Reactivity control of carboxylic acid-terminated self-assembled monolayers on gold: acid fluoride versus interchain carboxylic anhydride

Reactions that occur at interfaces often show different behaviors from their solution analogues. In this paper, we demonstrated how proximity effect, one of the unique phenomena at interfaces, could control the product distributions of interfacial reactions. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid on gold surfaces were treated with cyanuric fluoride and pyridine, which are generally used for forming acid fluorides from carboxylic acids in the solution-based reaction. After the treatment, two different products, acid fluorides (AFs) and interchain carboxylic anhydrides (ICAs), were controllably obtained at surfaces under different reaction conditions with keeping the reagents the same. Various factors, such as the concentrations of reagents, reaction time, and additives, affected the product distribution (or the reaction pathway) at surfaces. We found that one of the key factors in controlling the reaction pathway was a relative contribution from the proximity effect of adjacent carboxylic acid chains in the SAMs (kinetic control) and the equilibrium shift (thermodynamic control). The relative reactivity of AF- and ICA-presenting surfaces toward primary amines, such as undecylamine and [((6-aminohexyl)amino)carbonyl]ferrocene, was also investigated, in terms of the number and the ordering of the amines coupled onto the surfaces.     

Reactivity of acid fluoride-terminated self-assembled monolayers on gold

This report describes the reactivity of acid fluoride (AF)-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold toward amine and alcohol compounds and the potentiality of AF as a reactive intermediate for surface functionalizations. The AF group was generated in situ on a gold surface by reacting the terminal carboxylic acid group in the SAM of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid with cyanuric fluoride and pyridine under the optimized conditions. AF was found to be highly reactive toward various amine groups, such as primary and secondary amines, but it did not react effectively with alcohol. In addition, the amide coupling reaction by microcontact printing (microCP) was compared with the solution-based reaction: when amine-derivatized ferrocene compound was used for 1-min microCP on the AF-activated surface, the surface coverage of the reaction product was about 83% of 3.45 x 1014 cm-2, the coverage obtained in the solution-based reaction. On the basis of the high reaction efficiency of microCP, the AF-activated surface was also used as a platform for patterning a biological ligand, biotin.     

Photooxidation of self-assembled monolayers by exposure to light of wavelength 254 nm: a static SIMS study

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols have been photooxidized by exposure to light from a lamp emitting light with a wavelength of 254 nm. The data confirm that SAM oxidation on exposure to UV light sources occurs in the absence of ozone, but also suggest that the mechanism is different from that observed in previous studies using broad-spectrum arc lamps. In particular, for monolayers on both gold and silver, carboxylic acid-terminated SAMs oxidize significantly faster than methyl-terminated SAMs, in contrast to earlier observations for monolayers exposed to light from a mercury arc lamp. The difference in rates of photooxidation for the two classes of monolayer is significantly greater on silver than on gold. These data support our recent suggestion that while methyl-terminated SAMs are able to pack much more closely on silver than on gold, carboxylic acid-terminated thiols are not able to adopt the same close-packed structures, and their rates of photooxidation on silver are similar to, or slightly greater than, those measured for the same adsorbates on gold. Surface potential measurements were made for carboxylic acid- and methyl-terminated SAMs using a Kelvin probe apparatus. It was found that the work functions of carboxylic acid-terminated SAMs are significantly greater than those of methyl-terminated monolayers. It is concluded that these data are consistent with the oxidation reaction being initiated by "hot" electrons generated following the interaction of photons with the metallic substrate.     

Acid Fluorides in Transition‐Metal Catalysis: A Good Balance between Stability and Reactivity

Several recent reports outlined the singular reactivity of acid fluorides as excellent electrophiles in transition‐metal catalysis. These species undergo oxidative addition of the metal into the C?F bond; then, retention or release of the CO moiety can occur and be controlled by tuning the catalytic system and the reaction parameters. Acid fluorides, which can be derived from carboxylic acids, show good stability and high reactivity in a wide range of possible functionalizations with nucleophiles. Their use provides an interesting alternative to that of the parent carboxylic acid derivatives (acid chlorides, esters, amides, acids, or aldehydes).     

