Syntheses and X-ray crystal structures of five- and six-coordinate copper(II) complexes of N,N,N′,N′-tetraalkylpyridine-2,6-dicarboxamides containing–OClO3 and–OSO2CF3 counter ions

Reactions of anhydrous copper(II) chloride with NaX (1 : 1 or 1 : 2) and AgX (1 : 2) containing appropriate N,N,N′,N′-tetraalkylpyridine-2,6-dicarboxamides(O-daap) in CH₃CN yield monosubstituted five-coordinate [Cu(L₁)Cl(CF₃SO₃)] (1), [Cu(L₂)Cl(ClO₄)] (2), [Cu(L₃)Cl(ClO₄)] (3), and six-coordinate [Cu(L₂)(CF₃SO₃)₂] · H₂O (4) (X = ?OClO₃ and–OSO₂CF₃; L₁ = N,N,N′,N′-tetraethylpyridine-2,6-dicarboxamides; L₂ = N,N,N′,N′-tetraisopropylpyridine-2,6-dicarboxamides; L₃ = N,N,N′,N′-tetraisobutylpyridine-2,6-dicarboxamides). The structures of these complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The Cu²⁺ in 1–3 adopts distorted square-pyramidal geometry, while 4 exhibits octahedral structure. Steric factors in conjunction with lattice effects and the nature of the anions are responsible for the variety in coordination spheres. These compounds undergo extensive intermolecular H-bonding to give to 2-D sheets extending along various planes.     

Thermal stability and conductivity of hot-pressed Si3N4–graphene composites

This study concerns new Si₃N₄–graphene composites manufactured using the hot-pressing method. Because of future applications of silicon nitride for cutting tools or specific parts of various devices having contact with high temperatures there is a need to find a ceramic composite material with good mechanical and especially thermal properties. Excellent thermal properties in the major directions are characteristic of graphene. In this study, the graphene phase is added to the silicon nitride phase in a quantity of up to 10 mass%, and the materials are sintered under uniaxial pressure. The mixture of AlN and Y₂O₃ is added as sintering activator to the composite matrix. The studies focus on thermal stability of produced composites in argon and air conditions up to the temperature of 1,000 °C. The research also concerns the influence of applied uniaxial pressure during the sintering process on the orientation of graphene nanoparticles in the Si₃N₄ matrix. The study also presents research on anisotropy of thermal diffusivity and following thermal conductivity of ceramic matrix composites versus the increasing graphene quantity. Most of the presented results have not been published in the literature yet.     

Counterion influence on the N–I–N halogen bond

A detailed investigation of the influence of counterions on the [N–I–N]⁺ halogen bond in solution, in the solid state and in silico is presented. Translational diffusion coefficients indicate close attachment of counterions to the cationic, three-center halogen bond in dichloromethane solution. Isotopic perturbation of equilibrium NMR studies performed on isotopologue mixtures of regioselectively deuterated and nondeuterated analogues of the model system showed that the counterion is incapable of altering the symmetry of the [N–I–N]⁺ halogen bond. This symmetry remains even in the presence of an unfavorable geometric restraint. A high preference for the symmetric geometry was found also in the solid state by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Molecular systems encompassing weakly coordinating counterions behave similarly to the corresponding silver(i) centered coordination complexes. In contrast, systems possessing moderately or strongly coordinating anions show a distinctly different behavior. Such silver(i) complexes are converted into multi-coordinate geometries with strong Ag–O bonds, whereas the iodine centered systems remain linear and lack direct charge transfer interaction with the counterion, as verified by ¹⁵N NMR and DFT computation. This suggests that the [N–I–N]⁺ halogen bond may not be satisfactorily described in terms of a pure coordination bond typical of transition metal complexes, but as a secondary bond with a substantial charge-transfer character.     

Aza–Baylis–Hillman Reaction of N‐Tosylated Imines with Acrylamide or N‐Arylacrylamide

Acrylamide or N‐arylacrylamide could undergo aza–Baylis–Hillman addition reaction with N‐tosylated imines with phenol as additive and DABCO as catalyst in the absence of solvent.     

