Chemistry of Pentafluorosulfanyl Derivatives and Related Analogs: From Synthesis to Applications

Pentafluorosulfanyl (SF₅)-containing compounds and corresponding analogs are a highly valuable class of fluorine-containing building blocks owing to their unique properties. The reason for that is the set of peculiar and tremendously beneficial characteristics they can impart on molecules once introduced onto them. Despite this, their application in distinct scientific fields remains modest, given the extremely harsh reaction conditions needed to access such compounds. The recent synthetic approaches via S−F, and C−SF₅ bond formation as well as the use of SF₅-containing building blocks embody a “stairway-to-heaven” loophole in the synthesis of otherwise-inaccessible chemical scaffolds only a few years ago. Herein, we report and evaluate the properties of the SF₅ group and analogs, by summarizing synthetic methodologies available to access them as well as following applications in material science and medicinal chemistry since 2015.     

Crystallographic characterization of three cathinone hydrochlorides new on the NPS market: 1-(4-methylphenyl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)hexan-1-one (4-MPHP), 4-methyl-1-phenyl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentan-1-one (α-PiHP) and 2-(methylamino)-1-(4-methylphenyl)pentan-1-one (4-MPD)

Cathinones belong to a group of compounds of great interest in the new psychoactive substances (NPS) market. Constant changes to the chemical structure made by the producers of these compounds require a quick reaction from analytical laboratories in ascertaining their characteristics. In this article, three cathinone derivatives were characterized by X-ray crystallography. The investigated compounds were confirmed as: 1-[1-(4-methylphenyl)-1-oxohexan-2-yl]pyrrolidin-1-ium chloride ( 1 , C₁₇H₂₆NO⁺·Cl^?, the hydrochloride of 4-MPHP), 1-(4-methyl-1-oxo-1-phenylpentan-2-yl)pyrrolidin-1-ium chloride ( 2 ; C₁₆H₂₄NO⁺·Cl^?, the hydrochloride of α-PiHP) and methyl[1-(4-methylphenyl)-1-oxopentan-2-yl]azanium chloride ( 3 ; C₁₃H₂₀NO⁺·Cl^?, the hydrochloride of 4-MPD). All the salts crystallize in a monoclinic space group: 1 and 2 in P2₁/c, and 3 in P2₁/n. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first detailed and comprehensive crystallographic data on salts 1 – 3 .     

The Roles of Composition and Mesostructure of Cobalt-Based Spinel Catalysts in Oxygen Evolution Reactions

By using the crystalline precursor decomposition approach and direct co-precipitation the composition and mesostructure of cobalt-based spinels can be controlled. A systematic substitution of cobalt with redox-active iron and redox-inactive magnesium and aluminum in a cobalt spinel with anisotropic particle morphology with a preferred 111 surface termination is presented, resulting in a substitution series including Co₃O₄, MgCo₂O₄, Co₂FeO₄, Co₂AlO₄ and CoFe₂O₄. The role of redox pairs in the spinels is investigated in chemical water oxidation by using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN test), electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and H₂O₂ decomposition. Studying the effect of dominant surface termination, isotropic Co₃O₄ and CoFe₂O₄ catalysts with more or less spherical particles are compared to their anisotropic analogues. For CAN-test and OER, Co³⁺ plays the major role for high activity. In H₂O₂ decomposition, Co²⁺ reveals itself to be of major importance. Redox active cations in the structure enhance the catalytic activity in all reactions. A benefit of a predominant 111 surface termination depends on the cobalt oxidation state in the as-prepared catalysts and the investigated reaction.     

Structural Comparison of Oligoribonucleotides and Their 2′-Deoxy-2′-fluoro Analogs by heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy

1-(2′-Deoxy-2′-fluororibofuranosyl)pyrimidines were synthesized and incorporated into an RNA oligonucleotide to give 5′-r[C_fGC_f(U_fU_fC_fG)GC_fG]-3′ (C_f: short form of C = 2′-deoxy-2′-fluorocytidine; U_f: short form of U = 2′-deoxy-2′-fluorouridine). The oligomer was investigated by means of UV, CD, and NMR spectroscopy to address the question of how F-labels can substitute ¹³C-labels in the ribose ring. Through-space (NOE) and through-bond (scalar couplings) experiments were performed that make use of the ameliorated chemical-shift dispersion induced by ¹⁹F as an alternative heteronucleus. A comparison of the structures of fluorinated vs. unmodified oligomer is given. It turns out that the fluorinated oligonucleotide exists in a 14:3 equilibrium between a hairpin and a duplex conformation, in contrast to the unmodified oligonucleotide which predominantly adopts the hairpin conformation. Furthermore, the fluorinated hairpin structure adopts two distinct conformations that differ in the sugar conformation of the U and C nucleoside units, as detected by the ¹⁹F-NMR chemical shifts. The role of the 2′-OH group as stabilizing element in RNA secondary structure is discussed.     

