Editorial Commentary: Clinical Equipoise Regarding Arthroscopic Management of Femoroacetabular Impingement With Tönnis Grade 2 Osteoarthritis May Mean We Don't Know or Don't Agree: It Does Not Mean We Don't Care.

Management of patients with femoroacetabular impingement and moderate (Tönnis grade 2) osteoarthritis remains a debated topic. Outcomes show that such patients can benefit from hip arthroscopy, yet the improvement may not be as favorable as desired. Although certain factors, such as Tönnis grade 3 hip OA, older age, higher body mass index, bipolar cartilage defects, and joint space less than 2 mm, may influence surgeons to avoid arthroscopic treatment, the threshold for grade 2 OA is not as clear. Moreover, although radiographs may appear similar in patients with Tönnis grade 2, there may be a wide range of chondral damage seen arthroscopically. Thus, until higher-level studies are performed, it is the responsibility of the surgeon to delineate appropriate treatment strategies for individual patients in this category, and most of all, it is crucial for surgeons to set reasonable expectations for patients when considering hip arthroscopy. This highlights the importance of careful preoperative evaluation and patient education.

Editorial Commentary: Proper Indications for Primary Labral Resection and Reconstruction Versus Primary Labral Repair Remain Vague and Undefined.

Primary labral reconstruction for complex hip pathologies has shown outcomes and complication rates similar to those of labral repair. As surgeons become more proficient and versatile in their hip arthroscopy techniques, we are seeing increasing feedback supporting reconstructions in the primary setting. Patients with severe pincer impingement, hypotrophic labrums, labral ossification, or irreparable degenerative tearing demonstrate notable improvement and satisfaction after primary labral reconstruction. However, there still is benefit to retaining native labral tissue when feasible. Biomechanical studies show loss of suction seal and increased contact pressures with labral reconstructions versus repairs. Although primary labral reconstruction is a necessary skill and treatment option particularly for the complex hip, the pendulum may be starting to swing too far away from repairs or augmentations. Proper indications for primary labral reconstruction continue to evolve and are not yet black and white in the literature. Regardless, surgeons may rest assured that patients are demonstrating appropriate improvement and safety with either preferred surgical option.

Inverted Region in Bimolecular Electron Transfer in Solution Enabled by Delocalization.

Rate constants for bimolecular electron transfer (ET) increased with driving force, -ΔG°, reached a plateau, and then decreased in an inverted region. This rate data was described well by electron transfer theory subject to a diffusion-controlled limit. These were for ET from radical anions of polydecylthiophene (P3DT) to a series of acceptors in THF solution. When the donor was the smaller anion of quaterthiophene (T4•-) the inverted region was much less prominent and still less so for when the donor was the anion of bithiophene (T2•-). Description of the data using ET theory identifies smaller electronic couplings for the highly delocalized P3DT anions as enabling the inverted behavior: The presence of a Marcus inverted region is a consequence of delocalized electronic states. The results further imply that electronic couplings smaller than usually found for molecules in contact could boost efficiency of energy storage by electron transfer and identifies size-mismatch as an important concept in control of electronic couplings.

Pushing the limits of the electrochemical window with pulse radiolysis in chloroform.

Pulse radiolysis (PR) enables the full redox window of a solvent to be accessed, as it does not require electrodes or electrolyte which limit the potentials accessible in voltammetry measurements. PR in chloroform has the additional possibility to enable reaching highly positive potentials because of its large ionization potential (IP). PR experiments demonstrated the formation of the (deuterated) chloroform radical cation CDCl3+˙, identifying it as the source of the broad absorption in the visible part of the spectrum. Results indicated that solutes with a redox potential up to +3.7 V vs. Fc/Fc+ can be oxidized by CDCl3+˙, which is far beyond what is possible with electrochemical techniques. Oxidation is not efficient because of rapid geminate recombination with chloride counterions, but also due to rapid decomposition of CDCl3+˙ which limits the yield of otherwise longer-lived free ions. The rapid, 6 ± 3 ns, decomposition, confirmed by two independent experiments, means that a solute must be present at a concentration >100 mM to capture >90% of the free holes formed. Addition of ethene removes the broad, overlapping absorptions from ubiquitous (chlorine atom, solute) complexes created by PR in halogenated solvents enabling clear observation of solute cations. The results also unravel the complex radiation chemistry of chloroform including the large reported value G(-CHCl3) = 12 molecules/100 eV for the decomposition of chloroform molecules.

