Synthesis of enantiopure axially chiral C3-symmetric tripodal ligands and their application as catalysts in the asymmetric addition of dialkylzinc to aldehydes

The enantioselective synthesis of a novel-type C(3)-symmetric tripodal ligand that is composed of a central mesitylene-derived core and three functionalized, axially chiral biaryl subunits is described. The triol (M,M,M)-3 is a suitable catalyst for the enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc to various aromatic aldehydes with asymmetric inductions of up to 98% ee.     

Overcoming Selectivity and Sensitivity Issues of Direct Inject Electrospray Mass Spectrometry via DAPNe-NSI-MS

Direct inject electrospray mass spectrometry offers minimal sample preparation and a “shotgun” approach to analyzing samples. However, complex matrix effects often make direct inject an undesirable sample introduction technique, particularly for trace level analytes. Highlighted here is our solution to the pitfalls of direct inject mass spectrometry and other ambient ionization methods with a focus on trace explosives. Direct analyte-probed nanoextraction coupled to nanospray ionization mass spectrometry solves selectivity issues and reduces matrix effects while maintaining minimal sample preparation requirements. With appropriate solvent conditions, most explosive residues can be analyzed with this technique regardless of the nature of the substance (i.e., nitroaromatic, oxidizing salt, or peroxide).

In Situ Detection of Particle Aggregation on Electrode Surfaces

Partially blocked electrodes (PBEs) are important; many applications use non‐conductive nanoparticles (NPs) to introduce new electrode functionalities. As aggregation is a problem in NP immobilization, developing an in situ method to detect aggregation is vital to characterise such modified electrodes. We present chronoamperometry as a method for detection of NP surface aggregation and semi‐quantitative sizing of the formed aggregates, based on the diffusion limited current measured at PBEs as compared with the values calculated numerically for different blocking feature sizes. In contrast to voltammetry, no approximations on electrode kinetics are needed, making chronoamperometry a more general and reliable method. Sizing is shown for two modification methods. Upon drop casting, significant aggregation is observed, while it is minimized in electrophoretic NP deposition. The aggregate sizes determined are in semi‐quantitative agreement with ex situ microscopic analysis of the PBEs.     

Utilizing Stretch‐Tunable Thermochromic Elastomeric Opal Films as Novel Reversible Switchable Photonic Materials

In this work, the preparation of highly thermoresponsive and fully reversible stretch‐tunable elastomeric opal films featuring switchable structural colors is reported. Novel particle architectures based on poly(diethylene glycol methylether methacrylate‐co‐ethyl acrylate) (PDEGMEMA‐co‐PEA) as shell polymer are synthesized via seeded and stepwise emulsion polymerization protocols. The use of DEGMEMA as comonomer and herein established synthetic strategies leads to monodisperse soft shell particles, which can be directly processed to opal films by using the feasible melt‐shear organization technique. Subsequent UV crosslinking strategies open access to mechanically stable and homogeneous elastomeric opal films. The structural colors of the opal films feature mechano‐ and thermoresponsiveness, which is found to be fully reversible. Optical characterization shows that the combination of both stimuli provokes a photonic bandgap shift of more than 50 nm from 560 nm in the stretched state to 611 nm in the fully swollen state. In addition, versatile colorful patterns onto the colloidal crystal structure are produced by spatial UV‐induced crosslinking by using a photomask. This facile approach enables the generation of spatially cross‐linked switchable opal films with fascinating optical properties. Herein described strategies for the preparation of PDEGMEMA‐containing colloidal architectures, application of the melt‐shear ordering technique, and patterned crosslinking of the final opal films open access to novel stimuli‐responsive colloidal crystal films, which are expected to be promising materials in the field of security and sensing applications.

     

Lanthanide chloride complexes of amine-bis(phenolate) ligands and their reactivity in the ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone

Reaction of two equivalents of n-BuLi with sterically demanding amine-bis(phenol) compounds, H(2)O(2)NN'(R) (Me(2)NCH(2)CH(2)N{CH(2)-3,5-R(2)-C(6)H(2)OH}(2); R = t-Bu or t-Pe (tert-pentyl)) yields isolable lithium complexes, Li(2)(O(2)NN'(R)), in good yields. Upon reaction with one equivalent of LnCl(3)(THF)(x), the lithium salts afford rare earth amine-phenolate chloride complexes in good yields, Ln(O(2)NN'(R))Cl(THF); Ln = Y, Yb, Ho, Gd, Sm, Pr. Crystals of Y(O(2)NN'(t-Bu))Cl(THF), 1, and Sm(O(2)NN'(t-Bu))Cl(DME), 2, suitable for single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis were obtained. In contrast to previously reported [{Gd(O(2)NN'(t-Pe))(THF)(micro-Cl)}(2)] and related La and Sm complexes, these species are monomeric. 1 contains Y in a distorted octahedral environment bonded to two amine, two phenolate, one THF and one chloride donor. 2 contains Sm in a distorted capped trigonal prismatic environment bonded to two amine, two phenolate, two DME oxygens and one chloride donor. The Ln(O(2)NN'(t-Pe))Cl(THF) complexes were active initators for the controlled ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone with a tendency to form low molecular weight cyclic polyesters (M(n) 3000-5000). The conversion rates, although slower than related amido and alkyl species, were different for monomeric and dimeric initiators. The size of the metal centre also affected the conversions and the molecular weights achieved.