Benzil-tethered precipitons for controlling solubility: a round-trip energy-transfer mechanism in the isomerization of extended stilbene analogues

We are investigating photoresponsive molecules called "precipitons" that undergo a solubility change co-incident with isomerization. Isomerization can be induced by light or by catalytic reagents. Previous work demonstrated that covalent attachment of a metal complex, Ru(II)(bpy)3, greatly accelerates photoisomerization and influences the photostationary state. In this paper, we describe precipitons (1,2-biphenylethenes; analogous to stilbenes) that are activated by a covalently attached organic sensitizer (benzil). We find that isomerization of these stilbene analogues is little effected by the presence of benzil in solution but that the intramolecular benzil effect is to increase the rate of isomerization and to significantly change the photostationary state. What is most interesting about these observations is that the precipiton is the primary chromophore in this bichromophoric system (precipiton absorbance is many times greater than benzil absorbance in the 300-400 nm range), yet the neighboring benzil has a significant effect on the rate and the photostationary state. The effect of unattached benzil on the rate was small, about a 24% increase in rate as compared with 4-6-fold changes for an attached benzil. We speculate that the isomerization process occurs by a "round-trip" energy-transfer mechanism. Initial excitation of the precipiton chromophore initiates a sequence that includes (1) formation of the precipiton singlet state, (2) singlet excitation transfer from the precipiton unit to the benzil, (3) benzil-centered intersystem crossing to the localized benzil triplet state, (4) triplet energy transfer from the benzil moiety back to the precipiton, and (5) isomerization.     

Tailored side‐chain architecture of benzil voltage stabilizers for enhanced dielectric strength of cross‐linked polyethylene

The synthesis and physico‐chemical properties of seven benzil‐type voltage stabilizers are reported. The benzil core is substituted with alkyl chains of different length that are linked to the benzil core via an ester, ether, or tertiary amine group. All additives can be melt‐processed with low‐density polyethylene (LDPE). Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that benzil compounds are not affected by the LDPE cross‐linking reaction induced by dicumyl peroxide. Moreover, a combination of gel content measurements, thermal analysis, and small‐angle X‐ray scattering indicates that the presence of benzil voltage stabilizers does not significantly alter the microstructure of cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE). Electrical tree inhibition experiments under high‐voltage alternating current conditions show that all investigated additives substantially enhance the dielectric strength of the insulating material at a concentration of only 10 mmol kg^?1. The highest improvement in dielectric strength, of more than 70% with respect to reference XLPE, is obtained with voltage stabilizers, which carry short (methyl) side chains that are linked to the benzil core via an ester or tertiary amine group. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 1047–1054     

Conformational relaxation in the excited electronic states of benzil and naphthyl

A time-resolved study of the emission from benzil and naphthyl in semi-solid glasses (e.g. alcoholic glass near the melting point) using a pulsed N₂-laser as an excitation source is reported. The emission from the relaxed excited triplet shows a growth followed by a decay. This growth provides a convincing proof of geometrical relaxation occurring in the excited states of benzil and naphthyl.     

Four-Component,One-Pot Synthesis of Tetra-Substituted Imidazoles Using a Catalytic Amount of MCM-41 or p-TsOH

An improved and rapid one-pot synthesis of tetrasubstituted imidazoles by condensing benzil, ammonium acetate, amines, and aromatic aldehydes and using a catalytic amount of silica structure MCM-41 or p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) as efficient, green, reusable catalysts in excellent yields is reported.     

The benzil rearrangement reaction: trapping of a hitherto minor product and its application to the development of a selective cyanide anion indicator

The isolation and characterization of an intermediate from the benzil-cyanide reaction is reported. The use of this trapping chemistry to produce a chemical indicator for the cyanide anion is described. It relies on the synthesis and reaction of a pi-extended analogue of benzil. Addition of tetrabutylammonium cyanide to organic solutions of this species, referred to as compound 3 in the text, gives rise to a dramatic change in both color and fluorescence properties.     

Tandem and chemoselective synthesis of benzil derivatives from styrene and arene diazonium salts

A facile and practically applied protocol for synthesis of benzil derivatives using styrene and arene diazonium salts is reported. Pd(OAc)₂/SeO₂ catalytic system was found to be efficient for chemoselective synthesis of benzil. Selenium dioxide works well as an oxidant under milder reaction conditions. Moderate to very good yields of the desired products were obtained.     

On the mechanism of bibenzyl formation by deoxidation/reduction of aromatic species with lithium 4,4′-di-t-butylbiphenyl radical anion - a correction

In the reaction of benzil with lithium in the presence of 4,4′-dit-butylbiphenyl (DBB)trans-stilbene4 and dilithiobibenzyl5 are intermediates instead of the reported tetralithiobibenzyl2.     

Sensitized phosphorescence of benzil-doped ladder-type methyl-poly(para-phenylene)

The delayed luminescence and phosphorescence of ladder-type methyl-poly(para-phenylene) (MeLPPP) doped with benzil at a concentration of 20% by weight has been measured. The introduction of benzil leads to a dramatic reduction of the polymer singlet emission. At the same time, a new band with maximum at 611 nm appears, corresponding to the phosphorescence of MeLPPP. The phosphorescence decay on the short time scale is close to an exponential law with a time decay of 15 ms. This indicates that benzil can efficiently sensitize the phosphorescence of the polymer. In addition, a broad and featureless emission is observed in the delayed luminescence spectra of benzil-doped MeLPPP, which is attributed to an exciplex formed between the polymer host and the dopant. We further observe that the delayed fluorescence is enhanced by the addition of benzil. It is concluded that the delayed fluorescence of benzil-doped MeLPPP is mainly due to the annihilation of triplet excitons on the polymer. Finally, efficient triplet-triplet energy transfer from the benzil-doped polymer to the red-emitting phosphorescent dye Pt(II)octaethylporphyrin is established.     

Multiple conformations of benzil in resorcinarene-based supramolecular host matrixes

Six supramolecular complexes incorporating benzil as a guest, CMCR*bipy*benzil (alpha) 1 (CMCR = C-methylcalix[4]resorcinarene), CMCR*bipy*benzil (beta) 2, CMCR*2bpe*benzil*ethanol 3 (bpe = trans-1,4-bis(pyridyl)ethylene), CMCR*2bpe*benzil*2H2O 4, CMCR.2bpeh*benzil*ethanol 5 (bpeh = bis-(1-pyridin-4-yl-ethylidene)-hydrazine), and CECR*2bpe.benzil 6 (CECR = C-ethylcalix[4]resorcinarene), have been synthesized by hydrothermal and conventional methods and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Resorcinarene adopts a boat conformation in 1-4 and a bowl conformation in 5 and 6. Compounds 1-4 show a brick-wall-like framework, in which two benzil molecules are incorporated. For 5, bpeh spacers link CMCR molecules to give a one-dimensional wavelike polymer in which one benzil guest is embedded within the polymer cavity. Complex 6 forms a carcerand-like capsule in which two benzil guests are encapsulated. The O=C-C=O torsion angles vary from 91.8 to 139.3 degrees and correlate with the length of the central C-C bond. The benzil concentration, which is approximately 6.2 mol/L in the neat crystals, varies between 1.01 and 1.51 mol/L in the structures studied, corresponding to a 6-fold dilution. The benzil molecules are disordered in the larger cavities of 4 and 5. The two benzoyl fragments are almost perpendicular in 3, which has the next largest cavity size when solvent volume is excluded, whereas a nearly trans-coplanar conformation occurs for the cavity with the smallest volume in 6.     

Indium-catalyzed direct chlorination of alcohols using chlorodimethylsilane-benzil as a selective and mild system

The InCl3-catalyzed reaction of alcohols with chlorodimethylsilane (HSiMe2Cl) in the presence of benzil gave the corresponding organic chlorides under mild conditions. Benzil significantly changes the reaction course because the reducing product through dehydroxyhydration was obtained in the absence of benzil. The secondary or tertiary alcohols were effectively chlorinated. The substrates bearing acid-sensitive functional groups were also applied to this system. The highly selective chlorination of the tertiary site was observed in the competitive reaction between tertiary and primary alcohols. The highly coordinated hydrosilane generated from benzil and HSiMe2Cl is an important intermediate.     

