The Cyclohexasilanes Si6H11X and Si6Me11X with X=F,Cl, Br and I: A Quantum Chemical and Raman Spectroscopic Investigation of a Multiple Conformer Problem

The conformers of the monohalocyclohexasilanes, Si₆H₁₁X (X=F, Cl, Br or I) and the haloundecamethylcyclohexasilanes, Si₆Me₁₁X (X=F, Cl, Br or I) are investigated by DFT calculations employing the B3LYP density functional and 6‐31+G* basis sets for elements up to the third row, and SDD basis sets for heavier elements. Five minima are found for Si₆H₁₁X—the axial and equatorial chair conformers, with the substituent X either in an axial or equatorial position—and another three twisted structures. The equatorial chair conformer is the global minimum for the X=Cl, Br and I, the axial chair for X=F. The barrier for the ring inversion is ～13 kJ mol^?1 for all four compounds. Five minima closely related to those of Si₆H₁₁X are found for Si₆Me₁₁X. Again, the equatorial chair is the global minimum for X=Cl, Br and I, and the axial chair for X=F. Additionally, two symmetrical boat conformers are found as local minima on the potential energy surfaces for X=F, Cl and Br, but not for X=I. The barrier for the ring inversion is ～14–16 kJ mol^?1 for all compounds. The conformational equilibria for Si₆Me₁₁X in toluene solution are investigated using temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy. The wavenumber range of the stretching vibrations of the heavy atoms X and Si from 270–370 cm^?1 is analyzed. Using the van′t Hoff relationship, the enthalpy differences between axial and equatorial chair conformers (H_ax?H_eq.) are 1.1 kJ mol^?1 for X=F, and 1.8 to 2.8 kJ mol^?1 for X=Cl, Br and I. Due to rapid interconversion, only a single Raman band originating from the “averaged” twist and boat conformers could be observed. Generally, reasonable agreement between the calculated relative energies and the experimentally determined values is found.     

[Pd(Fmes)2(tmeda)]: A Case of Intermittent C?H⋅⋅⋅F?C Hydrogen‐Bond Interaction in Solution

The X‐ray structure of the title compound [Pd(Fmes)₂(tmeda)] (Fmes=2,4,6‐tris(trifluoromethyl)phenyl; tmeda=N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine) shows the existence of uncommon C? H???F? C hydrogen‐bond interactions between methyl groups of the TMEDA ligand and ortho‐CF₃ groups of the Fmes ligand. The ¹⁹F NMR spectra in CD₂Cl₂ at very low temperature (157 K) detect restricted rotation for the two ortho‐CF₃ groups involved in hydrogen bonding, which might suggest that the hydrogen bond is responsible for this hindrance to rotation. However, a theoretical study of the hydrogen‐bond energy shows that it is too weak (about 7 kJ mol^?1) to account for the rotational barrier observed (ΔH^≠=26.8 kJ mol^?1), and it is the steric hindrance associated with the puckering of the TMEDA ligand that should be held responsible for most of the rotational barrier. At higher temperatures the rotation becomes fast, which requires that the hydrogen bond is continuously being split up and restored and exists only intermittently, following the pulse of the conformational changes of TMEDA.     

C(spn)−X (n=1–3) Bond Activation by Palladium

We have studied the palladium-mediated activation of C(spⁿ)−X bonds (n = 1–3 and X = H, CH₃, Cl) in archetypal model substrates H₃C−CH₂−X, H₂C=CH−X and HC≡C−X by catalysts PdL_n with L_n = no ligand, Cl⁻, and (PH₃)₂, using relativistic density functional theory at ZORA-BLYP/TZ2P. The oxidative addition barrier decreases along this series, even though the strength of the bonds increases going from C(sp³)−X, to C(sp²)−X, to C(sp)−X. Activation strain and matching energy decomposition analyses reveal that the decreased oxidative addition barrier going from sp³, to sp², to sp, originates from a reduction in the destabilizing steric (Pauli) repulsion between catalyst and substrate. This is the direct consequence of the decreasing coordination number of the carbon atom in C(spⁿ)−X, which goes from four, to three, to two along this series. The associated net stabilization of the catalyst–substrate interaction dominates the trend in strain energy which indeed becomes more destabilizing along this same series as the bond becomes stronger from C(sp³)−X to C(sp)−X.     