An e.p.r. study of tetradentate Schiff base copper complexes with an N–(CH2)n–N,n = 3–6 backbone

Cu^II complexes of Schiff-base ligands with a general formulation o-HOC₆H₄CH=N–(CH₂) _n –N=CHC₆H₄OH-o, where n = 3–6 have been prepared and their e.p.r. spectra investigated in order to determine the effect of the flexible methylene backbone length on the structure. The room temperature and 77 K e.p.r. spectra of the compounds, n = 3 and 4, are typical of the axially symmetric ground state with g > g . When n = 5, on the other hand, the complex gives an isotropic spectrum at room temperature. For n = 6, g appears to be greater than g . The g _iso value increases gradually from n = 3 to n = 6 indicating deviation from planarity. Simulation of the 77 K spectrum for n = 6 shows the presence of two distinct Cu²⁺ sites of equal probability. The Q-band spectrum of this compound exhibits a narrowed g signal indicative of exchange coupling. The spectrum is a consequence of intermolecular electron exchange giving a pseudo d² _z state.     

Four-membered ring cyclic ketene –O,O–, –O,S–, –O,N–, –S,S–, –S,N–, and –N,N–acetals and their corresponding cations: a computational study

A systematic computational study of four-membered cyclic ketene –O,O–, –O,S–, –O,N–, –S,N– and –N,N-acetals as well as their protonated analogs have been performed at the second order M?ller Plesset level with a polarized triple zeta basis set. The main purpose of this study was to make predictions about the nucleophilicity of these systems and the variations in nucleophilicity with the hetero atoms. Our calculations suggest that all six target molecules are good nucleophiles, and that the N,N analog is the strongest and the S,S analog the weakest nucleophile. Our results include molecular geometries, bond lengths, proton affinities, vibrational frequencies, and calculated charges.     

CH3N3的光解-生成三线态CH3N自由基的光谱证据

研究了ＣＨ３Ｎ３有第一电子吸收带的光解，获得了生成三线态ＣＨ３Ｎ自由基的重要证据并对可能的反应机制进行了讨论，其机理以激发态ＣＨ３Ｎ３经单线态三线态相互作用后解离生成三线态自由基的可能性较大。     

Biosynthesis of the N–N-Bond-Containing Compound l-Alanosine

The formation of a N−N bond is a unique biochemical transformation, and nature employs diverse biosynthetic strategies to activate nitrogen for bond formation. Among molecules that contain a N−N bond, biosynthetic routes to diazeniumdiolates remain enigmatic. We here report the biosynthetic pathway for the diazeniumdiolate-containing amino acid l -alanosine. Our work reveals that the two nitrogen atoms in the diazeniumdiolate of l -alanosine arise from glutamic acid and aspartic acid, and we clarify the early steps of the biosynthetic pathway by using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Our work demonstrates a peptidyl-carrier-protein-based mechanism for activation of the precursor l -diaminopropionate, and we also show that nitric oxide can participate in non-enzymatic diazeniumdiolate formation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the gene alnA, which encodes a fusion protein with an N-terminal cupin domain and a C-terminal AraC-like DNA-binding domain, is required for alanosine biosynthesis.     

Facile N≡N Bond Cleavage by Anionic Trimetallic Clusters V3−xTaxC4− (x=0–3): A DFT Study

Activation of N₂ on anionic trimetallic V_3−xTa_xC₄⁻ (x=0–3) clusters was theoretically studied employing density functional theory. For all studied clusters, initial adsorption of N₂ (end-on) on one of the metal atoms (denoted as Site 1) is transferred to an of end-on: side-on: side-on coordination on three metal atoms, prior to N₂ dissociation. The whole reaction is exothermic and has no global energy barriers, indicating that the dissociation of N₂ is facile under mild conditions. The reaction process can be divided into two processes: N₂ transfer (TRF) and N−N dissociation (DIS). For V-series clusters, which has a V atom on Site 1, the rate-determining step is DIS, while for Ta-series clusters with a Ta on Site 1, TRF may be the rate-determining step or has energy barriers similar to those of DIS. The overall energy barriers for heteronuclear V₂TaC₄⁻ and VTa₂C₄⁻ clusters are lower than those for homonuclear V₃C₄⁻ and Ta₃C₄⁻, showing that the doping effect is beneficial for the activation and dissociation of N₂. In particular, V−Ta₂C₄⁻ has low energy barriers in both TRF and DIS, and it has the highest N₂ adsorption energy and a high reaction heat release. Therefore, a trimetallic heteronuclear V-series cluster, V−Ta₂C₄⁻, is suggested to have high reactivity to N₂ activation, and may serve as a prototype for designing related catalysts at a molecular level.     

