Direct Observation of the Binding Mode of the Phosphonate Anchor to Nanosized Polyoxotitanate Clusters

The structures of three newly synthesized phosphonate‐substituted polyoxotitanates are reported. The Ti/O core of [Ti₄O(OEt)₁₂(PhenylPO₃)] ( 1 ) is the building block for two larger phosphonate‐substituted nanoclusters, [Ti₂₅O₂₆(OEt)₃₆(PhenylPO₃)₆] ( 2 ) and [Ti₂₆O₂₆(OEt)₃₉(PhenylPO₃)₆]Br ( 3 ). All compounds exhibit a not previously recognized triply bridging binding mode of the phosphonate anchor with short connecting Ti? O bonds, the average of which is 2.010(7) Å. Comparison with previously reported work suggests that the binding mode of the phosphonate anchor is strongly dependent on the structure of the underlying substrate.     

Mechanochemical synthesis and thermal stability of phases in the Y2O3–Yb2O3 system

Substitutional, continuous solid solution of the general formula Y_2–xYb_xO₃ was obtained from the mixture of Y₂O₃ and Yb₂O₃ oxides, for the first time by the mechanochemical method in a high-energy ball milling. The monophasic samples of nanocrystalline solid solution for x?>?0.00 and x?<?2.00 were examined by the methods: XRD, DTA, SEM, IR and UV–Vis–DR. As follows from the results, the solid solution crystallizes in cubic system and is isostructural with Y₂O₃ and Yb₂O₃. The solution is stable in the air atmosphere up to at least 900°C, and its decomposition temperature decreases with the increase in x, that is, with decreasing number of Yb³⁺ ions replacing Y³⁺ ions in the crystal lattice of Y₂O₃. The energy band gap estimated for the solid solution varies from?~?5.30 eV for x?=?0.50 to?~?4.90 eV for x?=?1.50, which means that it is an insulator.

     

A 13-membered crown ether with an azoxy subunit in the macrocycle: Synthesis and X-ray structure

The presented azoxy compound is an example of a new crown ether analogue. It has been synthesized by the reduction of an open chain dinitro compound with stannite under strongly alkaline conditions. A method for the separation of the azo and azoxy compounds formed simultaneously has been proposed. The structures of two crystallographically independent molecules of compound2 have been determined. In spite of the small size of the macroring in compound2, the phenyl residues around the azoxy group have atrans orientation. Supplementary Data relating to this article have been deposited with the British Library as Supplementary Publication No. 82157 (11 pages).     

Electron collisions with trifluorides: BF3 and PF3 molecules

Absolute total cross sections (TCSs) for electron scattering from boron trifluoride (BF(3)) and phosphorus trifluoride (PF(3)) molecules have been measured using a linear transmission method. The electron energy ranges from 0.6 to 370 eV for BF(3) and from 0.5 to 370 eV for PF(3). The TCS energy dependence for BF(3) exhibits two very pronounced enhancements: resonantlike narrow feature located near 3.6 eV with the maximum value of 19.2 x 10(-20) m(2), and intermediate energy very broad enhancement with two humps, one centered around 21 eV (18.8 x 10(-20) m(2) in the maximum) and the other near 45 eV (19.5 x 10(-20) m(2)). For PF(3) the TCS has quite different low-energy dependence: at 0.5 eV it has a high value of 70 x 10(-20) m(2) and decreases steeply towards higher energies. Beyond the minimum near 5.5 eV, the TCS reveals two distinct humps: the resonant one centered near 11 eV with the peak value of 32.9 x 10(-20) m(2) and the second one much broader around 35 eV (27.9 x 10(-20) m(2)). The present TCSs for trifluorides are compared to each other as well as to previous TCS data for selected perfluorides and to results for their perhydrided counterparts. The differences and similarities in the shape and magnitude of TCSs are pointed out.     

Restricted photochemistry in the molecular solid state: structural changes on photoexcitation of Cu(I) phenanthroline metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) complexes by time-resolved diffraction

The excited-state structure of [Cu(I)[(1,10-phenanthroline-N,N') bis(triphenylphosphine)] cations in their crystalline [BF(4)] salt has been determined at both 180 and 90 K by single-pulse time-resolved synchrotron experiments with the modified polychromatic Laue method. The two independent molecules in the crystal show distortions on MLCT excitation that differ in magnitude and direction, a difference attributed to a pronounced difference in the molecular environment of the two complexes. As the excited states differ, the decay of the emission is biexponential with two strongly different lifetimes, the longer lifetime, assigned to the more restricted molecule, becoming more prevalent as the temperature increases. Standard deviations in the current Laue study are very much lower than those achieved in a previous monochromatic study of a Cu(I) 2,9-dimethylphenanthroline substituted complex ( J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009 , 131 , 6566 ), but the magnitudes of the shifts on excitation are similar, indicating that lattice restrictions dominate over the steric effect of the methyl substitution. Above all, the study illustrates emphatically that molecules in solids have physical properties different from those of isolated molecules and that their properties depend on the specific molecular environment. This conclusion is relevant for the understanding of the properties of molecular solid-state devices, which are increasingly used in current technology.     

