Coordination‐Driven Dimerization of Zinc Chlorophyll Derivatives Possessing a Dialkylamino Group

Zinc chlorophyll derivatives Zn‐1 – 3 possessing a tertiary amino group at the C3¹ position have been synthesized through reductive amination of methyl pyropheophorbide‐d obtained from naturally occurring chlorophyll‐a . In a dilute CH₂Cl₂ solution as well as in a dilute 10 %(v/v) CH₂Cl₂/hexane solution, Zn‐1 possessing a dimethylamino group at the C3¹ position showed red‐shifted UV/Vis absorption and intensified exciton‐coupling circular dichroism (CD) spectra at room temperature owing to its dimer formation via coordination to the central zinc by the 3¹‐N atom of the dimethylamino group. However, Zn‐2/3 bearing 3¹‐ethylmethylamino/diethylamino groups did not. The difference was dependent on the steric factor of the substituents in the tertiary amino group, where an increase of the carbon numbers on the N atom reduced the intermolecular N⋅⋅⋅Zn coordination. UV/Vis, CD, and ¹H NMR spectroscopic analyses including DOSY measurements revealed that Zn‐1 formed closed‐type dimers via an opened dimer by single‐to‐double axial coordination with an increase in concentration and a temperature decrease in CH₂Cl₂, while Zn‐2/3 gave open and flexible dimers in a concentrated CH₂Cl₂ solution at low temperature. The supramolecular closed dimer structures of Zn‐1 were estimated by molecular modelling calculations, which showed these structures were promising models for the chlorophyll dimer in a photosynthetic reaction center.     

A novel dimeric zinc(II) complex: bis­[μ‐1,2‐bis­(1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)­ethane‐κ2N4:N4′]­bis­[diisothio­cyanato­zinc(II)]

The coordination geometry of the Zn^II atom in the title complex, [Zn₂(NCS)₄(C₆H₈N₆)₂], is that of a distorted tetra­hedron, in which the Zn^II atom is coordinated by four N atoms from the triazole rings of two symmetry‐related 1,2‐bis­(1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)ethane ligands and two thio­cyanate ligands. Two Zn^II atoms are bridged by two organic ligands to form a dimer. The dimer lies about an inversion center.     

Superelectrophilicity of 1,2‐Azaborine: Formation of Xenon and Carbon Monoxide Adducts

The BN analogue of ortho‐benzyne, 1,2‐azaborine, is shown to bind carbon monoxide and a xenon atom under matrix isolation conditions, demonstrating its strongly Lewis acidic superelectrophilic nature. The Lewis acid–base complexes involving CO and Xe can be cleaved photochemically and reformed by mildly annealing the matrices. The interaction energy of 1,2‐azaborine with Xe is 3 kcal mol^?1 according to quantum chemical computations, and is similar to that of the superelectrophilic carbene difluorovinylidene.     

Neue molekulare Indium‐Zinn‐Sauerstoff‐ und Indium‐Zinn‐Natrium‐Sauerstoff‐Chlor‐Cluster

Abstract. The five‐membered heteroelement cluster THF · Cl₂In(O^tBu)₃Sn reacts with the sodium stannate [Na(O^tBu)₃Sn]₂ to produce either the new oxo‐centered alkoxo cluster ClInO[Sn(O^tBu)₂]₃ ( 1 ) (in low yield) or the heteroleptic alkoxo cluster Sn(O^tBu)₃InCl₃Na[Sn(O^tBu)₂]₂ ( 2 ). X‐ray diffraction analyses reveal that in compound 1 the polycyclic entity is made of three tin atoms which together with a central oxygen atom form a trigonal, almost planar triangle, perpendicular to which a further indium atom is connected through the oxygen atom. The metal atoms thus are arranged in a Sn₃In pyramid, the edges of which are all saturated by bridging tert‐butoxy groups. The indium atom has a further chloride ligand. Compound 2 has two trigonal bipyramids as building blocks which are fused together at a six coordinate indium atom. One of the bipyramids is of the type SnO₃In with tert‐butyl groups on the oxygen atoms, while the other has the composition InCl₃Na with chlorine atoms connecting the two metals. The sodium atom in 2 has further contacts to two plus one alkoxide groups which are part of a[Sn(O^tBu)₂]₂ dimer disposing of a Sn₂O₂ central cycle. The hetero element cluster in 2 thus combines three closed entities and its skeleton SnO₃InCl₃NaO₂Sn₂O₂ consists of three different metallic and two different non‐metallic elements.     

