Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial effect of Cu(ii) and Zn(ii) compounds derived from 1,2,4-triazoles

Compounds of Cu(II) and Zn(II) with 3-R-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5-amine {R = methyl (mta), phenyl (pta)} were prepared and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), multinuclear NMR (1H, 13C), electronic spectroscopy (UV-VIS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), microanalyses and melting point. Dimeric, monomeric, and polymeric materials were synthesized in this work. The Zn(II)-1,2,4-triazole derivatives have the metal ion at the center of two geometric arrangements, being a tetrahedron for the complex-7 and 9, and an octahedron for the complex-8. The only polymeric material, complex-7, was characterized by the DSC analytical data. The Decomposition reaction of complex-8 in chloroform produced the complex-9, a aminoguanidine derivative, and the Zn(II)-benzoate compound. The IR and UV-VIS of Cu(II)-mta derivatives revealed two possible geometric patterns for the metallic ion; a distorted bipyramidal trigonal geometry for compounds 10 and 11 in solution, and in the solid state, the same geometry for complex-10, but for complex-11, the IR data suggest a distorted octahedral geometry. The biological assay of the 1,2,4-triazole compounds and their metal derivatives against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria shown the compounds of Zn(II) as the only active materials with values of MIC within the range of 133.5 µM (83.3 µg / mL) to 360.7 µM (166.6 µg / mL).

Using the Asymmetric Gaussian Method to Interpret the Electronic Spectroscopy of the Olivine Family

This paper discusses the mathematical aspects of band fitting and introduces the Asymmetric Gaussian curve and its tangent space for the first time. First, we derive an equation for an Asymmetric Gaussian shape. We then derive a rule for the resolution of two Gaussian shaped bands. We then use the Asymmetrical Gaussian equation to derive a Master Equation to fit two overlapping bands. We identify regions of the fitting space where the Asymmetric Gaussian fit is optimal, sub optimal and not optimal. We then demonstrate the use of the Asymmetric Gaussian curve to fit four overlapping Gaussian bands, and show how this is relevant to the olivine family spectral complex at 1 μm. We develop a modified model of the olivine family spectral complex based on previous work by Runciman and Burns. The limitations of the asymmetric band fitting method and a critical assessment of three commonly used numerical minimization methods are also provided.

Redox conditions correlated with vibronic coupling modulate quantum beats in photosynthetic pigment–protein complexes

Quantum coherences, observed as time-dependent beats in ultrafast spectroscopic experiments, arise when light–matter interactions prepare systems in superpositions of states with differing energy and fixed phase across the ensemble. Such coherences have been observed in photosynthetic systems following ultrafast laser excitation, but what these coherences imply about the underlying energy transfer dynamics remains subject to debate. Recent work showed that redox conditions tune vibronic coupling in the Fenna–Matthews–Olson (FMO) pigment–protein complex in green sulfur bacteria, raising the question of whether redox conditions may also affect the long-lived (>100 fs) quantum coherences observed in this complex. In this work, we perform ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy measurements on the FMO complex under both oxidizing and reducing conditions. We observe that many excited-state coherences are exclusively present in reducing conditions and are absent or attenuated in oxidizing conditions. Reducing conditions mimic the natural conditions of the complex more closely. Further, the presence of these coherences correlates with the vibronic coupling that produces faster, more efficient energy transfer through the complex under reducing conditions. The growth of coherences across the waiting time and the number of beating frequencies across hundreds of wavenumbers in the power spectra suggest that the beats are excited-state coherences with a mostly vibrational character whose phase relationship is maintained through the energy transfer process. Our results suggest that excitonic energy transfer proceeds through a coherent mechanism in this complex and that the coherences may provide a tool to disentangle coherent relaxation from energy transfer driven by stochastic environmental fluctuations.