General Method for Determining Redox Potentials without Electrolyte.

A novel method to determine redox potentials without electrolyte is presented. The method is based on a new ability to determine the dissociation constant, K°d, for ion pairs formed between any radical anion and any inert electrolyte counterion. These dissociation constants can be used to determine relative shifts of redox potential as a function of electrolyte concentration, connecting referenced potentials determined with electrochemistry (with 0.1 M electrolyte) to electrolyte-free values. Pulse radiolysis created radical anions enabling determination of equilibrium constants for electron transfer between anions of donor and acceptor molecules as a function of electrolyte concentration in THF. The measurements determined "composite equilibrium constants", KeqC, which contain information about the dissociation constant for the electrolyte cations, X+, with the radical anions of both the donor, K°d(D-•,X+) and the acceptor, K°d(A-•,X+). Dissociation constants were obtained for a selection of radical anions with tetrabutylammonium (TBA+). The electrolyte was found to shift the reduction potentials of small molecules 1-methylpyrene and trans-stilbene by close to +130 mV whereas oligo-fluorenes and polyfluorenes experienced shifts of only (+25 ± 6) mV due to charge delocalization weakening the ion pair. These shifts for reduction of aromatic hydrocarbon molecules are smaller than shifts of +232 and +451 mV seen previously for benzophenone radical anion with TBA+ and Na+ respectively where the charge on the radical anion is localized largely on one C═O bond, thus forming a more tightly bound ion pair.

Dynamic broadening alters triplet extinction coefficients in fluorene oligomers and polymers.

We report Tn ← T1 spectra and extinction coefficients, ε, and other properties as functions of chain length for a series of fluorene oligomers, oFn, and polymers, pFn, with n = 2-84 repeat units. We find that ε increases with length, peaking at 159 400 M-1 cm-1 for oF3 and then decreases for longer chains. ε does not scale with 1/n or e-n to reach a constant value at long length, as predicted by the commonly applied oligomer extrapolation approximation, although spectral shifts, oscillator strengths, and transition dipole moments do reach limiting values for chains near 10 units long. While computations describe the triplet in oF2 and oF3 as having similar geometries with a single flattened dihedral angle between units, computations and simulations suggest that in longer oligomers motion along the chains of the short 2-3 unit, the long T1 state is probably the source of the unusual changes in ε. These occur because hopping along the chain is sufficiently fast that the dihedrals between fluorene units cannot fully relax. At a length near 10 units, hopping and dihedral angle changes produce a steady state distribution of geometries with only small changes from the ground state, which persist for longer chains. Additional decreases in ε from pF28 to pF84 are plausibly due to a small number of chain defects which result in loss of triplets.

Structure and photophysics of indigoids for singlet fission: Cibalackrot.

We report an investigation of structure and photophysics of thin layers of cibalackrot, a sturdy dye derived from indigo by double annulation at the central double bond. Evaporated layers contain up to three phases, two crystalline and one amorphous. Relative amounts of all three have been determined by a combination of X-ray diffraction and FT-IR reflectance spectroscopy. Initially, excited singlet state rapidly produces a high yield of a transient intermediate whose spectral properties are compatible with charge-transfer nature. This intermediate more slowly converts to a significant yield of triplet, which, however, does not exceed 100% and may well be produced by intersystem crossing rather than singlet fission. The yields were determined by transient absorption spectroscopy and corrected for effects of partial sample alignment by a simple generally applicable procedure. Formation of excimers was also observed. In order to obtain guidance for improving molecular packing by a minor structural modification, calculations by a simplified frontier orbital method were used to find all local maxima of singlet fission rate as a function of geometry of a molecular pair. The method was tested at 48 maxima by comparison with the ab initio Frenkel-Davydov exciton model.

Remote sensing of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) in vegetation: 50 years of progress.