Interplay of Electronic and Steric Effects to Yield Low‐Temperature CO Oxidation at Metal Single Sites in Defect‐Engineered HKUST‐1

In contrast to catalytically active metal single atoms deposited on oxide nanoparticles, the crystalline nature of metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) allows for a thorough characterization of reaction mechanisms. Using defect‐free HKUST‐1 MOF thin films, we demonstrate that Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ dimer defects, created in a controlled fashion by reducing the pristine Cu²⁺/Cu²⁺ pairs of the intact framework, account for the high catalytic activity in low‐temperature CO oxidation. Combining advanced IR spectroscopy and density functional theory we propose a new reaction mechanism where the key intermediate is an uncharged O₂ species, weakly bound to Cu⁺/Cu²⁺. Our results reveal a complex interplay between electronic and steric effects at defect sites in MOFs and provide important guidelines for tailoring and exploiting the catalytic activity of single metal atom sites.     

Dicarbonyldi‐μ‐chloro‐cis,cis‐η4‐1,5‐cyclo­octa­dienedirhodium(I)

The title compound, dicarbonyl‐1κ²C‐di‐μ‐chloro‐1:2κ⁴Cl‐[cis,cis‐2(η⁴)‐1,5‐cyclo­octa­diene]­di­rhodium(I), [Rh₂Cl₂(C₈H₁₂)(CO)₂], consists of a di­chloro‐bridged dimer of rhodium, with a non‐bonded Rh?Rh distance of 3.284 (2) Å. One Rh atom is coordinated to two carbonyl ligands, while the other Rh atom is coordinated to the cyclo­octa­diene moiety.     

Di‐μ2‐sulfito‐κ8O,O′:O′,O′′‐bis[(2,4,6‐tri‐2‐pyrid­yl‐1,3,5‐triazine‐κ3N2,N1,N6)cadmium(II)] octa­hydrate

The title compound, [Cd₂(SO₃)₂(C₁₈H₁₂N₆)₂]·8H₂O, is a dimer built up around a symmetry center, where the sulfite anion displays a so far unreported coordination mode in metal‐organic complexes; the anion binds as a μ₂‐sulfite‐κ⁴O,O′:O′,O′′ ligand to two symmetry‐related seven‐coordinate Cd^II cations, binding through its three O atoms by way of two chelate bites with an O atom in common, which acts as a bridge. The cation coordination is completed by a 2,4,6‐tri‐2‐pyridyl‐1,3,5‐triazine ligand acting in its usual tridentate mode.     

Temperature‐Induced Structure Reconstruction to Prepare a Thermally Stable Single‐Atom Platinum Catalyst

Single‐atom noble metals on a catalyst support tend to migrate and agglomerate into nanoparticles owing to high surface free energy at elevated temperatures. Temperature‐induced structure reconstruction of a support can firmly anchor single‐atom Pt species to adapt to a high‐temperature environment. We used Mn₃O₄ as a restructurable support to load single‐atom Pt and further turned into single‐atom Pt‐on‐Mn₂O₃ catalyst via high‐temperature treatment, which is extremely stable under calcination conditions of 800 °C for 5 days in humid air. High‐valence Pt⁴⁺ with more covalent bonds on Mn₂O₃ are essential for anchoring isolated Pt atoms by strong interaction. An optimized catalyst formed by moderate H₂O₂ etching exhibits the best performance and excellent thermal stability of single‐atom Pt in high‐temperature CH₄ oxidation on account of more exposed Pt atoms and strong Pt‐Mn₂O₃ interaction.     

