Photo-oxygenation of Styrenic Estrogens: Structural Analysis of 8,9-Didehydro-, 6,7-Didehydro-, and 9,11-Didehydroestrone Derivatives and Their Reactivity towards Singlet Oxygen

A series of didehydro-3-O-methyl-estrones having a styrenic framework, with the ring-A-conjugated double bond in all three possible positions (8,9-didehydro- ( 6 ),9,11-didehydro- ( 1b ), 6,7-didehydro- ( 9 ), and the 12,18-di-nor-8,9-didehydroestrone analog 11 ), were compared for their reactivity towards singlet oxygen. Under dye-sensitized photo-oxygenation conditions, both, products derived from ene-type reactions with the isolation of a stable hydroperoxide and a fragmentation product, were obtained from 6 (see Scheme 3), while only fragmentation took place for 1b (Scheme 1), Kinetic studies indicated that 6 is more reactive towards ¹O₂ than 1b (β = 9.2·10^?3 mol·1^?1 vs 3.3·10^?2 mol·1^?1, resp.). The observed reactivity, apparently, does not match with ene-type reaction and [2 + 2]cycloaddition being in competition, since the most activated substrate 6 preferentially yields ene-type products and their derivatives. Conformational analysis on the structure of 6 and 1b , both calculated by molecular-mechanic techniques (MMPMI) and determined by X-ray diffraction, show that the allylic H-atoms satisfy the orthogonality rule for ene-type reactions. The product distribution is best rationalized by applying Fukui's rule which takes into account a combination of electronic and geometric factors. Substrates 9 and 11 yielded photo-products arising from ene-type reaction with no stable primary products isolated (Scheme 4). Geometric considerations based on the calculated structures by molecular mechanics are consistent with the observed results.     

A direct stereospecific synthesis of 9,11-etheno- and 9,11-ethano-PGH1 derivatives

The reaction of methyl 10-oxodec-S-ynoate with cyclopentadiene is reported as the key step in the synthesis of 9,11-etheno- and 9,11-ethano-PGH₁ derivatives.     

Dicyanoanthracene sensitized photo-oxygenation of olefins : Electron transfer and singlet oxygen mechanisms

Cyanoaromatic sensitizers, in particular 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (DCA), sensitize the photo-oxygenation of olefins by two distinct mechanisms. In the case of aryl substituted olefins (OL), which react extremely slowly (if at all) with singlet oxygen, the reaction proceeds by way of electron transfer to produce discrete radical ions (DCA^-and OL⁺). In the presence of oxygen, this ionic process results, ultimately, in the cleavage of the olefin to carbonyl compounds along with production of some epoxide and other minor by-products. Aromatic ethers can interfere with this process by reducing the radical cation by electron transfer, resulting in net quenching of the reaction. With simple alkenes the DCA-sensitized reaction takes a different course, producing hydroperoxide products with distributions which are very similar to those obtained with the singlet oxygen ene reaction. Careful study has shown that this reaction does, indeed, proceed by way of singlet oxygen, which is produced by at least two mechanisms : (1) enhanced intersystem crossing, in which ¹DCA is quenched by interaction with the olefin, leading to a low yield of ³DCA, which subsequently reacts with oxygen to produce singlet oxygen; and (2) direct reaction of ¹DCA with oxygen. At limiting high oxygen concentration, this process produces 2 mol of singlet oxygen for each mol of ¹DCA quenched; the mechanism involves energy transfer to produce ³DCA and 1 mol of singlet oxygen ; the ³DCA reacts again with oxygen to produce a second mol of singlet oxygen. The complex kinetic behaviour of simple olefins in the presence of DCA can be satisfactorily rationalized by these mechanisms.     

Synthesis of carboxylated chlorophyll derivatives and their activities in dye-sensitized solar cells

Chlorophyll-a derivatives possessing a carboxy group in the substituent at the 3-position were prepared by chemical modification of methyl pyropheophorbide-d bearing the 3-formyl group via a Wittig, Barbier-type, or Knoevenagel reaction. The synthetic carboxylated chlorophyll pigments were employed as dye sensitizers for solar cells and their performances were compared in a conventional device based on a mesoporous titanium dioxide electrode and a liquid electrolyte. The solar power conversion efficiency was suppressed with an increase in the length of the oligomethylene moiety between the chlorin π-system and the carboxy group, while a corresponding π-linked ethenylene spacer enhanced the efficiency.     

Design and characterization of alkoxy-wrapped push-pull porphyrins for dye-sensitized solar cells

Three alkoxy-wrapped push-pull porphyrins were designed and synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. Spectral, electrochemical, photovoltaic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy properties of these porphyrin sensitizers were well investigated to provide evidence for the molecular design.     

N-methylferrocenyl-N-ethylhydroxy ammonium nitrate: synthesis,characterization, and sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells

Transition Metal Chemistry - A new ferrocene-containing hydronitrate salt with formula N-methylferrocenyl-N-ethylhydroxy ammonium nitrate has been synthesized and characterized using microanalyses,...     

