Bemerkung zur Gleichheit der Aufspaltungen ΔI (zwischen den ersten beiden π-Ionisationspotentialen) und ΔE (zwischen den entsprechenden π* ← π Übergangsenergien) des Spiro[4,4]nonatetraens. Vorläufige Mitteilung

For a given molecule M, the difference ΔI between the first two vertical ionization potentials I_v,2 and I_v,2 (from MOs ψ₁ and ψ₂) and ΔE between the corresponding singlet-singlet excitation energies E₁ and E₂ (transitions ψ?₁ ←₁, ψ?₁ ψ₂) are related by ΔE = ΔI- (J_2,?1?J_1,?1) ?2(K_1,?1 ? K_2,?1), using Koopmans approximation. A simple MO model suggests that under certain conditions of symmetry and quasi-alternancy (e. g. in spiro[4,4]nonatetraene 1 ) the bracketed differences between the Coulomb- and exchange-integrals should vanish to first order, thus leading to the simple (almost) equality ΔE = ΔI. It is shown that the results from a photoelectron- and electron-spectroscopic investigation of 1 support this conclusion i.e. ΔI = 1.23 eV, ΔE = 1.19 to 1.23 eV.     

Ba2Cu3O5+δ as an intermediate phase during the synthesis of YBa2Cu4O8

We propose a reaction model for the synthesis of YBa₂Cu₄O₈ under normal pressure conditions, which contains 4 partial reaction steps. In a first step bariumnitrate and copperoxide react to Ba₂Cu₃O_5+δ. This substance will be formed for each mixtures Ba:Cu=2∶3...3∶2. The following two partial reaction steps are connected to Ba₂Cu₃O_5+δ, which reacts with Y₂O₃ and CuO to YBa₂Cu₄O₈ or decomposes to BaCuO₂ and CuO. In a last step parts of BaCuO₂ reacts with Y₂O₃ and CuO to YBa₂Cu₄O₈.     

On the stability and decomposition of η6-(2-lithiochlorobenzene)tricarbonylchromium(0)

The decomposition of η⁶-(2-lithiochlorobenzene)tricarbonylchromium(0) (I) was found to follow first order kinetics with k_dec  5.1 x 10^-3 min^-1 at 0°C, the half life of I being 136 min at 0°C. While this dependence strongly suggests intermediacy of η⁶-(benzyne)tricarbonylchromium, trapping experiments were successful in only low yield.     

Direct synthesis of (η-arene)-tricarbonylchromium complexes by arene displacement from tricarbonyl(η-1-methylpyrrole)chromium(0)

Arene displacement from the title complex occurs under unprecedented mild conditions in neutral media to afford (η⁶-arene)tricarbonylchromium complexes. The process is most effective with heteroaromatic compounds: the first synthesis of a tricarbonyl(η⁶-quinoline)chromium complex and the diastereoselective preparation of a (η⁶-indole) complex derived from L-tryptophan are reported as representative examples.     

New iron complexes from nucleophile addition/carbonylation of η4-(1,3-diene)tricarbonyliron(0) complexes

A series of novel organoiron complexes has been isolated and studied by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and IR spectroscopy. Addition of LiC(CH₃)₂CN to (1,3-cyclohexadiene)tricarbonyliron produces an intermediate which is only stable at low temperature and which is assigned the homoallyl—Fe(CO)₃ anion structure. The intermediate rearranges on warming into a stable complex, for which full spectral data support the structure as an allyl—Fe(CO)₃ anionic species. Interception of the first formed intermediate with CO gives an acylferrate complex with an olefin unit still bound to iron, and methylation then occurs at oxygen to produce an unusual internally-bound (alkene)(methoxyalkylidene)tricarbonyliron species.     

Photon channelling in foams

Experiments by Gittings, Bandyopadhyay and Durian (Europhys. Lett. 65, 414 (2004)) demonstrate that light possesses a higher probability to propagate in the liquid phase of a foam due to total reflection. The authors term this observation photon channelling which we investigate in this article theoretically. We first derive a central relation in the work of Gitting et al. without any free parameters. It links the photon's path-length fraction f in the liquid phase to the liquid fraction ɛ. We then construct two-dimensional Voronoi foams, replace the cell edges by channels to represent the liquid films and simulate photon paths according to the laws of ray optics using transmission and reflection coefficients from Fresnel's formulas. In an exact honeycomb foam, the photons show superdiffusive behavior. It becomes diffusive as soon as disorder is introduced into the foams. The dependence of the diffusion constant on channel width and refractive index is explained by a one-dimensional random-walk model. It contains a photon channelling state that is crucial for the understanding of the numerical results. At the end, we shortly comment on the observation that photon channelling only occurs in a finite range of ɛ.     

Direct synthesis of pyran-lactones related to naphthoquinoneantibiotics

Simple benzopyrans with a fused γ-lactone unit are prepared from an o-disubstituted arene by direct intramolecular alkoxycarbonylation/lactonization promoted by palladium diacetate; the process gives high yields and moderate stereoselectivity, favoring the $\text{cis}$ lactone over $\text{trans}$ by a factor of 5:1.