A Compact Tetrathiafulvalene–Benzothiadiazole Dyad and Its Highly Symmetrical Charge‐Transfer Salt: Ordered Donor π‐Stacks Closely Bound to Their Acceptors

A compact and planar donor–acceptor molecule 1 comprising tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and benzothiadiazole (BTD) units has been synthesised and experimentally characterised by structural, optical, and electrochemical methods. Solution‐processed and thermally evaporated thin films of 1 have also been explored as active materials in organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). For these devices, hole field‐effect mobilities of μ_FE=(1.3±0.5)×10^?3 and (2.7±0.4)×10^?3 cm² V s^?1 were determined for the solution‐processed and thermally evaporated thin films, respectively. An intense intramolecular charge‐transfer (ICT) transition at around 495 nm dominates the optical absorption spectrum of the neutral dyad, which also shows a weak emission from its ICT state. The iodine‐induced oxidation of 1 leads to a partially oxidised crystalline charge‐transfer (CT) salt {( 1 )₂I₃}, and eventually also to a fully oxidised compound { 1 I₃} ? 1/2I₂. Single crystals of the former CT compound, exhibiting a highly symmetrical crystal structure, reveal a fairly good room temperature electrical conductivity of the order of 2 S cm^?1. The one‐dimensional spin system bears compactly bonded BTD acceptors (spatial localisation of the LUMO) along its ridge.     

Structure elucidation of phototransformation products of unapproved analogs of the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil in artificial freshwater with UPLC‐Q Exactive‐MS

In this study, four unapproved analogues of Sildenafil (SDF) were photodegraded under synthetic sunlight in artificial freshwater. Homosildenafil (H‐SDF), hydroxyhomo‐sildenafil (HH‐SDF), norneosildenafil (NR‐SDF) and thiosildenafil (T‐SDF) were selected because they are frequently detected as adulterants in natural herbal products. Using UPLC‐Orbitrap (Q Exactive)‐MS, six photoproducts common to H‐SDF, HH‐SDF and T‐SDF and nine unique transformation products of different molecular weights were identified based on their high‐resolution (+)ESI product ion spectra. Mass spectral analysis of deuterated H‐SDF, labeled on the N‐ethyl group, allowed to gain mechanistic insight into the fragmentation pathway of the substituted piperazine ring and to support the postulated photoproduct structures. The mass spectral fragmentation confirmed the stepwise destruction of the piperazine ring eventually producing a sulfonic acid derivative (C₁₇H₂₀N₄O₅S: 392.1151 Da). In contrast, the photodegradation of NR‐SDF, which lacks a piperazine ring in its structure, formed only two prominent photoproducts originating from N,N‐dealkylation of the sulfonamide followed by hydrolysis. The current work constitutes the first study on the photodegradation of analogs of erectile dysfunction drugs and the first detection of two transformation products (m/z 449 and 489) in environmental samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Michael reactions of titanium enolates of glycolic acid derivatives with the Weinreb and morpholine amides of acrylic acid

The conjugate additions of titanium enolates of glycolate-derived chiral oxazolidin-2-ones to various Michael acceptors have been evaluated as an entry to enantiopure 1,2,5-trioxygenated and related synthons. alpha,beta-unsaturated Weinreb and morpholine amides do react under suitable conditions and their adducts can be converted to diverse C1-C5 chiral fragments.     

Nanosized trigonal prismatic and antiprismatic CuII coordination cages based on tricarboxylate linkers

3D coordination cages have been synthesized via the supramolecular 3 + 2 self-assembly of macrocyclic dicopper molecular clips and tricarboxylate linkers, the nature of which allows the introduction of different functionalities to the 3D cages.     

Reactivity of superoxide anion radical with a perchlorotriphenylmethyl (trityl) radical

The reaction of superoxide radical with a tricarboxylate derivative of perchlorotriphenylmethyl radical (PTM-TC) is studied. PTM-TC is a stable ("inert") free radical, which gives a single sharp electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) peak in aqueous solutions. PTM-TC also gives a characteristic optical absorption at 380 nm. Superoxide, on reaction with PTM-TC, induced a decrease in the intensity of the EPR signal and optical absorption of PTM-TC at 380 nm. The signal loss was specific to superoxide and linearly dependent on the superoxide flux in the system. Competitive kinetics experiments revealed that PTM-TC reacts with superoxide with an apparent second-order rate constant of 8.3x10(8) M(-1) s(-1). Electrochemical and mass spectrometric analyses of the reaction suggested the formation of perchlorotriphenylmethane and molecular oxygen as products. The high sensitivity of detection of PTM-TC combined with the high rate constant of the reaction of superoxide with PTM-TC may offer a potential opportunity for measurement of superoxide in biological systems. In conclusion, the PTM-TC molecule has high sensitivity and specificity for superoxide radicals and thus may enable quantitative detection of superoxide generation in biological systems using EPR and/or spectrophotometric methods.     

