Structural chemistry of azo complexes

Summary Complexes of Co^II, Ni^II, Cu^II, Pd^II, and Pt^IV with 2,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid and its substituted phenylazoderivatives have been prepared, together with some mixed-metal (Co, Cu or Ni, Cu) complexes of itsm-nitro,m-carboxy andm-hydroxyarylazo derivatives. The stereochemistries and the modes of bonding of the complexes were elucidated by spectral and magnetic susceptibility measurements.Abstracted from her Ph.D. thesis.     

Polarographic behaviour and determination of paracetamol and salicylamide after treatment with nitrous acid

A polarographic procedure is described for the determination of paracetamol (acetaminophen) and salicylamide after treatment with nitrous acid. The different experimental parameters affecting the derivatization process and the polarographic analysis were studied. The derivatization products were found to be reduced at the dropping mercury electrode over the whole pH range in Britton-Robinson buffers. At pH 7.0, well defined diffusion-controlled cathodic waves were produced for both compounds. Plots of limiting current vs. concentration were linear over the ranges 0.05–0.75 and 0.25–1.5mM for paracetamol and salicylamide, respectively, in the d.c. mode, with minimum detectability of 2.5 × 10^–6 and 1.25 × 10^–5 M, respectively. The procedure was applied to the analysis of some pharmaceutical dosage forms and the results were in good agreement with those obtained by official and compendial methods.     

Selective Solid Phase Extraction and Pre-Concentration of Heavy Metals from Seawater by Physically and Chemically Immobilized 4-Amino-3-Hydroxy-2-(2-Chlorobenzene)-Azo-1-Naphthalene Sulfonic Acid Silica Gel

4-Amino-3-hydroxy-2-(2-chlorobenzene)-azo-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid (AHCANSA) was used as a chelating modifier to improve the reactivity of the silica gel surface in terms of selective binding and extraction of heavy metal ions. The surface coverage values were found to be 0.488 and 0.473mmolg^–1 for the newly modified physically adsorbed silica gel phase (I) and chemically immobilized-AHCANSA phase (II), respectively. The modified silica gel phases (I, II) were tested for stability in different acidic buffer solutions (pH 1–6) and found to be highly resistant to hydrolysis and leaching by buffer solutions above pH 2. The application of these two phases as solid extractors for a series of mono-, di-, and tri-valent metal ions from aqueous solutions was also performed with different controlling factors such as the pH value of metal ion solutions and equilibrium shaking time. The mmolg^–1 metal capacity values determined by silica gel phases (I, II) were found to confirm high affinity and selectivity characters for binding with heavy metal ions such as Cr³⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ in a range of 0.250–0.483. The tested alkali and alkaline earth metals, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺, were found to exhibit little interaction and binding ability with the modified silica gel phases. The selectivity characters incorporated into the modified silica gel phases were further utilized and applied in solid phase extraction and pre-concentration of trace concentration levels (1.0µgmL^–1 and 2.00–2.50ngmL^–1) from real seawater samples. The percentage recovery values determined for Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ were found to be in the range of 95.2–98.1±2.0–5.0%, and the pre-concentration recovery values for the same tested heavy metal ions were found to be in the range of 92.5–97.1±3.0–6.0% for the two newly modified silica gel phases with a pre-concentration factor of 500.Received December 20, 2002; accepted May 14, 2003 published online September 1, 2003     

Mesoporous Au/Fe2O3 catalyst for propargylamines synthesis via CH2Cl2 under visible light irradiation

The AHA coupling of amines, haloalkane and alkynes under UV visible light was achieved with a higher yield in the presence of Au/Fe₂O₃. The catalyst was prepared by two methods using different gold content and then characterized by XRD, UV–vis, BET, TEM, ICP-OES and TPR spectroscopies. A comparative study of the ordinary and photocatalytic conditions, showed that the UV visible light could activate the gold nanoparticles and lead to the formation of CH₂Cl^? and Cl^? radicals through CH₂Cl₂ fragmentation. The propargylamine was afforded at low temperature and a short time using 2% Au/Fe₂O₃. The catalyst was stable for five cycles with good photoactivity.

