Synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties of bis(μ-dialkoxo)-bridged linear trinuclear copper(II) complexes with aminoalcohol ligands: a theoretical/experimental magneto-structural study

The bis(μ-dialkoxo)-bridged trinuclear copper(II) complexes [Cu(3)(ap)(4)(ClO(4))(2)EtOH] (1), [Cu(3)(ap)(4)(NO(3))(2)] (2), [Cu(3)(ap)(4)Br(2)] (3) and [Cu(3)(ae)(4)(NO(3))(2)] (4) (ae = 2-aminoethanolato and ap = 3-aminopropanolato) have been synthesised via self-assembly from chelating aminoalcohol ligands with the corresponding copper(II) salts. The complexes are characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and variable temperature magnetic measurements. The crystal structures of complexes 1-4 consist of slightly bent linear or linear trinuclear [Cu(3)(aa)(4)](2+) (aa = aminoalcoholato) units to which the perchlorate, nitrate or bromide anions are weakly coordinated. The adjacent trinuclear units of 1-4 are connected together by hydrogen bonds and bridging nitrate or bromide anions resulting in the formation of 2D layers. Magnetic studies of 1, 2 and 4 show that J values vary from -379 to +36.0 cm(-1) as the Cu-O-Cu angle (θ) and the out-of-plane shift of the carbon atom of the bridging alkoxo group (τ) vary from 103.7 to 94.4° and from 0.9 to 35.5°, respectively. Magnetic exchange coupling constants calculated by DFT methods are of the same nature and magnitude as the experimental ones. For complexes 1, 2 and 4, which have complementarity effects between the θ and τ angles (small θ values are associated with large τ values and vice versa), an almost linear relationship between the calculated J values with θ angles could be established, thus supporting that the θ and τ angles are the two key structural factors that determine the magnetic exchange coupling for such a type of compounds. Complex 3 does not obey this linear correlation because of the existence of counter-complementarity effects between these angles (small θ values are associated with small τ values and vice versa). It is of interest that the theoretical calculations for the magnetic exchange interaction between next-nearest neighbours indicate that the usual approximation in experimental studies of neglecting the magnetic coupling between the next-nearest neighbours in linear trinuclear complexes could lead to considerable errors, especially when J(1) and J(2) are of the same order of magnitude as J(3).     

A comparative study of the multicomponent Ugi reactions of an oxabicycloheptene-based β-amino acid in water and in methanol

Di-exo-3-amino-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid 1, five aldehydes and two isocyanides were reacted both in methanol and in water to prepare a 10-membered β-lactam library via a Ugi-4-centre-3-component reaction. The yields were found to be similar in water and methanol. The diastereoselectivities of the aqueous reactions were similar, though in a few cases higher than those in methanol. The benefits of water are the facile isolation of the precipitated product and the shorter reaction time.     

Synthesis, reactivity and structural studies of selenide bridged carboranyl compounds

Reaction of the lithium salt Li[1-R-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10)] with selenium under mild conditions, followed by hydrolysis gave the diselenide compound (1-Se-2-R-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10))(2) in contrast to the well-reported mercapto compounds 1-SH-2-R-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) obtained using a similar synthetic procedure. Details for the preparation and X-ray structural characterisation of the new compounds (2-Me-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10))(2)Se, (1-Se-2-R-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10))(2) (R = Me, Ph, ) are specified. To further explore the mechanism of the dimerization reaction, the complex [Au(1-Se-2-Me-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10))(PPh(3))] was synthesized, confirming the existence of the intermediate Li[1-Se-2-R-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10)] at the early stages of the reaction before selenium oxidation. Theoretical calculations and cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies were carried out to compare the bonding nature of the sulfur and the selenium analog compounds. It was determined that diselenides have a higher tendency to reduce with respect to the disulfides and all chalcogen atoms were found to be positively charged.     