Remote sensing of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is a rapidly advancing front in terrestrial vegetation science, with emerging capability in space-based methodologies and diverse application prospects. Although remote sensing of SIF - especially from space - is seen as a contemporary new specialty for terrestrial plants, it is founded upon a multi-decadal history of research, applications, and sensor developments in active and passive sensing of chlorophyll fluorescence. Current technical capabilities allow SIF to be measured across a range of biological, spatial, and temporal scales. As an optical signal, SIF may be assessed remotely using highly-resolved spectral sensors and state-of-the-art algorithms to distinguish the emission from reflected and/or scattered ambient light. Because the red to far-red SIF emission is detectable non-invasively, it may be sampled repeatedly to acquire spatio-temporally explicit information about photosynthetic light responses and steady-state behaviour in vegetation. Progress in this field is accelerating with innovative sensor developments, retrieval methods, and modelling advances. This review distills the historical and current developments spanning the last several decades. It highlights SIF heritage and complementarity within the broader field of fluorescence science, the maturation of physiological and radiative transfer modelling, SIF signal retrieval strategies, techniques for field and airborne sensing, advances in satellite-based systems, and applications of these capabilities in evaluation of photosynthesis and stress effects. Progress, challenges, and future directions are considered for this unique avenue of remote sensing.

Correction: Escape of anions from geminate recombination in THF due to charge delocalization.

Correction for 'Escape of anions from geminate recombination in THF due to charge delocalization' by Hung-Cheng Chen et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 32272-32285.

p-Carborane Conjugation in Radical Anions of Cage-Cage and Cage-Phenyl Compounds.

Optical electron transfer (intervalence) transitions in radical anions of p-carborane oligomers attest to delocalization of electrons between two p-carboranes cages or a p-carborane and a phenyl ring. Oligomers of the 12 vertex p-carborane (C2B10H12) cage, [12], with up to 3 cages were synthesized, as well as p-carboranes with one or two trimethylsilylphenyl groups, [6], attached to the carbon termini. Pulse radiolysis in tetrahydrofuran produced radical anions, determined redox potentials by equilibria and measured their absorption spectra. Density functional theory computations provided critical insight into the optical electron transfer bands and electron delocalization. One case, [6-12-6], showed both Robin-Day class II and III transitions. The class III transition resulted from a fully delocalized excess electron across both benzene rings and the central p-carborane, with an electronic coupling Hab = 0.46 eV between the cage and either benzene. This unprecedented finding shows that p-carborane bridges are not simply electron withdrawing insulators. In other cases with more than ∼1/2 of the excess electron localized on a [12], large cage distortions were triggered, producing a partially open cage with a nido-like structure. This resulted in class II transitions with similar Hab but massive reorganization energies. The computations also predicted delocalization in radical cations, but complexities in cation formation allowed only tentative experimental support of the predictions. The results with anions provide clear evidence for carborane conjugation that might be exploited in molecular wire materials, which are classically composed of all π-conjugated molecules.

Escape of anions from geminate recombination in THF due to charge delocalization.

Geminate recombination of 24 radical anions (M˙-) with solvated protons (RH2+) was studied in tetrahydrofuran (THF) with pulse radiolysis. The recombination has two steps: (1) diffusion of M˙- and RH2+ together to form intimate (contact and solvent separated) ion pairs, driven by Coulomb attraction; (2) annihilation of anions due to proton transfer (PT) from RH2+ to M˙-. The non-exponential time-dependence of the geminate diffusion was determined. For all molecules protonated on O or N atoms the subsequent PT step is too fast (<0.2 ns) to measure, except for the anion of TCNE which did not undergo proton transfer. PT to C atoms was as slow as 70 ns and was always slow enough to be observable. A possible effect of charge delocalization on the PT rates could not be clearly separated from other factors. For 21 of the 24 molecules studied here, a free ion yield (71.6 ± 6.2 nmol J-1) comprising ∼29% of the total, was formed. This yield of "Type I" free ions is independent of the PT rate because it arises entirely by escape from the initial distribution of ion pair distances without forming intimate ion pairs. Three anions of oligo(9,9-dihexyl)fluorenes, Fn˙- (n = 2-4) were able to escape from intimate ion-pairs to form additional yields of "Type II" free ions with escape rate constants near 3 × 106 s-1. These experiments find no evidence for an inverted region for proton transfer.

A design strategy for intramolecular singlet fission mediated by charge-transfer states in donor-acceptor organic materials.

The ability to advance our understanding of multiple exciton generation (MEG) in organic materials has been restricted by the limited number of materials capable of singlet fission. A particular challenge is the development of materials that undergo efficient intramolecular fission, such that local order and strong nearest-neighbour coupling is no longer a design constraint. Here we address these challenges by demonstrating that strong intrachain donor-acceptor interactions are a key design feature for organic materials capable of intramolecular singlet fission. By conjugating strong-acceptor and strong-donor building blocks, small molecules and polymers with charge-transfer states that mediate population transfer between singlet excitons and triplet excitons are synthesized. Using transient optical techniques, we show that triplet populations can be generated with yields up to 170%. These guidelines are widely applicable to similar families of polymers and small molecules, and can lead to the development of new fission-capable materials with tunable electronic structure, as well as a deeper fundamental understanding of MEG.

