Convergent synthesis of alternating fluorene-p-xylene oligomers and delineation of the (silver) cation-induced folding

Convergent synthetic routes for the preparation of hitherto unknown fluorene-p-xylene oligomers (containing up to 10 fluorene moieties) from readily available starting materials are described. The conformationally adaptable monomeric receptor (which is made of a pair of fluorene and one p-xylene ring, i.e., Z1) undergoes a simple C-C bond rotation in the presence of silver cations to produce a pi-prismand-like receptor which binds a single silver cation with remarkable efficiency (i.e., K approximately 15,000 M(-1)). The data on 1H NMR spectroscopic titrations with Ag+ together with the density functional theory and AM1 calculations allows us to establish that various oligomers of Z1 (i.e., Z2-Z9) also undergo ready folding into the structures that contain multiple pi-prismand-like receptor sites in the presence of silver cations. The multiple cavities in Z3-Z9 accommodate a single silver cation per cavity with efficiency similar to that of Z1.     

Mechanism and dynamics of azobenzene photoisomerization

The excited-state dynamics of trans-azobenzene were investigated by femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics. Two near-degenerate pipi* excited states, S2 and S3,4, were identified in a region hitherto associated with only one excited state. These results help to explain contradictory reports about the photoisomerization mechanism and the wavelength dependence of the quantum yield. A new model for the isomerization mechanism is proposed.     

Photochromism of 2-(phenylazo)imidazoles

The isomerization behaviors of 2-(phenylazo)imidazole (Pai-H) and 1-N-methyl-2-(phenylazo)imidazole (Pai-Me) have been investigated. The crystal structure of trans-Pai-Me was determined, revealing that key structures around the azo group are nearly identical among azobenzene, Pai-H, and Pai-Me. Pai-Me undergoes reversible cis/trans photoisomerization, whereas Pai-H responds poorly to irradiation. The quantum yields of trans-to-cis isomerization of Pai-Me on 454 and 355 nm excitation are 0.35 +/- 0.03 and 0.25 +/- 0.03, respectively, in toluene. The wavelength-dependent isomerization quantum yield is well-known for azobenzene, but these values are substantially higher than those of azobenzene. The activation energy of thermal cis-to-trans isomerization of Pai-Me in toluene is 79.0 +/- 3.5 kJ mol(-1), which is lower than that of azobenzene by 15 kJ mol(-1). The thermal cis-to-trans isomerization of Pai-H is even faster. Density functional theory calculations were performed, revealing that the energy gaps between the azo n-orbital and the highest pi-orbital of azoimidazoles are much narrower than that of azobenzene. Finally, a preliminary study suggested that metal ions can modulate the absorption spectrum of Pai-Me without a loss of the gross photochromic behavior.     

Non-empirical calculations on the conformational structure of azobenzene and benzylideneaniline

The conformational structures of cis- and trans-azobenzene and benzylideneaniline have been investigated by means of ab initio SCF calculations. Contrary to semiempirical results, the equilibrium molecular geometries are correctly accounted for in the non-empirical SCF-formalism. Trans-azobenzene is found to be planar, or at least peri-planar, while the phenyl rings of the cis-isomer are twisted by 56° out-of-plane. Both isomers of benzylideneaniline are non-planar, with rotational angles θ₁ (C-N) = 48°, θ₂(C-C) = 0° and θ₁ = θ₂ = 75° for the trans and cis form, respectively. Trans-azobenzene is calculated to be more stable by 10.4 kcal mol^?1 than the cis isomer, which is in good accord with the experimental value of 10 kcal mol^?1. The energy of isomerization of benzylideneaniline amounts to 13.0 kcal mol^?1.     

Synthesis of thiophene/phenylene co‐oligomers. II [1]. Block and alternating co‐oligomers

We report the synthesis of block and alternating thiophene/phenylene co‐oligomers that is based either on the Suzuki coupling reaction or on the Grignard reaction. These reaction schemes enable us to obtain the target compounds at reasonably high yields. The resulting materials have been fully characterized through the solid‐state ¹³C nmr and Fourier‐transform ir as well as the ¹H nmr. Of these, the solid‐state ¹³C nmr and ir are particularly useful in characterizing the materials of higher molecular weight, since those materials are difficult to dissolve in organic solvents.     

