Monolayers as models for supported catalysts: zirconium phosphonate films containing manganese(III) porphyrins

Organized monolayer films of a manganese tetraphenylporphyrin have been prepared and used as supported oxidation catalysts. Manganese 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(tetrafluorophenyl-4'-octadecyloxyphosphonic acid) porphyrin (1) has been immobilized as a monolayer film by a combination of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and self-assembled monolayer techniques that use zirconium phosphonate linkages to bind the molecule to the surface. Analysis by FTIR, XPS, UV-vis and polarized optical spectroscopy show that the films consist of noninteracting molecules effectively anchored and oriented nearly parallel to the surface. The monolayer films are stable to the solvent and temperature conditions needed to explore organic oxidations. The activity of films of 1 toward the epoxidation of cyclooctene using iodosylbenzene as the oxidant was compared to that of Manganese 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin (2) and 1 under equivalent homogeneous conditions. The immobilized porphyrin 1 shows an enhanced activity relative to either homogeneous reaction. The main difference between 1 and 2 is the four alkyl phosphonate arms in 1 designed to incorporate the porphyrin within the films. The increased activity of immobilized 1 is a combination of the porphyrin structure, which prohibits the formation of mu-oxo dimers even in solution, and a change in conformation when anchored to the surface. The study demonstrates that careful monolayer studies can provide useful models for the design and study of supported molecular catalyst systems.     

Polymer-supported O-alkylisoureas: useful reagents for the O-alkylation of carboxylic acids

Polymer-supported O-alkylisoureas were prepared by reaction of an alcohol with a polymer-supported carbodiimide under copper(II) catalysis. These reagents were used to transform carboxylic acids into the corresponding methyl, benzyl, allyl, and p-nitrobenzyl esters in a highly chemoselective manner in high yields and in very high purity after simple resin filtration and solvent evaporation. The reactions could be carried out using both conventional or microwave heating, with reaction times as short as 3-5 min in the latter case, without compromising yield, purity, or chemoselectivity. Unfortunately, the corresponding solid-supported tert-butyl isoureas could not be prepared.     

Electrochemical investigations of cationictrans-haloarylisocyanidebis(tertiaryphosphino)platinum (II) complexes

Summary The electrochemical behaviour of a series of cationic platinum(II) isocyanide complexes has been studied in acetonitrile. All the tested compounds are oxidized at a platinum electrode via a two-electron process and reduced at a platinum or mercury electrode via two successive one-electron steps. The anodic step involves the formation of platinum(IV) complexes. The main reduction product formed in correspondence to the first cathodic process is a stable dimer platinum(I) containing bridging isocyanide ligands. Platinum(0) species are formed in the subsequent reduction step.     

The replacement of five-membered N-donor heterocycles from aminotrichlorogold(III) complexes. A comparison with pyridines

The kinetics of the process AuCl₃(nu) + Cl⁻→ AuCl ₄ ⁻ + nu (nu = one of a number of five-membered N-donor heterocycles covering a wide range of basicity, namely: oxazole, 2,4,5-trimethyloxazole, thiazole, 5-methylthiazole, 4-methylthiazole, 4,5-dimethylthiazole, 2,4-dimethylthiazole, 2,4,5-trimethylthiazole, imidazole and 2-methylimidazole) have been studied in methanol at 25 °C. The reactions follow the usual two-term rate law, rate = (k ₁ + k ₂[Cl⁻])[complex], observed in a square-planar substitution associative-mechanism. The second-order rate constants, k ₂, indicate that the discriminating ability of Au^(III) in these complexes is good and markedly influenced by the nature of the leaving group. A linear-free-energy relationship, logk ₂ = 0.53pK _a + constant, is observed between the rate constant and the basicity of the leaving group for its replacement by chloride. The results are compared with data from the literature regarding a series of complexes of the type AuCl₃(py) (py = one of a number of pyridines) reacting with the Cl⁻ anion under the same experimental conditions. The reactivity depends not only upon ligand basicity but also upon the nature of the ligand in the order: pyridines> five-membered heterocycles. Steric factor due to the presence of a single methyl group ortho to the sp² nitrogen atom in the ring has no influence on the rate of substitution while, surprisingly, when there are two ortho methyl groups a remarkable steric retardation effect is observable. The results are discussed in terms of reaction-profile in the associative-substitution reaction and bonding interactions in the ground and transition states.     

