New organoruthenium metallates containing ferrocenecarboxalidine thiosemicarbazones and their nucleic acid/albumin binding and in vitro cytotoxicity

A string of four new hetero binuclear Ru(III) complexes of ferrocenecarboxaldehyde-4(N)-substituted thiosemicarbazones were synthesized and characterized by various spectral (infrared, ultraviolet–visible, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HR-MS) techniques. The binding abilities of the ligands/complexes with nucleic acid (calf thymus DNA, CT-DNA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were analyzed by absorption and emission titration methods. The complexes exhibited better DNA binding affinity than their parent ligands. The interaction with CT-DNA was found to be intercalative and with BSA static quenching mechanism was observed. All the synthesized Ru(III) complexes were subjected to study their in vitro cytotoxicity against MCF-7 (human breast cancer) and HT-29 (human colon cancer) cell lines. Among the four complexes, complex 3 [RuCp (FF-etsc)PPh₃]Cl exhibited the highest cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells and complex 4 [RuCp (FF-ptsc)PPh₃]Cl was the most active on HT-29 cells.     

An AFM, XPS and electrochemical study of molecular electroactive monolayers formed by wet chemistry functionalization of H-terminated Si(1 0 0) with vinylferrocene

Molecular electroactive monolayers have been produced from vinylferrocene (VFC) via light-assisted surface anchoring to H-terminated n- and p-Si(1 0 0) wafers prepared via wet chemistry, in a controlled atmosphere. The resulting Si-C bound hybrids have been characterized by means of XPS and AFM. Their performance as semiconductor functionalized electrodes and their surface composition have been followed by combining electrochemical and XPS measurements on the same samples, before and after use in an electrochemical cell. White-light photoactivated anchoring at short (1 h) exposure times has resulted in a mild route, with a very limited impact on the initial quality of the silicon substrate. In fact, the functionalized Si surface results negligibly oxidized, and the C/Fe atomic ratio is close to the value expected for the pure molecular species. The VFC/Si hybrids can be described as (η⁵-C₅H₅)Fe²⁺(η⁵-C₅H₄)-CH₂-CH₂-Si species, on the basis of XPS results. Electrochemical methods have been applied in order to investigate the role played by a robust, covalent Si-C anchoring mode towards substrate-molecule electronic communication, a crucial issue for a perspective development of molecular electronics devices. The response found from cyclic voltammograms for p-Si(1 0 0) functionalized electrodes, run in the dark and under illumination, has shown that the electron transfer is not limited by the number of charge carriers, confirming the occurrence of electron transfer via the Si valence band. The hybrids have shown a noticeable electrochemical stability and reversibility under cyclic voltammetry (cv), and the trend in peak current intensity vs. the scan rate was linear. The molecule-Si bond is preserved even after thousands of voltammetric cycles, although the surface coverage, evaluated from cv and XPS, decreases in the same sequence. An increasingly larger surface concentration of Fe³⁺ at the expenses of Fe²⁺ redox centers has been found at increasing number of cv’s, experimentally associated with the growth of silicon oxide. Surface SiO⁻ groups from deprotonated silanol termination, induced by the electrochemical treatments, are proposed as the associated counterions for the Fe³⁺ species. They could be responsible for the observed decrease in the electron transfer rate constant with electrode ageing.     

Förster energy transfer from poly(arylene–ethynylene)s to an erbium–porphyrin complex

We study the infrared emission at 1.54 μm of an organolanthanide complex, Er(III)-tetraphenylporphyrin [Er(TPP)acac], both as a result of direct optical excitation and via energy transfer from host π-conjugate polymers of type poly(arylene–ethynylene) [PAE]. In the first case, the emission of the neat complex is characterized in inert transparent materials and a value of the quantum yield at 1.54 μm φ_IR=4×10⁻⁴ is measured. Then, fluorescence resonance transfer is investigated in blends of Er(TPP)acac with PAEs by monitoring the quenching of the polymer fluorescence along with the enhancement of both the visible emission of the ligand and the near-infrared band of Er³⁺. These different procedures allow a detailed analysis of the transfer efficiency within a specific implementation of the Förster model for polymeric donors. The experimental values of the critical radius R₀, ranging from 1.3 to 2.5 nm for the different blends, are in good agreement with theory for a wide interval of the physical and spectroscopic parameters. This suggests that other mechanisms for excitation transfer do not play a significant role in these materials.     

Shape transition from InAs quantum dash to quantum dot on InP(3 1 1)A

We report on the shape transition from InAs quantum dashes to quantum dots (QDs) on lattice-matched GaInAsP on InP(3 1 1)A substrates. InAs quantum dashes develop during chemical-beam epitaxy of 3.2 monolayers InAs, which transform into round InAs QDs by introducing a growth interruption without arsenic flux after InAs deposition. The shape transition is solely attributed to surface properties, i.e., increase of the surface energy and symmetry under arsenic deficient conditions. The round QD shape is maintained during subsequent GaInAsP overgrowth because the reversed shape transition from dot to dash is kinetically hindered by the decreased ad-atom diffusion under arsenic flux.     