Synthesis and electronic properties of alternating alpha,alpha'-thiophene-phosphole oligomers

[structure: see text] Alternating thiophene-phosphole oligomers up to seven rings in length have been synthesized. A regular decrease of the HOMO-LUMO gap is observed upon increasing the length of the pi-conjugated system. The nature of the P-moieties dramatically influences the optical and electrochemical properties of these phosphole-based oligomers. Electro-oxidation of derivative 5a afforded an electroactive polymer exhibiting reversible p-doping.     

Synthesis of diethoxymethyl[m-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]silane and triethoxy[m-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]silane

Summary Diethoxymethy][m-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]silane and triethoxy[m-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]silane were synthesized.     

Transition metal (disubstituted phenylazo)-barbituric and thiobarbituric acid complexes

Summary Disubstituted phenylazo-barbituric and thiobarbituric acid complexes derived from Co^II, Ni^II and Cu^II salts have been prepared. Electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements prove that the cobalt and nickel complexes have high-spin octahedral and square planar configurations, respectively. The copper-barbituric complexes have distorted octahedral geometry with a possible Cu–Cu interaction, whereas the corresponding thiobarbiturate complexes have square pyramidal distorted octahedral and tetragonal geometries. The room temperature e.s.r. spectra of the copper complexes show anisotropy with axial symmetry in tetragonal geometry, ground state as a result of Cu–Cu interaction. This dimeric structure disappears in DMSO solution. The intradimer super-exchange interaction is temperature dependent indicating a change of the geometry. In some complexes, the azo group coordinates to the metal, in others it does not. The denticity of the ligands has been determined.     

Temperature-dependent tail-tail dynamics of pyrene-labeled poly(dimethylsiloxane) oligomers dissolved in ethyl acetate

We have determined the tail-tail dynamics and energetics of linear poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) polymers (M(n) = 3100; M(w)/M(n) = 1.07) that have been terminally labeled with pyrene (Py-PDMS-Py) in ethyl acetate between 255 and 323 K. The upper critical solution temperature (theta(u)) for the PDMS/ethyl acetate system is 278 K. The Py-PDMS-Py photophysics follow the Birks model at all of the temperatures studied. However, there is evidence for an increase in the local composition of PDMS surrounding the Py- residues in Py-PDMS-Py below the theta temperature. The recovered activation energy for Py-PDMS-Py tail-tail cyclization is the same as the activation energy for diffusion in ethyl acetate. The activation energy for cyclization is about fourfold larger in comparison to the barrier for PDMS internal backbone rotations. The estimated internal activation barrier for Py-PDMS-Py in ethyl acetate is in line with the internal barrier rotation for PDMS backbone rotation. The intramolecular excimer binding energy for Py-PDMS-Py in ethyl acetate is similar to the intermolecular pyrene excimer. In the ground state, the mean distance between the Py-PDMS-Py tail segments does not change over the temperature range studied. A comparison of these temperature-dependent Py-PDMS-Py/ethyl acetate results with previous results on Py-PDMS-Py in pure supercritical CO2 and CO2-dilated liquids shows that the addition of CO2 to the liquid phase offers the way to tune to Py-PDMS-Py tail-tail dynamics over the greatest range.     

