Carbon-carbon double bond in pillar[5]arene cavity: Selective binding of cis/trans-olefin isomers

The binding behavior of pillar[5]arenes (P5As) towards a series of olefin guests ((E)-1,4-dichlorobut-2-ene (1E), (Z)-1,4-dichlorobut-2-ene (1Z), (E)-but-2-ene-1,4-diol (2E), and (Z)-but-2-ene-1,4-diol (2Z), as well as an alkyne derivative 1,4-dichlorobut-2-yne (3)) have been studied in organic solution. P5As exhibit considerable selectivities for the trans-olefin isomers (1E and 2E) over their cis-isomers (1Z and 2Z). The cis/trans-selective interactions hold the potential of utilizing P5As to separate olefin isomers.     

An ab initio conformational study on 2,3-dihydrobilin-1,19(21H,24H)-dione, a model compound for open-chain tetrapyrroles

The molecule 2,3-dihydrobilin-1,19(21H,24H)-dione (DHB) was studied as a model of the fully conjugated linear open-chain tetrapyrroles phycocyanobilin (PCB), phycoerythrobilin (PEB) and phytochrome (PC) as well as biliverdin (BV) and bilirubin (BR). The rotations around the single bonds of the exocyclic methine bridges were investigated for all possible cis and trans, E and Z isomers of DHB. The geometries and energies of conformers were investigated with semiempirical and ab initio methods using AM1 and RHF/3-21G levels of theory. Results indicate that geometries with a central syn–cis configuration are preferred to other conformations around the central methine bridge. Four lowest energy conformations stabilized by hydrogen bonding and favorable geometric arrangements minimizing steric strain were predicted. This model elucidated the trends and identified variables associated with tetrapyrrole conformation and energy and thus may serve as a preliminary basis for studying other open-chain tetrapyrrole structures.     

The manifestation of non-bonded attraction in the physical properties of cis and trans olefins

Non-bonded attraction is suggested to account for a host of differences in the physical properties of cis and trans olefins of the type XHC=CHX. The main predictions are: (i) The cis isomer is more stable than the trans isomer; (ii) The C=C bond is longer and the C-X bonds are shorter for the cis isomer; (iii) The π MO's orbital energies of the two isomers differ such that the trans isomer is a better electron donor and electron acceptor than the cis isomer. Ab initio calculations at the STO-3G and the 4-31G levels in support of the model are presented. The photoelectron spectra of cis and trans difluoro, dichloro and dibromoethylene are discussed, and found to be in accord with our qualitative model.     

Allylstannation V. cis-stereoconvergent sysnthesis of homoallylic alcohols and 4-chloro-2,6-dialkyl-3-methyltetrahydro-pyrans by the addition reaction of 1-buten-3-yldichloro-n-butyltin and aldehydes

1-Buten-3-yl-n-butyldichlorotin, generated in situ by redistribution of (E/Z)-2-butenyltri-n-butyltin and BuSnCl₃, reacts readily with neat RCHO (R = CH₃, C₂H₅, (CH₃)₂CH) at 25°C to give linear alcohols RCH(OH)CH₂CH---CHCH₃ and/or 2,3,4,6-tetrasubstituted tetrahydropyrans, CH₂CH(R)OCH(R)CH(CH₃)CH-(Cl), which are mainly in the cis-configuration with respect to the CH(CH₃)-CH(Cl) bond. When R = (CH₃)₃C and C₆H₅, only the homoallylic alcohols are obtained. These cis-stereoconvergent syntheses are explained in terms of kinetic control of the formation of adducts obtained by insertion of one or two aldehyde molecules into the organotin substrate.     

Novel starshaped initiators for the controlled radical polymerization based on resorcin[4]- and pyrogallol[4]arenes

Multifunctional macrocyclic initiators for the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) based on different resorcin[4]- and pyrogallol[4]arenes have been synthesized. The initiators with 8, 12 and 16 tertiary -bromoesters on the core were received by complete esterification of all phenolic groups with 2-bromo-isobutyryl bromide. The calixarene derivatives with aliphatic chains on the bridging methine carbon were obtained as their rccc (all cis) isomers, while the corresponding calixarenes with aromatic substituents gave mixtures of their rccc and rctt (cis, cis, trans, trans) isomers.     

Studies on the reactivity of methyl γ-tosylcrotonoate as ambident reagent in organic synthesis

The treatment of methyl(E)-4-tosyl-2-butenoate (4) with two equiv. of sodium hydride and different mono and dihalides gives mainly γ,γ- and ,- or ,γ- and ,-dialkylated products (5–7) depending on the electrophile. The corresponding monoanion dimerizes with iodine to afford stereoselectively dimethyl cis-4,5-ditosyl-2,6-cyclohexadiene-1,2-dicarboxylate (11). The tosyl group in compounds 6 and 7 is reduced and in the case of γ,γ-dimethylated 5a substituted by sodium dimethyl malonate under Pd(PPh₃)₄ catalysis. Michael addition of different nucleophiles provides the corresponding β-substituted methyl γ-tosylbutanoates 16.     

