Using the diphosphanyl radical as a potential spin label: effect of motion on the EPR spectrum of an R1(R2)P--PR1 radical

The EPR spectrum of the novel radical Mes*(CH3)P--PMes* (Mes*=2,4,6-(tBu)3C6H2) was measured in the temperature range 100-300 K, and was found to be drastically temperature dependent as a result of the large anisotropy of the 31P hyperfine tensors. Below 180 K, a spectrum of the liquid solution is accurately simulated by calculating the spectral modifications due to slow tumbling of the radical. To achieve this simulation, an algorithm was developed by extending the well-known nitroxide slow-motion simulation technique for the coupling of one electron spin to two nuclear spins. An additional dynamic process responsible for the observed line broadening was found to occur between 180 K and room temperature; this broadening is consistent with an exchange between two conformations. The differences between the isotropic 31P couplings associated with the two conformers are shown to be probably due to an internal rotation about the P--P bond.     

Acetylenic/cyanoacetylenic complexes: simulation of the Titan’s atmosphere chemistry

The structures and energies of the 1:1 acetylene/cyanoacetylene, acetylene/dicyanoacetylene and cyanoacetylene/dicyanoacetylene complexes in solid argon matrices have been investigated using FT-IR spectroscopy and ab initio calculations, at the B3LYP/6-31G** level of theory. For the three complexes, predicted frequency shifts for the L shaped structures, characterized by a hydrogen bond between the nitrogen of the cyano group and the acetylenic proton, were found to be in good agreement with those experimental. Only in the case of acetylene/cyanoacetylene complex, we obtained a second minimum with a T shaped structure characterized by an interaction between the proton of cyanoacetylene and the Π system of acetylene. It appears clearly that HC₃N acts as an electrophile or as a nucleophile in these complexes.     

Matrix-isolation-FTIR spectroscopy with an integrating sphere

The use of an integrating sphere for the measurement of absorption spectra of thin films is described. The thin film (for example a rare gas matrix) is grown directly on the inside surface of the sphere. Multiple reflections inside the integrating sphere lead to significant enhancement of weak absorptions of the film, increasing the sensitivity of such measurements.     

Feasibility study for the use of near infrared spectroscopy in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of green tea, Camellia sinensis (L.)

This paper indicates the possibility to use near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) combined with PLS as a rapid method to estimate the quality of green tea. NIR is used to build calibration models to predict the content of caffeine, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin (EC) and for the prediction of the total antioxidant capacity of green tea. For the determination of the total antioxidant capacity, the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) method is used. Until now, the prediction of the antioxidant capacity as such by use of NIR has not been reported. For caffeine and TEAC, models are build for the whole green tea leaves and also for the ground leaves. For the polyphenols (EGCG and EC), only models for the whole leaves are investigated. A partial least squares (PLS) algorithm is used to perform the calibration. To decide upon the number of PLS factors included in the PLS model, the model with the lowest root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) for the training set is chosen. The correlation coefficient (r) between the predicted and the reference results for the test set is used as an evaluation parameter for the models: for the TEAC results r=0.90 for the model with the whole leaves, r=0.86 for the model with the powdered leaves are obtained. The caffeine prediction model has a correlation coefficient r=0.96 for the whole leaves and r=0.93 for the ground leaves. The correlation coefficient for the EGCG and the EC content models are, respectively 0.83 and 0.44.     

Synthesis,optical, and electrochemical properties of novel copolymers on the basis of benzothiadiazole and electron‐rich arene units

Novel alternating conjugated copolymers ( P1–P6 ) consisting of an electron‐deficient benzothiadiazole and a variety of electron‐rich thiophene‐arene‐thiophene units were synthesized by palladium‐catalyzed polycondensations (Stille and Suzuki reactions), aiming at processable materials with a reduced optical band gap. The structures of P1–P6 were confirmed by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR, and their molecular weights were determined by size exclusion chromatography. In the Suzuki polycondensation, the role of the catalyst [Pd(PPh₃)₄ and Pd(OAc)₂] on the resulting molecular weight was investigated. Pd(OAc)₂ enhances the molecular weight of the polymers for both thiophene and phenylene bis‐boronic esters as compared with Pd(PPh₃)₄. The optical properties of the polymers were examined in solution and the solid state. The polymers with n‐octyl substituents ( P1 , P4 , P5 , and P6 ) on the thiophene rings possessed less‐planar structures as a result of torsional steric hindrance, and their absorption spectra appeared blueshifted as compared with their unsubstituted analogues ( P2 and P3 ). The electrochemical properties of the polymers were studied using cyclic voltammetry. Although the alkyl substitution affects the oxidation potential, only marginal differences in the reduction potentials were observed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2360–2372, 2002     

