Characterisation of Nanohybrids of Porphyrins with Metallic and Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes by EPR and Optical Spectroscopy

Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are noncovalently functionalised with octaethylporphyrins (OEPs) and the resulting nanohybrids are isolated from the free OEPs. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of cobalt(II)OEP, adsorbed on the nanotube walls by π–π‐stacking, demonstrates that the CNTs act as electron acceptors. EPR is shown to be very effective in resolving the different interactions for metallic and semiconducting tubes. Moreover, molecular oxygen is shown to bind selectively to nanohybrids with semiconducting tubes. Water solubilisation of the porphyrin/CNT nanohybrids using bile salts, after applying a thorough washing procedure, yields solutions in which at least 99 % of the porphyrins are interacting with the CNTs. Due to this purification, we observe, for the first time, the isolated absorption spectrum of the interacting porphyrins, which is strongly red‐shifted compared to the free porphyrin absorption. In addition a quasi‐complete quenching of the porphyrin fluorescence is also observed.     

The extended view on the empty C2(3)-C82 fullerene: isolation, spectroscopic, electrochemical, and spectroelectrochemical characterization and DFT calculations

An extended study of the spectroscopic and redox properties of the C(82) fullerene is presented. Among the nine isolated-pentagon-rule (IPR) isomers of the C(82) fullerene the C(82)(3) isomer with C(2) symmetry is the only stable, empty fullerene structure formed in the arc burning process that can be isolated in an isomerically pure form. Here, its formation and isolation are described and its structure is confirmed by experimental spectroscopic studies as well as time-dependent DFT calculations. The electrochemistry of the C(82)(3) isomer is studied in detail by cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. The anionic species of C(82) with the charge ranging from C(82) (-) to C(82) (4-) were successively generated in o-dichlorobenzene solution at room temperature and characterized by in situ ESR and visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy. The data give new insights into the charged states of the C(82)(3) fullerene.     

EPR and Mössbauer characterization of RTV polysiloxane foams and their constituents

We have used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopies to investigate potential aging mechanisms in filled RTV polysiloxane foams, diatomaceous earth, and their other constituents. Intense, broad EPR resonances in the RTV foams were recorded at room temperature as a function of microwave power. These signals were shown to come from the diatomaceous earth filler (Celite^® 350) in the RTV foams. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer measurements for neat Celite^® 350 showed the presence of iron compounds in the form of lepidocrocite. Further EPR measurements showed that the intense, broad signals from Celite^® 350 and the RTV foams were due to lepidocrocite that has been annealed to 175 °C and is in an excited state. EPR measurements of annealed samples of Celite^® 350 also indicated that structural (chemisorbed) water is not easily released by the lepidocrocite. Therefore, the presence of intermediate forms of iron oxides in Celite^® 350 and RTV foams indicates that water is not active in these materials.     

3D supramolecular architectures of copper(II) complexes with 6-methylpicolinic and 6-bromopicolinic acid: Synthesis, spectroscopic, thermal and magnetic properties

Copper(II) complexes of 6-methylpicolinic (6-MepicH) and 6-bromopicolinic acid (6-BrpicH), namely [Cu(6-Mepic)₂(H₂O)] (1), [Cu(6-Mepic)₂(py)] (2) and [Cu(6-Brpic)₂(H₂O)] (3) were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic methods (IR, EPR). Their molecular and crystal structures were determined by X-ray crystal structure analysis, their thermal stability by TGA/DTA methods, while their magnetic properties were elucidated by the measurement of the magnetic susceptibility. X-ray structural analysis revealed an intermediate between square-pyramidal and trigonal-bipyramidal coordination polyhedron in 1 and 3 and a trigonal-bipyramidal one in 2 with the same N,O-chelated coordination mode for both 6-MepicH and 6-BrpicH in 1–3. EPR spectra showed three different types of copper(II) S = ½ symmetry signals. Most probably they could be assigned to the elongated axial in 1, the isotropic in 2 and the rhombic in 3. Both 1 and 2 showed the paramagnetic behaviour, while 3 exhibited an antiferromagnetic interaction, ascribed to the formation of pseudobinuclear units by the π···π stacking between pyridine rings.     

