A Reaction-Induced Localization of Spin Density Enables Thermal C−H Bond Activation of Methane by Pristine FeC4+

The reactivity of the cationic metal-carbon cluster FeC₄⁺ towards methane has been studied experimentally using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and computationally by high-level quantum chemical calculations. At room temperature, FeC₄H⁺ is formed as the main ionic product, and the experimental findings are substantiated by labeling experiments. According to extensive quantum chemical calculations, the C−H bond activation step proceeds through a radical-based hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) mechanism. This finding is quite unexpected because the initial spin density at the terminal carbon atom of FeC₄⁺, which serves as the hydrogen acceptor site, is low. However, in the course of forming an encounter complex, an electron from the doubly occupied sp-orbital of the terminal carbon atom of FeC₄⁺ migrates to the singly occupied π*-orbital; the latter is delocalized over the entire carbon chain. Thus, a highly localized spin density is generated in situ at the terminal carbon atom. Consequently, homolytic C−H bond activation occurs without the obligation to pay a considerable energy penalty that is usually required for HAT involving closed-shell acceptor sites. The mechanistic insights provided by this combined experimental/computational study extend the understanding of methane activation by transition-metal carbides and add a new facet to the dizzying mechanistic landscape of hydrogen-atom transfer.     

Hole Migration in Telomere-Based Oligonucleotide Anions and G-Quadruplexes

Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization of a gas-phase oligonucleotide anion leads to the formation of a valence hole. This hole migrates towards an energetically favorable site where it can weaken bonds and ultimately lead to bond cleavage. We have studied Vacuum UV photoionization of deprotonated oligonucleotides containing the human telomere sequence dTTAGGG and G-quadruplex structures consisting of four dTGGGGT single strands, stabilized by NH₄⁺ counter ions. The oligonucleotide and G-quadruplex anions were confined in a radiofrequency ion trap, interfaced with a synchrotron beamline and the photofragmentation was studied using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Oligonucleotide 12-mers containing the 5'-TTAGGG sequence were found to predominantly break in the GGG region, whereas no selective bond cleavage region was observed for the reversed 5'-GGGATT sequence. For G-quadruplex structures, fragmentation was quenched and mostly non-dissociative single and double electron removal was observed.     

Dimerisation of Dipiperidinoacetylene: Convenient Access to Tetraamino-1,3-Cyclobutadiene and Tetraamino-1,2-Cyclobutadiene Metal Complexes

The reaction of 1,2-dipiperidinoacetylene ( 1 ) with 0.5 equivalents of SnCl₂ or GeCl₂⋅dioxane afforded the 1,2,3,4-tetrapiperidino-1,3-cyclobutadiene tin and germanium dichloride complexes 2 a and 2 b , respectively. A competing redox reaction was observed with excess amounts of SnCl₂, which produced a tetrapiperidinocyclobutadiene dication with two trichlorostannate(II) counterions. Heating neat 1 to 110 °C for 16 h cleanly produced the dimer 1,3,4,4-tetrapiperidino-3-buten-1-yne ( 3 ); its reaction with stoichiometric amounts of SnCl₂ or GeCl₂⋅dioxane furnished the 1,3,4,4-tetrapiperidino-1,2-cyclobutadiene tin and germanium dichloride complexes 4 a and 4 b , respectively. Transition-metal complexes containing this novel four-membered cyclic bent allene (CBA) ligand were prepared by reaction of 3 with [(tht)AuCl], [RhCl(CO)₂]₂, and [(Me₃N)W(CO)₅] to form [(CBA)AuCl] ( 5 ), [(CBA)RhCl(CO)₂] ( 6 ), and [(CBA)W(CO)₅] ( 7 ). The molecular structures of all compounds 2 – 7 were determined by X-ray diffraction analyses, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to rationalise the formation of 3 and 4 a .     

Directional Self‐Assembly of Fluorinated Star Block Polymer Thin Films Using Mixed Solvent Vapor Annealing

We demonstrate the directional alignment of perpendicular‐lamellae domains in fluorinated three‐armed star block polymer (BP) thin films using solvent vapor annealing with shear stress. The control of orientation and alignment was accomplished without any substrate surface modification. Additionally, three‐armed star poly(methyl methacrylate‐block‐styrene) [PMMA‐PS] and poly(octafluoropentyl methacrylate‐block‐styrene) were compared to their linear analogues to examine the impact of fluorine content and star architecture on self‐assembled BP feature sizes and interdomain density profiles. X‐ray reflectometry results indicated that the star BP molecular architecture increased the effective polymer segregation strength and could possibly facilitate reduced polymer domain spacings, which are useful in next‐generation nanolithographic applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 1663–1672     

