Tautomer selective photochemistry in 1-(tetrazol-5-yl)ethanol

A combined matrix isolation FTIR and theoretical DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) study of the molecular structure and photochemistry of 1-(tetrazol-5-yl)ethanol [1-TE] was performed. The potential energy surface landscapes of the 1H and 2H tautomers of the compound were investigated and the theoretical results were used to help characterize the conformational mixture existing in equilibrium in the gas phase prior to deposition of the matrices, as well as the conformers trapped in the latter. In the gas phase, at room temperature, the compound exists as a mixture of 12 conformers (five of the 1H tautomer and seven of the 2H tautomer). Upon deposition of the compound in an argon matrix at 10 K, only three main forms survive, because the low barriers for conformational isomerization allow extensive conformational cooling during deposition. Deposition of the matrix at 30 K led to further simplification of the conformational mixture with only one conformer of each tautomer of 1-TE surviving. These conformers correspond to the most stable forms of each tautomer, which bear different types of intramolecular H-bonds: 1H-I has an NH···O hydrogen bond, whereas 2H-I has an OH···N hydrogen bond. Upon irradiating with UV light (λ > 200 nm), a matrix containing both 1H-I and 2H-I forms, an unprecedented tautomer selective photochemistry was observed, with the 2H tautomeric form undergoing unimolecular decomposition to azide + hydroxypropanenitrile and the 1H-tautomer being photostable.     

Photoisomerization and photochemistry of matrix-isolated 3-furaldehyde

3-Furaldehyde (3FA) was isolated in an argon matrix at 12 K and studied using FTIR spectroscopy and quantum chemistry. The molecule has two conformers, with trans and cis orientation of the O=C-C=C dihedral angle. At the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory, the trans form was computed to be ca. 4 kJ mol(-1) more stable than the cis form. The relative stability of the two conformers was explained using the natural bond orbital (NBO) method. In fair agreement with their calculated relative energies and the high barrier of rotamerization (ca. 34 kJ mol(-1) from trans to cis), the trans and cis conformers were trapped in an argon matrix from the compound room temperature gas phase in proportion ~7:1. The experimentally observed vibrational signatures of the two forms are in a good agreement with the theoretically calculated spectra. Broad-band UV-irradiation (λ > 234 nm) of the matrix-isolated compound resulted in partial trans → cis isomerization, which ended at a photostationary state with the trans/cis ratio being ca. 1.85:1. This result was interpreted based on results of time-dependent DFT calculations. Irradiation at higher energies (λ > 200 nm) led to decarbonylation of the compound, yielding furan, cyclopropene-3-carbaldehyde, and two C(3)H(4) isomers: cyclopropene and propadiene.     

Dendritic-like streptavidin/alkaline phosphatase nanoarchitectures for amplified electrochemical sensing of DNA sequences

This study describes the development and characterization of a novel dendritic-like signal amplification pathway. Such an analytical strategy relies on the use of streptavidin and biotinylated alkaline phosphatase, which can be simply and conveniently self-assembled to build nanoarchitectures rich in enzyme labels.The performance of this enzyme-based amplification route was demonstrated in connection with the electrochemical sensing of DNA sequences. Compared to the commercially available streptavidin-conjugated alkaline phosphatase labels, a single generation of the streptavidin/biotinylated alkaline phosphatase assembly allowed a 15-20-fold enhancement of the electroanalytical signals. The higher sensitivity allowed by the dendritic-like route was attributed to the lower steric hindrance of the proteins employed for this amplification path. As low as 50 pmol/L of a 388-bp-long amplicon identifying Salmonella spp. was easily detected. The experimental results additionally demonstrated that the sensitivity of the method could be further increased in a linear fashion with the number of protein-enzyme generations.     