Electronic Spectra of the Tetraphenylcyclobutadienecyclopentadienylnickel(II) Cation and Radical.

Properties of the tetraphenylcyclobutadienecyclopentadienylnickel(II) cation 1 and its tetra-o-fluoro derivative 1a have been measured and calculated. The B3LYP/TZP optimized geometry of the free cation 1 agrees with a single-crystal X-ray diffraction structure except that in the crystal one of the phenyl substituents is strongly twisted to permit a close-packing interaction of two of its hydrogens with a nearby BF4(-) anion. The low-energy parts of the solution electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of 1 and 1a have been interpreted by comparison with TD-DFT (B3LYP/TZP) results. Reduction or pulse radiolysis lead to a neutral 19-electron radical, whose visible absorption and MCD spectra have been recorded and interpreted as well. The reduction is facilitated by ∼0.1 V upon going from 1 to 1a. Unsuccessful attempts to prepare several other aryl substituted derivatives of 1 by the classical synthetic route are described in the Supporting Information .

Vibrational Stark effects to identify ion pairing and determine reduction potentials in electrolyte-free environments.

A recently developed instrument for time-resolved infrared detection following pulse radiolysis has been used to measure the ν(C≡N) IR band of the radical anion of a CN-substituted fluorene in tetrahydrofuran. Specific vibrational frequencies can exhibit distinct frequency shifts due to ion pairing, which can be explained in the framework of the vibrational Stark effect. Measurements of the ratio of free ions and ion pairs in different electrolyte concentrations allowed us to obtain an association constant and free energy change for ion pairing. This new method has the potential to probe the geometry of ion pairing and allows the reduction potentials of molecules to be determined in the absence of electrolyte in an environment of low dielectric constant.

Electron Localization of Anions Probed by Nitrile Vibrations.

Localization and delocalization of electrons is a key concept in chemistry, and is one of the important factors determining the efficiency of electron transport through organic conjugated molecules, which have potential to act as "molecular wires". This, in turn, substantially influences the efficiencies of organic solar cells and other molecular electronic devices. It is also necessary to understand the electronic energy landscape and the dynamics that govern electron transport capabilities in one-dimensional conjugated chains so that we can better define the design principles for conjugated molecules for their applications. We show that nitrile ν(C≡N) vibrations respond to the degree of electron localization in nitrile-substituted organic anions by utilizing time-resolved infrared detection combined with pulse radiolysis. Measurements of a series of aryl nitrile anions allow us to construct a semiempirical calibration curve between the changes in the ν(C≡N) infrared (IR) shifts and the changes in the electronic charges from the neutral to the anion states in the nitriles; more electron localization in the nitrile anion results in larger IR shifts. Furthermore, the IR line width in anions can report a structural change accompanying changes in the electronic density distribution. Probing the shift of the nitrile ν(C≡N) IR vibrational bands enables us to determine how the electron is localized in anions of nitrile-functionalized oligofluorenes, considered as organic mixed-valence compounds. We estimate the diabatic electron transfer distance, electronic coupling strengths, and energy barriers in these mixed-valence compounds. The analysis reveals a dynamic picture, showing that the electron is moving back and forth within the oligomers with a small activation energy of ≤kBT, likely controlled by the movement of dihedral angles between monomer units. Implications for the electron transport capability in molecular wires are discussed.

Quantitative Intramolecular Singlet Fission in Bipentacenes.

Singlet fission (SF) has the potential to significantly enhance the photocurrent in single-junction solar cells and thus raise the power conversion efficiency from the Shockley-Queisser limit of 33% to 44%. Until now, quantitative SF yield at room temperature has been observed only in crystalline solids or aggregates of oligoacenes. Here, we employ transient absorption spectroscopy, ultrafast photoluminescence spectroscopy, and triplet photosensitization to demonstrate intramolecular singlet fission (iSF) with triplet yields approaching 200% per absorbed photon in a series of bipentacenes. Crucially, in dilute solution of these systems, SF does not depend on intermolecular interactions. Instead, SF is an intrinsic property of the molecules, with both the fission rate and resulting triplet lifetime determined by the degree of electronic coupling between covalently linked pentacene molecules. We found that the triplet pair lifetime can be as short as 0.5 ns but can be extended up to 270 ns.

