Small neutrino mass from large compactification volumes

We present an argument in which the scale approximately 0.1 eV associated with neutrino masses naturally appears in a class of (very) large volume compactifications, being tied to a supersymmetry scale of 10(3) GeV and a string scale of 10(11) GeV. The masses are of the Majorana type, and there is no right-handed neutrino within the low-energy field theory. The suppression scale 10(14) GeV is independent of the masses of the heavy states that are integrated out. These kinds of constructions appear naturally in type IIB flux compactifications. However, the arguments that lead to this result rely only on a few geometrical features of the compactification manifold and, hence, can be used independently of string theory.     

S(T) = 22 [Mn10] supertetrahedral building-block to design extended magnetic networks

The controlled organization of high-spin complexes, eventually single-molecule magnets, is a great challenge in molecular sciences to probe the possibility to design sophisticated magnetic systems to address a large quantity of magnetic information. The coordination chemistry is a tool of choice to make such materials. In this work, high-spin S(T) = 22 [Mn(10)] complexes, such as [Mn(III)(6)Mn(II)(4)(L(1))(6)(μ(4)-O)(4)(μ(3)-N(3))(4)(CH(3)CN)(11)(H(2)O)]·(ClO(4))(2)·(CH(3)CN)(8.5) (1), have been assembled using (i) 1,3-propanediol derivatives as chelating ligands to form the [Mn(10)] core units and (ii) dicyanamide or azide anions as linkers to synthesize the first 2D and 3D [Mn(10)]-based networks: [Mn(III)(6)Mn(II)(4)(L(2))(6)(μ(3)-N(3))(4)(μ(4)-O)(4)(CH(3)OH)(4)(dca)(2)] (2) and [Mn(III)(6)Mn(II)(4)(L(3))(6)(μ(3)-N(3))(4)(μ(4)-O)(4)(N(3))(2)]·(CH(3)OH)(4) (3). The synthesis of these compounds is reported together with their single-crystal X-ray structures and magnetic properties supported by DFT calculations. In the reported synthetic conditions, the stability of the [Mn(10)] complex is remarkably good that allows us to imagine many new materials combining these high-spin moieties and other diamagnetic but also paramagnetic linkers to design for example ordered magnets.     

Mononuclear Fe(II) single-molecule magnets: a theoretical approach

The single-molecule magnet behavior found in mononuclear tetracoordinate Fe(II) complexes with trigonal monopyramidal coordination due to large magnetic anisotropy has been analyzed using theoretical methods based on CASSCF-RASSI calculations. We focus our study on the dependence of such magnetic properties on the geometrical parameters of the complexes (asymmetry of the ligands and the out-of-plane shift of the Fe(II) cation with respect to the three equatorial nitrogen atoms) and the influence of the basicity of the N ligands. Low basicity, larger shifts, and larger distortions of the FeN(4) central framework decrease the D value and increase the E value. Also, we predict similar magnetic properties for similar pentacoordinate complexes adding an axial ligand that will increase the chemical stability of such systems.     

Family of carboxylate- and nitrate-diphenoxo triply bridged dinuclear Ni(II)Ln(III) complexes (Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, Y): synthesis, experimental and theoretical magneto-structural studies, and single-molecule magnet behavior