Ab initio molecular dynamics study of a mixture of HF(aq) and HCl(aq)

We have studied a mixture of HF and HCl molecules in water using Car-Parrinello ab initio molecular dynamics (CPMD). We have done simulations with 1 HF and 3 HCl molecules, 3 HF and 4 HCl, 6 HF and 8 HCl (6/8 simulation), and 14 HF molecules. All simulations consist of 32 molecules, and they were 10-96 ps long. The HF dissociation probability was around 30%, and HCl's was more than 90%. The solvation of the HF molecule was much better than the solvation of HCl. The solvation environment of F, both the F- ion and the F in HF, did not depend much on the acids concentration, whereas the Cl coordination numbers were rather sensitive to the concentration. In the 6/8 simulation, all XH-Y (X, Y = F, Cl) type molecules were observed and the FH-F was the most probable. In general, the molecular structures in mixed aqueous acid systems were similar to the pure HF(aq) and HCl(aq) systems.     

Synthesis of boron-iodinated o-carborane derivatives. Water stability of the periodinated monoprotic salt

Boron periodination of o-carborane has been achieved by taking account of the fact that B atoms in the cluster are of two types, i.e., those adjacent to both C atoms and the remainder. The high number of nonequivalent leaving groups opens the possibility through B-C coupling to materials with novel possibilities and to self-assembling due to the enhanced polarizability of the C-H bond. Periodination has accentuated the acidity of the carborane, and monoprotic salts are stable in water.     

Structural and magnetic diversity in cyano-bridged bi- and trimetallic complexes assembled from cyanometalates and [M(rac-CTH)]n+ building blocks (CTH = d,l-5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane)

Seven new cyano-bridged heterometallic systems have been prepared by assembling [M'(rac-CTH)]n+ complexes (M' = CrIII, NiII, CuII), which have two cis available coordination positions, and [M(CN)6]3- (M = FeIII, CrIII) and [Fe(CN)2(bpy)2]+ cyanometalate building blocks. The assembled systems, which have been characterized by X-ray crystallography and magnetic investigations, are the molecular squares (meso-CTH-H2)[{Ni(rac-CTH)}2{Fe(CN)6)}2].5H2O (2) and [{Ni(rac-CTH)}2{Fe(CN)2(bpy)2}2](ClO4)4.H2O (5), the bimetallic chain [{Ni(rac-CTH)}2{Cr(CN)6)}2Ni(meso-CTH)].4H2O (3), the trimetallic chain [{Ni(rac-CTH)}2{Fe(CN)6)}2Cu(cyclam)]6H2O (4), the pentanuclear complexes [{Cu(rac-CTH}3{Fe(CN)6}2].2H2O (6) and [{Cu(rac-CTH)}3{Cr(CN)6)}2].2H2O (7), and the dinuclear complex [Cr(rac-CTH)(H2O)Fe(CN)6].2H2O (8). With the exception of 5, all compounds exhibit ferromagnetic interaction between the metal ions (JFeNi = 12.8(2) cm-1 for 2; J1FeCu= 13.8(2) cm-1 and J2FeCu= 3.9(4) cm-1 for 6; J1CrCu= 6.95(3) cm-1 and J2CrCu= 1.9(2)cm-1 for 7; JCrFe = 28.87(3) cm-1 for 8). Compound 5 exhibits the end of a transition from the high-spin to the low-spin state of the octahedral FeII ions. The bimetallic chain 3 behaves as a metamagnet with a critical field Hc = 300 G, which is associated with the occurrence of week antiferromagnetic interactions between the chains. Although the trimetallic chain 4 shows some degree of spin correlation along the chain, magnetic ordering does not occur. The sign and magnitude of the magnetic exchange interaction between CrIII and FeIII in compound 8 have been justified by DFT type calculations.     

Quantitative linear independence of an infinite product and its derivatives

We establish measures for the rational linear independence of 1 and the values of the product and its derivatives at finitely many rational points, q ≠ 0,±1 being a fixed integer. This is a quantitative improvement upon Bézivin’s very recent result in this journal. In contrast to his procedure, we use the method of Padé approximations of the second kind to get the above-mentioned improvement, some generalizations, and several irrationality measures.