Simple diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopic determination of organic pigments (fringelites) in fossils

To screen for organic pigments, like fringelites or porphyrins, in sediments and fossil specimen, a simple diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopic determination was developed. In contrast to common inorganic pigments, like Fe₂O₃, these pigments exhibit well-structured characteristic absorption peaks which allow their recognition. This method was then used to identify fringelite H in a non-crinoidSolenopora species from the Jurassic. Reflectance FTIR spectroscopy proved not to be useful for this purpose.     

Synthesis, structure, and dynamics of six-membered metallacoronands and metallodendrimers of iron and indium

In the reaction of the N-substituted diethanolamines (H(2)L(1-3)) (1-3) with calcium hydride followed by addition of iron(III) or indium(III) chloride, the iron wheels [Fe(6)Cl(6)(L(1))(6)] (4) and [Fe(6)Cl(6)(L(2))(6)] (6) or indium wheels [In(6)Cl(6)(L(1))(6)] (5), [In(6)Cl(6)(L(2))(6)] (8) and [In(6)Cl(6)(L(3))(6)] (9) were formed in excellent yields. Exchange of the chloride ions of 6 by thiocyanate ions afforded [Fe(6)(SCN)(6)(L(2))(6)] (7). Whereas the structures of 4, 5 and 7 were determined unequivocally by single-crystal X-ray analyses, complexes 8 and 9 were characterised by NMR spectroscopy. Contrary to what is normally presumed, the scaffolds of six-membered metallic wheels are not generally rigid, but rather undergo nondissociative topomerisation processes. This was shown by variable temperature (VT) (1)H NMR spectroscopy for the indium wheel [In(6)Cl(6)(L(1))(6)] (5) and is highlighted for the enantiotopomerisation of one indium centre [ 1/6[S(6)-5]<==>[1/6[S(6)-5']]. The self-assembly of metallic wheels, starting from diethanolamine dendrons, is an efficient strategy for the convergent synthesis of metallodendrimers.     

Photophysical aspects of single-molecule detection by two-photon excitation with consideration of sequential pulsed illumination.

An important goal in single molecule fluorescence correlation spectroscopy is the theoretical simulation of the fluorescence signal stemming from individual molecules and its autocorrelation function. The simulation approaches developed up to now are based exclusively on continuous-wave (cw) illumination and consequently on cw-excitation. However, this approximation is no longer valid in the case of two-photon excitation, for which pulsed illumination is usually employed. We present a novel theoretical model for the simulation of the fluorescence signal of single molecules and its autocorrelation function with consideration of the time dependence of the excitation flux and thus of all illumination-dependent photoprocesses: two-photon excitation, induced emission and photobleaching. Further important characteristics of our approach are the consideration of the dependence of the photobleaching rate on illumination and the low intersystem-crossing rates of the studied coumarins. Moreover, using our approach, we can predict quantitatively the effect of the laser pulse width on the fluorescence signal of a molecule, that is, the contributions of the photobleaching and saturation effects, and thus we can calculate the optimal laser pulse width. The theoretical autocorrelation functions were fitted to the experimental data, and we could ascertain a good agreement between the resulting and the expected parameters. The most important parameter is the photobleaching constant sigma, the cross section of the transition Sn<--S1, which characterises the photostability of the molecules independent of the experimental conditions. Its value is 1.7 x 10(-23) cm2 for coumarin 153 and 5 x 10(-23) cm2 for coumarin 314.     

Synthesis, structure, and electrochemical properties of 12,42-dioxo-21,31-diphenyl-7,10,13-trioxa-1,4(3,1)-diquinoxalina-2(2,3),3(3,2)-diindolizinacyclopentadecaphane

The oxidative dehydrocyclization of the 3-(indolizin-2′-yl)-2-oxoquinoxaline monopodand performed either electrochemically or under the action of molecular iodine affords new redox-active heterocyclophane consisting of the redox-switchable biindolizine fragment combined with the polyether-bridged π-deficient quinoxaline systems. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction study showed that the trioxaundecane chain of heterocyclophane adopts an extended conformation, and one of the phenyl substituents of the molecule closes the pseudocavity formed by the spacer from one of the sides. The cyclic voltammetric study of heterocyclophane in MeCN and DMF showed the three-step oxidation of the indolizine fragments accompanied by the single-electron transfer in each step. The first and third steps are reversible, and the second step is irreversible. The oxidation at potentials of the first peak gives rise to stable radical cations detected by the ESR method (g = 2.0024, a _2N = 0.26 mT). Dedicated to Professor E. A. Berdnikov on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1991–2003, October, 2007.     