Di‐μ‐aqua‐bis­[(N‐salicyl­idene‐β‐alaninato‐κ3O,N,O′)copper(II)] urea disolvate

Crystals of the title compound, [Cu₂(C₁₀H₉NO₃)₂(H₂O)₂]·2CH₄N₂O, consist of two (N‐salicyl­idene‐β‐alaninato‐κ³O,N,O′)copper(II) coordination units bridged by two water moieties to form a dimer residing on a crystallographic inversion center, along with two uncoordinated urea mol­ecules. The Cu^II atom has square‐pyramidal coordination, with three donor atoms of the tridentate Schiff base and an O atom of the bridging aqua ligand in the basal plane. The axial position is occupied by the second bridging water ligand at a distance of 2.5941 (18) Å. Hydro­gen bonds between mol­ecules of urea and the neighboring dimer units lead to the formation of a two‐dimensional grid of mol­ecules parallel to [101]. The superposition of the normals of the pyramidal base planes in the direction [100] indicates possible π–π interactions between the neighboring units.     

Dichloro­(O‐ethyl 3‐methyl­pyridine‐2‐carboximidic acid‐κ2N,N′)copper(II)

In the title compound, [CuCl₂(C₉H₁₂N₂O)], the Cu^II atom is coordinated by two Cl⁻ anions and two N atoms of one O‐ethyl 3‐methyl­pyridine‐2‐carboximidic acid mol­ecule in a slightly distorted square‐planar geometry, with Cu—N distances of 2.0483 (17) and 1.9404 (18) Å, and Cu—Cl distances of 2.2805 (10) and 2.2275 (14) Å. In addition, each Cu^II atom is connected by one Cl⁻ anion and the Cu^II atom from a neighbouring mol­ecule, with Cu⋯Cl and Cu⋯Cu distances of 2.9098 (13) and 3.4022 (12) Å, respectively, and, therefore, a centrosymmetric dimer is formed. Adjacent mol­ecular dimers are connected by π–π stacking inter­actions between pyridine rings to form a zigzag mol­ecular chain. The mol­ecular chains are also enforced by N—H⋯Cl and C—H⋯Cl inter­actions.     

Reactivity of 4‐thiothymidine with Fenton reagent investigated by UV‐visible spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The reactivity of the sulfur‐containing nucleoside 4‐thio‐(2′‐deoxy)‐thymidine usually abbreviated as 4‐thio‐thymidine, (S⁴‐TdR) under Fenton conditions, ie, in the presence of H₂O₂ and catalytic amounts of Fe(II), was investigated by UV‐vis spectroscopy and electrospray ionization single and tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS and MS/MS). S⁴‐TdR hydroxylated on the S atom was found to be a key reaction intermediate, ultimately leading to (2′‐deoxy)‐thymidine usually abbreviated as thymidine, (TdR) as the main reaction product. This finding was in accordance with the outcome of the reaction between S⁴‐TdR and H₂O₂, previously investigated in our laboratory. On the other hand, the additional presence of ?OH radicals, induced by the Fe(II)/H₂O₂ combination, led to the increased generation of another interesting S⁴‐TdR product, already observed after its reaction with H₂O₂ alone, ie, the covalent dimer including a S? S bridge between two S⁴‐TdR molecules. More importantly, multihydroxylated derivatives of S⁴‐TdR and TdR were detected as peculiar products obtained under Fenton conditions. Among them, a product bearing an OH group both on the methyl group linked to the thymine ring and on the C5 atom of the ring was found to prevail. The results obtained during this study, integrated by those found previously in our laboratory, indicate 4‐thiothymidine as a promising molecular probe for the recognition, through a careful characterization of its reaction products, of the prevailing species among reactive oxygen species (ROS) corresponding to singlet‐state oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxylic radical.     

