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The solution structure of the Pd(II) complex of mn-12-S-4 was studied in detail by NMR spectroscopy. The stoichiometry of the complex was determined by H-1 NMR titration experiments. (3)J(H,H) coupling constants were extracted from the 2D J-resolved NMR spectrum of the complex providing information concerning the S-C-C-S torsional angles. Further conclusions about the conformation of [Pd(mn-12-S-4)](BF4)(2) were drawn from experimental NOES. The results of the NMR study were corroborated by molecular modelling. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd
The flexibility and complex formation of two maleonitrile tetrathia crown ethers were studied in solution using H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. Both the stoichiometry and the stability of the complexes that these crown ethers form with Ag(I) were determined by NMR titration measurements. Spin-lattice relaxation time measurements provided information concerning the donor atoms involved in complex formation and also the intramolecular mobility of the free and complexed ligands. Molecular modelling was also used to gain further insight into the conformational space of the free ligands and their silver(I) complexes. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd
Both the conformation and flexibility of four mixed oxathia crown ethers and their Ag(I) and Pd(II) complexes were studied by H-1 NMR (delta, J, NOE, T-1), C-13 NMR, dynamic 1H NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. The stoichiometry and stability constants of the complexes were determined from corresponding Job's plots in the case of Ag(I) complexes as the interchange between free and complexed states was fast on the NMR timescale; interchange for the Pd(II) complexes was sufficiently slow such that distinct sub-spectra were observable for the free and complexed states. In all cases where complexation was observed, 1 : 1 complexes were formed. Global minima structures determined from the modelling studies were analysed with respect to the barriers to ring interconversion, the flexibility of the species in solution and the preferred complexation of Ag(I) and Pd(II) to the sulfur atoms of the crown ethers
(3)J(C,H) coupling constants via a sulfur atom in two series of compounds, both including a sulfide, a sulfoxide and a sulfone, were detected experimentally and calculated by quantum mechanical methods. In the first series (1-3) the coupling between a hydrogen, bonded to an Sp(3) carbon, and an Sp(2) carbon is treated; the second series (4- 6) deals with the coupling between a hydrogen, bonded to an Sp3 carbon, and an Sp3 carbon. Different pulse sequences (broadband HMBC, SelJres, 1D HSQMBC, J-HMBC-2, selective J-resolved long-range experiment and IMPEACH-MBC) proved to be useful in determining the long-range (3)J(C,H) coupling constants. However, the dynamic behaviour of two of the compounds (4 and 6) led to weighted averages of the two coupling constants expected (concerning equatorial and axial positions of the corresponding hydrogens). DFT calculations proved to be useful to calculate not only the (3)J(C,H) coupling constants but also the different contributions of FC, PSO, DSO and SD terms; the calculation of the Fermi contact term (FC) was found to be sufficient for the correct estimation of (3)J(C,H) coupling constants. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd
The reaction of cyclic ylidene malononitriles with acetylene (di)carboxylic acid esters led to the production of nine bicyclic systems incorporating highly substituted (5/6) anilines. The free energy of activation (DeltaG(#)) for the restricted rotation about the aniline-NH2 bond was experimentally measured in each case and a correlation was evident between the increase in steric strain in the ground state, the electron withdrawing capabilities of the ring substituents, and a reduction in the rotational barrier. For four of the compounds, the slow ring interconversion (chairreversible arrowchair) for the annelated saturated seven-membered ring that formed part of the bicyclic system was also evident. In these four compounds, both dynamic processes were also studied theoretically using ab initio methods whilst the ring interconversion was additionally studied using molecular dynamic simulations. The interconversion between the two stable chair forms was deemed to occur via a conformation series consisting of chairreversible arrowboatreversible arrowtwist-boatreversible arrowboatreversible arrowchair. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
The antibacterial activities of ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous extracts of the stem bark of Dichrostachys cinerea and the roots of Parkia bicolor have been evaluated. Ethyl acetate extracts have been investigated, studies that led to a series of known compounds, amongst which many are reported here for the very first time from both the species