Coordination geometry of chromium(VI) species. The first example of cis-bridging chromate ions in helically structured catena(μ-CrO4-O,O′)[Ni(HIm)3H2O]

Nickel(II) chromate complex with imidazole (HIm) was isolated from the [Ni²⁺–HIm–CrO₄²⁻] system in various experimental conditions, i.e. reagent molar ratios and nickel(II) salts. The catena(μ-CrO₄-O,O′)[Ni(HIm)₃H₂O] (1) crystallizes in monoclinic crystal system—space group P2₁/n with cell parameters: a=11.784(2), b=8.899(2), c=13.934(3) (Å), β=95.19(3) (°). The unit cell contains two independent helixes, left- and right-handed, stabilized by intrahelical and interhelical hydrogen bonds (HB) and π–π interactions. The cis coordination of the CrO₄²⁻ anions and the HB systems appeared to be the main determinants of the helical architecture. To the best of our knowledge the cis-chromate coordination was observed for the first time. The cis coordination causes the distortion of the nickel octahedron, which was analysed by 4 K single crystal electronic spectra with D_4h symmetry approximation (gaussian resolution and crystal field parameters). This symmetry was also confirmed with the polarised electronic spectra. The magnetic properties of the complex suggest the occurrence of weak intrachain antiferromagnetic interactions between the magnetic Ni^II center. The computational DFT studies of complex 1 assuming three possible isomers mer[(HIm)₃]–cis[(CrO₄²⁻)₂], mer–trans and fac–cis suggested that the main contribution to the stability of 1 might have interhelical and intrahelical hydrogen bonds.     

First Total Synthesis of the (±)-Preverecynarmin

The preverecynarmin(12), (+)-(1E,3E,7E,11E)-cembra-3,7,11-tetraen-6yl acetate,was first isolated in 1990 from both Armina maculata and its prey,the pennatulacean coral Veretillum cynomorium with other there briarane diferpenoids and cembene-C((1E,3E,7E,11E)-cembra-l,3,7,11-tetraen¹. As far as we known, the bioactive test and total synthesis of ¹² have not been reported yet. Herein we wish to describe the first total synthesis of (±)-preverecynarmin (12).     

Trans-cis isomerization of an azoxybenzene liquid crystal

Trans-cis isomerization was investigated in a room temperature liquid crystal mixture of two azoxybenzene compounds. Experiments were performed on isolated molecules in dilute solutions and on the liquid crystal phase composed of the pure compounds. The absorption spectra of the trans and cis isomers were found to be similar to those of azobenzene compounds, as were the birefringence and order parameter of the nematic liquid crystal phase. The photo-optic properties were also similar in that irradiation by ultraviolet light caused the conversion from trans to cis isomers, while short wavelength visible light incident on these compounds resulted in the conversion from cis to trans isomers. The activation energy for thermal relaxation from the cis to trans isomer in the liquid crystal phase was determined to be (66±7) kJ/mole, which is less than for azobenzene in solution. While a photostationary state in a dilute solution with approximately equal numbers of trans and cis isomers was achieved, the nematic-isotropic transition of the mixture of the pure compounds decreased from 70°C to room temperature with a cis concentration of only about 12%. One unusual finding was that the photostationary concentration of trans and cis isomers due to irradiation with light of a specific visible wavelength depended on the starting concentrations of the two isomers, indicating that there may be a molecular conformation that is not photo-responsive and relaxes only thermally.     

Platinum(II) substituted pyrrolidine complexes. Crystal structure of dichloride 1,2 diethyl 3 aminopyrrolidine Pt. Reactions with DNA and dinucleotides

The effect of five derivatives of Pt^II, cis dichloro-(1,2-dimethyl-3-aminopyrrolidine)platinum(II), cis dichloro-(1-methyl, 2-ethyl-3-aminopyrrolidine)platinum(II), cis dichloro-(1-ethyl, 2-methyl-3-aminopyrrolidine)platinum(II), cis dichloro-(1,2-diethyl-3-aminopyrrolidine)platinum(II), and cis dichloro-(1-propyl, 2 methyl-3 aminopyrrolidine)platinum(II) on platination of DNA was studied by CD and melting temperature determination. Reactions with the nucleotides d(ApG) and d(ApA) were also followed by ¹H NMR and CD, indicating binding via N(7) and formation mainly of bifunctional, in the case of d(ApG), or monofunctional adducts, in the case of d(ApA). The crystal structure of cis dichloro-(1 ethyl, 2 methyl-3 aminopyrrolidine)platinum(II) shows the analogues cisplatin structure of these active antitumour complexes. This compound is racemic.     

