Synthesis of Amphiphilic Fullerene Derivatives and Their Incorporation in Langmuir and Langmuir‐Blodgett Films

Various amphiphilic fullerene derivatives were prepared by functionalization of [5,6]fullerene‐C₆₀‐I_h (C₆₀) with malonate or bis‐malonate derivatives obtained by esterification of the malonic acid mono‐esters 5 – 7 . Cyclopropafullerene 10 was obtained by protection of the carboxylic acid function of 6 as a tert‐butyl ester, followed by Bingel addition to C₆₀ and a deprotection step (Scheme 2). The preparation of 10 was also attempted directly from the malonic acid mono‐ester 6 under Bingel conditions. Surprisingly, the corresponding 3′‐iodo‐3′H‐cyclopropa[1,9][5,6]fullerene‐C₆₀‐I_h‐3′‐carboxylate 11 was formed instead of 10 (Scheme 3). The general character of this new reaction was confirmed by the preparation of 15 and 16 from the malonic acid mono‐esters 13 and 14 , respectively (Scheme 4). All the other amphiphilic fullerene derivatives were prepared by taking advantage of the versatile regioselective reaction developed by Diederich and co‐workers which led to macrocyclic bis‐adducts of C₆₀ by a cyclization reaction at the C‐sphere with bis‐malonate derivatives in a double Bingel cyclopropanation. The bis‐adducts 37 – 39 with a carboxylic acid polar head group and four pendant long alkyl chains of different length were prepared from diol 22 and acids 5 – 7 , respectively (Scheme 9). In addition, the amphiphilic fullerene derivatives 45, 46, 49, 54 , and 55 bearing different polar head groups and compound 19 with no polar head group were synthesized (Schemes 11–13, 15, and 5, resp.). The ability of all these compounds to form Langmuir monolayers at the air‐water interface was investigated in a systematic study. The films at the water surface were characterized by their surface pressure vs. molecular area isotherms, compression and expansion cycles, and Brewster‐angle microscopy. The spreading behavior of compound 10 was not good, the two long alkyl chains in 10 being insufficient to prevent aggregation resulting from the strong fullerene‐fullerene interactions. While no films could be obtained from compound 19 with no polar head group, all the corresponding amphiphilic fullerene bis‐adducts showed good spreading characteristics and reversible behavior upon successive compression/expansion cycles. The encapsulation of the fullerene in a cyclic addend surrounded by four long alkyl chains is, therefore, an efficient strategy to prevent the irreversible aggregation resulting from strong fullerene‐fullerene interactions usually observed for amphiphilic C₆₀ derivatives at the air‐water interface. The balance of hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity was modulated by changing the length of the surrounding alkyl chains or the nature of the polar head group. The best results in terms of film formation and stability were obtained with the compounds having the largest polar head group, i.e. 45 and 46 , and dodecyl chains. Finally, the Langmuir films obtained from the amphiphilic fullerene bis‐adducts were transferred onto solid substrates, yielding high‐quality Langmuir‐Blodgett films.     

Design,Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of Asymmetric Bis(s‐triazole Schiff‐base)s Bearing Functionalized Side‐Chain

1‐Amino‐2‐pyrid‐3‐yl‐5‐(2‐benzoylethylthio)‐s‐triazole ( 1 ) was condensed with 1‐amino‐3‐mercapto‐5‐ [(un)substituted phenyl]‐s‐triazoles and subsequently substituted with chloroacetic acid to afford bis‐s‐triazole sulfanylacetic acid mono‐Schiff bases ( 3a – 3e ), which were condensed with 9‐formylanthracene to produce asymmetric bis(s‐triazole Schiff base) sulfanylacetic acids ( 4a – 4e ). The structures of new synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis and spectral data, and their in vitro antitumor activity against L1210, CHO and HL60 cell lines was evaluted via the respective IC₅₀ values by methylthiazole trazolium (MTT) assay.     

