Investigating the Case of Titanium(IV) Carboxyphenolate Photoactive Coordination Polymers.

The reactivity of 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (H4DOBDC) with titanium(IV) precursors was thoroughly investigated for the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks under solvothermal conditions. Four crystalline phases were isolated whose structures were studied by a combination of single-crystal or powder X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR. The strong coordination ability of the phenolate moieties was found to favor the formation of isolated TiO6 octahedra bearing solely organic ligands in the resulting structures, unless hydrothermal conditions and precondensed inorganic precursors are used.

Selective Gold Recovery and Catalysis in a Highly Flexible Methionine-Decorated Metal-Organic Framework.

A novel chiral 3D bioMOF exhibiting functional channels with thio-alkyl chains derived from the natural amino acid l-methionine (1) has been rationally prepared. The well-known strong affinity of gold for sulfur derivatives, together with the extremely high flexibility of the thioether "arms" decorating the channels, account for a selective capture of gold(III) and gold(I) salts in the presence of other metal cations typically found in electronic wastes. The X-ray single-crystal structures of the different gold adsorbates Au(III)@1 and Au(I)@1 suggest that the selective metal capture occurs in a metal ion recognition process somehow mimicking what happens in biological systems and protein receptors.

Evidence for a chemical clock in oscillatory formation of UiO-66.

Chemical clocks are often used as exciting classroom experiments, where an induction time is followed by rapidly changing colours that expose oscillating concentration patterns. This type of reaction belongs to a class of nonlinear chemical kinetics also linked to chaos, wave propagation and Turing patterns. Despite its vastness in occurrence and applicability, the clock reaction is only well understood for liquid-state processes.

Metal Organic Framework Crystals in Mixed-Matrix Membranes: Impact of the Filler Morphology on the Gas Separation Performance.

Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) comprising NH-MIL-53(Al) and Matrimid or 6FDA-DAM have been investigated. The MOF loading has been varied between 5 and 20 wt%, while NH-MIL-53(Al) with three different morphologies: nanoparticles, nanorods and microneedles have been dispersed in Matrimid. The synthesized membranes have been tested in the separation of CO from CH in an equimolar mixture.

Determination of early warning signs for photocatalytic degradation of titanium white oil paints by means of surface analysis.

Titanium white (TiO) has been widely used as a pigment in the 20th century. However, its most photocatalytic form (anatase) can cause severe degradation of the oil paint in which it is contained. UV light initiates TiO-photocatalyzed processes in the paint film, degrading the oil binder into volatile components resulting in chalking of the paint.

Fullerene-Assisted Photoinduced Charge Transfer of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes through a Flavin Helix.

One of the greatest challenges with single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) photovoltaics and nanostructured devices is maintaining the nanotubes in their pristine state (i.e., devoid of aggregation and inhomogeneous doping) so that their unique spectroscopic and transport characteristics are preserved.

Chromene-Annulated Bacteriochlorins.

Syntheses and optical properties of mono- and bis-chromene-annulated bacteriochlorins are described. Known monochromene-annulated meso-(pentafluorophenyl)chlorin is susceptible to a regioselective OsO4-mediated dihydroxylation, generating two monochromene-annulated trihydroxybacteriochlorin stereoisomers: either the newly introduced vic-cis-diol functionality is on the same side as the vic-cis-diol moiety the chromene-annulation was based on or on the opposite side. Treatment of the two isomers with heat or base generates different sets of bis-chromene-annulated bacteriochlorin stereo- and regioisomers.

The role of red blood cell exchange for severe imported malaria in the artesunate era: a retrospective cohort study in a referral centre.

Background: Intravenous artesunate has replaced quinine as the first-line therapy for severe imported malaria, given its anti-malarial superiority shown in clinical trials conducted in endemic countries. Evidence for red blood cell (RBC) exchange in patients with severe malaria treated with artesunate is lacking. This retrospective cohort study describes the experience at Hospital Clinic of Barcelona with the use of artesunate for severe malaria and the joint use of RBC exchange in selected cases.

Electronic origins of photocatalytic activity in d0 metal organic frameworks.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) containing d(0) metals such as NH2-MIL-125(Ti), NH2-UiO-66(Zr) and NH2-UiO-66(Hf) are among the most studied MOFs for photocatalytic applications. Despite structural similarities, we demonstrate that the electronic properties of these MOFs are markedly different. As revealed by quantum chemistry, EPR measurements and transient absorption spectroscopy, the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied orbitals of NH2-MIL-125(Ti) promote a long lived ligand-to-metal charge transfer upon photoexcitation, making this material suitable for photocatalytic applications.

Trypanosoma cruzi-infected Panstrongylus geniculatus and Rhodnius robustus adults invade households in the Tropics of Cochabamba region of Bolivia.

