Post-self-assembly covalent chemistry of discrete multicomponent metallosupramolecular hexagonal prisms

The multicomponent coordination-driven self-assembly of hexakis[4-(4-pyridyl)phenyl]benzene, cis-(PEt(3))(2)Pt(II)(OTf)(2), and amine- or maleimide-functionalized isophthalate forms discrete hexagonal prisms as single reaction products. The amino or maleimide groups decorating the isophthalate pillars of the prisms provide reactive sites for post-self-asssembly modifications. In this communication, we demonstrate that the hexagonal prisms can be functionalized without disrupting the prismatic cores, enabling the incorporation of new functionalities under mild conditions.     

Nitrogen heterocycles as building blocks for new metallosupramolecular architectures

The syntheses of representative examples of five classes of new heterocyclic ligands are described. These include N,N'-chelating bis-heterocycles, binucleating ligands, cyclometallated compounds, chiral ligands and a family of polyheteroaryl-linked arenes.     

Single-molecular detection in solution: a new tool for analytical chemistry

Single-molecule detection (SMD) is becoming more and more popular in the scientific community and is on the threshold to become a technique for laboratory use. Therefore, conceivable applications as well as optimized conditions for SMD will be discussed. To point out the possibilities of SMD, the signal-to-background ratio and the detection efficiency, in combination with the probability of misclassification, will be contemplated.     

Single-molecule detection in solution: a new tool for analytical chemistry

Single-molecule detection (SMD) is becoming more and more popular in the scientific community and is on the threshold to become a technique for laboratory use. Therefore, conceivable applications as well as optimized conditions for SMD will be discussed. To point out the possibilities of SMD, the signal-to-background ratio and the detection efficiency, in combination with the probability of misclassification, will be contemplated.     

Combinatorial chemistry: a tool for the discovery of new catalysts

The discovery of new reactions and catalysts has always presented an intriguing challenge to scientists. With the rise of combinatorial chemistry, a new method has emerged that holds considerable promise to facilitate the task since it allows for the simultaneous generation and testing of a large number of compounds. The crucial difficulty lies in establishing general technologies for rapid and reliable screening of libraries to determine the catalytic activity of their members. Several recent publications have addressed this question by using infrared thermography, colorimetric assays and fluorescence spectroscopy. These techniques have not only been applied successfully to the high-throughput screening of parallel compound arrays but also to the screening of one-bead-one-compound libraries. This demonstrates that combinatorial chemistry possesses indeed the potential to establish itself as a powerful tool for the discovery of new catalysts. This review describes the methodologies used so far for the detection of catalytic events and will place particular emphasis on the on-bead screening of one-bead-one-compound libraries.     

Synthesis of a family of heterocyclic ligands derived from bisphenols: new flexible bridging ligands for use in metallosupramolecular chemistry

The preparations are described of 35 new bridging ligands from five bisphenols through coupling each with seven different heterocyclic units. X-ray crystal structures of five representative examples revealed different conformations in the solid state with the terminal nitrogen donors being separated by distances ranging from 8 to 23 Å.     

Infrared intensities: A new tool in chemistry.

The interpretation of the infrared intensities in terms of atomic polar tensors and of electrooptical parameters allows to derive rich information on the charge distribution in the molecules. Using the results of several studies of this kind, it is now possible to derive information on intramolecular and intermolecular interactions even from “poor” data such as absolute intensities of whole regions in the spectrum or even from relative intensities.     

Homoselenacalix[4]arenes: synthetic exploration and metallosupramolecular chemistry

Homoselenacalix[4]arenes were synthesized by a [2 + 2] reductive coupling protocol favouring the cyclotetramers. The inner and outer-rim decoration was varied and a bicyclic derivative was prepared by a similar one-pot procedure. Conformational analysis in solution and the solid state showed noticeable differences between the homoselenacalix[4]arenes and the analogous homothiacalix[4]arenes and provided insight into the metal binding potential of the Se-bridged macrocycles. The homoselenacalix[4]arenes were found to bind Ag(I). Complexation was visualized in the solid state and different packing networks were formed depending on the counter ions applied.     