Michael addition-elimination reactions of chiral enolates with ethyl 3-halopropenoates

Key dienoic or dienal substructures of cytotoxic macrolides amphidinolide E and dictyostatin have been prepared via a Michael addition (followed by elimination of X-) of chiral enolates on beta-halo derivatives of ethyl acrylate, with full retention of the initial E or Z configuration. Evans oxazolidin-2-ones and our related thiazolidin-2-ones, as well as a fine-tuning of the reaction conditions, have been essential. Many chiral building blocks are accessible from these adducts.     

Kinetico-mechanistic studies of cyclometalating C-H bond activation reactions on Pd(ii) and Rh(ii) centres: The importance of non-innocent acidic solvents in the process

The activation of C-H bonds in homogeneous systems has been the subject of study for many years due to its involvement in important industrial catalytic processes. A large number of reviews on the different areas involved have appeared, but those dealing with kinetic studies, including activation parameters, are rather scarce due to the severe difficulties in interpreting experimental data. In this perspective, the information available from kinetico-mechanistic studies of cyclometalation reactions on Pd(ii) and Rh(ii) centres via C-H bond activation is considered. Experimental results from studies performed on complexes of these metal centres indicate that the historically accepted electrophilic substitution classification is not a satisfactory mechanistic term for the process occurring during the reaction. A definite acid-assisted phenomenon is evident for all the processes studied, which contradicts the expected need for a proton abstractor in the reaction. This is even more surprising when considering the expected hydrolysis of M-C bonds in such acidic media, indicating that metalation prevails under these conditions. Only the presence of coordinated acid molecules in solvolytic carboxylic acid media can explain the observations. The fine tuning between the proton abstraction capacity of a coordinated RCO(2)H molecule and its Lewis basicity results in a unique reactivity trend. DFT calculations carried out for these acid-assisted processes fully agree with the experimental trends observed.     

Playing with organic radicals as building blocks for functional molecular materials

The literature has shown numerous contributions on the synthesis and physicochemical properties of persistent organic radicals but there are a lesser number of reports about their use as building blocks for obtaining molecular magnetic materials exhibiting an additional and useful physical property or function. These materials show promise for applications in spintronics as well as bistable memory devices and sensing materials. This critical review provides an up-to-date survey to this new generation of multifunctional magnetic materials. For this, a detailed revision of the most common families of persistent organic radicals-nitroxide, triphenylmethyl, verdazyl, phenalenyl, and dithiadiazolyl-so far reported will be presented, classified into three different sections: materials with magnetic, conducting and optical properties. An additional section reporting switchable materials based on these radicals is presented (257 references).     

GC‐MS of amaryllidaceous galanthamine‐type alkaloids

Galanthamine‐type alkaloids produced by plants of the Amaryllidaceae family are potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. One of them, galanthamine, has been marketed as a hydrobromide salt for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In the present work, gas chromatography with electron impact mass spectrometry (GC‐EIMS) fragmentation of 12 reference compounds isolated from various amaryllidaceous plants and identified by spectroscopic methods (1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance, circular dichroism, high‐resolution MS (HRMS) and EIMS) was studied by tandem mass spectrometry (GC‐MS/MS) and accurate mass measurements (GC‐HRMS). The studied compounds showed good peak shape and efficient GC separation with a GC‐MS fragmentation pattern similar to that obtained by direct insertion probe. With the exception of galanthamine‐N‐oxide and N‐formylnorgalanthamine, the galanthamine‐type compounds showed abundant [M]^+. and [M‐H]⁺ ions. A typical fragmentation pattern was also observed, depending on the substituents of the skeleton. Based on the fragmentation pathways of reference compounds, three other galanthamine‐type alkaloids, including 3‐O‐(2′‐butenoyl)sanguinine, which possesses a previously unelucidated structure, were identified in Leucojum aestivum ssp. pulchelum, a species endemic to the Balearic islands. GC‐MS can be successfully applied to Amaryllidaceae plant samples in the routine screening for potentially new or known bioactive molecules, chemotaxonomy, biodiversity and identification of impurities in pharmaceutical substances. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical synthesis of oriented ferromagnetic LaSr-2 × 4 manganese oxide molecular sieve nanowires

We report a chemical solution based method using nanoporous track-etched polymer templates for producing long and oriented LaSr-2 × 4 manganese oxide molecular sieve nanowires. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses show that the nanowires are ferromagnetic at room temperature, single crystalline, epitaxially grown and self-aligned.