A triplet carbene surviving a week in solution at room temperature

A stable triplet carbene, having a lifetime at 25 degrees C of 14.5 days in a dilute benzene solution, was realized by simply changing the substituent at the 10 position of the previously most persistent carbene, di[9-(10-phenyl)anthryl]carbene, from a phenyl to a 2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butylphenyl group.     

Generation, reactions, and kinetics of sterically congested triplet diphenylcarbenes. Effects of bromine groups.

A series of polybrominated diphenylcarbenes (DPCs) are generated by irradiation of the corresponding precursor diazomethanes, and their reactivities are investigated by means of low-temperature spectroscopies as well as laser flash photolysis. Triplet bis(2,4,6-tribromophenyl)carbene was shown to decay by undergoing dimerization and to have a half-life of 1 s in a degassed benzene solution at room temperature, some 6 orders of magnitude longer-lived than the parent DPC. Anomalous effects of para substituents on the stability of the triplet are noted. Thus, while the replacement of a 4-bromine group with a methyl group resulted in a sharp decrease in the lifetime, introduction of a tert-butyl group resulted in a dramatic increase in the lifetime; triplet bis(2,6-dibromo-4-tert-butylphenyl)carbene was shown to have a half-life of 16 s in solution at room temperature. Attempts to increase the stability of these polybrominated DPCs by buttressing effects of a m-bromine group and by the synergetic effect of bromine and methyl groups are also described.     

Luminescence of the pyrene/N,N-diethylaniline triplet exciplex in methanol at room temperature

Fluorescence, whose spectral and magnetic properties permit its assignment to the luminescence of a triplex exciplex, has been discovered at times 3 sec after photoexcitation in the luminescence spectrum of the pyrene+N,N-diethylaniline system in methanol at 600 nm by the method of nanosecond stroboscopic fluorometry.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Eksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 25, No. 5, pp. 623–626, September–October, 1989.     

Simple and rapid p-methoxybenzylation of hydroxy and amide groups at room temperature by NaOt-Bu and DMSO

The p-methoxybenzylation of hydroxy and amide groups by p-methoxybenzyl chloride utilizing NaOt-Bu in DMSO is described. p-Methoxybenzylation of sterically hindered menthol using NaOt-Bu in DMSO proceeded faster than the commonly used methods which use NaH in THF or DMF for p-methoxybenzylation of hydroxy and amide groups. The described method was applicable for sterically hindered substrates at room temperature without adding any activating reagents such as tetrabutylammonium iodide.     

Silyl‐protected hydroxystyrenes: Living anionic polymerization at room temperature and selective desilylation

Both 4‐ and 3‐(tert‐butyldimethylsilyl)oxystyrene (MSOST) undergo living anionic polymerization at room temperature with sec‐butyllithium (sBuLi) in cyclohexane or methylcyclohexane upon injection of a small amount of tetrahydrofuran. Desilylation can be conveniently afforded with hydrogen chloride or tetra(alkyl)ammonium fluoride to provide poly(hydroxystyrene) (PHOST) with a narrow molecular weight distribution, which could be further transformed to other polystyrene derivatives. ¹³C NMR spectra of poly(tert‐butyldimethylsilyloxystyrene) (PMSOST) and PHOST prepared under different conditions (tetrahydrofuran vs. cyclohexane, −78 °C vs. 20 °C) have indicated that the room temperature living polymerization in the hydrocarbon‐rich solvent produces polymers with high syndiotacticity. Similarly, 4‐(tert‐butyldiphenylsilyl)oxystyrene (PhSOST), a new monomer, provides living anionic polymerization at room temperature. Desilylation of this polymer can be achieved using tetra(n‐butyl)ammonium or tetraethylammonium fluoride. Inertness of the phenylsilyl ether to HCl allows selective desilylation of the dimethylsilyl ether with HCl in the presence of the phenylsilyl ether group, providing a new route to interesting macromolecules. Application of the selective desilylation technique to the synthesis of a block copolymer of HOST and 4‐tert‐butoxycarbonyloxystyrene (BOCST) is described. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2415–2427, 2000     

Direct visualization of solution morphology of cellulose in ionic liquids by conventional TEM at room temperature

Taking advantage of the negligible vapor pressure and dissolving features of ionic liquids (ILs), the solution morphology and dissolution process of cellulose in ILs have been visualized directly by conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at room temperature for the first time.     

