The Role of Methoxy Group in the Nazarov Cyclization of 1,5-bis-(2-Methoxyphenyl)-1,4-Pentadien-3-one in the Gas Phase and Condensed Phase

ESI-protonated 1,5-bis-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1,4-pentadien-3-one (1) undergoes a gas-phase Nazarov cyclization and dissociates via expulsions of ketene and anisole. The dissociations of the [M + D]⁺ ions are accompanied by limited HD scrambling that supports the proposed cyclization. Solution cyclization of 1 was effected to yield the cyclic ketone, 2,3-bis-(2-methoxyphenyl)-cyclopent-2-ene-1-one, (2) on a time scale that is significantly shorter than the time for cyclization of dibenzalacetone. The dissociation characteristics of the ESI-generated [M + H]⁺ ion of the synthetic cyclic ketone closely resemble those of 1, suggesting that gas-phase and solution cyclization products are the same. Additional mechanistic studies by density functional theory (DFT) methods of the gas-phase reaction reveals that the initial cyclization is followed by two sequential 1,2-aryl migrations that account for the observed structure of the cyclic product in the gas phase and solution. Furthermore, the DFT calculations show that the methoxy group serves as a catalyst for the proton migrations necessary for both cyclization and fragmentation after aryl migration. An isomer formed by moving the 2-methoxy to the 4-position requires relatively higher collision energy for the elimination of anisole, as is consistent with DFT calculations. Replacement of the 2-methoxy group with an OH shows that the cyclization followed by aryl migration and elimination of phenol occurs from the [M + H]⁺ ion at low energy similar to that for 1.

Synthese und strukturelle Studien von Aluminiumdialkylaminen und ‐amiden: N‐Chiralität von (CH3)3AlNHRR′ und cis‐trans‐Isomerie an X2AlNRR′ (X = CH3, Cl,H)

Synthesis and Structural Studies of Aluminum Dialkylamines and Dialkylamides: N‐Chirality of (CH₃)₃AlNHRR′ and cis‐trans ‐Isomerism at X₂AlNRR′ (X = CH₃, Cl, H) Aluminum dialkylamines and dialkylamides were prepared from Al(CH₃)₃ and NH(CH₃)R′ (R′: –C₂H₅, –^tC₄H₉) and characterized by elemental analyses, ¹H‐, ¹³C‐, and ²⁷Al‐NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structures of [(CH₃)₂AlN(CH₃)(–^tC₄H₉)]₂ ( IV ), [Cl₂AlN(CH₃)(C₂H₅)]₂ ( V ), and [H₂AlN(CH₃)(C₂H₅)]_∞ ( VI‐trans and VI‐cis ) are discussed.     

o-Hydroxyarylphosphines and diphosphines: metallation-rearrangement versus P---O reduction of o-halogenoaryloxyphosphines by sodium

o-Bromo- and o-chloroaryloxyphosphines 1 may react with sodium in two competing ways: (i) metal halogen exchange followed by rapid intramolecular 1,3-rearrangement to give sodium o-hydroxylato-arylphosphines 2, later converted to their OSiMe₃ derivatives 3, and (ii) reductive cleavage of the P---O bond to give diphosphines 4 or phosphides. The o-metallation is preferred with the more reactive bromides and bulky phosphino substituents or screened P---O bonds by substituents at 6-position. The reduction is favoured in the case of the less reactive aryl chlorides, small alkyl and flat phenyl substituents at phosphorus. Mixtures of meso- and rac-diphosphines are formed from asymmetric derivatives ArOPRR′. The meso-isomer of 1,2-di(tert-butyl)-1,2-diphenyldiphosphine is preferred.     

Aluminiumorganyle mit pentakoordiniertem Aluminium-Atom: Synthese und Molekülstrukturen von [AlX2{2,6-(NEt2CH2)2C6H3}] (X = Cl,Et, H)

Aluminium Organyls with Pentacoordinate Aluminium: Syntheses and Molecular Structures of [AlX₂{2,6-(NEt₂CH₂)₂C₆H₃}] (X = Cl, Et, H) The reaction of [Li{2,6-(NEt₂CH₂)₂C₆H₃}]₂ with AlCl₃ or Et₂AlCl gives [AlX₂{2,6-(NEt₂CH₂)₂C₆H₃}] [X = Cl ( 1 ), Et ( 2 )] in good yield. 1 reacts with NaH in toluene to give [AlH₂{2,6-(NEt₂CH₂)₂C₆H₃}] ( 3 ). 1–3 were characterised spectroscopically (¹H, ¹³C, ²⁷Al n.m.r., i.r., mass spectroscopy). In solution at room temperature 1–3 exhibit dynamic behaviour. For 1 and 3 this can be frozen out below 278 K (¹H n.m.r.), indicating the presence of monomeric molecules with pentacoordinate Al at low temperature. Such species are also observed in the solid state as shown by an X-ray structure determination on 1 (monoclinic space group P2₁/n, a = 9.7325(14), b = 13.552(5), c = 28.858(7) Å, β = 99.57(2)°, V = 3753(2) ų, Z = 8, at 223(2) K) and 2 (monoclinic space group C2/c, a = 15.0045(12), b = 9.2986(8), c = 14.9955(12) Å, β =99.512(1)°, Z = 4, at 223(2) K).     

