform (PrP^Sc). Prion diseases are a group of lethal neurodegenerative disorders that develop as a result of conformational conversion of PrP^C into PrP^Sc. The pathogenic mechanism that triggers this conformational transformation with the subsequent development of prion diseases remains unclear. It has, however, been shown repeatedly that copper plays a significant functional role in the conformational conversion of prion proteins. In this review, we focus on current research that seeks to clarify the conformational changes associated with prion diseases and the role of copper in this mechanism, with emphasis on the latest applications of NMR and EPR spectroscopy to probe the interactions of copper with prion proteins. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Charge transport study of semiconducting polymers and their bulk heterojunction blends by capacitance measurements

We use frequency dependent capacitance measurements to probe carrier mobilities and transport parameters of six representative semiconducting polymers and some of their bulk heterojunction (BHJ) blends. With a suitable choice of a hole injection layer, well-defined signals for hole transport characterization can be obtained for the pristine polymers [J. Appl. Phys. 99, 013706 (2006)]. However, ill-defined signals with negative capacitances, arising from undesirable electron leakages, are obtained for the BHJ blends. The problem of electron leakage can be circumvented by inserting an electron blocking and trapping layer under the cathode. As a result, hole transport properties of BHJ blends can be obtained. For the BHJ of poly(3-hexylthiophene) blended with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC₆₁BM), the hole mobilities seem to be insensitive to the composition of the BHJ, indicating the P3HT component in the BHJ is well connected. On the other hand, for poly[N-9“-hepta-decanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadia zole)] doped with [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PCDTBT:PC₇₁BM), a clear reduction of the hole mobility is observed as the polymer composition is reduced. Temperature dependent experiments were performed. The data are analyzed by the Gaussian Disorder Model. We found that the energetic disorder is independent of the composition of the BHJ. Organic photovoltaic performances of BHJ blends are also measured in this contribution. The correlation between device performance and energetic disorder of the BHJ will be discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Crystal structure refinements of the three-layer Aurivillius ceramics Bi2Sr2−xAxNb2TiO12 (A=Ca,Ba, x=0,0.5,1) using combined X-ray and neutron powder diffraction

Three-layer Aurivillius ceramics Bi₂SrCaNb₂TiO₁₂, Bi₂Sr_1.5Ca_0.5Nb₂TiO₁₂, Bi₂Sr₂Nb₂TiO₁₂, Bi₂Sr_1.5Ba_0.5Nb₂TiO₁₂, and Bi₂SrBaNb₂TiO₁₂ were formed via solid-state synthesis and their structures characterized by combined Rietveld analysis of powder X-ray and neutron diffraction data. Static disorder was observed in the form of mixed cation occupancies between the Bi and the Sr, Ca, or Ba on the A sites in the perovskite block, as well as between the Nb and Ti sites. The degree of site mixing between the Bi site in the (Bi₂O₂)²⁺ layer and the perovskite-block A site increased with increasing average A site cation radius (ACR). Bi₂SrBaNb₂TiO₁₂ displayed the greatest degree of Bi-A site static disorder. Bond valence sum (BVS) calculations showed an increase in A site BVS with average A site cation radius. All compositions except Bi₂SrCaNb₂TiO₁₂ had overbonded A sites and the A site BVS increased nearly linearly with lattice parameter and ACR. A preference was observed for Ca²⁺ to remain on the A site while Ba²⁺ preferred to disorder to the Bi site, indicating that the cation site mixing occurs to reduce strain between the (Bi₂O₂)²⁺ layer and the perovskite block in the structure. Unusually large Ti site BVS and thermal parameter for the equatorial oxygen in the TiO₆ octahedra were observed in structural models that included full oxygen occupancy. However, excellent structure models and more reasonable BVS values were obtained by assuming oxygen vacancies in the TiO₆ octahedra. AC impedance spectroscopy performed on all samples indicate that the total electrical conductivity is on the order of at 900°C.     

Structures of CoII and ZnII complexes of the proton‐transfer compound derived from pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarboxylic acid and piperazine

The reaction of the proton‐transfer compound piperazine‐1,4‐diium pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarboxylate 4.5‐hydrate, C₄H₁₂N₂²⁺·C₆H₂N₂O₄²⁻·4.5H₂O or (pipzH₂)(pyzdc)·4.5H₂O (pyzdcH₂ is pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarboxylic acid and pipz is piperazine), (I), with Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and CoCl₂·6H₂O results in the formation of bis(piperazine‐1,4‐diium) bis(μ‐pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarboxylato)‐κ³N¹,O²:O³;κ³O³:N¹,O²‐bis[aqua(pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarboxylato‐κ²N¹,O²)zinc(II)] decahydrate, (C₄H₁₂N₂)₂[Zn₂(C₆H₂N₂O₄)₄(H₂O)₂]·10H₂O or (pipzH₂)₂[Zn(pyzdc)₂(H₂O)]₂·10H₂O, (II), and catena‐poly[piperazine‐1,4‐diium [cobalt(II)‐bis(μ‐pyrazine‐2,3‐dicarboxylato)‐κ³N¹,O²:O³;κ³O³:N¹,O²] hexahydrate], {(C₄H₁₂N₂)[Co(C₆H₂N₂O₄)₂]·6H₂O}_n or {(pipzH₂)[Co(pyzdc)₂]·6H₂O}_n, (III), respectively. In (I), pyzdcH₂ is doubly deprotonated on reaction with piperazine as a base. Compound (II) crystallizes as a dimer, whereas compound (III) exists as a one‐dimensional coordination polymer. In (II), two pyzdc²⁻ groups chelate to each of the two Zn^II atoms through a ring N atom and an O atom of the 2‐carboxylate group. In one ligand, the adjacent 3‐carboxylate group bridges to a neighbouring metal atom. A water molecule ligates in the sixth coordination site. The structure of (II) can be described as a commensurate superlattice due to an ordering in the hydrogen‐bonded network. In (III), no water is coordinated to the metal atom and the coordination sphere is comprised of two N,O‐chelates plus two bridging O atoms. A large number of hydrogen bonds are observed in all three compounds. These interactions, as well as π–π and C=O...π stacking interactions, play important structural roles.