New heterocyclic electron donors based on. a 1,3,5-triazine nucleus are presented. Three phenyl rings are grafted to the triazine core either via secondary amino groups or by a direct C,C-linkage and a specific number of decyloxy chains is attached to the molecular periphery. The compounds are non-liquid crystalline in their pure states. Lamellar or columnar mesophases are induced by attractive interactions with electron acceptors
Two columnar phases forming 2,4,6-triarylamino-1,3,5-triazines have been investigated in binary mixtures with calamitic and non-liquid crystalline benzoic acids carrying one or two alkoxy chains at the aromatic core. The triazines form hydrogen bonded aggregates with the complementary acids. Each investigated equimolar mixture exhibits a columnar mesophase due to segregation of the H-bonded polar core region from the lipophilic aliphatic molecular segments. The cross sectional shape of cylindrical aggregates and, therefore, the two-dimensional lattice symmetries, hexagonal or rectangular, are defined by the number of alkoxy chains of the benzoic acid component
New chain transfer agents for free radical polymerisation via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) were synthesised that are particularly suited for aqueous solution polymerisation. The new compounds bear dithioester and trithiocarbonate moieties as well as permanently ionic groups to confer solubility in water. Their stability against hydrolysis was studied, and compared with the one of a frequently employed water-soluble RAFT agent, using UV-Vis-spectroscopy and H-1-NMR measurements. An improved resistance to hydrolysis was found for the new RAFT agents compared to the reference one, providing good stabilities in the pH range between 1 and 8, and up to temperatures of 70 degreesC. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
On the basis of absorption measurements in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral range, a new method for the quantification of the ethanol content of beer is presented. Instead of the multivariate calibration models most commonly employed in NIR spectroscopic works, we use interpretive difference spectroscopy: Two wavelengths are selected according to the assignment of the absorption bands of the main substances of content of beer in the NIR region, and the difference between the absorbances at these wavelengths is used for ethanol quantification. Absorption spectra of the dominating beer ingredients are discussed and the calibration procedure with ethanol/water mixtures is shown. Robustness against the carbohydrate content of beer samples was demonstrated by analyzing solutions of ethanol and maltose in water. Validation of the method was performed with various beer samples with an ethanol concentration range between 0.5 and 7.7 vol %. The pertinent advantage of the procedure developed in this work is the indication that the results are independent from seasonal variations of the ingredients, which is of high interest for products with natural ingredients such as beer
The electronic and geometric structure, stability and molecular properties of the cationic van-der-Waals complex Ar2H+ in its ground electronic state are studied by means of two ab-initio quantum-chemical approaches: conventional configuration interaction (multi-reference and coupled cluster methods) and a diatomics-in-molecules model with ab-initio input data.
7a-O-methyldeguelol, a modified rotenoid with an open ring-C, from the roots of Derris trifoloata
(2005)
From the acetone extract of the roots of Derris trifoliata an isollavonoid derivative, named 7a-O- methyldeguelol, a modified rotenoid with an open ring-C, representing a new sub-class of isollavonoids (the sub-class is here named as rotenoloid), was isolated and characterised. In addition, the known rotenoids, rotenone, deguelin and alpha-toxicarol, were identified. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Rotenone and deguelin were identified as the larvicidal principles of the acetone extract of the roots of Derris trifoliata. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
The chloroform extract of the stem bark of Erythrina burttii showed antifungal and antibacterial activities using the disk diffusion method. Flavonoids were identified as the active principles. Activities were observed against fungi and Gram(+) bacteria, but the Gram(-) bacteria Escherichia coli was resistant. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a developing modality for the treatment of certain tumorous and other diseases. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in the search for new photosensitizers, in particular elucidating the role of localization of the photosensitizer. Known successful photosensitizers of the tetrapyrrole type are amphiphilic molecules, preferably localizing in cellular membrane structures. Thus, the quest for new photosensitizers requires the synthesis of unsymmetrically Substituted (amphiphilic) tetrapyrroles. In this article. we describe strategies for the de novo synthesis of amphiphilic tetrapyrroles using a 3-hydroxyphenyl substituted tetrapyrrolic system (Temoporfin) as the lead structure. From an applied science-oriented approach, such a set of amphiphilic porphyrins is best synthesized by combining well-developed condensation methods with subsequent functionalization via organolithium compound or transition metal catalyzed coupling protocols. Starting from simple A(2)- or AB-porphyrins, the synthesis of A(2)B-, A(3)-, A(3)B-, and A(2)BC-porphyrins with a mixed hydrophilic/hydrophobic substitution pattern is described. Because of the versatility of this approach to unsymmetrically Substituted porphyrins it is also applicable to other areas where porphyryns with a tailor-made substitution patterns are needed. for example. catalysts or molecular electronic devices based on tetrapyrroles. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
From the fruits of Bulbine abyssinica three new dimeric anthracene derivatives, (P)-8,9,1',8'- tetrahydroxy-3,3'-dimethyl[10,7'-bianthracene]-1,4,9',10'- tetraone (trivial name abyquinone A), (10R)-1,4,8,1',8-pentahydroxy-3,3'-dimethyl-[10,7'-bianthracene]9,9',10' (10H)-trione (trivial name abyquinone B), and (10R)-3,4'-dihydro-1,4,8,3',8',9'-hexahydroxy-3,3'- dimethyl-[10,7'-biant hracene]9,1'(10H,2'H)-dione (trivial name abyquinone Q were isolated. Despite their structural differences, these three compounds are connected to each other by the apparently biomimetic conversion of abyquinone C (a preanthraquinonylanthrone with two stereogenic centers) into B (an anthraquinonylanthrone with one stereogenic center) and finally into A (an axially chiral bianthraquinone) under mild conditions, involving a highly efficient center-to-axis chirality transfer. In addition, the known anthraquinones islandicin and chrysophanol were identified. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopical evidences, chemical transformations, and quantum chemical CD calculations. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Self-diffusion measurements in microemulsion systems composed of a naturally occurring soybean lecithin mixture, an aqueous phase, either water or a 1% aqueous PDADMAC solution, and isooctane were accomplished by pulsed field gradient (PFG) (HNMR)-H-1 spectroscopy at oil dilution lines of low and intermediate water/lecithin ratios. The concentration-dependent diffusion data reveal water-in-oil (W/O) reverse micellar aggregates with dimensions on the nanometer scale being slightly smaller at low water content. With increasing micellar volume fractions, both hydrodynamic as well as direct interactions between particles significantly slow aggregate diffusion. The surfactant mean square displacements (msd's) in dilute and concentrated polymer-free systems studied as a function of diffusion time (20-1000 ms) are characterized by a crossover from Gaussian diffusion, due to slow aggregate motion, to anomalously enhanced diffusion, due to fast surface-bulk surfactant exchange at intermediate times revealing weak, barrier-controlled adsorption behavior. Upon addition of the polycation PDADMAC, the diffusion characteristics change to exclusively superdiffusive behavior with surfactant msd scaling with time as t(3/2) over the entire time range studied. This is caused by surfactant molecules performing Levy walks along the surface of reverse micelles mediated by the dilute bulk. The bulk-mediated surface diffusion is a consequence of the diffusion-controlled micelle-bulk exchange dynamics induced by interactions of PDADMAC with surfactant headgroups
In C-13 NMR spectroscopy, there are many empirical methods for fast and exact computation of C-13 chemical shifts; comparable procedures for Si-29 NMR chemical shifts are not existing or are older than 20 years. On basis of the largest database of Si-29 chemical shifts available, along this paper a relatively simple procedure for the similarly exact calculation of the Si-29 chemical shifts of disilanes (average margin of error ca. 3.7 ppm) is given. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Fluorocarbon associative polymers of the polysoap type were studied using two fluorescent probes, 1- octanoylpyrene (OcPyH) and 1-perfluorooctanoylpyrene (OcPyF). In aqueous solution the polymers formed hydrophobic domains composed of hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon or both types of polymeric side chains, which could solubilize the probes. This resulted in the appearance of new fluorescence emission bands and changes in the fluorescence polarization of the probes. The differences in the solubilization properties of the polymers are discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