Crystal Structure,Phase Transition and Ferroelastic Properties of [N(CH3)4]3[As2Cl9]

The crystal structure of [N(CH₃)₄]₃[As₂Cl₉] is determined at 293 K. It crystallizes in trigonal space group P31c: a = 9.2199(8), c = 21.065(3)Å, Z = 2, R₁ = 0.0505, wR₂ = 0.1283. The crystal is built of the discrete bioctahedral [As₂Cl₉]^3— anions and the deformed tetramethylammonium cations. A structural phase transition in [N(CH₃)₄]₃[As₂Cl₉] is detected by the DSC and dilatometric techniques at 146/151 K (on cooling/heating). Dielectric relaxation studies in the frequency range 75 kHz — 5 MHz indicate reorientations of the tetramethylammonium cations within the high temperature phase. Optical observations show the existence of the ferroelastic domain structure below 146 K. The possible mechanism of phase transition is discussed on the basis of the presented results.     

Thermal decomposition of hexamminecobalt(III) chloride

The results of comparative thermal analysis (TG-DTG-DTA-DSC) of the thermal decomposition of hexamminecobalt(III) chloride in air atmosphere are reported. The kinetics and mechanism of the thermal decomposition, the process enthalpy and the variation in specific thermal capacity of the solid product reaction with temperature were determined.     

Evolution of stress and strain relaxation of Ge and SiGe alloy films on Si(0 0 1)

The growth of Ge and SiGe alloy films on Si substrates has attracted considerable interest in the last years because of their importance for optoelectronic devices as well as Si-based high speed transistors. Here we give a short overview on our recent real time stress measurements of Ge and SiGe alloy films on Si(0 0 1) performed with a sensitive cantilever beam technique and accompanied by structural investigations with atomic force microscopy. Characteristic features in the stress curves provide detailed insight into the development and relief of the misfit strain. For the Stranski–Krastanow system Ge/Si(0 0 1) as well as for SiGe films with Si contents below 20%, the strain relaxation proceeds mainly into two steps: (i) by the formation of 3D islands on top of the Ge wetting layer; (ii) via misfit dislocations in larger 3D islands and upon their percolation.     

Synthesis, morphology and random laser action of ZnO nanostructures

Three-dimensional (3-D) ZnO random-wall nanostructures and one-dimensional (1-D) ZnO nanorods were prepared on silicon substrates by a simple solid-vapour phase thermal sublimation technique. Optical pumped random lasing has been observed in the ZnO random-wall arrays with a threshold intensity of 0.38 MW/cm² in the emission wavelength from 380 to 395 nm. The optical gain was attributed to the closed-loop scattering and light amplification of the ZnO random-wall. The experimental result suggests that the morphology of nanostructure is the key factor to effect random lasing.     

Synthesis and luminescence properties of lanthanide(III) chelates with polyacid derivatives of thienyl-substituted terpyridine analogues

Two new polyacid derivative ligands of thienyl-substituted terpyridine analogues, N,N,N¹,N¹-[4′-(2?-thienyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine-6,6″-diyl]bis(methylenenitrilo) tetrakis(acetic acid) (TTTA) and N,N,N¹,N¹-[2,6-bis(3′-aminomethyl-1′-pyrazolyl)-4-(2″-thienyl)pyridine] tetrakis(acetic acid) (BTTA), were synthesized, and the luminescence properties of their Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ chelates were investigated. The Eu³⁺chelates of the two ligands are strongly luminescent having luminescence quantum yields of 0.150 (TTTA-Eu³⁺) and 0.114 (BTTA-Eu³⁺), and lifetimes of 1.284 ms (TTTA-Eu³⁺) and 1.352 ms (BTTA-Eu³⁺), whereas their Tb³⁺ chelates are weakly luminescent. The TTTA-Eu³⁺ chelate was used for streptavidin (SA) labeling, and the labeled SA was used for time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay of insulin in human sera. The method gives the detection limits of 33 pg ml⁻¹.     

五种氨基酸钆络合物的ESR波谱

迄今未见任何稀土氨基酸络合物的ESR波谱报道,本文在合成Gd³⁺分别与甘氨酸、β-丙氨酸、谷氨酸、天冬氨酸和天冬酰胺五种氨基酸络合物的基础上,测定了不同温度下,水溶液、粉末及分子筛吸附样品的ESR谱,讨论了络合物中晶体场强,对称性及成键特性。