Kinetic Stabilization and Reactivity of π Single‐Bonded Species: Effect of the Alkoxy Group on the Lifetime of Singlet 2,2‐Dialkoxy‐1,3‐diphenyloctahydropentalene‐1,3‐diyls

Kinetic stabilization and reactivity of π single‐bonded species have been investigated in detail by generating a series of singlet 2,2‐dialkoxy‐1,3‐diphenyloctahydropentalene‐1,3‐diyls ( DR s). The lifetime at 293 K in benzene was found to increase when the carbon chain length of the alkoxy groups was increased; 292 ns ( DRb ; OR=OR′=OCH₃) <880 ns ( DRc ; OR=OR′=OC₂H₅) <1899 ns ( DRd ; OR=OR′=OC₃H₇) ≈2292 ns ( DRe ; OR=OR′=OC₆H₁₃) ≈2146 ns ( DRf ; OR=OR′=OC₁₀H₂₁). DRh (OR=OC₃H₇, OR′=OCH₃; 935 ns) with the mixed‐acetal moiety is a longer‐lived species than another diastereomer DRg (OR=OCH₃, OR′=OC₃H₇; 516 ns). Activation parameters determined for the first‐order decay process reveal that the enthalpy factor plays a crucial role in determining the energy barrier of the ring‐closing reaction, that is, from the π‐bonding to the σ‐bonding compounds. Computational studies using density functional theory provided more insight into the structures of the singlet species with π single‐bonded character and the transition states for the ring‐closing reaction, thereby clarifying the role of the alkoxy group on the lifetime and the stereoselectivity of the ring‐closing reaction.     

Distortions of π‐Coordinated Arenes with Anionic Character

A qualitative analysis of the distortions that operate on the π system of bridging arenes with anionic character is presented and substantiated by computational studies at the density functional B3LYP and CASSCF levels. The observed effects of bonding to two metal atoms and of the negative charge are an expansion of the arene ring due to the partial occupation of π* orbitals, an elongation or compression distortion accompanied by a loss of the equivalence of carbon‐carbon bonds due to a Jahn–Teller distortion of the arene dianions, and a ring puckering due to a second‐order Jahn–Teller distortion that may appear independently of the existence of the first‐order effect. The workings of the orbital mixing produced by these distortions have been revealed in a straightforward way by a pseudosymmetry analysis of the HOMOs of the distorted conformations. The systems studied include Li^I and Y^III adducts of benzene, as well as trimethylsilyl‐substituted derivatives in the former case. An analysis of the structural data of a variety of purported di‐ and tetraanionic arene ligands coordinated to transition metals in several bridging modes has reproduced the main geometrical trends found in the computational study for the benzene and trimethylsilyl‐substituted benzene dianions, allowing a classification of the variety of structural motifs found in the literature.     

Structure and Reactivity of a Cobalt(I) Phthalaldehyde Complex with Both σ‐ and π‐Bonded Aldehyde Groups

A bidentate phthalaldehyde ligand with both σ and π coordination of the aldehyde groups is found in [(C₅Me₅)Co{(C(O)H)₂C₆H₄}] (structure depicted). This complex is the “resting state” of the catalyst in the ring closure of the dialdehyde to give the lactone. Interchange of coordination modes occurs with a barrier of 70 kJ mol⁻¹ at 35°C. Investigation of other Co^I chelate complexes with a single aldehyde group shows that the coordination mode of the aldehyde is dictated by the nature of the bonding of the other ligating group.     

Weak C—H...O and C—H...π hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions in a series of four N′‐[(E)‐(aryl)methylidene]‐N‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazides

