SUT‐NANOTEC‐SLRI beamline for X‐ray absorption spectroscopy

The SUT‐NANOTEC‐SLRI beamline was constructed in 2012 as the flagship of the SUT‐NANOTEC‐SLRI Joint Research Facility for Synchrotron Utilization, co‐established by Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) and Synchrotron Light Research Institute (SLRI). It is an intermediate‐energy X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) beamline at SLRI. The beamline delivers an unfocused monochromatic X‐ray beam of tunable photon energy (1.25–10 keV). The maximum normal incident beam size is 13 mm (width) × 1 mm (height) with a photon flux of 3 × 10⁸ to 2 × 10¹⁰ photons s^?1 (100 mA)^?1 varying across photon energies. Details of the beamline and XAS instrumentation are described. To demonstrate the beamline performance, K‐edge XANES spectra of MgO, Al₂O₃, S₈, FeS, FeSO₄, Cu, Cu₂O and CuO, and EXAFS spectra of Cu and CuO are presented.     

A novel ditopic receptor and reversal of anion binding selectivity in the presence and absence of bound cation

A calix[4]arene-derived ditopic receptor 1 has been synthesized. In the absence of Na+, the receptor binds acetate in preference to diphenyl phosphate (as the tetrabutylammonium salts), but in the presence of Na+, the selectivity is reversed and the receptor, instead, binds diphenyl phosphate, and not acetate, which preferentially forms a salt ion-pair in free solution. [structure: see text]     

Electronic absorption spectroscopy probed side-chain movement in chromic transitions of polydiacetylene vesicles

Thermochromism, solvatochromism, and alkalinochromism of a poly-10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (poly(PCDA)) vesicle solution are studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. The spectroscopic profiles reveal different sequences of side-chain movement during the chromic transitions. The gradual hypsochromic shift and reversibility of the purple solution at low temperature in the thermochromic transition indicates that the transition starts with reversible conformational alteration of methylene side chains leading to metastable purple vesicles. Further heating to 80 degrees C or higher eventually causes the hydrogen bonds at the carboxylic head groups to break and turns the vesicle solution to red. The irreversibility of the red vesicles indicates that it is the most thermodynamically stable form. In the ethanolochromism and alkalinochromism, the processes are however induced at the vesicle-media interface, directly bringing about the hydrogen bond breaking. The purple solutions observed in the ethanolochromism and alkalinochromism cannot reverse back to the blue one. The absorption spectra clearly demonstrate that they are mixtures of the blue and red vesicles.     

Recognition Studies of a Pyridine-Pendant Calix[4]arene with Neutral Molecules: Effects of Non-covalent Interactions on Supramolecular Structures and Stabilities

A new calix[4]arene derivative containing hydrogen bond acceptors,5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-bis[(4-pyridylmethyl)oxy]-26,28-dihydroxycalix[4]arene (L), has been synthesized. ¹H-NMR titrations in chloroform-d werecarried out to investigate the host–guest chemistry ofL towards neutral molecules containing a widevariety of hydrogen bond donor groups such as aldehydederivatives of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arenes(compounds 3 and 4), acetylacetone,1,2-diaminoethane, 2,6-diaminopyridine, catechol,resorcinol, hydroquinone, phthalic acid, isophthalicacid and terephthalic acid. L can formcomplexes with resorcinol, phthalic acid and catecholin 1 : 1 (log K = 3.13), 1 : 1 (log K = 5.41) andpolymeric fashions, respectively. In addition, thesolution structures of these complexes have beenrevealed by NOESY experiments. L forms a 1 : 1complex with resorcinol by hydrogen bonding and vander Waals interactions resulting in a supramolecularframework. The phthalic acid molecule interacts withL via hydrogen bonding and is included into thelower rim cavity of L.     

Synthesis, photophysical properties, and cyanide detection in aqueous solution of BF2-curcumin dyes

Derivatives of difluoroboron curcumin (BF₂-curcumin, BF₂-cur(OMe)₂, BF₂-cur(OTs)₂, and BF₂-curOTs), were synthesized. All compounds possessed electron donor moieties at both ends of the conjugated π system and an electron acceptor moiety in the middle of the molecules (D-A-D system) and should exhibit different optical properties depending on substituents on the benzene rings. Photophysical properties of curcumin and difluoroboron curcumin derivatives were explored. The electron-withdrawing substituent could decrease the electron acceptability of BF₂-acceptor moiety resulting in the hypsochromic shift of both absorption and emission bands. BF₂-curcumin and BF₂-cur(OMe)₂ displayed the positive solvatochromic effect relying predominantly on polarity and polarizability of the solvent. Interestingly, BF₂-curcumin showed high selectivity and sensitivity towards cyanide with the detection limits of 22 μM and 0.14 μM measured by visual detection and UV-vis spectrophotometry, respectively. Compared to the original curcumin, BF₂-curcumin offered a remarkably promising detection of cyanide with 66-fold enhancement in aqueous media (4:1 of CH₃CN/H₂O).     

A Selective Spectrofluorometric Determination of Micromolar Level of Cyanide in Water Using Naphthoquinone Imidazole Boronic-Based Sensors and a Surfactant Cationic CTAB Micellar System

We developed a new spectrofluorometric method for qualitative and quantitative determination of cyanide in water using the incorporation of naphthoquinone imidazole boronic-based sensors (m -NQB and p -NQB) and a cationic surfactant, certyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). This micellar system exhibited great selectivity for cyanide detection with an assistance of the cationic surface of micelle. The interaction of boronic acid of the sensor toward cyanide in CTAB micellar media gave a quantitative measure of cyanide concentration in the micromolar level. Under the optimal condition, fluorescence intensity at 460 nm of m -NQB and p -NQB provided two sets of linear ranges, 0.5–15 μM and 20–40 μM and the limit of cyanide detection of 1.4 μM. Hence, both sensors in CTAB aqueous micellar system offered a considerably promising cyanide detection with 1000–fold enhancement of the detection limit compared to those studied in DMSO: H₂O. The proposed sensors could also be used to determine cyanide in water with good analytical characteristics.     

Aqueous sols of oligo(ethylene glycol) surface decorated polydiacetylene vesicles for colorimetric detection of Pb 2+

A series of ethylene glycol (EG), triethylene glycol (3EG) and pentaethylene glycol (5EG) esters of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) are synthesized. The glycol ester lipids can be hydrated and well dispersed in water but they cannot form polydiacetylenes upon UV irradiation. They however can be mixed with PCDA up to 30 mol% and polymerized to form blue sols. The mixed polydiacetylene sols show blue to red thermochromic transition with two-stepped transition temperatures. The first transition temperature decreases with the increase of the glycol ester content as well as the length of their chains indicating greater fluidity of the self-assembled structure due to less collaborative hydrogen bonding among the lipid head groups. These mixed polydiacetylene sol prepared from 30 mol% of the penta(ethylene glycol) ester show linear colorimetric response selectively to Pb²⁺ in the range of 5-30 μM.