NMR,IR and DFT studies of phenylplatinum complexes with O-monodentate coordinated silsesquioxanate and auxiliary phosphine ligands

The molecular structure and spectroscopic properties of a series of phenylplatinum complexes containing silsesquioxanate and phosphine ligands with general formula trans-[Pt{O₁₀Si₇(R)₇(OH)₂}(Ph)(L)₂] (1: R = cyclo-C₅H₉, L = PEt₃; 2: R = iso-C₄H₉, L = PEt₃; 3: R = CH₃, L = PEt₃; 4: R = cyclo-C₅H₉, L = PMe₃; 5: R = cyclo-C₅H₉, L = PMe₂Ph; 6: R = cyclo-C₅H₉, L = PPh₂Me; 7: R = cyclo-C₅H₉, L = PPh₃) have been investigated by DFT/OPW91/6-31G(d) calculations, ¹H, ¹³C, ²⁹Si and ³¹P NMR and IR spectroscopy. DFT molecular modeling based on available X-ray and NMR data for complexes 1 and 2 allowed deriving structure-NMR spectra correlations. It was found that the alkyl substituents (R) attached to Si atoms, cyclo-C₅H₉, iso-C₄H₉ and CH₃, slightly influence the geometry and multinuclear NMR parameters of the complexes in the series studied. The molecular structures of the Pt(II) complexes with R = cyclo-C₅H₉ (4–7) were predicted by DFT calculations of their simplified models with R = CH₃ (4′?7′). The geometry optimizations of 4′?7′ showed square-planar configuration of Pt(II) center bonded to two trans phosphine ligands, a phenyl group and an O-monocoordinated silsesquioxanate. The structures 4′?6′ are stabilized by two intramolecular hydrogen bonds similar to 1 and 2. A fast conformer exchange process A?B and switching of H-bonds in solution of 1–6 were suggested based on (i) the calculated conformer energies and small barrier of the process, and (ii) the observed single ¹H NMR signal at low magnetic field. The stability of the Pt(II) complexes depends on the nature of the phosphine ligands and decreases in the order PMe₂Ph > PMe₃ > PPh₂Me > PEt₃ > PPh₃. The PPh₃ ligands attached to Pt(II) in 7 cause the largest geometry changes and a new set of weaker hydrogen bonds. The comparison of the calculated NMR and IR parameters with the experimental spectroscopic data reveals good coincidence and thus confirmed the suggested molecular structures.     

3,4'-Linked bis(piperidines) related to the haliclonacyclamine class of marine alkaloids: synthesis using crossed-aldol chemistry and preliminary biological evaluations

Compounds 2-5, incorporating various elements of the 3,4'-bis(piperidine) core associated with the sponge-derived alkaloid haliclonacyclamine A (HA, 1), have been prepared through, inter alia, aldol-type reactions of N-substituted piperidin-4-ones and certain derivatives. Screening of these compounds in various assays, including an ecological one, reveals that compound 5 exhibits allelochemical properties similar to those associated with HA itself.     

Conversion of a ribozyme to a deoxyribozyme through in vitro evolution

An RNA ligase ribozyme was converted to a corresponding deoxyribozyme through in vitro evolution. The ribozyme was prepared as a DNA molecule of the same sequence, and had no detectable activity. A population of randomized variants of this DNA was constructed and evolved to perform RNA ligation at a rate similar to that of the starting ribozyme. When the deoxyribozyme was prepared as an RNA molecule of the same sequence, it had no detectable activity. Thus, the evolutionary transition from an RNA to a DNA enzyme represents a switch, rather than a broadening, of the chemical basis for catalytic function. This transfer of both information and function is relevant to the transition between two different genetic systems based on nucleic acid-like molecules, as postulated to have occurred during the early history of life on Earth.     

Preparation and Application of Double Hydrophilic Block Copolymer Particles

The preparation of some unique block copolymers and block copolymer particles via radical heterophase polymerization is described. Special emphasis is placed on double hydrophilic block copolymers such as poly(styrene sulfonic acid)-b-poly(methacrylic acid) diblock copolymer and double hydrophilic block copolymer particles consisting of both hydrophilic shells and cross-linked hydrophilic cores. Examples are given for the application of such particles as adsorbents, nano-reactors for chemical synthesis, and as colloidal stabilizers in both heterophase polymerization and biomineralization reactions.     

Local Fredholm Spectra and Fredholm Properties of Singular Integral Operators on Carleson Curves Acting on Weighted Hölder Spaces

We study the local Fredholm spectra and global Fredholm properties for singular integral operators on composed Carleson curves with discontinuous coefficients acting on weighted H?lder spaces. We consider the curves, coefficients, and weights which are slowly oscillating at the nodes of the curve. Application of pseudodifferential operators technique allows us to explain the influence of oscillation of curves, coefficients, and weights on the appearance of massive local Fredholm spectra. We obtain a criterion of Fredholmness and index formula for operators under consideration.     

