Reactivity of Xantphos-Type Rhodium Complexes Towards SF4: SF3 Versus SF2 Complex Generation

S−F-bond activation of sulfur tetrafluoride at [Rh(Cl)(^tBuxanPOP)] ( 1 ; ^tBuxanPOP=9,9-dimethyl-4,5-bis-(di-tert-butylphosphino)-xanthene) led to the formation of the cationic complex [Rh(F)(Cl)(SF₂)(^tBuxanPOP)][SF₅] ( 2 a ) together with trans-[Rh(Cl)(F)₂(^tBuxanPOP)] ( 3 ) and cis-[Rh(Cl)₂(F)(^tBuxanPOP)] ( 4 ) which both could also be obtained by the reaction of SF₅Cl with 1 . In contrast to that, the conversion of SF₄ at the methyl complex [Rh(Me)(^tBuxanPOP)] ( 5 ) gave the isolable and room-temperature stable cationic λ⁴-trifluorosulfanyl complex [Rh(Me)(SF₃)(^tBuxanPOP)][SF₅] ( 6 ). Treatment of 6 with the Lewis acids BF₃ or AsF₅ produced the dicationic difluorosulfanyl complex [Rh(Me)(SF₂)(^tBuxanPOP)][BF₄]₂ ( 8 a ) or [Rh(Me)(SF₂)(^tBuxanPOP)][AsF₆]₂ ( 8 b ), respectively. Refluorination of 8 a was possible with the use of dimethylamine giving [Rh(Me)(SF₃)(^tBuxanPOP)][BF₄] ( 9 ). A reaction of 6 with trichloroisocyanuric acid (TClCA) gave the fluorido complex [Rh(F)(Cl)(SF₂)(^tBuxanPOP)][Cl] ( 2 b ) together with chloromethane and SF₅Cl.     

Synthesis of Intramolecular P/Al-Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs via Aluminum-Tin-Exchange and their Reactivity toward CO2

Frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) composed of acidic alane and basic phosphane functions, separated by a xanthene linker, can be prepared through the corresponding Me₃Sn derivative and methyl aluminum compounds with elimination of Me₄Sn. This way MeClAl-, Cl₂Al- and (C₆F₅)₂Al- moieties could be introduced and the resulting FLPs are stabilized by a further equivalent of the alane precursors. In contact with the FLPs CO₂ is bound via the C atom at the phosphane functions and the two O atoms at the Al centers. The residues at the latter determine the binding strength. Hence, in case of MeClAl CO₂ capture occurs at higher pressure and under ambient conditions CO₂ is released again, while for Cl₂Al and (C₆F₅)₂Al CO₂ binding becomes irreversible. The results of DFT calculations rationalize these findings by the high thermodynamic stabilization in case of more electronegative residues, which concomitantly lead to higher barriers, and in case of (C₆F₅)₂Al further stabilization is achieved through a low reorganization energy.     

Synthesis and spin-trapping properties of a new spirolactonyl nitrone

Spin trapping using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is commonly employed for the identification of transient radicals in chemical and biological systems. A spirolactonyl-nitrone with rigid H-bond acceptor, 7-oxa-1-azaspiro[4.4]non-1-en-6-one 1-oxide, CPCOMPO, has been synthesized and characterized, and its spin-trapping properties were investigated. The rate of formation of CPCOMPO-O2H was determined using competition kinetics between the superoxide/hydroperoxyl radical (O2*-/HO2*) trapping by CPCOMPO and the spontaneous dismutation of this radical in aqueous media. The rate constant of 60 M-1.s-1 is the highest rate constant thus far observed at neutral pH for any nitrones using the kinetic method employed. Decay kinetics were also experimentally investigated for CPCOMPO-O2H. The effect of rigid H-bond acceptor on the stability of the CPCOMPO-O2H were computationally rationalized and compared to that of EMPO-O2H, which has flexible H-bond acceptor, and results show the need of a "loose" H-bond acceptor for improved adduct stability.     

Infinite Classes of Dihedral Snarks

Flower snarks and Goldberg snarks are two infinite families of cyclically 5–edge–connected cubic graphs with girth at least five and chromatic index four. For any odd integer k, k > 3, there is a Flower snark, say J _k , of order 4k and a Goldberg snark, say B _k , of order 8k. We determine the automorphism groups of J _k and B _k for every k and prove that they are isomorphic to the dihedral group D _4k of order 4k. Research performed within the activity of INdAM–GNSAGA with the financial support of the Italian Ministry MIUR, project “Strutture Geometriche, Combinatoria e loro Applicazioni”.     

Enantiospecific Synthesis of ortho‐Substituted 1,1‐Diarylalkanes by a 1,2‐Metalate Rearrangement/anti‐SN2′ Elimination/Rearomatizing Allylic Suzuki–Miyaura Reaction Sequence

The one‐pot sequential coupling of benzylamines, boronic esters, and aryl iodides has been investigated. In the presence of an N‐activator, the boronate complex formed from an ortho‐lithiated benzylamine and a boronic ester undergoes stereospecific 1,2‐metalate rearrangement/anti‐S_N2′ elimination to form a dearomatized tertiary boronic ester. Treatment with an aryl iodide under palladium catalysis leads to rearomatizing γ‐selective allylic Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling to generate 1,1‐diarylalkanes. When enantioenriched α‐substituted benzylamines are employed, the corresponding 1,1‐diarylalkanes are formed with high stereospecificity.     

Duplex‐Guided Refolding into Novel G‐Quadruplex (3+1) Hybrid Conformations

The oligomer d(GCGTG₃TCAG₃TG₃TG₃ACGC) with short complementary flanking sequences at the 5′‐ and 3′‐ends was shown to fold into three different DNA G‐quadruplex species. In contrast, a corresponding oligomer that lacks base complementarity between the two overhang sequences folds into a single parallel G‐quadruplex. The three coexisting quadruplex structures were unambiguously identified and structurally characterized through detailed spectral comparisons with well‐defined G‐quadruplexes formed upon the deliberate incorporation of syn‐favoring 8‐bromoguanosine analogues into specific positions of the G‐core. Two (3+1) hybrid structures coexist with the parallel fold and feature a novel lateral–propeller–propeller loop architecture that has not yet been confirmed experimentally. Both hybrid quadruplexes adopt the same topology and only differ in their pattern of anti→syn transitions and tetrad stackings.     

Designing Interactive Instructional Software: Students as Educators

This paper reviews a project conducted as part of a general chemistry course. The primary goal of the assignment was to involve our students in the process of teaching chemistry. Our work is part of STEMTEC, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Education Collaborative, which has been developed to improve the preparation of preservice teachers, stimulate the interest of undergraduate science and mathematics majors in the teaching profession, and increase the educational effectiveness of science and mathematics courses. The assigned project required students to create an interactive computer module that could be used to educate other students about concepts taught in general chemistry. The paper includes examples of these modules and evaluates this method of instruction. The software programs designed by the students are available for download from the Internet ().