Copper-mediated fluorination of aryl iodides

The synthesis of aryl fluorides has been studied intensively because of the importance of aryl fluorides in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials. The stability, reactivity, and biological properties of aryl fluorides can be distinct from those of the corresponding arenes. Methods for the synthesis of aryl fluorides, however, are limited. We report the conversion of a diverse set of aryl iodides to the corresponding aryl fluorides. This reaction occurs with a cationic copper reagent and silver fluoride. Preliminary results suggest this reaction is enabled by a facile reductive elimination from a cationic arylcopper(III) fluoride.     

Formal Insertion of Alkenes Into C(sp3)−F Bonds Mediated by Fluorine-Hydrogen Bonding

C−F Insertion reactions represent an attractive approach to prepare valuable fluorinated compounds. The high strength of C−F bonds and the low reactivity of the fluoride released upon C−F bond cleavage, however, mean that examples of such processes are extremely scarce in the literature. Here we report a reaction system that overcomes these challenges using hydrogen bond donors that both activate C−F bonds and allow for downstream reactions with fluoride. In the presence of hexafluoroisopropanol, benzyl and propargyl fluorides undergo efficient formal C−F bond insertion across α-fluorinated styrenes. This process, which does not require any additional fluorinating reagent, occurs under mild conditions and delivers products featuring the gem-difluoro motif, which is attracting increasing interest in medicinal chemistry. Moreover, readily available organic bromides can be engaged directly in a one-pot process that avoids the isolation of organic fluorides.     

Adsorption behavior of DNA-wrapped carbon nanotubes on self-assembled monolayer surfaces

We have examined the adsorption of DNA-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes (DNA-SWNTs) on hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and charged surfaces of alkylthiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold. Our goal is to understand how DNA-SWNTs interact with surfaces of varying chemical functionality. These samples were characterized using reflection absorption FTIR (RAIRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. We have found that DNA-SWNTs preferentially adsorb to positively charged amine-terminated SAMs and to bare gold surfaces versus hydrophobic methyl-terminated or negatively charged carboxylic acid-terminated SAMs. Examination of the adsorption on gold of single-strand DNA (ssDNA) of the same sequence used to wrap the SWNTs suggests that the DNA wrapping plays a role in the adsorption behavior of DNA-SWNTs.     

Equilibrium shift in the rhodium-catalyzed acyl transfer reactions

Rhodium/phosphine complexes catalyze equilibrium acyl transfer reactions between acid fluorides, aryl esters, acylphosphine sulfides, and thioesters. The use of appropriate co-substrates to accept heteroatom groups shifted the equilibrium to desired products. Acylphosphine sulfides and aryl esters were converted to acid fluorides using benzoylpentafluorobenzene as the fluoride donor, and the fluorination reaction of thioesters employed (4-tolylthio)pentafluorobenzene. Acid fluorides were converted into acylphosphine sulfides and thioesters using diphosphine disulfides and disulfides/triphenylphosphine, respectively. Aryl esters were obtained from acid fluorides and phenols in the presence of triphenylsilane. Aryl esters, acylphosphine sulfides, and thioesters were also interconverted in the presence of rhodium complexes. These rhodium-catalyzed acyl transfer reactions proceeded under neutral conditions without using acid or base. The involvement of acyl rhodium intermediates in these reactions was suggested by the carbothiolation reaction of thioesters and alkynes.     

A one-flask synthesis of Weinreb amides from chiral and achiral carboxylic acids using the deoxo-fluor fluorinating reagent

[structure] The reagent [bis(2-methoxyethyl)amino]sulfur trifluoride (Deoxo-Fluor reagent) converts carboxylic acids to the corresponding acid fluorides, which then react with N,N-dimethylhydroxylamine to give the corresponding Weinreb amides in high yields. The reaction proceeds without racemization when optically active acids are used as the starting material. This method is operationally simple and provides the products in high purity.     