Cycloaddition Reactions of 7‐Benzylidenecycloocta‐1,3,5‐triene with Ethenetetracarbonitrile and 4‐Phenyl‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3,5(4H)‐dione

An (E)/(Z) mixture (3 : 2) of 7‐benzylidenecycloocta‐1,3,5‐triene ( 5 ) is obtained when 1‐benzylcycloocta‐1,3,5,7‐tetraene ( 7 ), prepared by an improved procedure, is treated with t‐BuOK in THF. Alternatively, a ca. 9 : 1 mixture (E)/(Z)‐ 5 can be prepared in a Wittig reaction involving benzaldehyde and cycloocta‐2,4,6‐trien‐1‐ylidenetriphenylphoshorane ( 9 ). Treatment of (E)/(Z)‐ 5 88 : 12 with ethenetetracarbonitrile (TCNE) gave a complex mixture of products, from which seven mono‐adducts and two bis‐adducts were isolated (Sect. 2.2.1). Of the mono‐adducts, four are π4+π2 adducts: two ((E)‐ and (Z)‐isomers) are derived from valence tautomers of the two isomers of (E)/(Z)‐ 5 , while it is tentatively suggested that the other two (again (E)‐ and (Z)‐isomers) are formed from the intermediacy of a pentadienyl zwitterion (Sect. 2.3). The remaining three mono‐adducts, two of which are epimers, are π8+π2 adducts. It is suggested that they are derived from the intermediacy of homotropylium zwitterions (Sect. 2.3). For the two bis‐adducts, it is postulated that they are derived from an initial π2+π2 cycloaddition involving the homotropylium zwitterions followed by π4+π2 cycloaddition to the valence tautomer of each of the π2+π2 cycloadducts. With 4‐phenyl‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3,5(4H)‐dione ( 6 ), (E)/(Z)‐ 5 91 : 9 yielded two π4+π2 cycloadducts ((E)‐ and (Z)‐isomers) as well as two epimeric π8+π2 cycloadducts (Sect. 2.2.2). The intermediacy of pentadienyl (tentative suggestion) and homotropylium zwitterions accounts for the formation of the products (Sect. 2.3).     

Effect of lipophilicity of wingtip groups on the anticancer potential of mono N‐heterocyclic carbene silver(I) complexes: Synthesis,crystal structures and in vitro anticancer study

A series of symmetrically n ‐alkyl‐substituted mono benzimidazolium salts with steady increase in n ‐alkyl chain length have been prepared by stepwise N ‐alkylation resulting in salts ( 1 – 8 ). The mono N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)–Ag(I) complexes ( 9 – 16 ) derived from the respective salts were readily accessible by in situ deprotonation using Ag₂O. All the salts and the complexes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and elemental analyses. Furthermore, the structures of salts 3 and 7 and complex 16 were elucidated using X‐ray crystallography, which established that this mono NHC–Ag(I) complex has a linear bis‐carbene arrangement (C₂–Ag). The proligands and the respective Ag(I) complexes were studied for their in vitro anticancer potential against human colon cancer cell line (HCT‐116) using 5‐fluorouracil as a standard. From the IC₅₀ values of all the tested compounds, it can be postulated that there is an influential relationship between the increase in chain length of the wingtip n ‐alkyl groups and the anticancer potential. The proligands 4 – 8 and their respective complexes 12 – 16 with long n ‐alkyl chain lengths (n  = 6–10) showed better IC₅₀ values (0.3–3.9 μM) than the standard drug with the complexes displaying markedly better antiproliferation activity against HCT‐116 cell line than the respective proligands and the standard drug (IC₅₀ = 10.2 μM).     

9,10‐Diaminoanthracenes Revisited: The Influence of N‐Substituents on Their Electronic States

The electronic and molecular structures of 9,10‐diamino‐substituted anthracenes with different N‐substituents have been re‐examined. In particular, different N‐substituents influence both the electronic and molecular structures of the oxidized species of 9,10‐diaminoanthracenes. The anthrylene moiety of 9,10‐bis(N,N‐di(p‐anisyl)amino)anthracene retains its planarity during the course of two successive one‐electron oxidations, whereas 9,10‐bis(N,N‐dimethylamino)anthracene and 9,10‐bis(N‐p‐anisyl‐N‐methylamino)anthracene undergo a substantial structural change to a butterfly‐like structure through a two‐electron oxidation process. The structural changes observed for the oxidized states are ascribed to significant differences in the frontier molecular orbitals of the above‐mentioned three kinds of 9,10‐diaminoanthracenes due to different extents of mixing between the amine‐localized and anthrylene‐localized orbitals.     