A boxmodel development to study the relationships between the photo-oxidants and the particles formation in the troposphere

The model BAGS (Boxmodel for Aerosol and Gasphase Simulations) has been developed. It is composed of two major modules: the first one describes the system of the chemical reactions in the gaseous phase, the second one calculates the aerosol chemical composition and the dimensional distribution of the particles. The boxmodel has been developed with the introduction of new chemical and physical processes, not previously included, in particular the formation of Secondary Organic Aerosol. The other implemented processes are a module for the dynamic of the particle population, nucleation, coagulation and dry deposition. The last phase of the work has been a check of the BAGS capabilities by a series of tests, that have permitted to compare it with other models (MAPS and MADM). The tests in particular have concerned the aerosol water content prediction, the photochemistry, the condensation of the inorganic compounds and the formation of Secondary Organic Aerosol.     

Synthese de composes dihydro-2,3 furanniques par hydroboration d'alcools β-acetyleniques

Hydroboration of β-acetylenic alcohols followed by NaOH/H₂O₂ oxidation leads to hemiacetals of γ-aldols which are easily dehydrated to 2,3-dihydrofuran compounds. The reaction gives good yields with hindered alcohols and its stereochemistry may be controlled during the organometallic synthesis of the starting alcohol.     

Synthesis of Phosphaformamidines and Phosphaformamidinates

A large‐scale synthetic route to a variety of phosphaformamidines and phosphaformamidinates, a type of derivative that was not accessible by the methods previously known for preparing phosphaamidines and phosphaamidinates, is reported. Thermally stable ethyl N‐arylformimidates 1 (ArN?CH(OEt), Ar=2,4,6‐(Me)₃Ph or 2,6‐(iPr)₂Ph) readily reacted with lithium dialkyl‐ and diarylphosphanides to afford the corresponding N‐aryl phosphaformamidines in 80 and 60 % yield, respectively, whereas with lithium (aryl)(silyl)phosphanide, the N‐aryl‐N‐silylphosphaformamidine (60 % yield) was obtained. Addition of primary lithium arylphosphanides to 1 followed by addition of a stoichiometric amount of nBuLi gave rise to the respective phosphaformamidinates (70–88 % yield). Methanolysis of the products afforded the N‐aryl‐N‐hydrogenophosphaformamidines (90–95 % yield). The solid‐state structure of one of the phosphaformamidinates is also presented.     

Conformational transitions of calixphyrin derivatives monitored by temperature-dependent NMR spectroscopy. Ab initio interpretation of the spectra

Eight meso-aryl calixphyrin derivatives were synthesized and their conformational equilibria and transitions studied with temperature-dependent NMR spectroscopy. On the basis of density functional computations, several conformer species could be identified and observed changes in chemical shifts explained. In some compounds, the aryl group rotation and porphyrin ring flipping could be monitored independently, as their NMR coalescence temperatures were well-separated. Calculated relative conformer energies, transition barriers, and isotropic shieldings agree well with the experimental data. In the meso-substituted porhyrins (calixphyrins) the sp3 carbon atoms perturb their pi-electron system and significantly modify the molecular shape and the flexibility. Even when the conjugation of the pi-electron system was destroyed by the nonplanarity, far-range electronic induction effects still exist and influence chemical shielding and molecular geometry. The aryl functional groups moderately modify the structure of the calixphyrin ring and thus can be used for fine-tuning of the mechanical and chemical properties of these compounds.