A New [5]Ferrocenophane Containing a N–Si–O–Si–N Bridge. Molecular Structure in the Solid State and in Solution

The reaction of 1,1-diaminoferrocene 1 with 1,3-dichloro-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-1,3-disiloxane in the presence of triethylamine gave the new 1,5,3,2,4-diazaoxadisila[5]ferrocenophane, which was characterized in the solid state by X-ray structural analysis, ¹³C and ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectroscopy, and in solution by [¹H], [¹³C], [¹⁵N], and [²⁹Si]NMR spectroscopy. The ideal ferrocene geometry is slightly distorted, and the cycle containing the heteroelements N, Si, and O is nonplanar. In solution, NMR spectra indicate dynamic processes which may involve both the cyclopentadienyl rings and ring inversion.     

Ab initio study of the cooperativity between NH···N and NH···C hydrogen bonds in H3N–HNC–HNC complex

Ab initio calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level have been performed to study the cooperativity of hydrogen bonds in homoclusters (HNC–HNC–HNC and HNC–HNC–HNC–HNC) and heteroclusters (H₃N–HNC–HNC and H₃N–HNC–HNC–HNC). The cooperative energies in the HNC–HNC–HNC and H₃N–HNC–HNC trimers are –2.05 and –2.56 kcal/mol, respectively. The result shows that the cooperativity in the heterotrimer is larger than that in the homotrimer. A similar result also happens in the tetramers. The energy decomposition scheme indicates that orbital interaction is a major contribution to the cooperative energy of N···HN hydrogen bond, whereas the electrostatic and orbital interactions to that of C···HN hydrogen bond. The effect of HNC chain length on the strength of N···HN hydrogen bond has also been considered at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level. It is indicated that the interaction energy of N···HN hydrogen bond trends to be a fixed value when the HNC number tends to be infinite, and the strength of N···HN hydrogen bond is regulated mainly through the electrostatic and polarization interactions although the charge transfer interaction also has an effect on it.     

PVT properties of N,N,N′,N′-Tetraoctyl-3-oxapentanediamide (TODGA)

N,N,N??,N??-Tetraoctyl-3-oxapentanediamide (TODGA) is a versatile extractant for partitioning of fission products from highly active raffinate wastes. Its PVT properties are not available in literature. In this work, PVT properties of TODGA, estimated using group contribution method, are reported. A corresponding-states based equation as well as Wagner constants were also reported in the range of 273.15?K to critical temperature.     

Copper-catalyzed synthesis of 3-substituted-5-amino-1,2,4-thiadiazoles via intramolecular N–S bond formation

A copper-catalyzed N–S bond formation was utilized to produce 3-substituted-5-amino-1,2,4-thiadiazoles from imidoyl thioureas obtained by reaction of amidine hydrochlorides with isothiocyanates. Moreover, the 1,2,4-thiadiazoles were generated through a one-pot protocol without the isolation of the intermediates. This new method is highly efficient and convenient because it employs the cheap and environmentally friendly copper salt and can be conducted under air.     

N2-to-NH3 Conversion by a triphos–Iron Catalyst and Enhanced Turnover under Photolysis

Bridging iron hydrides are proposed to form at the active site of MoFe-nitrogenase during catalytic dinitrogen reduction to ammonia and may be key in the binding and activation of N₂ via reductive elimination of H₂. This possibility inspires the investigation of well-defined molecular iron hydrides as precursors for catalytic N₂-to-NH₃ conversion. Herein, we describe the synthesis and characterization of new P₂^P′PhFe(N₂)(H)_x systems that are active for catalytic N₂-to-NH₃ conversion. Most interestingly, we show that the yields of ammonia can be significantly increased if the catalysis is performed in the presence of mercury lamp irradiation. Evidence is provided to suggest that photo-elimination of H₂ is one means by which the enhanced activity may arise.     