Regioselectivity of the 1,3‐Oxathiolane Formation in the Lewis Acid‐Catalyzed Reaction of Thioketones with Asymmetrically Substituted Oxiranes

The reactions of the aromatic thioketone 4,4′‐dimethoxythiobenzophenone ( 1 ) with three monosubstituted oxiranes 3a – c in the presence of BF₃⋅Et₂O or SnCl₄ in dry CH₂Cl₂ led to the corresponding 1 : 1 adducts, i.e., 1,3‐oxathiolanes 4a – b with R at C(5) and 8c with Ph at C(4). In addition, 1,3‐dioxolanes 7a and 7c , and the unexpected 1 : 2 adducts 6a – b were obtained (Scheme 2 and Table 1). In the case of the aliphatic, nonenolizable thioketone 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylindane‐2‐thione ( 2 ) and 3a – c with BF₃⋅Et₂O as catalyst, only 1 : 1 adducts, i.e. 1,3‐oxathiolanes 10a – b with R at C(5) and 11a – c with R or Ph at C(4), were formed (Scheme 6 and Table 2). In control experiments, the 1 : 1 adducts 4a and 4b were treated with 2‐methyloxirane ( 3a ) in the presence of BF₃⋅Et₂O to yield the 1 : 2 adduct 6a and 1 : 1 : 1 adduct 9 , respectively (Scheme 5). The structures of 6a , 8c , 10a , 11a , and 11c were confirmed by X‐ray crystallography (Figs. 1 – 5). The results described in the present paper show that alkyl and aryl substituents have significant influence upon the regioselectivity in the process of the ring opening of the complexed oxirane by the nucleophilic attack of the thiocarbonyl S‐atom: the preferred nucleophilic attack occurs at C(3) of alkyl‐substituted oxiranes (O−C(3) cleavage) but at C(2) of phenyloxirane (O−C(2) cleavage).     

Alkyl‐Tethered Bis‐Phosphoryl Compounds with two 1,3,2‐Benzodiazaphosphorinone Units; Oxidation,Complexation, and X‐Ray Structure Analysis of Selected Compounds

The reaction of the bis‐chlorophosphines 1 a – 1 d with bis(2‐chloroethyl)amine hydrochloride in the presence of triethylamine and with various trimethylsilylamines led to a new class of bis‐phosphorus ligands 2 a – 2 c and 3 a – 3 g . ³¹P‐NMR studies suggested that the bis‐phosphorus ligands undergo rotation reactions about the alkyl bridge in polar solvents. Compounds 2 a – 2 c showed initially only one sharp singlet each in their ³¹P‐NMR spectra. After a few days at room temperature, two signals were observed. Similar results were observed for 3 a – 3 g . In the solid state, the two phosphorus atoms in 2 c are not equivalent, as was confirmed by the observation of two signals in the solid state ³¹P‐NMR spectrum. Oxidation reactions of 2 a – 2 c by the hydrogen peroxide‐urea 1 : 1 adduct (NH₂)₂C(:O) · H₂O₂ led to the formation of the corresponding phosphoryl compounds 4 a – 4 c . Reaction of 2 a and 3 a with Pt[COD]Cl₂ (COD = 1.5‐Cyclooctadiene) furnished the complexes 5 and 6 . The NMR spectra suggested that the two chlorine atoms are in cis position. X‐ray structure analyses were conducted for 2 a , which exhibits twofold symmetry; 2 c , which is linked into dimers by hydrogen bonds C–H…O; and 6 , confirming the cis configuration.     