Isomer-specific spectroscopy and conformational isomerization energetics of o-, m-, and p-ethynylstyrenes

The infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy of o-, m-, and p-ethynylstyrene isomers (oES, mES, and pES) were studied by a combination of methods, including resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization (R2PI), UV-UV hole-burning spectroscopy (UVHB), resonant ion-dip infrared spectroscopy (RIDIRS), and rotationally resolved fluorescence excitation spectroscopy. In addition, the newly developed method of stimulated emission pumping-population transfer spectroscopy (SEP-PTS) was used to determine the energy threshold to conformational isomerization in m-ethynylstyrene. The S(1) <-- S(0) origin transitions of oES and pES occur at 32 369 and 33 407 cm(-1), respectively. In mES, the cis and trans conformations are calculated to be close in energy. In the R2PI spectrum of mES, the two most prominent peaks (32672 and 32926 cm(-1)) were confirmed by UVHB spectroscopy to be S(1) <-- S(0) origins of these two conformers. The red-shifted conformer was identified as the cis structure by least-squares fitting of the rotationally resolved fluorescence excitation spectrum of the origin band. There are also two possible conformations in oES, but transitions due to only one were observed experimentally, as confirmed by UVHB spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations (B3LYP/6-31+G) predict that the cis-ortho conformer, in which the substituents point toward each other, is about 8 kJ/mol higher in energy than the trans-ortho isomer, and should only be about 5% of the room temperature population of oES. Ground-state infrared spectra in the C-H stretch region (3000-3300 cm(-1)) of each isomer were obtained with RIDIRS. In all three structural isomers, the acetylenic C-H stretch fundamental was split by Fermi resonance. Infrared spectra were also recorded in the excited electronic state, using a UV-IR-UV version of RIDIR spectroscopy. In all three isomers the acetylenic C-H stretch fundamental was unshifted from the ground state, but no Fermi resonance was seen. The first observed and last unobserved transitions in the SEP-PT spectrum were used to place lower and upper bounds on the barrier to cis --> trans isomerization in m-ethynylstyrene of 990-1070 cm(-1). Arguments are given for the lack of a kinetic shift in the measurement. The analogous trans --> cis barrier is in the same range (989-1065 cm(-1)), indicating that the relative energies of the zero-point levels of the two isomers are (E(ZPL)(cis) - E(ZPL)(trans))= -75 to +81 cm(-1). Both the barrier heights and relative energies of the minima are close to those determined by DFT (Becke3LYP/6-31+G) calculations.     

Stereochemistry of oligomers in stereospecific and conformational specific ionic polymerizations

Low molecular weight oligomers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and perhaloacetaldehyde were studied as to their composition, end groups and stereochemistry. The oligomerization of methyl methacrylate can be directed toward almost pure isotactic or toward almost syndiotactic oligomers depending upon the intitiating system used. Perhaloacetaldehydes showed a stereospecificity which depended upon the size and bulkiness of the side group in the polymer chain. There is no dependence of the sterospecificity based on the initiating system and only isotactic polymers could be obtained which are not only stereospecific but also conformationally specific giving conformational specific isotactic 4/1 helices.     

Structure property and mesomorphic behaviour of S-shaped liquid crystal oligomers possessing two azobenzene moieties

A new series of symmetrical S-shaped oligomers 4,4?-bis(ω-2-(ω-[(bromophenyl)diazenyl]-alkoxy)phenoxy)hexylbiphenyl consisting of two different spacers (inner -(CH₂)₆- and outer -(CH₂)_n-) have been synthesised. Their physical, thermal and texture observation over various transition temperatures are reported. The outer spacers for these compounds vary from n = 4 to n = 9. The oligomers with even number of members exhibit monotropic phase in which the compound with n = 4 shows nematic (N) phase whilst those with members n = 6 and 8 exhibit N and smectic A (SmA) phases. However, the homologs with odd number of members display enantiotropic phase in which the compound with n = 5 exhibits N and smectic phases whereas the members with n = 7 and 9 are predominantly smectogenic. The temperature range of N phase for even-numbered member decreased with elongation of the outer spacer. The smectic phase stability among the members in the present series increases when the outer spacer n is increased from 5 to 8.     