Synthesis of Highly Enantioenriched Sulfonimidoyl Fluorides and Sulfonimidamides by Stereospecific Sulfur–Fluorine Exchange (SuFEx) Reaction

Sulfonimidamides present exciting opportunities as chiral isosteres of sulfonamides, with potential for additional directional interactions. Here, we present the first modular enantioselective synthesis of sulfonimidamides, including the first stereoselective synthesis of enantioenriched sulfonimidoyl fluorides, and studies on their reactivity. A new route to sulfonimidoyl fluorides is presented from solid bench-stable, N-Boc-sulfinamide (Boc=tert-butyloxycarbonyl) salt building blocks. Enantioenriched arylsulfonimidoyl fluorides are shown to be readily racemised by fluoride ions. Conditions are developed, which trap fluoride and enable the stereospecific reaction of sulfonimidoyl fluorides with primary and secondary amines (100 % es, es=enantiospecificity) generating sulfonimidamides with up to 99 % ee. Aryl and alkyl sulfonimidoyl fluoride reagents are suitable for mild late stage functionalisation reactions, exemplified by coupling with a selection of complex amines in marketed drugs.     

Facile nucleophilic fluorination reactions using tert-alcohols as a reaction medium: significantly enhanced reactivity of alkali metal fluorides and improved selectivity

Although protic solvents are generally not preferred for nucleophilic displacement reactions because of their partial positive charge and hydrogen-bonding capacity that solvate the nucleophile and reduce its reactivity, we recently reported a remarkably beneficial effect of using tertiary alcohols as a reaction media for nucleophilic fluorination with alkali metal fluorides, as well as fluorine-18 radiolabeling with [18F]fluoride ion for the preparation of PET radiopharmaceuticals. In this work, we investigate further the influence of the tert-alcohol reaction medium for nucleophilic fluorination with alkali metal fluorides by studying various interactions among tert-alcohols, the alkali metal fluoride (CsF), and the sulfonyloxy substrate. Factors such as hydrogen bonding between CsF and the tert-alcohol solvent, the formation of a tert-alcohol solvated fluoride, and hydrogen bonding between the sulfonate leaving group and the tert-alcohol appear to contribute to the dramatic increase in the rate of the nucleophilic fluorination reaction in the absence of any kind of catalyst. We found that fluorination of 1-(2-mesyloxyethyl)naphthalene (5) and N-5-bromopentanoyl-3,4-dimethoxyaniline (8) with Bu(4)N(+)F(-) in a tert-alcohol afforded the corresponding fluoro products in much higher yield than obtained by the conventional methods using dipolar aprotic solvents. The protic medium also suppresses formation of byproducts, such as alkenes, ethers, and cyclic adducts.     

Fabrication of biomolecular nanostructures by scanning near-field photolithography of oligo(ethylene glycol)-terminated self-assembled monolayers

The UV photo-oxidation of oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG)-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been studied using static secondary ion mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle measurement, and friction force microscopy. OEG-terminated SAMs are oxidized to yield sulfonates, but photodegradation of the OEG chain also occurs on a more rapid time scale, yielding degradation products that remain bound to the surface via gold-sulfur bonds. The oxidation of these degradation products is the rate-limiting step in the process. Photopatterning of OEG-terminated SAMs may be accomplished by using a mask and suitable light source or by using scanning near-field photolithography (SNP) in which the mask is replaced by a scanning near-field optical microscope coupled to a UV laser. Using SNP, it is possible to fabricate patterns in SAMs with a full width at half-maximum height (fwhm) as small as 9 nm, which is approximately 15 times smaller than the conventional diffraction limit. SNP-patterned OEG-terminated SAMs may be used to fabricate protein nanopatterns. By adsorbing carboxylic acid-terminated thiols into oxidized regions and converting these to active ester intermediates, it has been possible to fabricate lines of protein molecules with widths of only a few tens of nanometers.     

