Unravelling the Role of the Pentafluoroorthotellurate Group as a Ligand in Nickel Chemistry

The pentafluoroorthotellurate group (teflate, OTeF₅) is able to form species, for which only the fluoride analogues are known. Despite nickel fluorides being widely investigated, nickel teflates have remained elusive for decades. By reaction of [NiCl₄]²⁻ and neat ClOTeF₅, we have synthesized the homoleptic [Ni(OTeF₅)₄]²⁻ anion, which presents a distorted tetrahedral structure, unlike the polymeric [NiF₄]²⁻. This high-spin complex has allowed the study of the electronic properties of the teflate group, which can be classified as a weak/medium-field ligand, and therefore behaves as the fluoride analogue also in ligand-field terms. The teflate ligands in [NEt₄]₂[Ni(OTeF₅)₄] are easily substituted, as shown by the formation of [Ni(NCMe)₆][OTeF₅]₂ by dissolving it in acetonitrile. Nevertheless, careful reactions with other conventional ligands have enabled the crystallization of nickel teflate complexes with different coordination geometries, i.e. [NEt₄]₂[trans-Ni(OEt₂)₂(OTeF₅)₄] or [NEt₄][Ni(bpyMe₂)(OTeF₅)₃].     

An Autocatalytic System of Photooxidation‐Driven Substitution Reactions on a FeII4L6 Cage Framework

The functions of life are accomplished by systems exhibiting nonlinear kinetics: autocatalysis, in particular, is integral to the signal amplification that allows for biological information processing. Novel synthetic autocatalytic systems provide a foundation for the design of artificial chemical networks capable of carrying out complex functions. Here we report a set of Fe^II₄L₆ cages containing BODIPY chromophores having tuneable photosensitizing properties. Electron‐rich anilines were observed to displace electron‐deficient anilines at the dynamic‐covalent imine bonds of these cages. When iodoaniline residues were incorporated, heavy‐atom effects led to enhanced ¹O₂ production. The incorporation of (methylthio)aniline residues into a cage allowed for the design of an autocatalytic system: oxidation of the methylthio groups into sulfoxides make them electron‐deficient and allows their displacement by iodoanilines, generating a better photocatalyst and accelerating the reaction.     

Plasma Modeling and Prebiotic Chemistry: A Review of the State-of-the-Art and Perspectives

We review the recent progress in the modeling of plasmas or ionized gases, with compositions compatible with that of primordial atmospheres. The plasma kinetics involves elementary processes by which free electrons ultimately activate weakly reactive molecules, such as carbon dioxide or methane, thereby potentially starting prebiotic reaction chains. These processes include electron–molecule reactions and energy exchanges between molecules. They are basic processes, for example, in the famous Miller-Urey experiment, and become relevant in any prebiotic scenario where the primordial atmosphere is significantly ionized by electrical activity, photoionization or meteor phenomena. The kinetics of plasma displays remarkable complexity due to the non-equilibrium features of the energy distributions involved. In particular, we argue that two concepts developed by the plasma modeling community, the electron velocity distribution function and the vibrational distribution function, may unlock much new information and provide insight into prebiotic processes initiated by electron–molecule collisions.     

Exploring the Influence of Intermolecular Interactions in Prebiotic Chemistry Using Laser Spectroscopy and Calculations

One of the most fascinating questions in chemistry is why nature chose CGAT as the alphabet of life. Very likely, such selection was the result of multiple factors and a long period of refinement. Here, we explore how the intermolecular interactions influenced such process, by characterizing the formation of dimers between adenine, theobromine and 4-aminopyrimidine. Using a combination of mass-resolved excitation spectroscopy and DFT calculations, we determined the structure of adenine-theobromine and 4-aminopyrimidine-theobromine dimers. The binding energy of these dimers is very close to the canonical adenine-thymine nucleobases. Likewise, the dimers are able to adopt Watson-Crick conformations. These findings seem to indicate that there were many options available to build the first versions of the informational polymers, which also had to compete with other molecules, such as 4-aminopyrimidine, which does not have a valid attaching point for a saccharide. For some reason, nature did not select the most strongly-bonded partners or if it did, such proto-bases were later replaced by the nowadays canonical CGAT.     