Oxazolidin‐2‐ones are widely used as protective groups for 1,2‐amino alcohols and chiral derivatives are employed as chiral auxiliaries. The crystal structures of four differently substituted oxazolidinecarbohydrazides, namely N′‐[(E)‐benzylidene]‐N‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazide, C₁₂H₁₂N₃O₃, (I), N′‐[(E)‐2‐chlorobenzylidene]‐N‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazide, C₁₂H₁₂ClN₃O₃, (II), (4S)‐N′‐[(E)‐4‐chlorobenzylidene]‐N‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazide, C₁₂H₁₂ClN₃O₃, (III), and (4S)‐N′‐[(E)‐2,6‐dichlorobenzylidene]‐N,3‐dimethyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazide, C₁₃H₁₃Cl₂N₃O₃, (IV), show that an unexpected mild‐condition racemization from the chiral starting materials has occurred in (I) and (II). In the extended structures, the centrosymmetric phases, which each crystallize with two molecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit, form A+B dimers linked by pairs of N—H...O hydrogen bonds, albeit with different O‐atom acceptors. One dimer is composed of one molecule with an S configuration for its stereogenic centre and the other with an R configuration, and possesses approximate local inversion symmetry. The other dimer consists of either R,R or S,S pairs and possesses approximate local twofold symmetry. In the chiral structure, N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into C(5) chains, with adjacent molecules related by a 2₁ screw axis. A wide variety of weak interactions, including C—H...O, C—H...Cl, C—H...π and π–π stacking interactions, occur in these structures, but there is little conformity between them.     

Effect of External Electric Field on H‐Bonding and π‐Stacking Interactions in Guanine Aggregates

The structure and electronic properties of guanine oligomers and π stacks of guanine quartets (G‐quartets) with circulene are investigated under an external field through first‐principles calculations. An electric field induces nonplanarity in the guanine aggregates and also leads to an increase in the H‐bond distances. The calculations reveal that the binding energy of the circulenes with G‐quartets increases on application of an electric field along the stacking direction. The HOMO–LUMO gap decreases substantially under the influence of an external field. The contribution of a simple dipole–dipole interaction to the stability of the stacked system is also analyzed. The electric field along the perpendicular axis increases the dipole moments of the guanine dimer, trimer, and quartet. Such an increase in the dipole moment facilitates stacking with circulenes. The stability of G‐quartet–circulene π stacks depends on the phase of the dipole moment (in‐phase or out‐of‐phase) induced by an external electric field. The stability of stacks of bowl‐shaped circulenes with G‐quartets depends on the direction of the applied field.     

A Platinum(II) Terpyridine Metallogel with an L‐Valine‐Modified Alkynyl Ligand: Interplay of Pt⋅⋅⋅Pt, π–π and Hydrogen‐Bonding Interactions

A series of platinum(II) terpyridine complexes with L ‐valine‐modified alkynyl ligands has been synthesized. A complex with an unsubstituted terpyridine and one valine unit on the alkynyl is shown to be capable of gel formation, which is in sharp contrast to the gelation properties of the corresponding organic counterparts. Upon sol–gel transition, a drastic color change from yellow to red is observed, which is indicative of the involvement of Pt ??? Pt interactions. Through the concentration‐ and temperature‐dependent UV/Vis absorption, emission, circular dichroism, and ¹H NMR studies, the contribution of hydrogen bonding, Pt ??? Pt and π–π stacking interactions as driving forces for gelation have been established, and the importance of maintaining a delicate balance between different intermolecular forces has also been illustrated.     

Ambipolar Field‐Effect Transistor (FET) and Redox Characteristics of a π‐Conjugated Thiophene/1,3,4‐Thiadiazole CT‐Type Copolymer

Summary: A π‐conjugated charge transfer‐type copolymer consisting of an electron‐donating thiophene and an electron‐accepting 1,3,4‐thiadiazole, P(ThdzTh), underwent facile electrochemical p‐ and n‐doping, as revealed by cyclic voltammetry. The copolymer gave a new ambipolar field‐effect transistor (FET), which showed typical I_DS (source–drain current)–V_DS (source–drain voltage) curves in both a p‐type working mode and an n‐type working mode. In the n‐type working mode, the polymer showed a carrier mobility of about 5 × 10⁻³ cm² · V⁻¹ · s⁻¹ and an on/off ratio of about 3 × 10⁴.

n‐Channel field‐effect transistor characteristics of P(ThdzTh).     

π‐stacking and C—X...D (X = H,NO2; D = O, π) interactions in the crystal network of both C—H...N and π‐stacked dimers of 1,2‐bis(4‐bromophenyl)‐1H‐benzimidazole and 2‐(4‐bromophenyl)‐1‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐1H‐benzimidazole

Molecules of 1,2‐bis(4‐bromophenyl)‐1H‐benzimidazole, C₁₉H₁₂Br₂N₂, (I), and 2‐(4‐bromophenyl)‐1‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐1H‐benzimidazole, C₁₉H₁₂BrN₃O₂, (II), are arranged in dimeric units through C—H...N and parallel‐displaced π‐stacking interactions favoured by the appropriate disposition of N‐ and C‐bonded phenyl rings with respect to the mean benzimidazole plane. The molecular packing of the dimers of (I) and (II) arises by the concurrence of a diverse set of weak intermolecular C—X...D (X = H, NO₂; D = O, π) interactions.     

