Nickel-Catalyzed Preparations of Functionalized Organozincs

The reaction of primary alkyl bromides or chlorides with diethylzinc in the presence of Ni(acac)(2) (5 mol %) furnishes the corresponding alkylzinc halides (X = Br, Cl) via a halogen-zinc exchange reaction. The treatment of terminal alkenes with diethylzinc (neat, 25-60 degrees C) in the presence of Ni(acac)(2) as a catalyst (1-5 mol %) and 1,5-cyclooctadiene (COD) affords the corresponding dialkylzincs via a hydrozincation reaction. Whereas the conversion for simple alkenes bearing a remote functionality reaches 40 to 63%, the hydrozincation of allylic, homoallylic alcohols and allylic amines proceeds very efficiently (85-95% conversion). All the zinc organometallics obtained react with various electrophiles (allylic halides, enones, acid chlorides, alkynyl halides, ethyl propiolate) after transmetalation with CuCN.2LiCl. In the presence of the chiral catalyst 12, the dialkylzincs prepared add to aldehydes with high enantioselectivity.     

Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure Ferrocenes from Glycofuranosyl-cyclopentadienes,synthetic equivalents of (alkoxyalkyl)fulvenes

Cyclopentadienyl C-glycosides (= glycosyl-cyclopentadienes) have been prepared as latent fulvenes. Their reaction with nucleophiles leads to cyclopentadienes substituted with (protected) alditol moieties and, hence, to enantiomerically pure metallocenes. Treatment of 1 with cyclopentadienyl anion gave the epimeric glycosyl-cyclopentadienes 6 / 7 (Scheme 1). Each epimer consisted of a ca. 1:1 mixture of the 1, 3-and 1, 4-cyclopentadienes a and b , respectively, which were separated by prep. HPLC. Slow regioisomerisation occurred at room temperature. Diels-Alder addition of N-phenylmaleimide to 6a / b ca. 3:7 at room temperature yielded three ‘endo’-adducts, i.e., a disubstituted alkene ( 8 or 9 , 25%) and the trisubstituted alkenes 10 (45%) and 11 (13%). The structure of 10 was established by X-ray analysis. Reduction of 6 / 7 (after isolation or in situ) with LiAlH₄ gave the cyclopentadienylmannitols 12a / b (80%) which were converted to the silyl ethers 13a / b (Scheme 2). Lithiation of 13a / b and reaction with FeCl₂ or TiCl₄ led to the symmetric ferrocene 14 (76%) and the titanocene 15 (34%), respectively. The mixed ferrocene 16 (63%) was prepared from 13a / b and pentamethylcyclopentadiene. Treatment of 6 / 7 with PhLi at ?78° gave a 5:3 mixture of the 1-C-phenylated alcohols 17a / b and 18a / b (71%) which were silylated to 19a / b and 20a / b , respectively. Lithiation of 19 / 20 and reaction with FeCl₂ afforded the symmetric ferrocenes 21 and 22 and the mixed ferrocene 23 (54:15:31, 79%) which were partially separated by MPLC. The configuration at C(1) of 17–22 was assigned on the basis of a conformational analysis. The reaction of the ribofuranose 24 with cyclopentadienylsodium led to the epimeric C-glycosides 27a / b and 28a (57%, ca. 1:1, Scheme 3). The in-situ reduction of 27 / 28 with LiAlH₄ followed by isopropylidenation gave 25a / b (65%) which were transformed into the ferrocene 26 (79%) using the standard method. Phenylation of 27 / 28 , desilylation, and isopropylidenation gave a 20:1 mixture of 33a / b and 34a / b (86%) which was separated by prep. HPLC. The same mixture was obtained upon phenylation of the fulvene 32 which was obtained in 36% yield from the reaction of the aldehydo-ribose 30 with cyclopentadienylsodium at ?100°. Lithiation of 33 / 34 and reaction with FeCl₂ gave the symmetric ferrocene 35 (88%). Similarly, the aldehydo-arabinose 36 was transformed via the fulvene 37 (32%) into a 18:1 mixture of 38a / b and 39a / b (78%) and, hence, into the ferrocene 40 (83%). Conformational analysis allowed to assign the configuration of 33–35 , whereas an X-ray analysis of 40 established the (1S)-configuration of 38a / b and 40 . The opposite configuration at C(1) of 38a / b and 33a / b was established by chemical degradation (Scheme 4). Hydrogenation (→ 41 and 44 , resp.), deprotection (→ 42 and 45 , resp.), NaIO₄ oxidation, and NaBH₄ reduction yielded (+)-(S)- 43 and (?)-(R)- 43 , respectively.     

