Synthesis of new cholesterol- and sugar-anchored squaraine dyes: further evidence of how electronic factors influence dye formation

[reaction: see text] Synthesis of new quinaldine-based squaraine dyes linked to cellular recognition elements that exhibit near-infrared absorption (>740 nm) are described. Both product analysis and theoretical calculations substantiate the interesting electronic effects of various substituents in the dye formation reaction. These results are useful in the synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical squaraine dyes that can have potential biological and photodynamic therapeutical applications.     

Kinetics of reaction of copper with substituted benzyl chlorides in dipolar aprotic solvents

The reaction of copper with benzyl chlorides in dipolar aprotic solvents has been investigated. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the reaction of copper with benzyl chloride in dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylacetamide, and hexamethylphosphoramide have been obtained. Hammett plots of log (k/k°) versus the substituent constant σ gave good correlation. The structure of the organic group has little effect on the rate of reaction of benzyl chloride with copper. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were correlated with donor number of solvent (DN). The ratio k_RBr/k_RCl and Hammett ρ values provide evidence in favor of the halogen atom transfer mechanism. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 39: 547–555, 2007     

The kinetics of reaction of copper with substituted benzyl bromides in dipolar aprotic solvents

The reaction of copper with benzyl bromides in dipolar aprotic solvents has been studied. There are no linear or other simple relations between ε, 1/ε, Y, P, n, and the rate of reaction. The activity of the solvent is determined by donor number (DN) in reaction under consideration. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the reaction of copper with benzyl bromide in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) have been clarified. Hammett plots of log (k/k°) vs. the substituent constant σ gave good correlations (ρ = 0.18, S_ρ = 0.02, r = 0.961 in dimethyl sulfoxide and ρ = 0.21, S_ρ = 0.02, r = 0.947 in dimethylacetamide (DMAA)). The structure of the organic group has little effect on the rate of reaction of benzyl bromide with copper. The Hammett ρ value also depends on DN. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 496–501, 2005     

Hydrogen bond-free flavin redox properties: managing flavins in extreme aprotic solvents

We report a simple, single step reaction that transforms riboflavin, which is insoluble in benzene, to tetraphenylacetyl riboflavin (TPARF), which is soluble in this solvent to over 250 mM. Electrochemical analysis of TPARF both alone and in complexes with two benzene-soluble flavin receptors: dibenzylamidopyridine (DBAP) and monobenzylamidopyridine (MBAP), prove that this model system behaves similarly to other previously studied flavin model systems which were soluble only in more polar solvents such as dichloromethane. Binding titrations in both benzene and dichloromethane show that the association constants of TPARF with its ligands are over an order of magnitude higher in benzene than dichloromethane, a consequence of the fact that benzene does not compete for H-bonds, but dichloromethane does. The alteration induced in the visible spectrum of TPARF in benzene upon the addition of DBAP is very similar to the difference produced by transfer to dichloromethane, further indicating that the flavin head group engages in a similar degree of hydrogen bonding with dichloromethane as with its ligands. This work underlines the importance of using a truly nonpolar solvent for the analysis of the effects of hydrogen bonding on the energetics of any biomimetic host-guest model system.     

Simple methods for the estimation of ionization constants of substituted pyridine N-oxides in polar aprotic solvents and water

A direct method for the determination of the pK _a values of acids conjugated to substituted pyridine N-oxides has been proposed which is based on the pH measurement of the solution of the basic salt. It has been experimentally shown that the method is reliable when applied to N-oxides of not too low basicity (pK _a >5). Correlation has been performed between the pK _a values in aqueous and aprotic media solutions which shows the great influence of the solvation effect on the acid-base equilibria. The good correlation between the pK _a values in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions enables the pK _a values in water to be estimated with sufficient accuracy, even in the cases when the experimental limitations make the determination impossible which is shown on the basis of selected examples.     

1H NMR spectral evidence for a specific host-guest complexation induced charge localization in squaraine dyes

[reaction: see text]. Experimental support is provided for the charge localization in squaraines, a class of fundamentally and technologically important organic dyes, by (1)H NMR analysis through a host-guest complexation approach. Specific binding of Ca(2+) ions to the squaraine 2 with a podand sidearm resulted in a charge-localized structure 2a with dramatic shifts and resolution of the proton signals when compared to those of 2.     

Protolytic properties of lignin in binary mixtures of water with aprotic solvents

Acid dissociation constants for three main types of phenol structural fragments of lignin in binary mixtures of water with N,N-dymethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and 1,4-dioxane were determined by spectrophotometric potentiometric titration. The effect of solvent on lignin protolytic properties was examined on the basis of the Kamlet-Taft principle of linear relationship of free solvation energies. It was found that nonspecific interactions with solvent make the dominating contribution to the effect of the medium.     