New mesomorphic organocyclosiloxanes I. Thermal behaviour and mesophase structure of organocyclotetrasiloxanes

cis-Cyclotetrasiloxanes of the formula cis-[PhSi(O)(OSiMe₂R)]₄ with R = Me, CH₂Cl, CH CH₂ and cis-[ClC₆H₄Si(O)(OSiMe₃)]₄ were synthesized and investigated in terms of their thermotropic phase transitions. Two ordered phases were observed for the cis-cyclotetrasiloxanes, one at lower temperature exhibiting the properties of a crystal and one at higher temperature exhibiting the properties of a plastically crystalline (3D) mesophase. A detailed examination of the mesophase behaviour and mesophase structure of octaphenylcyclotetrasiloxane was also carried out. It was shown that the thermal properties and structural characteristics of the mesophase are influenced by the structural characteristics of the substituent attached at the silicon atom in the tetracyclosiloxane. The new mesomorphic cis-cyclotetrasiloxanes are by far the largest molecules reported to date as forming plastic crystals, and the temperature region of the mesophase is much broader than in other plastic crystals. All five cyclotetrasiloxanes studied were found to be isomorphous in the 3D-mesophase and the low temperature forms of the two cis-cyclotetrasiloxanes: PhSi(O)(OSiMe₂R)₄ (R = Me, CH CH₂) were also isomorphous.     

Stereochemical studies of optically active 2-hydroxy-5-alkyl-δ-valerolactone derivatives as chiral dopant for ferroelectric liquid crystals

Both (2S, 5R)- and (2R, 5R)-2-hydroxy-5-alkyl-δ-valerolactone derivatives, cis and trans, respectively, show almost the same magnitude of spontaneous polarization (P_s) when added to a non-chiral smectic C mixture. The stereochemistry of these chiral dopants was studied using ¹H NMR. Trans derivatives seem to have a half-chair conformation with the 2, 5-diequatorial substituents and the cis derivatives have rather a flat conformation in solution. However in the liquid-crystalline phase, the cis and trans derivatives appear to change their conformation or the distribution of their conformations as the alkyl chain length is varied. The difference in the effect as a chiral dopant depends upon lateral interactions between chiral molecules through the solvent liquid crystal phase.     

Spectrophotometric evidence for the existence of rotamers in solutions of some ketocyanine dyes

The existence of rotational conformers in solutions of 1,5-bis[dialkylaminophenyl]-1,4-pentadien-3-one (I) was investigated by infrared, absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Comparison was made with 2,5-bis{[4-(dialkylamino)phenyl]-methylene}-cyclopentanone (II) and 2,6-bis{[4-(dialkylamino)phenyl]-methylene}-cyclohexanone (III) which may be considered as rigidified analogues of I. The study in organic solvents revealed that two different conformers coexisted in solutions of I. They differ by rotation about the carbonyl-carbon quasi-single bond and, according to spectroscopic data and AM1 calculations, could be cis, cis and cis, trans isomers, the latter being found in much larger proportions.     

Multivariate analysis for the classification and differentiation of Madeira wines according to main grape varieties

In order to differentiate and characterize Madeira wines according to main grape varieties, the volatile composition (higher alcohols, fatty acids, ethyl esters and carbonyl compounds) was determined for 36 monovarietal Madeira wine samples elaborated from Boal, Malvazia, Sercial and Verdelho white grape varieties. The study was carried out by headspace solid-phase microextraction technique (HS-SPME), in dynamic mode, coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Corrected peak area data for 42 analytes from the above mentioned chemical groups was used for statistical purposes. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied in order to determine the main sources of variability present in the data sets and to establish the relation between samples (objects) and volatile compounds (variables). The data obtained by GC–MS shows that the most important contributions to the differentiation of Boal wines are benzyl alcohol and (E)-hex-3-en-1-ol. Ethyl octadecanoate, (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol and benzoic acid are the major contributions in Malvazia wines and 2-methylpropan-1-ol is associated to Sercial wines. Verdelho wines are most correlated with 5-(ethoxymethyl)-furfural, nonanone and cis-9-ethyldecenoate. A 96.4% of prediction ability was obtained by the application of stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) using the 19 variables that maximise the variance of the initial data set.     