Photocycloisomerization of Boc‐Protected 5‐Alkenyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐ pyrrol‐2‐ones

On irradiation (254 nm), the newly synthesized Boc‐protected 5‐alkenyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐ones 13 undergo regioselective intramolecular [2+2] photocycloadditions. While the allyl derivatives 13a – 13c afford mainly azatricyclo[3.3.0.0^2,7]octanones, i.e., crossed cycloadducts, the butenyl‐ and pentenyl‐substituted compounds 13d and 13e isomerize preferentially to straight cycloadducts.     

Report on an Unusual Cascade Reaction between Azulenes and 2,3‐Dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone (=4,5‐Dichloro‐3,6‐dioxocyclohexa‐1,4‐diene‐1,2‐dicarbonitrile; DDQ)

The oxidation of 1‐(3,8‐dimethylazulen‐1‐yl)alkan‐1‐ones 1 with 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone (=4,5‐dichloro‐3,6‐dioxocyclohexa‐1,4‐diene‐1,2‐dicarbonitrile; DDQ) in acetone/H₂O mixtures at room temperature does not only lead to the corresponding azulene‐1‐carboxaldehydes 2 but also, in small amounts, to three further products (Tables 1 and 2). The structures of the additional products 3 – 5 were solved spectroscopically, and that of 3a also by an X‐ray crystal‐structure analysis (Fig. 1). It is demonstrated that the bis(azulenylmethyl)‐substituted DDQ derivatives 5 yield on methanolysis or hydrolysis precursors, which in a cascade of reactions rearrange under loss of HCl into the pentacyclic compounds 3 (Schemes 4 and 7). The found 1,1′‐[carbonylbis(8‐methylazulene‐3,1‐diyl)]bis[ethanones] 4 are the result of further oxidation of the azulene‐1‐carboxaldehydes 2 to the corresponding azulene‐1‐carboxylic acids (Schemes 9 and 10).     

Reactivity of Fluoro‐Substituted Bis(thiocarbonyl) Donors with Diiodine: An XRD,FT–Raman,and DFT Investigation

The reactions of 1,3,8,10‐tetrakis(4′‐fluorophenyl)‐4,5,6,7‐tetrathiocino[1,2‐b:3,4‐b′]diimidazolyl‐2,9‐dithione ( 4 ) and molecular diiodine afforded spoke adducts with stoichiometries 4·I2 and 4? 3I₂, isolated in the compound 4? 3I₂ ? xCH₂Cl₂ ? (1?x)I₂ (x=0.70), and characterized by single‐crystal XRD and FT–Raman spectroscopy. The nature of the reaction products was investigated under the prism of theoretical calculations carried out at the DFT level. The structural data, FT–Raman spectroscopy, and quantum mechanical calculations agree in indicating that the introduction of fluorophenyl substituents results in a lowering of the Lewis basicity of this class of bis(thiocarbonyl) donors compared with alkyl‐substituted tetrathiocino donors and fluorine allows for extended interactions that are responsible for solid‐state crystal packing.     

Tri‐ and Tetrasubstituted N‐Phthalimidoaziridines in 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions

The thermal reactions of the 2,2,3‐trisubstituted N‐phthalimidoaziridine 1a with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD), thioketones 4a – 4d , and dimethyl azodicarboxylate ( 5 ) proceed even at room temperature leading to the five‐membered cycloadducts 2a, 6 – 8 , and 12 , respectively, with retention of the spatial arrangement of the aziridine substituents, in contrast to the expectation based on the conservation of orbital symmetry in concerted reactions. The analogous reactions of the tetrasubstituted phthalimidoaziridine 1b with thioketones at 40° lead to the 1,3‐thiazolidine derivatives 10 and 11 as mixtures of diastereoisomers. These unexpected results may be explained by either the isomerization of the intermediate azomethine ylides or a non‐concerted stepwise cycloaddition reaction of these ylides with the dipolarophiles. The structures of some adducts have been determined by X‐ray crystallography.     

