Tuning the singlet oxygen quantum yield of near-IR-absorbing porphyrazines

We report the quantum yields for singlet oxygen production by a series of porphyrazines (pz) of the form M[pz(An;B4-n)] (Scheme 1), where the peripheral substituent A is [S-R]2 with R = (CH2CH2O)3H, B is a fused alpha,alpha'-dialkoxybenzo group and M = 2H, Mg or Zn. These compounds show intense near-IR absorbance/emission (longest wavelength emission, approximately 830 nm). Their solubilities vary with R, whereas their optical properties do not. We show that singlet oxygen sensitization by these luminescent compounds can be "tuned" from essentially off to on by varying n and selection among M = 2H, Mg or Zn. The quantum yields vary ca 60-fold within the set of compounds studied, from phidelta = 0.007 for compound 3 to phidelta = approximately 0.4 for compound 11.     

DABCO-directed self-assembly of bisporphyrins (DABCO=1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane)

Three isomeric zinc bisporphyrins have been prepared by covalently linking together two aminoporphyrins with an isophthalic acid derivative. The porphyrins differ in the substitution pattern on the meso phenyl groups, that is, ortho, meta, or para. Titrations carried out by UV-visible and 1H NMR spectroscopy have been used to map out the stabilities and the stoichiometries of the complexes formed with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) in chloroform. The ortho- and meta-substituted bisporphyrins form 1:1 intramolecular sandwich complexes. The para-substituted bisporphyrin cannot adopt the cofacial conformation required for this type of complex and forms a higher order 2:2 intermolecular assembly, which is stable over a wide range of DABCO concentrations.     

Stereoselective reductase-catalysed deoxygenation of sulfoxides in aerobic and anaerobic bacteria

Direct and indirect evidence, of unexpected stereoselective reductase-catalysed deoxygenations of sulfoxides, was found. The deoxygenations proceeded simultaneously, with the expected dioxygenase-catalysed asymmetric sulfoxidation of sulfides, during some biotransformations with the aerobic bacterium Pseudomonas putida UV4. Stereoselective reductase-catalysed asymmetric deoxygenation of racemic alkylaryl, dialkyl and phenolic sulfoxides was observed, without evidence of the reverse sulfoxidation reaction, using anaerobic bacterial strains. A purified dimethyl sulfoxide reductase, obtained from the intact cells of the anaerobic bacterium Citrobacter braakii DMSO 11, yielded, from the corresponding racemates, enantiopure alkylaryl sulfoxide and thiosulfinate samples.     

Catalytic decomposition of N2O on La2CuO4 in the presence of LaNi5 alloy

Decomposition of N₂O has been studied on pure La₂CuO₄, La₂CuO₄ with 5 and 10 wt. % LaNi₅ and oxidized LaNi₅ in the temperature range of 240–490 °C at 50 and 200 Torr initial pressures of N₂O. The addition of LaNi₅ decreases the energy of activation compared to that of La₂CuO₄ which has been explained based on the dispersity of NiO over La₂CuO₄.

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N₂O La₂CuO₄ La₂CuO₄ LaNi₅ 5–10 .%, 240–490°C N₂O 50 200 . LaNi₅ , . NiO La₂CuO₄.

     

A novel photoaddition of 2-phenylbenzimidazole

Irradiation of 2-phenylbenzimidazole ( 3 ) in the presence of methyl acrylate (20 equivalents) using a medium pressure mercury lamp gives methyl 2-(2-phenylbenzimidazol-1-yl)propionate ( 4 ) (75%) whose structure has been confirmed by an X-ray analysis. A similar reaction using acrylonitrile gave only a low yield (1%) of the corresponding propionitrile derivative 5 . A mechanism involving photoexcitation of 2-phenylbenzimidazole ( 3 ) followed by sequential single electron transfer, proton transfer and radical coupling is proposed to account for the formation of the novel photoadducts 4 and 5 .     

A ferrocene based palladacyclic precatalyst for the Suzuki cross-coupling of aryl chlorides

Addition of palladium acetate to 2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-phenylferrocene gave palladacycle 16 that is a very effective precatalyst for the Suzuki cross-coupling of aryl chlorides at room temperature (1 mol% 16) or 60 degrees C (> or = 0.01 mol% 16).     

Use of pi-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes in the synthesis of taurospongin A: a potent inhibitor of DNA polymerase beta and HIV revers transcriptase

The total synthesis of taurospongin A by two new approaches has been achieved where pi-allyltricarbonyliron lactone complexes have been used to control highly stereoselective additions of the nucleophiles to a carbonyl unit located in the side chain of these complexes.     

Primary amido substituted diborane4 compounds and imidodiborate4 anions

Treatment of the diborane(4) compound B(2)(NMe(2))(4) with aniline or 2,6-dimethylaniline results in the primary amido compounds B(2)(NHR)(4)(R = Ph, 2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3)); subsequent treatment with n-BuLi in toluene in each case affords the first examples of anionic imidodiborates namely Li(4)(thf)(6)B(2)(NPh)(4) and Li(4)(thf)(4)B(2)(N-2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3))(4); all complexes have been characterised crystallographically.     

Determination of ammonia based on the electro-oxidation of hydroquinone in dimethylformamide or in the room temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide

The results detail a novel methodology for the electrochemical determination of ammonia based on its interaction with hydroquinone in DMF. It has been shown that ammonia reversibly removes protons from the hydroquinone molecules, thus facilitating the oxidative process with the emergence of a new wave at less positive potentials. The analytical utility of the proposed methodology has been examined with a linear range from 10 to 95 ppm and corresponding limit-of-detection of 4.2 ppm achievable. Finally, the response of hydroquinone in the presence of ammonia has been examined in the room temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluormethylsulfonyl)imide, [EMIM][N(Tf)₂]. Analogous voltammetric waveshapes to that observed in DMF were obtained, thereby confirming the viability of the method in either DMF or [EMIM][N(Tf)₂] as solvent.