Reactivity of urethanes at high temperature: Transurethanization and side reactions

The reactivity of urethanes based on 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and 4,4′‐methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) was investigated at temperatures between 190 °C and 235 °C. Diurethane model compounds end‐capped with either 1‐dodecanol (D‐core‐D) or 1‐hexadecanol (H‐core‐H) were mixed and annealed at high temperature. The core was either MDI or HDI. The transurethanization reaction was followed based on the formation of the compounds (H‐core‐D). The amount of H‐core‐D and of side products, which had formed after variable annealing times, were identified with ¹H NMR, FTIR, SEC, and MALDI‐TOF. Transurethanization was considerably faster for MDI‐based urethanes than for HDI‐based urethanes. Only traces of side products were formed during annealing of MDI‐based urethanes, whereas a significant amount of allophanates was formed from HDI‐based urethanes under the same conditions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 621–629     

Self‐emulsion polymerization of amphiphilic monomers—a green route to synthesis of polymeric nanoscaffolds

Self‐emulsion polymerization (SEP), a green route developed by us for the polymerization of amphiphilic monomers, does not require any emulsifier or an organic solvent except that the water‐soluble initiators such as 2,2′‐azobis[2‐(2‐imidazolin‐2‐yl)propane]dihydrochloride (VA‐044) and potassium persulfate (KPS) are only used. We report here the polymer nanoscaffolds from a number of amphiphilic monomers, which can be used for in situ encapsulation of a variety of nanoparticles. As a demonstration of the efficacy of these nanoscaffolds, the synthesis of a biocompatible hybrid nanoparticle (nanohybrid), prepared by encapsulating Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticle (Fe₃O₄ MNPs) in poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) in water, for MRI application is presented. The nanohybrid prepared following the SEP in the form of an emulsion does not involve the use of any stabilizing agent, crosslinker, polymeric emulsifier, or surfactant. This water‐soluble, spherical, and stable nanohybrid containing Fe₃O₄ MNPs of average size 10 ± 2 nm has a zeta potential value of ?41.89 mV under physiological conditions. Magnetic measurement confirmed that the nanohybrid shows typical magnetic behavior having a saturation magnetization (Ms) value of 32.3 emu/g and a transverse relaxivity (r2) value of 29.97 mM^?1 s^?1, which signifies that it can be used as a T2 contrast agent in MRI. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019     

C−I‐Selective Cross‐Coupling Enabled by a Cationic Palladium Trimer

While there is a growing interest in harnessing synergistic effects of more than one metal in catalysis, relatively little is known beyond bimetallic systems. This report describes the straightforward access to an air‐stable Pd trimer and presents unambiguous reactivity data of its privileged capability to differentiate C?I over C?Br bonds in C?C bond formations (arylation and alkylation) of polyhalogenated arenes, which typical Pd⁰ and Pd^I‐Pd^I catalysts fail to deliver. Experimental and computational reactivity data, including the first location of a transition state for bond activation by the trimer, are presented, supporting direct trimer reactivity to be feasible.     

Effect of Two‐Dimensional Crystal Orbitals on Fermi Surfaces and Electron Transport in Three‐Dimensional Perovskite Oxides

Perovskite oxides are candidate materials in catalysis, fuel cells, thermoelectrics, and electronics, where electronic transport is vital to their use. While the fundamental transport properties of these materials have been heavily studied, there are still key features that are not well understood, including the temperature‐squared behavior of their resistivities. Standard transport models fail to account for this atypical property because Fermi surfaces of many perovskite oxides are low‐dimensional and distinct from traditional semiconductors. In this work, the low‐dimensional Fermi surfaces of perovskite oxides are chemically interpreted in terms of two‐dimensional crystal orbitals that form the conduction bands. Using SrTiO₃ as a case study, the d/p‐hybridization that creates these low‐dimensional electronic structures is reviewed and connected to its fundamentally different electronic properties. A low‐dimensional band model explains several experimental transport properties, including the temperature and carrier‐density dependence of the effective mass, the carrier‐density dependence of scattering, and the temperature dependence of resistivity. This work highlights how chemical bonding influences semiconductor transport.     

Optimisation of a key cross-coupling reaction towards the synthesis of a promising antileishmanial compound

During the course of a research program aimed at identifying novel antileishmanial compounds, a multi-gram synthesis of N-(trans-4-((4-methoxy-3-((R)-3-methylmorpholino)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-6-yl)amino)cyclohexyl)-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonamide ((R)-1) was required. This letter describes optimisation of the reaction conditions and protecting group strategy for a key Buchwald-Hartwig coupling, delivering the required quantities of (R)-1, as well as further compounds in the series.