New indole trimers as precursors for molecular electronic materials

We have prepared two new C₃-symmetric, substituted-triazatruxene molecules using a facile one-pot trimerisation of 5-carboxyindole and 6-bromoindole in acetic acid using Br₂, giving 2a and 3a, respectively. These were subsequently modified by the addition of six alkyl chains to the N- and carboxyl-positions of 2a giving 2b and three alkyl chains to the N-positions of 3a giving 3b. The new molecules were characterised using cyclic voltammetry, UV/vis and emission spectroscopy, DFT calculations and in the case of 3b, field-effect transistor measurements showing gate-modulated source-drain current. These represent a straightforward route to large polyaromatic molecules with easily-modified side groups and are suitable as building blocks for synthesis of functional molecules for materials.     

Investigation of Terra Cotta artefacts with terahertz

Terahertz Time Domain Imaging has been used in the last few years for the investigation of cultural heritage. In this article, the authors demonstrate the possibility to apply it for the investigation of clay artifacts. Tomographic images were obtained of a model in reflection, and an Egyptian vessel in transmission.     

Maximally Symmetric Trees

We characterize the best model geometries for the class of virtually free groups, and we show that there is a countable infinity of distinct best model geometries in an appropriate sense – these are the maximally symmetric trees. The first theorem gives several equivalent conditions on a bounded valence, cocompact tree T without valence 1 vertices saying that T is maximally symmetric. The second theorem gives general constructions for maximally symmetric trees, showing for instance that every virtually free group has a maximally symmetric tree for a model geometry.     

Stereochemistry of reactions of the inhibitor/substrates L- and D-beta-chloroalanine with beta-mercaptoethanol catalysed by L-aspartate aminotransferase and D-amino acid aminotransferase respectively

Two members of the alpha-family of PLP-dependent enzymes, L-aspartate aminotransferase and D-amino acid aminotransferase, have been shown to catalyse beta-substitution of L- and D-beta-chloroalanine respectively with beta-mercaptoethanol, reactions typical of the beta-family of PLP-dependent enzymes. The reaction catalysed by L-aspartate aminotransferase has been shown to occur with retention of stereochemistry, a typical outcome for reactions catalysed by beta-family enzymes. There are also indications that the reaction catalysed by D-amino acid aminotransferase may involve retention of stereochemistry. Both enzymes have been shown to catalyse exchange at C-3 when the appropriate enantiomer of beta-chloroalanine is the substrate.     

High-gain wide-band gyrotron traveling wave amplifier with a helically corrugated waveguide

First bandwidth measurements of a novel gyrotron amplifier are presented. The coupling between the second harmonic cyclotron mode of a gyrating electron beam and the radiation field occurred in the region of near infinite phase velocity over a broad bandwidth by using a cylindrical waveguide with a helical corrugation on its internal surface. With a beam energy of 185 keV, the amplifier achieved a maximum output power of 1.1 MW, saturated gain of 37 dB, linear gain of 47 dB, saturated bandwidth of 8.4 to 10.4 GHz ( 21% relative bandwidth), and an efficiency of 29%, in good agreement with theory.     

Coupling Microdroplet Microreactors with Mass Spectrometry: Reading the Contents of Single Droplets Online

Fully integrated : Mass spectrometry has been integrated into a detection scheme for microdroplets that are created within microfluidic channels (see picture, scale bar 200 μm). This technique allows droplets to be identified based on the compounds they contain, and combines fluorescence screening with MS analysis. These experiments indicate how similar approaches can be applied to the ambitious goals of on‐chip protein evolution and chemical synthesis.

     

Supramolecuar motifs in s-block metal-bound sulfonated monoazo dyes: The case of Orange G

Solid-state structures of Mg, Sr, Ba, Na2, Na0.8K1.2, NaRb, and Na1.5Cs0.5 complexes of the disulfonated dye 7-hydroxy-8-(phenylazo)-1,3-naphthalenedisulfonic acid, Orange G, are presented. It is shown that the s-block metal salts of the Orange G dianion (Og) can be categorized into three structural classes related to those previously proposed for simple monosulfonated azo dyes. All of the structures feature alternate organic/inorganic layering, but whereas the Mg, Ca, and Li complexes are solvent-separated ion-pair species, the Sr and Ba complexes form simple discrete molecules based on metal-sulfonate bonding, and the heavy alkali metal complexes utilize a variety of M-O interactions to form 2- and 3-dimensional coordination networks. These structural differences are rationalized in terms of simple properties of the metals (charge, size, and electronegativity) and the steric demands of the arylsulfonate groups. The Ag2 complex of Orange G is also structurally characterized, and in contrast to the s-block salts, it is found to exhibit strong Ag pi bonds. In confirmation of the above, the crystal structures of [Mg(H2O)6][Og] . 3.33H2O, [Sr(Og)(H2O)7].H2O, [Ba(Og)(H2O)7]2 . 2H2O, [Na2(Og)(H2O)6.67], [Na2(Og)(H2O)2(HOEt)], [Na0.8K1.2(Og)(H2O)6] . 1.75H2O, [NaRb(Og)(H2O)6.5] . 2.375H2O, [Na1.5Cs0.5(Og)(H2O)6] . 0.5H2O, and [Ag2(Og)(H2O)4].H2O are presented.     

Theory of fast multiple bond-switching reactions: NO + NH2

A theoretical treatment is given for fast, multiple bond-switching reactions, such as NO + NH₂ → N₂ + H₂O. These reactions are characterized by all or most of the bonds being broken. The collision complex involved (whether long or short lived) is shown to be extremely anharmonic. Consideration of the master equation describing the competing processes of complex formation, internal rearrangement and collisional deactivation yields easily applied sufficient conditions for the recombination rate coefficient being independent of pressure.