Theoretical and photophysical study of photoisomerism of cyanine dyes: bisphenylaminopentamethine cyanine (BPPC)

The trans-cis photoisomerism of BPPC was investigated as part of a comprehensive, both theoretical and experimental, study on the photophysical and photochemical properties of cyanines having pentamethine cyanine as a common chromophore. In this work the determination of the trans → cis photoisomerization and thermal back isomerizatkm kinetics in alcohols was combined with CS INDO CI calculations of S₀ and S₁ potential energy curves for the paths leading to mono-cis isomers, where the dielectric solvent effects were taken into account by the simple virtual charge model. In agreement with the indications of a previous steady-state spectroscopy study, it was concluded that irradiation of BPPC into the visible absorption region gives rise to formation of the C(3)–C(4) cis planar isomer, already observed with the parent chromophore (BMPC), and an additional isomer, N(1)-C(2) cis, peculiar to BPPC. The role of the solute-solvent interactions is discussed with reference to the purely intramolecular model previously proposed for the cyanine photoisomerization.     

Soliton dynamics in alternating trans-polyacetylene and in stacked systems

The influence of substitutional disorder, of random forces and of energy dissipation on solitons in alternating trans-polyacetylene using the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Hamiltonian is discussed. Double ionization in polyene chains was also investigated. Further soliton dynamics within a full Pariser-Parr-Pople Hamiltonian for trans-polyacetylene are presented. The presence of conformational solitons in stacked systems is shown numerically in a polyformamide model system. Possible relations to DNA and carcinogenesis are briefly reviewed.     

9-Anthracenyl-substituted pyridyl enones revisited: photoisomerism in ligands and silver(I) complexes

In solution, (E) to (Z)-isomerism is facile both in 3-(9-anthracenyl)-1-(pyridin-4-yl)propenone, 2, and in its silver(I) complex [Ag(2)(2)](+). The crystal structures of (E)-2, (Z)-2 and [Ag{(E)-2}(2)][SbF(6)] are presented, and the roles of edge-to-face and face-to-face π-interactions in the lattice are discussed. Solution NMR spectroscopic data suggest that the driving force for (E) to (Z) isomerization is intramolecular π-stacking of the pyridine and anthracene domains. The reversed enone 3-(9-anthracenyl)-1-(pyridin-4-yl)propen-3-one, (E)-3, and the silver(I) complex [Ag{(E)-3}(2)][SbF(6)] have been prepared and characterized, including a single crystal X-ray determination of the latter. Surprisingly, no π-stacking between anthracene or pyridine domains is observed in the solid state, and the crystal packing is dominated by Ag···F, CH(anthracene)···π-pyridine and CH···F interactions. In contrast to (E)-2 and [Ag{(E)-2}(2)](+), neither (E)-3 nor [Ag{(E)-3}(2)](+) undergoes photoisomerization in solution.     

Homogeneous polyesters of predetermined length,composition, and sequence: Model synthesis of alternating glycolic-acid-co-(L)-lactic-acid oligomers

Methods for making monodisperse polyester copolymers of predetermined length, com-position, and sequence are reported. Alternating oligomers of (L)-lactic-co-glycolic acid (La-co-Gl), isosteric with polypeptides, are prepared by solution methods of protecting, coupling, and deprotecting alcohol and acid groups. The carboxylic acid is protected by benzyl ester formation and released by hydrogenation. The hydroxyl group is protected as the methoxyethoxyethyl ether and deprotected with sodium iodide and trimethylsilyl chlo-ride. Coupling uses dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. End-capped alternating oligomers containing ? (GILa)₄? and ? (GILa)₈? show polymer properties. They are noncrystalline oils that exhibit discernable T_g. The conformation of ? GILa? and ? LaGl? diads in the polyesters is shown to be similar to isosteric peptide diads ? GlyAla? and ? AlaGly? . Exactly structured, monodisperse polyesters suggest a chemical parallel to proteins. Designed struc-tural templates combining sheet-form ? (Gl)_n? and helical ? (La)_n? segments are at-tractive synthesis targets. The solution preparations reported here can be applied, but it is suggested that biosynthetic methods for introducing single ester units into peptide chains be adapted to synthesize precisely fashioned polyesters. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.