Thermally-induced radical rearrangement of 2-(2-thienylmethoxy)-and 2-(2-benzo[b]thienylmethoxy)tropones

Upon heating at ca. 160°, 2-(2-thienylmethoxy)tropone afforded 3- and 5(2-thienylmethyl)tropolones. Formation of 3,5-bis(2-thienylmethyl)tropolone and unsubstituted tropolone indicated a radical chain mechanism for the thermolysis.     

Photo-induced graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate on cellulose

Graft copolymerization initiated by ultraviolet light irradiation at 40°C in a hard glass vessel under nitrogen was examined. The graft copolymerization was observed to occur easily after some induction period without any use of photosensitizer, though it was found the per cent grafting and the grafting efficiency were markedly affected by the quantities of cellulose and monomer. In the system without cellulose, homopolymerization of methyl methacrylate hardly took place, but the use of cellulose caused the formation of homopolymer too, and a grafting efficiency in the range of 60–80% generally resulted. Ferric chloride or sodium anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonate (AQ) acted on the polymerization reaction as photosensitizers to reduce its induction period. Though ferric chloride acted to develop both the per cent grafting and the number of grafts, not the same effects were observed with AQ. Oxalic acid, which was employed with the object of eliminating very small amount of metals contained in cellulose, was found to act favorably in the formation of grafts, much like ferric chloride.     

Effects of the intramolecular NH...S hydrogen bond in mononuclear platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes with 2,2'-bipyridine and benzenethiol derivatives

A series of complexes, [M(bpy)(SAr)2] (M = platinum(II) or palladium(II), bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, SAr = 2- or 4-(acylamino)benzenethiolate, or 2-(alkylcarbamoyl)benzenethiolate), were synthesized and characterized on the basis of 1H NMR, IR, and electrochemical properties. The structures of [Pt(bpy)(S-2-Ph3CCONHC6H4)2] (1) and [Pt(bpy)(S-2-t-BuNHCOC6H4)2] (3) were determined by X-ray analysis. The complexes have intramolecular NH...S hydrogen bonds between the amide NH group and the sulfur atom. A weak NH...S hydrogen bond in these complexes and [Pd(bpy)(S-2-Ph3CCONHC6H4)2] (4) is detected from the 1H NMR spectra and the IR spectra in chloroform and in the solid state. [Pt(bpy)(S-2-Ph3CCONHC6H4)2] (1) exhibits a remarkably high-energy-shifted lowest-energy band in UV-visible spectra and has a positively shifted oxidation potential. The blue-shift of 42 nm and the positive shift of +0.24 V, as compared to those of [Pt(bpy)(SC6H5)2), are due to the effect of the NH...S hydrogen bond.     

Efficient excitation energy transfer in long meso-meso linked Zn(II) porphyrin arrays bearing a 5,15-bisphenylethynylated Zn(II) porphyrin acceptor

Electronically coupled porphyrin arrays are suitable for artificial light harvesting antenna in light of a large absorption cross-section and fast excitation energy transfer (EET). Along this line, an artificial energy transfer model system has been synthesized, comprising of an energy donating meso-meso linked Zn(II) porphyrin array and an energy accepting 5,15-bisphenylethynylated Zn(II) porphyrin linked via a 1,4-phenylene spacer. This includes an increasing number of porphyrins in the meso-meso linked Zn(II) porphyrin array, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 (Z1A, Z2A, Z3A, Z6A, Z12A, and Z24A). The intramolecular singlet-singlet EET processes have been examined by means of the steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. The steady-state fluorescence comes only from the acceptor moiety in Z1A-Z12A, indicating nearly the quantitative EET. In Z24A that has a molecular length of ca. 217 A, the fluorescence comes largely from the acceptor moiety but partly from the long donor array, indicating that the intramolecular EET is not quantitative. The transient absorption spectroscopy has provided the EET rates in real time scale: (2.5 ps)(-1) for Z1A, (3.3 ps)(-1) for Z2A, (5.5 ps)(-1) for Z3A, (21 ps)(-1) for Z6A, (63 ps)(-1) for Z12A, and (108 ps)(-1) for Z24A. These results have been well explained by a revised F?rster equation (Sumi formula), which takes into account an exciton extending coherently over several porphyrin pigments in the donor array, whose length is not much shorter than the average donor-acceptor distance. Advantages of such strongly coupled porphyrin arrays in light harvesting and transmission are emphasized in terms of fast EET and a large absorption cross-section for incident light.     