Detection and spectral analysis of trifluoromethyl groups at a surface by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was used to detect the presence of trifluoromethyl groups on the surface of 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl alcohol (TFMBA) in air. Supplementary data from infrared and Raman spectra were correlated to ab initio calculations by use of density functional theory (DFT) for TFMBA and three related compounds to reliably assign vibrational modes to the spectra. It was shown that strongly ordered CF3 groups dominate the surface of the TFMBA, and the vibrational modes of this functional group are strongly coupled to the benzene ring of the benzyl alcohol. This coupling, along with the SFG activity of the CF3 group, is removed with the insertion of an oxygen atom between the CF3 group and the benzene ring.     

Facile synthesis of PbTe nanoparticles and thin films in alkaline aqueous solution at room temperature

A novel, simple, and cost-effective route to PbTe nanoparticles and films is reported in this paper. The PbTe nanoparticles and films are fabricated by a chemical bath method, at room temperature and ambient pressure, using conventional chemicals as starting materials. The average grain size of the nanoparticles collected at the bottom of the bath is ∼25 nm. The film deposited on glass substrate is dense, smooth, and uniform with silver gray metallic luster. The film exhibits p-type conduction and has a moderate Seebeck coefficient value (∼147 μV K⁻¹) and low electrical conductivity (∼0.017 S cm⁻¹). The formation mechanism of the PbTe nanoparticles and films is proposed.     

Chloride complexation by uranyl in a room temperature ionic liquid. A computational study

The stepwise addition of 1 to 4 Cl(-) anions to the uranyl cation has been studied via potential of mean force (PMF) calculations in the [BMI][Tf 2N] ionic liquid based on the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cation (BMI(+)) and the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion (Tf2N(-)). According to these calculations, the four Cl(-) complexation reactions are favored and UO2Cl4(2-) is the most stable chloride complex in [BMI][Tf2N]. The solvation of the different chloro-complexes is found to evolve from purely anionic (ca. 5 Tf2N(-) ions around UO2(2+)) to purely cationic (ca. 8.5 BMI (+) cations around UO2Cl4(2-)), with onion-type alternation of solvent shells. We next compare the solvation of the UO2Cl4(2-) complex to its reduced analogue UO2Cl4(3-) in the [BMI][Tf2N] and [MeBu3N][Tf2N] liquids that possess the same anion, but differ by their cation (imidazolium BMI(+) versus ammonium MeBu3N(+)). The overall solvation structure of both complexes is found to be similar in both liquids with a first solvation shell formed exclusively of solvent cations (about 9 BMI(+) cations or 7 MeBu3N(+) cations). However, a given complex is better solvated by the [BMI][Tf2N] liquid, due to hydrogen bonding interactions between Cl(-) ligands and imidazolium-ring C-H protons. According to free energy calculations, the gain in solvation energy upon reduction of UO2Cl4(2-) to UO2Cl4(3-) is found to be larger in [BMI][Tf2N] than in [MeBu3N][Tf2N], which is fully consistent with recent experimental results (Inorg. Chem. 2006, 45, 10419).     

Borylation of aryldiazonium salts at room temperature in an aqueous solution under catalyst-free conditions

A general and convenient borylation reaction of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborate salts with B₂pin₂ has been developed. In this catalytic system, no catalyst, additional ligands or additives were required. The reaction proceeded smoothly in an aqueous solution, and a variety of arylboronates were isolated in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions.     

Influence of temperature on hydration-shell microstructure of chlorine and bromine anions in aqueous solution

It has been found that the Cl⁻ and Br⁻ anions change the microstructure of their hydration shells in the temperature range 30–35 °C. The effect was observed for simple salt solutions and ternary systems with different organic compounds. Probably this effect can be responsible for the thermoregulation of warm-blooded animals.     

Palladium(II)-N-heterocyclic carbene complex derived from proline towards Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction in water at room temperature

Palladium(II)-N-heterocyclic carbene complex 1 derived from proline has been proved to be a highly effective catalyst in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of aryl iodides and bromides with arylboronic acids in water at room temperature. The reactions are tolerant towards various functional groups in the substrates. Moreover, the complex 1-catalyzed medium-scale (10.0 mmol) Suzuki-Miyaura reactions were also carried out and it was found that the complex was also effective enough in these cases.     