Enhancement of TbIII–CuII Single‐Molecule Magnet Performance through Structural Modification

We report a series of 3d–4f complexes {Ln₂Cu₃(H₃L)₂X_n} (X=OAc^?, Ln=Gd, Tb or X=NO₃^?, Ln=Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er) using the 2,2′‐(propane‐1,3‐diyldiimino)bis[2‐(hydroxylmethyl)propane‐1,3‐diol] (H₆L) pro‐ligand. All complexes, except that in which Ln=Gd, show slow magnetic relaxation in zero applied dc field. A remarkable improvement of the energy barrier to reorientation of the magnetisation in the {Tb₂Cu₃(H₃L)₂X_n} complexes is seen by changing the auxiliary ligands (X=OAc^? for NO₃^?). This leads to the largest reported relaxation barrier in zero applied dc field for a Tb/Cu‐based single‐molecule magnet. Ab initio CASSCF calculations performed on mononuclear Tb^III models are employed to understand the increase in energy barrier and the calculations suggest that the difference stems from a change in the Tb^III coordination environment (C_4v versus C_s).     

Theoretical Study on the Mechanism of Ni‐Catalyzed Alkyl–Alkyl Suzuki Cross‐Coupling

Ni‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of unactivated secondary alkyl halides with alkylboranes provides an efficient way to construct alkyl–alkyl bonds. The mechanism of this reaction with the Ni/ L1 ( L1 =trans‐N,N′‐dimethyl‐1,2‐cyclohexanediamine) system was examined for the first time by using theoretical calculations. The feasible mechanism was found to involve a Ni^I–Ni^III catalytic cycle with three main steps: transmetalation of [Ni^I( L1 )X] (X=Cl, Br) with 9‐borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9‐BBN)R₁ to produce [Ni^I( L1 )(R₁)], oxidative addition of R₂X with [Ni^I( L1 )(R₁)] to produce [Ni^III( L1 )(R₁)(R₂)X] through a radical pathway, and C? C reductive elimination to generate the product and [Ni^I( L1 )X]. The transmetalation step is rate‐determining for both primary and secondary alkyl bromides. KOiBu decreases the activation barrier of the transmetalation step by forming a potassium alkyl boronate salt with alkyl borane. Tertiary alkyl halides are not reactive because the activation barrier of reductive elimination is too high (+34.7 kcal mol^?1). On the other hand, the cross‐coupling of alkyl chlorides can be catalyzed by Ni/ L2 ( L2 =trans‐N,N′‐dimethyl‐1,2‐diphenylethane‐1,2‐diamine) because the activation barrier of transmetalation with L2 is lower than that with L1 . Importantly, the Ni⁰–Ni^II catalytic cycle is not favored in the present systems because reductive elimination from both singlet and triplet [Ni^II( L1 )(R₁)(R₂)] is very difficult.     

Rational design of iron catalysts for C–X bond activation

We have quantum chemically studied the iron-mediated C X bond activation (X = H, Cl, CH₃) by d⁸-FeL₄ complexes using relativistic density functional theory at ZORA-OPBE/TZ2P. We find that by either modulating the electronic effects of a generic iron-catalyst by a set of ligands, that is, CO, BF, PH₃, BN(CH₃)₂, or by manipulating structural effects through the introduction of bidentate ligands, that is, PH₂(CH₂)_nPH₂ with n = 6–1, one can significantly decrease the reaction barrier for the C X bond activation. The combination of both tuning handles causes a decrease of the C H activation barrier from 10.4 to 4.6 kcal mol⁻¹. Our activation strain and Kohn-Sham molecular orbital analyses reveal that the electronic tuning works via optimizing the catalyst–substrate interaction by introducing a strong second backdonation interaction (i.e., “ligand-assisted” interaction), while the mechanism for structural tuning is mainly caused by the reduction of the required activation strain because of the pre-distortion of the catalyst. In all, we present design principles for iron-based catalysts that mimic the favorable behavior of their well-known palladium analogs in the bond-activation step of cross-coupling reactions.     

