Determination and characterization of a transition structure for water–formaldehyde addition

Quantum mechanical calculations of the geometric, energetic, electronic, and vibrational features of a transition structure for gas-phase water–formaldehyde addition (FW1?) are described, and a new transition-structure search algorithm is presented. Basis-set-dependent effects are assessed by comparisons of computed properties obtained from self-consistent field (SCF) molecular orbital (MO) calculations with STO-3G, 4-31G, and 6-31G^** basis sets in the absence of electron correlation. The results obtained suggest that STO-3G-level calculations may be sufficiently reliable for the prediction of the transition structure of FW1? and for the transition structures of related carbonyl addition reactions. Moreover, the calculated activation energy for formation of FW1? from water and formaldehyde (?44 kcal mol^?1) is very similar in all three basis sets. However, the energy of formaldehyde hydration predicted by STO-3G (? ?45 kcal mol^?1) is about three times larger than that predicted by the other two basis sets, with the activation energy for dihydroxymethane dehydration also being too large in STO-3G. Calculated force constants in all three basis sets are generally too large, leading to vibrational frequencies that are also too large. However, uniformly scaled force constants (in internal coordinates) give much better agreement with experimental frequencies, scaled 4-31G force constants being slightly superior to scaled STO-3G force constants.     

Pd-catalysed cross coupling of terminal alkynes to diynes in the absence of a stoichiometric additive

An efficient, room temperature procedure for the cross-coupling of a range of terminal alkynes, using standard Sonogashira cross-coupling conditions (Pd/Cu) is presented. At higher reaction temperatures, head-to-tail or head-to-head dimerisation affords 1,3- and 1,4-disubstituted enynes, respectively as minor products.     

Ammonium cyanate shows N-H...N hydrogen bonding, not N-H...O

The transformation of ammonium cyanate into urea, first studied over 170 years ago by W?hler and Liebig, has an important place in the history of chemistry. To understand the nature of this solid state reaction, knowledge of the crystal structure of ammonium cyanate is a prerequisite. Employing neutron powder diffraction, we demonstrate conclusively that, in the structure of ammonium cyanate, the NH(4)(+) cation forms N-H...N hydrogen bonds to four cyanate N atoms at alternate corners of a distorted cube, rather than our previously proposed alternative arrangement with N-H...O hydrogen bonds to cyanate O atoms at the other four corners.     

Direct functionalization of the cyclometalated 2-(2′-pyridyl)phenyl ligand bound to iridium(III)

Treatment of [Ir(ppy)₂(μ-Cl)]₂ and [Ir(ppy)₂(dtbpy)][OTf] (ppy = 2-(2′-pyridyl)phenyl; dtbpy = 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine; OTf = triflate) with pyridinium tribromide in the presence of Fe powder led to isolation of [Ir(4-Br-ppy)(μ-Br)]₂ (1) and [Ir(4-Br-ppy)₂(dtbpy)][OTf] (2), respectively. Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of 2 with RB(OH)₂ afforded [Ir(4-R-ppy)₂(dtbpy)][OTf] (R = 4′-FC₆H₄ (3)), 4′-PhC₆H₄ (4), 2′-thienyl (5), 4′-C₆H₄CH₂OH (6). Treatment of 4 with B₂(pin)₂ (pin = pinacolate) afforded [Ir{4-(pin)B-ppy}₂(dtbpy)][OTf] (7). The alkynyl complexes [Ir(4-PhCC-ppy)₂(dtbpy)][OTf] (8) and [Ir{4-Me₂(OH)CC-ppy}(4-Br-ppy)(dtbpy)][OTf] (9) were prepared by cross-coupling of 2 with PhCCSnMe₃ and Me₂C(OH)CCH, respectively. Ethynylation of [Ir(fppy)₂(dtbpy)][OTf] (fppy = 5-formyl-2-(2′-pyridyl)phenyl) with Ohira’s reagent MeCOC(N₂)P(O)(OEt)₂ afforded [Ir{5-HCC-ppy}₂(dtbpy)][OTf] (10). The solid-state structures of 2, 5, 7, and 10 have been determined.     

Structural similarities and differences among mixed-metal clusters containing a single M(PPh3) (M = Cu, Ag or Au) fragment

The heteronuclear metal clusters [H₃MRu₄(CO)₁₂(PPh₃)] and [MFe₃(μ-COMe)(CO)₁₀(PPh₃)] (M = Cu, Ag or Au) have been prepared; the gold-tetraruthenium cluster has a different metal core geometry to that adopted by the copper and silver analogues, whereas all three iron-Group IB mixed-metal clusters have the same geometry.     

