Facile reduction of a uranyl(VI) β-ketoiminate complex to U(IV) upon oxo silylation

Reaction of the uranyl β-ketoiminate complex UO(2)((tBu)acnac)(2) (1) ((tBu)acnac = (t)BuNC(Ph)CHC(Ph)O) with Me(3)SiI, in the presence of Ph(3)P, results in the reductive silylation of the uranyl moiety and formation of the U(V) bis-silyloxide complex [Ph(3)PI][U(OSiMe(3))(2)I(4)] (2). Subsequent reaction of 2 with Lewis bases, such as 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), and tetrahydrofuran (THF), results in a further reduction of the metal center and isolation of the U(IV) complexes U(OSiMe(3))(2)I(2)(bipy)(2) (3), U(OSiMe(3))(2)I(2)(phen)(2) (4), and [U(OSiMe(3))(2)I(THF)(4)][I(3)] (5), respectively.     

Stereochemical diversity in chiral ligand design: discovery and optimization of catalysts for the enantioselective addition of allylic halides to aldehydes

[reaction: see text] We have identified a new set of stereochemically diverse oxazoline ligands derived from simple amino acids that promote the Cr-catalyzed enantioselective addition of allylic halides to aldehydes in up to 95% ee. The Cr-catalyzed allylation using ligand 1d is rather insensitive to the nature of the allylic bromide (crotyl, allyl, and methallyl) in that >90% ee is observed for all three bromides evaluated in the addition to benzaldehyde.     

Structure-property relationships of donor/acceptor-functionalized tetrakis(phenylethynyl)benzenes and bis(dehydrobenzoannuleno)benzenes

A series of tetrakis(phenylethynyl)benzenes and bis(dehydrobenzoannuleno)benzenes have been synthesized containing tetra-substitutions of neutral, donor, and mixed donor/acceptor groups. To ascertain the importance of substitutional and structural differences of the phenylacetylenes, the optical absorption and emission properties of each series were examined. Conjugation effectiveness, electron density, planarity, and geometry of charge-transfer pathways were found to have a pronounced effect on the overall optical and material properties. Considerable self-association behavior due to face-to-face stacking in solution was observed for donor/acceptor-functionalized macrocycles and was quantified by concentration-dependent (1)H NMR measurements. A solvent-dependent polymerization of one macrocycle regioisomer was observed and characterized. To provide further insight into the energy levels and electronic transitions present, computational studies of each system were performed.     

The neutron-neutron scattering length from a complete experiment on the 3H(d, 2n)3He reaction at 8.45 MeV

The spectrum of the time-differences between the two neutrons from the ³H(d, 2n)³He reaction detected by two plastic scintillators situated at 0.2 and 2.0 m from the target was measured at 0°. The spectrum was compared with a Jost-function final-state interaction enhancement factor and yielded a value of 16.2 ± 1.2 fm for a_n?n, the neutron-neutron scattering length.     

Fast Nucleation and Growth of ZIF-8 Nanocrystals Monitored by Time-Resolved In Situ Small-Angle and Wide-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Prenucleation clusters: In?situ synchrotron X-ray scattering with a one-second time resolution revealed the occurrence of nano-sized clusters during the nucleation and early growth of nanocrystals of a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF). The complex crystallization process exhibits similarities with crystallization processes of zeolites from solution. Hmim= 2-methylimidazole.