Polyol-Metall-Komplexe. 25. rac-Mannose,rac-Arabit und L-Threit als deprotonierte Liganden in Ferraten(III)

Polyol Metal Complexes. 25. rac-Mannose, rac-Arabitol and L -Threitol as Deprotonated Ligands in Ferrates(III ) Ba₂[Fe₂(β-rac-ManfH_?5)₂] · 12H₂O ( 1 ), Sr₄[Fe₄(rac-Arab1,2,3,5H_?4)₄(OH)₂]CO₃ · 33 H₂O ( 2 ), and Ba₂[Fe₂(L-ThreH_?4)₂(OH)₂] · 12.5 H₂O ( 3 ) (Man = mannose, Arab = arabitol, Thre = threitol) have been crystallized from alkaline aqueous solution. Crystal structure analysis revealed dinuclear ferrate(III ) ions for 1 and 3 , the former being a C_i-symmetrical homoleptic ferric complex with pentadentate pentaanions derived from racemic β-mannofuranose. In 3 , besides tetradentate L -threitolato ligands, there is one terminal hydroxo ligand at each ferric center. Hydroxo ligands are also present in the C_i-symmetrical hexaanions of 2 , which are tetranuclear planar entities built up from four edge-sharing FeO₆ octahedra. However arabitol is a pentitol, the tetraanionic ligands are only tetradentate for steric reasons.     

Synthesis of a giant 222 carbon graphite sheet

In this paper we present the synthesis and characterization of the so far largest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), containing 222 carbon atoms or 37 separate benzene units. First a suitable three-dimensional oligophenylene precursor molecule is built up by a sequence of Diels-Alder and cyclotrimerization reactions and then planarized in the final step by oxidative cyclodehydrogenation to the corresponding hexagonal PAH. Structural proof is based on isotopically resolved MALDI-TOF mass spectra and electronic characteristics are studied by UV/Vis spectroscopy.     

BSSE-correction scheme for consistent gaussian basis sets of double- and triple-zeta valence with polarization quality for solid-state calculations

Revised versions of our published pob-TZVP [Peintinger, M. F.; Oliveira, D. V. and Bredow, T., J. Comput. Chem., 2013, 34 (6), 451–459.] and unpublished pob-DZVP basis sets, denoted as pob-TZVP-rev2 and pob-DZVP-rev2, have been derived for the elements H Br. It was observed that the pob basis sets suffer from the basis set superposition error (BSSE). In order to reduce this effect, we took into account the counterpoise energy of hydride dimers as an additional parameter in the basis set optimization. The overall performance, portability, and SCF stability of the resulting rev2 basis sets are significantly improved compared to the original pob basis sets. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Molecular “Multi‐rod Cable” {[Co(NC5H4–CH=CH–C6H4–CH=CH–C5H4N)(HCOO)2]8}n: A Novel Supramolecular Architecture by Cooperation of Coordination and Stacking Interactions

The cobalt‐formate coordination polymers {[Co(bpyph)(HCOO)₂]₈}_n ( 1 ) (bpyph = 1,4‐bis(2‐(4‐pyridyl)ethenyl)benzene) and {[Co(HCONH₂)₂(HCOO)₂]}_n ( 2 ) have been prepared by interaction of Co(NO₃)₂ · 6 H₂O in formamide solution with generation of formate anion by hydrolysis of the solvent. Coordination polymer 1 reveals an unprecedented example of “molecular multi‐rod cable” architecture, in which eight single “molecular wires” {[Co(bpyph)]}_n are interlinked by bridging formate anions to give infinite octameric chains. The formate groups adopt mono‐, and bi‐ and tridentate bridging and chelate modes of coordination (Co–O 1.966–2.134 Å). The coordination geometry around the cobalt atoms is essentially dominated by the demands for most effective packing of parallel situated polycyclic aromatic ligands, with extensive CH…π, or edge‐to‐face stacking interactions within the single octameric chain as well as between the closest neighbours (C…C separations within this stack are ca. 3.50 Å).