Catalytic Chemoselective Sulfimidation with an Electrophilic [CoIII(TAML)]−-Nitrene Radical Complex**

The cobalt species PPh₄[Co^III(TAML^red)] is a competent and stable catalyst for the sulfimidation of (aryl)(alkyl)-substituted sulfides with iminoiodinanes, reaching turnover numbers up to 900 and turnover frequencies of 640 min⁻¹ under mild and aerobic conditions. The sulfimidation proceeds in a highly chemoselective manner, even in the presence of alkenes or weak C−H bonds, as supported by inter- and intramolecular competition experiments. Functionalization of the sulfide substituent with various electron-donating and electron-withdrawing arenes and several alkyl, benzyl and vinyl fragments is tolerated, with up to quantitative product yields. Sulfimidation of phenyl allyl sulfide led to [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of the initially formed sulfimide species to afford the corresponding N-allyl-S-phenyl-thiohydroxylamines as attractive products. Mechanistic studies suggest that the actual nitrene transfer to the sulfide proceeds via (previously characterized) electrophilic nitrene radical intermediates that afford the sulfimide products via electronically asynchronous transition states, in which SET from the sulfide to the nitrene radical complex precedes N−S bond formation in a single concerted process.     

Aqueous Amino Silane Modification of E-glass Surfaces

The majority of work available in the literature examines the effect of epoxy silane, gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxy silane, and methacrylate silane on E-glass surfaces. As alternatives to the most commonly used silanes, we investigated two novel silanes: gamma-ureidopropyltriethoxy silane and Nbeta(aminoethyl) gamma-aminotrimethoxy silane and additionally an amino-functional polysiloxane. The ureido silane-treated E-glass fibers demonstrated a zeta potential similar to that of the untreated E-glass fibers, which was independent of deposition solution pH over the pH range investigated. A moderately hydrophobic E-glass surface, which was silane concentration dependent, was noted as being due to condensed Si-O-Si bonds at the surface. The diamino silane demonstrated an extremely basic surface at the higher silane concentrations investigated. These outer surface layers were modified by changing the pH and the concentration of the deposition solution. The polysiloxane produced an increase in the hydrophobicity of the E-glass fiber, especially when deposited from extremely basic solutions. At the higher solution concentrations investigated, the silanes and the siloxane was initially deposited in patches and an outer surface or "skin" was formed over these patches, giving the appearance of fully coated fibers. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Influence of Additives on Capillary Absorption of Aqueous Solutions into Asymmetric Porous Ceramic Substrate

The effect of divalent and trivalent salts (CaCl(2), CaBr(2), MgCl(2), MgBr(2), LaCl(3), CeCl(3), La(NO(3))(3), and Ce(NO(3))(3)) on the micelle formation in C(8)-lecithin solutions was investigated using the techniques of static and dynamic light scattering. The critical micelle concentration (cmc), mean hydrodynamic radius (R(h)), gyration radius (R(g)), and weight-average molecular weight of the micelles were measured as functions of salt identity and concentration, amphiphile concentration, and temperature. It was found that the micelles in solutions of magnesium are less likely to form and less stable; their standard enthalpy is less exothermic as the ionic strength increases. On the contrary, the micelles in solutions of calcium and trivalent salts form easily, and are more stable; their standard enthalpy is also more exothermic as the ionic strength increases. Based on our model of the Gibb's free energy for the salt-added solutions, we obtained the following formula for the effect of salts on cmc: ln(cmc)'=ln(cmc)+k(1) I(1/2)+k(2)I, where (cmc)' and (cmc) are the critical micelle concentrations in salt-added and salt-free solutions, respectively, I is the ionic strength, and k(1) and k(2) are the salt effect parameters. The agreement between the formula and the experimental data for all the systems under study shows that the formula is more satisfactory than those suggested previously by other authors in describing the effect of salts on the cmc in the micellar solutions of not only zwitterionic but also nonionic surfactants. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

T-shaped cationic CuI complexes with hemilabile PNP-type ligands

The versatile coordination behavior of the PNP ligands 1A (2,6-bis[(di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl]pyridine) and 1B (2,6-bis[(diphenylphosphino)methyl]pyridine) to CuI is described, whereby a hemilabile interaction of the pyridine N-donor atom to the copper center resulted in a rare T-shaped complex with 1A, while with 1B also a tetracoordinated species could be isolated. Theoretical calculations support the weak interaction of the pyridine N donor in 1A with the Cu center.     

Fluid self-diffusion in Scots pine sapwood tracheid cells

The self-diffusion coefficients of water and toluene in Scots pine sapwood was measured using low field pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR). Wood chips of 8 mm diameter were saturated with the respective liquids, and liquid self-diffusion was then traced in one dimension orthogonal to the tracheid cell walls in the wood's radial direction. The experimental echo attenuation curves were exponential, and characteristic self-diffusion coefficients were produced for diffusion times spanning from very short times to times on the order of magnitude of seconds. Observed self-diffusion coefficients were decaying asymptotically as a function of diffusion time, an effect which was ascribed to the cell walls' restriction on confined liquid diffusion. The observed self-diffusion behavior in Scots pine sapwood was compared to self-diffusion coefficients obtained from simulations of diffusion in a square. Principles of molecular displacements in confined geometries were used for elucidating the wood's cellular structure from the observed diffusion coefficients. The results were compared with a mathematical model for diffusion between parallel planes.     

Diferrous cyanides as models for the Fe-only hydrogenases

The first systematic study of diferrous dicyano dithiolates is described. Oxidation of [Fe2(S2C2H4)(CN)2(CO)4](2-) in the presence of cyanide and tertiary phosphines and of Fe2(S2C2H4)(CO)4(PMe3)2 in the presence of cyanide affords a series of diferrous cyanide derivatives that bear a stoichiometric, structural, and electronic relationship to the H(ox)(air) state of the Fe-only hydrogenases. With PPh3 as the trapping ligand, we obtained an unsymmetrical isomer of Fe2(S2C2H4)(mu-CO)(CN)2(PPh3)2(CO)2, as confirmed crystallographically. This diferrous cyanide features the semibridging CO-ligand, with Fe-muC bond lengths of 2.15 and 1.85 A. Four isomers of Fe2(S2C2H4)(mu-CO)(CN)2(PMe3)2(CO)2 were observed, the initial product again being unsymmetrical but more stable isomers being symmetrical. DFT calculations confirm that the most stable isomers of Fe2(S2C2H4)(mu-CO)(CN)2(PMe3)2(CO)2 have cyanide trans to mu-CO. Oxidative decarbonylation also afforded the new tetracyanide [Fe2(S2C2H4)(mu-CO)(CN)4(CO)2]2-. Insights into the oxidative decarbonylation mechanism of these syntheses come from the spectroscopic characterization of the tetracarbonyl [Fe2(S2C2H4)(mu-CO)(CN)3(CO)3](-). This species reacts with PEt3 to produce the stable adduct [Fe2(S2C2H4)(mu-CO)(CN)3(CO)2(PEt3)](-).     

Multiinstrument study of the electrophoretic mobility of quartz

The electrophoretic mobility of quartz in 0.01 mol dm(-3) NaCl and NaNO3 over the pH range 2-8 was studied using five different commercial instruments. The mobilities over the pH range 4-8 were relatively consistent, but the mobilities over the pH range 2-4 and the position of the isoelectric point IEP varied from one instrument to another. This result suggests that the discrepancies in the apparent IEP of quartz (and other silicas) reported in the literature are due to the instrument artifacts.