Self-lubricating Ti–C–N nanocomposite coatings prepared by double magnetron sputtering

This paper is devoted to the development of Ti(C,N)-based nanocomposite protective coatings consisting of nanocrystals of a hard phase (TiN or TiC_xN_y) embedded in an amorphous carbon-based matrix (a-C or a-CN_x). The objective here is the achievement of a good compromise between the mechanical and tribological properties by the appropriate control of the hard/soft phase ratio and the microstructural characteristics of the film. To achieve this purpose, dual magnetron sputtering technique was employed following two different strategies. In the first one, we use Ti and graphite targets and Ar/N₂ gas mixtures, while in the second case, TiN and graphite targets are sputtered in an Ar atmosphere. By changing the sputtering power applied to each magnetron, different sets of samples are prepared for each route. The effect of the bias voltage applied to the substrate is also studied in some selected cases. The mechanical and tribological properties of the films are characterized and correlated with the microstructure, crystallinity and phase composition. The establishment of correlations enables the development of advanced coatings with tailored mechanical and tribological properties for desired applications.     

Thermodynamics,structure and kinetics in the system Ga–O–N

Within the ternary system Ga–O–N we performed experimental and theoretical investigations on the thermodynamics, structure and kinetics of new stable and metastable compounds.We studied the ammonolysis of β-Ga₂O₃ at elevated temperatures by means of ex situ X-ray diffraction, ex situ neutron diffraction, and in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). From total diffraction pattern refinement with the Rietveld method we analyzed the anionic occupancy factors and the lattice parameters of β-Ga₂O₃ during the reaction. Within the detection limits of these methods, we can rule out the existence of a crystalline oxynitride phase that is not derived from wurtzite-type GaN. The nitrogen solubility in β-Ga₂O₃ was found to be below the detection limit of about 2–3 at.% in the anionic sublattice. The kinetics of the ammonolysis of β-Ga₂O₃ to α-GaN and of the oxidation of α-GaN to β-Ga₂O₃ was studied by means of in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy. In both cases the reaction kinetics could be described well by fitting linear combinations of β-Ga₂O₃ and α-GaN spectra only, excluding that other crystalline or amorphous phases appear during these reactions. The kinetics of the ammonolysis can be described well by an extended Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorow model with nucleation and growth of GaN nuclei, while the oxidation kinetics can be modeled by a shrinking core model where Ga₂O₃ grows as a layer. Investigations by means of TEM and SEM support the assumptions in both models.To investigate the structure and energetics of spinel-type gallium oxynitrides (γ-galons) we performed first-principles calculations using density-functional theory. In addition to the ideal cubic γ-Ga₃O₃N we studied gallium deficient γ-galons within the Constant-Anion-Model.In highly non-stoichiometric, amorphous gallium oxide of approximate composition GaO_1.2 we found at a temperature around 670 K an insulator–metal transition, with a conductivity jump of seven orders of magnitude. We demonstrate through experimental studies and density-functional theory calculations that the conductivity jump takes place at a critical gallium concentration and is induced by crystallization of stoichiometric β-Ga₂O₃ within the metastable oxide matrix. By doping with nitrogen the critical temperature and the conductivity in the highly conducting state can be tuned.     

FTIR study of the sol–gel synthesis of cementitious gels: C–S–H and N–A–S–H

The study explored the compatibility between the main product of Portland cement hydration and the main product of the alkali activation of fly ash: C–S–H and N–A–S–H gels, respectively. Both gels were synthesized with laboratory reagents at different pH values. Blends of the two were synthesized as well, using the sol–gel procedure. All the gels were characterized with Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FTIR). The gels synthesized with this procedure were shown to precipitate together with a silica-rich gel. In addition, the pH level was found to play a determinant role in both C–S–H and N–A–S–H gel synthesis. The C–S–H gel is the major phase formed at pH > 11 and N–A–S–H gel for pH > 12. The results relating to the joint synthesis of the two (C–S–H and N–A–S–H) gels were not conclusive. Technique used for the characterization failed to differentiate between them in the blended material.