2 + 2] cross coupling of benzene and tropylium ligands in reductively activated piano stool complexes of Mn,Cr, and W

We have established cation/anion coupling reactions between the tropylium ligand in [M(eta7-C7H7)(CO)3]+ (M = Cr, W) and the reductively activated eta4-benzene ligand in [Mn(eta4-C6H6)(CO)3]- (3-) to form [M(CO)3(mu2-eta6:eta5-C7H7-C6H6)Mn(CO)3]; [Cr(CO)3(mu2-eta6:eta5-C7H7-C6H6)Mn(CO)3] can be further reduced to [Cr(CO)3(mu2-eta5:eta4-C7H7-C6H6)Mn(CO)3]2-, in which the tropylium and benzene ligands have undergone a [2 + 2] cross coupling reaction.     

Solution conformational preferences of glutaric, 3‐hydroxyglutaric, 3‐methylglutaric acid,and their mono‐ and dianions

Conformational preferences of glutaric, 3‐hydroxyglutaric and 3‐methylglutaric acid, and their mono‐ and dianions have been investigated with the aid of NMR spectroscopy. In contrast to succinic acid, glutaric acid displays essentially statistical conformational equilibria in polar and non‐polar solutions of high and low hydrogen‐bonding ability with no clear evidence for intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions. The acid ionization constant ratios, K ₁/K₂, in D₂O and DMSO of glutaric, 3‐hydroxyglutaric, and 3‐methylglutaric acids also indicate that intramolecular interactions are much less important than, or indeed insignificant, for shorter‐chain acids. FTIR studies on 3‐methylglutaric acid indicate some preference for either association with solvent or dimerization, depending on the solvent, rather than intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification of archaeal proteins that affect the exosome function in vitro

Background  

The archaeal exosome is formed by a hexameric RNase PH ring and three RNA binding subunits and has been shown to bind and degrade RNA in vitro. Despite extensive studies on the eukaryotic exosome and on the proteins interacting with this complex, little information is yet available on the identification and function of archaeal exosome regulatory factors.     

Economic considerations important in the scale-up of an ovalbumin separation from hen egg-white on the anion-exchange cellulose DE92.

The scale-up of the separation of hen egg-white proteins has been investigated using Whatman DE92 anion-exchange cellulose. Having developed suitable chromatographic conditions, a maximum binding capacity of 100 mg protein/ml packed DE92 was determined in a 25-ml column. The process was scaled up 1000-fold and the influence of batch and column techniques on the chromatographic step assessed. Data indicate column processes to be more efficient than batch in the adsorptive stage.     

Reactive uptake of N2O5 by aerosol particles containing mixtures of humic acid and ammonium sulfate

The kinetics of reactive uptake of N2O5 on submicron aerosol particles containing humic acid and ammonium sulfate has been investigated as a function of relative humidity (RH) and aerosol composition using a laminar flow reactor coupled with a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) to characterize the aerosol. For single-component humic acid aerosol the uptake coefficient, gamma, was found to increase from 2 to 9 x 10(-4) over the range 25-75% RH. These values are 1-2 orders of magnitude below those typically observed for single-component sulfate aerosols (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2003, 5, 3453-3463;(1) Atmos. Environ. 2000, 34, 2131-2159(2)). For the mixed aerosols, gamma was found to decrease with increasing humic acid mass fraction and increase with increasing RH. For aerosols containing only 6% humic acid by dry mass, a decrease in reactivity of more than a factor of 2 was observed compared with the case for single-component ammonium sulfate. The concentration of liquid water in the aerosol droplets was calculated using the aerosol inorganic model (for the ammonium sulfate component) and a new combined FTIR-DMA system (for the humic acid component). Analysis of the uptake coefficients using the water concentration data shows that the change in reactivity cannot be explained by the change in water content alone. We suggest that, due to its surfactant properties, the main effect of the humic acid is to reduce the mass accommodation coefficient for N2O5 at the aerosol particle surface. This has implications for the use of particle hygroscopicity data for predictions of the rate of N2O5 hydrolysis.     

Synthesis and structural properties of lanthanide complexes formed with tropolonate ligands

We have previously reported the unique luminescence properties of ML4 complexes formed between tropolonate ligands and a series of lanthanide cations, several of them emitting in the near-infrared domain. The synthesis and composition of ML4 lanthanide tropolonate complexes have been previously described in the literature, but no structural information has been available so far. In this work, the crystal structures of several lanthanide tropolonate complexes (Ln3+ = Tb3+, Dy3+, Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+, Lu3+) have been isolated and systematically analyzed by X-ray diffraction and compared by using different criteria including the Kepert formalism. Such comparative work is rare in lanthanide coordination chemistry. The analysis of the structures in the solid state reveals that although the packing of the ML4 complexes depends on the nature of the metal ion, the coordination geometries around the different lanthanides is virtually similar for all the cations that have been analyzed; an indication that lanthanide-centered f orbitals play a role in controlling this coordination geometry. Analysis of the solution's behavior by stability constant determination reveals the formation of complexes with similar ML4 stoichiometries as those observed in the solid state. Nevertheless, analysis of the luminescence lifetimes indicates that the coordination environment around the lanthanide cations are different in the solid state and in solution, with the presence of one molecule of water bound to the lanthanide cation in solution. The presence of such a water molecule is a significant source of nonradiative deactivation of the excited states of the lanthanide cations, an unfavorable condition that leads to significant loss in fluorescence intensity of these lanthanide complexes. This exemplifies that such comparative analysis between the solid state and solution is important for the rationalization of the luminescence properties of the complexes. This analysis will aid us in optimizing ligand design for improved photophysical properties of the complex.     

High precision delta(17)O isotope measurements of oxygen from silicates and other oxides: method and applications

The use of infrared laser-assisted fluorination to release oxygen from milligram quantities of silicates or other oxide mineral grains is a well-established technique. However, relatively few studies have reported the optimisation of this procedure for oxygen-17 isotope measurements. We describe here details of an analytical system using infrared (10 μm) laser-assisted fluorination, in conjunction with a dual inlet mass spectrometer of high resolving power ( approximately 250) to provide (17)O and (18)O oxygen isotope measurements from 0.5-2 mg of silicates or other oxide mineral grains. Respective precisions (1) of typically 0.08 and 0.04 per thousand are obtained for the complete analytical procedure. Departures from the mass-dependent oxygen isotope fractionation line are quantified by Delta(17)O; our precision (1) of such measurements on individual samples is shown to be +/-0.024 per thousand. In turn, this permits the offset between parallel, mass-dependent fractionation lines to be characterised to substantially greater precision than has been possible hitherto. Application of this system to investigate the (17)O versus (18)O relationship for numerous terrestrial whole-rock and mineral samples, of diverse geological origins and age, indicates that the complete data set may be described by a single, mass-dependent fractionation line of slope 0.5244+/- 0.00038 (standard error). Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.