Theoretical Studies on the Intermolecular Interactions of Potentially Primordial Base‐Pair Analogues

Recent experimental studies on the Watson–Crick type base pairing of triazine and aminopyrimidine derivatives suggest that acid/base properties of the constituent bases might be related to the duplex stabilities measured in solution. Herein we use high‐level quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the base pairing and stacking interactions of seven selected base pairs, which are common in that they are stabilized by two N? H???O hydrogen bonds separated by one N? H???N hydrogen bond. We show that neither the base pairing nor the base stacking interaction energies correlate with the reported pK_a data of the bases and the melting points of the duplexes. This suggests that the experimentally observed correlation between the melting point data of the duplexes and the pK_a values of the constituent bases is not rooted in the intrinsic base pairing and stacking properties. The physical chemistry origin of the observed experimental correlation thus remains unexplained and requires further investigations. In addition, since our calculations are carried out with extrapolation to the complete basis set of atomic orbitals and with inclusion of higher electron correlation effects, they provide reference data for stacking and base pairing energies of non‐natural bases.     

Synthesis of Pyrimidines and Triazines in Ice: Implications for the Prebiotic Chemistry of Nucleobases

From urea to nucleobases : Freeze–thaw cycles in urea ( 1 ) solutions under methane/nitrogen atmospheres lead, with application of an energy source, to the synthesis of pyrimidines (mainly cytosine ( 2 ) and uracil ( 3 )), triazines (such as cyanuric acid ( 4 )), and adenine. This synthesis appears to be dependent on the atmosphere and the freezing conditions. At room temperature, hydantoin ( 5 ) is obtained. However, a freezing urea/water system subjected to an energy source under an inert atmosphere generates s‐triazines.

     

The Origin of Life—Out of the Blue

Either to sustain autotrophy, or as a prelude to heterotrophy, organic synthesis from an environmentally available C₁ feedstock molecule is crucial to the origin of life. Recent findings augment key literature results and suggest that hydrogen cyanide—“Blausäure”—was that feedstock.     

Spontaneous Emergence of Chirality in the Limited Enantioselectivity Model: Autocatalytic Cycle Driven by an External Reagent

The model of limited enantioselectivity (LES) in closed systems, and under experimental conditions able to achieve chemical equilibrium, can give rise to neither spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking (SMSB) nor kinetic chiral amplifications. However, it has been recently shown that it is able to lead to SMSB, as a stationary final state, in thermodynamic scenarios involving nonuniform temperature distributions and for compartmentalized separation between the two autocatalytic reactions. Herein, it is demonstrated how SMSB may occur in LES in a cyclic network with uniform temperature distribution if the reverse reaction of the nonenantioselective autocatalysis, which gives limited inhibition on the racemic mixture, is driven by an external reagent, that is, in conditions that keep the system out of chemical equilibrium. The exact stability analysis of the racemic and chiral final outcomes and the study of the reaction parameters leading to SMSB are resolved analytically. Numerical simulations, using chemical kinetics equations, show that SMSB may occur for chemically reasonable parameters. Numerical simulations on SMSB are also presented for speculative, but reasonable, scenarios implying reactions common in amino acid chemistry.     