Rapid Deoxyfluorination of Alcohols with N-Tosyl-4-chlorobenzenesulfonimidoyl Fluoride (SulfoxFluor) at Room Temperature

The deoxyfluorination of alcohols is a fundamentally important approach to access alkyl fluorides, and thus the development of shelf-stable, easy-to-handle, fluorine-economical, and highly selective deoxyfluorination reagents is highly desired. This work describes the development of a crystalline compound, N-tosyl-4-chlorobenzenesulfonimidoyl fluoride (SulfoxFluor), as a novel deoxyfluorination reagent that possesses all of the aforementioned merits, which is rare in the arena of deoxyfluorination. Endowed by the multi-dimensional modulating ability of the sulfonimidoyl group, SulfoxFluor is superior to 2-pyridinesulfonyl fluoride (PyFluor) in fluorination rate, and is also superior to perfluorobutanesulfonyl fluoride (PBSF) in fluorine-economy. Its reaction with alcohols not only tolerates a wide range of functionalities including the more sterically hindered alcoholic hydroxyl groups, but also exhibits high fluorination/elimination selectivity. Because SulfoxFluor can be easily prepared from inexpensive materials and can be safely handled without special techniques, it promises to serve as a practical deoxyfluorination reagent for the synthesis of various alkyl fluorides.     

单壁碳纳米管在金表面的图形化组装

利用湿法化学组装技术在金表面得到了图形化的单壁碳纳米管阵列.在混酸氧化条件下,初合成的交缠状态的单壁纳米管被截短成带有羧基等功能化末端的短管.这些功能化的短管在缩合剂DCC的作用下与氨基/甲基图形化表面进行缩合反应时,纳米管将选择性地结合到氨基区域从而形成规则的纳米管阵列.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Decarbonylative Trifluoromethylation of Acid Fluorides

While acid fluorides can readily be made from widely available or biomass‐feedstock‐derived carboxylic acids, their use as functional groups in metal‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions is rare. This report presents the first demonstration of Pd‐catalyzed decarbonylative functionalization of acid fluorides to yield trifluoromethyl arenes (ArCF₃). The strategy relies on a Pd/Xantphos catalytic system and the supply of fluoride for transmetalation through intramolecular redistribution to the the Pd center. This strategy eliminated the need for exogenous and detrimental fluoride additives and allows Xantphos to be used in catalytic trifluoromethylations for the first time. Our experimental and computational mechanistic data support a sequence in which transmetalation by R₃SiCF₃ occurs prior to decarbonylation.     

Structure and reactivity of mixed omega-carboxyalkyl/alkyl monolayers on silicon: ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and contact angle titration

The structure, reactivity, and acid-base properties of mixed monolayers prepared by photochemical reaction of hydrogen-terminated silicon with mixtures of ethyl undecylenate and n-alkenes were studied by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and contact-angle measurements. The surface composition of the mixed monolayers and its correlation with the hydrolysis reactivity of terminal ethoxycarbonyl (ester) groups were investigated by systematically varying the mole fraction of ethyl undecylenate and the chain length of the unsubstituted alkenes in the binary deposition solution. It has been shown that the mole fraction of ester groups on the surface deviates only slightly from the mole fraction of ethyl undecylenate in the solution. The efficiency of ester hydrolysis under acidic conditions is significantly influenced by the monolayer structure, i.e., the surface density of ester groups and length of the unsubstituted alkyl chains. In addition, we find that mixed omega-alkanoic acid/alkyl monolayers on silicon (prepared via hydrolysis) exhibit well-defined contact angle titration curves from which the surface acid dissociation constants were determined. The results were compared with the acid-base properties reported in the literature for carboxylic acid-terminated alkylsiloxane monolayers on hydroxylated silicon and for omega-mercaptoalkanoic acid/alkanethiolate monolayers on gold. The weak pKa dependence (deltapKa approximately 1) on the surface density of carboxylic acid groups and on the length of unsubstituted alkyl chains is attributed to variations of the microenvironment of the acid moieties. These experimental findings provide fundamental knowledge at the molecular level for the preparation of bioreactive surfaces of controlled reactivity on crystalline semiconductor substrates.     

