Influence of micromixer characteristics on polydispersity index of block copolymers synthesized in continuous flow microreactors

The influence of interdigital multilamination micromixer characteristics on monomer conversions, molecular weights and especially on the polydispersity index of block copolymers synthesized continuously in two microtube reactors is investigated. The micromixers are used to mix, before copolymerization, a polymer solution with different viscosities and the second monomer. Different geometries of micromixer (number of microchannels, characteristic lengths) have been studied. It was found that polydispersity indices of the copolymers follow a linear relationship with the Reynolds number in the micromixer, represented by a form factor. Thus, beside the operating conditions (nature of the first block and comonomer flow rate), the choice of the micromixer geometry and dimension is essential to control the copolymerization in terms of molecular weights and polydispersity indices. This linear correlation allows the prediction of copolymer features. It can also be a new method to optimize existing micromixers or design other geometries so that mixing could be more efficient.     

Spectral tuning by switching C-H[...]O hydrogen bonds: rotation-induced spectral shifts of 7-hydroxyquinoline HCOOH isomers

Spectral tuning effects on visible chromophores by hydrogen bonds are central to the chemistry of vision and of photosynthesis. A model for large spectral tuning effects by hydrogen bond switching is provided by the 7-hydroxyquinoline x HCOOH complex, which forms two isomers, CTN1 and CTN2, both with an HCOOH[...]N hydrogen bond but with different (quinoline)C-H[...]O=C hydrogen bonds. A 180 degrees rotation of the HCOOH moiety around the O-H[...]N hydrogen bond exchanges the C-H[...]O hydrogen bonds, rotates the dipole moment of HCOOH, and leads to an approximately 850 cm(-1) shift of the electronic spectrum. Mass-selected S1<--S0 resonant two-photon ionization, UV-UV holeburning, S1-->S0 fluorescence spectra, and photoionization efficiency curves of the two 7-hydroxyquinoline x HCOOH isomers were measured in supersonic expansions. Comparison to ab initio calculations allow us to determine the H-bond connectivity and structure of the two isomers and to assign their inter- and intramolecular vibrations. The Franck-Condon factors of the intermolecular shear vibration chi in the S1<--S0 spectra indicate that the weak C-H[...]O hydrogen bond contracts markedly in the CTN1 isomer but expands in the CTN2 isomer. These changes of H-bond lengths agree with the spectral shifts. In contrast, the strong O-H[...]N hydrogen bond undergoes little change upon S1[...]S0 excitation.     

Ultrasoft pseudopotentials for lanthanide solvation complexes: core or valence character of the 4f electrons

The 4f electrons of lanthanides, because of their strong localization in the region around the nucleus, are traditionally included in a pseudopotential core. This approximation is scrutinized by optimizing the structures and calculating the interaction energies of Gd(3+)(H(2)O) and Gd(3+)(NH(3)) microsolvation complexes within plane wave Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof calculations using ultrasoft pseudopotentials where the 4f electrons are included either in the core or in the valence space. Upon comparison to quantum chemical MP2 and CCSD(T) reference calculations it is found that the explicit treatment of the 4f electrons in the valence shell yields quite accurate results including the required small spin polarization due to ligand charge transfer with only modest computational overhead.     

Design of neutral, mono- or di-cationic water-soluble trihydrazidophosphoradamantanes

The versatile behavior of a trihydrazidophosphoradamantane allowing the synthesis of a variety of neutral, mono- or di-cationic water-soluble molecules of potential interest for biphasic catalysis is reported.     

Benzothiadiazole- and pyrrole-based polymers bearing thermally cleavable solubilizing groups as precursors for low bandgap polymers

We report the design, synthesis and characterization of new benzothiadiazole- and pyrrole-based copolymers whose solubility and bandgap drastically change after thermal treatment of their thin films.     

Flexible diphosphine ligands with overall charges of 0, +1, and +2: critical role of the electrostatics in favoring trans over cis coordination

The influence of the formal electrostatic interaction on the cis/trans coordination mode at a PdCl(2) center is investigated in a family of isostructural flexible diphosphine ligands Ph(2)P-X-C(6)H(4)-Y-PPh(2), where X and Y stand for neutral or cationic N,C-imidazolylene linkers. While the neutral and monocationic diphosphine spontaneously behave as classical cis-chelating ligands, only the dicationic diphosphine, where the electrostatic repulsion between the formal positive charges specifically takes place, is observed to behave as a trans-chelating ligand. The crucial role of electrostatics is analyzed on the basis of (31)P NMR data in solution and X-ray diffraction data in the crystal state. Comparative theoretical studies of the cis- and trans-chelated complexes, including EDA, static (31)P NMR, MESP, and AIM analyses, have been undertaken on the basis of DFT calculations in the gas phase or in the acetonitrile continuum. Whereas the cis-coordination mode is shown to be thermodynamically favored for the neutral ligand, the trans-coordination mode is found to be preferred for the dicationic homologue. The stereochemical preference is thus shown to be parallel to the expected effect of the formal electrostatic interaction. The results open perspectives for control of the cis- and trans-chelating behavior of flexible bidentate ligands by more or less reversible charge transfer at the periphery of the coordination sphere of a metallic center.     