Organocatalytic enantioselective α-hydroxymethylation of aldehydes: mechanistic aspects and optimization.

Further studies of the direct enantioselective α-hydroxymethylation of aldehydes employing the α,α-diarylprolinol trimethylsilyl ether class of organocatalysts are described. This process has proven efficient for access to ß-hydroxycarboxylic acids and δ-hydroxy-α,ß-unsaturated esters from aldehydes in generally good yields, excellent enantioselectivity, and compatibility with a broad range of functional groups in the aldehyde. The goal of these studies was to identify the critical reaction variables that influence the yield and enantioselectivity of the α-hydroxymethylation process such as catalyst structure, pH of the medium, purity of the reactants and reagents particularly with respect to the presence of acidic impurities, and the nature of the buffer, along with the standard variables including solvent, time, temperature and mixing efficiency. The previously identified intermediate lactol has been further characterized and its reactivity examined. These studies have led to identification of the most critical variables translating directly into improved substrate scope, reproducibility, enantioselectivity, and yields.

Role of bad dihedral angles: methylfluorenes act as energy barriers for excitons and polarons of oligofluorenes.

"Defects" are one of the main obstacles for the use of organic conjugated molecules in efficient organic photovoltaics, but the definite origins of these defects are elusive to experiments and even in concept. Bad dihedral angles in conjugated molecules produced by adjacent units are considered to act as defects for excitons and polarons, slowing down their transports. While such defects are discussed, their properties were not well-understood. As a model system for such defects, we synthesized oligofluorenes incorporating methylfluorene(s) that can create large dihedral angles between adjacent fluorenes due to steric hindrance, mimicking bad dihedral angles presumably produced in polyfluorenes. Experimental measurements find that singlet excitons are substantially more sensitive to such bad dihedral angles than triplet excitons or negative or positive polarons. The barrier heights for singlets are about three times higher than the barriers for electrons, holes, or triplets. For all four species, the large dihedrals act as energy barriers, not traps.

Rapid "step capture" of holes in chloroform during pulse radiolysis.

The fundamental process of hole capture in solution was investigated following pulse radiolysis with polyfluorene and 4-cyano-4″-pentyl-p-terphenyl scavengers. Contrary to expectation, a large fraction of holes were captured in experimental time-resolution limited ∼20 ps steps, by a process much faster than diffusion of the initially formed solvent molecular cation. At the highest concentrations, 1.92 mM for a 52 unit long polyfluorene and 800 mM for 4-cyano-4″-pentyl-p-terphenyl, 66% and 99%, respectively, of the initially formed holes were captured by 20 ps, with radiation chemical yield G = 1.2 × 10(-7) and 1.7 × 10(-7) mol J(-1). The data can be explained by capture of presolvated holes, analogous to presolvated electrons, possibly possessing extended wave functions, high mobilities, or excess kinetic energy for the first few picoseconds after their creation. Such a process is not generally known in solution; however, the observed step capture as a function of solute concentration is shown to be well explained by this model. In addition to understanding the capture process in solution, the very large step yields formed in 20 ps will provide the ability to resolve subsequent hole transfer on the polymers with >2 orders of magnitude better time resolution than expected.

Electron transfer by excited benzoquinone anions: slow rates for two-electron transitions.

Electron transfer (ET) rate constants from the lowest excited state of the radical anion of benzoquinone, BQ(-•)*, were measured in THF solution. Rate constants for bimolecular electron transfer reactions typically reach the diffusion-controlled limit when the free-energy change, ΔG°, reaches -0.3 eV. The rate constants for ET from BQ(-•)* are one-to-two decades smaller at this energy and do not reach the diffusion-controlled limit until -ΔG° is 1.5-2.0 eV. The rates are so slow probably because a second electron must also undergo a transition to make use of the energy of the excited state. Similarly, ET, from solvated electrons to neutral BQ to form the lowest excited state, is slow, while fast ET is observed at a higher excited state, which can be populated in a transition involving only one electron. A simple picture based on perturbation theory can roughly account for the control of electron transfer by the need for transition of a second electron. The picture also explains how extra driving force (-ΔG°) can restore fast rates of electron transfer.