Synthesis of 1,2,4,5‐Tetrasubstituted Imidazoles Using Sulfuric Acid ([3‐(3‐Silicapropyl)sulfanyl]propyl]ester as a Recyclable Solid Acid

Sulfuric acid ([3‐(3‐silicapropyl)sulfanyl]propyl]ester (SASPSPE) is used as a recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of 1,2,4,5‐tetrasubstituted imidazoles. A range of various polysubstituted imidazoles was synthesized via four‐component condensation of benzil, aldehydes, amines, and ammonium acetate in the presence of SASPSPE under solvent‐free conditions at 140°C. The heterogeneous catalyst was recycled for five runs on the reaction of benzil, 4‐methylbenzaldehyde, benzyl amine, and ammonium acetate without losing its catalytic activity.     

Polymerization photoinitiated by carbonyl compounds. VI. Mechanism of benzil photoinitiation

The mechanism of the photoinitiation of the vinyl polymerization sensitized by benzil and 4,4′-dimethoxybenzil was studied. The monomers considered were methacrylic acid esters and styrene derivatives. All these monomers are efficient quenchers of the excited triplet benzil. However, the initiation efficiency of the benzil is important only when styrene derivatives are employed as monomers. The main polymerization process follows a simple free radical mechanism. The initiation step is a consequence of the interaction (triplet benzil–monomer double bond) through a charge transfer complex.     

Thermochemical investigations of nearly idial binary solvents. 6. Solubilities of iodine and benzil in systems of nonspecific interactions

Solubilities have been determined at 25°C for iodine in binary mixtures of carbon tetrachloride with cyclohexane, n-hexane, n-heptane, and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS) and in mixtures of cyclohexane with n-hexane and OMCTS; and for benzil in binary mixtures of carbon tetrachloride with cyclohexane, n-hexane, and n-heptane, mixtures of n-hexane with cyclohexane and n-heptane, and mixtures of benzene with cyclohexane and toluene. With the exception of the benzene+cyclohexane system, the nearly ideal binary solvent model predicts these solubilities with a maximum deviation of 6% and an overall standard deviation of 2.4%. The model correctly predicts minima for solubility (mole fraction) of iodine in the OMCTS systems, and predicts solubilities within 4% for benzil in the carbon tetrachloride+n-hexane system, in which the solubility changes by a factor of 14. The failure of the model for predicting solubilities of benzil in mixtures of benzene and cyclohexane (maximum error of 25% for and 18-fold range of solubilities) is possibly due to specific interactions between benzil and benzene.     

Polymorphism dependent triplet-involved emissions of a pure organic luminogen

Polymorphism has been frequently used in tuning the singlet emissions of pure organic dyes. The modulation of triplet-involved emissions, particularly room temperature phosphorescence(RTP),however, is scarcely reported. Herein, polymorphism is reported to tune the triplet-involved emissions of 2 CZBZL, a newly designed pure organic luminogen consisting of twisted benzil and two planar carbazole moieties. Other than the conventional modulation through changing molecular conformation and packing, vibration can also finely tune the triplet-involved emissions. Besides prompt fluorescence(PF),polymorph B with relatively extended conformation emits thermally activated delayed fluorescence(TADF), whereas the others(A, C–E) with similarly more twisted conformations generate predominant RTP or simultaneous DF and RTP. These results demonstrate the fascinating chance to regulate the tripletinvolved emissions through controlling conformation and vibration.     