Ion-pair effects on the electroreduction and electrochromic properties of ortho-chloranil in dipolar aprotic solvents

The use of ortho-chloranil (o-CA) as an electrochromic material requires three conditions to operate properly: (1) the reversibility of the electronic transfer of the reaction

; (2) the formation of a visible-light absorbing charge-transfer complex between o-Ca⁻ and the counterion M⁺, and (3) the use of an insoluble salt o-CA⁻M⁺ as a film adherent to the electrode surface. The behavior of the redox o-CA/o-CA⁻ couple has been investigated in different solvents and in the presence of several alkaline and alkaline earth cations (M^z+). The reversibility of the electron transfer and the formation of an adhesive salt layer on the electrode are strongly related to the counter ion M^z+. The ion-pair formation depends on the solvent and particularly on its weak electron donor character. The best electrochromic properties of o-CA were obtained in 0.1 M NaClO₄ acetonitrile solutions.     

UV-spectroscopic study of the influence of traces of water on the protolytic equilibria of substituted pyridine N-oxides in aprotic solvents

Using a UV-spectrophotometric method, an attempt has been made to estimate quantitatively the influence of traces of water in aprotic solvents on the acidic-basic equilibria involving heterocyclic N-oxides. The N-oxides under study were pyridine N-oxide (PyO), 4-methoxy-pyridine N-oxide (4-MeOPyO), and 2-, 3-, and 4-picoline N-oxide (2-, 3-, and 4-PicO). For particular N-oxide the UV-spectra of acetonitrile solutions containing the free base and/or its simple or semiperchlorate have been recorded. To carry out the calculations various equilibrium models which include the protolytic equilibrium with water and basic species present in the solvent have been tested using the program STOICHIO which is based on non-linear regression analysis. It turned out that apart from the acidic-basic dissociation of a protonated N-oxide and cationic homoconjugation (the equilibria which are usually considered in such systems) it is absolutely necessary to take into account the protolytic equilibrium between the cationic acid and water present as impurity. Implications concerning investigations of other equilibrium systems in aprotic solvents and, in particular, the quality of the acidity constants for the calibration agents used in potentiometry are discussed.     

Electrode reduction mechanism of aromatic nitriles in aprotic solvents: Benzonitrile

The electrode reaction mechanism of benzonitrile in anhydrous DMF has been studied by polarography, potential sweep voltammetry, macroscale electrolysis, e.p.r. spectrometry and kinetic analysis. The relatively stable radical anion formed by one-electron addition decays according to a first order kinetic law, with formation of benzene and CN^? as final products together with substantial amounts of the alkene and alkylamine corresponding to the tetraalkylammonium salt used as background electrolyte. The results are interpreted in terms of a mechanism involving protonation of the anion radical by the solvent and the back-ground electrolyte, followed by dismutation of the resulting neutral radical with the anion radical and elimination of CN^? ions from the anionic species thus formed. By phenol addition CN^? elimination is prevented and the reduction proceeds to 1-cyclohexene-1-nitrile or to cyclohexane-nitrile, depending on the reduction potential.     

Ionizing properties of complexes with strong symmetrical hydrogen bonds in acid solutions in aprotic solvents

The acidity functions H₀ of solutions of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in DMF and methanesulfonic acid (MSA) in 2-pyrrolidone over an acid (HA) concentration range of 0–100% and of H₂SO₄ solutions in 2-pyrrolidone (66.7–100 mol % HA) at 25°C were determined using the indicator method. Data were obtained on the relative ionizing powers of the quasi-ion pairs S· · · H· · ·A (S is a solvent molecule) formed by DMF with acids (HCl, MSA, and TFA) and by MSA with DMF and 2-pyrrolidone. The effects of the acid anion (with MSA and H₂SO₄ solutions in 2-pyrrolidone acting as examples) and the counterion SH⁺ (with MSA solutions in DMF and 2-pyrrolidone acting as examples) on the ionizing power of (Ä · · ·H· · ·A)^– ions with strong symmetrical H-bonds were studied. It was found that, under comparable conditions, the replacement of a 2-pyrrolidone molecule by a DMF molecule in the SH⁺ cation insignificantly decreased the acidity of solution, whereas the (Ä· · ·H· · ·A)^– ions in H₂SO₄ solutions exhibited a much higher ionizing power than that of structurally similar anions in MSA solutions.Translated from Kinetika i Kataliz, Vol. 46, No. 1, 2005, pp. 44–49.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Kislina, Sysoeva, Librovich.     

Effect of solvents on the photophysical properties of substituted imidazonaphthyridine derivatives

The absorption and fluorescence characteristics of three substituted imidazonaphthyridine derivatives are studied in a series of organic solvents. The variation of Stokes shift with the polarity parameter of the solvent is studied and the excited state dipole moment of these derivatives is higher than the ground state dipole moment. The fluorescence lifetime profile shows single exponential decay in all the solvents. The fluorescence quantum yield, radiative and non-radiative rate constants are also calculated and these parameters show much variation in the change in substitution of these derivatives.     

