Understanding the structural properties of a dendrimeric material directly from powder X-ray diffraction data

Complete structure determination of an early-generation dendrimeric material has been carried out directly from powder X-ray diffraction data, using the direct-space genetic algorithm technique for structure solution followed by Rietveld refinement. This work represents the first application of modern direct-space techniques for structure determination from powder X-ray diffraction data in the case of a dendrimeric material and paves the way for the future application of this approach to enable complete structure determination of other dendrimeric materials that cannot be prepared as single crystal samples suitable for single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.     

Boron 1s photoelectron spectrum of 11BF3: vibrational structure and linewidth

The boron 1s photoelectron spectrum of (11)BF(3) has been measured at a photon energy of 400 eV and a resolution of about 55 meV. The pronounced vibrational structure seen in the spectrum has been analyzed to give the harmonic and anharmonic vibrational frequencies of the symmetric stretching mode, 128.1 and 0.15 meV, as well as the change in equilibrium BF bond length upon ionization, -5.83 pm. A similar change in bond length has been observed for PF(3) and SiF(4), but a much smaller change for CF(4). Theoretical calculations for BF(3) that include the effects of electron correlation give results that are in reasonable accord with the experimental values. The Lorentzian (lifetime) width of the boron 1s core hole in BF(3) is found to be 72 meV, comparable to the value of 77 meV that has been reported for CF(4).     

Mass spectrometric characterization of 3'-imino[60]fulleryl-3'-deoxythymidine by collision-induced dissociation

The primary structure of 3'-imino[60]fulleryl-3'-deoxythymidine ions is studied using mass spectrometry both in the positive and negative modes. Interaction between the subunits is discussed using collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra. Collisional activation with argon of the sodiated cations leads to the cleavage of the glycosidic bond and the transfer of a radical hydrogen from the deoxyribose to the thymine. The sodiated thymine is the only fragment observed for low collision energies in the positive mode. In the negative mode, two different ionization mechanisms take place, reduction and deprotonation in the presence of triethylamine. The 2.7 eV electron affinity of C60 and its huge cross section compared to the small cross section and predicted 0.44 eV electron affinity of the thymidine subunit most likely localize the radical electron on the fullerene. On the other hand, deprotonation of the 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) is known to occur in N-3, the most acidic site of the nucleobase. Consequently, deprotonation causes the negative charge to be initially localized on the thymine. Both types of parent anions give the radical anion C60*- as fragment. The other fragments detected are the dehydrogenated 3'-imino[60]fulleryl-3'-deoxyribose anion, C60NH2-, C60N- and C60H-. Since in negative ion mass spectrometry all fragments include the [60]fullerene unit, this suggests that the fragmentation is driven by the electron affinity of the [60]fullerene, likely responsible for a charge transfer between the deprotonated thymine and the C60.     

Quadricyclanes. Part II: Electronic structure and chemical reactivity

The electronic structure of quadricyclane and 3-methylidenequadricyclane obtained by photoelectron spectroscopy, is used as a basis for the discussion of cycloadditions to these systems. The electronic structure of 3-heteroquadricyclanes, arrived at by theoretical calculations, agrees well with that expected from the above measured systems. A surprising outcome is that the orbital most responsible for the observed 2,4-cycloadditions to these heterosystems in not the HOMO but the third highest orbital which lies well below the former. This strongly suggests that these 2,4-cycloadditions proceed not in a concerted fashion but presumably involve as rate-determining step the formation of a resonance-stabilized zwitterionic intermediate. The nature of this intermeiate is discussed and the feasability of its formation investigated on the basis of thermochemical considerations.     

The Bond-Rotational Mobility of Guanidinium Ion

The NMR. spectrum of guanidinium ion 1 is studied in anisotropic liquid crystalline nematic solution. Assuming an HNH-angle of 120°, the distance ratio NH /NC = 0.784 is obtained, from which using NC = 1.330 Å (from X-ray data) NH = 1.043 Å results. An upper bound for the free energy of activation for bond rotation of ΔG⁺ ≤ 13 kcal/mol is deduced. The bondrotational mobility of 1 is also investigated using the MINDO/3-SCF-procedure. The results obtained for the three conceivable consecutive activation energies for bond-rotation indicate that the observed bond-rotational mobility of 1 does not involve cooperative two- or three-bond rotations. The ‘conjugative stabilization’ of 1 has been estimated to be of the order of 24–26 kcal/mol.     

X-ray crystal structures and conformational analysis of cyclic acetals derived from tartaric acid and rigid spacer units

Three tartaric ester and tartaric acid derivatives (1?C3) with the hydroxy groups being linked via cyclic acetal (1,3-dioxolane) formation to a rigid core, containing phenyl and ethynyl units, have been synthesized. Their crystal structures are reported, emphasizing the molecular geometry, intermolecular interactions, and the resulting packing motifs. All dioxolane rings present in the crystal structures of 1?C3 are analyzed and compared with regard to their conformational behavior. In spite of similar substitution patterns, the dioxolane units adopt different conformations including twist and varying envelope isomers. The crystal structures are dominated by C?CH···O (esters 1 and 2) and O?CH···O (acid 3) hydrogen bonds, leading to different types of packing motifs being characteristic of strand and layer formation.     

Spiro[4.4]nonatetraene and its Positive and Negative Radical Ions: Molectronic Structure Investigations

The electronic structure of spiro[4.4]nonatetraene 1 as well as that of its radical anion and cation were studied by different spectroscopies. The electron‐energy‐loss spectrum in the gas phase revealed the lowest triplet state at 2.98 eV and a group of three overlapping triplet states in the 4.5 – 5.0 eV range, as well as a number of valence and Rydberg singlet excited states. Electron‐impact excitation functions of pure vibrational and triplet states identified various states of the negative ion, in particular the ground state with an attachment energy of 0.8 eV, an excited state corresponding to a temporary electron attachment to the 2b₁ MO at an attachment energy of 2.7 eV, and a core excited state at 4.0 eV. Electronic‐absorption spectroscopy in cryogenic matrices revealed several states of the positive ion, in particular a richly structured first band at 1.27 eV, and the first electronic transition of the radical anion. Vibrations of the ground state of the cation were probed by IR spectroscopy in a cryogenic matrix. The results are discussed on the basis of density‐functional and CASSCF/CASPT2 quantum‐chemical calculations. In their various forms, the calculations successfully rationalized the triplet and the singlet (valence and Rydberg) excitation energies of the neutral molecule, the excitation energies of the radical cation, its IR spectrum, the vibrations excited in the first electronic absorption band, and the energies of the ground and the first excited states of the anion. The difference of the anion excitation energies in the gas and condensed phases was rationalized by a calculation of the Jahn‐Teller distortion of the anion ground state. Contrary to expectations based on a single‐configuration model for the electronic states of 1 , it is found that the gap between the first two excited states is different in the singlet and the triplet manifold. This finding can be traced to the different importance of configuration interaction in the two multiplicity manifolds.