Hydrogen-bonded capsules in polar,protic solvents

A kinetically stable, dimeric capsule is formed by tetrahydroxyresorcinarene in methanol; it encapsulates tropylium and tetramethylammonium cations.     

New protic salts of aprotic polar solvents

Aprotic polar solvents such as DMF, acetonitrile or DMSO can be protonated to form stable triflate salts when treated with triflic acid. The reaction of the same solvents with N,N-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide led to the isolation of the corresponding N,N-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salts.     

Theory of migration-controlled electron-transfer reactions in polar solvents

A general solution of the problem of finding the rate constant of electron-transfer reactions in polar solvents without the restrictions of the diffusional approximation has been obtained. Expressions for the reaction rate constant at the limit of the random-jump mechanism, as well as a convenient equation describing the transition between the random-jump and diffusional reaction mechanisms, have been found. A test for identifying a random-jump electron-transfer mechanism has been proposed.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 27–33, January–February, 1985.     

Solvent reorganization energy of electron-transfer reactions in polar solvents

A microscopic theory of solvent reorganization energy in polar molecular solvents is developed. The theory represents the solvent response as a combination of the density and polarization fluctuations of the solvent given in terms of the density and polarization structure factors. A fully analytical formulation of the theory is provided for a solute of arbitrary shape with an arbitrary distribution of charge. A good agreement between the analytical procedure and the results of Monte Carlo simulations of model systems is achieved. The reorganization energy splits into the contributions from density fluctuations and polarization fluctuations. The polarization part is dominated by longitudinal polarization response. The density part is inversely proportional to temperature. The dependence of the solvent reorganization energy on the solvent dipole moment and refractive index is discussed.     

A polymer-supported rhodium catalyst that functions in polar protic solvents

Highly cross-linked macroporous polymers are excellent supports for heterogenizing rhodium alkene hydrogenation and hydroboration catalysts. The permanent pore structure of the support enables high conversions and excellent yields with minimal workup (filtering). These heterogenized catalysts can be reused, and due to the permanent pore structure, they function in a broad range of solvents including polar protic. Control experiments reveal that catalysis occurs exclusively within the polymer matrix, and not due to leached catalyst.     

Facile synthesis of 1,8-naphthalimides in palladium-catalysed aminocarbonylation of 1,8-diiodo-naphthalene

1,8-Diiodo-naphthalene was aminocarbonylated with various primary and secondary amines in the presence of palladium(0) complexes formed in situ from palladium(II) acetate and triphenylphosphine. In the case of primary amines, depending on the amine to substrate ratio, two types of products have been obtained in highly chemoselective reaction: dicarboxamides and N-substituted imides have been formed at high and low amine to substrate ratio, respectively. The reaction tolerates the ester functionality, so that amino acid esters could serve as N-nucleophiles and in this way, naphthalimides possessing stereogenic centre in the N-substituent could be synthesised.     

Effects of polar protic solvents on dual emissions of 3-hydroxychromones

3-Hydroxychromones (3HC), exhibit dual emissions highly sensitive to solvent properties due to excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). Therefore, 3HCs find wide applications as fluorescence probes in biological systems. Here, it is particularly important to understand the fluorescence behaviour of 3HCs in polar environments. Herein, we studied 3-hydroxyflavone, 2-(2-furyl)-3-hydroxychromone and 2-(2-benzofuryl)-3-hydroxychromone in high polarity solvents characterized by different H-bond donor abilities, donor concentrations and acceptor abilities. Our results show that the dual emissions of the dyes are insensitive to solvent basicity but strongly depend on the two other parameters. Moreover, furyl-and benzofuryl-substituted dyes were significantly more sensitive than the 3-hydroxyflavone to H-bond donor ability, while all three dyes showed roughly equivalent high sensitivity to H-bond donor concentration. These results can be explained by different mechanisms. Thus, the sensitivity of all three dyes to increasing concentrations of H-bond donors probably results from increase in the population of solvated dye with disrupted intramolecular H-bonds. Meantime, the sensitivity to H-bond donor ability of the solvent, observed mainly with furyl and benzofuryl dyes, is probably related to the strength of the H-bonds between the solvent and the 4-carbonyl group of the dye with intact intramolecular H-bonds. The present results provide new insights for further applications of 3HC derivatives as environment-sensitive probes and labels of biological molecules.     

Bidirectional photoinduced electron-transfer quenching is observed in 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide-based fluorescent anion sensors

The synthesis and photophysical evaluations of two new fluorescent photoinduced electron-transfer (PET) anion sensors, 1 and 2, is described. These are based on 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide fluorophores and diarylthiourea anion receptors, connected via a methylene spacer to the imide. The sensing of acetate, phosphate, and fluoride, on all occasions, gave rise to quenching in the fluorescence of 1 and 2, similar to that seen for the structural isomer 3. These results demonstrate that bidirectional PET sensing occurs in such naphthalimide-based anion sensors.     