Comparison of photophysical properties of the hemicyanine dyes in ionic and nonionic solvents

The fluorescence properties of 4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-1-n-alkylpyridinium bromide (hemicyanine) dissolved in solvents of different polarities and viscosities (methanol, ethylene glycol, tetra-ethylene glycol, glycerol, benzyl alcohol, pyridine, and two ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [BMIM]BF4, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [BMIM]PF6) were investigated. Significant increase in the fluorescence quantum yield and the fluorescence decay lifetime was observed with the increase in the viscosity of the solvent medium. It is because the intramolecular rotational motion of the molecule becomes more difficult in viscous liquid, which leads to a decrease in the nonradiative decay processes. The fluorescence quantum yields for all of the solutions followed a semiempirical law that depends only on the solvent viscosity. The correlation function C(t) was obtained for each solution by joining fluorescence decay curves measured at different wavelengths. From the fitted results of C(t), we observed the distinctive feature unique to the ionic liquids, in which the correlation functions for ionic liquid solutions are fitted to be biphasic, while they are monophasic for other solvents. The fluorescence maximum of hemicyanine dissolved in these ionic liquids red-shifted following the increase in the excitation wavelength.     

Experimental evidence for the formation of HXeCCH: the first hydrocarbon with an inserted rare-gas atom

Combined FTIR and EPR studies of acetylene irradiated with fast electrons in a solid xenon matrix provide experimental evidence for the formation of HXeCCH, a novel-type organic molecule with an inserted rare-gas atom. The new species resulting from the reaction of H atoms with CCH radicals in xenon was characterized by an intense IR absorption at 1486.0 cm(-1) corresponding to Xe-H stretching.     

Behaviour of aminoacids and aliphatic aldehydes in dipolar aprotic solvents: Formation of oxazolidinones—behaviour of aminoacids and aliphatic aldehydes in dipolar aprotic solvents

Reactions of aliphatic branched aldehydes with proline in dimethyl sulfoxide or acetonitrile solution afford oxazolidin-5-ones with high diastereoselection. Linear aldehydes afford aldolic/crotonic condensation products; with short reaction times, the presence of Oxazolidinones can be detected in the pmr spectra. Acyclic aminoacids and branched aldehydes yield a reaction mixture the pmr and ir spectra of which give evidence for iminic-oxazolidinone equilibria. The structure of (2R,5S)-2-trichloromethyl-1-aza-3-oxabiciclo-[3.3.0]octan-4-one has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

PGSE and NOE NMR evidence for higher order aggregation in some cationic ruthenium complexes in both protic and aprotic solvents

PGSE and NOE NMR measurements were carried out for complexes [Ru(eta(6)-cymene)((2-R-C(6)H(4))N=C(Me)-C(Me)=N(2-R-C(6)H(4)))Cl]X (X = BF(4) or BPh(4)) in both protic and aprotic solvents with a relative permettivity (epsilon(r)) ranging from 2.27 (benzene-d(6)) to 46.45 (dimethyl sulfoxide-d(6)). PGSE and NOE results indicate that complexes have a tendency to aggregate even in medium-polarity solvents such as ethanol (epsilon(r) = 24.55) and methanol (epsilon(r) = 32.66). In addition, the aggregation process is favored by a decrease of epsilon(r) and, unexpectedly, by protic solvents. NOE measurement investigations, interpreted with the help of theoretical calculations and confirmed by X-ray single crystal studies, suggest different aggregation processes for the two counteranions: two cationic moieties approach each other when X = BF(4) while the anion bridges two cationic moieties when X = BPh(4).     

Optical properties of molecular aggregates of oxazine dyes in dispersions of clay minerals

The molecular aggregation of oxazine 1 (Ox1) and oxazine 4 (Ox4) in reduced charge montmorillonite (RCM) colloids was investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. The aggregation was significantly influenced by the structure of dye cations. Presence of four hydrophobic ethyl groups attached to the ammonium substituents in Ox1 cation prevented formation of closely packed sandwich-type assemblies (H-aggregates). Significant effect of the layer charge was observed for Ox4/RCMs dispersions. Large amounts of the Ox4 H-aggregates were formed in the systems with RCMs of the highest layer charge and reflected in quenched fluorescence. The presence of J-aggregates was proven by absorption spectra for the systems with Ox4 and low-charge RCMs. The flocculation of the lowest charge RCM colloids led to an extensive reduction of the luminescence. The trends and effects of the dye molecular structure and RCM properties are compared with the results previously published for other types of dyes.     

Determination of pK(a)'s for thymol blue in aqueous medium: evidence of dimer formation

Formation constants for recrystallized thymol blue were determined in water, using the SQUAD and SUPERQUAD programs. The best model correlating spectrophotometric, potentiometric and conductimetric data was fitted with the dissociation of HL⁻=L²⁻+H⁺−log K=8.918±0.070 and H₃L₂⁻=2L²⁻+3H⁺−log K=29.806±0.133 with the SUPERQUAD program at variable low ionic strength (1.5×10⁻⁴–3.0×10⁻⁴ M); and HL=L²⁻+H⁺−log K=8.9±0.000, H₃L₂⁻ =2L²⁻+3H⁺−log K=30.730±0.032, H₄L₂=2L²⁻+4H⁺−log K=32.106±0.033 with SQUAD at 1.1 M ionic strength.