EPR study of the nature of the impurity centers responsible for the scintillation properties of the Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>2</Subscript>(MoO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystal

The binary molybdate Li₂Zn₂(MoO₄)₃ of a new crystal type was characterized by EPR, optical spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction methods. The crystals have the Pnma symmetry group and the lattice parameters a = 5.1139(5) Å, b = 10.4926(13) Å, c = 17.6445(22) Å; Z = 4. The crystals possess scintillation properties; emission is caused by the presence of impurity levels in the forbidden band. The EPR studies of the nature of the impurity centers responsible for the scintillation characteristics of the crystal showed that the centers were Cu²⁺ ions substituted for zinc ions in the oxygen octahedra. The directions of the main values of the g and tensors (g _zz , A _zz ) correspond to the direction of O-Cu-O of the oxygen octahedron distorted along the Z axis. The EPR spectra of the copper ions are described by the spin Hamiltonian with the parameters g _‖ = 2.38, g _⊥ = 2.06; A _‖ = 116 G, A _⊥ = 0 G.     

Time-resolved EPR investigation on the photoreactions of vitamin K with antioxidant vitamins in micelle systems

The photochemical reactions of vitamin K (VK) with antioxidant vitamins (vitamin E (VE) and vitamin C (VC)) in aqueous hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and Triton X-100 micelle systems, and in an aerosol OT (AOT) reversed micelle system were investigated by a time-resolved EPR (TR-EPR). The photolysis of VK with VE in the aqueous micelle solutions gave the TR-EPR spectra having strong intensity and net emissive polarization, suggesting that the excited triplet state of VK (³VK^*) was rapidly quenched by VE coexisting inside the micelle. On the other hand, the photolysis of VK with VC in the aqueous SDS and CTAC micelle systems gave the spectra having weak intensity, showing that the reaction between ³VK^* and VC was inefficient in these micelle systems, probably because ³VK^* scarcely diffused out from the micelle. The photolysis of VK with VC in the AOT reversed micelle solution gave the spin-correlated radical pair CIDEP spectrum. The result suggests that the long-lived radical pair was generated from the reaction between ³VK^* and VC in the water/oil interface region of the AOT micelle, although one of the reactants dissolved in the oil phase and another did in the separated water phase.     

Magnetic resonance in systems with equivalent spin-1/2 nuclides. Part 1

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of S=1/2 systems XL(n) with n equivalent nuclei having spin I=1/2 have been simulated for microwave frequencies in the L-, X-, and W-bands. It has been shown that for n>2 nuclei, the EPR spectra have a more complicated form than anticipated from the usual oversimplified analysis, which predicts n+1 lines with intensity ratios given by the coefficients of the binomial expansion. For the XL(n) system with n=3, the EPR spectra in fact consist of six lines. The exact solution of the spin-hamiltonian for this case has been obtained, which gives four levels in zero magnetic field. For n>2 systems, the degeneracy of the energy levels cannot be completely removed by the Zeeman electronic and nuclear interactions. For n>4, certain spin states cannot occur, consistent with the (generalized) Pauli exclusion principle. Discussion of the underlying theory, invoking exchange degeneracy and the appropriate permutation group theory, is included in some detail. Analogous considerations hold for NMR spectroscopy of non-radicals.     

ESR and NMR studies of poly (amidoamine) dendrimers with ionic surfactants in different media

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study has been carried out for the micellar solutions of various ionic surfactant solutions as well as various generations of aqueous dendrimer both in their respective presence as well as their absence at 25°C and in different media. From these measurements, the rotation correlation time (τ_B) have been calculated for all the ionic surfactant + PAMAM + water system. A variation in the τ_Bvalue remains mostly constant for the dodecyltrimethyammonium bromide (DTAB) and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) + PAMAM + water ternary mixtures. The τ_Bvalue shows an increase with the increase in the amount of PAMAM for SDS in basic medium and for 12-2-12 in acidic medium. It has been concluded from these results that SDS undergo complexation with all generations of PAMAM in basic medium and 12-2-12 in acidic medium and produce stronger hydrophobic environment. The nuclear magnetic resonance study (NMR) allowed us to evaluate the spin–spin relaxation (T₁) times of SDS in the presence of all generations of PAMAM. The T₁ values for all the tail protons of SDS showed a slight decrease with the increase in the constant amount of PAMAM suggesting the adsorption of PAMAM molecules on the micelle surface.