“Helter‐Skelter‐Like” Perylene Polyisocyanopeptides

Exciton migration! Spectroscopic analyses and extensive molecular dynamics studies revealed a well‐defined 4₁ helix in which the perylene molecules (see figure) form four “helter‐skelter‐like” overlapping pathways along which excitons and electrons can rapidly migrate.

     

Field-flow fractionation in bioanalysis: A review of recent trends

Field-flow fractionation (FFF) is a mature technique in bioanalysis, and the number of applications to proteins and protein complexes, viruses, derivatized nano- and micronsized beads, sub-cellular units, and whole cell separation is constantly increasing. This can be ascribed to the non-invasivity of FFF when directly applied to biosamples. FFF is carried out in an open-channel structure by a flow stream of a mobile phase of any composition, and it is solely based on the interaction of the analytes with a perpendicularly applied field. For these reasons, fractionation is developed without surface interaction of the analyte with packing or gel media and without using degrading mobile phases. The fractionation device can be also easily sterilized, and analytes can be maintained under a bio-friendly environment. This allows to maintain native conditions of the sample in solution.In this review, FFF principles are briefly described, and some pioneering developments and applications in the bioanalytical field are tabled before detailed report of most recent FFF applications obtained also with the hyphenation of FFF with highly specific, sensitive characterization methods. Special focus is finally given to the emerging use of FFF as a pre-analytical step for mass-based identification and characterization of proteins and protein complexes in proteomics.     

Reactions of Co2(CO)8 and of Co2(CO)6L (L = 3-pentyn-1-ol, 1,4-butyn-diol or 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol) with 2(diphenylphosphino)ethyl-trietoxysilane and tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine for applications to new sol-gel materials

The complex Co₂(CO)₆[μ-η²-(H₃CCCCH₂CH₂OH)] (1) with the ligand 3-pentyn-1-ol (pol) has been synthesized following established procedures. Its structure has been determined by X-ray analysis. The complex Co₂(CO)₆(mbo) (mbo = 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol, HCCC(CH₃)₂OH), (3), along with the already known Co₂(CO)₆(bud) (bud = 1,4-butyn-diol, HOCH₂CCCH₂OH) (2), and Co₂(CO)₈ were reacted with 2(diphenylphosphino)ethyl-triethoxysilane [Ph₂PCH₂CH₂Si(OCH₂CH₃)₃] (dpts) and tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine [P(CH₂OH)₃] (thp). With dpts, mono- and di-substituted complexes were obtained: these were characterized by analytical and spectroscopic techniques. The structures of Co₂(CO)₆(dpts)₂ (5) and of Co₂(CO)₄(pol)(dpts)₂ (8) have been determined by X-ray analysis.Complex (1) was reacted with 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate [(H₃CCH₂O)₃Si(CH₂)₃NCO] (tsi): the new complex Co₂(CO)₆[H₃CCCCH₂CH₂OC(O)NH(CH₂)₃Si(OCH₂CH₃)₃] (9) was obtained and spectroscopically characterized. The complex has also been reacted with tetraethyl orthosilicate (teos); a new inorganic-organometallic material was obtained. Complex (5) has been grafted on the mesoporous material SBA-15. The hybrid inorganic-organometallic materials obtained have been characterized by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) under vacuum conditions, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy coupled to EDS probe (SEM-EDS).     

Controlled Positioning of Nanoparticles on Graphene by Noninvasive AFM Lithography

Atomic force microscopy is shown to be an excellent lithographic technique to directly deposit nanoparticles on graphene by capillary transport without any previous functionalization of neither the nanoparticles nor the graphene surface while preserving its integrity and conductivity properties. Moreover this technique allows for (sub)micrometric control on the positioning thanks to a new three-step protocol that has been designed with this aim. With this methodology the exact target coordinates are registered by scanning the tip over the predetermined area previous to its coating with the ink and deposition. As a proof-of-concept, this strategy has successfully allowed the controlled deposition of few nanoparticles on 1 μm(2) preselected sites of a graphene surface with high accuracy.