Synthesis of Z-alkenyl phosphorus compounds through hydroalumination and carbocupration of alkynyl precursors

The stereocontrolled synthesis of Z-alkenylphosphine-borane complexes is easily accomplished via the hydroalumination or carbocupration of alkynyl precursors. Z/E ratios are generally higher than 95/5. These reactions are stereocomplementary to our olefination approach.     

Snowman-like silver alkynyl cluster consolidated by templating chloride and peripheral trifluoroacetates

A novel nonadecanuclear silver double cage was isolated, in which a square antiprism and a pentacapped pentagonal prism templated by a chloride ion share a tetragonal face to form a snowman-like cluster that is held together by bridging alkynyl groups and trifluoroacetates.     

Luminescent heterohexanuclear complexes with platinum alkynyl and silver diphosphine as components

Reactions between the building blocks [Ag2(mu-Ph2PXPPh2)2(MeCN)2]2+ and [Pt(C[triple bond]CC6H4R-p)4]2- (R = H, CH3) afforded strongly luminescent acetylide-linked neutral heterohexanuclear complexes Pt2Ag4(mu-Ph2PNPPh2)4 (C[triple bond]CC6H4R-p)4 (R = H, 1; CH3, 2) for X = NH, but a heterotrinuclear complex cation [PtAg2(mu-PPh2CH2PPh2)2 (C[triple bond]CC6H5)2(CH3CN)2]2+ (3(2+)) for X = CH2.     

Comparison of amorphous iridium water-oxidation electrocatalysts prepared from soluble precursors

Electrodeposition of iridium oxide layers from soluble precursors provides a route to active thin-layer electrocatalysts for use on water-oxidizing anodes. Certain organometallic half-sandwich aqua complexes of iridium form stable and highly active oxide films upon electrochemical oxidation in aqueous solution. The catalyst films appear as blue layers on the anode when sufficiently thick, and most closely resemble hydrous iridium(III,IV) oxide by voltammetry. The deposition rate and cyclic voltammetric response of the electrodeposited material depend on whether the precursor complex contains a pentamethylcyclopentadieneyl (Cp*) or cyclopentadienyl ligand (Cp), and do not match, in either case, iridium oxide anodes prepared from non-organometallic precursors. Here, we survey our organometallic precursors, iridium hydroxide, and pre-formed iridium oxide nanoparticles. From electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance (EQCN) studies, we find differences in the rate of electrodeposition of catalyst layers from the two half-sandwich precursors; however, the resulting layers operate as water-oxidizing anodes with indistinguishable overpotentials and H/D isotope effects. Furthermore, using the mass data collected by EQCN and not otherwise available, we show that the electrodeposited materials are excellent catalysts for the water-oxidation reaction, showing maximum turnover frequencies greater than 0.5 mol O(2) (mol iridium)(-1) s(-1) and quantitative conversion of current to product dioxygen. Importantly, these anodes maintain their high activity and robustness at very low iridium loadings. Our organometallic precursors contrast with pre-formed iridium oxide nanoparticles, which form an unstable electrodeposited material that is not stably adherent to the anode surface at even moderately oxidizing potentials.     

Photogeneration and thermal generation of pentacene from soluble precursors for OTFT applications

A CO adduct of pentacene with an unsymmetrical structure is synthesized; it is soluble and can be spin-coated into thin films. Pentacene is regenerated in near quantitative yield by either thermal or photoinduced elimination of CO. OTFT devices fabricated by this compound exhibit typical FET characteristics.     

Spectroscopy and photoredox properties of soluble platinum(II) alkynyl complexes

Six complexes of platinum(II) with a terdentate π-acceptor ligand, 2,6-(N-(n-hexyl)benzimidazol-2′-yl)pyridine), and different ethynylbenzene ligands were synthesized and investigated by means of optical absorption, luminescence, and time-resolved emission spectroscopy. These complexes display similar photophysical and electrochemical properties as previously investigated analogs with the 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine ligand. The energy of the luminescence band maximum is a function of the nature of the chemical substituents attached to the ethynylbenzene ligand, luminescence intensities and lifetimes correlate with the luminescence wavelength according to the energy-gap law. The emissive excited states of some of these complexes are quenched reductively with efficiencies near the diffusion-controlled limit, even for moderate electron donors such as phenothiazine or triphenylamine. A complex with a dimethylamine substituent attached to the ethynylbenzene ligand exhibits photophysical properties that are strongly dependent on the protonation state of the amine. A dimer complex with a diethynyl-substituted xanthene bridging ligand displays absorption and emission behavior that is essentially identical to that of some of the monomeric platinum complexes investigated in this work. Short Pt(II)–Pt(II) contacts are only observed in the crystal structure of a precursor complex. A key feature of the new complexes is their good solubility in common organic solvents, thanks to the presence of two hexyl chains that are attached to the terdentate ligands.     

