Formation of organolithium hetero-aggregates [Li4Ar2(nBu)2] (Ar=C6H4CH(Me)NMe2-2) during the directed ortho-lithiation of [1-(dimethylamino)ethyl]benzene

(R)-[1-(Dimethylamino)ethyl]benzene reacts with nBuLi in a 1:1 molar ratio in pentane to quantitatively yield a unique hetero-aggregate (2 a) containing the lithiated arene, unreacted nBuLi, and the complexed parent arene in a 1:1:1 ratio. As a model compound, [Li(4)(C(6)H(4)CH(Me)NMe(2)-2)(2)(nBu)(2)] (2 b) was prepared from the quantitative redistribution reaction of the parent lithiated arene Li(C(6)H(4)CH(Me)NMe(2)-2) with nBuLi in a 1:1 molar ratio. The mono-Et(2)O adduct [Li(4)(C(6)H(4)CH(Me)NMe(2)-2)(2)(nBu)(2)(OEt(2))] (2 c) and the bis-Et(2)O adduct [Li(4)(C(6)H(4)CH(Me)NMe(2)-2)(2)(nBu)(2)(OEt(2))(2)] (2 d) were obtained by re-crystallization of 2 b from pentane/Et(2)O and pure Et(2)O, respectively. The single-crystal X-ray structure determinations of 2 b-d show that the overall structural motifs of all three derivatives are closely related. They are all tetranuclear Li aggregates in which the four Li atoms are arranged in an almost regular tetrahedron. These structures can be described as consisting of two linked dimeric units: one Li(2)Ar(2) dimer and a hypothetical Li(2)nBu(2) dimer. The stereochemical aspects of the chiral Li(2)Ar(2) fragment are discussed. The structures as observed in the solid state are apparently retained in solution as revealed by a combination of cryoscopy and (1)H, (13)C, and (6)Li NMR spectroscopy.     

Phosphine-stabilized arsenium salts: water-stable,labile, coordination complexes

A series of air- and water-stable tertiary phosphine-stabilized arsenium salts of the type R(3)P-->AsR(2)(+)PF(6)(-) has been isolated. In the crystal structures of two chiral triarylphosphine complexes of prochiral methylphenylarsenium hexafluorophosphate, the stereochemistry around arsenic is trigonal pyramidal with the phosphorus atom occupying the apical position, the As-P bond being orthogonal to the plane of the trigonal (lone-pair included) arsenium ion: Ph(3)P-->AsMePh(+) PF(6)(-), P2(1)/c, a = 10.7775(2) A, b = 17.7987(3) A, c = 13.3797(2) A, beta = 109.066(1) degrees, V = 2425.78(7) A(3), T = 200 K, Z = 4; Ph(2)(2-MeOC(6)H(4))P-->AsMePh(+) PF(6)(-), P1, a = 10.8077(2) A, b = 10.9741(2) A, c = 13.5648(2) A, alpha = 99.0162(9) degrees, beta = 105.2121(9) degrees, gamma = 116.4717(9) degrees, V = 1318.11(5) A(3), T = 200 K, Z = 2. The arsenium ion in each case appears to be further stabilized by conjugation of the lone pair with the phenyl group, with which the arsenic and methyl-carbon atoms are almost coplanar. In the crystal structure of the 2-(methoxymethylphenyl)diphenylphosphine adduct of methylphenylarsenium hexafluorophosphate, there operates a counteractive chelate effect in which anchimeric oxygen coordination to arsenic destabilizes the arsenic-phosphorus bond in the six-membered chelate ring. Although they are stable, phosphine-stabilized arsenium salts undergo rapid phosphine exchange and attack at arsenic by anionic carbon and oxygen nucleophiles to give tertiary arsines and arsinous acid esters, respectively, with liberation of the phosphine.     

Metal complexes of porphycene,corrphycene, and hemiporphycene: stability and coordination chemistry

Porphyrin (P), porphycene (Pc), corrphycene (Cn), and hemiporphycene (Hpc) represent a series of well defined "4-N in" constitutional porphyrin isomers. These isomers, in the form of their octaethyl derivatives, represent a congruent set of porphyrinoids whose properties can be compared. In this study we report how variations in electronic structure and nitrogen-core size in the free-base forms of these four systems are reflected in the properties of their corresponding metal complexes. Specifically, the effects that these differences have on the axial ligation properties of the Zn(II), Mg(II), Ni(II), and Co(II) complexes of P, Pc, Cn, and Hpc in toluene using pyridine as the axial ligand are detailed. Also reported are the relative stabilities of these complexes under acidic conditions. It is shown that for the zinc, magnesium, and cobalt complexes, there are distinct differences in the ability to maintain four-, five-, or six-coordinate geometries in the presence of similar concentrations of pyridine. By contrast, no apparent differences in axial ligand binding affinity are seen for the four nickel complexes. Little difference in stability was likewise seen when these same complexes were subject to acid-mediated demetallation, with all four falling into stability class II, according to the accepted porphyrin stability ranking system. High stabilities were also seen in the case of the cobalt complexes, with the Pc and Cn complexes being of stability class III and the P and Hpc derivatives falling into stability class II. The Zn(II) and Mg(II) complexes were all far less stable than the corresponding Ni(II) and Co(II) complexes. In this case, semiquantitative analyses of the rate of acid-induced decomposition revealed the following stability sequence P>Cn>Hpc>Pc for both the Zn(II) and Mg(II) complexes. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction structures were solved for the Zn(II), Mg(II), and Ni(II) complexes of the octaethyl derivatives of Hpc, Cn, and Pc as well as a Co(II) octamethylcorrphycene and are reported as part of this study. These solid-state structures confirm four-coordinate species for the Ni(II) complexes, four- and five-coordinate species for the Mg(II) and Zn(II) complexes, and a six-coordinate species for the lone Co(II) complex.     