Conjugated vinyl derivatives of chitooligosaccharide: Synthesis and characterization

The introduction of a conjugated vinyl group to chitooligosaccharide (COS) has been easily accomplished by the coupling of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) to COS in aqueous solution without an additional catalyst. Depolymerization of chitosan was carried out by deaminative cleavage using sodium nitrite. The average degree of polymerization of COS could be controlled by varying the molar ratio of sodium nitrite and the amino group of chitosan. The degree of substitution (percentage), as determined by ¹H NMR, of GMA to COS increased up to 60% at a reaction time of 48 h. The structure of products (COS‐GMAs) were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR. The resulting COS‐GMAs were readily soluble in neutral water, like the original COS, and exhibited an excellent antimicrobial activity. The reactivity of COS‐GMA was investigated by the reaction with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The reaction products were found to have a lower crystallinity than PVA because of the introduction of the COS‐GMA units. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 880–887, 2001     

Photophysics and kinetics of naphthopyran derivatives,part 2: Analysis of diarylnaphthopyran kinetics. Degeneracy of the kinetic solution

The photocoloring and fading kinetics of the photochromic 3,3‐diphenyl‐3H‐naphtho[2,1‐b]pyran (NPY) have been analyzed using a kinetic treatment for three related species recently developed by us (Int J Chem Kinet 2005, 37(3), 162). The concepts of identifiability and distinguishability are developed with respect to the elucidation of the NPY kinetics. We find that neither set of kinetic data on its own, nor the two data sets combined, allow the true mechanism to be distinguished. In addition, even for a chosen mechanism, there exist degenerate sets of parameters i.e. the solutions are also unidentifiable. A discussion of the limits and uniqueness of the results' interpretation is presented. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 717–727, 2005     

Photoaddition of thienocoumarin derivatives to DNA: stoichiometry and kinetics of binding

Photoreaction of the 6,9-dimethyl-4-methoxymethyl-2H-thieno[3,2-g]-1-benzopyran-2-one (compound I) and 4-acetoxymethyl-6,9-dimethyl-2H-thieno[3,2-g]-1-benzopyran-2-one (compound II) to DNA was studied. The quantitative evaluation of the photobound molecules was performed by means of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), exploiting the presence of the sulphur atom inside the tricyclic chromophore. The concurrent estimation of the phosphorus atom, present exclusively in the macromolecule, allowed possible intercalation sites to be identified and their involvement in the photoaddition reaction to be determined. The development of a kinetic model made it possible to discriminate and evaluate the single kinetic events that constitute the overall photoaddition process of I and II to DNA.     

Investigation of the kinetics of the nitration of thiophene derivatives

The kinetics of the nitration of thiophene derivatives with nitric acid in acetic anhydride were investigated. The nitration of 2-substituted thiophenes is a second-order reaction. The rate constants and activation parameters of the reaction were calculated. The possibility of the use of the Hanmett and Yukawa-Tsuno equations for this reaction series is demonstrated. An isokinetic dependence is observed.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 167–170, February, 1982.     

Dimers of anthrathiophene and anthradithiophene derivatives: synthesis and characterization

Synthesis, isolation, and characterization of derivatives of an anthrathiophene dimer (TOTBAT) and of anthradithiophene oligomers (ADTO), possessing octylthiophene units on their backbone, are described. These semiconductors are prepared through oxidative copper(II) chloride coupling. The spectroscopic properties and stability of these newly synthesized semiconductors were evaluated and supported by quantum-chemical calculations.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO and ZnO:Ga films and their application in dye-sensitized solar cells

Highly crystalline ZnO and Ga-modified zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) nanoparticles containing 1, 3 and 5 atom% of Ga3+ were prepared by precipitation method at low temperature. The films were characterized by XRD, BET, XPS and SEM. No evidence of zinc gallate formation (ZnGa2O4), even in the samples containing 5 atom% of gallium, was detected by XRD. XPS data revealed that Ga is present into the ZnO matrix as Ga3+, according to the characteristic binding energies. The particle size decreased as the gallium level was increased as observed by SEM, which might be related to a faster hydrolysis reaction rate. The smaller particle size provided films with higher porosity and surface area, enabling a higher dye loading. When these films were applied to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as photoelectrodes, the device based on ZnO:Ga 5 atom% presented an overall conversion efficiency of 6% (at 10 mW cm(-2)), a three-fold increase compared to the ZnO-based DSSCs under the same conditions. To our knowledge, this is one of the highest efficiencies reported so far for ZnO-based DSSCs. Transient absorption (TAS) study of the photoinduced dynamics of dye-sensitized ZnO:Ga films showed that the higher the gallium content, the higher the amount of dye cation formed, while no significant change on the recombination dynamics was observed. The study indicates that Ga-modification of nanocrystalline ZnO leads to an improvement of photocurrent and overall efficiency in the corresponding device.     

