Photolytic generation of benzhydryl cations and radicals from quaternary phosphonium salts: how highly reactive carbocations survive their first nanoseconds

UV irradiation (266 or 280 nm) of benzhydryl triarylphosphonium salts Ar(2)CH-PAr(3)(+)X(-) yields benzhydryl cations Ar(2)CH(+) and/or benzhydryl radicals Ar(2)CH(?). The efficiency and mechanism of the photo-cleavage were studied by nanosecond laser flash photolysis and by ultrafast spectroscopy with a state-of-the-art femtosecond transient spectrometer. The influences of the photo-electrofuge (Ar(2)CH(+)), the photo-nucleofuge (PPh(3) or P(p-Cl-C(6)H(4))(3)), the counterion (X(-) = BF(4)(-), SbF(6)(-), Cl(-), or Br(-)), and the solvent (CH(2)Cl(2) or CH(3)CN) were investigated. Photogeneration of carbocations from Ar(2)CH-PAr(3)(+)BF(4)(-) or -SbF(6)(-) is considerably more efficient than from typical neutral precursors (e.g., benzhydryl chlorides or bromides). The photochemistry of phosphonium salts is controlled by the degree of ion pairing, which depends on the solvent and the concentration of the phosphonium salts. High yields of carbocations are obtained by photolyses of phosphonium salts with complex counterions (X(-) = BF(4)(-) or SbF(6)(-)), while photolyses of phosphonium halides Ar(2)CH-PPh(3)(+)X(-) (X(-) = Cl(-) or Br(-)) in CH(2)Cl(2) yield benzhydryl radicals Ar(2)CH(?) due to photo-electron transfer in the excited phosphonium halide ion pair. At low concentrations in CH(3)CN, the precursor salts are mostly unpaired, and the photo-cleavage mechanism is independent of the nature of the counter-anions. Dichloromethane is better suited for generating the more reactive benzhydryl cations than the more polar and more nucleophilic solvents CH(3)CN or CF(3)CH(2)OH. Efficient photo-generation of the most reactive benzhydryl cations (3,5-F(2)-C(6)H(3))(2)CH(+) and (4-(CF(3))-C(6)H(4))(2)CH(+) was only achieved using the photo-leaving group P(p-Cl-C(6)H(4))(3) and the counter-anion SbF(6)(-) in CH(2)Cl(2). The lifetimes of the photogenerated benzhydryl cations depend greatly on the decay mechanisms, which can be reactions with the solvent, with the photo-leaving group PAr(3), or with the counter-anion X(-) of the precursor salt. However, the nature of the photo-leaving group and the counterion of the precursor phosphonium salt do not affect the rates of the reactions of the obtained benzhydryl cations toward added nucleophiles. The method presented in this work allows us to generate a wide range of donor- and acceptor-substituted benzhydryl cations Ar(2)CH(+) for the purpose of studying their electrophilic reactivities.     

Intramolecular [2+2] Photocycloaddition of 3‐ and 4‐(But‐3‐enyl)oxyquinolones: Influence of the Alkene Substitution Pattern,Photophysical Studies,and Enantioselective Catalysis by a Chiral Sensitizer

The intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition of four 4‐(but‐3‐enyl)oxyquinolones (substitution pattern at the terminal alkene carbon atom: CH₂, Z‐CHEt, E‐CHEt, CMe₂) and two 3‐(but‐3‐enyl)oxyquinolones (substitution pattern: CH₂, CMe₂) was studied. Upon direct irradiation at λ=300 nm, the respective cyclobutane products were formed in high yields (83–95 %) and for symmetrically substituted substrates with complete diastereoselectivity. Substrates with a Z‐ or E‐substituted terminal double bond showed a stereoconvergent reaction course leading to mixtures of regio‐ and diastereomers with almost identical composition. The mechanistic course of the photocycloaddition was elucidated by transient absorption spectroscopy. A triplet intermediate was detected for the title compounds, which–in contrast to simple alkoxyquinolones such as 3‐butyloxyquinolone and 4‐methoxyquinolone–decayed rapidly (τ≈1 ns) through cyclization to a triplet 1,4‐diradical. The diradical can evolve through two reaction channels, one leading to the photoproduct and the other leading back to the starting material. When the photocycloaddition was performed in the presence of a chiral sensitizer (10 mol %) upon irradiation at λ=366 nm in trifluorotoluene as the solvent, moderate to high enantioselectivities were achieved. The two 3‐(but‐3‐enyl)oxyquinolones gave enantiomeric excesses (ees) of 60 and 64 % at ?25 °C, presumably because a significant racemic background reaction occurred. The 4‐substituted quinolones showed higher enantioselectivities (92–96 % ee at ?25 °C) and, for the terminally Z‐ and E‐substituted substrates, an improved regio‐ and diastereoselectivity.     