Application of online near infrared spectroscopy to study the kinetics of anionic polymerization of butadiene

Online Fourier-transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy in combination with a fiber optic probe was utilized to study the kinetics of the anionic polymerization of butadiene. The conversion of the butadiene to methylene protons in the polymer was monitored in solution polymerization conditions by monitoring the absorbance at 1632 nm. The off-line gel permeation chromatography, GPC, technique was used to validate the online FT-NIR spectroscopy method. Butadiene polymerization kinetics in cyclohexane initiated with n-butyllithium at different initiator concentrations and temperatures was studied. A phenomenological kinetic expression for the anionic polymerization of butadiene in cyclohexane initiated with n-butyllithium was determined. The predictions of the kinetic expression were in agreement with kinetic data reported in the literature.     

Supersonic jet spectroscopy of naphthalene–fluorene bichromophoric cluster

We have investigated the supersonic jet spectroscopy and photophysics of 1-methylnaphthalene–fluorene (1MN–FL) cluster, and looked for indications of intramolecular electronic energy transfer (Intra-EET) from the FL (donor, D) to 1MN (acceptor, A). The clusters were identified by their time of flight (TOF) mass spectra. We observed clusters bands in the LIF spectrum near the region of 1MN origin. We have also observed cluster TOF–resonance enhanced multi-photon ionization (REMPI) spectrum near the electronic origin of the fluorene moiety. However, this spectrum was almost independent of the excitation wavelength, and was not observed in the LIF spectrum. This is probably due to fast Intra-EET resulting in lifetime broadening of the donor chromophore cluster spectrum, similar to that observed previously for the naphthalene–anthracene bichromophoric system.     

The complexes of tetramethylresorc[4]arene with amines. Effect of the amine concentration on the complex composition

The complexation of tetramethylresorc[4]arene with primary and secondary amines in acetonitrile was investigated spectrophotometrically. The stoichiometry of the complexes formed was shown to depend on the amine concentration. Based on the proposed complexation models, the formation constants of the complexes as well as their thermodynamical parameters were determined and discussed. Depending on the amine concentration, two types of solid complexes of tetramethylresorc[4]arene with amines were obtained. The composition of these complexes was confirmed by ¹H NMR.     

Raman spectra of olivine solid solutions (FexMg1−x )2SiO4 and spin-vibration interaction

Room temperature Raman spectra of synthesized powder (Fe_xMg_1?x )₂SiO₄ solid solutions are obtained. Frequency trend of all modes versus composition shows clearly the existence of a step at x = 0.3. A step-like behavior of vibration frequencies at the given composition that coincides with the percolation threshold for the olivine lattice is related to the appearance of magnetic excitations in the disordered magnetic medium owing to the spin-vibration interaction.     

NMR SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY ON COPOLYMER OF ETHYLENE-NORBORNENE

A series of ethylene-norbornene copolymers were synthesised using VO (OEt) Cl_2/Al_2Et_3Cl_3 catalytic system and their structure was characterized by ~1H-NMR, ~1H-~1HCOSY NMR and ~(13)C-NMR. Assignments of NMR spectra were given and discussed indetail.     

An experimental and theoretical study of the Cp2VO2CO: use of 13CO3(2-) for structure investigation of d1-metallocene complexes

EPR study has shown that the anticancer agent vanadocene dichloride (Cp2VCl2) interacts with carbonate contained in physiological solutions. Chelate complex Cp2VO2CO (|A(iso)(51V)| = 175.1 MHz, g(iso) = 1.9861) is the only paramagnetic species formed in the range about the physiological pH (5.5-11.0). The super-hyperfine coupling (|a(iso)(13C)| = 24.1 MHz) was evidenced at measurements using 13C labelled carbonate. The structure of carbonate complex was validated by comparison of observed and theoretical calculated HFC tensors (at the density functional level of theory).