Graphical abstract

     

S‐Adenosyl Methionine Cofactor Modifications Enhance the Biocatalytic Repertoire of Small Molecule C‐Alkylation

A tandem enzymatic strategy to enhance the scope of C‐alkylation of small molecules via the in situ formation of S‐adenosyl methionine (SAM) cofactor analogues is described. A solvent‐exposed channel present in the SAM‐forming enzyme SalL tolerates 5′‐chloro‐5′‐deoxyadenosine (ClDA) analogues modified at the 2‐position of the adenine nucleobase. Coupling SalL‐catalyzed cofactor production with C‐(m)ethyl transfer to coumarin substrates catalyzed by the methyltransferase (MTase) NovO forms C‐(m)ethylated coumarins in superior yield and greater substrate scope relative to that obtained using cofactors lacking nucleobase modifications. Establishing the molecular determinants that influence C‐alkylation provides the basis to develop a late‐stage enzymatic platform for the preparation of high value small molecules.     

Efficient Synthesis of 3‐Pyrrolylquinolines via an 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition/Oxidation Sequence

The synthesis of some new functionalized quinolyl derivatives relies on the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of an azomethine ylide, generated from sarcosine and paraformaldehyde, to quinolyl α,β‐unsaturated esters, followed by oxidation of the pyrrolidinyl moiety to pyrrole with activated MnO₂.     

Large‐Scale Synthesis of Helicene‐Like Molecules for the Design of Enantiopure Thin Films with Strong Chiroptical Activity

Helicenes are fascinating molecules owing to their unusual properties and applications in many fields from catalysis to organic electronics. Herein, we report a straightforward pathway for the synthesis of helicene‐like molecules on a gram scale in an enantiopure form. Thin‐film materials with good propagating optical properties and very high chiroptical responses have been grown by using pulsed laser ablation without altering the structure or the enantiopurity of the molecules. Moreover, electronic and vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopies coupled with theoretical calculations enabled some dependences of the chiroptical properties with the structure to be highlighted, for example, effects of rigidification, aromatization, or the state of matter (liquid versus solid).     

Three salts from the reactions of cysteamine and cystamine with L‐(+)‐tartaric acid

Reaction between cysteamine (systematic name: 2‐aminoethanethiol, C₂H₇NS) and L‐(+)‐tartaric acid [systematic name: (2R,3R)‐2,3‐dihydroxybutanedioic acid, C₄H₆O₆] results in a mixture of cysteamine tartrate(1−) monohydrate, C₂H₈NS⁺·C₄H₅O₆⁻·H₂O, (I), and cystamine bis[tartrate(1−)] dihydrate, C₄H₁₄N₂S₂²⁺·2C₄H₅O₆⁻·2H₂O, (III). Cystamine [systematic name: 2,2′‐dithiobis(ethylamine), C₄H₁₂N₂S₂], reacts with L‐(+)‐tartaric acid to produce a mixture of cystamine tartrate(2−), C₄H₁₄N₂S₂²⁺·C₄H₄O₆²⁻, (II), and (III). In each crystal structure, the anions are linked by O—H...O hydrogen bonds that run parallel to the a axis. In addition, hydrogen bonding involving protonated amino groups in all three salts, and water molecules in (I) and (III), leads to extensive three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonding networks. All three salts crystallize in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁.     

Electron Transfer in the Cs⊂{Mn4Fe4} Cubic Switch: A Soluble Molecular Model of the MnFe Prussian-Blue Analogues

A mixed-valence {Mn^II₃Mn^IIIFe^II₂Fe^III₂} cyanide-bridged molecular cube hosting a caesium cation, Cs⊂{Mn₄Fe₄}, was synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. Cyclic-voltammetry measurements show that its electronic state can be switched between five different redox states, which results in a remarkable electrochromic effect. Magnetic measurements on fresh samples point to the occurrence of a spin-state change near room temperature, which could be ascribed to a metal-to-metal electron transfer converting the {Fe^II−CN−Mn^III} pair into a {Fe^III−CN−Mn^II} pair. This feature was only previously observed in the polymeric MnFe Prussian-blue analogues (PBAs). Moreover, this novel switchable molecule proved to be soluble and stable in organic solvents, paving the way for its integration into advanced materials.