1,2‐Bis(trifluoromethyl)ethene‐1,2‐dicarbonitrile and Vinyl Ethers: Cyclic Ketene Imines on the Pathway to 1 : 2 Cycloadducts

(E)‐ and (Z)‐1,2‐bis(trifluoromethyl)ethene‐1,2‐dicarbonitrile (BTE; (=E)‐ and (Z)‐1,2‐bis(trifluoromethyl)but‐2‐enedinitrile) were reacted with an excess of methyl vinyl ether, used as solvent, and furnished 1 : 2 adducts 6 (54%) and cyclobutanes 3 as 1 : 1 adducts (41%). The four diastereoisomeric bis‐adducts 6 (different ratios from (E)‐ and (Z)‐BTE) are derivatives of 1‐azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct‐5‐ene; X‐ray analyses and ¹⁹F‐NMR spectra revealed their structures. Since the cyclobutanes 3 are resistant to vinyl ether, the pathways leading to mono‐ and bis‐adducts must compete on the level of the intermediate l,4‐zwitterions 1 and 2 . The latter either cyclize to the cyclobutanes 3 or to six‐membered cyclic ketene imines 8 which accept a second molecule of vinyl ether to yield the bis‐adducts 6 . The occurrence of the highly strained ketene imines 8 gains credibility by comparison to stable seven‐membered cyclic ketene imines recently reported.     

Synthesis and thermal crosslinking of benzophenone‐modified poly(dimethylsiloxane)s

Dihydridocarbonyltris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium catalyzes the regiospecific anti‐Markovnikov addition of an ortho C? H bond of benzophenone across the C? C double bonds of α,ω‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy)copoly(dimethylsiloxane/vinylmethylsiloxane) (99:1), α,ω‐bis(vinyldimethylsilyloxy)poly(dimethylsiloxane), and 1,3‐divinyltetramethyldisiloxane to yield α,ω‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy)copoly[dimethylsiloxane/2‐(2′‐benzophenonyl)ethylmethylsiloxane]), α,ω‐bis[2‐(2′‐benzophenonyl)ethyldimethylsilyloxy]poly(dimethylsiloxane), and 1,3‐bis[2‐(2′‐benzophenonyl)ethyl]tetramethyldisiloxane, respectively. These materials have been characterized with ¹H, ¹³C, and ²⁹Si NMR and IR spectroscopy. Their molecular weight distributions have been determined by gel permeation chromatography. The thermal stability of the polymers has been measured by thermogravimetric analysis, and their glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) have been determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The molecular weight distribution, thermal stability, and T_g's of the modified polysiloxanes are similar to those of the precursor polymers. The molecular weights of these materials can be significantly increased via heating to 300 °C for 1 h. This may be due to crosslinking, by pyrocondensation, of pendant anthracene groups, which are produced by the pyrolysis of the attached ortho‐alkyl benzophenones. UV spectroscopy of the pyrolysate of 1,3‐bis[2‐(2′‐benzophenonyl)ethyl]tetramethyldisiloxane has confirmed the presence of pendant anthracene groups. Thermal crosslinking by the pyrocondensation of pendant anthracene groups has been verified by the pyrolysis of α,ω‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy)copoly[dimethylsiloxane/2‐(9′‐anthracenyl)ethylmethylsiloxane] (97:3). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5514–5522, 2004     

Gold‐Catalyzed Intramolecular [3+2] Cycloadditions of 1‐Aryl‐1‐allene‐6‐enes

Treatment of 1‐aryl‐1‐allen‐6‐enes with [PPh₃AuCl]/AgSbF₆ (5 mol %) in CH₂Cl₂ at 25 °C led to intramolecular [3+2] cycloadditions, giving cis‐fused dihydrobenzo[a]fluorene products efficiently and selectively. The reactions proceeded with initial formation of trans/cis mixtures of 2‐alkyl‐1‐isopropyl‐2‐phenyl‐1,2‐dihydronaphthalene cations B, which were convertible into the desired cis‐fused cycloadducts through the combined action of a gold catalyst and a Brønsted acid. Theoretic calculation supports the participation of the trans‐B cation as reaction intermediate. Although HOTf showed similar activity towards several 1‐aryl‐1‐allen‐6‐enes, it lacks generality for this cycloaddition reaction.     

