Gold electroless reduction in nanosized channels of thiol-modified SBA-15 material

A new procedure for the preparation of high aspect ratio Au nanowires utilizing gold electroless reduction in the hexagonally ordered, thiol-modified nanosized channels of the SBA-15 material is reported. Two different Au precursors were adsorbed onto pedant thiol groups, covalently bonded to the mesoporous silica surface, and used as seeds to grow extended Au nanostructures by treatment in Au electroless reduction bath. It is shown that the dimensions and the assembly of the Au seeds are important parameters for the subsequent electroless reduction process. The [AuCl4]- ions complexed to the TOAB molecules assembled on the thiol-modified mesoporous surface of the SBA-15 material are suitable precursors for the subsequent gold electroless reduction. The resulting structures are several micrometer long Au nanowires with uniform diameters of about 5 nm, having large single-crystalline domains. The TEM results clearly show that the growth of the Au nanowires is templated by the channel structure of the SBA-15 material.     

Incoherent tunnelling of positive muons and trapping by vacancies in electron-irradiated aluminium

We have measured the transverse spin relaxation of positive muons ⁺ in Al single crystals after irradiation at 150 K with 3 MeV electrons. The relaxation functions agree with those expected for diffusion-limited trapping of the ⁺ in monovacancies. Between 215 K and 60 K the ⁺ diffusivity is well described by the Flynn-Stoneham law (multi-phonon incoherent tunnelling between ground states) with an activation enthalpyH _a = (30±2) meV. At lower temperatures, few-phonon (in particular one-phonon) processes become important. The decrease of the vacancy concentration by a factor of 100 during annealing between 227 K and 267 K has been studied.     

Reaction of nitric oxide at the beta-carbon of enamines. A new method of preparing compounds containing the diazeniumdiolate functional group

The reaction of nitric oxide (NO) with enamines has been investigated. Unlike previously reported reactions of NO as a free radical with alkenes, the electrophilic addition of NO to the beta-carbon of enamines results in the formation of compounds containing the diazeniumdiolate functional group (-[N(O)NO](-)). This reaction between NO and enamines has been shown to be quite general and a variety of enamine-derived diazeniumdiolates have been isolated and characterized. While enamines derived from aldehydes and ketones whose structures allow for sequential multiple electrophilic additions tended to undergo overreaction leading to unstable products, it has been shown that this complication may be overcome by suitable choice of reaction solvent. The products obtained may exist as zwitterionic iminium salts or as neutral species depending upon the structure of the parent enamine. The diazeniumdiolate derived from 1-(N-morpholino)cyclohexene is unique among the new compounds in that it spontaneously releases NO upon dissolution in buffered aqueous solution at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. While the total quantity of NO released by this material (ca. 7% of the theoretical 2 moles) is apparently limited by a competing reaction in which it hydrolyzes to an alpha-diazeniumdiolated carbonyl compound and the parent amine, this feature may prove to be of great value in the development of multiaction pharmaceuticals based upon this new type of NO-releasing compound. Reports of enzymatic (oxidative) release of NO from previously known carbon-bound diazeniumdiolates also suggest that analogues of these compounds may be useful as pharmaceutical agents. This new method of introducing the relatively rarely studied diazeniumdiolate functional group into organic compounds should lead to further research into its chemical and biological properties.     

Bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10-based cryptands, powerful hosts for paraquat derivatives

Four new bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10-based cryptands with different third bridges were prepared. Their complexes with paraquat derivatives were studied by proton NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray analysis. It was found that these cryptands bind paraquat derivatives very strongly. Specifically, a diester cryptand with a pyridyl nitrogen atom located at a site occupied by either water or a PF(6) anion in analogous complexes exhibited the highest association constant K(a) = 5.0 x 10(6) M(-1) in acetone with paraquat, 9000 times greater than the crown ether system. X-ray structures of this and analogous complexes demonstrate that improved complexation with this host is a consequence of preorganization, adequate ring size for occupation by the guest, and the proper location of the pyridyl N-atom for binding to the beta-pyridinium hydrogens of the paraquat guests. This readily accessible cryptand is one of the most powerful hosts reported for paraquats.     

Amorphe Potenzen kompakter Räume

A set is amorphous, if it is not a union of two disjoint infinite subsets. The following variants of the Tychonoff product theorem are investigated in the hierarchy of weak choice principles. TA1: An amorphous power of a compactT ₂ space is compact. TA2: An amorphous power of a compactT ₂ space which as a set is wellorderable is compact. In ZF⁰TA1 is equivalent to the assertion, that amorphous sets are finite. RT is Ramsey's theorem, that every finite colouring of the set ofn-element subsets of an infinite set has an infinite homogeneous subset and PW is Rubin's axiom, that the power set of an ordinal is wellorderable. In ZF⁰RT+PW implies TA2. Since RT+PW is compatible with the existence of infinite amorphous sets, TA2 does not imply TA1 in ZF⁰. But TA2 cannot be proved in ZF⁰ alone. As an application, we prove a theorem of Stone, using a weak wellordering axiomD ₃ (a set is wellorderable, if each of its infinite subsets is structured) together with RT.

Diese Arbeit ist Teil der Habilitationsschrift des Verfassers im Fachgebiet Mathematische Analysis an der Technischen Universität Wien.     