Electrokinetic investigations of charged porous membranes

Asymmetric ultrafiltration membranes were prepared from fully aromatic polyamides differing in the diamine monomers of the polymeric backbone and from polysulfone. Nanofiltration membranes were made from polysulfone and polyethersulfone. The polysulfone as well as the polyethersulfone were chemically modified to change the surface charges of the membranes that were made from these polymers. This means neutral, positively as well as negatively charged membranes could be employed for the measurements. The surface properties of the membranes as a function of pH were determined by measuring the streaming potential in a perpendicular and horizontal mode. Applying proteins the values of the streaming potential changed depending on the original charges of the membranes as well as on the pH of the solution. The values shifted to either higher or lower absolute values. Thus, characterization of unused and used membranes can be carried out by electrokinetic measurements. This was also demonstrated using a membrane fitted out with invertase. The zeta potential of nanofiltration membranes, however, was only evaluated from the results obtained with the horizontally run cell.     

Bioprocessing of commodity chemicals research directions for government,industry, and academia

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - The US chemical industry is facing maturing markets, variability in raw materials supply, and stiff competition from emerging chemical industries in other...     

Molecular and electronic structure of four- and five-coordinate cobalt complexes containing two o-phenylenediamine- or two o-aminophenol-type ligands at various oxidation levels: an experimental, density functional, and correlated ab initio study

The bidentate ligands N-phenyl-o-phenylenediamine, H(2)((2)L(N)IP), or its analogue 2-(2-trifluoromethyl)anilino-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol, ((4)L(N)IP), react with [Co(II)(CH(3)CO(2))(2)]4H(2)O and triethylamine in acetonitrile in the presence of air yielding the square-planar, four-coordinate species [Co((2)L(N))(2)] (1) and [Co((4)L(O))(2)] (4) with an S=1/2 ground state. The corresponding nickel complexes [Ni((4)L(O))(2)] (8) and its cobaltocene reduced form [Co(III)(Cp)(2)][Ni((4)L(O))(2)] (9) have also been synthesized. The five-coordinate species [Co((2)L(N))(2)(tBu-py)] (2) (S=1/2) and its one-electron oxidized forms [Co((2)L(N))(2)(tBu-py)](O(2)CCH(3)) (2 a) or [Co((2)L(N))(2)I] (3) with diamagnetic ground states (S=0) have been prepared, as has the species [Co((4)L(O))(2)(CH(2)CN)] (7). The one-electron reduced form of 4, namely [Co(Cp)(2)][Co((4)L(O))(2)] (5) has been generated through the reduction of 4 with [Co(Cp)(2)]. Complexes 1, 2, 2 a, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 have been characterized by X-ray crystallography (100 K). The ligands are non-innocent and may exist as catecholate-like dianions ((2)L(N)IP)(2-), ((4)L(N)IP)(2-) or pi-radical semiquinonate monoanions ((2)L(N)ISQ)(*) (-), ((4)L(N)ISQ)(*) (-) or as neutral benzoquinones ((2) L(N)IBQ)(0), ((4) L(N)IBQ)(0); the spectroscopic oxidation states of the central metal ions vary accordingly. Electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and EPR spectroscopy, as well as variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements have been used to experimentally determine the electronic structures of these complexes. Density functional theoretical (DFT) and correlated ab initio calculation have been performed on the neutral and monoanionic species [Co((1)L(N))(2)](0,-) in order to understand the structural and spectroscopic properties of complexes. It is shown that the corresponding nickel complexes 8 and 9 contain a low-spin nickel(II) ion regardless of the oxidation level of the ligand, whereas for the corresponding cobalt complexes the situation is more complicated. Spectroscopic oxidation states describing a d(6) (Co(III)) or d(7) (Co(II)) electron configuration cannot be unambiguously assigned.     

A Convenient Synthesis of 1-Benzyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines by Combined Strecker/Bruylants Reaction

Summary. Strecker reaction of iodophenethylamines with phenylacetaldehydes afforded the corresponding -aminonitriles, which on treatment with i-propyl magnesium chloride underwent a Bruylants reaction to give the title compounds. Their structures were deduced by NMR and by an independent preparation starting from papaverine. The educts were easily available by standard procedures.     

Micro-homogeneity studies of boron carbide powders

We have studied the micro-homogeneity of boron carbide powders by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) using slurry sampling. To get information on the particle size distributions of the powders, the stabilized slurries of boron carbide powders were nebulized, the aerosols were transported into a Batelle impactor and the droplets were collected on the impactor stages bearing TXRF sample holders. In a first series of measurements, parameters of the impaction like the duration of the impaction and the use of glutinous substance on the sample holders were optimized. The different mass size fractions for industrial boron carbide powders were determined by weight measurements of the fractions collected on the different stages. The established particle size distributions were in the range of 0.5 to >16 μm and found similar to those determined by laser diffraction reported elsewhere. Analyses of the mass fractions by slurry sampling TXRF showed that Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni and Cu within the measurements errors were homogeneously distributed over the mass fractions between 0.5 and 4 μm and that their concentrations agreed with the bulk composition, as determined with ICP-OES subsequent to digestion. However, light underestimates were found at the 5 (Mn) up to 150 μg g^?1 (Fe) level. Finally, boron carbide powders were washed out with nitric acid with different concentrations and leaching solutions and the residues were analyzed by ICP-OES and TXRF respectively. It is shown that up to 60% of the residual trace impurities in the powder studied can be removed by leaching with 34% (v/v) of nitric acid.