Zwitterionic and mesoionic liquids: Molecular aggregation in 3-methylsydnone

Science China Chemistry - Ionic liquids are green solvents with interesting properties: displaying low melting points and high boiling points. They offer a new approach applicable in many...     

Recyclable process for sustainable adipic acid production in microemulsions

Adipic acid is an important industrial intermediate for the manufacture of nylon-6,6. We propose a recyclable and environmentally friendly process for the oxidation of cyclohexene by hydrogen peroxide in microemulsions. These organized nano-structured media have been formulated in using the molecular economy principle. The main interests of the present work are the easy recovery of pure adipic acid and the reuse of the reaction media, what are promising for developing a future green industrial process.     

Acyclic ene-carbamate. A useful tool for an original synthesis of phosphine-containing α-amino acids bearing a quaternary carbon

A novel and efficient approach for the synthesis of phosphine-containing α-amino acids bearing quaternary carbon is described. The key step involves the original nucleophilic addition of lithiated phosphines onto acyclic ene-carbamates concomitant with a spontaneous internal (N→C) alkyloxycarbonyl migration.     

Lead and mercury sensing by calixarene-based fluoroionophores bearing two or four dansyl fluorophores

A detailed study on the photophysical and complexing properties of calixarenes bearing two and four dansyl derivatives (Calix-DANS2 and Calix-DANS4) in a CH3CN/H2O mixture (60:40 v/v) is reported. Calix-DANS2 shows a high selectivity towards Hg2+ over interfering cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+) and a sensitivity in the 10(-7) mol L(-1) concentration range. The complexation of mercury ion induces a strong fluorescence quenching due to a well-defined electron transfer process from the fluorophore to the metal center. Calix-DANS4 exhibits an extremely high affinity for Pb2+ with a high selectivity over various competing ions. The unprecedented detection limit (4 microg L(-1)) is fully compatible with the level defined by the World Health Organisation. The affinity of Calix-DANS4 for Pb2+ can be rationalized by the activation of the inert pair of electrons on Pb2+. The number of fluorophores involved in the complexation can be determined from a careful time-resolved fluorescence characterization.     

Crystal Structures of the Europium and Yttrium Hydroxychromates Eu(OH)(CrO4) and Y(OH)(CrO4); Structural Evolution as a Function of the Ln3+ Ionic Radius

The compounds Eu(OH)(CrO₄) and Y(OH)(CrO₄) were obtained under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. They are isostructural and crystallize in the monoclinic system, space group P2₁/n (no. 14) with lattice parameters a = 8.278(1) Å, b = 11.400(2) Å, c = 8.393(1) Å, β = 93.76(2)°, V = 790.3(2) Å³, Z = 4, d = 4.79 g · cm^–3 for Eu(OH)(CrO₄) and a = 8.151(1) Å, b = 11.362(2) Å, c = 8.285(1) Å, β = 94.23(1)°, V = 765.2(2) Å³, Z = 4, d = 3.85 g · cm^–3 for Y(OH)(CrO₄). The [EuO₈] polyhedra form infinite double chains along the a direction, which are connected by common edges and corners. These double chains are related together in the two other directions by the [CrO₄]^2– tetrahedra to form a three‐dimensional network in which channels appear parallel to the [100] direction. We examine the structural evolution, as a function of the Ln³⁺ ionic radius, in the series Ln(OH)(CrO₄) compounds (with Ln = Nd, Eu, Gd, Tb, Er, Yb) and Y(OH)(CrO₄). To determine the best coordination number of each lanthanide and yttrium ions, different calculations of bond valence sum were realized.     

Hydrogen-bonded monolayers and interdigitated multilayers at the air-water interface

Crystalline monolayers of octadecylsulfonate amphiphiles (C18S) separated by hydrophilic guanidinium (G) spacer molecules were formed at the air-water interface at a surface coverage that was consistent with that expected for a fully condensed monolayer self-assembled by hydrogen bonding between the G ions and the sulfonate groups. The surface pressure-area isotherms reflected reinforcement of this monolayer by hydrogen bonding between the G ions and the sulfonate groups, and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) measurements, performed in-situ at the air-water interface, revealed substantial tilt of the alkyl hydrophobes (t = 49 degrees with respect to the surface normal), which allowed the close packing of the C18 chains needed for a stable crystalline monolayer. This property contrasts with behavior observed previously for monolayers of hexadecylbiphenylsulfonate (C16BPS) and G, which only formed crystallites upon compression, accompanied by ejection of the G ions from the air-water interface. Upon compression to higher surface pressures, GIXD revealed that the highly tilted (G)C18S monolayer crystallites transformed to a self-interdigitated (G)C18S crystalline multilayer accompanied by a new crystalline monolayer phase with slightly tilted alkyl chains and disordered sulfonate headgroups. This transformation was dependent on the rate of compression, suggesting kinetic limitations for the "zipper-like" transformation from the crystalline monolayer to the self-interdigitated (G)C18S crystalline multilayer.     