Electric field driven protonation/deprotonation of self-assembled monolayers of acid-terminated thiols

Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), we provide an explanation for the pH dependence of the voltammetric peak height for the electric-field-driven protonation and deprotonation of carboxylic acid-terminated thiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The current flowing through the interface can be divided into a purely capacitive current and a protonation/deprotonation current that is directly related to the rate of change of the SAM's protonation (or deprotonation). We demonstrate that at applied potentials close to those corresponding to half-ionization of the SAM and pHs near the pK(1/2), the equivalent circuit describing the interface consists of a Helmholtz film capacity in parallel with a "protonation/deprotonation" impedance which is further shown to be a series combination of a resistor, Rp, and capacitor Cp. Explicit expressions for Rp and Cp are derived in terms of the rate constants for the forward (protonation) and reverse (deprotonation) reactions. Simulated EIS data demonstrate the agreement between our model of the interface and experimental impedance and voltammetric data.     

Reaction of sulphuryl chlorofluoride with a few metals and metal oxides

Sulphuryl chlorofluoride has no observable reaction with metals and metal oxides at room temperature. Metals like copper, silver, iron, and zinc react with the chlorofluoride in the temperature range 200–400°C. Metal chlorides, metal fluorides and sulphur dioxide are the main products of these reactions. With the corresponding metal oxides, on the other hand, the respective metal sulphates are formed in addition to the metal chlorides and fluorides. In the case of lead and lead oxide, lead chlorofluoride is formed instead of lead chloride and lead fluoride. Sulphuryl fluoride is formed in small quantities in all these reactions by the decomposition of the chlorofluoride. Glass is not attacked by sulphuryl chlorofluoride below 500°C.During the course of our investigations on the reactivity of sulphuryl chlorofluoride, it is observed that sulphuryl chlorofluoride does not react with glass up to 500° C. However, it reacts with metals and metal oxides between 200° to 400° C. The reaction products with metals are the corresponding metal chlorides, metal fluorides and sulphur dioxide. With the oxides, in addition to the metal chlorides and metal fluorides, metal sulphates are formed. The results of these investigations are presented in this communication.     

Proximity effects in the palladium-catalyzed substitution of aryl fluorides

[reaction: see text] The aryl fluoride bond has long been considered inert toward Pd-catalyzed insertion reactions. This paper reports for the first time that aryl fluorides bearing an o-carboxylate group can undergo Pd-catalyzed couplings. On the basis of this computational study and subsequent experimental verifications of its predictions, we herein report that such reactions are facilitated by stabilization of the transition state by proximal oxyanions.     

The reactivity of quaternary ammonium- versus potassium-fluorides supported on metal oxides: paving the way to an instantaneous detoxification of chemical warfare agents

The reactions of the chemical warfare agents (CWAs) 2,2'-dichloroethyl sulfide (HD), O-ethyl S-2-(diisopropylamino)-ethyl methylphosphonothioate (VX) and isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GB) with various metal oxide-supported quaternary ammonium fluorides (QAF) and/or potassium fluoride (KF) reagents are described. These active sorbents, which were prepared by a modified procedure, include alumina, silica and titania, enriched with "available" (not bound to the surface) fluoride ions. Alumina-based fluoride reagents were found to be more active than their silica or titania counterparts. QAF/Al(2)O(3) reagents, compared to KF/Al(2)O(3), exhibit an exceptional reactivity toward HD, as demonstrated both in reaction rates and product identity. For example, with TBAF, t(1/2) is 15 min for the formation of the elimination product divinyl sulfide (DVS), while with KF, t(1/2) is 10 h for the formation of the hydrolysis product thiodiglycol (TDG). On the other hand, both sorbents reacted similarly against the nerve agents GB or VX. In order to increase the "available" fluoride content on the solid surface, the mixed active sorbent TBAF/KF/Al(2)O(3) (20/20/60) was developed. On this powder, all three CWAs were degraded instantaneously at the low loading of 1 wt% (t(1/2) < 2 min) and rapidly at the higher loadings of 5-10 wt% (t(1/2) of minutes scale). We assume that the relatively large amount of inorganic fluoride (KF) acts synergistically as a reservoir for the more reactive organic fluorides (TBAF). Moreover, the alumina surface hydroxyl groups may also operate as a water reservoir for the hydrolysis of VX or GB. Therefore, TBAF/KF/Al(2)O(3) might be considered as a promising destructive sorbent for CWAs.