Molecular dynamics study of the stereostructure of 1,4‐linked poly(cyclohexa‐1,3‐diene) obtained with π‐allylnickel‐based catalysts

Temperature‐constant and pressure‐constant molecular dynamics simulations of crystalline 1,4‐linked poly(cyclohexa‐1,3‐diene) (CHD) were performed using the COMPASS force field. Powder X‐ray diffraction spectra calculated from the simulated atomic coordinates were compared with the measured spectrum of the crystal of 1,4‐linked poly(CHD), obtained using a bis(allylnickel bromide) (ANiBr)/methylaluminoxane (MAO) catalyst. As a result of the comparison, the geometrical isomerism of the 1,4‐linked poly(CHD) obtained with the ANiBr/MAO catalyst was found to be cis syndiotactic. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 973–978, 2001     

Synthesis and Reactivity of 5‐Bromopenta‐2,4‐diynenitrile (BrC5N): an Access to π‐Conjugated Scaffolds

The synthesis of 5‐bromopenta‐2,4‐diynenitrile (BrC₅N) in three steps from commercially available compounds is reported. Reacting 5‐bromopenta‐2,4‐diynenitrile with secondary amines led to the formation of stable butadiynamines or enynenitriles, depending on the nature of the amine reactant. The reaction of 5‐bromopenta‐2,4‐diynenitrile with simple terminal alkynes in the presence of secondary amines, copper, and palladium catalysts, provided a straightforward access to original polyfunctional carbon‐rich scaffolds. In this work, different alkynes and secondary amines were tested, which allowed for the preparation of a family of substituted dienes. Given the high synthetic potential of 5‐bromopenta‐2,4‐diynenitrile, we also prepared iodinated counterparts of this compound, that is, 5‐iodopenta‐2,4‐diynenitrile and its lower homologue 3‐iodopropiolonitrile. The UV‐visible spectrum of some relevant compounds was also recorded.     

Tuning of Supramolecular Architectures of l‐Valine‐Containing Dicyanoplatinum(II) 2,2′‐Bipyridine Complexes by Metal–Metal, π–π Stacking,and Hydrogen‐Bonding Interactions

A series of newly synthesized dicyanoplatinum(II) 2,2′‐bipyridine complexes exhibits self‐assembly properties in solution after the incorporation of the l ‐valine amino units appended with various hydrophobic motifs. These l ‐valine‐derived substituents were found to have critical control over the aggregation behaviors of the complexes in the solution state. On one hand, one of the complexes was found to exhibit interesting circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) signals at low temperature due to the formation of chiral spherical aggregates in the temperature‐dependent studies. On the other hand, systematic transformation from less uniform aggregates to well‐defined fibrous and rod‐like structures via Pt???Pt and π–π stacking interactions has also been observed in the mixed‐solvent studies. These changes were monitored by UV/Vis absorption, emission, circular dichroism (CD), and CPL spectroscopies, and morphologies were studied by electron microscopy.     

C—H…Cl Hydrogen Bond and π-π Interaction Based Two 3D Supramolecular Architectures of Cu(II) and Co(II) Complexes with Chiral 1,2-Bis(benzimidazol-2-yl) ethane Ligand Containing 2D Grids

合成了两个新的配合物CuLCl₂•2EtOH(1) 和CoLCl₂ (2) [L是( S , S )－1,2－二N－甲基苯并咪唑－1,2－二甲氧基－乙烷],并通过单晶X衍射确定它们的结构。配合物1中,L作为三齿[N, N, O]配体,而配合物2 中,L作为二齿[N, N]配体。这两个配合物共同的结构特点都是通过分子内氢键形成2维的格子结构,然后通过分子间的C－H···Cl型氢键和π–π堆积作用形成3维结构。     

ChemInform Abstract: Preference of npπ—npπ Bonding (n = 3, 4) over Purely σ‐Bonded Species in M42+ (M: S,Se): Geometries,Bonding, and Energetics of Several M42+ Isomers.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.     

