Extrem aufgeweitete Tetrathiafulvalene mit Polyen-Spacern. Carotinoide Tetrathiafulvalene. Polymethin-tetracyanotetrathiafulvalen-Radikalkationen,eine neue Klasse von Violenen

Extremely Expanded Tetrathiafulvalenes with Polyene Spacers. Carotinoid Tetrathiafulvalenes. Polymethin-Tetracyanotetrathiafulvalene Radical Cations, a New Class of Violenes The synthesis of extended tetrathiafulvalenes 11 with di-, tetra-, hexa-, octa-, deca- and dodecamethine spacers is described by a PPh₃-induced Wittig-reaction-like condensation of the corresponding polyenedials 10 with 2-thio-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dicarbonitrile ( 9 ). By the same procedure, the dimethyloctamethine- and the tetramethyl-hexadecamethine-tetrathiafulvalenes 14 and 15 , respectively, were obtained. The extended tetrathiafulvalenes represent multistep vinylogous redox systems of the ‘violene type’. They can be oxidized to give the cyanine-like radical cations, e.g. 11 _sem, 14 _sem, and 15 _sem, and the dications, e.g. 11 _ox, 14 _ox, and 15 _ox; their UV/VIS/NIR spectra are reported. The crystal and molecular structure of (all-E)-2,2′-(octa-2,4,6-trien-1,8-diylidene)bis[1,3-dithiole-4,5-dicarbonitrile] ( 11e ) was determined: it is a rod-like, planar molecule; in the crystal, it forms staples along the longest molecule axis. The CV measurements confirm that the redox potentials of 11, 14 , and 15 decrease asymptotically with the increasing length of the spacer. Because of the close relationship of the extended tetrathiafulvalenes (ETTF's) to the carotinoids, they are named ‘caroviologenes’; they formally belong to the class of molecular wires.     

Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction by Using Cationic Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl–Iridium Complexes with Unsymmetrically Substituted Bipyridine Ligands

Eight [Ir(bpy)Cp*Cl]⁺‐type complexes (bpy= bipyridine, Cp*=1,2,3,4,5‐pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) containing differently substituted bipyridine ligands were synthesized and characterized. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the complexes in Ar‐saturated acetonitrile solutions showed that the redox behavior of the complexes could be fine tuned by the electronic properties of the substituted bipyridine ligands. Further CV in CO₂‐saturated MeCN/H₂O (9:1, v/v) solutions showed catalytic currents for CO₂ reduction. In controlled potential electrolysis experiments (MeCN/MeOH (1:1, v/v), E_app=?1.80 V vs Ag/AgCl), all of the complexes showed moderate activity in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ with good stability over at least 15 hours. This electrocatalytic process was selective toward formic acid, with only traces of dihydrogen or carbon monoxide and occasionally formaldehyde as byproducts. However, the turnover frequencies and current efficiencies were quite low. No direct correlation between the redox potentials of the complexes and their catalytic activity was observed.     

Catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of cyclic enones

A highly enantioselective epoxidation of cyclic enones with hydrogen peroxide has been developed that is catalyzed by chiral primary amine salts.     

DNA--metal base pairs

Recent developments show encouraging results for the use of DNA as a construction material for nanometer-sized objects. Today, however, DNA-based molecular nanoarchitectures are constructed with mainly unmodified or at best end-modified oligonucleotides, thus shifting the development of functionalized DNA structures into the limelight. One of most recent developments in this direction is the substitution of the canonical Watson-Crick base pairs by metal complexes. In this way "metal-base pairs" are created, which could potentially impart magnetic or conductive properties to DNA-based nanostructures. This review summarizes research which started almost 45 years ago with the investigation of how metal ions interact with unmodified DNA and which recently culminated in the development of artificial ligand-like nucleobases so far able to coordinate up to ten metal ions inside a single DNA duplex in a programmable fashion.     

Novel palladium complexes employing mixed phosphine phosphonates and phosphine phosphinates as anionic chelating [P,O] ligands

A route to various substituted phosphine phosphonic acid compounds of the general form Ar(2)PC(6)H(4)PO(OH)(2) (Ar = Ph, o-MeC(6)H(4), o-MeOC(6)H(4)) has been investigated. These compounds were employed as bidentate anionic [P,O] ligands in neutral palladium complexes. The [P,O] chelating coordination was determined by X-ray crystallography of a representative palladium complex. Furthermore, the bifunctional ligand Ph(2)PC(6)H(4)PO(OH)Ph represents the first example of a chelating anionic [P,O] ligand resulting from the combination of a phosphine and a phosphinate moiety.     

