Two-dimensional double-quantum 2H NMR spectroscopy in the solid state under OMAS conditions: correlating 2H chemical shifts with quasistatic line shapes.

Solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy is a well-established and versatile method to study molecular orientation and dynamics in selectively deuterated samples. Herein, we introduce a 2D 2H double-quantum (DQ) NMR experiment performed under fast magic-angle spinning with a slight offset of the magic angle (OMAS). The experiment combines 2H chemical-shift resolution with DQ-filtered quasistatic 2H line shapes. In this way, it is possible to separate 2H resonances and to independently determine 2H quadrupole couplings at multiple sites. While 2H chemical shifts are resolved in the 2H DQ dimension, the quadrupole parameters can be obtained from characteristic line shapes which are reintroduced in the second dimension by the magic-angle offset. The 2D 2H DQ OMAS experiment is demonstrated on L-histidine which was deuterated at multiple sites by recrystallisation from D2O.     

Feasibility of a liquid-phase microextraction sample clean-up and liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric screening method for selected anabolic steroid glucuronides in biological samples

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are metabolized extensively in the human body, resulting mainly in the formation of glucuronide conjugates. Current detection methods for AAS are based on gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) analysis of the hydrolyzed steroid aglycones. These analyses require laborious sample preparation steps and are therefore time consuming. Our interest was to develop a rapid and straightforward method for intact steroid glucuronides in biological samples, using liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) sample clean-up and concentration method combined with liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) analysis. The applicability of LPME was optimized for 13 steroid glucuronides, and compared with conventional liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures. An LC/MS/MS method was developed for the quantitative detection of AAS glucuronides, using a deuterium-labeled steroid glucuronide as the internal standard. LPME, owing to its high specificity, was shown to be better suited than conventional LLE and SPE for the clean-up of urinary AAS glucuronides. The LPME/LC/MS/MS method was fast and reliable, offering acceptable reproducibility and linearity with detection limits in the range 2-20 ng ml(-1) for most of the selected AAS glucuronides. The method was successfully applied to in vitro metabolic studies, and also tested with an authentic forensic urine sample. For a urine matrix the method still has some unsolved problems with specificity, which should be overcome before the method can be reliably used for doping analysis, but still offering additional and complementary data for current GC/MS analyses.     

Influence of the exchange‐correlation functional in all‐electron calculations of the vibrational frequencies of corundum (α‐Al2O3)

The equilibrium structural parameters, high‐ and low‐frequency dielectric tensors, Born effective charges, and Γ‐point vibrational frequencies of bulk Al₂O₃ corundum are calculated by using the periodic, ab initio program CRYSTAL, which adopts an all‐electron Gaussian‐type basis set. The effect of basis set and the performance of three different functionals, i.e., LDA, PW91, and B3LYP, are discussed. The mean absolute deviation from the measured frequencies is as small as 7 cm^?1 for both the LDA and B3LYP functionals, indicating that these functionals perform extremely well in this case. The mean absolute deviation increases to 18 cm^?1 when the PW91 functional is used. All three functionals reproduce the equilibrium geometry of corundum to a high level of accuracy, with LDA and B3LYP outperforming PW91 slightly. The comparison of the current all‐electron calculations with previous plane‐wave, pseudo‐potential calculations shows an overall similar performance. The results of isotopic substitution for both Al and O are also presented. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006     

Printed plastic electronics and paperlike displays

Plastic electronic materials and high‐resolution printing methods may be important technologies for new classes of consumer electronic devices that are lightweight, mechanically flexible and bendable, and that can cover large areas at low cost. This article summarizes some of our recent work in this area. It focuses on the materials and patterning techniques that we used to produce plastic active‐matrix backplane circuits for a type of paperlike display. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3327–3334, 2002     

Cycloarsanes (AsCF3)n (n = 4, 5) – Precursors for the Highly Reactive Diarsene F3CAs=AsCF3

