Reactions of Distibanes with [Fe2(CO)9]: Synthesis,Structure and DFT Calculations of [(Et2Sb)4Fe4(CO)14], [(nPr2Sb)4Fe3(CO)10], [{(Me3SiCH2)2Sb}4Fe2(CO)6], and [2‐(Me2NCH2)C6H4SbFe2(CO)8]

The iron complexes [(Et₂Sb)₄Fe₄(CO)₁₄] ( 1 ), [(nPr₂Sb)₄Fe₃(CO)₁₀] ( 2 ), [{(Me₃SiCH₂)₂Sb}₄Fe₂(CO)₆] ( 3 ), and [2‐(Me₂NCH₂)C₆H₄SbFe₂(CO)₈] ( 4 ) were prepared by reactions of distibanes with Fe₂(CO)₉. Compounds 1 – 4 were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopy as well as mass spectrometry; complex 1 was additionally characterized by density functional calculations.     

Acknowledgement of referee's services

Acknowledgement of referee's services     

Fluorotris(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)methane: synthesis, characterization and reactivity

The hitherto elusive title compound was synthesized and characterized with the aim to study its potential as a carbon-based (“CF-type”) electrophilic fluorination reagent. A detailed discussion of its structure, properties and reactivity is based on experimental studies as well as on molecular modeling.     

An effective synthetic route to ortho-difluoromethyl arylphosphosphonates: studies on the reactivity of phosphorus- and fluorine-containing functions

Herein, we report a new and convenient methodology for the synthesis of ortho-XCF₂ arylphosphonates via Diels-Alder reaction of selected 1,3-butadienes with XCF₂-≡-P(O)(OEt)₂, followed by the aromatization of the cyclic vinylphosphonates obtained using the KMnO₄/Al₂O₃ system. The reactivity of ortho-XCF₂ arylphosphonates was then examined to give the respective dichlorides that were converted to the corresponding phosphonic acids, phosphine oxides or a carboxylic acid (upon hydrolysis of the CF₂Br group). When ortho-XCF₂ arylphosphonates (X=Br) were treated with Zn/CuBr and an electrophile, the dimeric product ArCFCFAr was isolated only. The lithiation of the CF₂H group (X=H) allowed however to obtain products of nucleophilic substitution with various electrophiles.     

Nanocavity electrode array for recording from electrogenic cells

We present a new nanocavity device for highly localized on-chip recordings of action potentials from individual cells in a network. Microelectrode recordings have become the method of choice for recording extracellular action potentials from high density cultures or slices. Nevertheless, interfacing individual cells of a network with high resolution still remains challenging due to an insufficient coupling of the signal to small electrodes, exhibiting diameters below 10 μm. We show that this problem can be overcome by a new type of sensor that features an electrode, which is accessed via a small aperture and a nanosized cavity. Thus, the properties of large electrodes are combined with a high local resolution and a good seal resistance at the interface. Fabrication of the device can be performed with state-of-the-art clean room technology and sacrificial layer etching allowing integration of the devices into sensor arrays. We demonstrate the capability of such an array by recording the propagation of action potentials in a network of cardiomyocyte-like cells.     

Pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl, a sterically crowded and electron-withdrawing group: synthesis and acidity of pentakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene, -toluene, -phenol, and -aniline

A general route to functionalized pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl (C6(CF3)5) derivatives, promising building blocks for designing novel stable carbenes, radical species, superacids, weakly coordinating anions and other practically and theoretically useful species, is presented. This pertrifluoromethylation route proceeds via conveniently pregenerated (trifluoromethyl)copper (CF3Cu) species in DMF, stabilized by addition of 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI). These species react with hexaiodobenzene at ambient temperature to give the potassium pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenoxide along with hexakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene in a combined yield of 80%. A possible reaction pathway explaining the formation of pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenoxide is proposed. Pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenol gives rise to easily functionalized pentakis(trifluoromethyl)chlorobenzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)aniline. Pertrifluoromethylation of pentaiodochlorobenzene and pentaiodotoluene allows straightforward access to pentakis(trifluoromethyl)chlorobenzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)toluene, respectively. XRD structures of several C6(CF3)5 derivatives were determined and compared with the calculated structures. Due to the steric crowding the aromatic rings in all C6(CF3)5 derivatives are significantly distorted. The gas-phase acidities (Delta Gacid) and pKa values in different solvents (acetonitrile (AN), DMSO, water) for the title compounds and a number of related compounds have been measured. The origin of the acidifying effect of the C6(CF3)5 group has been explored using the isodesmic reactions approach.     

Quantitative Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (NanoSIMS) Imaging of Individual Vesicles to Investigate the Relation between Fraction of Chemical Release and Vesicle Size

We used correlative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) imaging to quantify the contents of subvesicular compartments, and to measure the partial release fraction of ¹³C-dopamine in cellular nanovesicles as a function of size. Three modes of exocytosis comprise full release, kiss-and-run, and partial release. The latter has been subject to scientific debate, despite a growing amount of supporting literature. We tailored culturing procedures to alter vesicle size and definitively show no size correlation with the fraction of partial release. In NanoSIMS images, vesicle content was indicated by the presence of isotopic dopamine, while vesicles which underwent partial release were identified by the presence of an ¹²⁷I-labelled drug, to which they were exposed during exocytosis allowing entry into the open vesicle prior to its closing again. Demonstration of similar partial release fractions indicates that this mode of exocytosis is predominant across a wide range of vesicle sizes.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of [b]-Annulated Azepane Scaffolds

Cyclopenta-, benzo-, and cyclohepta[b]-annulated azepane scaffolds were prepared in two steps from optically active cyclic α-allyl-β-oxoesters. The first step was ruthenium-catalyzed olefin cross metathesis with acrylonitrile. The second step was palladium-catalyzed dihydrogenation which consists of three consecutive processes: The hydrogenation of the C−C double and C−N triple bonds was followed by the reductive amination via the iminium ion formed in situ from the primary amino function and the endocyclic carbonyl group. This last step gave, stereoselectively, the annulated azepanes with relative trans-configuration. The amino function and the ester group define two points for further diversification of the scaffolds. The trifluoroacetyl derivatives allowed to establish the enantiopurity of the products to be 97–98 % ee by GLC on a chiral phase. The relative trans-configurations and in one case also the absolute (R,R)-configuration was established by X-ray crystallography.     

Uniqueness of Radial Solutions for the Fractional Laplacian

We prove general uniqueness results for radial solutions of linear and nonlinear equations involving the fractional Laplacian (?Δ)^s with s ? (0,1) for any space dimensions N ≥ 1. By extending a monotonicity formula found by Cabré and Sire , we show that the linear equation has at most one radial and bounded solution vanishing at infinity, provided that the potential V is radial and nondecreasing. In particular, this result implies that all radial eigenvalues of the corresponding fractional Schrödinger operator H = (?Δ)^s + V are simple. Furthermore, by combining these findings on linear equations with topological bounds for a related problem on the upper half‐space , we show uniqueness and nondegeneracy of ground state solutions for the nonlinear equation for arbitrary space dimensions N ≥ 1 and all admissible exponents α > 0. This generalizes the nondegeneracy and uniqueness result for dimension N = 1 recently obtained by the first two authors and, in particular, the uniqueness result for solitary waves of the Benjamin‐Ono equation found by Amick and Toland .© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.