Platinum(II) diimine complexes with catecholate ligands bearing imide electron-acceptor groups: synthesis, crystal structures, (spectro)electrochemical and EPR studies, and electronic structure

A series of catechols with attached imide functionality (imide = phthalimide PHT, 1,8-naphthalimide NAP, 1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide NDI, and NAP-NDI) has been synthesized and coordinated to the Pt (II)(bpy*) moiety, yielding Pt(bpy*)(cat-imide) complexes (bpy* = 4,4'-di- tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine). X-ray crystal structures of PHT and NAP complexes show a distorted square-planar arrangement of ligands around the Pt center. Both complexes form "head-to-tail" dimers in the solid state through remarkably short unsupported Pt...Pt contacts of 3.208 (PHT) and 3.378 A (NAP). The Pt(bpy*)(cat-imide) complexes are shown to combine optical (absorption) and electrochemical properties of the catecholate (electron-donor) and imide (electron-acceptor) groups. The complexes show a series of reversible reduction processes in the range from -0.5 to -1.9 V vs Fc (+)/Fc, which are centered on either bpy* or imide groups, and a reversible oxidation process at +0.07 to +0.14 V, which is centered on the catecholate moiety. A combination of UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis spectroelectrochemistry, and EPR spectroscopy has allowed assignment of the nature of frontier orbitals in Pt(bpy*)(cat-imide) complexes. The HOMO in Pt(bpy*)(cat-imide) is centered on the catechol ligand, while the LUMO is localized either on bpy* or on the imide group, depending on the nature of the imide group involved. Despite the variations in the nature of the LUMO, the lowest-detectable electronic transition in all Pt(bpy*)(cat-imide) complexes has predominantly ligand-to-ligand (catechol-to-diimine) charge-transfer nature (LLCT) and involves a bpy*-based unoccupied molecular orbital in all cases. The LLCT transition in all Pt(bpy*)(cat-imide) complexes appears at 530 nm in CH2Cl2 and is strongly negatively solvatochromic. The energy of this transition is remarkably insensitive to the imide group present, indicating lack of electronic communication between the imide and the catechol moieties within the cat-imide ligand. The high extinction coefficient, approximately 6 x 10(3) L mol(-1) cm(-1) of this predominantly LLCT transition is the result of the Pt orbital contribution, as revealed by EPR spectroscopy of the complexes in various redox states. The CV profile of the oxidation process of Pt(bpy*)(cat-imide) in CH2Cl2 and DMF is concentration dependent, as was shown for NDI and PHT complexes as typical examples. Oxidation appears as a simple diffusion-limited process at low concentrations, with an increasing anodic-to-cathodic peak separation eventually resolving as two independent consecutive waves as the concentration of the complex increases. It is suggested that aggregation of the complexes in the diffusion layer in the course of oxidation is responsible for the observed concentration dependence. Overall, the Pt(bpy*)(cat-imide) complexes are electrochromic compounds in which a series of stepwise reversible redox processes in the potential range from 0.2 to -2 V (vs Fc (+)/Fc) leads to tuneable absorbencies between 300 and 850 nm.     

Crystal growth, structure, and physical properties of SmCu4Ga8

Single crystals of SmCu4Ga8 have been grown using Ga flux and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. SmCu4Ga8, isostructural to SmZn11, crystallizes in the hexagonal P6/mmm (No. 191) space group, with Z = 3 and lattice parameters a = 8.865(2) A and c = 8.607(2) A. Magnetic susceptibility data show antiferromagnetic ordering at 3.3 K. Metallic behavior is observed in the temperature range 2-300 K. A large positive magnetoresistance (MR % = (rho H - rho 0)/rho 0 x 100) up to 40% is also observed near T N. In this paper, we present the structure and physical properties of SmCu4Ga8.     

Theoretical studies on the bonding and thermodynamic properties of Ge n Si m (m+n=5) clusters: the precursors of germanium/silicon nanomaterials

Theoretical studies on the Ge n Si m clusters have been carried out using advanced ab initio approaches. The lowest energy isomers were determined for the clusters with compositions n+m=2-5. All possible isomers arising due to permutations of Ge and Si atoms were investigated. The L-shaped structure for the trimers, tetragonal with diagonal bond for tetramers, and a trigonal bipyramid for pentamers represent the energy optimized ground state geometries. The bonding analyses revealed that the trimers and tetramers are stabilized through multicenter pi bonding. In pentamers, this stabilizing factor is eliminated due to the further cluster growth. The ionization of clusters does not change their geometrical characteristics. The agreement of the calculated ionization and atomization energies with those obtained from the mass spectrometric studies (through estimated appearance potential) validated the reported structures of the clusters. The bonding properties of these species are discussed using their molecular orbital characteristics and analysis of natural bond orbital population data.     