Synthesis and characterization of captopril derivatives

To develop more potential angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, a series of captopril (Cap) derivatives were synthesized, including Cap-glycine methyl ester, Cap-l-alanine methyl ester, Cap-l-aspartic acid dimethyl ester, Cap-l-lysine methyl ester, Cap-O-acylisourea, acetyl captopril, and benzoyl captopril. The resulting products were characterized by IR and UV–visible spectroscopy and MS, which showed the desired products were successfully synthesized. This could serve as a guide for rational design of highly potent ACE inhibitors.     

"Deconvoluted fullerene" derivatives: synthesis and characterization

We have designed the synthesis of "deconvoluted fullerene" derivatives that present an ordered pattern of hexagons and pentagons in the backbone of the molecule. We not only mimicked the fullerene structure in dihedral planes, but also preserved its electron accepting behavior and enlarged its optical absorption. Moreover, very preliminary photoluminescence (PL) quenching experiments also confirmed the potentiality of these materials as acceptors in the field of organic photovoltaics (OPV)s. A brief discussion of the surface morphology, based on AFM analysis, is also presented.     

Carbon nanotube-carbon black hybrid counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells and the effect on charge transfer kinetics

In this work, the catalytic activity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon black (CB), and CNT-CB counter electrodes in the I⁻/I₃⁻ reduction reaction is reported and compared with the Pt counter electrode. The fabricated counter electrodes were evaluated in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The results indicate that the best cathodes were made from CNT₁₀ (240 μm) and CB with a charge transfer resistance (R_CT) of 2.70 Ω, and when the complete device shows 19.83 Ω of internal series resistance (R_S), the photovoltaic parameters of these cells were J_SC = 10.47 mA cm⁻²; V_OC = 0.70 V; and FF = 57.90, with an efficiency of 4.29%, indicating a better interaction between the CNT₁₀ in the 3D network of the counter electrode, generating a good charge transfer kinetics, in comparison with only CNT₁₀ or CB.

     

Mono-cyclopentadienyl complexes of lanthanum: synthesis and characterization of anilido derivatives

Use of the bulky cyclopentadienyl ligand [η⁵-C₅H₂(SiMe₃)₃-1,2,4]⁻ (Cp?) allows for the isolation of monomeric, mono-ring lanthanide species. As previously reported, (Cp?)K reacts with LaI₃(THF)₄ (THF=tetrahydrofuran) in THF/pyridine to form the mono-ring complex (Cp?)LaI₂(py)₃ (1) (py=pyridine); a minor product of this reaction is the bis-ring species (Cp?)₂LaI(py) (2). The solid state structure of 2 reveals a monomeric compound containing a pseudo-tetrahedral metal center exhibiting no unusual intramolecular contacts. Addition of one equiv of KNHAr (Ar=2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃) to complex 1 in THF generates the mono-anilido compound (Cp?)LaI(NHAr)(THF)₂ (3), which may be converted to the more stable pyridine adduct (Cp?)LaI(NHAr)(py)₂ (4) by the addition of pyridine to 3. An X-ray crystal structure of 3 indicated a trigonal bipyramidal metal center with the anilido group oriented trans to the iodide atom (N1-La1-I1=123.1(3)°). A structural study on the bis-pyridine adduct 4 revealed a similar C_s-symmetric structure with a slightly increased N_anilido-La-I angle of 132.1(2)°. Addition of KNHAr to the di-iodo bipyridine adduct (Cp?)LaI₂(bipy)(py) (5), in which the two iodide atoms are cis-disposed, yields the mono-anilido complex (Cp?)LaI(NHAr)(bipy)(py) (6) (bipy=2,2^′-bipyridine); this compound may also be prepared by the addition of bipy to (Cp?)LaI(NHAr)(py)₂ (4). An X-ray diffraction study shows that the lanthanum center in 6 is octahedrally coordinated by a Cp? ring, an iodide, an anilido group, a pyridine molecule and two nitrogens of a bipy molecule. In this case, the anilido moiety and the iodide ligand are arranged in a cis fashion (N_anilido-La-I=111.2(2)°), resulting in a complex with C₁ symmetry. Both (Cp?)LaI(NHAr)(py)₂ (4) and (Cp?)LaI(NHAr)(bipy)(py) (6) are inactive as catalysts for the hydroamination/cyclization of 2-amino-hex-5-ene.     

Synthesis and characterization of new hexahelicene derivatives

The synthesis and structural characterization of a new hexahelicene derivative 2 is reported. This compound features a new type of structure bearing a bromine atom and a methoxy group. Suitable crystals of the latter indicate that its conformation closely resembles that of the unsubstituted [6]helicene, whose idealized symmetry is C2. This 3-bromo-14-methoxyhexahelicene was subjected to lithiation/phosphinilation and yielded the new 3-methoxy-14-(diphenylphosphino)hexahelicene 3.