Redox‐Active Tetraruthenium Macrocycles Built from 1,4‐Divinylphenylene‐Bridged Diruthenium Complexes

Metallamacrocylic tetraruthenium complexes were generated by treatment of 1,4‐divinylphenylene‐bridged diruthenium complexes with functionalized 1,3‐benzene dicarboxylic acids and characterized by HR ESI‐MS and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. Every divinylphenylene diruthenium subunit is oxidized in two consecutive one‐electron steps with half‐wave potential splittings in the range of 250 to 330 mV. Additional, smaller redox‐splittings between the +/2+ and 0/+ and the 3+/4+ and 2+/3+ redox processes, corresponding to the first and the second oxidations of every divinylphenylene diruthenium entity, are due to electrostatic effects. The lack of electronic coupling through bond or through space is explained by the nodal properties of the relevant molecular orbitals and the lateral side‐by‐side arrangement of the divinylphenylene linkers. The polyelectrochromic behavior of the divinylphenylene diruthenium precursors is retained and even amplified in these metallamacrocyclic structures. EPR studies down to T=4 K indicate that the dications 1‐H²⁺ and 1‐OBu²⁺ are paramagnetic. The dications and the tetracation of macrocycle 3‐H display intense (dications) or weak ( 3‐H⁴⁺ ) EPR signals. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that the four most stable conformers of the macrocycles are largely devoid of strain. Bond parameters, energies as well as charge and spin density distributions of model macrocycle 5‐H^Me were calculated for the different charge and spin states.     

IPr3Si3Cl5+: A Highly Reactive Cation with Silanide Character

The reaction of a metastable SiCl₂ solution with the sterically less‐demanding carbene N,N‐diisopropylimidazo‐2‐ylidene (IPr) yields the salt [(IPr₃Si₃Cl₅)⁺]Cl^? ( 1 ‐Cl), containing a silyl cation with a Si₃ backbone. Salt 1 is highly reactive, but it can be used as a reagent in deuterated dichloromethane, whereby dehalogenation with Me₃SiOTf (OTf=O₃SCF₃) gives the dicationic silyl halide [(IPr₃Si₃Cl₄)]²⁺ 2 . Quantum chemical calculations show that the HOMO is localized at the negatively charged central silicon atom of 1 and 2 , and thus although both compounds are cations they are better described as silanides, which was also corroborated by NMR investigations.     

A comprehensive and compact n-heptane oxidation model derived using chemical lumping

A detailed reaction mechanism for n-heptane oxidation has been compiled and subsequently simplified. The model is based on a kinetic model for C1-C4 fuel oxidation of Hoyermann et al. [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2004, 6, 3824] and a detailed mechanism for n-heptane oxidation developed by Curran et al. [Combust. Flame, 1998, 114, 149]. The generated mechanism is kept compact by limiting the application of the low temperature oxidation pathways to the fuel molecule. The first reaction steps and the complex low temperature paths in the oxidation process have been simplified and reorganized by linear chemical lumping. The reported procedure allows a decrease in number of species and reactions with only a minor loss of model accuracy. The simplified model is of very compact size and gives an advantageous starting point for further model reduction. By this chemically lumped general mechanism without further adjustments the large set of experimental data for the high and low temperature oxidation (ignition delay times, species concentration profiles, heat release and engine pressure profiles, flame speeds and flame structure data) for conditions ranging from very low to high temperatures (550-2300 K), very lean to extremely fuel rich (0.22 < phi < 3) mixtures and pressures between 1 and 42 bar is consistently described providing a basis for reliable predictions for future applications, (i) building reaction mechanisms for similar but chemically more complex fuels (e.g. iso-octane, n-decane,...) and (ii) calculating complex flow fields ("fluid dynamics") after further simplification with advanced reduction tools.     

Free isotropic-nematic interfaces in fluids of charged platelike colloids

Bulk properties and free interfaces of mixtures of charged platelike colloids and salt are studied within the density-functional theory. The particles are modeled by hard cuboids with their edges constrained to be parallel to the Cartesian axes corresponding to the Zwanzig model. The charges of the particles are concentrated in their center. The density functional is derived by functional integration of an extension of the Debye-Hückel pair distribution function with respect to the interaction potential. For sufficiently small macroion charges, the bulk phase diagrams exhibit one isotropic and one nematic phase separated by a first-order phase transition. With increasing platelet charge, the isotropic and nematic binodals are shifted to higher densities. The Donnan potential between the coexisting isotropic and nematic phases is inferred from bulk structure calculations. Nonmonotonic density and nematic order parameter profiles are found at a free interface interpolating between the coexisting isotropic and nematic bulk phases. Moreover, electrically charged layers form at the free interface leading to monotonically varying electrostatic potential profiles. Both the widths of the free interfaces and the bulk correlation lengths are approximately given by the Debye length. For fixed salt density, the interfacial tension decreases upon increasing the macroion charge.     