Tetrakis(trifluoromethyl) cyclotetraarsane (F₃CAs)₄ ( 2 ) was used to repeat the UV initiated [4+2]‐cycloaddition reaction of the diarsene F₃CAs=AsCF₃ ( 1 ) with cyclohexa‐1,3‐diene (CHD) and to isolate single crystals of the cycloadduct 4 for a X‐ray diffraction analysis. 4 crystallizes in the space group and contains the diarsene group in its E‐configuration. 2 was also applied for [2+2]‐cycloaddition reactions of 1 with tBuC≡P and MeC≡CNⁱPr₂, but in contrast to positive results with (F₃CP)₄ the products were too labile for isolation. However, 2 was successfully used at room temperature as precursor for coordinating 1 as π‐donor ligand to the Pd(PPh₃)₂ complex fragment yielding η²‐bis(trifluoromethyl)diarsene‐bis(triphenylphosphane)‐palladium(0) 5 , which was characterized by X‐ray diffraction of single crystals and by spectroscopic investigations (NMR, IR, MS). Attempts to prove the existence of the diarsene 1 , generated by different methods, by spectroscopic studies very probably failed due to its extreme reactivity, not allowing the necessary concentrations for detection. Quantum chemical calculations of the stability of 1 with respect to dimerization, the stability of the [2+2]‐cycloadduct with 1‐di(isopropyl)aminopropyne and the energy difference between 4 and the 2,3‐dimethyl‐1,3‐butadiene cycloadduct of 1 were performed to understand the considerable differences between 1 and the related diphosphene F₃CP=PCF₃.     

Electrocatalytic Properties of a Novel Poly‐1‐Naphthylamine‐Modified Electrode Using Ascorbic Acid as Molecule Probe

A glassy carbon electrode was modified with an electropolymerized film of 1‐naphthylamine in aqueous solution. The electrocatalytic properties of this modified electrode (ME) were investigated using ascorbic acid (AA) as probe molecule. The electrochemical behavior of AA in buffer solution was examined by voltammetry and amperometry. The results showed that the ME exhibited good electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of AA, as a consequence, it can be used as amperometric sensor of this analyte in a flow injection system with good sensitivity. Calibration curves were linear over the concentration range 0.05–1.50 mM with a phosphate buffer solution pH 3 as the carrier, the detection limit was 1 ppm (S/N=3). The methods were applied to the determination of AA in beverages and pharmaceutical products. A good correlation with a reference method was attained.     

Electron affinity of exotic systems under Debye plasma

Electron affinity of plasma embedded muonium (μ⁺e^?) and pionium (π⁺e^?) has been estimated using a general three‐body formalism within variational framework. Electron correlation is taken care of using extended Hylleraas basis sets. The stability of the three‐body systems have been studied under the Debye screening model of the plasma, which changes the Coulombic potential to the screened Coulomb one. The electron affinity of the muonium and pionium is maximum for free systems, and it decreases gradually toward zero with increase of the plasma strength, which tends to push the three‐body system toward gradual instability. The electron correlation contribution to the affinity has been analyzed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Transannular reactions of two parallel 1,3-butadiynes: syntheses,structures, and reactions of 1-azacyclotetradeca-3,5,10,12-tetrayne derivatives

The synthesis of 1-alkyl and 1-aryl-1-azacyclotetradeca-3,5,10,12-tetraynes was achieved in a stepwise approach. The key intermediate was 1,13-dibromotrideca-2,4,9,11-tetrayne (18). Reaction with methyl- (19 a), ethyl- (19 b), isopropyl- (19 c), n-butyl- (19 d), and tert-butylamine (19 e) as well as aniline (19 f) and p-methoxyaniline (19 g) gave the corresponding 14-membered tetraynes 20 a-20 g. The ring inversion process of 20 b was studied by variable temperature (1)H NMR spectroscopy. From these measurements a value of 10.6 kcal mol(-1) was calculated for DeltaG(not equal). X-ray investigations on single crystals of 20 b, 20 c, and 20 f revealed the axial position for the substituent at each nitrogen atom. For 20 b we encountered the chair conformation, for 20 c both chair and boat conformations, and for 20 f the boat conformation in the solid state. The reaction of 20 c with concentrated HCl in ethanol yielded 2,10-dichloro-6-isopropyl-6-azatricyclo[9.3.0.0(4,8)]tetradeca-1(11),2,4(8),9-tetraene (25 c). Compound 25 c was oxidized by 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) to 27 c. The structure of the latter was confirmed by X-ray investigations. The reaction of 20 c in aqueous HCl lead to the formation of 10-chloro-2-isopropyl-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-benzo[g]isoquinolin-9-one (37 c). The structure of 37 c was verified by X-ray studies on single crystals.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Fluxionality of Strained Hypercoordinate Silicon‐Bridged [1]Ferrocenophanes

