Aziridination Reactivity of a Manganese(II) Complex with a Bulky Chelating Bis(Alkoxide) Ligand

Treatment of Mn(N(SiMe₃)₂)₂(THF)₂ with bulky chelating bis(alkoxide) ligand [1,1′:4′,1′′-terphenyl]-2,2′′-diylbis(diphenylmethanol) (H₂[O-terphenyl-O]^Ph) formed a seesaw manganese(II) complex Mn[O-terphenyl-O]^Ph(THF)₂, characterized by structural, spectroscopic, magnetic, and analytical methods. The reactivity of Mn[O-terphenyl-O]^Ph(THF)₂ with various nitrene precursors was investigated. No reaction was observed between Mn[O-terphenyl-O]^Ph(THF)₂ and aryl azides. In contrast, the treatment of Mn[O-terphenyl-O]^Ph(THF)₂ with iminoiodinane PhINTs (Ts = p-toluenesulfonyl) was consistent with the formation of a metal-nitrene complex. In the presence of styrene, the reaction led to the formation of aziridine. Combining varying ratios of styrene and PhINTs in different solvents with 10 mol% of Mn[O-terphenyl-O]^Ph(THF)₂ at room temperature produced 2-phenylaziridine in up to a 79% yield. Exploration of the reactivity of Mn[O-terphenyl-O]^Ph(THF)₂ with various olefins revealed (1) moderate aziridination yields for p-substituted styrenes, irrespective of the electronic nature of the substituent; (2) moderate yield for 1,1′-disubstituted α-methylstyrene; (3) no aziridination for aliphatic α-olefins; (4) complex product mixtures for the β-substituted styrenes. DFT calculations suggest that iminoiodinane is oxidatively added upon binding to Mn, and the resulting formal imido intermediate has a high-spin Mn(III) center antiferromagnetically coupled to an imidyl radical. This imidyl radical reacts with styrene to form a sextet intermediate that readily reductively eliminates the formation of a sextet Mn(II) aziridine complex.     

New ideas in neutrino detection

What is new in the field of neutrino detection? In addition to new projects probing both the low and high ends of the neutrino energy scale, an inexpensive, effective technique is being developed to allow tagging of antineutrinos in water Cherenkov (WC) detectors via the addition to water of a solute with a large neutron cross-section and energetic γ daughters. Gadolinium is an excellent candidate since in recent years it has become very inexpensive, now less than $8 per kilogram in the form of commercially available gadolinium trichloride. This non-toxic, non-reactive substance is highly soluble in water. Neutron capture on gadolinium yields an 8.0 MeV gamma cascade easily seen in detectors like Super-Kamiokande. The uses of GdCl₃ as a possible upgrade for the Super-Kamiokande detector — with a view toward improving its performance as an antineutrino detector for supernova neutrinos and reactor neutrinos — are discussed, as are the ongoing R&;D efforts which aim to make this dream a reality within the next two years.     

Synthesis, Characterization and Thermal Studies of Some Iron(III) Complexes of o-Vanillin Oxime

Iron(III) complexes of o-vanillin oxime have been synthesized and characterized by different physicochemical techniques. The complexes containing thiocyanate, iodide and sulphate ionshave been subjected to non-isothermal decomposition studies in N₂ using TGand DTG techniques. The kinetic parameters for both stages of decomposition of these complexes were evaluated by weighted least-squares method using the general approach as well as the Coats–Redfern and Horowitz–Metzger equations. The results indicate that the values of kinetic parameters obtained by these three different approaches agree well. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis and spectral characterization of ternary complexes of oxovanadium(IV) containing some acid hydrazones and 2,2'-bipyridine

An interesting series of heterocyclic base adducts of oxovanadium(IV) complexes have been synthesized by the reaction of vanadium(IV) oxide acetylacetonate with some hydrazones (H(2)L) in the presence of a heterocyclic base 2,2'-bipyridine. The compounds were characterized by analytical and different physico-chemical techniques like IR, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and UV-Vis spectral studies and magnetic studies. The EPR spectra indicate that the free electron is in the d(xy) orbital. The coordination geometry around oxovanadium(IV) in all complexes is octahedral, with one dibasic tridentate ligand L(2-), and one bidentate heterocyclic base. The IR spectra suggest that coordination takes place through azomethine nitrogen and enolate oxygen from the hydrazide moiety and phenolate oxygen. The pyridyl nitrogens of the hydrazones, H(2)L(2) and H(2)L(4) are not involved in the coordination. The molar conductivities show that all the complexes are non-electrolytes. All electronic transitions were assigned. All the compounds are paramagnetic. EPR studies of all compounds suggest axial symmetry. The calculated bonding parameters indicate that in-plane sigma bonding is more covalent than in-plane pi bonding.     

