Publications by authors named "Christiana A Mitsopoulou"

Optical and photocatalytic restrictions of anatase TiO nanoparticles (Nps) limit their potential applications, as antipollutant and antibacterial agents for sanitary applications, to the UV spectral region. While modification with transition metals extends the absorption capacity to the visible light spectrum, often undermines the photocatalysts' biocompatibility due to toxic ion leaching. In this study, we synthesized Cu-doped and Ag-decorated TiO photocatalysts by employing solvothermal (TiO:Cu) and sol-gel synthetic procedures (TiO:Ag), respectively.

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Spin-state energetics of transition metal complexes remain one of the most challenging targets for electronic structure methods. Among single-reference wave function approaches, local correlation approximations to coupled cluster theory, most notably the domain-based local pair natural orbital (DLPNO) approach, hold the promise of bringing the accuracy of coupled cluster theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations, CCSD(T), to molecular systems of realistic size with acceptable computational cost. However, recent studies on spin-state energetics of iron-containing systems raised doubts about the ability of the DLPNO approach to adequately and systematically approximate energetics obtained by the reference-quality complete active space second-order perturbation theory with coupled-cluster semicore correlation, CASPT2/CC.

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The issue of food contamination by fungi and aflatoxins; constitutes a serious concern not only for human/animal health but also for agriculture and the economy. Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by certain filamentous fungi and contaminate a variety of foodstuffs. In this context, control of fungal growth and aflatoxin contamination appears to be important.

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Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a bishomoleptic and a trisheteroleptic ruthenium (II) polypyridyl complex, namely, [Ru(bpy)2(2, 2'-pq)](PF6)2 (1) and [Ru(bpy) (phen) (2, 2'-pq)](PF6)2 (2), respectively, where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, and 2, 2'-pq = 2-(2'-pyridyl)-quinoxaline. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, TGA, H-NMR, FT-IR, UV-Vis, emission spectroscopy, and electrochemistry. Their structures were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

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Novel VO bifunctional photocatalysts were prepared following a wet chemical process with the addition of anionic or non-ionic surfactants into the precursor solution and further heating under reflux. Detailed characterization and investigation of the relevant light-matter interactions proved that surfactants addition had a strong impact on the morphology, while also affecting the crystallinity, the optoelectronic properties, and the surface chemistry of the novel photocatalysts. The most efficient photocatalyst (T80) was based on tween 80, a surface-active agent employed for the first time in the synthesis of vanadium oxide materials.

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Two novel copper (II) complexes, namely [Cu(2,2'-pq)(NO)](NO) (1) and [Cu(2,2'-pq)(NO)](NO)·6HO(2) where 2,2'-pq is 2-(2'-pyridyl quinoxaline) were synthesized and characterized by various spectral methods. Complex 2 characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction showed a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry and crystallized together with an hexamer, (HO) cluster, with R(12) topology and chair conformation. The interaction of Calf Thymus DNA (CT-DNA) with 1 and 2 was investigated by UV-Visible absorption spectra, Viscosity, Cyclic Voltammetry, Fluorescence and Circular Dichroism (CD), indicating that both complexes can bind to DNA both by means of intercalation and groove binding.

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A series of homoleptic monoanionic nickel dithiolene complexes [Ni(bdt)](NBu), [Ni(tdt)](NBu), and [Ni(mnt)](NBu) containing the ligands benzene-1,2-dithiolate (bdt), toluene-3,4-dithiolate (tdt) and maleonitriledithiolate (mnt), respectively, have been employed as electrocatalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction with trifluoroacetic acid as proton source in acetonitrile. All complexes were active catalysts with TONs reaching 113, 158 and 6 for [Ni(bdt)](NBu), [Ni(tdt)](NBu), and [Ni(mnt)](NBu), respectively. Faradaic yield for hydrogen evolution reaction reaches 88 % for , which also displays the minimal overpotential requirement value (467 mV) within the series.

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A series of neutral and monoanionic nickel dithiolene complexes with p-methoxyphenyl-substituted 1,2-dithiolene ligands have been prepared and characterized with physicochemical methods. Two of the complexes, the monoanion of the symmetric [Ni{S2C2(Ph-p-OCH3)2}2] (3(-)) with NBu4(+) as a counterion and the neutral asymmetric [Ni{S2C2(Ph)(Ph-p-OCH3)}2] (2), have been structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. All complexes have been employed as proton-reducing catalysts in N,N-dimethylformamide with trifluoroacetic acid as the proton source.

