Polyanion, defined

Nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, are attractive biopolymers that can be used for biomedical applications [175,176], nanostructure fabrication [177,178], computing [179,180], and materials for electron-conduction [181,182]. Immobilization of DNA and RNA in well-defined nanostructures would be one of the most unique subjects in current nanotechnology. Unfortunately, a silica surface cannot usually adsorb duplex DNA in aqueous solution due to the electrostatic repulsion between the silica surface and polyanionic DNA. However, Fujiwara et al. recently found that duplex DNA in protonated phosphoric acid form can adsorb on mesoporous silicates, even in low-salt aqueous solution [183]. The DNA adsorption behavior depended much on the pore size of the mesoporous silica. Plausible models of DNA accommodation in mesopore silica channels are depicted in Figure 4.20. Inclusion of duplex DNA in mesoporous silicates with larger pores, around 3.8 nm diameter, would be accompanied by the formation of four water monolayers on the silica surface of the mesoporous inner channel (Figure 4.20A), where sufficient quantities of Si—OH groups remained after solvent extraction of the template (not by calcination). 

Despite the complexity of a plethora of overlapping equilibria the system can now be regarded as fairly well characterized. Depending on the concentration, oligomers of nuclearity 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 as well as condensed decavanadate polyanions can coexist with the proton-ated mononuclear species in the pH range 0-12. Even very minor species have been identified and for species occurring in sufficiently high concentration reliable formation constants have been determined in different ionic media (Table II). For practical reasons the formation constants are usually defined in terms of the monoproto-nated monomer... 

In a review, Van der Lugt (1996) observed that a number of liquid alloys (K-Pb, Rb-Pb, Cs-Pb, K-Sn, Rb-Sn, Cs-Sn, K-Te) behave as if all the anions were in the form of perfect simple Zintl anions like tetrahedra and dumbbells this being suggested by the behaviour of many physical properties (resistivity, thermodynamic properties, etc.) as a composition function. In this context a simple Zintl ion was defined as a polyanion that assumes the same configuration as a neutral isoelec-tronic element. A similar definition was reported by Van der Lugt and Verkerk... 

The heparin and poly-L-glutamate titrations show a markedly different behavior than do the DNA titrations. As polyanion is added, the fluorescence of the an-thrylpolyamine solution decreases until a well-defined minimum is reached. A new emission at 510 nm, which we assign to the anthracene excimer of 14, increases and decreases coincidently with the titrated fluorescence minimum. Likewise, the UV spectrum of 10 fiM 14 with added heparin shows hypochromism that occurs and disappears coincidently with the fluorescence minimum and a 2-nm red shift. We have proposed template-directed excimer formation as the physical basis for these observations. In the absence of heparin, fluorescence of the unassociated probe is observed. As heparin is added, the fluorescence decreases as a result of heparin-directed interaction between probe molecules. Additional heparin permits the fluorophore population to diffuse over the length of the poly anion, thus avoiding excimer formation and yielding a net CHEF. 

Kai Pii is formed quantitatively from Na3p7 and Pi (in en) in a well defined reaction. The colourless solvate Uai Pii 6en can be obtained from en in crystalline form by counter-current diffusion of THF (Figure 5)- Again we find a solvated molecule or ion-complex Nai Pii in the crystal. The polyanion Pi ", whose trimethyl-silyl substituted derivatives have already been observed in small quantities in mass-spectra ( ), constitutes the first methodically executed step to an oligomerization and finally to a complete polymerization of Pv clusters (I6). 

Series of various mono,- bi-, and poly-(thio)urea-functionalized (poly)saccha-rides have already been synthesized and studied for molecular recognition of, e.g., dimethyl and phenylphosphate as model compounds for monoanionic and polyanionic phosphate esters, respechvely [111]. Thiourea derivatives such as 195-197 were analyhcally identified to provide double hydrogen bonding mediated host-guest complexes of well-defined dimension and orientations and were also reported to serve as phosphate binders even in the hydrogen bonding environment of water (Figure 6.57) [111]. 

Although promiscuous in their choice of guest-compounds, the only well-defined catalytic system based upon the calixarenes, which has been documented, is the one described by Shinkai [61]. He has studied the acid-catalyzed addition of water (Scheme 6) to lV-benzyl-l,4-dihydronicotinamide in the presence of a para-sulfonatocalix[6]arene and its methoxycarbonyl derivative. The polyanionic nature of the upper rim, containing the sulfonate groups, provides a site for the stabilization of the cationic intermediate. The lower rim, which carries the phenolic... 

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