Discrete Neutral Niobium Cluster Units in Compounds of the Type [Nb6Cl14L4] with L = O or N Donor Ligand

Six new hexanuclear niobium cluster compounds of the general formula [Nb₆Cl₁₄L₄] · x(solvent molecule) [L = neutral O or N donor ligand, x = 0–2.5; pyrimidine ( 1 ), 1‐methyl imidazole ( 2 ), isobutyronitrile ( 3 ), isopropyl alcohol ( 4 ), triphenylphosphine oxide ( 5 ), dimethyl sulfoxide ( 6 )] were prepared. The syntheses were carried out by dehydration of the precursor [Nb₆Cl₁₄(H₂O)₄] · 4H₂O with different water scavangers, like acetic anhydride, trimethyl acetic anhydride and diethylcarbonate in the presence of the corresponding neutral ligand. The structures are determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The specific bonding situations of the ligands to the [Nb₆Cl₁₂]²⁺ cluster cores are compared and discussed. The phenomenon of the observed M₆ distortion is explained and interpreted based on the matrix effect and the terminal ligand effect. In addition, other interactions between the cluster units, such as hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking are discussed.     

Foam films in the presence of functionalized gold nanoparticles

Dry aqueous foams made of anionic surfactant (SDS) and spherical gold nanoparticles are studied by small angle X-ray scattering and by optical techniques. To obtain stable foams, the surfactant concentration is well above the critical micelle concentration. The specular reflectivity signal obtained on a very thin film (thickness 20 nm) shows that functionalized nanoparticles (17 nm typical size) are trapped within the film in the form of a single monolayer. In order to isolate the film behavior, investigations are made on a single film confined in a tube. The film thinning according to the ratio of functionalized nanoparticle and SDS micelles (1:1, 1:10, 1:100) is mainly governed by the structural arrangement of SDS micelles. In thick films, nanoparticles tend to form aggregates that disappear during drainage. In particular self-organization of nanoparticles (with different surface charge) inside the film is not detected.     

Nature and structure of aluminum surface sites grafted on silica from a combination of high-field aluminum-27 solid-state NMR spectroscopy and first-principles calculations

The determination of the nature and structure of surface sites after chemical modification of large surface area oxides such as silica is a key point for many applications and challenging from a spectroscopic point of view. This has been, for instance, a long-standing problem for silica reacted with alkylaluminum compounds, a system typically studied as a model for a supported methylaluminoxane and aluminum cocatalyst. While (27)Al solid-state NMR spectroscopy would be a method of choice, it has been difficult to apply this technique because of large quadrupolar broadenings. Here, from a combined use of the highest stable field NMR instruments (17.6, 20.0, and 23.5 T) and ultrafast magic angle spinning (>60 kHz), high-quality spectra were obtained, allowing isotropic chemical shifts, quadrupolar couplings, and asymmetric parameters to be extracted. Combined with first-principles calculations, these NMR signatures were then assigned to actual structures of surface aluminum sites. For silica (here SBA-15) reacted with triethylaluminum, the surface sites are in fact mainly dinuclear Al species, grafted on the silica surface via either two terminal or two bridging siloxy ligands. Tetrahedral sites, resulting from the incorporation of Al inside the silica matrix, are also seen as minor species. No evidence for putative tri-coordinated Al atoms has been found.     

2.2]Paracyclophane derived bisphosphines for the activation of hydrogen by FLPs: application in domino hydrosilylation/hydrogenation of enones

The heterolytic splitting of hydrogen by two types of [2.2]paracyclophane derived bisphosphines (1, 2a and 2b) in combination with tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (3) at room temperature is described. The corresponding frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) exhibit different behavior in the activation of hydrogen. This results from diverse steric and electronic properties of the bisphosphines. The reactivity of the frustrated Lewis pairs was exploited in the first diastereoselective domino hydrosilylation/hydrogenation reaction catalyzed by FLPs.     

17O NMR and density functional theory study of the dynamics of the carboxylate groups in DOTA complexes of lanthanides in aqueous solution

The rotation of the carboxylate groups in DOTA (DOTA = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate) complexes of several lanthanide ions and Sc(3+) was investigated with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and with variable temperature (17)O NMR studies at 4.7-18.8 T. The data obtained show that the rotation is much slower than the other dynamic processes taking place in these complexes. The exchange between the bound and unbound carboxylate oxygen atoms for the largest Ln(3+) ions (La(3+)→Sm(3+)) follows a pathway via a transition state in which both oxygens of the carboxylate group are bound to the Ln(3+) ion, whereas for the smaller metal ions (Tm(3+), Lu(3+), Sc(3+)) the transition state has a fully decoordinated carboxylate group. The activation free energies show a steady increase from about 75 to 125-135 kJ·mol(-1) going from La(3+) to Lu(3+). This computed trend is consistent with the results of the (17)O NMR measurements. Fast exchange between bound and unbound carboxylate oxygen atoms was observed for the diamagnetic La-DOTA, whereas for Pr-, Sm-, Lu-, and Sc-DOTA the exchange was slow on the NMR time scale. The trends in the linewidths for the various metal ions as a function of the temperature agree with trends in the rates as predicted by the DFT calculations.     

Pre-organization of the core structure of E-selectin antagonists

A new class of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) mimics for E-selectin antagonists was designed and synthesized. The mimic consists of a cyclohexane ring substituted with alkyl substituents adjacent to the linking position of the fucose moiety. Incorporation into E-selectin antagonists led to the test compounds 8 and the 2'-benzoylated analogues 21, which exhibit affinities in the low micromolar range. By using saturation transfer difference (STD)-NMR it could be shown that the increase in affinity does not result from an additional hydrophobic contact of the alkyl substituent with the target protein E-selectin, but rather from a steric effect stabilizing the antagonist in its bioactive conformation. The loss of affinity found for antagonists 10 and 35 containing a methyl substituent in a remote position (and therefore unable to support to the stabilization of the core) further supports this hypothesis. Finally, when a GlcNAc mimetic containing two methyl substituents (52 and 53) was used, in which one methyl was positioned adjacent to the fucose linking position and the other was in a remote position, the affinity was regained.