通过增强电荷转移激发态构建激发态下稳定的基于氰基二苯乙烯的E/Z构型

The E/Z isomerization reaction is found extensively in most organic molecules containing double bond unit. This limits their practical application as luminescent materials partly, especially under photoirradiation. Therefore, it is important to obtain E/Z isomers with stable configuration in the excited state after photoirradiation. It is well known that cyanostilbene and its analogues play an important role in the development of organic opto/electronic materials. The substituted cyano group on C＝C double bonds has strong electron-withdrawing ability and large steric hindrance, which benefits the formation of donor-acceptor (D-A) structures and formation of intramolecular charge transfer. In our previous work, we reported a triphenylamine-cyanostilbene molecule (TPNCF) formed by modifying the cyanostilbene structure with triphenylamine, which maintained a stable E/Z configuration as a film and in high polar solvents. According to solvatochromism mechanisms and the results of theoretical calculations, we proposed that the charge transfer (CT) excited state between the triphenylamine donor and cyanostilbene acceptor groups induced the stable configuration of the E- and Z- isomers under photoirradiation. Under irradiation, the E/Z isomerization process occurring at a higher energy locally excited (LE) state was suppressed by a rapid internal conversion process from the LE to CT state. This work inspired us to provide a universal and effective molecular design strategy by modifying D-A substituents on double bonds that can successfully stabilize E/Z isomers. To further confirm that the CT excited state induced stable E- and Z- isomers in the cyanostilbene structure under photoirradiation, we designed and synthesized a donor-acceptor phenoxazine-cyanostilbene molecule (PZNCF) and successfully characterized its two E/Z isomers. In comparison with the reported TPNCF molecule, the in-situ NMR and UV spectra of E- and Z- isomers of PZNCF demonstrated that the E/Z isomerization rate became slower under photoirradiation, which indicated that the stronger electron-donating group of phenoxazine substituted in the cyanostilbene structure induced a more stable E/Z isomer configuration in its excited state. DFT calculations and photophysical results indicated that a stronger CT state was generated in both E- and Z- isomers of PZNCF. This further confirmed our hypothesized mechanism where the stable E/Z configuration can be obtained under photoirradiation by forming a suitable donor-acceptor structure to suppress the E/Z isomerization reaction in the LE state by a rapid internal crossing process from the LE to CT state. This molecular design strategy is of great significance to organic photochemistry and photoelectronics for molecules with double bond units.     

Transport phenomenon as a function of counter and co-ions in solution: chronopotentiometric behavior of anion exchange membrane in different aqueous electrolyte solutions

Anion exchange membrane has been investigated in different electrolyte solutions by chronopotentiometry to explore the influence of co-ion and counterion of the exchange group of the membrane, on the transport phenomena. Chloride, nitrate, sulfate and acetate in sodium salts were used as counterions and sodium, potassium, calcium and ammonium in chloride salts were used as co-ions. The membrane showed a potential drop (E₀) in all these electrolytes when a constant current was applied across it, which remained constant for a period less than τ, called the transition time and rose gradually to a maximum (E_max) value. The parameters such as τ, E₀ and E_max and the potential jump (ΔE) and τ and the inflection zone (Δt) along the time axis have been measured and compared at an applied current density (I) of 10 mA cm⁻² in 10 mM solutions. The values of τ^1/2/z_A[A₀] or τ^1/2/z_C[C₀], with or , E₀ and ΔE with or (where r_A and r_C are the ionic radii of counter and co-ions, respectively) have been correlated. Permselectivity (P) and transference number of the membrane with respect to each one of the above electrolytes have been evaluated and discussed.     

The optical properties of polymethylmethacrylate polymer dispersed liquid crystals

The effect of the addition of polymer liquid crystals as dispersed molecules to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) on the optical properties in the UV-visible and near infrared regions is investigated. From transmission, absorption and reflection spectra the absorption coefficient (ω) and refractive index (n) at angular frequency of radiation (ω) have been calculated at room temperature. The values of the optical band gap (E_opt) have been obtained from the direct allowed transitions in k-space. The width of the tails of localized states in the band gap (ΔE) was evaluated from Urbach edges. Both the parameters (E_opt) and (ΔE) vary with the mixing ratio of dispersed liquid crystals.     

Second-harmonic generation from monolayer Langmuir–Blodgett films of various push–pull pyridine and terpyridine metal complexes

The new ligands (E)-4-[2-(4-(N-methyl-N-hexadecylaminophenyl)ethenyl]pyridine (L¹) and 4′-(C₆H₄-p-N(Me)(hexadecyl))-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (L²) were prepared along with their complexes [cis-Ir(CO)₂ClL¹], [fac-Os(CO)₃Cl₂L¹], [ZnCl₂L²] and [IrCl₃L²]. Whereas these complexes show a large second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) response at the molecular level, similar to that of related organic alkylated salts as evidenced by the Electric Field Induced Second-Harmonic (EFISH) generation technique, their Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) film susceptibility is lower than that of the salts.