Conformational study of monomeric 2,3-butanediols by matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The FT-IR spectra of two diastereomers of 2,3-butanediol, (R,S) and (S,S), isolated in low-temperature argon and xenon matrixes were studied, allowing the identification of two different conformers for each compound. These conformers were characterized by a +/-gauche arrangement around the O-C-C-O dihedral angle, thus enabling the establishment of a very weak intramolecular hydrogen bond of the O...H-O type. No other forms of these compounds were identified in matrixes, despite the fact that these four conformers had calculated relative energies from 0 to 5.1 kJ mol(-1) and were expected to be thermally populated from 50 to 6% in the gaseous phase of each compound. The nonobservation of additional conformers was explained in terms of low barriers to intramolecular rotation, resulting in the conformational relaxation of the compounds during deposition of the matrixes. The barriers to internal rotation of the OH groups were computed to be less than 4 kJ mol(-1) and are easily overcome in matrixes within the family of conformers with the same heavy atom backbone. The barriers for intramolecular rearrangement of the O-C-C-O dihedral angle in both diastereomers were calculated to range from 20 to 30 kJ mol(-1). Interconversions between the latter conformers were not observed in matrixes, even after annealing up to 65 K. Energy calculations, barriers, and calculated infrared spectra were carried out at the DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G theory. Additional MP2/6-311++G calculations of energies and vibrational frequencies were performed on the most relevant conformers. Finally, independent estimations of the hydrogen-bond enthalpy in the studied molecules were also obtained based on theoretical structural data and from vibrational frequencies (using well-established empirical correlations). The obtained values for -DeltaH for both diastereomers of 2,3-butanediol amount to ca. 6-8 kJ mol(-1).     

N,N-Dialkylcarbamato Complexes of the d10 cations of copper,silver, and gold

The reaction of CuO'Bu with CO₂, and ⁱPr₂NH in the presence of PPh₃, gives the dialkylcarbamato complex [Cu(O₂CNⁱPr₂)(PPh₃)₂] ( 1 ). The CO₂/R₂NH system (R = Me, Et) in an appropriate organic medium reacts with Ag₂O giving the corresponding N,N-dialkylcarbamato complexes of analytical formula [Ag(C₂CNR₂)] (R = Me, 2 ; R = Et, 3 ). The methyl derivative 2 was characterized by X-ray diffraction methods. Crystal data of 2 : for [Ag₂(O₂CNMe₂)₂], C₆H₁₂Ag₂N₂O₄, mol. wt. 391.9; monoclinic, space group P2₁/c, a = 12.08(1), b = 3.797(2), c = 11.316(7) Å, β = 113.37(6)°, V = 476.3 ų, Z = 2, D_c = 2.732 g cm^?3; μ(MoK_α) = 40.64 cm^?1, F(000) = 376.0; R = 0.059, R_w = 0.067; g.o.f. 1.27. The structure consists of dinuclear [(Ag₂OCNMe₂)₂] units with slightly distorted linearly two-coordinated Ag-atoms containing bridging carbamato groups to form a substantially planar eight-membered ring with an intra-annular Ag? Ag distance of 2.837(2) Å; the dinuclear units are further joined by Ag? O bonds to form an infinite array. Compound 3 , which is presumably dinuclear, as suggested by cryoscopic measurements in benzene, undergoes a structural fission with PPh₃, giving the mononuclear triphenylphosphine derivative [Ag(O₂CNEt₂)(PPh₃)₂] ( 4 ). The amine-catalyzed conversion of Ag₂O into Ag₂CO₃, in the presence of the ⁱPr₂NH/CO₂ system, is also reported. Cl-Exchange from [AuCl(PPh₃)] with [Ag(O₂CNEt₂)] ( 3 ) gives the first N,N-dialkylcarbamato complex of gold, namely [Au(O₂CNEt₂)(PPh₃)] ( 5 ), which crystallizes in the monoclinic system: C₂₃H₂₅AuNO₂P · 0.5 C₇H₁₆, mol. wt. 625.5, space group P2₁/c; a = 13.212(5), b = 12.25(1), c = 16.795(6) Å, β = 109.09(2)°, V = 2568(2) Å₃, Z = 4, D_c, = 1.618 g cm^?3; μ(AgK_α) = 31.40 cm^?1, F(000) = 1236.0; R = 0.058; R_w = 0.064; g.o.f. 2.121. The compound contains two-coordinated Au-atom, namely to the P-atom and to the O-atom of the monodentate carbamato group, the P? Au? O bond angle being 174.7(3)°. The reaction with MeI showed these compounds to react predominantly at the carbamato O-atom giving the corresponding urethanes R₂NCO₂Me. Evidence was gathered for the transient coordination of CO to Ag in 3 .     