The conformational equilibria of the cis/trans isomers of some 1,4-di-substituted cyclohexanes (X = OH, OMe, Me, OCOCH3, OCOC(CH3)(3), OCOCCl3, OCOCF3) were calculated at several levels of theory; the best correlation between calculated and experimentally available Delta G(0)s refers to the MP2/6-311 +G*//MP2/6-311G* results. In addition, the hyperconjugative effect of the substituents was studied with the NBO options included in the GAUSSIAN-98 package; a number of interactions between filled NBOs and antibonding orbitals could be considered as most representative for delocalization along the molecules studied. The effect of the substituents on the molecular geometry of the substituted cyclohexanesas well as the partitioning of both hyperconjugative and steric substituent effects on the present conformational equilibria is critically evaluated. Our model [E. Kleinpeter, F. Taddei, J. Mol. Struct. (THEOCHEM) 683 (2004) 29] for interpreting the relative stability of conformers of substituted cyclohexanes could be further verified and its reliability assessed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Photochemical and photophysical properties were investigated for poly(arylenevinylene)s containing a flexible biphenyl "hinge" unit by applying one-photon (OP) and two-photon (TP) excitation to explore excited-state properties. The poly(arylenevinylene)s were poly[(2,5-dihexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene)-alt-(4,4'-dihexyloxy-3,3'-biph enylenevinylene)] (1), poly[(2,5-dihexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene)-alt-(2,2'-dihexyloxy-3,3'-biph enylenevinylene)] (2), and poly[(2,5-dihexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene)-alt-(2,2'-biphenylene-vinylene )] (3). Effective emission quantum yields and related photonic properties were evaluated on a realistic per-chromophore basis using effective conjugation lengths based on the Strickler-Berg relationship. intramolecular photocyclization was deduced to occur in the one case where the biphenyl molecular connectivity permitted the reaction, based on matrix- assisted loser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF), heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence (HMQC)-NMR, and gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) results. The various photoprocesses could be induced by either OP or TP excitation, though the first excited singlet state is the photoactive state. The higher excitation energy 1 of the TP excited state favors indirect population of the S, state by electronic coupling between the TP and OP excited states [lambda(max)(TPE) (nm): 726; delta (GM)([9]): 1 = 229, 2 = 215, 3 = 109). Photochemical processes occurring from the lowest OP excited state (S-1) could therefore also be indirectly induced by TP excitation
Heterobimetallic 3d-4-complexes with bis(1;2-dithiooxalato)nickelate(II) as planar bridging block
(2005)
Planar bis(1,2-dithiooxalato)nickelates(II) react in aqueous solutions of lanthanide ions to form pentanuclear, heterobimetallic complexes of the general composition [{Ln(H2O)(n)}(2)- {Ni(dto)(2)}(3)] (.) xH(2)O (Ln = Y3+, La3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+, Lu3+; n = 4 or 5; x = 9-12). With [{Nd(H2O)(5)}(2){Ni(S2C2O2)(2)}(3)] (.) xH(2)O (x = 10-12) (1) and [{Er(H2O)(4)}(2){Ni(S2C2O2)(2)}(3)] (.) xH(2)O (x = 9- 10) (2) we were able to isolate two complexes of this series as single crystals, which were characterized by X-ray structure analysis. Depending on the individual ionic radii of the lanthanide ions, the compounds crystallize in two different crystal systems with the following unit cell parameters: 1, monoclinic in P2(1)/c with a = 11.3987(13), b = 11.4878(8), c = 20.823(2)angstrom , beta = 98.907(9)degrees and Z = 2; 2, triclinic in P (1) over bar with a = 10.5091(6), b = 11.0604(6), c = 11.2823(6) angstrom, alpha = 107.899(4)degrees, beta = 91.436(4)degrees, gamma = 112.918(4)degrees and Z = 1. The channels and cavities appearing in the packing of the molecules are occupied by uncoordinated water molecules. High magnetic moments up to 14.65 BM./f.u. have been observed at room temperature due to the combined moments of the individual lanthanide ions
Interpretation of conformational effects on 2-endo-norborneol by natural chemical shielding analysis
(2005)
This paper represents an extension of our work on the H-1 and C-13 NMR chemical shifts of norbornane and 2-endo- norborneol. NCS-NBO analysis was employed to probe contributions of bond orbitals and orbitals of lone pairs to nuclear shielding in conformers of the alcohol generated by rotation of the C-O bond. Variations in H-1 and C-13 chemical shifts with the dihedral angle are discussed in terms of Lewis and non-Lewis partitioning and their respective importance is evaluated. In addition to hyperconjugation of the lone pair in a p orbital of oxygen that was previously reported, a sizable participation of the lone pair which is in an sp orbital is also observed and their combined effect dominates the carbon chemical shifts of the C-1-C-2-OH and C-3-C-2-OH fragments. Both lone pairs on oxygen also contribute to localized, though-space effects on nuclei in the vicinity, these effects answering for the largest deviations in hydrogen chemical shifts on rotation around the C-O bond. On the other hand, for conformers in which nonbonded repulsions lead to distortions in the molecular framework, variations in chemical shifts may be attributed to angular effects