Synthesis, structure and properties of N-acetylated derivatives of methyl 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate

Methyl 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate hydrochloride (1). and free ester (2). were obtained and 2 was reacted with Ac(2)O to give the acetylated products 3-6. Compounds 1-6 were studied using HPLC, GC-MS, FTIR and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, including the cross-polarisation magic angle spinning (CPMAS) technique. The results of the acetylation of 2 were compared to those of the acetylation of 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole, and for 2 a significant decrease in the susceptibility to acetylation was found. The reaction of 2 with Ac(2)O at 20 degrees C, regardless of the amount and the concentration of the latter, including neat Ac(2)O, proceeds fully regioselectively and leads to one product: methyl 1-acetyl-5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate (3). In sharp contrast to 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole, neither an additional monoacetylated isomer, whether annular or exocyclic, nor any diacetylated derivative could be detected. The diacetylation of 2 requires the process to be carried out in neat boiling Ac(2)O and, as in the case of 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole, gives two diacetylated isomers. These are methyl 1-acetyl-3-(acetylamino)-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-5-carboxylate (4) and 1-acetyl-5-(acetylamino)-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate (5). Hypothetical pathways of their formation have been suggested. A mixture of 4 and 5 upon hydrolysis of the ring acetyl group gives the monoacetylated derivative methyl 5-(acetylamino)-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate (6). The spectroscopic, structural and conformational characteristics of compounds 1-6 have been given and methods for their preparation have been provided.     

Multiple binding modes of the camptothecin family to DNA oligomers

The binding constants of camptothecin, topotecan and its lactone ring-opened carboxylate derivative to DNA octamers were measured by UV and NMR spectroscopy. The self-association of topotecan (TPT) was also measured. The carboxylate form of TPT binds in the same way as the lactone, but more weakly. Titration of TPT into d(GCGATCGC)2 shows a preferred location stacked onto the terminal G1 base. However, the intermolecular NOEs cannot be reconciled with a single conformation of the complex, and suggest a model of a limited number of conformations in fast exchange. MD calculations on four pairs of starting structures with TPT stacked onto the G1-C8 base pair in different orientations were therefore performed. The use of selected experimental "docking" restraints yielded ten MD trajectories covering a wide conformational space. From a combination of calculated free energies, NOEs and chemical shifts, some of the structures produced could be eliminated, and it is concluded that the data are consistent with two major families of conformations in fast exchange. One of these is the conformation found in a crystal of a TPT/DNA/topoisomerase I ternary complex [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2002, 99, 15 387-15 392].     

Nucleophilic addition to nitroacrylates: application towards the synthesis of 2,3-dehydroamino acids and 2,3-diamino acids

The addition of the N-pronucleophiles to 2- or 3-nitro-2-alkenoates in the presence of base provided Michael addition products. In the case of 3-nitro compounds, reaction occurred via the formation of α-adducts and the subsequent elimination of nitrous acid to produce olefins with high Z stereoselectivity. 3-Phthalimido-2-nitrocinnamate adduct 8a was converted into 2,3-diamino ester 11a.     

The synthesis, structure and properties of N-acetylated derivatives of ethyl 3-amino-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate

Ethyl 3-amino-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate (1) was yielded through total synthesis and reacted with acetic anhydride to give the acetylated products 2-6. Compounds 1-6 were studied with HPLC, X-ray, FT-IR, (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR and MS. Acetylation was carried out in solvents of various polarity, namely; chloroform; dioxane; DMF; acetic anhydride, at room temperature and at boiling points; and in the presence and absence of DMAP. The acetylated products are mainly nitrogen atoms in the ring. The position of the ring proton in the solution was based on NOESY; multinuclear HMBC, HSQC spectra and calculations. For equivalent amounts (1-1.5 mol) of acetic anhydride at room temperature two products of monoacetylation are produced in the ring: 2 and 3, ca. 2 : 1 and at the same time only small amount of the third product of monoacetylated, 5 in DMF, as well the product diacetylated, 4. The greatest amount of the product 4 is produced during the reaction with chloroform. However, in this solvent and in dioxane no product 5 is produced. Compound 2 is, largely, formed in dimethylformamide, in the presence DMAP, 0.2 eq. In the presence of this catalytic base, for the first hour, there is a mixture 2 and 3 to the ratio ca. 95 : 5. With 8 eq of Ac(2)O at reflux, after another hour, the compounds 3, 4 and 6 appear about equal amounts. After a longer time, the compound, which appears most in this mixture is triacetylated derivative 6. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of compounds 1-6 have been given and the methods for their preparation have been provided.