Synthesis and fluorescence of N-substituted-1,8-naphthalimides

A number of novel N-substituted-1,8-naphthalimides have been prepared and their fluorescence yields measured in water at pH 7.4. The type of substitutent and the substitution pattern on the naphthalimide nucleus produce markedly different fluorescence yields, (quantum efficiencies, ø varying from ø = 0-0037 for N-(3-N'-morpholino-1-propyl)-4-amino-3-methoxy-1,8-naphthalirnide (7) to ø = 0–77 for N-(3-bromopropyl)-4-acetamido-1,8-naphthalimide (31).     

Studies on nucleophilic ring opening of some epoxides in polar protic solvents—I

The epoxides of the type 4 undergo ring-opening with carbanions; without exception, the nucleophiles attack at C-1 in spite of the increased steric hindrance at the site (as in epoxides 4b and 4e having peri-substituents). Interaction of the epoxide 4b with the anion of diethyl methylmalonate in refluxing t-butanol afforded, besides other products, the novel cyclopropane carboxylic acid 12. What is more significant is that although the formation of the trans-lactone on the whole is favoured in the ring opening of epoxides 4, at least in two cases, 4b and 4c, there is considerable formation of cis-lactones, a result that remains unexplained. Attempted synthesis of the model cis-lactone 3c always resulted in the formation of a 1:1 mixture of the cis-3c and the trans-lactone 2a. The stereochemistries of the cis- and the trans-lactones described in this paper have been unambiguously established from the position of the 3a-proton signals of these γ-lactones in their NMR spectra.     

On the role of hydrogen bonds in photoinduced electron-transfer dynamics between 9-fluorenone and amine solvents

Using ultrafast fluorescence upconversion and mid-infrared spectroscopy, we explore the role of hydrogen bonds in the photoinduced electron transfer (ET) between 9-fluorenone (FLU) and the solvents trimethylamine (TEA) and dimethylamine (DEA). FLU shows hydrogen-bond dynamics in the methanol solvent upon photoexcitation, and similar effects may be anticipated when using DEA, whereas no hydrogen bonds can occur in TEA. Photoexcitation of the electron-acceptor dye molecule FLU with a 400?nm pump pulse induces ultrafast ET from the amine solvents, which is followed by 100?fs IR probe pulses as well as fluorescence upconversion, monitoring the time evolution of marker bands of the FLU S(1) state and the FLU radical anion, and an overtone band of the amine solvent, marking the transient generation of the amine radical cation. A comparison of the experimentally determined forward charge-separation and backward charge-recombination rates for the FLU-TEA and FLU-DEA reaction systems with the driving-force dependencies calculated for the forward and backward ET rates reveals that additional degrees of freedom determine the ET reaction dynamics for the FLU-DEA system. We suggest that hydrogen bonding between the DEA molecules plays a key role in this behaviour.     

Intramolecular excimer formation and photoinduced electron-transfer process in bis-1,8-naphthalimide dyads depending on the linker length

The photophysical properties of bis-1,8-naphthalimide (NI-L-NI) dyads with different linkers ( L = -C 3H 6-, -C 4H 8-, -C 6H 12-, -C 8H 16-, and -C 9H 18-) as well as the reference NI derivative (NI-C 7H 15) were investigated in CH 3CN and H 2O/CH 3CN (v/v = 1:9). The normal fluorescence peak of (1)NI*-L-NI was observed at 379 nm together with a broad emission at longer wavelength both in aprotic CH 3CN and in H 2O/CH 3CN, which is assigned to an excimer, (1)(NI-L-NI)*. The excimer emission maximum was blue-shifted with increasing length of the linker. The photoinduced electron-transfer process of NI-L-NI was also investigated in both solvents by using nanosecond-laser flash photolysis. The T 1-T n absorption band for (3)NI*-L-NI was observed around 470 nm in both solvents. In H 2O/CH 3CN, NI-L-NI is solvated with H 2O in the ground state to exist as solvated NI-L-NI. In the excited triplet state, the NI radical anion (NI (*-)) was generated via the intramolecular quenching of (3)NI*-L-NI by another NI moiety. The solvated NI (*-)-L-NI may undergo the proton abstraction process to give NI(H) (*)-L-NI, which can be confirmed by the transient absorption band at 410 nm. This band was not observed in pure aprotic CH 3CN.     

Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in protic and polar aprotic solvents on TS-1 heterogeneous catalyst

Kinetic parameters of H₂O₂ decomposition in methanol, propanol-1, propanol-2, acetone, and acetonitrile at 30–55°C on a TS-1 heterogeneous catalyst were determined. Recommendations are given on choice of solvents in oxidation of organic compounds with hydrogen peroxide.     

Hydrogen-bonded encapsulation complexes in protic solvents

We describe here the behavior of the hydrogen-bonded capsule 1.1 and its complexes in protic solvents. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the encapsulation process were determined through conventional (1)H NMR methods. The enthalpies and entropies of encapsulation are both positive, indicating a process that liberates solvent molecules. The rates of dissociation-association of the capsule were comparable to the rates for the in-out exchange of large guests, which suggests that guest exchange occurs by complete dissociation of the capsule in protic solvents. The stability of the hydrogen-bonded capsule 1.1 toward protic solvents depends strongly on the guests, with the best guest being dimethylstilbene 8. The results establish guidelines for the properties of capsules that could be accessed in water.     