The first hypercoordinate sila[1]ferrocenophanes [fcSiMe(2‐C₆H₄CH₂NMe₂)] ( 5 a ) and [fcSi(CH₂Cl)(2‐C₆H₄CH₂NMe₂)] ( 5 b ) (fc=(η⁵‐C₅H₄)Fe(η⁵‐C₅H₄)) were synthesized by low‐temperature (?78 °C) reactions of Li[2‐C₆H₄CH₂NMe₂] with the appropriate chlorinated sila[1]ferrocenophanes ([fcSiMeCl] ( 1 a ) and [fcSi(CH₂Cl)Cl] ( 1 d ), respectively). Single‐crystal Xray diffraction studies revealed pseudo‐trigonal bipyramidal structures for both 5 a and 5 b , with one of the shortest reported Si???N distances for an sp³‐hybridized nitrogen atom interacting with a tetraorganosilane detected for 5 a (2.776(2) Å). Elongated Si? C_ipso bonds trans to the donating NMe₂ arms (1.919(2) and 1.909(2) Å for 5 a and 5 b , respectively) were observed relative to both the non‐trans bonds ( 5 a : 1.891(2); 5 b : 1.879(2) Å) and the Si? C_ipso bonds of the non‐hypercoordinate analogues ([fcSiMePh] ( 1 b ): 1.879(4), 1.880(4) Å; [fcSi(CH₂Cl)Ph] ( 1 e ): 1.881(2), 1.884(2)). Solution‐state fluxionality of 5 a and 5 b , suggestive of reversible coordination of the NMe₂ group to silicon, was demonstrated by means of variable‐temperature NMR studies. The ΔG^≠ of the fluxional processes for 5 a and 5 b in CD₂Cl₂ were estimated to be 35.0 and 37.6 kJ mol^?1, respectively (35.8 and 38.3 kJ mol^?1 in [D₈]toluene). The quaternization of 5 a and 5 b by MeOTf, to give [fcSiMe(2‐C₆H₄CH₂NMe₃)][OTf] ( 7 a‐ OTf) and [fcSi(CH₂Cl)(2‐C₆H₄CH₂NMe₃)][OTf] ( 7 b‐ OTf), respectively, supported the reversibility of NMe₂ coordination at the silicon center as the source of fluxionality for 5 a and 5 b . Surprisingly, low room‐temperature stability was detected for 5 b due to its tendency to intramolecularly cyclize and form the spirocyclic [fcSi(cyclo‐CH₂NMe₂CH₂C₆H₄)]Cl ( 9 ‐Cl). This process was observed in both solution and the solid state, and isolation and Xray characterization of 9 ‐Cl was achieved. The model compound, [Fc₂Si(2‐C₆H₄CH₂NMe₂)₂] ( 8 ), synthesized through reaction of [Fc₂SiCl₂] with two equivalents of Li[2‐C₆H₄CH₂NMe₂] at ?78 °C, showed a lack of hypercoordination in both the solid state and in solution (down to ?80 °C). This suggests that either the reduced steric hindrance around Si or the unique electronics of the strained sila[1]ferrocenophanes is necessary for hypercoordination to occur.     

Link between the kinetic‐ and exchange‐energy functionals in the generalized gradient approximation

An approximate kinetic‐energy functional of the generalized gradient approximation form was derived following the “conjointness conjecture” of Lee, Lee, and Parr. The functional shares the analytical form of its gradient dependency with the exchange‐energy functionals of Becke and Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof. The two free parameters of this functional were determined using the exact values of the kinetic energy of He and Xe atoms. A set of 12 closed‐shell atoms was used to test the accuracy of the proposed functional and more than 30 others taken from the literature. It is shown that the conjointness conjecture leads to a very good class of kinetic‐energy functionals. Moreover, the functional developed in this work is shown to be one of the most accurate despite its simple analytical form. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002