Lanthanide SMMs Based on Belt Macrocycles: Recent Advances and General Trends

Enhancement of axial magnetic anisotropy is the central objective to push forward the performance of Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) complexes. In the case of mononuclear lanthanide complexes, the chemical environment around the paramagnetic ion must be tuned to place strongly interacting ligands along either the axial positions or the equatorial plane, depending on the oblate or prolate preference of the selected lanthanide. One classical strategy to achieve a precise chemical environment for a metal centre is using highly structured, chelating ligands. A natural approach for axial-equatorial control is the employment of macrocycles acting in a belt conformation, providing the equatorial coordination environment, and leaving room for axial ligands. In this review, we present a survey of SMMs based on the macrocycle belt motif. Literature systems are divided in three families (crown ether, Schiff-base and metallacrown) and their general properties in terms of structural stability and SMM performance are briefly discussed.     

Computational Analysis Reveals a Critical Point Mutation in the N-Terminal Region of the Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Responsible for the Cross-Species Infection with Canine Distemper Virus

Infection of hosts by morbilliviruses is facilitated by the interaction between viral hemagglutinin (H-protein) and the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM). Recently, the functional importance of the n-terminal region of human SLAM as a measles virus receptor was demonstrated. However, the functional roles of this region in the infection process by other morbilliviruses and host range determination remain unknown, partly because this region is highly flexible, which has hampered accurate structure determination of this region by X-ray crystallography. In this study, we analyzed the interaction between the H-protein from canine distemper virus (CDV-H) and SLAMs by a computational chemistry approach. Molecular dynamics simulations and fragment molecular orbital analysis demonstrated that the unique His28 in the N-terminal region of SLAM from Macaca is a key determinant that enables the formation of a stable interaction with CDV-H, providing a basis for CDV infection in Macaca. The computational chemistry approach presented should enable the determination of molecular interactions involving regions of proteins that are difficult to predict from crystal structures because of their high flexibility.     

A new molecular rectifier device and some research in its processing

Organic materials of D-π-A type MR-X (MR-1: p-dimethylaminophenylethenetrica-rbonitrile and MR-2: p-diphenylaminophenylethene tricarbonitrile) were designed and synthesized. The device with a sandwich structure shows good rectificative phenomena. The highest rectification ratio 10000 was achieved in device Cu/MR-1/Ag, and about 100 in other device M/MR-X/M (M: Cu, Ag). It has been found that rectificative phenomena exist only in the atmosphere-liquid interface region by means of liquid adsorption, and electric field could help form the oriented molecular film. __________ Translated from Journal of Fudan University (Natural Science), 2005, 44(4) (in Chinese)     

Character of the thermal motion of water molecules according to the data on quasielastic incoherent scattering of slow neutrons

The paper discusses the applicability of quasi-crystalline approximation to describing the thermal motion of water molecules in their normal and supercooled states. The problem is subjected to the critical analysis of experimental data on incoherent scattering of slow neutrons based on theories developed by Singwi-Sjolander [1] and Oskotsky [2] modified to duly take into account the limited applicability range of diffusion approximation. The applicability conditions of quasi-crystalline approximation are shown to be consistently satisfied only when water is in supercooled state and within a narrow temperature range above the melting temperature.     

有界变量线性规划的基线算法

本文对有界变量线性规划的算法进行了研究，得到了一种解此问题的新算法。文中根据基线算法的算法原理，通过对BL表的旋转，在各变量满足界约束的条件下，使目标函数值不断增大，直至得到有界硬上界，从而得到问题的最优解。文中给出了有界变量线性规划基线算法的计算步骤，并给出了一个例子。与单纯形法相比，采用基线算法解有界变量线性规划操作更简单。迭代次数少，解题速度更快。     

电激励O2（1△g）发生器的理论模拟研究

 建立了基于分子反应动力学的氧等离子体化学反应模型，该模型包括了电子与氧分子，以及氧原子与氧分子的碰撞反应过程。利用反应动力学理论计算并讨论了电激励O₂(¹△)发生器的放电参数，发现电子能量应小于2.5eV。电子浓度对O₂(¹△)产率的影响不大，当放电压力与气体线流速一定时，存在最佳的电子平均能量。     

Study on the covalence of Cu and chemical bonding in an inorganic fullerene-like molecule, [CuCl]20[Cp*FeP5]12 [Cu-(CH3CN)+2Cl-]5, by a density functional approach

The electronic structure and chemical bonding in a recently synthesized inorganic fullerene-like molecule, [CuCl]₂₀[Cp*FeP₅]₁₂[Cu-(CH₃CN) ⁺ ₂Cl⁻]₅ has been studied by a density functional approach. Geometrical optimization of the three basic structural units of the molecule is performed with Amsterdam Density Functional Program. The results are in agreement with the experiment. Localized MO’s obtained by Boys-Foster method give a clear picture of the chemical bonding in this molecule. The reason why CuCl can react with Cp*FeP₅ in solvent CH₃CN to form the fullerene-like molecule is explained in terms of the soft-hard Lewis acid base theory and a new concept of covalence.     

Study on the covalence of Cu and chemical bonding in an inorganic fullerene-like molecule, [CuCl]_(20)[Cp~*FeP_5]_(12)[Cu-(CH_3CN)_2~+Cl~-]_5, by a density functional approach

The titled inorganic fullerene-like molecule (hereafter abbreviated as IFM) was recently synthe-sized by Bai et al.[1], which attracts a lot of interests from inorganic and organometallic chemists, and questions are raised for this smart molecule: (ⅰ) Why CuCl can react with Cp*FeP5 in solvent CH3CN to form IFM? (ⅱ) What is the nature of chemical bond-ing? (ⅲ) What is the covalence of Cu in this mole-cule? In this paper we intend to answer these questions in terms of the soft-hard …