Synthesis and Modulated Crystal Structure of KBaNbS4

Single crystals of KBaNbS₄ have been prepared by the reaction of Nb with an in situ formed melt of K₂S₃, BaS, and S at 500 °C. Satellite reflections observed in X‐ray diffraction experiments of these crystals indicate the presence of a one‐dimensional lattice distortion. The modulated structure has been solved and refined from X‐ray data using the superspace group approach. KBaNbS₄ can be described in the (3 + 1)‐dimensional superspace group Pnma(α00)0s0 with lattice parameters a = 9.187(1), b = 7.001(1), and c = 12.494(1) Å and a modulation vector q = (0, 0.629(1), 0). In the structure the NbS₄ tetrahedra are stacked along the a axis and show a slight tilting against each other. The K⁺ and Ba²⁺ ions follow this tilting, both are slightly shifted from their positions in the average structure. The modulation does not lead to a significant change in the coordination spheres of the metal atoms. The small effects of the modulation correspond to the relatively weak intensities of the satellite reflections. Results of temperature dependent X‐ray investigations indicate that K⁺ librates at higher temperatures and the surrounding S^2? anions follow this motion. With decreasing temperature the libration of K⁺ is reduced and the coordination geometry freezes under formation of an incommensurate modulation. The heavier Ba and Nb atoms are also affected by positional modulation of the substructure and accommodate to their environment.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">I</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">V</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis> analysing an inhomogeneous Au/Poly(4-vinyl phenol)/p-Si structure with a double Gaussian distribution of barrier heights

In this study, the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of Au/Poly(4-vinyl phenol)/p-Si structures have been measured over a wide temperature range (100–300 K). These structures have been analyzed according to thermionic emission (TE) theory, as a result of which an abnormal decrease occurred in the zero-bias barrier height (f_b0 \phi_{b0} ) and an increase in the ideality factor (n) was observed with temperature decrease and nonlinearity in the activation energy plot. By assuming a Gaussian distribution (GD) of barrier heights of the Au/Poly(4-vinyl phenol)/p-Si structures, barrier inhomogeneities are believed to responsible for this behavior. Evidence is given for the existence of a double GD with mean barrier heights ([`(f)]<sub>b0</sub> \bar{\phi }_{b0} ) of 1.042 and 0.623 eV, standard deviations of 0.138 and 0.081 V, and ideality factors 2.76 and 7.26, which remain effective in the temperature ranges of 180–300 and 100–160 K, respectively. As a result, without using the temperature coefficient of the barrier height, the modified ln(I <sub>o</sub> /T <sup>2</sup>) − q <sup>2</sup> σ <sub>o</sub> <sup>2</sup>/2(kT)<sup>2</sup> vs. q/kT plot gives [`(f)]_b0 \bar{\phi }_{b0} values and Richardson constants (A ^* ) as 1.036 and 0.623 eV, and 36.20 and 19.99 A/cm² K², respectively. The effective Richardson constant value of 36.20 A/cm² K² is very similar to the theoretical value of 32 A/cm²K² for p-Si. Consequently, the temperature dependence of the forward bias I–V characteristics of Au/Poly(4-vinyl phenol)//p-Si (MIS) structure could be attributed to the thermionic emission (TE) mechanism with double GD of the barrier heights.     

Deciphering the Role of Anions and Secondary Coordination Sphere in Tuning Anisotropy in Dy(III) Air-Stable D5h SIMs**