Calcium‐containing poly(urethane‐urea)s: Synthesis,spectral, and thermal studies

A calcium salt of mono(hydroxypentyl)phthalate [Ca(HPP)₂] was synthesized by the reaction of 1,5‐pentanediol, phthalic anhydride, and calcium acetate. Four different bisureas such as hexamethylene bis(ω,N‐hydroxyethylurea), tolylene 2,4‐bis(ω,N‐hydroxyethylurea), hexamethylene bis(ω,N‐hydroxypropylurea), and tolylene 2,4‐bis(ω,N‐hydroxypropylurea) were prepared by reacting ethanolamine or propanolamine with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) or tolylene 2,4‐diisocyanate (TDI). Calcium‐containing poly(urethane‐urea)s (PUUs) were synthesized by reacting HMDI or TDI with 1:1 mixtures of Ca(HPP)₂ and each of the bisureas with di‐n‐butyltin dilaurate as a catalyst. The PUUs were well characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, solid‐state ¹³C–cross‐polarization/magic‐angle spinning NMR, viscosity, solubility, elemental analysis, and X‐ray diffraction studies. Thermal properties of the polymers were also examined with thermogravimetric analyses and differential scanning calorimetry. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1809–1819, 2004     

Unexpected Course of the Reaction of 2‐Unsubstituted 1H‐Imidazole 3‐Oxides with Ethyl Acrylate

The attempted ethenylation at C(2) of 2‐unsubstituted 1H‐imidazole N‐oxides with ethyl acrylate (=prop‐2‐enoate) in the presence of Pd(OAc)₂ does not occur. In contrast to the other aromatic N‐oxides, the [2+3] cycloaddition of imidazole N‐oxides predominates, and 3‐hydroxyacrylates, isomeric with the cycloadducts, are key products for the subsequent reaction. The final products were identified as dehydrated 2+1 adducts of 1H‐imidazole N‐oxide and ethyl acrylate. The role of the catalyst is limited to the dehydration of the intermediate 3‐hydroxypropanoates to give 1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl‐substituted acrylates.     

In‐ and Out‐of‐Cavity Interactions by Modulating the Size of Ruthenium Metallarectangles

Cationic (arene)ruthenium‐based tetranuclear complexes of the general formula [Ru₄(η⁶‐p‐cymene)₄(μ‐N∩N)₂(μ‐OO∩OO)₂]⁴⁺ were obtained from the dinuclear (arene)ruthenium complexes [Ru₂(η⁶‐p‐cymene)₂(μ‐OO∩OO)₂Cl₂] (p‐cymene=1‐methyl‐4‐(1‐methylethyl)benzene, OO∩OO=5,8‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinonato(2?), 9,10‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐anthraquinonato(2?), or 6,11‐dihydroxynaphthacene‐5,12‐dionato(2?)) by reaction with pyrazine or bipyridine linkers (N∩N=pyrazine, 4,4′‐bipyridine, 4,4′‐[(1E)‐ethene‐1,2‐diyl]bis[pyridine]) in the presence of silver trifluoromethanesulfonate (CF₃SO₃Ag) (Scheme). All complexes 4 – 12 were isolated in good yield as CF₃SO salts, and characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy. The host–guest properties of the metallarectangles incorporating 4,4′‐bipyridine and (4,4′‐[(1E)‐ethene‐1,2‐diyl]bis[pyridine] linkers were studied in solution by means of multiple NMR experiments (1D, ROESY, and DOSY). The largest metallarectangles 10 – 12 incorporating (4,4′‐[(1E)‐ethene‐1,2‐diyl]bis[pyridine] linkers are able to host an anthracene, pyrene, perylene, or coronene molecule in their cavity, while the medium‐size metallarectangles 7 – 9 incorporating 4,4′‐bipyridine linkers are only able to encapsulate anthracene. However, out‐of‐cavity interactions are observed between these 4,4′‐bipyridine‐containing rectangles and pyrene, perylene, or coronene. In contrast, the small pyrazine‐containing metallarectangles 4 – 6 show no interaction in solution with this series of planar aromatic molecules.     

