A simple derivation of Vonnegut's equation for the determination of interfacial tension by the spinning drop technique

A simple derivation of Vonnegut's equation for use in the determination of interfacial tension by the spinning drop technique is described. The derivation involves a cylindrical approximation and calculates the kinetic energy of rotation of the system from a consideration of its moment of inertia.     

The ionization of perchloric and hydrofluoric acids in aqueous solution

Cyclical bifurcated hydrogen bonded structures are proposed for aqueous solutions of hydrofluoric acid and for the bifluoride ion which are consistent with the spectral data. The structure proposed for HF is also applicable to solutions in organic solvents. Raman spectra of tetramethylguanidinium perchlorate suggest that the corresponding Raman spectra of perchloric acid solutions may not be interpreted in terms of a completely dissociated acid. Other evidence including activity coefficient, heat capacity and partial molal volume data suggest that there is some association in relatively dilute perchloric acid solutions between the perchlorate ion and the hydrated proton. This association decreases in concentrated aqueous solutions.     

Excess enthalpy and entropy of aqueous tetramethylguanidinium methanesulfonate and trifluoromethanesulfonate solutions

Relative apparent molal heat contents, φ_L, are reported for the tetramethylguanidinium salts of methanesulfonic (MS) and trifluoromethanesulfonic (TFMS) acids. Relative partial molal heat contents, L?₂, are calculated and combined with previously reported activity coefficient data, to yield excess entropies. It is found that the values of L?₂ make the principal contribution to the excess entropies of Me₄GuMS solutions while the excess free energies, as calculated from activity coefficients, make the greatest contribution to the excess entropies of Me₄GuTFMS solutions.     

A Photochemical Route to Dibenzobarrelenes

Dibenzobarrelenes have been prepared by the cycloaddition of benzyne to anthracenes. The first method gives complex mixtures from which only poor yields of 1, 4-adducts may be obtained,¹ exceot wgeb tetragakivebztbes are enokited,^2,3 Muller and Vergne have reported⁴ that dibenzobarrelene is formed by the reaction of acetylene with anthracene, but it may be significant that later workers have chosen to use either the above-mentioned benzyne route or a modification of the cycloaddition to anthracenne involving dichlorethylene followed by dechlorination to prepare the parent compound.⁵ Our approach to the synthesis of this ring system employs our previously described 1,2–photoaramatisation reactions.⁶ A significant feature of the present work is that it demonstrates that a photochemical reaction can be employed to generate compounds, in this case dibenzobarrelenes, known to be photolabile.⁷     

A Maltol-Containing Ruthenium Polypyridyl Complex as a Potential Anticancer Agent

Cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. Chemotherapy, despite its severe side effects, is to date one of the leading strategies against cancer. Metal-based drugs present several potential advantages when compared to organic compounds and they have gained trust from the scientific community after the approval on the market of the drug cisplatin. Recently, we reported the ruthenium complex ([Ru(DIP)₂(sq)](PF₆) (where DIP is 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenantroline and sq is semiquinonate) with a remarkable potential as chemotherapeutic agent against cancer, both in vitro and in vivo. In this work, we analyse a structurally similar compound, namely [Ru(DIP)₂(mal)](PF₆), carrying the flavour-enhancing agent approved by the FDA, maltol (mal). To possess an FDA approved ligand is crucial for a complex, whose mechanism of action might include ligand exchange. Herein, we describe the synthesis and characterisation of [Ru(DIP)₂(mal)](PF₆), its stability in solutions and under conditions that resemble the physiological ones, and its in-depth biological investigation. Cytotoxicity tests on different cell lines in 2D model and on HeLa MultiCellular Tumour Spheroids (MCTS) demonstrated that our compound has higher activity than cisplatin, inspiring further tests. [Ru(DIP)₂(mal)](PF₆) was efficiently internalised by HeLa cells through a passive transport mechanism and severely affected the mitochondrial metabolism.     

Non-Oxido-Vanadium(IV) Metalloradical Complexes with Bidentate 1,2-Dithienylethene Ligands: Observation of Reversible Cyclization of the Ligand Scaffold in Solution

Derivatives of 1,2-dithienylethene (DTE) have superb photochromic properties due to an efficient reversible photocyclization reaction of their hexatriene structure and, thus, have application potential in materials for optoelectronics and (multi-responsive) molecular switches. Transition-metal complexes bearing switchable DTE motifs commonly incorporate their coordination site rather distant from the hexatriene system. In this work the redox active ligand 1,2-bis(2,5-dimethylthiophen-3-yl)ethane-1,2-dione is described, which reacts with [V(TMEDA)₂Cl₂] to give a rare non-oxido vanadium(IV) species 3(M,M/P,P) . This blue complex has two bidentate en-diolato ligands which chelate the V^IV center and give rise to two five-membered metallacycles with the adjacent hexatriene DTE backbone bearing axial chirality. Upon irradiation with UVA light or prolonged heating in solution, the blue compound 3(M,M/P,P) converts into the purple atropisomer 4(para,M/para,P) . Both complexes were isolated and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis (using lab source and synchrotron radiation). The antiparallel configuration (M or P helicity) present in both 3(M,M/P,P) and 4(para,M/para,P) is a prerequisite for (reversible) 6π cyclization reactions. A CW EPR spectroscopic study reveals the metalloradical character for 3(M,M/P,P) and 4(para,M/para,P) and indicates dynamic reversible cyclization of the DTE backbone in complex 3(M,M/P,P) at ambient temperature in solution.     

Electrochemiluminescence Bioassays with a Water‐Soluble Luminol Derivative Can Outperform Fluorescence Assays

The most efficient and commonly used electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters are luminol, [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺, and derivatives thereof. Luminol stands out due to its low excitation potential, but applications are limited by its insolubility under physiological conditions. The water‐soluble m‐carboxy luminol was synthesized in 15 % yield and exhibited high solubility under physiological conditions and afforded a four‐fold ECL signal increase (vs. luminol). Entrapment in DNA‐tagged liposomes enabled a DNA assay with a detection limit of 3.2 pmol L^?1, which is 150 times lower than the corresponding fluorescence approach. This remarkable sensitivity gain and the low excitation potential establish m‐carboxy luminol as a superior ECL probe with direct relevance to chemiluminescence and enzymatic bioanalytical approaches.     

Atomistic Simulation Study of Cu0.327Ni0.673 Alloys: from Solid Solution to Phase Segregation

We present a combined Monte‐Carlo/molecular dynamics study of a Cu_0.327Ni_0.673 alloy system. On the basis of nearest‐neighbor coordination number analyses atomic clustering and phase segregation is explored. Along this line, free energy profiles are calculated and separated into entropic and energetic contributions. The competition of both terms was found in accordance to the experimental phase diagrams (phase separation of the solid solution below about 600 Kelvin). Two independent simulation runs were performed. At 1000 Kelvin the observed configurations correspond to solid solutions exhibiting a weak tendency to cluster atoms of identical species. At room temperature the energetic favoring of atomic separation is clearly dominant and leads to the formation of Ni‐rich and Cu‐rich domains. The latter are separated by interfacial regions whose width ranges from 0.5 to 1 nanometers.