Bis(μ‐phenyl 2‐pyridyl ketone N4,N4‐butane‐1,4‐diylthiosemicarbazonato)bis[chlorocopper(II)]

The title compound, [Cu₂(C₁₇H₁₇N₄S)₂Cl₂], exhibits a dimeric structure related by a centre of symmetry. The monomers are linked to each other by the longest Cu—S apical distance observed to date among Cu^II square‐pyramidal complexes of N⁴‐substituted thio­semicarbazones. Each Cu^II atom deviates from the coordination square plane, which contains the pyrid­yl and imine N atoms, the thiol­ate S atom and the Cl⁻ anion, towards the S atom of the adjacent monomer. The dimers pack in a zigzag manner through the crystal.     

Syntheses,EPR spectral studies and crystal structures of manganese(II) complexes of neutral N,N donor bidentate Schiff bases and azide/thiocyanate as coligand

Four manganese(II) complexes Mn₂(paa)₂(N₃)₄ (1), [Mn(paa)₂(NCS)₂]·³/₂H₂O (2), Mn(papea)₂(NCS)₂ (3), [Mn(dpka)₂(NCS)₂]·¹/₂H₂O (4) of three neutral N,N donor bidentate Schiff bases were synthesized and physico-chemically characterized by means of partial elemental analyses, electronic, infrared and EPR spectral studies. Compounds 3 and 4 were obtained as single crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction. Compound 4 recrystallized as Mn(dpka)₂(NCS)₂. Both the compounds crystallized in the monoclinic space groups P2₁ for 3 and C2/c for 4. Manganese(II) is found to be in a distorted octahedral geometry in both the monomeric complexes with thiocyanate anion as a terminal ligand coordinating through the nitrogen atom. EPR spectra in DMF solutions at 77 K show hyperfine sextets with low intensity forbidden lines lying between each of the two main hyperfine lines and the zero field splitting parameters (D and E) were calculated.     

Structural and spectral perspectives of a novel thiosemicarbazone synthesized from di-2-pyridyl ketone and 4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazide

A new thiosemicarbazone, HL is synthesized from di-2-pyridyl ketone and 4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazide and structurally and spectrochemically characterized. 1H NMR, 13C NMR, COSY, HMQC and IR spectra of the compound are studied and the proton magnetic resonance spectrum reveals some unprecedented observations. The thione form is predominant in the solid state, as supported by the crystal structure and IR data, while a thiol-thione equilibrium is proposed in the solution state by NMR studies. The compound crystallizes into a monoclinic lattice with space group C2/c and the ZE conformation is exhibited by the thiosemicarbazone. Intra- and intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions give rise to a two-dimensional packing in the crystal lattice.     

QSAR of chemical polarizability and nerve toxicity. 2

Polarizability is a property of molecules that has long been of interest to scientists from a variety of viewpoints. However, in the area of the QSAR of chemical-biological interactions, it has received little attention. Recently we have shown that one can use the simple summation of the valence electrons (H = 1, C = 4, O = 6, etc.) in a molecule as a measure of its polarizability. We have found this parameter to correlate nerve toxicity of a wide variety of chemicals acting on nerves of frogs, rabbits, cockroaches, and humans.     

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and crystal structure of mixed ligand Ni(II) complex of N-4-diethylaminosalicylidine-N′-4-nitrobenzoyl hydrazone and 4-picoline

A novel mixed ligand nickel complex [NiLB] [H₂L-N-4-diethylaminosalicylidine-N′-4-nitrobenzoyl hydrazone and B-4-picoline] has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectrum, UV-Vis spectrum and structure has been confirmed by single crystal X-ray structure analysis. The crystal structure reveals that the complex adopts distorted square planar structure with ONO donor atoms of primary ligand and N donor atom of the secondary ligand 4-picoline.     

Structural, spectral and antimicrobial studies of copper(II) complexes of 2-benzoylpyridine N(4)-cyclohexyl thiosemicarbazone

Six new copper(II) complexes of 2-benzoylpyridine N(4)-cyclohexyl thiosemicarbazone (HL) have been synthesized and characterized by different physicochemical techniques like molar conductivity measurements, magnetic studies and electronic, infrared and EPR spectral studies. Five of the complexes have been found to possess the stoichiometry [CuLX], where X = Cl (1), Br (2), NO₃ (3), NCS (4), N₃ (5). The complex prepared from copper sulfate has the composition [Cu₂L₂SO₄] · (H₂O)₂ (6). In all the complexes the deprotonated ligand, L and the anion were found to be coordinated to the Cu(II) ion. The terdentate nature of the ligand is evident from the IR spectra. The metal ligand bonding parameters evaluated from the EPR spectra indicate strong in-plane σ and in-plane π bonding. The magnetic and spectroscopic data indicate a square planar geometry for complexes 1, 3, 4 and 5, while the complexes 2 and 6 are assigned a square pyramidal geometry. Crystal structure of the complex [CuLCl] reveals two molecules per asymmetric unit of a monoclinic lattice, with space group symmetry P2₁/n. The complexes [ CuLBr ₂] (2) and [CuLNCS] (4) crystallized into triclinic lattices with space group . Compound 2 exists as a thiolate bridged copper(II) dimer. The antimicrobial activity of the ligand and the copper complexes were tested against five types of bacteria isolated from clinical samples. The complexes were found to be active against Bacillus sp., Vibrio cholera O1, Staphylococcus aurus and Salmonella paratyphi.