Die isotypen Verbindungen BaRh2Si2, BaIr2Si2 und BaPt2Ga2 – eine monokline Verzerrungsvariante der CaRh2B2-Struktur

The Isotypic Compounds BaRh₂Si₂, BaIr₂Si₂, and BaPt₂Ga₂ – a Monoclinic Distortion Variant of the CaRh₂B₂ Structure The new compounds BaRh₂Si₂ (monoclinic, P2₁/c, a = 792.6(1) pm, b = 664.5(7) pm, c = 767.9(4) pm, β = 91.2(1)°, Z = 4, 2867 reflexions, 47 parameters, R = 0.024), BaIr₂Si₂ (monoclinic, P2₁/c, a = 792.47(6) pm, b = 664.28(6) pm, c = 772.22(6) pm, β = 92.181(7)°, Z = 4, 1939 reflexions, 47 parameters, R = 0.037) and BaPt₂Ga₂ (monoclinic, P2₁/c, a = 850.4(1) pm, b = 647.3(1) pm, c = 819.8(1) pm, β = 95.97(1)°, Z = 4, 1506 reflexions, 47 parameters, R = 0.038) were prepared by reaction of the elements. Their structures were determined from single crystal data. The compounds crystallize isotypically with a distortion variant of the CaRh₂B₂ type of structure.     

Photoactive preorganized subphthalocyanine-based molecular tweezers for selective complexation of fullerenes

The development of new chromophoric receptors capable of binding curved carbon nanostructures is central to the quest for improved fullerene-based organic photovoltaics. We herein report the synthesis and characterization of a subphthalocyanine-based multicomponent ensemble consisting of two electron-rich SubPc-monomers rigidly attached to the convex surface of an electron-poor SubPc-dimer. Such a unique configuration, especially in terms of the two SubPc-monomers, together with the overall stiffness of the linker, endows the multicomponent system with a well-defined tweezer-like topology to efficiently embrace a fullerene in its inner cavity. The formation of a 1 : 1 complex was demonstrated in a variety of titration studies with either C60 or C70. In solution, the underlying association constants were of the order of 10⁵ M⁻¹. Detailed physicochemical experiments revealed a complex scenario of energy- and electron-transfer processes upon photoexcitation in the absence and presence of fullerenes. The close proximity of the fullerenes to the electron-rich SubPcs enables a charge shift from the initially formed reduced SubPc-dimer to either C60 to C70.

A tweezer-like subphthalocyanine-based ensemble has been developed for the selective recognition of fullerenes. The physicochemical properties of both the photoactive receptor and its inclusion complexes with fullerenes have been investigated.     

Ab initio calculation of the interaction energy in the P2 binding pocket of HIV‐1 protease

Interactions at the P2 binding pocket of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) protease have been studied using calculated interaction energies for model systems that mimic this binding pocket. Models were built for the P2 pocket of HIV‐1 protease in complex with TMC114, nelfinavir, and amprenavir. A two‐step procedure was applied. In the first step, the size of the model system was confined to ～40 atoms, and the interaction energy was calculated at different computational levels. In the second step, the size of the system was increased to 138 atoms, and the calculations were only performed at the HF/6‐31G** level. The interaction energy of the HIV‐1 protease/TMC114 complex was found to be more favorable than the interaction energies of the other complexes because of the additional hydrogen bond interaction this inhibitor is able to make with the HIV‐1 protease backbone. The results of the calculations are supported by stockholder charges and electrostatic potential maps. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005     

Synthesis and photophysical characterization of a titanium(IV) phthalocyanine-C60 supramolecular dyad

An axially substituted titanium(IV) phthalocyanine-fullerene donor-acceptor supramolecular dyad has been prepared by two different approaches, one of them representing a convenient convergent strategy. The dyad system exhibits photoinduced electron transfer upon irradiation with visible light to produce a microsecond lived charge separated state.     

Development of novel Lewis acid catalyzed cycloisomerizations: synthesis of bicyclo[3.1.0]hexenes and cyclopentenones

The Lewis acid catalyzed cyclization of hexatrienes and pentadienals to bicyclo[3.1.0]hexenes and cyclopentenones, respectively, was investigated. The application of the former reaction to the total synthesis of photodeoxytridachione, a molluscan polypropionate, is described.     

