To date, the primordial function of boron is its structural role in the cell wall through stabilization of molecules containing cis-diol groups (borate esters with apiose residues of rhamnogalacturonan II). Nonetheless, boron is a micronutrient also involved in a great variety of physiological processes in vascular plants. However the mechanisms underlying the various metabolic disorders caused...

Near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra at the boron K-edge were measured for aqueous boric acid, borate, and polyborate ions, using liquid microjet technology, and compared with simulated spectra calculated from first principles density functional theory in the excited electron and core hole (XCH) approximation. Thermal motion in both hydrated and isolated molecules was inco...

The structures and chemical bonding of TaB(n)(-) (n = 3-8) clusters are investigated systematically to elucidate the formation of the planar metal-centred aromatic borometallic cluster, Ta©B10(-) (the © sign is used to designate the central position of the doped atom in monocyclic structures in M©B(n)-type planar clusters), which was found previously to have the highest coordination number for ...

Boron clusters and organic molecules display manifestly different electronic, physical, chemical and geometrical characteristics. These differences highlight the complementarity of organic synthons and boron clusters, and therefore the feasibility of producing hybrid polymers incorporating both types of fragments. This review focuses on the development of hybrid organic-inorganic π conjugated, ...

This review summarizes the evidence for boron essentiality across the biological spectrum with special focus on biochemical pathways and biomolecules relevant to immune function. Boron is an essential trace element for at least some organisms in each of the phylogenetic kingdoms Eubacteria, Stramenopila (brown algae and diatoms), Viridiplantae (green algae and familiar green plants), Fungi, and...

Thinking about molecules that do not yet exist on Earth is an amazing mental experiment. Using the established rules of chemistry, we are able to find and—in many cases—to understand what is the most favorable structure of a set of atoms. Exceptions to these rules are occasionally found, in particular if small numbers of atoms are concerned, and they can cause strong conceptual troubles. Paraph...

There is evidence that boron has a physiological role in animals and humans, but the search for boron binding biomolecules has been difficult because useful radioactive boron isotopes do not exist. To overcome this limitation we used capillary electrophoresis to identify and quantify boron binding to biomolecules by detecting the negative charge boron imparts to ligands. The effect of molecular...

A comprehensive study was performed on hydrogen adsorption and storage in Ca-coated boron fullerenes and nanotubes by means of density functional computations. Ca strongly binds to boron fullerene and nanotube surfaces due to charge transfer between Ca and the B substrate. Accordingly, Ca atoms do not cluster on the surface of the boron substrate, while transition metals (such as Ti and Sc) per...

Transient heat transfer models of the single-wheel meltspinning process are developed and applied to quantify the effect of process variables including interface depressions on solidification, temperature evolution, thickness variations, and surface depressions in the cast product. Firstly, a transient one-dimensional heat-transfer model of the melt-spinning process called STRIP1D was developed...

Findings of laser-assisted atom probe tomography experiments on boron carbide elucidate an approach for characterizing the atomic structure and interatomic bonding of molecules associated with extraordinary structural stability. The discovery of crystallographic planes in these boron carbide datasets substantiates that crystallinity is maintained to the point of field evaporation, and character...