Background: There are hardly any data available on the relationships between the parasite and the vector or regarding potential reservoirs involved in the natural transmission cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi in the Tropics of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Local families from communities were responsible for the capture of triatomine specimens, following a strategic methodology based on entomological surveillance with community participation developed by the National Chagas Programme of the Ministry of Health of Bolivia.

Findings: We describe the collection of adult Panstrongylus geniculatus and Rhodnius robustus naturally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi from houses and from the hospital of Villa Tunari municipality.

Organic Linker Defines the Excited-State Decay of Photocatalytic MIL-125(Ti)-Type Materials.

Recently, MIL-125(Ti) and NH2 -MIL-125(Ti), two titanium-based metal-organic frameworks, have attracted significant research attention in the field of photocatalysis for solar fuel generation. This work reveals that the differences between these structures are not only based on their light absorption range but also on the decay profile and topography of their excited states. In contrast to MIL-125(Ti), NH2 -MIL-125(Ti) shows markedly longer lifetimes of the charge-separated state, which improves photoconversion by the suppression of competing decay mechanisms.

Altered Hypercoagulability Factors in Patients with Chronic Chagas Disease: Potential Biomarkers of Therapeutic Response.

Thromboembolic events were described in patients with Chagas disease without cardiomyopathy. We aim to confirm if there is a hypercoagulable state in these patients and to determine if there is an early normalization of hemostasis factors after antiparasitic treatment. Ninety-nine individuals from Chagas disease-endemic areas were classified in two groups: G1, with T.

Delayed haemolysis after artesunate therapy in a cohort of patients with severe imported malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum.

Introduction: Delayed haemolytic anaemia is one of the more frequent events after treatment with intravenous artesunate in patients with severe malaria. Little is known about its frequency and the outcomes of patients with this condition.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to describe the incidence of delayed haemolysis in a cohort of patients with severe malaria by Plasmodium falciparum treated with artesunate between August 2013 and July 2015.

Adsorption of CO2 on MIL-53(Al): FTIR evidence of the formation of dimeric CO2 species.

FTIR spectra of (12)CO2 and (12)CO2 + (13)CO2 mixtures adsorbed on MIL-53(Al) reveal the formation of highly symmetric dimeric (CO2)2 species connected to two structural OH groups.

Structural Effects in Visible-Light-Responsive Metal-Organic Frameworks Incorporating ortho-Fluoroazobenzenes.

The ability to control the interplay of materials with low-energy photons is important as visible light offers several appealing features compared to ultraviolet radiation (less damaging, more selective, predominant in the solar spectrum, possibility to increase the penetration depth). Two different metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized from the same linker bearing all-visible ortho-fluoroazobenzene photoswitches as pendant groups. The MOFs exhibit different architectures that strongly influence the ability of the azobenzenes to isomerize inside the voids.

Solid-State Molecular Nanomagnet Inclusion into a Magnetic Metal-Organic Framework: Interplay of the Magnetic Properties.

Single-ion magnets (SIMs) are the smallest possible magnetic devices and are a controllable, bottom-up approach to nanoscale magnetism with potential applications in quantum computing and high-density information storage. In this work, we take advantage of the promising, but yet insufficiently explored, solid-state chemistry of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to report the single-crystal to single-crystal inclusion of such molecular nanomagnets within the pores of a magnetic MOF. The resulting host-guest supramolecular aggregate is used as a playground in the first in-depth study on the interplay between the internal magnetic field created by the long-range magnetic ordering of the structured MOF and the slow magnetic relaxation of the SIM.

MoD-QM/MM Structural Refinement Method: Characterization of Hydrogen Bonding in the Oxytricha nova G-Quadruplex.

A generalization of the Moving-Domain Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (MoD-QM/MM) hybrid method [Gascon, J. A.; Leung, S.

Metal-Organic Frameworks in Adsorption-Driven Heat Pumps: The Potential of Alcohols as Working Fluids.

A large fraction of global energy is consumed for heating and cooling. Adsorption-driven heat pumps and chillers could be employed to reduce this consumption. MOFs are often considered to be ideal adsorbents for heat pumps and chillers.

Cation Exchange in Dynamic 3D Porous Magnets: Improvement of the Physical Properties.

We report two novel three-dimensional porous coordination polymers (PCPs) of formulas Li4{Mn4[Cu2(Me3mpba)2]3}·68H2O (2) and K4{Mn4[Cu2(Me3mpba)2]3}·69H2O (3) obtained-via alkali cation exchange in a single-crystal to single-crystal process-from the earlier reported anionic manganese(II)-copper(II) PCP of formula Na4{Mn4[Cu2(Me3mpba)2]3}·60H2O (1) [Me3mpba(4-) = N,N'-2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3-phenylenebis(oxamate)]. This postsynthetic process succeeds where the direct synthesis in solution from the corresponding building blocks fails and affords significantly more robust PCPs with enhanced magnetic properties [long-range 3D magnetic ordering temperatures for the dehydrated phases (1'-3') of 2.0 (1'), 12.