Asymmetric polymerization using C1 resources

Two examples of asymmetric alternating copolymerization, (1) the alternating copolymerization of α‐olefins (monosubstituted ethenes) with carbon monoxide and (2) the alternating copolymerization of meso‐epoxide with carbon dioxide, are described, and the meaning of chirality in polymer synthesis is emphasized. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 215–221, 2004     

Doubly excited3Se,3De and3Ge states of two-electron atomic systems

Summary Time-dependent perturbation theory has been applied to calculate the doubly excited triplet statesNsns:³S^e,Npnp:³D^e andNdnd:³G^e (N=2, 3, 4,n=N+1, ... ,5) for He, Li⁺, Be²⁺ and B³⁺. A time-dependent harmonic perturbation causes simulataneous excitation of both the electrons with a change of spin state. The doubly excited energy levels have been identified as the poles of an appropriately constructed linearized variational functional with respect to the driving frequency. In addition to the transition energies, effective quantum numbers of these doubly excited states have been calculated and analytic representations of their wave functions are obtained. These are utilized to estimate the Coulomb repulsion term for these states which checks the consistency of the wave functions. These wave functions may also be used for calculating other physical properties of the systems.     

一种基于流动注射梯度技术识别异常峰及校正的方法

基于流动注射梯度信息提出了一种利用梯度比均值进行定量的校正方法。方法具有在线自动判别和修复异常峰并自行校正的功能，和通用的标准系列定量方法相比，两者测定精度相当。但本文提出的方法抗干扰能力明显优于后者，可适用于在线过程监测。     

Accurate Gaussian basis sets for the H2O molecule generated with the molecular improved generator coordinate Hartree–Fock method

The molecular improved generator coordinate Hartree–Fock (MIGCHF) method is used to generate accurate basis sets of primitive Gaussian-type functions for the H₂O molecule. Sequences of increasing size atom centered basis sets are employed to explore the accuracy that can be achieved with this method. Using the O(24s14p8d5f2g1h);H(22s9p5d2f1g) basis set, the HF and second-order electron correlation energies of the H₂O ground state at the experimental geometry are computed as −76.0674680 and −0.3491935 hartree, respectively. The HF energy is in error by 20 μhartree and the second-order correlation energy corresponds to 96.5% of an estimate of the limiting value. The relevance of the present calculations is to show the accuracy that can be achieved in studies of small polyatomic molecules with the MIGCHF method.     

The ordered phase of methylammonium lead chloride CH3ND3PbCl3

The perovskite-structured compound methylammonium lead chloride orders into a low-temperature phase of space group Pnma, in which at 80 K each of the orthorhombic axes , and is doubled with respect to the room temperature disordered cubic phase (). The structure was solved by ab initio methods using the programs EXPO and FOX. This unusual cell basis for space group Pnma is not that of a standard tilt system. This phase, in which the methylammonium ions, are ordered shows distorted octahedra. The octahedra possess a bond angle variance of 60.663°² and a quadratic elongation of 1.018, and are more distorted than those in the ordered phase of methylammonium lead bromide. There is also an alternating long and short Pb-Cl bond along a, due to an off-center displacement of Pb within the octahedron. This suggests that the most rigid unit is actually the methylammonium cation, rather than the PbCl₆ octahedra, in agreement with existing spectroscopic data.     

On the Temperature–Pressure Free‐Energy Landscape of Proteins

We studied the thermodynamic stability of a small monomeric protein, staphylococcal nuclease (Snase), as a function of both temperature and pressure, and expressed it as a 3D free‐energy surface on the p,T‐plane using a second‐order Taylor expansion of the Gibbs free‐energy change ΔG upon unfolding. We took advantage of a series of different techniques (small‐angle Xray scattering, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis, pressure perturbation calorimetry and densitometry) in the evaluation of the conformation of the protein and in evaluating the changes in the thermodynamic parameters upon unfolding, such as the heat capacity, enthalpy, entropy, volume, isothermal compressibility and expansivity. The calculated results of the free‐energy landscape of the protein are in good agreement with experimental data of the p,T‐stability diagram of the protein over a temperature range from 200 to 400 K and at pressures from ambient pressure to 4000 bar. The results demonstrate that combined temperature–pressure‐dependent studies can help delineate the free‐energy landscape of proteins and hence help elucidate which features and thermodynamic parameters are essential in determining the stability of the native conformational state of proteins. The approach presented may also be used for studying other systems with so‐called re‐entrant or Tamman loop‐shaped phase diagrams.     

AlCn及AlC+n(n=1-4)原子簇的理论研究

用ab initio能量解析梯度法，在UHF（RHF）／3－21G水平上优化得到AlCn，AlCn+（n＝1～3）的四十三个构型，在RHF（UHF）／3－21G水平上优化得到AlC4，AlC4+的二十六个构型，CISD能量．从能量角度所研究的AlCn，AlCn+（n=1～4）构型中，最稳定的构型均是线性构型，且Al全都在端点上，同文献报导的理论和实验结果相一致．此外，还研究了原子簇的离子化能，原子平均结合能以及原子簇的碎片化通道和碎片化能，并计算了上述最稳定构型的谐振动光谱常数．     

Sequential optimisation of the separation of a complex mixture of plastics additives by HPLC with a quaternary gradient and a dual detection system

Summary The separation of two families of plastics additives (phenolic antioxidants and UV absorbers) has been achieved by high performance liquid chromatography with a quaternary gradient. A methodology of separation based on a sequential optimization is described. After a preliminary study of the effects of solvents on retention of compounds, the mobile phase is first chosen for each class of additives (Irganox and Tinuvin), then for the mixture of all the compounds and the separation is finally optimized. The importance of the column phase ratio is also reported. The use of two detectors, UV absorbance and light-scattering, enables all the compounds to be detected. The performance of the detectors has been compared and the effects of the nebulization temperature on the detection of low molecular mass compounds is reported.     

Taking snapshots of photoexcited molecules in disordered media by using pulsed synchrotron X-rays

Photoexcited molecules are quintessential reactants in photochemistry. Structures of these photoexcited molecules in disordered media in which a majority of photochemical reactions take place remained elusive for decades owing to a lack of suitable X-ray sources, despite their importance in understanding fundamental aspects in photochemistry. As new pulsed X-ray sources become available, short-lived excited-state molecular structures in disordered media can now be captured by using laser-pulse pump, X-ray pulse-probe techniques of third-generation synchrotron sources with time resolutions of 30-100 ps, as demonstrated by examples in this review. These studies provide unprecedented information on structural origins of molecular properties in the excited states. By using other ultrafast X-ray facilities that will be completed in the near future, time-resolution for the excited-state structure measurements should reach the femtosecond time scales, which will make "molecular movies" of bond breaking or formation, and vibrational relaxation, a reality.     

Determination of complex formation constants by phase sensitive alternating current polarography: Cadmium-polymethacrylic acid and cadmium-polygalacturonic acid

The use of phase sensitive alternating current polarography (ACP) for the evaluation of complex formation constants of systems where electrodic adsorption is present has been proposed. The applicability of the technique implies the previous selection of the phase angle where contribution of capacitive current is minimized. This is made using Multivariate Curve Resolution by Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) in the analysis of ACP measurements at different phase angles. The method is checked by the study of the complexation of Cd by polymethacrylic (PMA) and polygalacturonic (PGA) acids, and the optimal phase angles have been ca. −10° for Cd-PMA and ca. −15° for Cd-PGA systems. The goodness of phase sensitive ACP has been demonstrated comparing the determined complex formation constants with those obtained by reverse pulse polarography, a technique that minimizes the electrode adsorption effects on the measured currents.