From sulfoxide precursors to model oligomers of conducting polymers

The gas-phase internal elimination (E(i)) reaction of the sulfoxide (-SO-CH(3)) precursors of ethylene and model oligomers of PPV and PITN has been investigated by means of Hartree-Fock, M?ller-Plesset (second and fourth order), and Density Functional Theory (B3LYP, MPW1K) calculations. Considerable differences between the obtained ground state and transition state geometries and the calculated activation energies are observed from one approach to the other, justifying first a careful calibration against the results of a benchmark CCSD(T) study of the E(i) reaction leading to ethylene. In comparison with the CCSD(T) results, as well as with available experimental data, DFT calculations along with the MPW1K functional are found to be a very appropriate choice for describing the E(i) pathway. The leading conformations of the precursors, the relevant transition state structures, and the energy barriers encountered along the lowest energy path to unsubstituted, alpha and beta chloro-, methoxy-, and cyano-substituted ethylene, styrene, stilbene in its cis and trans forms, and at last trans-biisothianaphthene have therefore been identified and characterized in detail employing DFT (MPW1K). Depending on the substituents attached to the C(alpha) and C(beta) atoms, different reaction mechanisms are observed.     

Room-temperature synthesis of soluble, fluorescent carbon nanoparticles from organogel precursors

Carbon nanoparticles were obtained at room temperature by irradiating an organogel made from a 1,8-diaryloctatetrayne derivative in chloroform. During the topochemical polymerization, the morphology of the gel changes from fibers to soluble, yellow fluorescent nanoparticles in high yield. Analyses suggest that the resulting nanoparticles are made of amorphous graphitic carbon.     

Ambipolar behavior of hydrogen-bonded diketopyrrolopyrrole-thiophene co-oligomers formed from their soluble precursors

Organic field-effect transistors with hydrogen-bonded diketopyrrolopyrrole-thiophene co-oligomers were fabricated by a solution-process method with annealing at 200 °C, showing ambipolar charge-carrier transfer with field-effect mobilities up to μ(h) = 6.7 × 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1)s(-1) and μ(e) = 5.6 × 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1).     

Synthesis of extremely soluble precursors of tetrabenzoporphyrins

This paper describes the preparation of dimethylbicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene-fused porphyrins as extremely soluble precursors of tetrabenzoporphyrins and thermal conversion of the precursors to tetrabenzoporphyrins.     

Vibrational and 29Si NMR spectroscopies of soluble silicate oligomers

Vibrational spectroscopy has been used to correlate the features of silicate solution spectra with ²⁹Si NMR spectra, as a function of SiO₂:Na₂O ratio and SiO₂ concentration. Assignments of infrared and Raman component bands have been made for different anion types and are consistent with results reported for crystalline silicates and silicate glasses. The extent of depolymerization of larger anions has been found to differ, depending on both the degree of dilution and alkalinity. The relative amounts of polymeric (Q⁴) silica and larger three dimensional (Q³_4R) anions are greater for the more siliceous solutions (3.3 and 2.95 ratio) at high concentrations. These large anions continue to be major contributors to the anion distribution even at 15 to 50 fold dilution. In the case of more alkaline solutions, especially below 2.5 ratio, the relative contribution of the large anions to the distribution drops rapidly, even with 2 or 3 fold dilution. At low concentrations, in very alkaline solutions, the anion distribution is mainly monomer, dimer and cyclic trimer. Vibrational spectroscopies show great promise for observing changes in anion distribution on a much shorter time scale than is possible with ²⁹Si NMR and can be useful for following reactions involving silicate solutions.     