美国新AP化学考试特点分析

通过对改革后AP化学考试的形式、时间以及2014-2016年的AP化学试题进行分析,总结出新版AP化学考试的特点：增加简答题中实验题的数量,考查学生“科学实践”的能力;加强对图表的认知和理解能力的考查等。并得出对我国高中化学教学和高考的几点思考与启示。     

无机化学教学中过程化考核的实践

通过精心设计和实施课中提问、课后作业、单元练习和分组讨论(包括通过微信)等一系列过程化考核措施,即时掌握学生对知识的认识状态,及时调整教学进度,改进教学方法;学生在参与大量的过程化考核过程中也逐渐学会了大学化学的学习方法,并能掌握知识的精髓。     

2018年高考全国卷化学实验题的分析与启示

对2018年高考全国Ⅰ卷、Ⅱ卷、Ⅲ卷中化学实验题的题型、内容分布、试题呈现形式、内容难度、考查的学科能力、核心素养水平以及命题特点进行了具体分析,并对高中化学实验教学提出了相关建议。     

超分子体系的物理化学研究进展

本文介绍了超分子化学领域的研究进展, 评述了其中与物理化学有关的研究成果, 并从化学热力学、电化学、化学动力学、胶体与界面化学等几个主要方面加以讨论, 描述了超分子物理化学的基本框架。     

大学基础化学教学中的知其所以然*

针对大学本科一年级基础化学如“化学概论”等课程教学中,学生对于不断出现的专业名词及物理化学含义的理解问题,以“焓”“熵”等外来词汇以及角动量l、能级分裂单位“Dq”等缩写为例,从专业名词来源开始讲解,使学生在学习过程中既知其然又知其所以然,更好地理解化学专业词汇,尤其是外来词汇的内涵与物理化学意义。     

化学学科核心素养视角下的中考化学实验探究试题分析

从化学学科核心素养的视角,结合初、高中教学内容和教学方法的衔接,分析成都市近年的中考实验探究题的特点。提出基于化学学科核心素养培养的初中化学教学建议。     

A Comparative Study on HCN Polymers Synthesized by Polymerization of NH4CN or Diaminomaleonitrile in Aqueous Media: New Perspectives for Prebiotic Chemistry and Materials Science

HCN polymers are a group of complex and heterogeneous substances that are widely known in the fields of astrobiology and prebiotic chemistry. In addition, they have recently received considerable attention as potential functional material coatings. However, the real nature and pathways of formation of HCN polymers remain open questions. It is well established that the tuning of macromolecular structures determines the properties and practical applications of a polymeric material. Herein, different synthetic conditions were explored for the production of HCN polymers from NH₄CN or diaminomaleonitrile in aqueous media with different concentrations of the starting reactants and several reaction times. By using a systematic methodology, both series of polymers were shown to exhibit similar, but not identical, spectroscopic and thermal fingerprints, which resulted in a clear differentiation of their morphological and electrochemical properties. New macrostructures are proposed for HCN polymers, and promising insights are discussed for prebiotic chemistry and materials science on the basis of the experimental results.     

有机化学中新兴领域的积极开拓者——黄耀曾先生

黄耀曾先生(1912-2002),我国著名的有机化学家,中国科学院院士,我国有机氟化学的先驱者,我国金属有机化学的开拓者。曾任中央研究院化学研究所助理研究员,副研究员,上海第一医学院助教,讲师。中国科学院上海有机化学研究所副研究员,研究员,博士生导师;上海有机化学研究所副所长,中国科学院化学部常委,副主任,中国化学会常务理事,《有机化学》主编和国际《杂原子化学》顾问编委。他的研究工作不仅推动了有机化学的发展,而且在我国国防建设和经济建设中也做出了突出贡献。曾获全国科学大会奖,国家科学技术进步一等奖,国防科技事业荣誉证书,国家自然科学三等奖及二等奖,第三世界科学院化学奖,何梁何利基金科学与进步奖等众多奖项。几十年的学术生涯中,黄耀曾先生在国内外著名学术刊物上共发表论文230余篇,著译9本,培养了博士20名,其中有的当选为院士,有的已成为重要的科研骨干和领导,有的是著名的企业家。     

2014年广东高考理综化学试题赏析及思考

对2014年广东高考理综化学试题进行研究,先整体分析试题特点,后局部赏析试题内容亮点,挖掘试题功能,继而反思试题启示与备考策略,以达到探究命题规律和助推教学研究的目的。