A trimetallic mixed Ru(II)/Fe(II) terpyridyl complex with a long-lived excited state in solution at room temperature

The photophysical behavior of a series of mono- and trimetallic Ru(II) and mixed Ru(II)/Fe(II) bis-terpyridyl complexes was examined. The complexes have bridging terpyridyl ligands linked by phenylene-vinylene substituents on the terpyridyl. For the complexes bridged by a single phenylene-vinylene, the lowest-energy excited state is metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), and excited-state decay is on the 1-10 ns time scale. The complexes with two phenylene-vinylene groups have thermally equilibrated excited states that are localized on the phenylene-vinylene bridge and have much longer lifetimes (>200 ns). Remarkably, the trimetallic complex having an Fe(II) terpyridyl center also has a long-lived excited state, despite the fact that low-energy iron-localized excited states exist on the complex.     

Heteroleptic cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes displaying blue phosphorescence in solution and solid state at room temperature

A series of heteroleptic Ir(III) metal complexes 1-3 bearing two N-phenyl-substituted pyrazoles and one 2-pyridyl pyrazole (or triazole) ligands were synthesized and characterized to attain highly efficient, room-temperature blue phosphorescence. The N-phenylpyrazole ligands, dfpzH = 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyrazole, fpzH = 1-(4-fluorophenyl)pyrazole, dfmpzH = 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3,5-dimethylpyrazole, and fmpzH = 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-3,5-dimethylpyrazole, show a similar reaction pattern with respect to the typical cyclometalated (C(wedge)N) chelate, which utilizes its ortho-substituted phenyl segment to link with the central Ir(III) atom, while the second 2-pyridylpyrazole (or triazole) ligand, namely, fppzH = 3-(trifluoromethyl)-5-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole, fptzH = 3-(trifluoromethyl)-5-(2-pyridyl)triazole, and hptzH = 3-(heptafluoropropyl)-5-(2-pyridyl)triazole, undergoes typical anionic (N--N) chelation to complete the octahedral framework. X-ray structural analyses on complexes [(dfpz)(2)Ir(fppz)] (1a) and [(fmpz)(2)Ir(hptz)] (3d) were established to confirm their molecular structures. Increases of the pipi energy gaps of the Ir(III) metal complexes were systematically achieved with two tuning strategies. One involves the substitution for one or two fluorine atoms at the N-phenyl segment or the introduction of two electron-releasing methyl substituents at the pyrazole segment of the H(C--N) ligands. Alternatively, we have applied the more electron-accepting triazolate in place of the pyrazolate segment for the third (N--N)H ligand. Our results, on the basis of steady-state, relaxation dynamics, and theoretical approaches, lead to a conclusion that, for complexes 1-3, the weakening of iridium metal-ligand bonding strength in the T(1) state plays a crucial role for the fast radiationless deactivation. For the case of [(fmpz)(2)Ir(hptz)] (3d), a thermal deactivation barrier of 4.8 kcal/mol was further deduced via temperature-dependent studies. The results provide a theoretical basis for future design and synthesis of the corresponding analogues suited to blue phosphorescent emitters.     

In situ synthesis of polystyrene/nano-CdSe core/shell microspheres in aqueous solution at room temperature

Polystyrene/nano-CdSe (PS/CdSe) core/shell microspheres were synthesized via in situ soap-free emulsion polymerization using various functional monomers such as 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate, 1-vinylimidazole, 2-vinylpridine, and 4-vinylpridine. They were co-polymerized with styrene monomer and provided the location for coordinating with Cd²⁺ ions on the PS particle surfaces. Then, we used an alkaline selenium solution as a selenium source. Reaction of the alkaline selenium solution with the previous emulsion produced nanocrystalline CdSe onto the surface of PS particles at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The different kinds of functional monomers and the amount of both Cd²⁺ ion and functional monomer were playing important roles to obtain stable and uniform morphologies of CdSe particles. Morphological observations were carried out by both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Through the SEM and TEM microphotographs, we could confirm the formation of PS/nano-CdSe composite particles. Ultraviolet–visible absorption measurement indicated the quantum dot effect in the resulted PS/nano-CdSe core/shell microspheres.     