Photocatalysis within hyperbranched polyethers with a benzophenone core

Quenching and product studies have been performed to demonstrate the suitability of hyperbranched polyethers with a tetrafunctionalized benzophenone core as photocatalysts. The triplet photosensitized transformation of an unsaturated diazo compound has been used as the model reaction. The polymer with highest molecular weight led to a similar product distribution even after several catalytic cycles, which evidences its excellent photostability under prolonged irradiation time. We attribute this to the stabilizing effect of the hyperbranched polymer shell.     

Taking advantage of the radical character of tris(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl to synthesize new paramagnetic glassy molecular materials

This paper describes the synthesis of the novel bis[4-(N-carbazolyl)-2,6-dichlorophenyl](2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl radical (2*) and tris[4-(N-carbazolyl)-2,6-dichlorophenyl]methyl radical (3*). A Friedel-Crafts reaction on [4-(N-carbazolyl)-2,6-dichlorophenyl)bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl]methyl radical (1*), 2*, and 3* leads to the introduction of acyl chains in the 3- and 6-positions of the carbazolyl moiety without impairment of the radical character of the molecule to give radicals 5*, 6*, and 7*. All of these novel radical adducts are thermally stable, 5* and 6* being amorphous solids by differential scanning calorimetry. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of them show a multiplet at low temperature due to the electron-coupling with six aromatic hydrogens. They show electrochemical amphotericity being reduced and oxidized to their corresponding stable anionic and cationic species, respectively. These radical adducts have luminescent properties covering the red spectral band of the emission with high intensities.     

Insight into the mechanism of diazocompounds transformation catalyzed by hetero cuboidal clusters [Mo3CuQ4(MeBPE)3X4]+, (Q = S,Se; X = Cl,Br): The catalytically active species

Two enantiomerically pure trinuclear compounds of formula (P)-[Mo₃S₄{(R,R)-Me–BPE}₃Br₃]Br and (P)-[Mo₃Se₄{(R,R)-Me–BPE}₃Cl₃]Cl, (P)-1b.Br and (P)-1c.Cl, respectively, have been synthesized in a good yield and a stereospecific manner by excision of polymeric [Mo₃Q₇X₄]_n (Q = S or Se, X = Cl or Br) phases with (R,R)-Me–BPE{1,2-bis[(2R,5R)-2,5-(dimethylphospholan-1-yl)]ethane}. They have been transformed into chiral hetereo cuboidal compounds [Mo₃S₄{(R,R)-Me–BPE}₃Br₃]PF₆, (P)-2b.PF₆, and [Mo₃Se₄{(R,R)-Me–BPE}₃Cl₃]PF₆, (P)-2c.PF₆, by reaction with copper salts. All these compounds have been characterized by ³¹P NMR, IR, UV–Vis, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and chiral dichroism. The catalytic potential of tetranuclear cuboidal compounds has been assessed in the paradigm intermolecular cyclopropanation reaction of styrene with ethyl diazoacetate. Results are compared with those obtained for the analogue [Mo₃S₄{(R,R)-Me–BPE}₃Cl₃]PF₆, (P)-2a.PF₆. The catalytic data demonstrate that the Se derivative (P)-2c.PF₆ is less reactive than the S analogues, but it leads to a similar product distribution as the sulfide analogue (P)-2a.PF₆. By contrast, exchange of chlorine by the bulky bromine gives rise to a catalyst which makes the carbene dimerization more competitive. These data agree with temporal breaking of one of the Cu–Q bonds to generate an active catalytic species.     

Existence of limit cycles in a tritrophic food chain model with Holling functional responses of type II and III

We are interested in the coexistence of three species forming a tritrophic food chain model. Considering a linear grow for the lowest trophic species, Holling III and Holling II functional response for the predator and the top‐predator, respectively. We prove that this model has stable periodic orbits for adequate values of its parameters. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geometric relations between the zeros of polynomials

We consider the classical theorem of Grace, which gives a condition for a geometric relation between two arbitrary algebraic polynomials of the same degree. This theorem is one of the basic instruments in the geometry of polynomials. In some applications of the Grace theorem, one of the two polynomials is fixed. In this case, the condition in the Grace theorem may be changed. We explore this opportunity and introduce a new notion of locus of a polynomial. Using the loci of polynomials, we may improve some theorems in the geometry of polynomials. In general, the loci of a polynomial are not easy to describe. We prove some statements concerning the properties of a point set on the extended complex plane that is a locus of a polynomial.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of dialkyl ω-azidoalkylphosphonates

An efficient and reproducible microwave-assisted synthesis of dialkyl ω-azidoalkylphosphonates via nucleophilic substitution of the appropriate dialkyl ω-bromoalkylphosphonates by sodium azide in water or dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent has been developed. This process has been optimized for batch reactors. The target, structurally diverse dialkyl ω-azidoalkylphosphonates with different steric hindrance around the phosphonato groups and containing unbranched side carbon chains of different lengths (n?=?2–6), has been obtained in moderate to high yields (39–87%).