Fe2O3/Al2O3催化氧化苯偶姻制备苯偶酰

考察了几种常用载体负载金属氧化物催化分子氧氧化苯偶姻制备苯偶酰的性能 ，发现氧化铁、三氧化二铝催化活性较高，稳定性较好。以吡啶为溶剂，用483K下 活化的含铁14．8％的氧化铁／三氧化二铝作催化剂，当其用量为苯偶姻用量20％ （质量分数），253K下反应1h,苯偶酰平均产率98．1％。用IR，MS，和^1H NMR光 谱对其结构进行了表征。     

An expedient one-pot synthesis of highly substituted imidazoles using supported ionic liquid-like phase（SILLP） as a green and effcient catalyst and evaluation of their anti-microbial activity

An effcient method for the synthesis of imidazole derivatives by a three-component condensation of benzil or 9,10-phenanthrenequinone,aldehydes and ammonium acetate using supported ionic liquidlike phase（SILLP）catalyst under ultrasonic irradiation or classical heating conditions is reported.The present methodology offers several advantages,such as excellent yields,simple procedures,short reaction times,simple work-up and mild conditions.The catalyst is easily separated from the products by fltration and also exhibits remarkable reusable activity.These highly substituted imidazoles were also evaluated for their anti-microbial activity.     

Synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles using silica-bonded propylpiperazine N-sulfamic acid as a recyclable solid acid catalyst

A simple and efficient procedure for the preparation of silica-bonded propylpiperazine-N-sulfamic acid (SBPPSA) by the reaction of 3-piperazine-N-propylsilica (3-PNPS) and chlorosulfonic acid in chloroform is described. Silica-bonded propylpiperazine-N-sulfamic acid is employed as a recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of highly substituted imidazoles from the reaction of benzil, aromatic aldehydes, ammonium acetate and amines under solvent-free conditions. The heterogeneous catalyst was recycled for five runs upon the reaction of benzil, 4-methylbenzaldehyde, benzylamine, and ammonium acetate without losing its catalytic activity.     

Synthesis,magnetic and spectral studies of chromium(III), manganese(III), iron(III) and cobalt(III) complexes of thiosemicarbazones derived from benzil α-monoxime and unsubstituted/substituted thiosemicarbazides as biological agents

Cr(III), Mn(III), Fe(III) and Co(III) complexes of thiosemicarbazones, derived from benzil α-monoxime and thiosemicarbazides (BMTH₂), benzil α-monoxime and phenyl thiosemicarbazides (BMPTH₂), benzil α-monoxime and 4-bromophenyl thiosemicarbazides (BMBTH₂), benzil α-monoxime and 4-chlorophenyl thiosemicarbazides (BMCTH₂) and benzil α-monoxime and 4-nitrophenyl thiosemicarbazides (BMNTH₂), have been prepared. These complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibilities, molar conductance measurements, electronic, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra (in the case of Co(III) complexes), FAB mass spectra and thermogravimetric analysis to arrive at the geometry of the ligand environment around the metal ion and to elucidate the bonding sites of the ligands with the central metal. The complexes contain two monoprotonic tridentate ligands with NNS donor sites. Coordination to metal ion the oxime nitrogen, imine nitrogen and thione sulfur is confirmed in the complexes by IR spectral studies. The antifungal and antibacterial activities of the ligands and complexes have been screened.     

Azines of the Isoquinoline Series: III. Reactions of Substituted 1-Hydrazono-3,4-dihydroisoquinolines with Dicarbonyl Compounds

3,3-Dimethyl-1-hydrazono-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives react with benzil in 1 : 1 or 2 : 1 ratio to give the corresponding benzil monohydrazones. Diacetyl under the same conditions forms dihydrazones. Enolizing 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds form with 3,3-dimethyl-1-hydrazono-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives mixtures of mono- and dihydrazones. Dehydracetic acid forms monohydrazones at the exochain carbonyl group.     

Ultrasound-enhanced Green Synthesis of 5,5-Diphenylhydantoin Derivatives Using Symmetrical or Unsymmetrical Benzils

A rapid, highly efficient and mild green synthesis of 5,5‐diphenylhydantoin derivatives was achieved from the reaction of symmetrical or unsymmetrical benzil derivatives with urea in the presence of ethanolic KOH under ultrasound irradiation. This simple method affords 5,5‐diphenylhydantoin derivatives at room temperature in short reaction time with high yield and purity. This study aimed to overcome the limitations and drawbacks of the reported methods such as tedious work‐up, low yield and long reaction time.