Precise control of the crystal field and symmetry around the paramagnetic spin centre has recently facilitated the engineering of high-temperature single-ion magnets (SIMs), the smallest possible units for future spin-based devices. In the present work, we report a series of air-stable seven coordinate Dy(III) SIMs {[L₂Dy(H₂O)₅][X]₃⋅L₂⋅n(H₂O), n = 0, X = Cl ( 1 ), n=1, X = Br ( 2 ), I ( 3 )} possessing pseudo-D_5h symmetry or pentagonal bipyramidal coordination geometry with high anisotropy energy barrier (U_eff) and blocking temperature (T_B). While the strong axial coordination from the sterically encumbered phosphonamide, ^tBuPO(NHⁱPr)₂ ( L ), increases the overall anisotropy of the system, the presence of high symmetry significantly quenches quantum tunnelling of magnetization, which is the prominent deactivating factor encountered in SIMs. The energy barrier (U_eff) and the blocking temperature (T_B) decrease in the order 3 > 2 > 1 with the change of anions from larger iodide to smaller strongly hydrogen-bonded chloride in the secondary coordination sphere, albeit the local coordination geometry and the symmetry around the Dy(III) display only slight deviations. Ab initio CASSCF/RASSI-SO/SINGLE_ANISO calculations provide deeper insights into the dynamics of magnetic relaxation in addition to the role of the secondary coordination sphere in modulating the anisotropy of the D_5h systems, using diverse models. Thus, in addition to the importance of the crystal field and the symmetry to obtain high-temperature SIMs, this study also probes the significance of the secondary coordination sphere that can be tailored to accomplish novel SIMs.     

NMR Studies of Restricted Rotation in Aminatophosphorus(1+) Salts

Abstract

A series of aminatophosphorus(1+) salts were synthesized as potential fungicides. Proton NMR of a set of compounds 1 within this series were observed to show selective line broadening of the methylene protons indicating a dynamic process which is slow on the NMR time scale. X-ray crystal structures of two of the compounds in the series showed a relatively planar nitrogen eliminating nitrogen inversion as the source of the observed line broadening. The methylene protons appeared as a sharp doublet (³J_PH = 3.6 Hz) at room temperature when R=OCH₃, a broad singlet when R=OCF₃, and a sharp multiplet consistent with the AB portion of an ABX (X = ³¹P) spin system when R=SCH. Examination of the temperature dependence of the spectra revealed that the observed lineshape and temperature effects were consistent with slow rotation about the N-Ph bond and dependent primarily upon the size of the substituent R. Thus the slow rotation was thought to be due to steric factors and not the influence of electronic effects of the substituent R on the P-N bond. Rotation rates estimated from NMR lineshape analysis and plotted as a function of temperature for 1 when R = SCH₃ and R¹ = Ph gave an calculated energy barrier ΔG₂₉₈ ^? of 17 kcal/mol. Similar studies for a variety of substituents R might be useful as a means of measuring relative steric bulk. At low temperature (ca. -50°C) broadening of the PPh, resonances began to appear indicating a second independent dynamic process thought to be slow rotation about the N-PPh₃ bond on the NMR time scale at that temperature.     

The Effect of Crystal Packing and ReIV Ions on the Magnetisation Relaxation of [Mn6]‐Based Molecular Magnets

The energy barrier to magnetisation relaxation in single‐molecule magnets (SMMs) proffers potential technological applications in high‐density information storage and quantum computation. Leading candidates amongst complexes of 3d metals ions are the hexametallic family of complexes of formula [Mn₆O₂(R‐sao)₆(X)₂(solvent)_y] (saoH₂=salicylaldoxime; X=mono‐anion; y=4–6; R=H, Me, Et, and Ph). The recent synthesis of cationic [Mn₆][ClO₄]₂ family members, in which the coordinating X ions were replaced with non‐coordinating anions, opened the gateway to constructing families of novel [Mn₆] salts in which the identity and nature of the charge balancing anions could be employed to alter the physical properties of the complex. Herein we demonstrate initial experiments to show that this is indeed possible. By replacing the diamagnetic ClO₄^? anions with the highly anisotropic Re^IV ion in the form of [Re^IVCl₆]^2?, the energy barrier to magnetisation relaxation is increased by up to 30 %.     

Temperature effect on quenching of CH(AΔ)

The quenching rate constants of CH(A²Δ) radicals by alcohol, alkane, O₂, and C₂H₄ molecules over the temperature range 297–653 K have been measured using laser photolysis of CHBr₃ at 266 nm to produce CH(A) radical and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Under the simultaneous effects of multiple attractive potentials and repulsive barrier, the temperature dependence of the quenching process of CH(A²Δ) is discussed qualitatively based on a modified collision complex model.     

