Squaramides: physical properties, synthesis and applications

Squaramides are remarkable four-membered ring systems derived from squaric acid that are able to form up to four hydrogen bonds. A high affinity for hydrogen bonding is driven through a concomitant increase in aromaticity of the ring. This hydrogen bonding and aromatic switching, in combination with structural rigidity, have been exploited in many of the applications of squaramides. Substituted squaramides can be accessed via modular synthesis under relatively mild or aqueous conditions, making them ideal units for bioconjugation and supramolecular chemistry. In this tutorial review the fundamental electronic and structural properties of squaramides are explored to rationalise the geometry, conformation, reactivity and biological activity.     

Tetraaminoperylenes: their efficient synthesis and physical properties

Trimethylsilylation of 1,8-diaminonaphthalene gave 1,8-bis(trimethylsilylamino)naphthalene (1 a), which was in turn lithiated with two molar equivalents of n-butyllithium to give the tris(thf)-solvated dilithium diamide [1,8-[(Me(3)SiN)Li(thf)](2)C(10)H(6)](thf) (2 a). Metal exchange of 2 a with TlCl was carried out in two steps, via the previously characterized mixed-metal amide [1-[(Me(3)SiN)Li(thf)(2)]-8-[(Me(3)SiN)Tl]C(10)H(6)], to give the dithallium diamide [1,8-[(Me(3)SiN)Tl](2)C(10)H(6)] (3 a). Thermolysis of 3 a cleanly gave a 1:1 mixture of the 4,9-bis(trimethylsilylamino)perylenequinone-3,10-bis(trimethylsilylimine) (4 a) and 1 a. By this route, a whole series of silylated homologues of 4 a was obtained in good yields, while the same method proved to be inefficient for the synthesis of the alkyl-substituted analogues. Compound 4 a and its tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivative 4 d were reduced with sodium amalgam to give, after protonation, the corresponding 3,4,9,10-tetraaminoperylenes 7 a and 7 d. Cyclic voltammetry showed two reversible, closely spaced reduction waves (E(red 1)=-1.39, E(red 2)=-1.59 V versus SCE) corresponding to this conversion. The perylenes 7 a and 7 d are thought to be the primary products in the reaction cascade leading to the perylene derivatives, involving the thermal demetalation of the thallium amides, possibly via Tl(II)bond;Tl(II) intermediates, first to give 7 a and its analogues. The final oxidation of the tetraaminoperylenes by one molar equivalent of 3 a and analogous thallium amides gave the quinoidal derivatives such as 4 a and 4 d, a step that could be studied by direct reaction of the isolated species. The UV/Vis absorption spectra of the 4,9-bis(silylamino)perylenequinone-3,10-bis(silylimines) are characterized by a long-wavelength absorption band with a pronounced vibrational structure (lambda(max)=639 nm, lg epsilon =4.53) attributed to a pi*<--pi and a pi*<--n absorption band at 454 nm (lg epsilon 4.83), along with intense absorption in the UV region. A weak red emission with a rather low quantum yield (Phi(fl)=0.001, lambda(max)=660 nm) is observed upon irradiation of a sample; the lifetime of the emission is only 66 ps. The low emission quantum yield is attributed to the *pi<--n transition of the amino perylene, which induces strong spin-orbit coupling, leading to a large triplet yield. The triplet state was probed by transient absorption spectroscopy and found to have a lifetime of 200 ns in air, and 1100 ns in argon-flushed solution. Treatment of 4 a with a stoichiometric amount of KF in methanol/water under phase-transfer conditions (with the cryptand [C 222]) gave an almost quantitative yield of the parent compound 4,9-diaminoperylenequinone-3,10-diimine (8). Treatment of 8 with two molar equivalents of the ruthenium complex [Ru(bpy)(2)(acetone)(2)](PF(6))(2), generated in situ, yielded the blue dinuclear ruthenium complex [(bpy)(4)Ru(2)[mu(2)-N,N':N",N"'-[[4,9-(NH(2))(2)-3,10-(NH)(2)]C(20)H(8)]]](PF(6))(4) (9), the redox properties of which were studied by cyclic voltammetry. The difference in the potentials of the two one-electron redox steps (225 mV) indicates strong coupling of the metal centers through the 4,9-diaminoperylenquinone-3,10-dimine bridging ligand and corresponds to a comproportionation constant K(c) of 6.3 x 10(3). The UV/Vis absorption spectrum of the mixed valent form, which is stable in air, has a characteristic intervalence charge-transfer (IVCT) band in the near infrared at 930 nm (lg epsilon =3.95), from which an electronic coupling parameter J of 760 cm(-1) could be estimated, placing compound 9 at the borderline between the class II and class III cases in the Robin-Day classification.     

