Polyene synthesis: A comparative study

As part of an effort to synthesize the polyene macrolide antibiotics, a comparison of several methods of polyene synthesis has been carried out with the finding that superior results were obtained using the Wollenberg vinyl ether method.     

Studies of organotin(IV)-orthoquinone systems

The primary process in the reaction of hexaphenylditin with various substituted orthoquinones (Q) is shown to involve attack by the quinone at a phenyl ligand. The intermediate thus formed decomposes to yield Ph₃Sn(SQ^·), where S(Q^·−) is the corresponding semiquinonate. Rearrangement of these species in solution gives rise to biradicals, while intramolecular electron transfer may lead to the formation and precipitation of Ph₂Sn(CAT), where CAT²⁻ is the corresponding substituted catecholate. The identification of these processes depends in part on electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The reaction of Ph₃SnCl or Ph₂SnCl₂ with Na(TBSQ^·) (TBSQ^·−=3,5-di-tert-butyl-orthobenzosemiquinonate) results in the formation of Ph₂Sn(TBSQ^·), which can undergo redistribution and intramolecular electron transfer, so that the solution chemistry of these latter systems is similar to that of the products of the Sn₂Ph₆+Q reaction.     

Redox and spectroscopic orbitals in Ru(II) and Os(II) phenolate complexes

A detailed spectroscopic and electrochemical study of a series of novel phenolate bound complexes, of general formulas [M(L-L)(2)(box)](PF(6)), where M is Os and Ru, L-L is 2,2-bipyridine or 2,2-biquinoline, and box is 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole, is presented. The objectives of this study were to probe the origin of the LUMOs and HOMOs in these complexes, to elucidate the impact of metal and counter ligand on the electronic properties of the complex, and to identify the extent of orbital mixing in comparison with considerably more frequently studied quinoid complexes. [M(L-L)(2)(box)](PF(6)) complexes exhibit a rich electronic spectroscopy extending into the near infrared region and good photostability, making them potentially useful as solar sensitizers. Electrochemistry and spectroscopy indicate that the first oxidation is metal based and is associated with the M(II)/(III) redox states. A second oxidative wave, which is irreversible at slow scan rates, is associated with the phenolate ligand. The stabilities of the oxidized complexes are assessed using dynamic electrochemistry and discussed from the perspective of metal and counter ligand (LL) identity and follow the order of increasing stability [Ru(biq)(2)(box)](+) < [Ru(bpy)(2)(box)](+) < [Os(bpy)(2)(box)](+). Electronic and resonance Raman spectroscopy indicate that the lowest energy optical transition for the ruthenium complexes is a phenolate (pi) to L-L (pi) interligand charge-transfer transition (ILCT) suggesting the HOMO is phenolate based whereas electrochemical data suggest that the HOMO is metal based. This unusual lack of correlation between redox and spectroscopically assigned orbitals is discussed in terms of metal-ligand orbital mixing which appears to be most significant in the biquinoline based complex.     

PHOTOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF meso-TETRAPHENYLPORPHYRIN and SOME meso-TETRA(HYDROXYPHENYL)PORPHYRINS

Abstract— The o-, m-, and p-isomers of 5, 10, 15, 20- tetra(hydroxyphenyl)-porphyrin have been of recent interest as potential second-generation sensitisers in tumour phototherapy. Fluorescence spectroscopy, nanosecond laser flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis have been used to characterise the singlet and triplet excited states of tetraphenylporphyrin and the o, m-, and p-isomers of tetra(hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin. This has included evaluation of fluorescence yields and lifetimes, triplet spectra, lifetimes, oxygen quenching rate constants, extinction coefficients, and yields and singlet oxygen yields. Whilst the fluorescence quantum yields were low, the triplet yields were all 0.7 ± 10% and the singlet oxygen yields 0.6 ± 10%: all these parameters are in the ranges shown by other efficient porphyrin photosensitisers. The similar photophysical properties found for these compounds suggest that their differing tumour sensitising efficiencies are likely to be due to other factors.     

Survey of ligand field parameters of strong field d complexes obtained from the g matrix

Using a newly proposed approach involving an internally consistent set of equations, the ligand field parameters Δ/ξ, V/ξ and k are obtained from literature values of the g matrix for strong field d⁵ systems of various conformations in which |Δ/ξ|≤10. Qualitative analysis of the observed results is done using the Angular Overlap Model, AOM.     

Study of alkyl phosphates in industrial petroleum mixtures by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Dialkyl phosphate esters used as gellants in some oil well fracturing processes for conventional oil production can result in contamination of the collected crude. Though the exact mechanism is unclear, such compounds form volatile phosphorus that compromises refinery processes. Our initial research involved producing a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatographic method (GC × GC) for the detection and quantification of alkyl phosphate esters in petroleum samples, which surpassed the current method employed in sensitivity and speciation capabilities. However, selective detection is required for such analytes in petroleum matrices. This article describes the application of GC × GC with time-of-flight mass spectrometry for selective detection to the analysis of di- and tri-alkyl phosphates in petroleum samples. Features in the electron impact mass spectra of alkyl phosphates are discussed along with the GC × GC retention characteristics of the compounds. Based on these discussions, a preliminary classification and quantification of alkyl phosphate contamination in a suite of industrial samples is then presented.     

Modeling the geometric, electronic, and redox properties of iron(III)-containing amphiphiles with asymmetric [NN'O] headgroups

Two iron(III)-containing amphiphiles 1 and 2 have been synthesized with the [NN'O] ligands HL(tBu-ODA) (2-((octadecyl(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)methyl)-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol) and HL(I-ODA) (2-((octadecyl(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)methyl)-4,6-diiodophenol), respectively. Compound 1 is monometallic, whereas EXAFS data suggest that 2 is a mixture of mono- and bimetallic species. The archetypical [Fe(III)(L(NN'O))(2)](+) complexes 3-9 have been isolated and characterized in order to understand the geometric, electronic, and redox properties of the amphiphiles. Preference for a monometallic or bimetallic nuclearity is dependent on (i) the nature of the solvent used for synthesis and (ii) the type of the substituent in the phenol moiety. In methanol, the tert-butyl-, methoxy-, and chloro-substituted 3, 4, and 5 are monometallic species, whereas the bromo- and iodo-substituted 6 and 7 form bimetallic complexes taking advantage of stabilizing methoxo bridges generated by solvent deprotonation. In dichloromethane, the bromo- and iodo-substituted 8 and 9 are monometallic species; however, these species favor meridional coordination in opposition to the facial coordination observed for the tert-butyl- and methoxy-substituted compounds. Molecular structures for species 5, 7, 8, and 9 have been solved by X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, the electronic spectrum of the amphiphile 1 was expected to be similar to those of facial/cis archetypes with similar substituents, but close resemblance was observed with the profile for those meridional/cis species, suggesting a similar coordination mode. This trend is discussed based on DFT calculations, where preference for the meridional/cis coordination mode appears related to the presence of tertiary amine nitrogen on the ligand, as when a long alkyl chain is attached to the [NN'O] headgroup.