PCET in the oxidation of ascorbate. Dramatic change of the kinetic isotope effect on the change in solvent polarity

The first step in the oxidation of ascorbate with substituted nitrosobenzenes is a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction and the observed kinetic isotope effects in the reaction, k_H2O/k_D2O, change dramatically with a change in solvent polarity, in line with known theoretical predictions.     

A DFT study on the reaction mechanism of the gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of alkynylhydroxyallylamides to 4-Oxa-6-azatricyclo[3.3.0.02,8]octane and 3-Acyl-4-alkenylpyrrolidine

In this study, we use density functional theory calculations to investigate the discrepancy between two experimental results of Au(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization reactions of alkynylhydroxyallyl tosylamide under similar reaction conditions, with the only variations being reaction temperature and time. The experimental results reported by Yeh and Chung groups, respectively, showed that 3-acyl-4-alkenylpyrrolidines are produced dominantly at ambient temperature, while 4-aza-6-oxatricyclo[3.3.0.0^2,8]octanes are produced in higher yield at elevated temperature. Using (Z)-4-([3-phenylprop-2-yn-1-yl]amino)but-2-en-1-ol and [Au(PPh₃)]⁺ as the model starting material and active catalyst species, respectively, we identified two major pathways leading to 4-aza-6-oxatricyclo[3.3.0.0^2,8]octane (pathway I ) and 3-acyl-4-alkenylpyrrolidine (pathway II ). The overall free energy barrier (ΔG^‡_max) and the energetic span (ΔG^‡_span) of each pathway were 38.3 and 48.4 kcal/mol for pathway I and 29.0 and 37.1 kcal/mol for pathway II . Our analysis shows that the disparate outcomes observed in the experiments by two separate groups mainly originate in the reaction kinetics, with both the overall activation barrier and energetic span being the important factor.     

Competitive Activation of C?H and C?X Bonds in Reactions of Pt+ with CH3X (X=F,Cl): Experiment and Theory

The reactions of Pt⁺ with CH₃X (X=F, Cl) are studied experimentally by employing an inductively coupled plasma/selected‐ion flow tube tandem mass spectrometer and theoretically by density functional theory. Dehydrogenation and HX elimination are found to be the primary reaction channels in the remarkably different ratios of 95:5 and 60:40 in the fast reactions of Pt⁺ with CH₃F and CH₃Cl, respectively. The observed kinetics are consistent with quantum chemistry calculations, which indicate that both channels in the reaction with CH₃F are exothermic with ground‐state Pt⁺(²D), but that HF elimination is prohibited kinetically because of a transition state that lies above the reactant entrance. The observed HF‐elimination channel is attributed to a slow reaction of CH₃F with excited‐state Pt⁺(⁴F) for which calculations predict a small barrier. The calculations also show that both the HCl‐elimination and dehydrogenation channels observed with CH₃Cl are thermodynamically and kinetically allowed, although the state‐specific product distributions could not be ascertained experimentally. Further CH₃F addition is observed with the primary products to produce PtCH₂⁺(CH₃F)_1,2 and PtCHF⁺(CH₃F)_1,2. With CH₃Cl, sequential HCl elimination is observed with PtCH₂⁺ to form PtC_nH_2n⁺ with n=2, 3, which then add CH₃Cl sequentially to form PtC₂H₄⁺(CH₃Cl)_1–3 and PtC₃H₆⁺(CH₃Cl)_1,2. Also, sequential addition is observed for PtCHCl⁺ to form PtCHCl⁺(CH₃Cl)_1,2.     

Macrocyclic 2,7‐Anthrylene Oligomers

A macrocyclic compound consisting of six 2,7‐anthrylene units was successfully synthesized by Ni‐mediated coupling of the corresponding dibromo precursor as a novel π‐conjugated compound. This compound was sufficiently stable and soluble in organic solvents due to the presence of mesityl groups. X‐ray analysis showed that the molecule had a nonplanar and hexagonal wheel‐shaped framework of approximately S₆ symmetry. The dynamic process between two S₆ structures was observed by using the dynamic NMR technique, the barrier being 58 kJ mol^?1. The spectroscopic properties of the hexamer were compared with those of analogous linear oligomers.     