1,4,6,9‐Tetraoxa‐5λ4‐selena‐spiro[4.4]nonane – A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Study

The symmetric spiro‐selenurane derived from ethylene glycol, 1,4,6,9‐tetraoxa‐5λ⁴‐selena‐spiro[4.4]nonane, was prepared from selenium tetrachloride and ethylene glycol and its molecular structure was determined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction. NBO analyses for the title compound and a related compound were conducted to assess the role of the stereochemical active lone pair on the selenium atom on the structure.     

Synthesis,crystal structure and infrared spectra of Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes with 4,4′‐dichloro‐2,2′‐[ethylene dioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol

Novel 4,4′‐dichloro‐2,2′‐[ethylenedioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol (H₂L) and its complexes [CuL] and {[CoL(THF)]₂(OAc)₂Co} have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, ¹H‐NMR and X‐ray crystallography. [CuL] forms a mononuclear structure which may be stabilized by the intermolecular contacts between copper atom (Cu) and oxygen atom (O3) to form a head‐to‐tail dimer. In {[CoL(THF)]₂(OAc)₂Co}, two acetates coordinate to three cobalt ions through Co? O? C? O? Co bridges and four µ‐phenoxo oxygen atoms from two [CoL(THF)] units also coordinate to cobalt ions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

catena‐Poly[[[diaqua­[trans‐3‐(4‐pyri­dyl)acrylato]samarium(III)]‐di‐μ‐trans‐3‐(4‐pyrid­yl)acrylato] dihydrate]

In the title compound, {[Sm(4‐pya)₃(H₂O)₂]·2H₂O}_n [4‐pya is trans‐3‐(4‐pyrid­yl)acrylate, C₈H₆NO₂], each Sm^III atom is ten‐coordinated and has a bicapped square‐antiprismatic coordination geometry. There is a crystallographic center of symmetry at the mid‐point of the Sm⋯Sm line within each [Sm(4‐pya)₃(H₂O)₂]₂ dimer. Each dimer is inter­connected by two pairs of bridging 4‐pya ligands to form a one‐dimensional chain. Neighboring chains are connected via hydrogen bonds to form a three‐dimensional network.     

Halide Anion Mediated Dimerization of a meso‐Unsubstituted N‐Confused Porphyrin

The new N‐confused porphyrin (NCP) derivatives, meso‐unsubstituted β‐alkyl‐3‐oxo N‐confused porphyrin (3‐oxo‐NCP) and related macrocycles, were synthesized from appropriate pyrrolic precursors by a [3+1]‐type condensation reaction. 3‐Oxo‐NCP forms a self‐assembled dimer in dichloromethane that is stabilized by complementary hydrogen‐bonding interactions arising from the peripheral amide‐like moieties. The protonated form of 3‐oxo‐NCP was observed to bind halide anions (F^?, Cl^?) through the outer NH and the inner pyrrolic NH groups, thus affording a dimer in dichloromethane. The structure of the chloride‐bridged dimer in the solid state was determined by X‐ray diffraction analysis.     

Amidation‐Dominated Re‐Assembly Strategy for Single‐Atom Design/Nano‐Engineering: Constructing Ni/S/C Nanotubes with Fast and Stable K‐Storage

An amidation‐dominated re‐assembly strategy is developed to prepare uniform single atom Ni/S/C nanotubes. In this re‐assembly process, a single‐atom design and nano‐structured engineering are realized simultaneously. Both the NiO₅ single‐atom active centers and nanotube framework endow the Ni/S/C ternary composite with accelerated reaction kinetics for potassium‐ion storage. Theoretical calculations and electrochemical studies prove that the atomically dispersed Ni could enhance the convention kinetics and decrease the decomposition energy barrier of the chemically‐absorbed small‐molecule sulfur in Ni/S/C nanotubes, thus lowering the electrode reaction overpotential and resistance remarkably. The mechanically stable nanotube framework could well accommodate the volume variation during potassiation/depotassiation process. As a result, a high K‐storage capacity of 608 mAh g^?1 at 100 mA g^?1 and stable cycling capacity of 330.6 mAh g^?1 at 1000 mA g^?1 after 500 cycles are achieved.     

