Chiral 1,2,5-triphenylphospholanium tetrafluoroborate as ligand precursor in Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of methyl (Z)-2-acetamidocinnamate

(S,S)-1,2,5-Triphenylphospholanium tetrafluoroborate salt 2 was conveniently used as chiral ligand precursor in rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of methyl (Z)-2-acetamidocinnamate. ³¹P NMR showed the existence of a solvent-dependent equilibrium between the salt and the free phosphine.     

Reduction of alkyl and vinyl sulfonates using the CuCl2·2H2O-Li-DTBB(cat.) system

The reduction of a series of alkyl mesylates, dimesylates and triflates to the corresponding hydrocarbons was efficiently performed using a reducing system composed of CuCl₂·2H₂O, an excess of lithium sand and a catalytic amount (5 mol%) of 4,4′-di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB), in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature. The process was also applied to enol and dienol triflates affording alkenes and dienes, respectively. The use of the deuterated copper salt CuCl₂·2D₂O allowed the simple preparation of the corresponding deuterated products.     

Polymer–silica hybrids obtained by microemulsion polymerization

The styrene (St), butyl acrylate (BuA), and methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization in microemulsion in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate is studied. This process is conducted in the presence of some comonomers having groups that can participate in sol–gel processes: 3(trimethyloxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (MPTS), triethoxy vinylsilane (VTES), and a comonomer with a sulfate group, styrene sodium sulfonate (StSO₃Na). It has been observed that stabile latexes are obtained by radical polymerization at pH = 7, followed by a sol–gel process in the presence of ammonia. Latex particles sizes and zeta potential grow with MTPS concentration and in StSO₃Na presence. VTES effect depends on its reactivity in St, MMA, and BuA copolymerization. Glass transition temperature and thermal decomposing temperature are influences by functional comonomer concentration and chemical structure. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum and inorganic residue growth after organic part thermal decomposition shows the presence of silica in obtained latexes.     

Photoexcitation and relaxation dynamics of catecholato-iron(III) spin-crossover complexes.

The photophysical properties of the ferric catecholate spin-crossover compounds [(TPA)Fe(R-Cat)]X (TPA=tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine; X=PF(6) (-), BPh(4) (-); R-Cat=catecholate dianion substituted by R=NO(2), Cl, or H) are investigated in the solid state. The catecholate-to-iron(III) charge-transfer bands are sensitive both to the spin state of the metal ion and the charge-transfer interactions associated with the different catecholate substituents. Vibronic progressions are identified in the near-infrared (NIR) absorption of the low-spin species. Evidence for a low-temperature photoexcitation process is provided. The relaxation dynamics between 10 and 100 K indicate a pure tunneling process below approximately 40 K, and a thermally activated region at higher temperatures. The relaxation rate constants in the tunneling regime at low temperature, k(HL)(T-->0), vary in the range from 0.58 to 8.84 s(-1). These values are in qualitative agreement with the inverse energy-gap law and with structural parameters. A comparison with ferrous spin-crossover complexes shows that the high-spin to low-spin relaxation is generally faster for ferric complexes, owing to the smaller bond length changes for the latter. However, in the present case the corresponding rate constants are smaller than expected based on the single configurational coordinate model. This is attributed to the combined influence of the electronic configuration and the molecular geometry.     

Mechanism of inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro by N3 peptidyl Michael acceptor explained by QM/MM simulations and design of new derivatives with tunable chemical reactivity

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^pro) is essential for replication of the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the main targets for drug design. Here, we simulate the inhibition process of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro with a known Michael acceptor (peptidyl) inhibitor, N3. The free energy landscape for the mechanism of the formation of the covalent enzyme-inhibitor product is computed with QM/MM molecular dynamics methods. The simulations show a two-step mechanism, and give structures and calculated barriers in good agreement with experiment. Using these results and information from our previous investigation on the proteolysis reaction of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro, we design two new, synthetically accessible N3-analogues as potential inhibitors, in which the recognition and warhead motifs are modified. QM/MM modelling of the mechanism of inhibition of M^pro by these novel compounds indicates that both may be promising candidates as drug leads against COVID-19, one as an irreversible inhibitor and one as a potential reversible inhibitor.