Alkali halide nanocrystal growth and etching studied by AFM and modeled by MD simulations

NaCl hillocks have been grown on the NaCl(100) monocrystalline surface by simply making the tip of an atomic force microscope cantilever interact with the surface. A quantitative discussion about the hillock dissolution process as well as physical stability of these ionic surfaces has been made. Molecular dynamics simulations helped us to interpret the experimental data. An explanation for the hillock formation and dissolution phenomena is also discussed.     

Properties of two polymerizable surfactants aqueous solutions: dodecylethylmethacrylatedimethylammonium bromide and hexadecylethylmethacrylatedimethylammonium bromide. I. Critical micelle concentration

The aggregation of two polymerisable surfactants dodecylethylmethacrylatedimethylammonium bromide (C₁₂PS) and hexadecylethylmethacrylatedimethylammonium bromide (C₁₆PS) was studied with a battery of methods. Both surfactants form premicelles at low concentration, and show a critical micelle concentration and a transition between spherical and rod-like micelles. The micelle ionization degree and the adsorption at the air/solution interface were also studied. Results are interpreted on the basis of the conformation of the polar head group.     

Five isomers of monomeric cytosine and their interconversions induced by tunable UV laser light

Photoisomerization processes involving five isomers of cytosine were induced by narrowband tunable UV irradiation of matrix-isolated monomers of the compound. Irradiation of an argon matrix containing cytosine monomers with UV λ = 313 nm laser light resulted in syn?anti photoisomerizations between the two imino-oxo forms, whereas the substantially more populated amino-hydroxy and amino-oxo forms stayed intact. Subsequent irradiation with shorter-wavelength UV λ = 311 nm laser light led to two concomitant phototautomeric processes consuming the amino-oxo isomer: (i) an oxo → hydroxy hydrogen-atom transfer photoprocess converting the amino-oxo form into the amino-hydroxy tautomer; (ii) amino → imino hydrogen-atom transfer converting the amino-oxo form into the imino-oxo isomers. The UV-induced phototransformations, together with mutual conversions of the two amino-hydroxy conformers induced by irradiation with narrowband NIR light, allowed positive detection and identification of the five isomeric forms of monomeric cytosine. This is the first experimental observation of all five low-energy isomers of cytosine.     

Heavy‐Atom Tunneling Through Crossing Potential Energy Surfaces: Cyclization of a Triplet 2‐Formylarylnitrene to a Singlet 2,1‐Benzisoxazole

Not long ago, the occurrence of quantum mechanical tunneling (QMT) chemistry involving atoms heavier than hydrogen was considered unreasonable. Contributing to the shift of this paradigm, we present here the discovery of a new and distinct heavy‐atom QMT reaction. Triplet syn‐2‐formyl‐3‐fluorophenylnitrene, generated in argon matrices by UV‐irradiation of an azide precursor, was found to spontaneously cyclize to singlet 4‐fluoro‐2,1‐benzisoxazole. Monitoring the transformation by IR spectroscopy, temperature‐independent rate constants (k≈1.4×10^?3 s^?1; half‐life of ≈8 min) were measured from 10 to 20 K. Computational estimated rate constants are in fair agreement with experimental values, providing evidence for a mechanism involving heavy‐atom QMT through crossing triplet to singlet potential energy surfaces. Moreover, the heavy‐atom QMT takes place with considerable displacement of the oxygen atom, which establishes a new limit for the heavier atom involved in a QMT reaction in cryogenic matrices.