Orientational phenomena in comb-shaped liquid crystal polymers induced by laser beam irradiation

Action of the laser illumination on optical properties of liquid crystalline (LC) comb-shaped acrylic and methacrylic copolymers containing cyanobiphenyl mesogenic groups and azo dye fragments has been studied. Under an illumination the cis-trans configurational changes of dye fragments take place and reorientation of the side groups towards a direction perpendicular to the electric vector of the actinic light occurs. As a result the photoinduced optical birefringence (δn = 0.05-0.11) appears. The detailed study of dichrotic and optical properties of polymeric films, kinetics and relaxation of δn, as well as mechanism of orientational transformations during a laser illumination are discussed. The induced optical anisotropy of the films can be changed reversibly by rotating the electric vector of the laser beam in respect to the film that may be used in reversible optical data storage.     

Fragmentation mechanisms of oxofatty acids via high-energy collisional activation

Upon high-energy collisional activation, oxofatty-acid ions undergo fragmentations to produce a unique pattern of product ions by which the position of the ketone is revealed. The reactions occurring in the vicinity of the ketone, which are the subject of this article, produce a spectral pattern that is not symmetrical. Although cleavages of α, β, and γ C-C bonds occur on the side proximal to the charge site, giving α, β, and γ ions, respectively, there is only a γ′ ion formed on the side distal to the charge site. The resulting lack of symmetry seemingly contradicts the concept that the reactions are independent of the charge (i.e., that they are charge remote). To eliminate any interaction between the charge and the reaction site, oxofatty acids were linked to glycyrrhetic acid, a steroid with a rigid polycyclic system. The fragmentation pattern remains the same, indicating that the effect does not depend on charge but rather on the ketone. Isotopic labeling and MS/MS/MS studies confirm that the fragmentations of C-C bonds in the vicinity of the ketone are complex, charge-remote processes. Formation of [M-H-H₂O]^? and [M-H-CO₂]^? anions and the ion that is formed by homolytic cleavage of the β bond at the side distal to the charge, however, are charge directed.     

Determination of calcium binding sites in gas-phase small peptides by tandem mass spectrometry

Low-energy (LE) and high-energy (HE) collisionally activated decompositions (CAD) of calcium/peptide complexes of the form [M-H+Ca]⁺ and [M+Ca]²⁺ reflect the site of calcium binding in various gas-phase peptides that are models of the calcium binding site III of rabbit skeletal troponin C. The Ca²⁺ binding sites involve an aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and asparagine, which are in the metal-binding loops of calcium-binding proteins. Both fast atom bombardment (FAB) and electrospray ionization (ESI) were used to generate the metal/peptide complexes. When submitted to LE CAD, ESI-produced Ca²⁺/peptide complexes undergo fragmentations that are controlled by Ca²⁺ binding and provide information on the Ca²⁺ binding site. The LE CAD spectra are simple, indicating that Ca²⁺ binding involves specific oxygen ligands including acidic side chains and that only a few low-energy fragmentation channels exist. The HE CAD spectra of FAB-produced Ca²⁺/peptide complexes are more complex, owing to the introduction of high internal energy into the precursor ion. Interactions of the other alkaline-earth metal ions Mg²⁺ and Ba²⁺ with these peptides reveal that the ligand preferences of these metal ions are slightly different than those of Ca²⁺.     

Structural Efficiency and Microstructural Modeling of Wet Gels and Aerogels

We present a microstructural model of aerogels that includes the effect of particle necks, tortuosity and dangling ends on the scaling of elastic moduli with density. Relative neck radii can be determined for sintering series of silica aerogels and for Resorcinol Formaldehyde (RF) aerogels produced with different catalyst concentrations. The density of elastically ineffective dangling ends and the tortuosity can be estimated using information from thermal conductivity and elastic modulus measurements in silica aerogels. Typical values for the load bearing mass range from >50% for high density and heat treated aerogels to <10% of the total mass for low density wet-gels.     

Do charge-remote fragmentations occur under matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization post-source decompositions and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization collisionally activated decompositions?

The precursor ions of tetraphenylporphyrins that are substituted with fatty acids can be introduced into the gas phase by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and undergo post-source and collisionally activated decompositions (CAD) in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The goal of the research is to obtain a better understanding of post-source decompositions (PSD); specifically, we asked the question of whether ions undergoing PSD have sufficient energy to give charge-remote fragmentations along an alkyl chain. We chose the porphyrin macrocycle because we expected it to act as an inert "support," allowing the molecule to be desorbed by MALDI and to be amenable to charge-remote fragmentation. MALDI-PSD and MALDI-CAD spectra are similar to high-energy CAD spectra and considerably more informative than low-energy CAD spectra, showing that charge-remote fragmentations of the fatty acid moieties do occur upon MALDI-PSD and MALDI-CAD.