Synthesis and modification of terrylenediimides as high-performance fluorescent dyes

Two new synthetic approaches to terrylenediimides, highly photostable fluorescent dyes, are described. For the first time terrylenediimide has been synthesised in a straightforward procedure that makes large quantities available. The second route includes an efficient cross-coupling reaction followed by a cyclodehydrogenation. Monofunctionalisation of the imide structure allows terrylenediimides now to be coupled with a variety of compounds, for example, by Suzuki cross-coupling, which can lead to an array of terrylenediimides with new functional groups such as hydroxy, amino, or carboxy groups needed to link up with other molecules. The functionalisation in the bay region is used to tune the properties of terrylenediimides and extend the range of applications, for example, by introducing water solubility. These tetrasubstituted terrylenediimides offer, depending on the substituents used, exciting features such as good solubility in common organic solvents, water solubility, or NIR absorption.     

A comparison of data analysis methods for determining gas phase stabilities by cid: Alkali metal complexes of polyether ionophore antibiotics

The gas phase stabilities of Group I metal complexes of the polyether ionophore antibiotics lasalocid and monensin were investigated by collision induced dissociation mass spectrometry. Electrospray ionization was used with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer for the determination of threshold dissociation energies upon application of increasing collision energies. Various data analysis techniques for the determination of dissociation energies are discussed to assess the most suitable method for determining the stabilities of the ionophore-metal complexes studied here. In all cases only the relative stabilities of different complexes may be obtained by the method presented in this study, which does not assess absolute gas phase dissociation energies. Correction factors have been applied, however, to account for the energy conversion during collisions of different metal complexes and the varying degrees of freedom of different sized ligands, allowing for the comparison of the stabilities of different ionophores with like-metals. The measured threshold dissociation energies were compared with respect to the ionic radius of the metal cation, revealing a maximum stability for the K+ complexes of both lasalocid and monensin. A striking decrease in the stabilities of the Rb+ and Cs+ complexes was observed and is believed to be related to a decreasing degree of coordination that the ionophores can accomplish with the larger metals.     

A practical, fast, and high-yielding aziridination procedure using simple Cu(II) complexes containing N-donor pyridine-based ligands

Four-coordinate dichlorocopper(II) complexes derived from di(2-pyridyl)methanes or pyridine itself exhibit high catalytic activity in aziridination of regular olefins with PhINTs in weakly coordinating chloroform in the presence of 1-2 equiv of NaBArF4 (BArF4- = tetra[3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate). High yields of aziridines exceeding 90% can be obtained with a 1:1 olefin/PhINTs ratio and 1-5 mol % catalyst loading for such reactive olefins as styrene, tri- and tetramethylethylene. For cis-cyclooctene, indene, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, vinyl methyl ketone, tert-butylethylene, and neopentylethylene, as well as for 1-hexene and cyclopentene, yields of corresponding aziridines vary from 44% to 83%. The catalytic activity and efficiency of the reported copper complexes decrease moderately in the absence of NaBArF4.     

New access to pyrazole,oxa(thia)diazole and oxadiazine derivatives

1,4‐Disubstituted thiosemicarbazides 1b–f reacted with ethenetetracarbonitrile ( 5 ) in di‐ methylformamide with formation of 2‐substituted 5‐phenyl‐1,3,4‐thiadiazoles 2a–f and 2‐substituted 5‐phenyl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazoles 4a–f . Upon addition of 5 to 1c–e in chlorobenzene, 3‐amino‐2‐benzoyl‐4,5,5‐tri‐ cyano‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐1‐[N‐(4‐tricyanovi‐nyl)phenyl]carbothioamide ( 12 ), 5‐benzylamino‐, and 5‐allylamino‐4‐benzoyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐[1,3,4]thiadiazol‐ 2,2‐dicarbonitrile ( 13a,b ) and 5‐amino‐1‐benzoylpyrazole‐3,4‐dicarbonitrile ( 14 ) as well as 2‐phenyl‐ 4H‐[1,3,4]‐oxadiazine‐5,6‐dicarbonitrile ( 15 ) were formed. Rationales for the role of the solvent and the conversions observed are presented. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 16:12–19, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.20071