Diruthenium and diosmium tetracarboxylates: synthesis, physical properties and applications

Dimetal tetracarboxylates, [M₂(O₂CR)₄]ⁿ, have received much coverage in the literature. The metals include Cr, Mo, W, Tc, Re, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni and Cu with n ranging from −2 to +4 (0 to +2 being most common). Diruthenium and diosmium tetracarboxylates form two of the younger families of these ubiquitous compounds and are known to exist as homovalent Ru₂(II,II) and Os₂(III,III) and mixed-valent Ru₂(II,III) and Os₂(II,III) species. This paper will provide a comprehensive review of these complexes and include such things as their discovery, synthesis and crystal structures; electronic, vibrational (IR and Raman), ESR and photoelectron spectroscopy; magnetic susceptibility; electrochemistry; kinetics; calorimetry; theoretical calculations such as SCF-X-SW and CASSCF; and more recent studies of their mesomorphic behaviour and biological and catalytic applications. The ruthenium compounds, in particular, have shown a potential application as liquid crystals. Current work (including this author's) is also focused on the development of linear chains involving these metal carboxylate units and bidentate bridges with the view to developing ferromagnetic materials and conductive polymers.

There have been no previous reviews on ruthenium (and osmium) carboxylates per se. Cotton and Walton give them some coverage in the context of metal–metal bonds in Multiple Bonds Between Metal Atoms (2nd ed., 1993) however the direct coverage of Ru₂(O₂CR)₄ and Os₂(O₂CR)₄ type complexes is cursory and dispersed throughout the book. As well, the coverage is only comprehensive through December 1990 with some references from 1991. The current review will be complete through to mid-1997.     

Generalized synthesis and physical properties of dialkoxy disulfides

A substrate study was undertaken in order to probe the scope of S(2)Cl(2) coupling of alcohols to form dialkoxy disulfides. Compounds 1b and 1f are new; along with 1a, 1c, 1h, and 1j, all of the title compounds are fully characterized, and the yields of 1a and 1c have been optimized from previously reported syntheses. The effect of the R-substituent about the OSSO moiety has been carefully probed as yields vary. A substrate and a solvent study of the coalescence behavior of this class was carried out. The origin of the inherently large barrier to rotation and the resultant thermal decomposition pathway is discussed. Both phenomena are shown to be solvent independent; hindered rotation is substrate independent. The decomposition of 1a is ca. 7 kcal/mol higher than the barrier to rotation about the S-S bond. The combined evidence suggests acyclic unsymmetric homolytic cleavage of the dialkoxy disulfide.     

Polycyclic imide derivatives: synthesis and effective tuning of lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels through molecular engineering

A series of fluoranthene-fused imide derivatives were facilely developed through a Diels-Alder reaction followed by decarbonylation. The investigation of their photophysical and electrochemical properties demonstrated that their LUMO levels were effectively tuned from -3.2 to -3.8 eV through the introduction of a fused imide unit, which provides a platform to design new air-stable and solution-processable n-type materials.     

Triangle-shaped polycyclic aromatics based on tribenzocoronene: facile synthesis and physical properties

A series of triangle-shaped polycyclic aromatics have been developed according to a facile synthetic protocol with high yields. As revealed by X-ray single crystal data, their molecular conformation and packing arrangement are significantly influenced by the electronic properties and steric bulk of peripheral subunits. The ‘saddle’-shaped hexahalotribenzocoronenes (ClTBC and FTBC) possess C₂ symmetric structures and can self-assemble into well-defined columnar structures, dramatically different from hexabutyoxytribenzocoronene (TBC), which adopts a C₃ symmetric ‘double-concave’ structure and less efficient packing arrangement. In the compound trithiophenocoronene (TTC), the five-membered corner rings produce a more open bay-region periphery alleviating intramolecular steric congestion. As a result, the molecule adopts an almost planar conformation.     

High response smart gels: synthesis and application

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels change their volume and elasticity in dependence on the properties of the liquid phase. The amount of solvent uptake is dependent upon the chemical nature of the gel and the nature of its environment, e.g. solvent composition, temperature, pH, etc. The swelling/deswelling process is time consuming. For many applications the response time must be short. According to Tanaka's equation the rate of equilibration is inversely proportional to the square of gel size and proportional to the mutual (or cooperative) diffusion of the network and the solvent. D_coop is determined by the properties of the cross-linked polymer and can not be changed for a given chemical system. By decreasing the characteristic dimension of the gel, it is possible to reduce the time for equilibration. The synthesis, characterization of thin layers and small particles of T-sensitive polymers and their application in a micro-valve is described.     

Biomimetic synthesis of silica nanostructures with controllable morphologies and sizes through tuning interfacial interactions

By manipulating the interfacial interactions between the peptide templates and the silicate species derived from TEOS and APTES, a facile biomimetic method was developed for the fabrication of silica nanostructures exhibiting "string-of-beads" and fibrillar morphologies of varied sizes.     