Donor-acceptor distance-dependence of photoinduced electron-transfer rate in flavoproteins

Ultrafast fluorescence quenching of flavin in flavodoxin from Megasphaera elsdenii was investigated by means of a fluorescence up-conversion method. Fluorescence lifetimes of flavodoxin from M. elsdenii were estimated to be tau(1) approximately 165 fs (0.97%) and tau(2) approximately 10 ps (0.03%). Correlation of photoinduced electron-transfer rates (k(ET)) with averaged distances (D(av)) between isoalloxazine and nearby tryptophan or tyrosine was examined and obtained an empirical equation of ln k(ET) vs D(av) by means of a nonlinear least-squares method using reported data together with flavodoxin from M. elsdenii. The values of D(av) were calculated from X-ray structures of the flavoproteins. The ln k(ET) was approximately linear at D(av) shorter than 7 A. The model free empirical equation was expressed as ln k(ET) = 29.7 + (-0.327 D(av) + 2.84 x 10(-5))/(0.698 - D(av)(2)). We also analyzed the observed values of ln k(ET) with Marcus theory, but could not obtain reasonable results. Our analysis suggests that the average distance, rather than the shortest (edge to edge) distance or interplanar angles between the aromatics rings, is the key factor in the process of the photoinduced electron transfer in these flavoproteins.     

Minimal modification approach to red-shifted absorption and fluorescence in 1,8-naphthalimides

As a minimum modification approach toward longer wavelength chromophores, a series of (4-diethylamino-1,8-naphthaloyl)-aminopyridines were prepared with the pyridine nitrogen located at the ortho, meta, and para positions. Comparison between these isomeric neutral dyes and their corresponding pyridinium-1,3-propanesulfonate salts reveals a red-shift in both absorption (up to an emission of 1682 cm⁻¹ in ethyl acetate) and emission. These observed shifts along with increased fluorescence quantum yield are attributed to polarization induced by the quaternary nitrogen of the pyridinium cation.     

Preparation of 1,8-naphthalimides as candidate fluorescent probes of hypoxic cells

A number of nitro- and dinitro-1,8-naphthalimides have been prepared as potential fluorescent probes of hypoxic cells. The susceptibility of 4-nitro-1,8-naphthalic anhydrides and -naphthalimides to nucleophilic displacement of the nitro group has been demonstrated by reaction with 1-butanethiol to yield 4-butylthio derivatives. Attempted nitration of these 4-butylthio derivatives with sodium nitrate and concentrated sulphuric acid yielded the corresponding sulphoxides in high yield.     

Design,Synthesis of N-benzoyloxy-thiono-1,8-naphthalimides as Novel DNA Photocleavers

In recent years, It is of great interest to the design and synthesis of DNA photocleaving reagents that can generate active species by long-wavelength UV-light (λ>350nm) or more preferably by visible light irradiation. Our studies are based upon 1,8-naphthalimide-derivitives, which usually exhibit strong visible absorption and good DNA intercalative binding abilities.     

Synthesis of highly photostable blue-emitting 1,8-naphthalimides and their acrylonitrile copolymers

Two novel highly photostable blue-emitting 1,8-naphthalimides, containing active fragments of a hindered amine radical scavenger and an s-triazine UV absorber were designed as multifunctional additives capable of simultaneous fluorescent brightening and photostabilization of polymers. Their light absorption and fluorescence properties have been determined and discussed. The ability of the combined fluorescent brighteners to copolymerize with acrylonitrile was demonstrated by obtaining acrylonitrile copolymers with an intense blue fluorescence. Photodegradation of the new fluorophores and their influence on the photostability of the fluorescent copolymers have been studied and compared to other similar 1,8-naphthalimides, not containing either UV absorber or hindered amine fragment in their molecules as well as not containing both of them. Novel fluorophores showed the best photostability in both solution and polymer. A significant photostabilizing effect towards photodegradation of polyacrylonitrile was found.     

Proton solvation in protic and aprotic solvents

Protonation pattern strongly affects the properties of molecular systems. To determine protonation equilibria, proton solvation free energy, which is a central quantity in solution chemistry, needs to be known. In this study, proton affinities (PAs), electrostatic energies of solvation, and pK_A values were computed in protic and aprotic solvents. The proton solvation energy in acetonitrile (MeCN), methanol (MeOH), water, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was determined from computed and measured pK_A values for a specially selected set of organic compounds. pK_A values were computed with high accuracy using a combination of quantum chemical and electrostatic approaches. Quantum chemical density functional theory computations were performed evaluating PA in the gas‐phase. The electrostatic contributions of solvation were computed solving the Poisson equation. The computations yield proton solvation free energies with high accuracy, which are in MeCN, MeOH, water, and DMSO ?255.1, ?265.9, ?266.3, and ?266.4 kcal/mol, respectively, where the value for water is close to the consensus value of ?265.9 kcal/mol. The pK_A values of MeCN, MeOH, and DMSO in water correlates well with the corresponding proton solvation energies in these liquids, indicating that the solvated proton was attached to a single solvent molecule. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.