Excited Π states of divinyl chalcogenides and chalcophenes

Electron transitions in divinyl chalcogenides (CH₂=CHXCH=CH₂, where X is S, Se, or Te) have been analyzed using UV absorption spectra of dialkyl and alkyl vinyl chalcogenides. The following relations for the orbital energies are found: ^* < ^* < ^* < ^* for Te and ^* < ^* < ^* < ^* for S and Se. For chalcophenes, a correlation between the energy of the excited state (E ^*) of specific symmetry, the ionization potential (I) and the electron affinity (EA) is obtained:E ^*=const+(I+EA)/2. The electron affinity of divinyl chalcogenides is estimated. The correlation between the excited ^* states of divinyl chalcogenides and chalcophenes is discussed.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 831–835, May, 1994.     

The complexation of 2,3-anthracenedicarboxylate by β- and γ-cyclodextrins in mixed solvent systems as studied by induced circular dichroism. The role of cosolvent hydrophobicity

The complexation of 2,3-anthracenedicarboxylate (ADC) by- and-cyclodextrins in water containing an organic solvent has been studied by induced circular dichroism. It has been shown that an increase of organic solvent ratio causes the degradation of the 1:1 ADC:-CD complex and the liberation of one guest molecule from the 2:1 ADC:-CD complex in water. The higher the hydrophobicity of the cosolvent, the weaker the complexation of ADC by-CD.     

New sterically hindered di-o-quinones of the biphenyl series

New di-o-quinones of the biphenyl series, namely, 2,2′-dialkyl-5,5′-di-tert-butylbiphenyl-3,4,3′,4′-diquinones, were synthesized. Their structures were established by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structure of 2,2′-dimethyl-5,5′-di-tert-butylbiphenyl-3,4,3′,4′-diquinone was established by X-ray structural analysis. The structure is characterized by orthogonal (the torsion angle is 82.9°) mutual arrangement ofo-benzoquinone fragments. ESR studies demonstrated that chemical reduction of diquinone proceeds in four oneelectron stages to form paramagnetic mono- and trianions as intermediates. Quinopyrocatechols, which are intermediates in the synthesis of di-o-quinones, were isolated and characterized. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 804–809, April, 1997.     

Characterization of Pt-Ru/C catalysts by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and temperature-programmed surface reaction

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was employed to characterize carbon black supported Pt-Ru catalysts, which are commercially available to be utilized as the anode of polymeric-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells. Both Pt and Ru were found partially oxidized in the as-received form. Upon exposure to hydrogen at room temperature, the catalysts were completely reduced to the metallic state. The bimetallic nanoparticles on the Pt-Ru/C catalysts possess an inner core enriched in Pt, which is surrounded by a Ru-rich outer shell. Such a core–shell structure retained even at an elevated reduction temperature of 623 K. Temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) was carried out to explore the reactivity of adsorbed CO toward hydrogen on various catalysts. Both the peak temperature of the TPSR profile and the amount of methane generated during the course of TPSR were sensitive to the surface composition of Pt–Ru nanoparticles. In combination of XAS and TPSR results, a slight difference in the nanostructure between two Pt-Ru/C catalysts was manifested.     

MALDI-TOF-MS法对重组人内皮抑素蛋白分子质量测定

肿瘤的生长依赖于血管的生成,新生血管不仅为肿瘤生长提供必需的营养物质,而且为肿瘤细胞扩散提供了重要的途径。1997年哈佛大学的O'Reilly等发现了一种内源性新血管生成抑制因子内皮抑素(Endoscatin),显示出特异抑制激活的血管内皮细胞增殖和肿瘤新血管生成的生物学活性,其抗肿瘤作用具有高效、低毒、无耐药性的优点。目前,内皮抑素的研究引起了国内外广泛的兴趣,在美国已进行以安全性为目的的I期临床实验,国内也有多家公司对内皮抑素进行了抗肿瘤研究并申报一类新药。内皮抑素有望成为医治肿瘤而又没有化疗和放疗的毒副作用的一种新的治疗方法,但是否能作为药物应用于临床,尚需对内皮抑素的结构特点及抑制肿瘤和内皮细胞的作用机制等方面进行许多深入的研究。