Novel synthesis of benzalacetone analogues of naphth[a]azulenes by intramolecular tropylium ion-mediated furan ring-opening reaction and X-ray investigation of a naphth[1,2-a]azulene derivative

[reaction: see text] Benzalacetone analogues of naphth[1,2-a]azulene (8), naphth[2,1-a]azulene (13), and naphth[2,3-a]azulene (18) were synthesized from 2-(5-methyl-2-furyl)-1-tropylionaphthalene (7), 1-(5-methyl-2-furyl)-2-tropylionaphthalene (12), and 2-(5-methy-2-furyl)-3-tropylionaphthalene (17), respectively. The synthetic method is based on furan ring-opening reaction by the intramolecular electrophilic attack of a tropylium ion. Single-crystal X-ray work on the naphth[1,2-a]azulene derivative (8) revealed that its tetracyclic system exhibited deformation from planarity similar to that of benzo[c]phenanthrene (tetrahelicene). A centrosymmetric associated dimer structure, just like the molecules of carboxylic acids but via C=O...H-C hydrogen bonds, was found in the crystal. Reduction of bond-length alternation in the seven-membered ring was also found.     

Rare-earth silylamide-catalyzed monocoupling reaction of isocyanides with terminal alkynes

[reaction: see text] Rare-earth silylamides, Ln[N(SiMe3)2]3 (Ln = Y, La, Sm, Yb), serve as good catalysts for monoinsertion of isocyanides into terminal alkynes in the presence of amine additives, leading to 1-aza-1,3-enyens in excellent yields. The reaction is applicable to a diverse set of terminal alkynes with various functionalities such as ethers, acetals, and amino groups. Larger metals (La and Sm) give a better performance than smaller ones (Y and Yb). Using less hindered primary amines and, in contrast, bulky isocyanides is crucial for the coupling reaction; otherwise, competitive oligomerization of the isocyanides occurs predominantly. In the mechanistic study, the rate-determining step of the reaction seems to be the first insertion of the isocyanides into rare-earth alkynides, which is followed by spontaneous protonation with the amine additives.     

Sorption of dimethyl methylphosphonate within Langmuir-Blodgett films of trisilanolphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane

Trisilanolphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) molecules are used to create well-ordered Langmuir-Blodgett films containing silanol groups that interact strongly with dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a commonly used simulant for the chemical warfare agent sarin. The interaction of DMMP within multilayer POSS films is studied by uptake coefficient and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) measurements, as well as reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). Results indicate a low uptake probability; however, in a DMMP-saturated atmosphere, the organophosphonate molecules are capable of diffusing into and adsorbing within the films. TPD and RAIRS measurements reveal no evidence of DMMP decomposition within the film. Rather, DMMP is found to desorb molecularly with a desorption energy of 122 kJ/mol. RAIRS reveals that strong hydrogen-bonding interactions between the phosphoryl groups of the organophosphonate molecules and the silanol groups of the POSS molecules are responsible for the high sorption energy of the system.     

Confined crystallization in lamellae forming poly(3-(2′-ethyl)hexylthiophene) (P3EHT) block copolymers

Charge transport in poly(3-alkylthiophene)s (P3AT)s is closely linked to the nanoscale organization of crystallites. Block copolymer morphologies provide an ideal platform to study crystallization as the chain ends are tethered at a known interface in a well-defined geometry. The impact of soft versus hard confinement on P3EHT crystallization was studied using poly(3-(2′-ethyl)hexylthiophene) (P3EHT) containing diblocks with both rubbery poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) and glassy polystyrene (PS) blocks. Here, P3EHT's lower melting point relative to the commonly studied poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) facilitated its confined crystallization and makes it an ideal model system. While transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) revealed well-ordered lamellar morphologies both in the melt and post-crystallization for both sets of diblocks, the glassy blocks inhibit confined crystallization of P3EHT relative to rubbery matrix blocks. Analysis of aligned diblocks by both SAXS and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) revealed that the P3EHT chain axis aligns perpendicular to domain interfaces, allowing preferential growth of the alkyl-chain and π–π stacking directions parallel to lamellae. Finally, it was shown that following diblock self-assembly in the melt, crystallite growth drives expansion of microdomains to match the P3EHT contour length. It was concluded that P3EHT chains adopted an extended conformation within confined crystallites due to the rigid nature of polythiophenes relative to flexible chain crystalline polymers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 205–215