Synthesis of monolithic mesoporous silica with a regular structure (SBA-15) and macropores in neutral aqueous solution at room temperature

A monolithic biporous silica material of SBA-15 type has been synthesized by the sol-gel method in a neutral aqueous solution in the presence of glycerol without heating. Synthesis has been performed using P123 triblock copolymer and a novel silica precursor containing ethylene glycol residues.     

Aryl C-H amination by diruthenium nitrides in the solid state and in solution at room temperature: experimental and computational study of the reaction mechanism

Diruthenium azido complexes Ru(2)(DPhF)(4)N(3) (1a, DPhF = N,N'-diphenylformamidinate) and Ru(2)(D(3,5-Cl(2))PhF)(4)N(3) (1b, D(3,5-Cl(2))PhF = N,N'-bis(3,5-dichlorophenyl)formamidinate) have been investigated by thermolytic and photolytic experiments to investigate the chemical reactivity of the corresponding diruthenium nitride species. Thermolysis of 1b at ~100 °C leads to the expulsion of N(2) and isolation of Ru(2)(D(3,5-Cl(2))PhF)(3)NH(C(13)H(6)N(2)Cl(4)) (3b), in which a nitrogen atom has been inserted into one of the proximal aryl C-H bonds of a D(3,5-Cl(2))PhF ligand. A similar C-H insertion product is obtained upon thawing a frozen CH(2)Cl(2) solution of the nitride complex Ru(2)(DPhF)(4)N (2a), formed via photolysis at -196 °C of 1a to yield Ru(2)(DPhF)(3)NH(C(13)H(10)N(2)) (3a). Evidence is provided here that both reactions proceed via direct intramolecular attack of an electrophilic terminal nitrido nitrogen atom on a proximal aryl ring. Thermodynamic and kinetic data for this reaction are obtained from differential scanning calorimetric measurements and thermal gravimetric analysis of the thermolysis of Ru(2)(D(3,5-Cl(2))PhF)(4)N(3), and by Arrhenius/Eyring analysis of the conversion of Ru(2)(DPhF)(4)N to its C-H insertion product, respectively. These data are used to develop a detailed, experimentally validated DFT reaction pathway for N(2) extrusion and C-H functionalization from Ru(2)(D(3,5-Cl(2))PhF)(4)N(3). The diruthenium nitrido complex is an intermediate in the calculated reaction pathway, and the C-H functionalization event shares a close resemblance to a classical electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism.     

Conversion of intramolecular singlet electron transfer at room temperature into triplet energy transfer at 77 K: photoisomerization in norbornadiene- and carbazole-labeled poly(aryl ether) dendrimers

A series of Fréchet-type poly(aryl ether) dendrimers (CZ-Gn-NBD, n = 1-3) with carbazole (CZ) chromophores and a norbornadiene (NBD) group attached to the periphery and the core, respectively, were synthesized, and their photophysical and photochemical properties were investigated. Selective excitation of the carbazole units in CZ-Gn-NBD resulted in a singlet electron transfer from CZ to NBD at room temperature, and an intersystem crossing followed a triplet-triplet energy transfer from CZ to NBD in glassy 2-methyltetrahydrofuran at 77 K. Both singlet electron transfer and triplet energy transfer processes lead to the isomerization of the norbornadiene group into the quadricyclane (CZ-Gn-QC). The efficiencies and the rate constants for singlet electron transfer are approximately 88, 80, and 74% and 1.8 x 10(9), 6.1 x 10(8), and 4.0 x 10(8) s(-1) for generations 1-3, respectively. The quantum yields of the intramolecular photosensitized isomerization are measured to be approximately 0.013, 0.012, and 0.011, and the efficiencies of triplet norbornadiene formation via singlet electron transfer are approximately 0.070, 0.065, and 0.059 for generations 1-3, respectively. The light-harvesting ability of CZ-Gn-NBD increases with the generation due to an increase of the number of peripheral chromophores. In glassy 2-methyltetrahydrofuran at 77 K, the triplet-triplet energy transfer proceeds with efficiencies of approximately 0.86, 0.64, and 0.36 and rate constants of 0.96, 0.25, and 0.08 s(-1) for generations 1-3, respectively. The intramolecular singlet electron transfer and triplet energy transfer in CZ-Gn-NBD proceed mainly via a through-space mechanism involving the proximate donor (folding back conformation) and acceptor groups.