Fluorinated networks through photopolymerisation processes: synthesis, characterisation and properties

The study concerns the UV curing of systems containing fluorinated products. New difunctional and monofunctional monomers and oligomers bearing either radical or cationic photopolymerisable functionalities were synthesised. They were UV cured and the properties of the films obtained were investigated. In some cases biphasic structures were obtained, showing the separation between the fluorinated and hydrogenated domains at nanometric level. By copolymerising a low amount of the fluorinated additive with hydrogenated resins, the bulk properties of the films were not changed, but a deep modification of the surface was obtained. In all cases a selective enrichment of the fluorinated monomer at the film surface was observed. The dependence of the surface properties on the monomer structure, on its concentration and on the type of substrate was studied.     

Star-shaped polycyclic aromatics based on oligothiophene-functionalized truxene: synthesis,properties, and facile emissive wavelength tuning

A facile approach to soluble star-shaped oligothiophene-functionalized polycyclic aromatics based on truxene is developed in this Communication. The Suzuki coupling reactions afford the thiophene-containing polycyclic aromatics with long branches (about 2.1 nm length from the heart to the periphery) from truxene precursor with excellent yields. The unsubstituted alpha-positions of thiophene rings allow for efficient halogenation and for further functionalization. The investigation of proton NMR spectra indicates that the hexahexyl groups efficiently prevent the self-association through the arene-arene pi-stacking. Chemical shifts belonging to methylene groups move more upfield than do those of methyl groups. These chemical shift values (about 0.5-0.6 ppm) are quite lower than those of normal methyl and methylene groups. We also prepare a dendritic hyperbranched polymer P1 through FeCl3 mediated oxidative polymerizations. The photophysical properties of all compounds possessing good symmetry are investigated by UV-vis and emission measurement.     

Microbial synthesis,physical properties,and biodegradability of polyhydroxyalkanoates

Poly((R)-3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB), is produced by Alcaligenes eutrophus from fructose or butyric acid. The kinetics and mechanism of P(3HB) biosynthesis are presented. Four types of copolymers, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxypropionate), poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), and poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate), are produced by several bacterial strains from various carbon substrates. These microbial polyesters are biodegradable thermoplastics whose physical properties can be regulated by varying the molecular structure and composition of copolymers.     

Ultrasonic synthesis of In-doped SnS nanoparticles and their physical properties

Indium (In)-doped Tin (II) Sulfide (SnS) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by an ultra-sonication method and their optical, electrical, dielectric and photocatalytic properties were investigated. XRD patterns of the obtained NPs indicated formation of orthorhombic polycrystalline SnS. Field emission scanning electron microscopy exhibited flower-like NPs with particle sizes below 100 nm for both SnS and In-doped SnS samples. Optical analysis showed a decrease in energy band gap of SnS NPs upon In doping. In addition, electrical results demonstrated p-type nature of the synthesized SnS NPs and enhanced electrical conductivity of the NPs due to increased tin vacancy. Dielectric experiments on SnS NPs suggested an electronic polarizations effect to be responsible for changing dielectric properties of the particles, in terms of frequency. Finally, photocatalytic experiments revealed that high degradation power can be obtained using In-doped SnS NPs.     

New synthesis route to and physical properties of lanthanum monoiodide

A fast procedure to produce LaI by reduction of LaI2 or LaI3 in a Na melt under argon at 550 degrees C is given. The structural studies performed by means of powder X-ray diffraction as well as transmission electron microscopy are consistent with previous single-crystal results. Measurements of the electrical resistance on polycrystalline samples reveal metallic behavior for LaI in the range 10-300 K. Upon cooling, a small maximum in the resistivity has been observed at 67 K. This anomaly disappears upon heating a sample, however, yielding a hysteresis in rho(T) above 70 K. From the Pauli susceptibility, an electron density of states at the Fermi level of about 0.3 eV(-1).formula unit(-1) has been estimated, as compared with a value of 1.0 eV(-1).formula unit(-1) derived from ab initio LMTO band structure calculations.     

Bioconjugates of smart polymers and proteins: synthesis and applications

Over the past 20 years we have been deeply involved with the synthesis and applications of stimuli-responsive polymer systems, especially polymer-biomolecule conjugates. The work of Toyoichi Tanaka has been a constant inspiration for our work and this article is dedicated to him. This article summarizes the research that we have carried out along with many collaborators on polymer-protein conjugates. We include conjugates prepared by random polymer conjugation to lysine amino groups, and also those prepared by site-specific conjugation of the polymer to specific amino acid sites that are genetically-engineered into the known amino acid sequence of the protein. We describe the preparation and properties of thermally-sensitive, random conjugates to enzymes and several affinity recognition proteins. We have also prepared site-specific conjugates to streptavidin. with temperature-sensitive polymers, pH-sensitive polymers, and light-sensitive polymers. The preparation of these conjugates and their many fascinating applications are reviewed in this article.     