Room Temperature Ring Expansion of N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes and BB Bond Cleavage of Diboron(4) Compounds

We report the isolation and detailed structural characterization, by solid‐state and solution NMR spectroscopy, of the neutral mono‐ and bis‐NHC adducts of bis(catecholato)diboron (B₂cat₂). The bis‐NHC adduct undergoes thermally induced rearrangement, forming a six‐membered ‐B?C?N?C?C‐N‐heterocyclic ring via C?N bond cleavage and ring expansion of the NHC, whereas the mono‐NHC adduct is stable. Bis(neopentylglycolato)diboron (B₂neop₂) is much more reactive than B₂cat₂ giving a ring expanded product at room temperature, demonstrating that ring expansion of NHCs can be a very facile process with significant implications for their use in catalysis.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Oxa‐Povarov Reactions for the Synthesis of Highly Substituted Dihydrobenzopyrans from Diaryloxymethylarenes and Olefins

Oxa‐Povarov reactions involving readily available diaryloxymethylarenes and aryl‐substituted alkenes are reported. Their [4+2] cycloadditions were efficiently catalyzed by IPrAuSbF₆ (IPr=1,3‐bis(diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) with high diastereoselectivity. Product analysis revealed that the reactions likely proceed by a stepwise ionic mechanism, because both E‐ and Z‐configured β‐methylstyrene gave the same cycloadducts in the same proportions.     

Mono‐ and Binuclear Rhodium and Platinum Complexes of 1, 3, 5‐Trimethyl‐1, 3, 5‐triaza‐2σ3λ3‐phosphorin‐4, 6‐dionyloxy‐substituted Calix[4]arenes

The reaction behaviour of 1, 3, 5‐triaza‐2σ³λ³‐phosphorin‐4, 6‐dionyloxy‐substituted calix[4]arenes towards mono‐ and binuclear rhodium and platinum complexes was investigated. Special attention was directed to structure and dynamic behaviour of the products in solution and in the solid state. Depending on the molar ratio of the reactands, the reaction of the tetrakis(triazaphosphorindionyloxy)‐substituted calix[4]arene ( 4 ) and its tert‐butyl‐derivative ( 1 ) with [(cod)RhCl]₂ yielded the mono‐ and disubstituted binuclear rhodium complexes 2 , 3 , and 5 . In all cases, a C₂‐symmetrical structure was proved in solution, apparently caused by a fast intramolecular exchange process between cone conformation and 1, 3‐alternating conformation. The X‐ray crystal structure determination of 5 confirmed [(calixarene)RhCl]₂‐coordination through two opposite phosphorus atoms with a P ⃜P separation of 345 pm. The complex displays crystallographic inversion symmetry, and the Rh₂Cl₂ core is thus exactly planar. Reaction of 1 and of the bis(triazaphosphorindionyloxy)‐bis(methoxy)‐substituted tert‐butyl‐calix‐[4]arene ( 7 ) with (cod)Rh(acac) in equimolar ratio and subsequent reaction with HBF₄ led to the expected cationic monorhodium complexes 5 and 8 , involving 1, 3‐alternating P‐Rh‐P‐coordination. The cone conformation in solution was proved by NMR spectroscopy and characteristic values of the ¹J(PRh) coupling constants in the ³¹P‐NMR‐spectra. Reaction of equimolar amounts of 4 with (cod)Rh(acac) or (nbd)Rh(acac) led, by substitution of the labile coordinated acetylacetonato and after addition of HBF₄, to the corresponding mononuclear cationic complexes 9 and 10 . Only two of the four phosphorus atoms in 9 and 10 are coordinated to the central metal atom. Displacement of either cycloocta‐1, 5‐diene or norbornadiene was not observed. For both compounds, the cone conformation was proved by NMR spectroscopy. Reaction of 4 with (cod)PtCl₂ led to the PtCl₂‐complex ( 11 ). As for all compounds mentioned above, only two phosphorus atoms of the ligand coordinate to platinum, while two phosphorus atoms remain uncoordinated (proved by δ³¹P and characteristic values of ¹J(PPt)). NMR‐spectroscopic evidence was found for the existence of the cone conformation in the cis‐configuration of 11 .