Time domain dielectric spectroscopy. A new effective tool for physical chemistry investigation

The general principles of time domain dielectric spectroscopy (TDS) are summarized. The methods of data treatment and presentation, and different TDS methods which enable one to obtain the permanent spectrum of ^* () in the frequency range of 10⁵–10¹⁰ are given. The examples of TDS application for the investigation of dielectric properties in samples of different nature and structure are considered in this review.     

Reversible Michael addition of thiols as a new tool for dynamic combinatorial chemistry

The Michael addition of thiols to enones is reported as a new method for dynamic combinatorial library synthesis.     

Self-assembly and host-guest chemistry of big metallosupramolecular M4L4 tetrahedra

Metallosupramolecular tetrahedra M8[L4Ti4] are easily obtained by self-assembly from the triangular ligands L-H6 and titanoyl bis(acetylacetonate) in the presence of alkali metal carbonates as base. All the complexes can be well characterized by 1H NMR in combination with ESI FT-ICR MS. Force field calculations reveal that the tetrahedra show Ti-Ti separations of 17 angstroms ([L1(4)Ti4]8-) and 23.5 angstroms ([L2(4)Ti4]8-), respectively, leading to huge internal cavities. The cavity is readily shielded in the case of L1 but possesses big pores with the bigger ligand L2. [L1(4)Ti4]8- was used to investigate the host-guest chemistry of these container molecules and it was found that cationic organic guest species like anilinium can be introduced in the interior of the complex. Inclusion is nicely followed by NMR spectroscopy. Upon addition of one equivalent of guest the symmetry of the tetrahedron is lost but is regained after addition of significantly more than four equivalents.     

New three- and four-armed flexible bridging ligands for use in metallosupramolecular chemistry: syntheses and X-ray structures

Preparations are described of twelve new tritopic and tetratopic ligands by coupling of two phenolic precursors with a range of heterocyclic units. X-ray crystal structures of four representative examples revealed the conformations in the solid state with the nitrogen donor atoms separated by distances ranging from 10.9 to 18.2 Å.     

Supramolecular coordination chemistry of aromatic polyoxalamide ligands: A metallosupramolecular approach toward functional magnetic materials

The impressive potential of the metallosupramolecular approach in designing new functional magnetic materials constitutes a great scientific challenge for the chemical research community that requires an interdisciplinary collaboration. New fundamental concepts and future applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology will emerge from the study of magnetism as a supramolecular function in metallosupramolecular chemistry. Our recent work on the rich supramolecular coordination chemistry of a novel family of aromatic polyoxalamide (APOXA) ligands with first-row transition metal ions has allowed us to move one step further in the rational design of metallosupramolecular assemblies of increasing structural and magnetic complexity. Thus, we have taken advantage of the new developments of metallosupramolecular chemistry and, in particular, the molecular-programmed self-assembly methods that exploit the coordination preferences of paramagnetic metal ions and suitable designed polytopic ligands. The resulting self-assembled di- and trinuclear metallacyclic complexes with APOXA ligands, either metallacyclophanes or metallacryptands, are indeed ideal model systems for the study of the electron exchange mechanism between paramagnetic metal centers through extended π-conjugated aromatic bridges. So, the influence of different factors such as the topology and conformation of the bridging ligand or the electronic configuration and magnetic anisotropy of the metal ion have been investigated in a systematic way. These oligonuclear metallacyclic complexes can be important in the development of a new class of molecular magnetic devices, such as molecular magnetic wires (MMWs) and switches (MMSs), which are major goals in the field of molecular electronics and spintronics. On the other hand, because of their metal binding capacity through the outer carbonyl-oxygen atoms of the oxamato groups, they can further be used as ligands, referred to as metal–organic ligands (MOLs), toward either coordinatively unsaturated metal complexes or fully solvated metal ions. This well-known “complex-as-ligand” approach affords a wide variety of high-nuclearity metal–organic clusters (MOCs) and high-dimensionality metal–organic polymers (MOPs). The judicious choice of the oligonuclear MOL, ranging from mono- to di- and trinuclear species, has allowed us to control the overall structure and magnetic properties of the final oxamato-bridged multidimensional (nD, n = 0–3) MOCs and MOPs. The intercrossing between short- (nanoscopic) and long-range (macroscopic) magnetic behavior has been investigated in this unique family of oxamato-bridged metallosupramolecular magnetic materials expanding the examples of low-dimensional, single-molecule (SMMs) and single-chain (SCMs) magnets and high-dimensional, open-framework magnets (OFMs), which are brand-new targets in the field of molecular magnetism and materials science.     

