Reductive electrosynthesis of crystalline metal-organic frameworks

Electroreduction of oxoanions affords hydroxide equivalents that induce selective deposition of crystalline metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) on conductive surfaces. The method is illustrated by cathodic electrodeposition of Zn[subscript 4]O(BDC)[subscript 3] (MOF-5; BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), which is deposited at room temperature in only 15 min under cathodic potential. Although many crystalline phases are known in the Zn[superscript 2+]/BDCsuperscript 2–] system, MOF-5 is the only observed crystalline MOF phase under these conditions. This fast and mild method of synthesizing MOFs is amenable to direct surface functionalization and could impact applications requiring conformal coatings of microporous MOFs, such as gas separation membranes and electrochemical sensors.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Energy Initiative (Seed Fund Program)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CHE-9808061)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DBI-9729592)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DMR- 0819762

FIB-FESEM and EMPA results on Antoninianus silver coins for manufacturing and corrosion processes

[EN] A set of ancient Antoninianus silver coins, dating back between 249 and 274¿A.D. and minted in Rome, Galliae, Orient and Ticinum, have been characterized. We use, for the first time, a combination of nano-invasive (focused ion beam-field emission scanning electron microscopy-X-ray microanalysis (FIB-FESEM-EDX), voltammetry of microparticles (VIMP)) and destructive techniques (scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) and electron microprobe analysis (EMPA)) along with non-invasive, i.e., micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results revealed that, contrary to the extended belief, a complex Ag-Cu-Pb-Sn alloy was used. The use of alloys was common in the flourishing years of the Roman Empire. In the prosperous periods, Romans produced Ag-Cu alloys with relatively high silver content for the manufacture of both the external layers and inner nucleus of coins. This study also revealed that, although surface silvering processes were applied in different periods of crisis under the reign of Antoninii, even during crisis, Romans produced Antoninianus of high quality. Moreover, a first attempt to improve the silvering procedure using Hg-Ag amalgam has been identified.Financial support was provided by Sapienza University of Rome (Ateneo funding, 2014 15) and Spanish projects CTQ2014-53736-C3-1-P and CTQ2014-53736-C3-2-P, which are supported with Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (ERDF) funds, as well as project CTQ2017-85317-C2-1-P supported with funds from, MINECO, ERDF and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI). PhD grants of the Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, are gratefully acknowledgedDomenech Carbo, MT.; Di Turo, F.; Montoya, N.; Catalli, F.; Doménech Carbó, A.; De Vito, C. (2018). 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Unconventional Fluorescence Quenching in Naphthalimide-Capped CdSe/ZnS Nanoparticles

Core–shell (CS) CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QD) capped with ligands that possess a mercapto or an amino group and a naphthalimide (NI) as chromophore unit, linked by a short ethylene chain (CS@S–NI and CS@H₂N–NI, respectively), have been synthesized and fully characterized by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and voltammetry as well as by steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopies. The organic ligands HS–NI and H₂N–NI act as bidentate ligands, thereby causing a drastic decrease in the QD emission. This was particularly evident in the case of CS@S–NI. This behavior has been compared with that of commercially available QDs with octadecylamine as the surface ligand and a QD capped with decanethiol ligands (CS@S–D). The interaction between the anchor groups and the QD surface brings about different consequences for the radiative and nonradiative kinetics, depending on the nature of the anchor group. Our results suggest that the naphthalimide group “stabilizes” empty deep trap states due to the carbonyl group capacity to act as both a σ-donor and a π-acceptor toward cations. In addition, the thiolate group can induce the location of electron density at shallow trap states close to the conduction band edge due to the alteration of the QD surface provoked by the thiolate binding