Seven acetate-diphenoxo triply bridged M(II)-Ln(III) complexes (M(II) = Ni(II) and Ln(III) = Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, and Y; M(II) = Zn(II) and Ln(III) = Ho(III) and Er(III)) of formula [M(μ-L)(μ-OAc)Ln(NO(3))(2)], one nitrate-diphenoxo triply bridged Ni(II)-Tb(III) complex, [Ni(μ-L)(μ-NO(3))Tb(NO(3))(2)]·2CH(3)OH, and two diphenoxo doubly bridged Ni(II)-Ln(III) complexes (Ln(III) = Eu, Gd) of formula [Ni(H(2)O)(μ-L)Ln(NO(3))(3)]·2CH(3)OH have been prepared in one pot reaction from the compartmental ligand N,N',N"-trimethyl-N,N"-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-methylbenzyl)diethylenetriamine (H(2)L). Moreover, Ni(II)-Ln(III) complexes bearing benzoate or 9-anthracenecarboxylate bridging groups of formula [Ni(μ-L)(μ-BzO)Dy(NO(3))(2)] and [Ni(μ-L)(μ-9-An)Dy(9-An)(NO(3))(2)]·3CH(3)CN have also been successfully synthesized. In acetate-diphenoxo triply bridged complexes, the acetate bridging group forces the structure to be folded with an average hinge angle in the M(μ-O(2))Ln bridging fragment of ~22°, whereas nitrate-diphenoxo doubly bridged complexes and diphenoxo-doubly bridged complexes exhibit more planar structures with hinge angles of ~13° and ~2°, respectively. All Ni(II)-Ln(III) complexes exhibit ferromagnetic interactions between Ni(II) and Ln(III) ions and, in the case of the Gd(III) complexes, the J(NiGd) coupling increases weakly but significantly with the planarity of the M-(O)(2)-Gd bridging fragment and with the increase of the Ni-O-Gd angle. Density functional theory (DFT) theoretical calculations on the Ni(II)Gd(III) complexes and model compounds support these magneto-structural correlations as well as the experimental J(NiGd) values, which were found to be ~1.38 and ~2.1 cm(-1) for the folded [Ni(μ-L)(μ-OAc)Gd(NO(3))(2)] and planar [Ni(H(2)O)(μ-L)Gd(NO(3))(3)]·2CH(3)OH complexes, respectively. The Ni(II)Dy(III) complexes exhibit slow relaxation of the magnetization with Δ/k(B) energy barriers under 1000 Oe applied magnetic fields of 9.2 and 10.1 K for [Ni(μ-L)(μ-BzO)Dy(NO(3))(2)] and [Ni(μ-L)(μ-9-An)Dy(9-An)(NO(3))(2)]·3CH(3)CN, respectively.     

Population of nonnative states of lysozyme variants drives amyloid fibril formation

The propensity of protein molecules to self-assemble into highly ordered, fibrillar aggregates lies at the heart of understanding many disorders ranging from Alzheimer's disease to systemic lysozyme amyloidosis. In this paper we use highly accurate kinetic measurements of amyloid fibril growth in combination with spectroscopic tools to quantify the effect of modifications in solution conditions and in the amino acid sequence of human lysozyme on its propensity to form amyloid fibrils under acidic conditions. We elucidate and quantify the correlation between the rate of amyloid growth and the population of nonnative states, and we show that changes in amyloidogenicity are almost entirely due to alterations in the stability of the native state, while other regions of the global free-energy surface remain largely unmodified. These results provide insight into the complex dynamics of a macromolecule on a multidimensional energy landscape and point the way for a better understanding of amyloid diseases.     

Luminescence of Strontianite (SrCO3) from Strontian (Scotland, UK)

An historic Strontianite-type specimen from Strontian, Scotland, UK, was characterized to broaden our knowledge on luminescence properties of common carbonates. These fibrous aggregates are Strontianite (Sr_xCa_1−xCO₃) with circa 6% of CaO, interfacial water, hydrosilicate anions and substitutional divalent cations, e.g., Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺ in structural Sr²⁺ positions. The specimen was analyzed by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with an Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (ESEM-EDS) probe, Spatially-resolved Cathodoluminescence under the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM-CL), Differential-Thermal Analyses (DTA), Thermogravimetry (TG), Thermoluminescence (TL), Radioluminescence (RL) and High Resolution Spectra Thermoluminescence (3DTL), to gain an overview of the spectral emissions, the defect linkages were modified by heating from room temperature (RT) up to 500 °C. Substitutional transition elements are probably responsible for the spectral emission bands from 500 nm to 800 nm and hydrous molecules from 300 nm to 400 nm. DTA–TG analyses performed on little chips, to preserve the fiber interfaces coherence, exhibit minor endothermic peaks attributed to outflow of water groups in fiber interfaces. Both, CL and RL curves show common spectral positions but UV–blue and red emission intensities are counterbalanced since electron irradiation reduces the UV–blue emissions while X-irradiation increases them. The TL curves show a top thermal limit at 300 °C for the 300–400 nm TL emissions which become irreversibly destroyed, whereas the longer wavelength region emits at higher temperature. The non-reversible changes observed in the 320 nm and 360 nm bands during the spectra 3DTL emission could be linked with non-bridging oxygen defects, protons and hydroxyl groups and the red emissions to the ⁴G (⁴T_1g)–⁶S Mn²⁺ ion transition. Following assignations and similar spectral CL patterns of Russian Strontianite samples, the emission-defect assignments: Dy³⁺ 480 nm; Tb³⁺ 540 nm; Dy³⁺ 580 nm and Sm³⁺ 640 nm cannot be disregarded.