Synthese de derives mono- ou disilicies au niveau d'un carbone fonctionnel

Aliphatic saturated amides treated with Me₃SiCl/Li/THF were found to react in two ways. Either alkoxysilanes, mono- or di-silylated at the functional carbon, or C-silylated amines were obtained dependent of the original amide structure and the experimental conditions. (Me₃Si)₂CHN(SiMe₃)₂ exhibited Physicochemical properties that are particular for hindered rotation about the CN bond. A general mechanism is proposed to explain these results.     

Structural properties of ultra-small thorium and uranium dioxide nanoparticles embedded in a covalent organic framework

We report the structural properties of ultra-small ThO₂ and UO₂ nanoparticles (NPs), which were synthesized without strong binding surface ligands by employing a covalent organic framework (COF-5) as an inert template. The resultant NPs were used to observe how structural properties are affected by decreasing grain size within bulk actinide oxides, which has implications for understanding the behavior of nuclear fuel materials. Through a comprehensive characterization strategy, we gain insight regarding how structure at the NP surface differs from the interior. Characterization using electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering indicates that growth of the ThO₂ and UO₂ NPs was confined by the pores of the COF template, resulting in sub-3 nm particles. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy results indicate that the NPs are best described as ThO₂ and UO₂ materials with unpassivated surfaces. The surface layers of these particles compensate for high surface energy by exhibiting a broader distribution of Th–O and U–O bond distances despite retaining average bond lengths that are characteristic of bulk ThO₂ and UO₂. The combined synthesis and physical characterization efforts provide a detailed picture of actinide oxide structure at the nanoscale, which remains highly underexplored compared to transition metal counterparts.

ThO₂ and UO₂ nanoparticles synthesized using a COF-5 template exhibit unpassivated surfaces and provide insight into nanoscale properties of actinides.     

Rh(II) and Rh(I) two-legged piano-stool complexes: structure,reactivity, and electronic properties

The ligand 1,4-bis[4-(diphenylphosphino)butyl]-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene, 3, was used to synthesize a mononuclear Rh(II) complex [(eta(1):eta(6):eta(1)-1,4-bis[4-(diphenylphosphino)butyl]-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene)Rh][PF(6)](2), 6+, in a two-legged piano-stool geometry. The structural and electronic properties of this novel complex including a single-crystal EPR analysis are reported. The complex can be cleanly interconverted with its Rh(I) form, allowing for a comparison of the structural properties and reactivity of both oxidation states. The Rh(I) form 6 reacts with CO, tert-butyl isocyanide, and acetonitrile to form a series of 15-membered mononuclear cyclophanes [(eta(1):eta(1)-1,4-bis[4-(diphenylphosphino)butyl]-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene)Rh(CO)(3)][PF(6)] (8), [(eta(1):eta(1)-1,4-bis[4-(diphenylphosphino)butyl]-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene)Rh(CNC(CH(3))(3))(2)][PF(6)] (10), and [(eta(1):eta(1)-1,4-bis[4-(diphenylphosphino)butyl]-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene)Rh(CO)(CH(3)CN)][PF(6)] (11). The Rh(II) complex 6+ reacts with the same small molecules, but over shorter periods of time, to form the same Rh(I) products. In addition, a model two-legged piano-stool complex [(eta(1):eta(6):eta(1)-1,4-bis[3-(diphenylphosphino)propoxy]-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene)Rh][B(C(6)F(5))(4)], 5, has been synthesized and characterized for comparison purposes. The solid-state structures of complexes 5, 6, 6+, and 11 are reported. Structure data for 5: triclinic; P(-)1; a = 10.1587(7) A; b = 11.5228(8) A; c = 17.2381(12) A; alpha = 96.4379(13) degrees; beta = 91.1870(12) degrees; gamma = 106.1470(13) degrees; Z = 2. 6: triclinic; P(-)1; a = 11.1934(5) A; b = 12.4807(6) A; c = 16.1771(7) A; alpha = 81.935(7) degrees; beta = 89.943(1) degrees; gamma = 78.292(1) degrees; Z = 2. 6+: monoclinic; P2(1)/n; a = 11.9371(18) A; b = 32.401(5) A; c = 12.782(2) A; beta = 102.890(3) degrees; Z = 4. 11: triclinic; P(-)1; a = 13.5476(7) A; b = 13.8306(7) A; c = 14.9948(8) A; alpha = 74.551(1) degrees; beta = 73.895(1) degrees; gamma = 66.046(1) degrees; Z = 2.     

Synthesis and small molecule reactivity of uranium(IV) alkoxide complexes with both bound and pendant N-heterocyclic carbene ligands

The syntheses of two tetravalent uranium alkoxide-carbene complexes are reported, [UIL3], and [UL4] where L = OCMe2CH2[1-C(NCHCHNiPr)]. The latter shows dynamic behaviour of the alkoxycarbene ligands in solution at room temperature, and the crystal structure of [UL4] shows that one carbene group remains uncoordinated. The unbound N-heterocyclic carbene group is trapped by a range of reagents such as 16-valence-electron metal carbonyl fragments and BH3 moieties, forming, for example, [UL3(mu-L)W(CO)5], [UL2(mu-L)2Mo(CO)4], and [UL(n)(L-BH3)(4-n)] (n = 1-4), demonstrating the potential for these hemilabile electropositive metal-carbene complexes to participate in the bifunctional activation of small molecules.