To determine whether Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements can provide quantitative distance information in single-molecule fluorescence experiments on polypeptides, we measured FRET efficiency distributions for donor and acceptor dyes attached to the ends of freely diffusing polyproline molecules of various lengths. The observed mean FRET efficiencies agree with those determined from ensemble lifetime measurements but differ considerably from the values expected from Forster theory, with polyproline treated as a rigid rod. At donor-acceptor distances much less than the Forster radius R-o, the observed efficiencies are lower than predicted, whereas at distances comparable to and greater than R-0, they are much higher. Two possible contributions to the former are incomplete orientational averaging during the donor lifetime and, because of the large size of the dyes, breakdown of the point-dipole approximation assumed in Forster theory. End-to-end distance distributions and correlation times obtained from Langevin molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the differences for the longer polyproline peptides can be explained by chain bending, which considerably shortens the donor-acceptor distances
In this paper we present time-dependent, quantum-dynamical simulations of photoinduced processes at solid surfaces involving nonadiabatic transitions of electrons to and from short-lived intermediate excited states. In particular, two-photon photoemission (2PPE) spectra of naked metal surfaces and free-standing metal films are considered. One major problem in both cases is the presence of electron-electron scattering, which is treated here in various ways. The first way is to adopt an open-system density matrix approach, in which a single electron is weakly coupled to a "bath" of other electrons. The second approach is based on a many-electron Schrodinger equation, which is solved with the help of a time-dependent configuration interactions singles (TD-CIS) method
General syntheses have been developed for meso-substituted porphyrins with one or two substituents in the 5,10- positions and no beta substituents. 5-Substituted porphyrins with only one meso substituent are easily prepared by an acid-catalyzed condensation of dipyrromethane, pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde. and an appropriate aldehyde using a "[2+1+1]" approach. Similarly, 5,10-disubstituted porphyrins are accessible by simple condensation of unsubstituted tripyrrane with pyrrole and various aldehydes using a "[3+1]" approach. The yields for these reactions are low to moderate and additional formation of either di- or mono-substituted porphyrins due to scrambling of the intermediates is observed. However, the reactions can be performed quite easily and the desired target compounds are easily removed due to large differences in solubility. A complementary and more selective synthesis involves the use of organolithium reagents for SNAr reactions. Reaction of in situ generated porphyrin (porphine) with 1.1-8 equivalents of RLi gave the monosubstituted porphyrins, while reaction with 3-6 equivalents of RLi gave the 5,10-disubstituted porphyrins in yields ranging from 43 to 90%. These hitherto almost inaccessible compounds complete the series of different homologues of A-, 5,15-A(2)-, 5,10-A(2)-, A(3)-, and A(4)-type porphyrin's and allow an investigation of the gradual influence of type, number, and regiochemical arrangement of substituents on the properties of meso-substituted porphyrins. They also present important starting materials for the synthesis of ABCD porphyrins and are potential synthons for supramolecular materials requiring specific substituent orientations
The geometric structure and bonding properties of medium-sized ArnH+ clusters (n = 2-35), in which a proton is wrapped up in a number of Ar atoms, are investigated by applying a diatomics-in-molecules (DIM) model with ab-initio input data generated by means of multi-reference configuration-interaction (MRCI) computations. For the smaller complexes, n = 2-7, cross-checking calculations employing the coupled-cluster approach (CCSD) with the same one-electron atomic basis set as for the input data calculations (aug-cc-pVTZ from Dunning), show good agreement thus justifying the extension of the DIM study to larger n. Local minima of the multi-dimensional potential-energy surfaces (PES) are determined by combining a Monte-Carlo sampling followed, for each generated point, by a steepest-descent optimization procedure. For the electronic ground state of the ArnH+ clusters, the global minimum (corresponding to the most stable structure of the cluster) as well as secondary minima are found and analyzed. The structural and energetic data obtained reveal the building-up regularities for the most stable structures and make it possible to formulate a simple increment scheme. The low-lying excited states are also calculated by the DIM approach; they all turn out to be globally repulsive
