Dimethyl(2-oxo-2-ferrocenylethyl)sulfonium iodide—a useful synthetic equivalent of ferrocenoylcarbene in the synthesis of ferrocene-containing cyclopropanes

The reaction of 1-ferrocenyl-3-thiabutan-1-one with methyl iodide in acetonitrile at room temperature gave dimethyl(2-oxo-2-ferrocenylethyl)sulfonium iodide, which was characterized by spectral data (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR) and X-ray crystallographic analysis. This salt reacted with a base (sodium hydride) in acetonitrile yielding a stabilized ylide—dimethylsulfonium ferrocenoylmethylide, which was in turn, submitted to reactions with seven conjugated enones. The obtained results showed that this methodology is potentially a new and useful approach to ferrocene-containing cyclopropanes.     

Acentric 2-D ensembles of D-br-A electron-transfer chromophores via vectorial orientation within amphiphilic n-helix bundle peptides for photovoltaic device applications

We show that simply designed amphiphilic 4-helix bundle peptides can be utilized to vectorially orient a linearly extended donor-bridge-acceptor (D-br-A) electron transfer (ET) chromophore within its core. The bundle's interior is shown to provide a unique solvation environment for the D-br-A assembly not accessible in conventional solvents and thereby control the magnitudes of both light-induced ET and thermal charge recombination rate constants. The amphiphilicity of the bundle's exterior was employed to vectorially orient the peptide-chromophore complex at a liquid-gas interface, and its ends were tailored for subsequent covalent attachment to an inorganic surface, via a "directed assembly" approach. Structural data, combined with evaluation of the excited state dynamics exhibited by these peptide-chromophore complexes, demonstrate that densely packed, acentrically ordered 2-D monolayer ensembles of such complexes at high in-plane chromophore densities approaching 1/200 ?(2) offer unique potential as active layers in binary heterojunction photovoltaic devices.     

1′-Acetylferrocene amino acid esters and amides. A simple model for parallel β-helical peptides

In this study we present a synthesis and conformational analysis of 1′-acetylferrocene amino acid derivatives of type Ac–Fn–CO–AA–Y (Fn=ferrocene-1,1-diyl; AA=Gly, Ala or Val; Y=OMe or NHMe) as a simple model for parallel β-helical peptides. Derivatives with only one amino acid adopt a reduced number of total conformations and allow a more exact analysis of intramolecular hydrogen bonds (IHB) close to the ferrocene unit. Conformational analysis of these bioconjugates was performed by a combination of spectroscopic techniques (IR, NMR and CD) and corroborated by solution-phase DFT calculations. The investigation of ester conjugates 1–3 indicates the coexistence of non-bonded (an open forms) and hydrogen bonded NH_a group forming a 7-membered ring (γ-turn). The amide derivatives 4–6 with an additional NH_b hydrogen bond donor are mostly constituted of conformers with a 10-membered ring (β-turn) as a single IHB pattern or the β-turn accompanied by a 7-membered ring (γ-turn) containing NH_a group. The exchange of the amino acid side-chain does not significantly affect the conformational properties and IHB pattern of the studied conjugates 1–6.     

Free-radical selective functionalization of 1,4-naphthoquinones by perfluorodiacyl peroxides

Perfluoroalkyl radicals, generated by thermal decomposition of perfluorodiacyl peroxides, react selectively with quinone rings of 1,4-naphthoquinones. In the presence of a non-conjugated alkene such as 1-hexene, perfluoroalkyl radicals add to the double bonds of the olefin forming a radical adduct, which selectively adds to the naphthoquinone ring. Several perfluorodiacyl peroxides have been synthesized and used for the direct and alkene-mediated functionalization of naphthoquinones. Geometrical parameters and electron density topology of all perfluorodiacyl peroxides have been calculated by the density functional formalism and quantum theory of atoms in molecules to attempt a rationalization of the experimental reactivity.     

One-pot synthesis of 2-(dicyanomethylene)-1,2-dihydropyridine derivatives

The synthesis of 2-(dicyanomethylene)-1,2-dihydropyridine derivatives from the reactions of arylmethylidene derivatives of malononitrile dimers with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds is described.     

Unexpected formation of dinaphthoaza-17-crown-5 ether containing γ-aminopiperidine subunit

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Intermolecular interactions between natural humic substances and tricyclic antidepressants

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Solvatochromic Determination of Second-order Polarizabilities of Chromophore-functionalized Dextran and Amylose Derivatives

Linear dextran and helix amylose were covalently bonded with nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores. The influence of the conformation of the polymer matrix on the NLO behavior of the supramolecular structure has been studied. The second order hyperpolarizability depends not only on the secondary structure of the biopolymer, but also on the position of the chromophore towards the polymeric backbone. Functionalization of NLO-phores with biopolymers led to increased thermo- and photostability.     

Avoiding problems with hydrogen misplacement in reporting crystal structures

Intermolecular hydrogen bonding is an integral part of many crystal structures. Hydrogen bonding sometimes results in one‐, two‐ or three‐dimensional supramolecular assemblies, a common feature of which is positional disorder of H atoms related to space‐group symmetry. Yet some reported structures fail to include all possible donor–acceptor close contacts, or to seek H‐atom electron densities associated with apparent D—H...A trios, while some H‐atom positions violate principles of chemistry or crystal physics. Modern diffraction equipment and sophisticated computing systems provide high‐quality data; thus, failure to characterize and report fully an accurate, complete and physically correct hydrogen‐bonding model should not be acceptable. We illustrate the relevant issues with three published examples in the hope of slowing the proliferation of these problems, with the scientifically desirable goal of improving the accuracy of crystallographic models while also providing improved search keys for information retrieval.