Reversible formation of cyclic 1,4-benzothiazine oligomers

1,4-Benzothiazine 2 , generated in situ by mild hydrolysis of aminoacetal 3 , readily undergoes aldolization to give mainly two pairs of diastereoisomeric trimers and tetramers, having the gross structure 5 and 6 respectively. In strongly acidic media the oligomers are depolymerized to give monomeric 2H-1,4-benzothiazine (¹H nmr evidence) which, at slightly acidic or neutral pH, is converted to a mixture of the same trimers and tetramers. These results provide an improved background to look into the biosynthesis of phaeomelanins which are known to originate by polymerization of 1,4-benzothiazine intermediates.     

Dopamine promotes formation and secretion of non-fibrillar alpha-synuclein oligomers

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by selective and progressive degeneration of dopamine (DA)-producing neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and by abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein. Previous studies have suggested that DA can interact with α-synuclein, thus modulating the aggregation process of this protein; this interaction may account for the selective vulnerability of DA neurons in patients with PD. However, the relationship between DA and α-synuclein, and the role in progressive degeneration of DA neurons remains elusive. We have shown that in the presence of DA, recombinant human α-synuclein produces non-fibrillar, SDS-resistant oligomers, while β-sheet-rich fibril formation is inhibited. Pharmacologic elevation of the cytoplasmic DA level increased the formation of SDS-resistant oligomers in DA-producing neuronal cells. DA promoted α-synuclein oligomerization in intracellular vesicles, but not in the cytosol. Furthermore, elevation of DA levels increased secretion of α-synuclein oligomers to the extracellular space, but the secretion of monomers was not changed. DA-induced secretion of α-synuclein oligomers may contribute to the progressive loss of the dopaminergic neuronal population and the pronounced neuroinflammation observed in the SNpc in patients with PD.     

Grafting and polymer formation on silicon from unsaturated Grignards: I-aromatic precursors

Anodic decomposition of a phenylmagnesium halide at a surface-hydrogenated silicon electrode leads to formation of polymeric layers covalently anchored to the silicon surface. These layers have been characterized using spectroellipsometry, photoluminescence, infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. The phenyl ring appears preserved in the process, and the polymer formed is a polyphenylene. Contamination by aliphatic groups from the solvent may be minimized by using a solvent resistant to hydrogen abstraction by the phenyl radicals. Regioselectivity of the branching may be oriented to the para form by using 4-chlorophenylmagnesium bromide as the precursor.     

High-nuclearity silver ethynide clusters assembled with phosphonate and metavanadate precursors

Giant mixed-metal clusters have been assembled with the multinuclear silver(I) tert-butylethynide supramolecular synthon and phosphonate-functionalized oxovanadate building blocks as surface components. Various anionic species can be used as their encapsulated templates. (Picture: Ag(36) cluster anion encapsulating a chloride (sphere) and two [(O(2) )(V(2) O(6) )](4-) template anions (dark green); Ag?blue, O?red, P?yellow, V?green).     

Synthesis of alkynes and alkynyl iodides bearing a protected amino alcohol moiety as functionalized amino acids precursors

Amino acid precursors in protected amino alcohol form are important synthons that can be used as building-blocks for the hemisynthesis of non-natural amino acids. Serine can be used as a common starting material for the synthesis of such compounds differently protected. Particularly, protected amino alcohols bearing an ethynyl and/or an iodoethynyl group can be used in cross-couplings, in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions and/or in Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi type reactions. We thus demonstrated that the efficiently protected amino alcohols derived from serine can be coupled to a sugar derivative by an indium mediated alkynylation reaction. The conditions of this coupling are compatible with such functionalized derivatives and allow envisaging an access to C-glycosylated amino acids.     

Synthesis of soluble all-trans oligomers of 2,5-diheptyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene via olefin metathesis

In this paper we report on the synthesis of all-trans oligomers of 2,5-diheptyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene (2,5-diheptyloxy-PV) via olefin metathesis condensation of 2,5-diheptyloxy-1,4-divinylbenzene

1 The correct IUPAC name is 1,4-bis(heptyloxy)-2,5-divinylbenzene. The name 2,5-diheptyloxy-1,4-divinylbenzene is used in order to underline the structural similarity to 2,5-diheptyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene oligomers.

(2,5-diheptyloxy-DVB). The preparation of the monomer is also described. The Schrock type molybdenum alkylidene complex Mo(NPhMe₂)(CHCMe₂Ph)(OCMe[CF₃]₂)₂ was used as metathesis catalyst. The oligomer product obtained was characterized by means of ¹H NMR, IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography.