Heterometallic Cu/Co and Cu/Co/Zn complexes bearing rare asymmetric tetranuclear cores: synthesis, structures, and magnetic and catalytic properties toward the peroxidative oxidation of cycloalkanes

The three novel heterometallic complexes [CuCo(III)Co(II)(2)(MeDea)(3)Cl(3)(CH(3)OH)(0.55)(H(2)O)(0.45)](H(2)O)(0.45) (1), [CuCo(III)Zn(2)(MeDea)(3)Cl(3)(CH(3)OH)(0.74)(H(2)O)(0.26)](H(2)O)(0.26) (2), and [CuCo(III)Zn(2)(MeDea)(3)Cl(3)(DMF)] (3) have been prepared using a one-pot reaction of copper powder with cobalt chloride (1) and zinc nitrate (2, 3) in a methanol (1, 2) or dimethylformamide (3) solution of N-methyldiethanolamine. A search of the Cambridge Structural Database shows that the tetranuclear asymmetric cores M(4)(μ(3)-X)(μ-X)(5) of 1-3 represent an extremely rare case of M(4)X(6) arrays. The magnetic investigations of 1 disclose antiferromagnetic coupling in a Co(II)-Cu(II)-Co(II) exchange fragment with J(Co-Cu)/hc = -4.76 cm(-1), J(Co-Co)/hc = -2.76 cm(-1), and D(Co)/hc = +34.3 cm(-1). Compounds 1-3 act as precursors for the mild peroxidative oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone with overall yields up to 23%. The synthetic and structural features as well as the thermogravimetric behavior and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry data are discussed.     

Vehicle emissions,urban air quality and current Italian legislation: the case of Messina. V

In the current program for the preparation of an urban air map, this paper reports data obtained by the five base stations in the period 1997-2000 regarding traditional pollutants and gives the first results obtained in determining continuously benzene, toulene and PM10. Additional measurements have been carried out by a mobile station at the falcate zone, never tested before, which has very low traffic but with the presence of some small metal industries and, under favourable meteorological conditions, the effects of the harbour. A statistical study on the hourly-trend of particulate suspended matter in two zones of the city which have different traffic volume for the period 1995-1997 is also reported. The ozone characteristic peak at 15.00 is fully confirmed in all stations and over all the period contrarily to most Italian cities, which present the peak about three hours earlier. PM10 annual mean value during 1999 was a little higher than the legal one. Base stations "Archimede" and "Minissale" still present some risk of a stop or limitation of traffic even with respect to traditional or "new" pollutants. Statistical analysis of particulate suspended matter confirm the very different characteristics of the base stations under consideration.     

A highly enantioselective route to either enantiomer of both alpha- and beta-amino acid derivatives

This report describes the unprecedented use of unmodified aldehydes as donors in a catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction. The proline-catalyzed reaction of N-PMP-protected alpha-imino ethyl glyoxylate with unmodified aliphatic aldehydes provided a general and very mild entry to either enantiomer of beta-amino and alpha-amino acids and derivatives in high yield and stereoselectivity. Six of the seven aldehydes studied yielded products with ee values of 99% or greater. The diastereoselectivity of the reaction increased with the bulkiness of the substituents of the aldehyde donor in the order R = Me < Et < i-Pr < n-Pent. In five of the cases studied, excellent syn stereoselectivities were achieved. In addition, the corresponding chiral beta-amino aldehyde adducts can be readily converted to the corresponding amino acid derivatives. Most significantly, this approach provides facile access to substituted beta-lactams.     

Microwave-assisted oxidation of silibinin: a simple and preparative method for the synthesis of improved radical scavengers

A new and preparative oxidation of silibinin has been developed to give access to two different silibinin derivatives known for their enhanced antioxidant properties. Conventional heating methods were compared with results obtained from microwave (MW) heating. The base-catalysed oxidation of silibinin under MW heating is a very efficient method for the preparation of 2,3-dehydrosilybin and a related silybin rearrangement product. This latter compound shows enhanced radical scavenging properties. Optimised conditions were used to prepare 2,3-dehydrosilybins A and B from optically pure silybins A and B. An efficient, preparative purification method was also developed to enable isolation of different products in high purity.     