The search for new efficient sensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) points to improve photophysical properties like absorption in the red region and singlet oxygen quantum yield as well as to control the localization of the sensitizer within the tumour cell. Depending on their physicochemical properties and their uptake mechanism, sensitizers can reach different intracellular concentrations and localize in different subcellular compartments. Moreover, the preferential localization of a sensitizer in target organelles, like mitochondria or lysosomes, could determine the cell death mechanism after PDT. This study aimed to investigate the influence of substitutions on dihydroxychlorins with regard to intracellular uptake, subcellular localization and cell death pathway. Moreover, the effect of a liposome-based delivery system was tested. The intracellular uptake was found to be strictly dependent on the sensitizer molecular structure and the means of its delivery. The most polar sensitizer in this study (compound 3) had, depending on incubation time, an intracellular concentration 2-8 times higher than the unsubstituted chlorin 1. All investigated photosensitizers localize predominantly in lysosomes but after longer incubation times weak fluorescence intensity was also detected in mitochondria and Golgi apparatus. The cell death pathway was found to be influenced by the sensitizer intracellular concentration and the applied light doses. In general, the increasing amphiphilicity of the sensitizer molecules is correlated with an increased sensitizer uptake and an increased rate of necrotic cells after irradiation. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
This paper presents some results concerning the size-controlled hydroxyapatite nanoparticles obtained in aqueous media in a biopolymer matrix from soluble precursors salts. Taking the inspiration from nature, where composite materials made of a polymer matrix and inorganic fillers are often found, e.g. bone, shell of crustaceans, shell of eggs, etc., the feasibility on making composite materials containing chitosan and nanosized hydroxyapatite was investigated. A stepwise co-precipitation approach was used to obtain different types of composites by means of different ratio between components. The synthesis of hydroxyapatite was carried out in the chitosan matrix from calcium chloride and sodium dihydrogenphosphate in alkaline solutions at moderate pH of 10-11 for 24 h. Our research is focused on studying and understanding the structure of this class of composites, aiming at the development of novel materials, controlled at the nanolevel scale. The X-ray diffraction technique was employed in order to study the kinetic of hydroxyapatite formation in the chitosan matrix as well as to determine the HAp crystallite sizes in the composite samples. The hydroxyapatite synthesized using this route was found to be nano-sized (15-50nm). Moreover, applying an original approach to analyze the (002) XRD diffraction peak profile of hydroxyapatite by using a sum of two Gauss functions, the bimodal distribution of nanosized hydroxyapatite within the chitosan matrix was revealed. Two types of size distribution domains such as cluster-like (between 200 and 400 nm), which are the habitat of "small" hydroxyapatite nanocrystallites and scattered-like, which are the habitat of "large" hydroxyapatite nanocrystallites was probed by TEM and CSLM. The structural features of composites suggest that self-assembly processes might be involved. The composites contain nanosized hydroxyapatite with structural features close to those of biological apatites that make them attractive for bone tissue engineering applications. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
This paper is focused on the synthesis and characterization of hydrophobically modified polyelectrolytes and their use as reducing as well as stabilizing agents for the formation of gold nanoparticles. Commercially available poly(acrylic acid) has been hydrophobically modified with various degrees of grafting of butylamine introduced randomly along the chain. Different analytical methods are performed, i.e., IR and H-1-NMR spectroscopy in combination with elemental analysis to determine the degree of grafting. The modified polymers can successfully be used for the controlled single-step synthesis and stabilization of gold nanoparticles. The process of nanoparticle formation is investigated by means of UV-vis spectroscopy. The size and shape of the particles obtained in the presence of unmodified or modified polyelectrolytes are characterized by dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurements and transmission electron microscopy. The polyelectrolytes were involved in the crystallization process of the nanoparticles, and in the presence of hydrophobic microdomains at the particle surface, a better stabilization at higher temperature can be observed