SANS from Salt-Free Aqueous Solutions of Hydrophilic and Highly Charged Star-Branched Polyelectrolytes.

Scattering functions of sodium sulfonated polystyrene (NaPSS) star-branched polyelectrolytes with high sulfonation degrees were measured from their salt-free aqueous solutions, using the Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) technique. Whatever the concentration c, they display two maxima. The first, of abscissa q1*, is related to a position order between star cores and scales as q1* ∝ c1/3. The second, of abscissa q2*, is also observed in the scattering function of a semi-dilute solution of NaPSS linear polyelectrolytes. In the dilute regime (c < c*, non-overlapping stars), peak abscissa does not depend on concentration c and is just an intramolecular characteristic associated with the electrostatic repulsion between arms of the same star. In the semi-dilute regime, due to the star interpenetration, the scattering function ⁻ through the peak position, reflects repulsion between arms of the same star or of different stars. The c threshold between these distinct c-dependencies of q2* in the dilute and semi-dilute regimes is estimated as c*. Just as simple is the measurement of the geometrical radius R of the star obtained from the q1* value at c* through the relation 2R = 2π/q1*. By considering NaPSS stars of the same functionality with different degrees of polymerization per arm Na, we find R scaling linearly with Na, suggesting an elongated average conformation of the arms. This is in agreement with theoretical predictions and simulations. Meanwhile the value of q2* measured in the dilute regime does not allow any inhomogeneous counterion distribution inside the stars to be revealed.

Redox and luminescent properties of robust and air-stable N-heterocyclic carbene group 4 metal complexes.

Robust and air-stable homoleptic group 4 complexes of the type M(L)2 [1-3; M = Ti, Zr, Hf; L = dianionic bis(aryloxide) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand] were readily synthesized from the NHC proligand 1,3-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)imidazolinium chloride (H3L,Cl) and appropriate group 4 precursors. As deduced from cyclic voltammetry studies, the homoleptic bis-adduct zirconium and hafnium complexes 2 and 3 can also be oxidized, with up to four one-electron-oxidation signals for the zirconium derivative 2 (three reversible signals). Electron paramagnetic resonance data for the one-electron oxidation of complexes 1-3 agree with the formation of ligand-centered species. Compounds 2 and 3 are luminescent upon excitation in the absorption band at 362 nm with emissions at 485 and 534 nm with good quantum yields (ϕ = 0.08 and 0.12) for 2 and 3, respectively. In contrast, the titanium complex 1 does not exhibit luminescent properties upon excitation in the absorption band at 310 and 395 nm. Complexes 2 and 3 constitute the first examples of emissive nonmetallocene group 4 metal complexes.

Spectroscopic analysis of tyrosine derivatives: on the role of the tyrosine-histidine covalent linkage in cytochrome c oxidase.

2'-(1-Imidazolyl)-4-methylphenol (C-N bonding in the ortho' position at the phenyl group), a model compound for a tyrosine-histidine covalent linkage, was studied with a combined electrochemical and UV-vis/IR spectroscopic approach. Electrochemical analysis of the 2'-(1-imidazolyl)-4-methylphenol model compound by the means of cyclic voltammetry yielded a potential of 0.48 vs ferrocene (1.15 V vs NHE) for the oxidation of the deprotonated form, the reaction being kinetically irreversible. A tentative assignment of the electrochemically induced Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference infrared spectra is presented that indicates the deprotonation of the tyrosine before oxidation and importantly the strong influence of the solvent on the spectral properties and on the mechanism of radical formation. Fluorescence lifetimes and pre-exponential factors of the tyrosine-histidine model compounds are presented and discussed in comparison to tyrosine. The tyrosine-histidine fluorescence lifetime is found to be solvent dependent. The influence of the solvent on the reaction mechanism is proposed with regard to the mechanism of electron coupled proton transfer in proteins that include covalently linked amino acid side chains, like the cytochrome c oxidase.

Steady-state and time resolved fluorescence analysis on tyrosine-histidine model compounds.

Four model compounds, for a tyrosine-histidine covalent bonding, 2-(5-imidazolyl)-4-methylphenol (C-C bonding in ortho-position at the phenyl group); 2'-(1-imidazolyl)-4-methylphenol (C-N bonding in ortho'-position at the phenyl group); 2-(5-imidazolyl)-4-H-phenol and 2-(5-imidazolyl)-4-H-phenol, at physiological pH have been studied by UV-Vis absorption, steady-state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Their absorption and emission properties are presented and discussed. The photophysical properties depend on the para-substituted phenyl group as well as on C-C/C-N bonding in the Phenol-Imidazole linkage. The N position, N1-N3/N1-N4, in the imidazole group was found to be relevant. The results are discussed with relevance to the redox processes of tyrosine and to better understand the role of a tyrosine-histidine covalent linkage as found in cytochrome c oxidase.