The structure of self-assembled multilayers with polyoxometalate nanoclusters

Using electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly (ELSA), the formation of multilayers with polyelectrolytes and nanoscopic polyoxometalate (POM) clusters of different sizes and charges is investigated. The multilayers are characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, optical ellipsometry, cyclic voltammetry, and atomic force microscopy. In all cases, it is possible to find experimental conditions to achieve irreversible adsorption and regular multilayer deposition. Most importantly, the surface coverage is directly related to the total charge of the POM anion and can be controlled from submonolayer to multilayer coverage by adjusting the ionic strength of the dipping solutions. Imaging the interfaces after POM deposition by atomic force microscopy reveals a granular surface texture with nanometer-sized features. The average interfacial roughness amounts to approximately 1 nm. Cyclic voltammetry indicates that the electrochemical properties of the POM clusters are fully maintained in the polyelectrolyte matrix, which opens a route toward practical applications such as sensors or heterogeneous catalysts. Moreover, the permeability toward electrochemically active probe molecules can be tailored through the multilayer architecture and deposition conditions. Finally, we note that despite the low total charge and comparably small size of the discrete POM anions, the multilayers are remarkably stable. This work provides basic guidelines for the assembly of POM-containing ELSA multilayers and provides detailed insight into characteristic surface coverage, permeability, and electrochemical properties.     

Small reorganisation energy and unique stabilisation of zwitterionic C60-acceptor moieties

Fulleropyrrolidine- and fulleropyrrolidinium-based donor-acceptor ensembles, C60-Fc, were tested in view of intrinsic reorganisation energies for light-induced electron transfer events; overall, the zwitterionic character of the reduced fulleropyrrolidinium acceptor plays a central role in accelerating charge separation and decelerating charge recombination.     

Structures and energies of D-galactose and galabiose conformers as calculated by ab initio and semiempirical methods

Optimized geometries and total energies of some conformers of alpha- and beta-D-galactose have been calculated using the RHF/6-31G* ab initio method. Vibrational frequencies were computed at the 6-31G* level for the conformers that favor internal hydrogen bonding, in order to evaluate their enthalpies, entropies, Gibbs free energies, and then their structural stabilities. The semiempirical AM1, PM3, MNDO methods have also been performed on the conformers GG, GT, and TG of alpha- and beta-D-galactose. In order to test the reliability of each semiempirical method, the obtained structures and energies from the AM1, PM3, and MNDO methods have been compared to those achieved using the RHF/6-31G* ab initio method. The MNDO method has not been investigated further, because of the large deviation in the structural parameters compared with those obtained by the ab initio method for the galactose. The semiempirical method that has yielded the best results is AM1, and it has been chosen to perform structural and energy calculations on the galabiose molecule (the disaccharides constituted by two galactose units alpha 1,4 linked). The goal of such calculations is to draw the energy surface maps for this disaccharide. To realize each map, 144 different possible conformations resulting from the rotations of the two torsional angles psi and phi of the glycosidic linkage are considered. In each calculation, at each increment of psi and phi, using a step of 30 degrees from 0 to 330 degrees, the energy optimization is employed. In this article, we report also calculations concerning the galabiose molecule using different ab initio levels such as RHF/6-31G*, RHF/6-31G**, and B3Lyp/6-31G*.     

Synthese und Bau von (4-Picolinium)2[LnCl4(H2O)3]Cl (Ln = Eu,Ho)

Preparation and Structure of (4-Picolinium)₂[LnCl₄(H₂O)₃]Cl (Ln = Eu, Ho) The complex water containing chlorides (4-Picolinium)₂[LnCl₄(H₂O)₃]Cl (Ln = Eu, Ho) were prepared for the first time. The crystal structures were determined on single crystals by X-ray methods. The isotypic compounds crystallize with triclinic symmetry, space group P–1, Z = 2. Surprisingly the structures contain the complex anions [LnCl₄(H₂O)₃]^? (Ln = Eu, Ho) where the ligands form a distorted pentagonal bipyramid, which to our knowledge has not been observed in lanthanide compounds till now.     

A zeolite-enzyme combination for biphasic dynamic kinetic resolution of benzylic alcohols

Acid zeolites like H-Beta are efficient heterogeneous catalysts for racemization of benzylic alcohols in water; by combination of the racemization with an enzymatic kinetic resolution in a two-phase system, enantiomerically pure esters were obtained in high yield via a dynamic kinetic resolution.