Mechanochemical Activation of Zinc and Application to Negishi Cross‐Coupling

A form independent activation of zinc, concomitant generation of organozinc species and engagement in a Negishi cross‐coupling reaction via mechanochemical methods is reported. The reported method exhibits a broad substrate scope for both C(sp³)–C(sp²) and C(sp²)–C(sp²) couplings and is tolerant to many important functional groups. The method may offer broad reaching opportunities for the in situ generation organometallic compounds from base metals and their concomitant engagement in synthetic reactions via mechanochemical methods.     

Hydroxamate-based iron chelators: combinatorial syntheses of desferrioxamine B analogues and evaluation of binding affinities

This article describes the solid-phase combinatorial methods developed for the synthesis of polyhydroxamate-based siderophores. This strategy was applied to generate several libraries of structural DFO (1a) analogues that include DFO variants, non-amide analogues, C-terminal modified analogues, reverse-amide analogues, and hybrid analogues. To assess the relative iron-binding affinities of these compounds, a high-throughput spectrophotometric screening method based on competition with 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid was developed. Some of the promising candidates containing various terminal functional groups were identified and prepared on large scale to enable future studies in animal models for iron-overload diseases.     

Synthesis and properties of polyetheretherketone–polydimethylsiloxane block copolymers

Polyetheretherketone-polydimethylsiloxane (PEEK–PDMS) block copolymers were synthesized from the condensation of dimethylamino terminated PDMS and hydroxy terminated PEEK oligomers in 1-chloronapthalene. Yields for block copolymers synthesised from low molecular weight PDMS oligomers were good but yields were significantly reduced when higher molecular weight PDMS oligomers were used. This was related to the limited solubility of higher molecular weight PDMS in the reaction solvent. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies indicated that phase separation of the block copolymers occurred at very short segment length (M?_n < 4000). A depression in the crystallinity of both the PEEK and PDMS phases in the block copolymer was observed. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies indicated that the PEEK–PDMS block copolymers displayed insufficient thermo-oxidative stability to be melt-processed successfully in PEEK based blends.     

Synthesis and coordination of 2-diphenylphosphinopicolinamide

The synthesis and coordination of 2-diphenylphosphinopicolinamide (dpppa 1) is reported. Coordination complexes with Pd, Pt, Ru, Rh, Ir and Au are described. The ligand behaves as a monodentate P donor in complexes such as [PtCl₂(dpppa-P₂)], [PdCl(allyl)(dpppa-P)], [RuCl₂(p-Cymene)(dpppa-P)], cis-[PtCl₂(dpppa-P)(PR₃)] and [AuCl(dpppa-P)]. Bidentate P, O coordination was accomplished by reaction of BuLi with [RuCl₂(p-Cymene)(dpppa-P)], to give [RuCl(p-Cymene)(dpppa-P,O). P,N donor behaviour was achieved by reaction of a monodentate complex with a halide abstractor [AgBF₄] generating [RuCl(p-Cymene)(dpppa-P,N)][ClO₄] and[RhCl(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(dpppa-P,N)][BF₄]. The X-ray structures of dpppa, dpppaO, dpppaS, four monodentate complexes and [RuCl(p-Cymene)(dpppa-P,O) are reported. All of the structures contain intramolecular N–HN hydrogen bonding.     

Adsorption properties of HKUST-1 toward hydrogen and other small molecules monitored by IR

Among microporous systems metal organic frameworks are considered promising materials for molecular adsorption. In this contribution infrared spectroscopy is successfully applied to highlight the positive role played by coordinatively unsaturated Cu2+ ions in HKUST-1, acting as specific interaction sites. A properly activated material, obtained after solvent removal, is characterized by a high fraction of coordinatively unsaturated Cu2+ ions acting as preferential adsorption sites that show specific activities towards some of the most common gaseous species (NO, CO2, CO, N2 and H2). From a temperature dependent IR study, it has been estimated that the H2 adsorption energy is as high as 10 kJ mol(-1). A very complex spectral evolution has been observed upon lowering the temperature. A further peculiarity of this material is the fact that it promotes ortho-para conversion of the adsorbed H2 species.     

An aluminum ate base: its design, structure, function, and reaction mechanism

An aluminum ate base, i-Bu(3)Al(TMP)Li, has been designed and developed for regio- and chemoselective direct generation of functionalized aromatic aluminum compounds. Direct alumination followed by electrophilic trapping with I(2), Cu/Pd-catalyzed C-C bond formation, or direct oxidation with molecular O(2) proved to be a powerful tool for the preparation of 1,2- or 1,2,3-multisubstituted aromatic compounds. This deprotonative alumination using i-Bu3Al(TMP)Li was found to be effective in aliphatic chemistry as well, enabling regio- and chemoselective addition of functionalized allylic ethers and carbamates to aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. A combined multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and theoretical study showed that the aluminum ate base is a Li/Al bimetallic complex bridged by the nitrogen atom of TMP and the alpha-carbon of an i-Bu ligand and that the Li exclusively serves as a recognition point for electronegative functional groups or coordinative solvents. The mechanism of directed ortho alumination reaction of functionalized aromatic compounds has been studied by NMR and in situ FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray analysis, and DFT calculation. It has been found that the reaction proceeds with facile formation of an initial adduct of the base and aromatic, followed by deprotonative formation of the functionalized aromatic aluminum compound. Deprotonation by the TMP ligand rather than the isobutyl ligand was suggested and reasoned by means of spectroscopic and theoretical study. The remarkable regioselectivity of the ortho alumination reaction was explained by a coordinative approximation effect between the functional groups and the counter Li(+) ion, enabling stable initial complex formation and creation of a less strained transition state structure.     

First-principles calculation of local atomic polarizabilities

Common methods of determining atomic polarizabilities suffer from the inclusion of nonlocal effects such as charge polarization. A new method is described for determining fully ab initio atomic polarizabilities based on calculating the response of atomic multipoles to the local electrostatic potential. The localized atomic polarizabilities are then used to calculate induction energies that are compared to ab initio induction energies to test their usefulness in practical applications. These polarizabilities are shown to be an improvement over the corresponding molecular polarizabilities, in terms of both absolute accuracy and the convergence of the multipolar induction series. The transferability of localized polarizabilities for the alkane series is also discussed.     

Stepwise nucleophilic substitution of manganocene, syntheses and structures of the dimer [CpMn(hpp)]2 and the unusual manganate cage [LiMn(hpp)3]2 (hppH = 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2,a]pyrimidine)

While the nucleophilic substitution reaction of manganocene [Cp(2)Mn] with Li(hpp) (1 : 1 equivalents) gives the neutral dimer [CpMn(hpp)]2 (1), further substitution of the Cp ligands leads to the unusual dimeric manganate cage compound [LiMn(hpp)3]2 (2), generated by the dimerisation of a simple tris-organomanganate monomer.