QM/MM simulations identify the mechanism of reaction of N3, a covalent peptidyl inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Modelling of two novel proposed compounds, B1 and B2, suggests that reversibility of covalent inhibition could be tailored.     

Di- and tri-organotin(IV) diphenyldithiophosphinates

Di- and tri-organotin(IV) diphenyldithiophosphinates, R₂Sn(S₂PPh₂)₂ (R = Me, n-Bu, Bz, Ph) and R₃SnS₂PPh₂ (R = Me, Cy, Bz, Ph) were prepared by reaction of the corresponding organotin chlorides or oxides with diphenyldithiophosphinic acid or its ammonium salt. All the compounds were characterized by IR and ¹H NMR spectra. For R₂Sn(S₂PPh₂)₂ (R = Me, Ph) and Ph₃SnS₂PPh₂ mass spectra and tin-119m Mössbauer spectra were also recorded. Monodentate bonding of the dithiophosphinic ligand and tetrahedral structures are proposed for the triorganotin derivatives, while in diorganotin compounds there appears to be distorted octahedral geometry around tin, with anisobidentate dithiophosphonic ligands.     

Accurate intermolecular ground-state potential-energy surfaces of the HCCH-He, Ne, and Ar van der Waals complexes

Accurate ground-state intermolecular potential-energy surfaces are obtained for the HCCH-He, Ne, and Ar van der Waals complexes. The interaction energies are calculated at the coupled cluster singles and doubles including connected triple excitations level and fitted to analytic functions. For the three complexes we start with systematic basis set studies carried out at several intermolecular geometries, and using augmented correlation consistent polarized valence basis sets x-aug-cc-pVXZ (x=-,d; X=D,T,Q,5), also extended with a set of 3s3p2d1f1g midbond functions. The aug-cc-pVQZ-33211 surfaces of HCCH-He, Ne, and Ar complexes are characterized by absolute minima of -24.22, -50.20, and -122.17 cm(-1) at distances R between the rare-gas atom and the HCCH centers of mass of 4.35, 3.95, and 3.99 A, respectively; and at angles between the vector R and the HCCH main symmetry axis of 0 degrees , 43.3 degrees , and 60.6 degrees . The results are compared and considerably improve those previously available.     

Luminescent Pd(II) Complexes with Tridentate − Aryl-pyridine-(benzo)thiazole Ligands

Cyclometalated Pd(II) complexes generally show inferior luminescence properties compared with their Pt(II) analogues. The established approach employing tridentate cyclometalating ligands has allowed us to create a series of square planar Pd(II) complexes [Pd( )X] from their protoligands H (2-(6-phenylpyridin-2-yl)thiazoles and -benzothiazoles; coligands X=Cl, Br, I) with extensive variations at the C_arene group (phenyl, naphthyl, fluorenyl), the central N_pyridine (pyridine, 4-phenylpyridine, 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-phenylpyridine), and the peripheral N_thiazole (thiazole, benzothiazole) to probe for structural factors that might enhance efficient luminescence. Long-wavelength bands at 400–500 nm were assigned to transitions into mixed ligand-centred/metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) states based on time-dependent (TD)DFT calculations. The MLCT contributions are rather low, in agreement with relatively long lifetimes and high photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 0.79 recorded in frozen glassy solvent matrices at 77 K along with emission bands showing pronounced vibrational progressions and peaking at about 520 nm. No photoluminescence was observed at 298 K in solution. Variation of the ligand allowed to shift the experimental absorption energies from about 2.4 to 2.7 eV, in good agreement with the electrochemical band gaps (2.58 to 2.81 eV). The theoretical absorption and emission spectra excellently reproduced the experimental trends.