Synthesis,X‐ray characterization and density functional theory studies of N6‐benzyl‐N6‐methyladenine–M(II) complexes (M = Zn,Cd): The prominent role of π–π, C–H···π and anion–π interactions

We report the synthesis and X‐ray characterization of the N⁶‐benzyl‐N⁶‐methyladenine ligand (L) and three metal complexes, namely [Zn(HL)Cl₃]·H₂O ( 1 ), [Cd(HL)₂Cl₄] ( 2 ) and [H₂L]₂[Cd₃(μ‐L)₂(μ‐Cl)₄Cl₆]·3H₂O ( 3 ). Complex 1 consists of the 7H‐adenine tautomer protonated at N3 and coordinated to a tetrahedral Zn(II) metal centre through N9. The octahedral Cd(II) in complex 2 is N⁹‐coordinated to two N⁶‐benzyl‐N⁶‐methyladeninium ligands (7H‐tautomer protonated at N3) that occupy apical positions and four chlorido ligands form the basal plane. Compound 3 corresponds to a trinuclear Cd(II) complex, where the central Cd atom is six‐coordinated to two bridging μ‐L and four bridging μ‐Cl ligands. The other two Cd atoms are six‐coordinated to three terminal chlorido ligands, to two bridging μ‐Cl ligands and to the bridging μ‐L through N3. Essentially, the coordination patterns, degree of protonation and tautomeric forms of the nucleobase dominate the solid‐state architectures of 1 – 3 . Additionally, the hydrogen‐bonding interactions produced by the endocyclic N atoms and NH groups stabilize high‐dimensional‐order supramolecular assemblies. Moreover, energetically strong anion–π and lone pair (lp)–π interactions are important in constructing the final solid‐state architectures in 1 – 3 . We have studied the non‐covalent interactions energetically using density functional theory calculations and rationalized the interactions using molecular electrostatic potential surfaces and Bader's theory of atoms in molecules. We have particularly analysed cooperative lp–π and anion–π interactions in 1 and π⁺–π⁺ interactions in 3 .     

Enhanced Reactivities of Iron(IV)‐Oxo Porphyrin π‐Cation Radicals in Oxygenation Reactions by Electron‐Donating Axial Ligands

The proximal axial ligand in heme iron enzymes plays an important role in tuning the reactivities of iron(IV)‐oxo porphyrin π‐cation radicals in oxidation reactions. The present study reports the effects of axial ligands in olefin epoxidation, aromatic hydroxylation, alcohol oxidation, and alkane hydroxylation, by [(tmp)^+. Fe^IV(O)(p‐Y‐PyO)]⁺ ( 1 ‐Y) (tmp=meso‐tetramesitylporphyrin, p‐Y‐PyO=para‐substituted pyridine N‐oxides, and Y=OCH₃, CH₃, H, Cl). In all of the oxidation reactions, the reactivities of 1 ‐Y are found to follow the order 1 ‐OCH₃ > 1 ‐CH₃ > 1 ‐H > 1 ‐Cl; negative Hammett ρ values of ?1.4 to ?2.7 were obtained by plotting the reaction rates against the σ_p values of the substituents of p‐Y‐PyO. These results, as well as previous ones on the effect of anionic nucleophiles, show that iron(IV)‐oxo porphyrin π‐cation radicals bearing electron‐donating axial ligands are more reactive in oxo‐transfer and hydrogen‐atom abstraction reactions. These results are counterintuitive since iron(IV)‐oxo porphyrin π‐cation radicals are electrophilic species. Theoretical calculations of anionic and neutral ligands reproduced the counterintuitive experimental findings and elucidated the root cause of the axial ligand effects. Thus, in the case of anionic ligands, as the ligand becomes a better electron donor, it strengthens the FeO? H bond and thereby enhances its H‐abstraction activity. In addition, it weakens the Fe?O bond and encourages oxo‐transfer reactivity. Both are Bell–Evans–Polanyi effects, however, in a series of neutral ligands like p‐Y‐PyO, there is a relatively weak trend that appears to originate in two‐state reactivity (TSR). This combination of experiment and theory enabled us to elucidate the factors that control the reactivity patterns of iron(IV)‐oxo porphyrin π‐cation radicals in oxidation reactions and to resolve an enigmatic and fundamental problem.