Identification of the Chromophore in the Apatite Pigment [Sr10(PO4)6(CuxOH1−x−y)2]: Linear OCuO− Featuring a Resonance Raman Effect,an Extreme Magnetic Anisotropy,and Slow Spin Relaxation

A new chromophore has been identified in copper‐doped apatite pigments having the general composition [Sr₁₀(PO₄)₆(Cu_xOH_1?x?y)₂], in which x=0.1, 0.3 and y=0.01–0.42. By using X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, low‐temperature magnetization measurements, and synchrotron X‐ray powder structure refinement, it has been shown that the oxygenated compounds contain simultaneously diamagnetic Cu¹⁺ and paramagnetic Cu³⁺ with S=1. Cu³⁺ is located at the same crystallographic position as Cu¹⁺, being linearly coordinated by two oxygen atoms and forming the OCuO^? anion. The Raman spectroscopy study of [A₁₀(PO₄)₆(Cu_xOH_1?x?y)₂,], in which A=Ca, Sr, Ba, reveals resonance bands at 651–656 cm^?1 assigned to the symmetric stretching vibration (ν₁) of OCuO^?. The strontium apatite pigment exhibits a strong paramagnetic anisotropy with an unprecedentedly large negative zero‐field splitting parameter (D) of ≈?400 cm^?1. The extreme magnetic anisotropy causes slow magnetization relaxation with relaxation times (τ) up to 0.3 s at T=2 K, which relates the compounds to single‐ion magnets. At low temperature, τ is limited by a spin quantum‐tunneling, whereas at high temperature a thermally activated relaxation prevails with U_eff≈48 cm^?1. Strong dependence of τ on the paramagnetic center concentration at low temperature suggests that the spin‐spin relaxation dominates in the spin quantum‐tunneling process. The compound is the first example of a d‐metal‐based single‐ion magnet with S=1, the smallest spin at which an energy barrier arises for the spin flipping.     

Theoretical study and rate constants calculation for the reactions X + CF3CH2OCF3 (X = F,Cl, Br)

The multiple‐channel reactions X + CF₃CH₂OCF₃ (X = F, Cl, Br) are theoretically investigated. The minimum energy paths (MEP) are calculated at the MP2/6‐31+G(d,p) level, and energetic information is further refined by the MC‐QCISD (single‐point) method. The rate constants for major reaction channels are calculated by canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with small‐curvature tunneling (SCT) correction over the temperature range 200–2000 K. The theoretical three‐parameter expressions for the three channels k_1a(T) = 1.24 × 10^?15T^1.24exp(?304.81/T), k_2a(T) = 7.27 × 10^?15T^0.37exp(?630.69/T), and k_3a(T) = 2.84 × 10^?19T^2.51 exp(?2725.17/T) cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 are given. Our calculations indicate that hydrogen abstraction channel is only feasible channel due to the smaller barrier height among five channels considered. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2012     

Substituent Effects on Reduction Potentials of Meta-substituted and Para-substituted Benzylideneanilines

Effects of meta-substituent of 3,4'/4,3'/3,3'-substituted benzylideneanilines (XBAYs) on the electrochemical reduction potentials (E_(Red)) were investigated, in which 49 samples of target compounds were synthesized, and their reduction potentials were measured by cyclic voltammetry. The substituent effects on the E_(Red) of target compounds were analyzed and an optimality equation with four parameters (Hammett constant σ of X, Hammett constant σ of Y, excited-state substituent constant σ_CC^ex of X, and the substituent specific cross-interaction effect Δσ_CC^ex2 between X and Y) was obtained. The results show that the factors affecting the E_(Red) of 3,4'/4,3'/3,3'-substituted XBAYs are different from those of 4,4'-substituted XBAYs. For 3,4'/4,3'/3,3'-substituted XBAYs, σ(X) and σ(Y) must be employed, and the contribution of Δσ_CC^ex2 is important and not negligible. Compared with 4,4'-substituted XBAYs, X group contributes less to 3,4'/4,3'/3,3'-substituted XBAYs, while Y group contributes more to them. Additionally, it was observed that either para-substituted XBAYs or meta-substituted XBAYs, the substituent effects of X are larger than those of Y on the E_(Red) of substituted XBAYs.