Shadow-mask evaporation through monolayer-modified nanostencils

Gradual clogging of the apertures of nanostencils used as miniature shadow masks in metal evaporations can be reduced by coating the stencil with self-assembled monolayers (SAM). This is quantified by the dimensions (height and volume) of gold features obtained by nanostencil evaporation as measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). An increase in material deposition through the apertures by more than 100% can be achieved with SAM-coated stencils, which increases their lifetime

The mechanisms of boronate ester formation and fluorescent turn-on in ortho-aminomethylphenylboronic acids

ortho-Aminomethylphenylboronic acids are used in receptors for carbohydrates and various other compounds containing vicinal diols. The presence of the o-aminomethyl group enhances the affinity towards diols at neutral pH, and the manner in which this group plays this role has been a topic of debate. Further, the aminomethyl group is believed to be involved in the turn-on of the emission properties of appended fluorophores upon diol binding. In this treatise, a uniform picture emerges for the role of this group: it primarily acts as an electron-withdrawing group that lowers the pK(a) of the neighbouring boronic acid thereby facilitating diol binding at neutral pH. The amine appears to play no role in the modulation of the fluorescence of appended fluorophores in the protic-solvent-inserted form of the boronic acid/boronate ester. Instead, fluorescence turn-on can be consistently tied to vibrational-coupled excited-state relaxation (a loose-bolt effect). Overall, this Review unifies and discusses the existing data as of 2019 whilst also highlighting why o-aminomethyl groups are so widely used, and the role they play in carbohydrate sensing using phenylboronic acids

A GENERAL-METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE KINETIC STABILITY OF MACROCYCLIC ALKALI-METAL COMPLEXES WITH RATES OF DECOMPLEXATION BELOW 10(-3) S(-1)

A general method has been developed for the determination of kinetic stabilities of macrocyclic alkali-metal complexes with rates of decomplexation (k(d)) below 10(-3) s-1, by use of radioactive isotopes. This method offers the possibility to study the influence of the solvent polarity and of the salt concentration in solution on the rate of decomplexation of macrocyclic metal complexes. Further advantages are the small amounts of ligand required for these determinations and the simplicity of the method. Furthermore, it is possible by this method to study the 'degenerate' exchange of sodium for sodium and of rubidium for rubidium. By this method the kinetic stabilities of the sodium and rubidium complexes of calixspherands 1-4 were determined. Calixspherand 3 forms kinetically very stable complexes with sodium and rubidium cations in acetone and Me2SO in the presence of high concentrations of sodium cations in solution; half-life times of exchange are 855 (Na+) and 528 (Rb+) h in acetone and 352 (Na+) and 845 (Rb+) h in Me2SO, respectively. The results of this method were verified by an independent H-1 NMR spectroscopic method

FUNCTIONALIZED CALIXSPHERANDS - SYNTHESIS AND PEPTIDE COUPLING

Calixspherands, like 1, form kinetically stable complexes with alkali metal cations. For practical in vivo applications coupling of these complexes with carrier molecules is mandatory, Therefore, a general method for the synthesis of functionalized calixspherand 17 was developed starting from functionalized m-terphenyl 10 and p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene (14). The functionalized m-terphenyl was synthesized by a Suzuki-cross-coupling reaction. Functionalized calixspherand 17 has been coupled to a low molecular weight protein