Flow electrochemistry: a safe tool for fluorine chemistry

The heightened activity of compounds containing fluorine, especially in the field of pharmaceuticals, provides major impetus for the development of new fluorination procedures. A scalable, versatile, and safe electrochemical fluorination protocol is conferred. The strategy proceeds through a transient (difluoroiodo)arene, generated by anodic oxidation of an iodoarene mediator. Even the isolation of iodine(iii) difluorides was facile since electrolysis was performed in the absence of other reagents. A broad range of hypervalent iodine mediated reactions were achieved in high yields by coupling the electrolysis step with downstream reactions in flow, surpassing limitations of batch chemistry. (Difluoroiodo)arenes are toxic and suffer from chemical instability, so the uninterrupted generation and immediate use in flow is highly advantageous. High flow rates facilitated productivities of up to 834 mg h⁻¹ with vastly reduced reaction times. Integration into a fully automated machine and in-line quenching was key in reducing the hazards surrounding the use of hydrofluoric acid.

A scalable, efficient and safe electrochemical fluorination protocol is conferred. A broad range of iodine(iii) mediated transformations were performed in high yields without exposure to toxic HF.     

Fuzzy theory. A promising tool for computerized chemistry

The basic notions of fuzzy theory are introduced along with the principles of fuzzy-set operations, fuzzy arithmetic and fuzzy logic. Applications in chemistry are outlined for dealing with incomplete and uncertain chromatographic or spectral data patterns, for comparing spectra or depth profiles as fuzzy functions, for applying fuzzy logic to reasoning in chemical data bases and for handling default knowledge.     

Parallel processing on minicomputers: A powerful tool for quantum chemistry

It is shown that performance of quantum chemistry program systems on minicomputers may be enhanced by a factor between 2.5 and 2.8 utilizing microprogramming techniques and a computer architecture allowing four processor activities to operate in parallel, i.e., memory access, basic arithmetic operations, and two high-speed 64-bit floating-point arithmetic units.     

Thiol-ene chemistry as an effective tool for hydrophobization of cotton fabrics

In this paper, several methods of hydrophobization of cotton fabrics using the thio-ene click reaction were compared. Durable, superhydrophobic textiles were obtained in an easy way. Various variants of functionalized silsesquioxanes were used for the hydrophobization of fabrics. The synthesis of bifunctional silsesquioxanes (RSiMe₂O)₄(ViSiMe₂O)₄Si₈O₁₂ and (RSiMe₂O)₄(R’SiMe₂O)₄Si₈O₁₂ were performed via hydrothiolation of silsesquioxane derivative (ViSiMe₂O)₈Si₈O₁₂. Alkoxysilyl, alkyl and fluoroalkyl moieties were introduced as functional groups. Samples were prepared using four methods, differing in the modification method and the number of stages. During the research, fabrics were modified via (a) the dip-coating process, (b) carrying out thiol-ene click reactions directly on the surface of the fabric and (c) using both of these methods. The hydrophobicity of the fabric was evaluated by measuring the Water contact angle (WCA). The obtained samples were also examined using infrared analysis (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Elemental analysis (SEM–EDS). All analyses were performed before and after the washing process in order to verify the stability of the performed modifications.

Graphical abstract

     

Thermal analysis as a tool for investigations in metal oxide chemistry

Applications of thermoanalytical methods for the controlled preparation of metal oxides from various initial compounds (‘precursors’) as well as for investigations of physical properties and the chemical behaviour of oxidic phases as function of temperature and atmosphere are presented. Studies elucidating the course of such processes yield important contributions to the understanding of the reactivity of solids in general. Moreover, they are, e.g. in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, of practical relevance. It is shown, however, that the capability of mere thermal analysis suffers from limitations which have to be overcome by using additional, independent methods such as X-ray diffraction as well as light and electron microscopy.