Ce3Cl5[SiO4] und Ce3Cl6[PO4]: Ein chloridreiches Chloridsilicat und ‐phosphat des Cers im Vergleich

Ce₃Cl₅[SiO₄] and Ce₃Cl₆[PO₄]: A Chloride‐Rich Chloride Silicate of Cerium as Compared to the Phosphate By reacting CeCl₃ with CeO₂, cerium and SiO₂, or P₂O₅, respectively, in molar ratios of 5 : 3 : 1 : 3 or 8 : 3 : 1 : 2, respectively, in sealed evacuated silica tubes (7 d, 850 °C) colorless, rod‐shaped single crystals of Ce₃Cl₅[SiO₄] (orthorhombic, Pnma; a = 1619.7(2), b = 415.26(4), 1423.6(1) pm; Z = 4) and Ce₃Cl₆[PO₄] (hexagonal, P6₃/m; a = 1246.36(9), c = 406.93(4) pm; Z = 2) are obtained as products insensitive to air and water. Excess cerium trichloride as flux promotes crystal growth and can be rinsed off again with water after the reaction. The crystal structures are determined by discrete [SiO₄]^4– or [PO₄]^3– tetrahedra as isolated units. Both, the chloride silicate Ce₃Cl₅[SiO₄] and the chloride phosphate Ce₃Cl₆[PO₄], exhibit structural similarities to CeCl₃ (UCl₃ type), when four or three Cl^– anions are each substituted formally by one [SiO₄]^4– or [PO₄]^3– unit, respectively, in the tripled formula (Ce₃Cl₉). The coordination number for Ce³⁺ is thus raised from nine in CeCl₃ to ten in Ce₃Cl₅[SiO₄] and Ce₃Cl₆[PO₄], along with a drastic reduction of the molar volume with the transition from Ce₃Cl₉ (V_m = 186.17 cm³/mol) to Ce₃Cl₅[SiO₄] (V_m = 144.15 cm³/mol) and Ce₃Cl₆[PO₄] (V_m = 164.84 cm³/mol). The polyhedra of coordination around Ce³⁺ can be described as quadruple‐capped trigonal prisms, which in addition to seven Cl^– anions each also show another three oxygen atoms of two ortho‐silicate or ortho‐phosphate tetrahedra, respectively.     

Pr4S3[Si2O7] und Pr3Cl3[Si2O7]: Durch weiche Fremdanionen modifizierte Derivate von Praseodymdisilicat

Pr₄S₃[Si₂O₇] and Pr₃Cl₃[Si₂O₇]: Derivatives of Praseodymium Disilicate Modified by Soft Foreign Anions For synthesizing both the disilicate derivatives Pr₄S₃[Si₂O₇] and Pr₃Cl₃[Si₂O₇], Pr, Pr₆O₁₁ and SiO₂ are brought to reaction with S and PrCl₃, respectively, in suitable molar ratios (850 °C, 7 d) in evacuated silica tubes. By using NaCl as a flux, Pr₄S₃[Si₂O₇] crystallizes as pale green, transparent single crystals (tetragonal, I4₁/amd, a = 1201.6(1), c = 1412.0(2) pm, Z = 8) with the appearance of slightly compressed octahedra. On the other hand, Pr₃Cl₃[Si₂O₇] emerges as pale green, transparent platelets and crystallizes monoclinically (space group: P2₁, a = 530.96(6), b = 1200.2(1), c = 783.11(8) pm, β = 109.07(1)°, Z = 2). In both crystal structures ecliptically conformed [Si₂O₇]^6– units of two corner‐linked [SiO₄] tetrahedra with Si–O–Si bridging angles of 131° in the sulfide and 148° in the chloride disilicate are present. In Pr₄S₃[Si₂O₇] both crystallographically independent Pr³⁺ cations show coordination numbers of 8 + 1 (5 S^2– and 3 + 1 O^2–) and 9 (3 S^2– and 6 O^2–). For Pr1, Pr2 and Pr3 in Pr₃Cl₃[Si₂O₇] coordination numbers of 10 (5 Cl^– and 5 O^2–) and 9 (2 ×; 4 Cl^– and 5 O^2– or 3 Cl^– and 6 O^2–, respectively) occur.     

Occurrence of Cationic Intermediates and Deficient Control during the Enzymatic Cyclization of Squalene to Hopanoids

Tetracyclic triterpenes (for example, 3 ) are formed as minor products of the cyclization of squalene ( 1 ) by squalene/hopene cyclase; they have also been found in vivo. The identification of these side products offers new insight into the complex biosynthesis of the hopane skeleton, and proves that the enzyme has no absolute control of the conformation of the acyclic substrate squalene and that tetra- and pentacyclic carbocationic intermediates are involved (for example, 2 ) in the cyclization process.