Photoexcitation in Cu(I) and Re(I) complexes containing substituted dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine: a spectroscopic and density functional theoretical study

Copper(I) and rhenium(I) complexes [Cu(PPh(3))(2)(dppz-11-COOEt)]BF(4), [Cu(PPh(3))(2)(dppz-11-Br)]BF(4), [Re(CO)(3)Cl(dppz-11-COOEt)] and [Re(CO)(3)Cl(dppz-11-Br)] (dppz-11-COOEt = dipyrido-[3,2a:2',3'c]phenazine-11-carboxylic ethyl ester, dppz-11-Br = 11-bromo-dipyrido[3,2a:2',3'c]-phenazine) have been studied using Raman, resonance Raman, and transient resonance Raman (TR(2)) spectroscopy, in conjunction with computational chemistry. DFT (B3LYP) frequency calculations with a 6-31G(d) basis set for the ligands and copper(I) centers and an effective core potential (LANL2DZ) for rhenium in the rhenium(I) complexes show close agreement with the experimental nonresonance Raman spectra. Modes that are phenazine-based, phenanthroline-based, and delocalized across the entire ligand structure were identified. The nature of the absorbing chromophores at 356 nm for ligands and complexes was established using resonance Raman spectroscopy in concert with vibrational assignments from calculations. This analysis reveals that the dominant chromophore for the complexes measured at 356 nm is ligand-centered (LC), except for [Re(CO)(3)Cl(dppz-11-Br)], which appears to have additional chromophores at this wavelength. Calculations on the reduced complexes, undertaken to model the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state, show that the reducing electron occupies a ligand MO that is delocalized across the ligand structure. Resonance Raman spectra (lambda(exc) = 514.5 nm) of the reduced rhenium complexes show a similar spectral pattern to that observed in [Re(CO)(3)Cl(dppz)](*-); the measured bands are therefore attributed to ligand radical anion modes. These bands lie at 1583-1593 cm(-1) for [Re(CO)(3)Cl(dppz-11-COOEt)] and 1611 cm(-1) for [Re(CO)(3)Cl(dppz-11-Br)]. The thermally equilibrated excited states are examined using nanosecond-TR(2) spectroscopy (lambda(exc) = 354.7 nm). The TR(2) spectra of the ligands provide spectral signatures for the (3)LC state. A band at 1382 cm(-1) is identified as a marker for the (3)LC states of both ligands. TR(2) spectra of the copper and rhenium complexes of dppz-11-Br show this (3)LC band, but it is not prominent in the spectra of [Cu(PPh(3))(2)(dppz-11-COOEt)](+) and [Re(CO)(3)Cl(dppz-11-COOEt)]. Calculations suggest that the lowest triplet states of both of the rhenium(I) complexes and [Cu(PPh(3))(2)(dppz-11-Br)](+) are metal-to-ligand charge transfer in nature, but the lowest triplet state of [Cu(PPh(3))(2)(dppz-11-COOEt)](+) appears to be LC in character.     

Cross-coupling reactions of gold(I) alkynyl and polyyndiyl complexes

Gold(I) alkynyl complexes are shown to efficiently couple with aryl iodides under mild conditions in the presence of both Pd(II) and Cu(I) co-catalysts. The reaction is not gold catalysed, but rather the Au(I) centre serves to transfer the alkynyl moiety to Cu(I), which then enters the conventional Sonogashira cycles. Using this method, a small range of 1,4-disubstituted diynes, including examples of differentially substituted compounds ArCCCCAr′, have been prepared directly from [(Ph₃P)AuCCCCAu(PPh₃)] and aryl iodides ArI.     

Phonetic variability of stops and flaps in spontaneous and careful speech

Variability is perhaps the most notable characteristic of speech, and it is particularly noticeable in spontaneous conversational speech. The current research examines how speakers realize the American English stops /p, k, b, g/ and flaps (? from /t, d/), in casual conversation and in careful speech. Target consonants appear after stressed syllables (e.g., "lobby") or between unstressed syllables (e.g., "humanity"), in one of six segmental/word-boundary environments. This work documents the degree and types of variability listeners encounter and must parse. Findings show greater reduction in connected and spontaneous speech, greater reduction in high frequency phrases (but not within high frequency words), and greater reduction between unstressed syllables than after a stress. Although highly reduced productions of stops and flaps occur often, with approximant-like tokens even in careful speech, reduction does not lead to a large amount of overlap between phonological categories. Approximant-like realizations of expected stops and flaps in some conditions constitute the majority of tokens. This shows that reduced speech is something that listeners encounter, and must perceive, in a large proportion of the speech they hear.