Manganese(II) and copper(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate 1:1 complexes with 5-(4-[N-tert-butyl-N-aminoxyl]phenyl)pyrimidine: regiochemical parity analysis for exchange behavior of complexes between radicals and paramagnetic cations

Mn(hfac)(2) and Cu(hfac)(2) form coordination complexes with 5-(4-[N-tert-butyl-N-aminoxyl]phenyl)pyrimidine, PyrimPh-NIT. (Mn[PyrimPh-NIT](hfac)(2))(2) and (Cu[PyrimPh-NIT](hfac)(2))(2), 1 and 2, respectively, are cyclic M(2)L(2) dimers that exhibit strong exchange coupling between the coordinated paramagnetic dication (M) and nitroxide (NIT) unit. The M-NIT exchange is strongly antiferromagnetic (AFM) in 1 and strongly ferromagnetic (FM) in 2. Magnetic susceptibility measurements for 1 were fitted to an AFM spin pairing model with J/k = -0.25 K between Mn-NIT spin sites units. Complex 2 also exhibits AFM spin pairing between S = 1 Cu-NIT spin units that is somewhat field dependent at low temperature. The fit of corrected paramagnetic susceptibility chi(T) to an AFM spin pairing model at 200 Oe yields J/k = (-)3.8 K, quite similar to earlier measurements at 1000 Oe yielding J/k = (-)5.0 K. At 1.40 K, the magnetization of 2 does not approach saturation until somewhat above 170 kOe, giving an S-shaped curve; at 0.55 K, the magnetization curve shows steps characteristic of field-induced crossover between the S = 0 ground state and excited spin states. From the steps in the 0.55 K data, we estimate J/k = (-)3.8-4.0 K for 2, in good agreement with the analysis of chi(T).     

Reconstruction of the free energy in the metastable region using the path ensemble

By quenching into the metastable region of the three-dimensional Ising model, we investigate the paths that the magnetization (energy) takes as a function of time. We accumulate the magnetization (energy) paths into time-dependent distributions from which we reconstruct the free energy as a function of the magnetic field, temperature, and system size. From the reconstructed free energy, we obtain the free-energy barrier that is associated with the transition from a metastable state to the stable equilibrium state. Although mean-field theory predicts a sharp transition between the metastable and the unstable region where the free-energy barrier is zero, the results for the nearest-neighbor Ising model show that the free-energy barrier does not go to zero.     

Assignment of the relative configuration of spiro[4.5]decanes by 13C, 15N and 17O NMR

The relative configuration of 11 1,4-diazaspiro[4.5]decanes (1a-1j and 1m), 15 1,4-oxazaspiro[4.5]decanes (2a-2o) and 10 1,4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decanes (3a-3n) substituted at the 2-, 6-, 7- or 8-position by a methyl group or using the tert-butyl group as a model for the ananchomeric structure is reported. The relative stereochemistry was analyzed by 1H, 13C, 15N and 17O NMR and all isomers present were characterized spectroscopically. Compounds with a methyl group in the six-membered ring show a chair conformation preference with the methyl group in the equatorial position. Compounds with one or two nitrogens exhibit a tautomeric equilibrium between the imine-diazolidine forms, as demonstrated by IR and 13C NMR.     

Molybdenum- and tungsten(II) monometallic 3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole and bimetallic 3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazolate complexes

Molybdenum and tungsten complexes containing the pypzH (3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole) ligand as a chelating bidentate are prepared: [Mo(CO)(4)(pypzH)], cis-[MoBr(η(3)-allyl)(CO)(2)(pypzH)], cis-[MoCl(η(3)-methallyl)(CO)(2)(pypzH)], [MI(2)(CO)(3)(pypzH)] (M = Mo, W) from [Mo(CO)(4)(NBD)] or the adequate bis(acetonitrile) complexes. The deprotonation of the molybdenum allyl or methallyl complexes affords the bimetallic complexes [cis-{Mo(η(3)-allyl)(CO)(2)(μ(2)-pypz)}](2) or [cis-{Mo(η(3)-methallyl)(CO)(2)(μ(2)-pypz)}](2) (μ(2)-pypz = μ(2)-3-(2-pyridyl-κ(1)N)pyrazolate-2κ(1)N). The allyl complex was subjected to an electrochemical study, which shows a marked connection between both metallic centres through the bridging pyridylpyrazolates.