Atomically Dispersed Nickel(I) on an Alloy‐Encapsulated Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanotube Array for High‐Performance Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Reaction

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) show great promise for electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CRR), but the low density of active sites and the poor electrical conduction and mass transport of the single‐atom electrode greatly limit their performance. Herein, we prepared a nickel single‐atom electrode consisting of isolated, high‐density and low‐valent nickel(I) sites anchored on a self‐standing N‐doped carbon nanotube array with nickel–copper alloy encapsulation on a carbon‐fiber paper. The combination of single‐atom nickel(I) sites and self‐standing array structure gives rise to an excellent electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction performance. The introduction of copper tunes the d‐band electron configuration and enhances the adsorption of hydrogen, which impedes the hydrogen evolution reaction. The single‐nickel‐atom electrode exhibits a specific current density of ?32.87 mA cm^?2 and turnover frequency of 1962 h^?1 at a mild overpotential of 620 mV for CO formation with 97 % Faradic efficiency.     

Observation of Noise‐Triggered Chaotic Emissions in an NMR‐Maser

We report a new phenomenon observed when the magnetization of dissolved hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe is intense and opposite to the Boltzmann magnetization. Without radio‐frequency (rf) excitation, the system spontaneously emits a series of rf bursts characterized by very narrow bandwidths (0.03 Hz at 138 MHz). This chaotic NMR‐maser illustrates the increase in the complexity of spin dynamics at high magnetization levels by unveiling an inhomogeneous spatial organization of the xenon magnetization and an apparent dependence of the xenon transverse relaxation time on its polarization and/or on time.     

RA‐dimer B,a New Dimeric RA‐series Cyclopeptide Incorporating Two Different Types of Cycloisodityrosine Units,from Rubia cordifolia L.

RA‐dimer B, a new cytotoxic RA‐series peptide, was isolated from the roots of Rubia cordifolia L. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis to be a dimeric cyclopeptide composed of deoxybouvardin and allo‐RA‐V. Those two cyclopeptide units are connected by an ether linkage between the phenolic oxygen atom of deoxybouvardin and the ?a carbon atom of Tyr‐6 of allo‐RA‐V. RA‐dimer B was synthesized by the coupling reaction of deoxybouvardin with the boronic acid derivative of allo‐RA‐V, and subsequent deprotection, confirming the relative stereochemistry and establishing the absolute configuration of this peptide. RA‐dimer B showed cytotoxic activity against human promyelocytic leukaemia HL‐60, human colonic carcinoma HCT‐116, and human renal cell carcinoma ACHN cells with IC₅₀ values of 0.59, 0.54, and 0.74 μm , respectively.     

Pseudo‐crown ether‐like structure by hydrogen‐bonded dimerization: A water complex with bis(2′‐hydroxyethyl) 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylate in solid,solution, and gas phases

Dedicated to Professor Jerald S. Bradshaw Bis(2′‐hydroxyethyl) 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylate (1) was prepared and the structure was characterized in solid (fourier transform‐ir and X‐ray analyses), in liquid (¹H and ¹³C nmr titrations), and in the gas‐phase (fast atom bombardment (fab) and electron spray ionization (esi) ms). Two bis(2′‐hydroxyethyl) 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylate molecules each with an included water molecule are bound together through hydrogen bonding to give a pseudo‐macrocycle in the solid state and in chloroform solution. The fab and esi mass spectra also suggested that ligand 1 forms a dimer in the gas‐phase.