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The complex fac-[Re(CO)3(phendione)Cl] (1) (where phendione=1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione) has been synthesized and fully characterized by UV-visible, FTIR, and NMR techniques. The DNA binding properties of 1 are investigated by UV-spectrophotometric (melting curves), covalent binding assay, CV (cyclic voltammetry), circular dichroism (CD) and viscosity measurements. Experimental data indicate that 1 fits into the major groove without disrupting the helical structure of the B-DNA in contrast to the free phendione which intercalates within the base pairs of DNA.

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The mixed-ligand complexes [M(II)(Et2dazdt)(mnt)] (M = Ni, 1; Pd, 2; Pt, 3) [Et2dazdt = N,N'-diethyl-perhydrodiazepine-2,3-dithione; mnt = maleonitrile-2,3-dithiolate] have been prepared and fully characterized. X-ray diffractometric studies on 1-3 (the structure of 1 was already known) show that the crystals are isostructural (triclinic, P-1), and two independent molecular entities are present in the unit cell. These entities differ in the orientation of the ethyl substituents with respect to the epta-atomic ring.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines mixed-ligand dithiolene complexes of nickel triad metals (Ni, Pd, Pt) focusing on their synthesis, characterization, and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties.
  • Molecular characterization reveals a square-planar geometry with significant differences in bond lengths, suggesting distinct roles for the ligands involved.
  • The cyclic voltammetry and EFISH technique showcase the complexes' NLO behavior, with the platinum complex exhibiting the largest negative second-order polarizability, making it a strong candidate for NLO applications.
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The complex [ReOCl(3)pq] (1) (where pq = 2-(2'pyridyl)quinoxaline) has been synthesized and fully characterized by UV-Vis, FTIR, 1 and 2D NMR, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The DNA-binding properties of the complex 1 as well as of the compounds [ReOCl(3)bpy] (2), [ReOCl(3)phen] (3), and pq (4) were investigated by UV-spectrophotometric (melting curves), CV (cyclic voltammetry), and viscosity measurements. Experimental data suggest that complex 1 intercalates into the DNA base pairs.

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The novel trimolybdenum cluster [Mo(3)(mu(3)-Br)(2)(mu-Br)(3)Br(6)](2-) (1, {Mo(3)}(9+), 9 d-electrons) has been isolated from the reaction of [Mo(CO)(6)] with 1,2-C(2)H(4)Br(2) in refluxing PhCl. The compound has been characterized in solution by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), UV-vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and in the solid state by X-ray analysis (counter-cations: (n-Bu)(4)N(+) (1), Et(4)N(+), Et(3)BzN(+)), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), magnetic susceptibility measurements, and infrared spectroscopy. The least disordered (n-Bu)(4)N(+) salt crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c, a = 20.

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The complexes Pt(pq)Cl2(1) and Pt(pq)(bdt) (2) (where pq = 2-(2'pyridyl)quinoxaline and bdt=benzene-1,2-dithiolate) have been synthesized and fully characterized by UV-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier Transformer Infrared Spectra (FTIR), 1 and 2D NMR and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Interactions of the tested systems (the aforementioned complexes 1 and 2) and the free ligands pq and bdt with double stranded calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were studied by UV-spectrophotometric (melting curves) and circular dichroism (CD) measurements. The results suggest that both complexes 1 and 2, are able to form adducts with DNA and to distort the double helix by changing the base stacking.

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A complete vibrational spectra analysis of the Pd(phen)(bdt), the free ligands, where phen=1,10-phenanthroline and bdt=1,2-benzenedithiolate and the starting material of its synthesis, Pd(phen)Cl(2), is performed in this paper. The molecular geometry, binding and spectroscopic properties for the aforementioned compounds are studied in detail by FT-IR, Raman and DFT methods using B3LYP functional together with basis sets of valence triple-zeta quality. Further, changes in FT-IR and Raman spectra during complexation are monitored revealing the electron delocalization over ligands.

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The synthesis and characterization of Pd(phen)(bdt) (1) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, bdt = 1,2-benzenedithiolate) is presented. 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, alpha = 11.281(4) A, b = 20.

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