Unraveling gold(I)-specific action towards peptidic disulfide cleavage: a DFT investigation

Ground-state disulfide dissociation is a target of prime importance in structural biochemistry. A main difficulty consists in avoiding competition with carbon–sulfur and backbone scission pathways. In tandem mass spectrometry, such selectivity is afforded using transition elements or coinage-metal ions as catalyst. Yet, the underlying gas-phase mechanistic details remain poorly understood. Gold(I)-assisted disulfide cleavage is investigated by means of DFT calculations, to elucidate the highly selective and specific catalytic action of this transition-metal cation, a most promising one in tandem mass spectrometry. The preferential cleavage of sulfur–sulfur versus carbon–sulfur linkages on dimethyldisulfide, taken as a prototypical aliphatic compound, is rationalized on the basis of molecular orbital arguments. Secondly, it is revealed that the disulfide dissociation profile is dramatically impacted by a peptidic environment. Calculations on L,L-cystine derivatives show two main factors: the topological frustration for an embedded -CH(2)-S-S-CH(2)- motif induces a 5 kcal mol(-1) penalty, whereas electrophilic assistance via complexation of nitrogen and oxygen atoms lowers activation barriers by a factor of 3. S-S weakening is both thermodynamically and kinetically driven by the versatile coordination mode of gold(I). The influence of amine-terminus group protonation is finally sketched: it gives rise to an intermediate reactivity. This study sheds lights on the key action of the peptidic environment in tuning the dissociation profile in the presence of this transition-metal monocation.     

Towards the limit of atropochiral stability: H-MIOP, an N-heterocyclic carbene precursor and cationic analogue of the H-MOP ligand

The configurational stability of biaryl motifs is addressed for the 1-naphthyl-N-benzimidazolyl motif substituted by a single diphenylphosphinyl group at the 2-position. The atropoenantiomers of the N-methylated cation H-MIOP, a less sterically locked analogue of the neutral H-MOP ligand, were resolved by enantiospecific cleavage of the N(2)C-P bond of the resolved enantiomers of BIMIONAP. The latter were obtained by enantiospecific N-methylation of the previously resolved enantiomers of neutral BIMINAP. PdCl(2) complexes of the P,C-chelating N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-phosphine ligands derived from (R)- and (S)-H-MIOP were prepared by two enantiospecific routes: by N(2)C-P bond cleavage from the (R)- and (S)-BIMIONAP-PdCl(2) complexes, or by simultaneous coordination of the P and C atoms of the in situ generated free NHC-phosphine. The enantiomerization pathways of H-MOP, H-MIOP, and corresponding NHC-phosphine have been investigated at the B3PW91/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. The calculated enantiomerization barriers of H-MOP and H-MIOP in acetonitrile are equal to 176.0 and 146.4 kJ mol(-1), respectively, and are mainly determined by the distortion of the naphthalene and/or benzimidazole motifs in the transition state. Beyond the stability of their optical rotation at room temperature, the respective calculated Oki's racemization temperatures of 334 and 225 °C allowed us to consider both ligands as configurationally stable.     

HCl adsorption on ice at low temperature: a combined X-ray absorption, photoemission and infrared study

The reaction of HCl on water ice provides a simple case for understanding dissociation and proton transfer in this non-optimal, incomplete solvation environment, playing a central role in atmospheric chemistry. This reaction has been repeatedly reported as thermally dependent, whereas the theoretical models predict a spontaneous dissociation. We examine the adsorption of HCl on ice at low temperature (50 K and 90 K) via a combination of near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) at the chlorine L-edge, photoemission (XPS and UPS), and reflection-adsorption infrared spectroscopy (FT-RAIRS). We show the complete dissociation of HCl into Cl(-) and H(+) through 3 hydrogen bonds, predominantly by direct reaction with water (80%) and by self-solvation (20%), in full agreement with the prediction of a barrierless process.