Anionic polyelectrolyte adsorption on mica mediated by multivalent cations: a solution to DNA imaging by atomic force microscopy under high ionic strengths

Adsorption of DNA molecules on mica, a highly negatively charged surface, mediated by divalent or trivalent cations is considered. By analyzing atomic force microscope (AFM) images of DNA molecules adsorbed on mica, phase diagrams of DNA molecules interacting with a mica surface are established in terms of concentrations of monovalent salt (NaCl) and divalent (MgCl2) or multivalent (spermidine, cobalt hexamine) salts. These diagrams show two transitions between nonadsorption and adsorption. The first one arises when the concentration of multivalent counterions is larger than a limit value, which is not sensitive to the monovalent salt concentration. The second transition is due to the binding competition between monovalent and multivalent counterions. In addition, we develop a model of polyelectrolyte adsorption on like-charged surfaces with multivalent counterions. This model shows that the correlations of the multivalent counterions at the interface between DNA and mica play a critical role. Furthermore, it appears that DNA adsorption takes place when the energy gain in counterion correlations overcomes an energy barrier. This barrier is induced by the entropy loss in confining DNA in a thin adsorbed layer, the entropy loss in the interpenetration of the clouds of mica and DNA counterions, and the electrostatic repulsion between DNA and mica. The analysis of the experimental results provides an estimation of this energy barrier. We then discuss some important issues, including DNA adsorption under physiological conditions.     

The microwave spectrum of a two-top peptide mimetic: the N-acetyl alanine methyl ester molecule

The rotational spectrum of N-acetyl alanine methyl ester, a derivative of the biomimetic, N-acetyl alanine N'-methyl amide or alanine dipeptide, has been measured using a mini Fourier transform spectrometer between 9 and 25 GHz as part of a project undertaken to determine the conformational structures of various peptide mimetics from the torsion-rotation parameters of low-barrier methyl tops. Torsion-rotation splittings from two of the three methyl tops capping the acetyl end of the -NH-C(=O)- and the methoxy end of -C(=O)-O- groups account for most of the observed lines. In addition to the AA state, two E states have been assigned and include an AE state having a torsional barrier of 396.45(7) cm(-1) (methoxy rotor) and an EA state having a barrier of 64.96(4) cm(-1) (acetyl rotor). The observed torsional barriers and rotational constants of alanine dipeptide and its methyl ester are compared with predictions from M?ller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory (MP2) and density functional theory (DFT) in an effort to explore systematic errors at the two levels of theory. After accounting for zero-point energy differences, the torsional barriers at the MP2/cc-pVTZ level are in excellent agreement with experiment for the acetyl and methoxy groups while DFT predictions range from 8% to 80% too high or low. DFT is found to consistently overestimate the overall molecular size while MP2 methods give structures that are undersized. Structural discrepancies of similar magnitude are evident in previous DFT results of crystalline peptides.     

Building up Strain in One Step: Synthesis of an Edge-Fused Double Silacyclobutene from an Extensively Trichlorosilylated Butadiene Dianion

The exhaustive trichlorosilylation of hexachloro-1,3-butadiene was achieved in one step by using a mixture of Si₂Cl₆ and [nBu₄N]Cl (7:2 equiv) as the silylation reagent. The corresponding butadiene dianion salt [nBu₄N]₂[ 1 ] was isolated in 36 % yield after recrystallization. The negative charges of [ 1 ]²⁻ are mainly delocalized across its two carbanionic (Cl₃Si)₂C termini (α-effect of silicon) such that the central bond possesses largely C=C double-bond character. Upon treatment with 4 equiv of HCl, [ 1 ]²⁻ is converted into neutral 1,2,3,4-tetrakis(trichlorosilyl)but-2-ene, 3 . The Cl⁻ acceptor AlCl₃, induces a twofold ring-closure reaction of [ 1 ]²⁻ to form a six-membered bicycle 4 in which two silacyclobutene rings are fused along a shared C=C double bond (84 %). Compound 4 , which was structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography, undergoes partial ring opening to a monocyclic silacyclobutene 2 in the presence of HCl, but is thermally stable up to at least 180 °C.