Donor-stabilized cations and imine transfer from N-silylphosphoranimines

A series of donor-stabilized N-silylphosphoranimine salts [DMAP.PCl2=NSiMe3]+X- (DMAP = 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine) were prepared by the reaction of Cl3P=NSiMe3 with DMAP in the presence of silver salts AgX (X = OSO2CF3, BF4, and SbF6). Repeating the reaction in the absence of AgX gave the chloride salt [DMAP.PCl2=NSiMe3]Cl which has been shown to be in equilibrium with free DMAP and Cl3P=NSiMe3. Attempts to stabilize a N-silylphosphoranimine cation with phosphine donors led to unexpected imine transfer chemistry. For example, Cl3P=NSiMe3 reacts with phosphines, R3P (R = nBu and Ph), to produce the metathesis products PCl3 and R3P=NSiMe3 which subsequently react together to afford the N-phosphinophosphoranimines R3P=N-PCl2 and ClSiMe3 as a byproduct.     

Applying Tikhonov regularization to process pendant droplet tensiometry data

The problem of obtaining the first and second derivatives of the profile of a pendant droplet is formulated as an integral equation of the first kind. This equation is solved by Tikhonov regularization in which the method of general cross validation is used to guide the selection of the regularization parameter. These derivatives are converted into mean curvature as a function of droplet height. Surface tension is then obtained by regression computation between the mean curvature and two possible algebraic expressions suggested by the Laplace-Young equation. This way of obtaining surface tension is demonstrated by applying it to a number of published droplet profiles. Some of the problems encountered are discussed and solutions suggested.     

"Exact" surface free energies of iron surfaces using a modified embedded atom method potential and lambda integration

Previously a new universal lambda-integration path and associated methodology was developed for the calculation of "exact" surface and interfacial free energies of solids. Such a method is in principle applicable to any intermolecular potential function, including those based on ab initio methods, but in previous work the method was only tested using a relatively simple embedded atom method iron potential. In this present work we apply the new methodology to the more sophisticated and more accurate modified embedded atom method (MEAM) iron potential, where application of other free- energy methods would be extremely difficult due to the complex many-body nature of the potential. We demonstrate that the new technique simplifies the process of obtaining "exact" surface free energies by calculating the complete set of these properties for the low index surface faces of bcc and fcc solid iron structures. By combining these data with further calculations of liquid surface tensions we obtain the first complete set of exact surface free energies for the solid and liquid phases of a realistic MEAM model system. We compare these predictions to various experimental and theoretical results.     

Thermochemistry of molecular complexes. 5. Molecular complexes of I2 with ethylbenzenes andn-alkylbenzenes

The enthalpies of formation and equilibrium constants are reported for molecular complexes of I₂ with five ethylbenzene and ninen-alkylbenzene donor molecules in CCl₄. The wavelength of maximum absorbance for each complex is also reported. For ethylbenzene donor molecules, the formation enthalpy and equilibrium constant for the complexes depend strongly on the number of ethyl groups attached to the benzene ring, but only weakly on the position of the groups. For then-alkylbenzene donor molecules, both the formation enthalpy and equilibrium constant for complex formation are indenpendent of the length of the alkyl chain. These results are consistent with previous observations on weak complexes of I₂ with substituted benzene donors.     

Model prediction of batch emulsion copolymerization as a function of conversion: A sensitivity analysis

Recently a model has been developed capable of predicting absolute monomer concentrations and their ratios in the polymer, aqueous, and monomer droplet phases as a function of conversion in batch emulsion copolymerizations without using any adjustable parameters. In this article the sensitivity of model predictions of composition drift toward deviations of 10% in all model parameters (maximum swellabilities of monomer in the polymer phase, water solubilities, reactivity ratios, and monomer and polymer densities) was estimated using the monomer combination methyl methacrylate-styrene as an example. From the sensitivity analysis it can be concluded that the reactivity ratios are the most important parameters affecting composition drift. The effects of deviations in maximum swellabilities and monomer and polymer densities on composition drift can be neglected, while the water solubility is important only in those cases where the amount of monomer in the aqueous phase cannot be neglected as compared with the total monomer amount. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.