Photo-induced cellulose radicals capable of initiating graft copolymerization

The decay behavior of cellulose radicals produced by photo-irradiation at room temperature and the characteristics of photo-irradiated cellulose samples to initiate graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) were investigated. ESR spectra of such untreated, swollen, oximated, and ferric ion-sensitized samples irradiated at room temperature were constructed mainly of a single absorption line with a line width of 20 to 22 gauss and a g value of 2.003, and it is surely conceivable that the radicals showing a singlet spectrum should agree with those of alkoxy end produced at either the C₁ or C₄ position of the glucose unit by the scission of glucosidic bonds. The decay of radicals was accelerated by contact of various solvents with the samples, the activity decreasing in the order, water ≈ methanol ? acetone > dioxane. On the other hand, the decay of radicals by vinyl monomers became smaller in the order, methacrylic acid > MMA ≈ styrene. Graft copolymerization of MMA by a photo-irradiated sample was effectively initiated with the use of a certain amount of water or methanol, but not with acetone and dioxane. As no initiation can occur with the unirradiated sample, it is concluded that the initiation of graft copolymerization on the photo-irradiated sample is attributable to cellulose radicals showing a singlet spectrum which are formed in photo-irradiation at room temperature.     

Coordination around thorium(IV) in aqueous perchlorate,chloride and nitrate solutions

The coordination around the thorium(IV) ion in aqueous perchlorate, chloride and nitrate solutions has been determined from large angle X-ray scattering measurements. In perchlorate solutions, where inner-sphere complexes are not formed, the first coordination sphere contains 8.0±0.5 water molecules with Th-H₂O bond lengths of 2.48₅ Å. In chloride solutions inner-sphere complexes are formed, which lead to an increase in the coordination number. In nitrate solutions the nitrate ions are bonded as bidentate ligands to the thorium ion. The bond lengths are similar to those found in crystalline hydrates of thorium nitrate. The coordination numbers found for thorium(IV) in solution are compared with previously reported values for lower charged ions of similar size.On leave from Department of Inorganic Chemistry Royal Institute of Technology S-10044 Stockholm Sweden     

Structure determination of zinc iodide complexes formed in aqueous solution

Structures of the complexes formed in aqueous solutions between zinc(II) and iodide ions have been determined from large-angle X-ray scattering, Raman and far-IR measurements. The coordination in the hydrated Zn²⁺ hexaaqua ion and the first iodide complex, [ZnI]⁺, is octahedral, but is changed into tetrahedral in the higher complexes, [ZnI₂(H₂O)₂], [ZnI₃(H₂O)]^– and [ZnI₄]^2–. The Zn-I bond length is 2.635(4)Å in the [ZnI₄]^2– ion and slightly shorter, 2.592(6)Å, in the two lower tetrahedral complexes. In the octahedral [ZnI(H₂O)₅]⁺ complex the Zn-I bond length is 2.90(1)Å. The Zn-O bonding distances in the complexes are approximately the same as that in the hydrated Zn²⁺ ion, 2.10(1)Å.     

Four new cycloartane glycosides from Aquilegia vulgaris

Four new cycloartane glycosides, named aquilegiosides G-J, were isolated from the dried aerial parts of Aquilegia vulgaris. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and chemical evidence.     

Cationic copolymerization of indene with styrene derivatives: Synthesis of random copolymers of indene with high molecular weight

Random copolymers with high molecular weights of indene and p‐methylstyrene (pMeSt) were synthesized by cationic polymerization with trichloroacetic acid/tin tetrachloride in CH₂Cl₂ at low temperatures. When indene and pMeSt (1:1 v/v), for example, were polymerized at ?40 °C, both monomers were consumed at very similar rates to give a copolymer with high molecular weight [number‐average molecular weight (M_n): 8–9 × 10⁴]. This is indeed quite unexpected behavior for the combination of these two monomers because pMeSt polymerized over 1000 times faster than indene in the homopolymerization under the reaction conditions previously described. The product copolymer of indene and pMeSt had a random monomer sequence in it that was confirmed by NMR analyses and thermal‐property measurements. In sharp contrast with pMeSt, styrene and p‐chlorostyrene, which have no electron‐donating groups on the phenyl ring, led to low molecular weight polymers (M_n < 10,000) in the copolymerization with indene (1:1 v/v). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2449–2457, 2002