Purification and characterization of a laccase from the white-rot fungus Trametes multicolor

The wood-degrading fungus Trametes multicolor secretes several laccase isoforms when grown on a simple medium containing copper in the millimolar range for stimulating laccase synthesis. The main isoenzyme laccase II was purified to apparent homogeneity from the culture supernatant by using anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Laccase II is a monomeric glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 63 kDa as determined by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, contains 18% glycosylation, and has a pI of 3.0. It oxidizes a variety of phenolic substrates as well as ferrocyanide and iodide. The pH optimum depends on the substrate employed and shows a bell-shaped pH activity profile with an optimum of 4.0 to 5.0 for the phenolic substrates, while the nonphenolic substrates ferrocyanide and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) show a monotonic pH profile with a rate decreasing with increasing pH.     

The crystal structure of tetraphenylphosphonium tetracyanohydroxooxorhenium(V)

Summary The crystal structure of (PPh₄)₂[ReO(OH)(CN)₄]·5H₂O has been determined from three-dimensional x-ray diffraction data. The light brown crystals are monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, with cell dimensionsa=16.753(2),b=19.928(2),c=15.338(2) Å and =101,894(1)°,z=4, D_m=1.45(1) g cm^–3. The anisotropic refinement of the 6088 observed reflections converged to R=0.077.The [ReO(OH)(CN)₄]^2– ion has a distorted octahedral geometry. Bond distances: Re =1.70(1), Re–OH=1.90(1) and ReC_av=2.12(2) Å. The Re atom is displaced by 0.08 Å out of the plane formed by the four carbon atoms towards the terminal oxo ligand.     

121Sb-Mössbauer-Spektren von Antimon(V)-Verbindungen. II

¹²¹Sb Mössbauer Spectra of Antimony (V) Compounds. II The Mössbauer resonance effect of ¹²¹Sb has been studied at 4.2 K in a series of 11 antimony(V) compounds which are in most cases bridged. Isomer shift and quadrupole splitting variations are considered in the light of results of X-ray and vibrational spectroscopy. Preparation and the vibrational spectra of [NMe₄][SbCl₄(n₃)₂] are described. Within the limitations of available structural data related tin compounds are compared with those of corresponding ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectra.     

Laser-Rf double-resonance studies of the hyperfine structure of metastable atomic states of55Mn

The hyperfine structure (hfs) of the metastable atomic states 3d⁶4s⁶ D _{1/2, 3/2, 5/2, 7/2, 9/2} of⁵⁵Mn was measured using theABMR- LIRF method (atomicbeammagneticresonance, detected bylaserinducedresonancefluorescence). The hfs constantsA andB, corrected for second order hfs perturbations, could be derived from these measurements. The theoretical interpretation of these correctedA- andB-factors was performed in the intermediate coupling scheme taking into account the configurations 3d ⁵4s ², 3d ⁶4s and 3d ⁷. Examining the influence of the composition of the eigenvectors on the hfs parameters \(\left\langle {r^{ - 3} } \right\rangle ^{k_s k_l } \) it was found, that for the configuration 3d ⁶4s the two-body magnetic interaction should be considered in the calculation of the eigenvectors. Investigating second order electrostatic configuration interactions and relativistic effects and using calculated relativistic correction factors we obtained for the nuclear quadrupole moment of the nucleus⁵⁵Mn a value ofQ=0.33(1) barn, which is not perturbed by a shielding or antishielding Sternheimer factor. The following hfs constants have been obtained: $$\begin{gathered} A\left( {{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = 882.056\left( {12} \right)MHz \hfill \\ A\left( {{3 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {3 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = 469.391\left( 7 \right)MHzB\left( {{3 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {3 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = - 65.091\left( {50} \right)MHz \hfill \\ A\left( {{5 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {5 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = 436.715\left( 3 \right)MHzB\left( {{5 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {5 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = - 46.769\left( {30} \right)MHz \hfill \\ A\left( {{7 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {7 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = 458.930\left( 3 \right)MHzB\left( {{7 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {7 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = 21.701\left( {40} \right)MHz \hfill \\ A\left( {{9 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {9 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = 510.308\left( 8 \right)MHzB\left( {{9 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {9 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} \right) = 132.200\left( {120} \right)MHz \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$      

What’s New with the Neutron and Proton

The existence and importance of the proton radius puzzle, observed via a Lamb shift measurement in muonic atoms, is discussed. Possible resolutions of the puzzle are discussed. Then the broader question of the meaning of the proton radius is addressed and examples of correctly defined charge densities are presented.