One-pot oligosaccharide synthesis: reactivity tuning by post-synthetic modification of aglycon

Post-synthetic aglycon modification of substituted aryl thioglycosides led to building blocks with multiple levels of anomeric reactivities, which can be used in rapid assembly of oligosaccharides in one-pot syntheses.     

Galactose oxidase models: tuning the properties of CuII-phenoxyl radicals

Four tripodal ligands with an N(3)O coordination sphere were synthesized: (2-hydroxy-3-tert-butyl-5-nitrobenzyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (LNO(2)H), (2-hydroxy-3-tert-butyl-5- fluorobenzyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (LFH), (2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylbenzyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (LtBuH) and (2-hydroxy-3-tert-butyl-5-methoxybenzyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (LOMeH). Their square-pyramidal copper(II) complexes, in which the phenol subunit occupies an axial position, were prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography and UV/Vis and EPR spectroscopy. The phenolate moieties of the copper(II) complexes of LtBuH and LOMeH were electrochemically oxidized to phenoxyl radicals. These complexes are EPR-active (S=1), highly stable (k(decay)=0.008 min(-1) for [Cu(II)(LOMe(.))(CH(3)CN)](2+)) and stoichiometrically oxidise benzyl alcohol. Two additional tripodal ligands providing an N(2)O(2) coordination sphere were also studied: (2-pyridylmethyl)(2-hydroxy-3-tert-butyl-5-methoxybenzyl)(2-hydroxy-3-tert-butyl-5-nitrobenzyl)amine (L'OMeNO(2)H(2)) and (2-pyridylmethyl)bis(2-hydroxy-3-tert-butyl-5- methoxy)benzylamine (L'OMe(2)H(2)). Their copper(II) complexes were isolated as dimers ([Cu(2II)(L'OMe(2))(2)], [Cu(2II)(L'OMeNO(2))(2)]) that are converted to monomers on addition of pyridine. The complexes were investigated by X-ray crystallography and UV/Vis and EPR spectroscopy. Their one-electron electrochemical oxidation leads to copper(II)-phenoxyl systems that are less stable than those of the N(3)O complexes. The N(2)O(2) complexes are more reactive than the N(3)O analogues: they aerobically oxidize benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde at a higher rate, as well as ethanol to acetaldehyde (40-80 turnovers).     

Optical properties tuning of quantum-well lasers and photodiodes through γ-ray irradiation

Alterations of device characteristics as a result of γ-ray irradiation of quantum well lasers are different from those of heterostructure bulk lasers with respect to optical emission properties. We propose that these irradiation effects may be caused by structural changes in the quantum layers, due to an atomic displacement and migration between layers and due to changes in the degree of strain between the layers. This affects the layers’ atomic composition, which changes the band-gap energy levels and the refraction indexes, and, as a result, the carrier and optical confinements, respectively. The changes in optical radiation characteristics brought about by γ-ray irradiation are desirable ones for utilization in most optical fiber communication systems.     

Efficient synthesis and physical properties of novel H-shaped 2,3,7,8-tetraazaanthracene-based conjugated molecules

A series of novel H-shaped molecules consisting of a 2,3,7,8-tetraazaanthracene core and thiophene arms have been developed. The electrochemical study reveals their typical n-type characters. The solid state packing and optoelectronic properties of these molecules can be finely tuned via modification of the substituents.     

In situ hydrothermal synthesis of tetrazole coordination polymers with interesting physical properties

Tetrazole compounds have been studied for more than one hundred years and applied in various areas. Several years ago Sharpless and his co-workers reported an environmentally friendly process for the preparation of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles in water with zinc salt as catalysts. To reveal the exact role of the zinc salt in this reaction, a series of hydrothermal reactions aimed at trapping and characterizing the solid intermediates were investigated. This study allowed us to obtain a myriad interesting metal-organic coordination polymers that not only partially showed the role of the metal species in the synthesis of tetrazole compounds but also provided a class of complexes displaying interesting chemical and physical properties such as second harmonic generation (SHG), fluorescence, ferroelectric and dielectric behaviors. In this tutorial review, we will mainly focus on tetrazole coordination compounds synthesized by in situ hydrothermal methods. First, we will discuss the synthesis and crystal structures of these compounds. Their various properties will be mentioned and we will show the applications of tetrazole coordination compounds in organic synthesis. Finally, we will outline some expectations in this area of chemistry. The direct coordination chemistry of tetrazoles to metal ions and in situ synthesis of tetrazole through cycloaddition between organotin azide and organic cyano group will be not discussed in this review.