New developments in zinc-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketones with PMHS

The influence of structural modifications of the diamine ligand and the ZnR₂ precursor in the [ZnR₂-diamine]-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of prochiral ketones with PMHS in aprotic medium is reported. A new diamine ligand giving up to 91% ee in the reduction of acetophenone is described. The scope of this reduction system has been investigated using variously functionalized ketones and some deactivation pathways have been identified.     

Zeta potential measurement of calcium carbonate

The problem of scaling, which one finds in industrial heat exchangers, particularly in atmospheric coolers in nuclear power stations, depends on calcium carbonate deposits from fresh water. To better understand this phenomenon, we have examined the eventual implication of superficial electric charge of precipitated crystal nuclei. After a bibliographical review showing a fundamental divergence from already published results, this paper describes an experimental plant to measure the zeta potential in controlled conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium, oversaturation, or undersaturation of a CaCO(3)-H(2)O-CO(2) system taking into account simultaneously the three phases: gas, liquid, and solid. The zeta potential is measured by a crystalline-plug method with calcite or aragonite crystals. The potential cancels at thermodynamic equilibrium and is always negative for other conditions, in particular for oversaturation where the possibility of scaling exists. The analysis of these results suggests that the potential determining ions of the system are Ca(2+) and HCO(-)(3).     

Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-fluorescence properties in nano-crystallized SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> glass-ceramics

Fluorescence and spectral hole burning properties of Eu³⁺ ions were studied in nanocrystals-precipitated SnO₂-SiO₂ glasses. The glasses were prepared to contain various amount of Eu₂O₃ using the sol-gel method, in which SnO₂ nanocrystals were precipitated by heating in air. In the glasses containing Eu₂O₃ less than 1%, the Eu³⁺ ions were preferentially doped in the SnO₂ nanocrystals and their fluorescence intensities were enhanced by the energy transfer due to the recombination of electrons and holes excited in SnO₂ crystals. The SnO₂ nanocrystals-precipitated glasses exhibited the persistent spectral holes with the depth of ∼25% of the total fluorescence intensities of the Eu³⁺ ions. With the increasing Eu₂O₃ concentration, the amount of SnO₂ nanocrystals decreased and the Sn⁴⁺ ions formed the random glass structure together with the silica network. This structure change induced the fluorescence intensities and the hole depth to decrease.     

Octanuclear and nonanuclear supramolecular copper(II) complexes with linear "tritopic" ligands: structural and magnetic studies

The structures and magnetic properties of self-assembled copper(II) clusters and grids with the "tritopic" ligands 2poap (a), Cl2poap (b), m2poap (c), Cl2pomp (d), and 2pomp (e) are described [ligands derived by reaction of 4-R-2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic hydrazide (R = H, Cl, MeO) with 2-pyridinemethylimidate (a-c, respectively) or 2-acetylpyridine (d, R = Cl; e, R = H)]. Cl2poap and Cl2pomp self-assemble with Cu(NO(3))(2) to form octanuclear "pinwheel" cluster complexes [Cu(8)(Cl2poap-2H)(4)(NO(3))(8)].20H(2)O (1) and [Cu(8)(Cl2pomp-2H)(4)(NO(3))(8)].15H(2)O (2), built on a square [2 x 2] grid with four pendant copper arms, using "mild" reaction conditions. Similar reactions of Cl2pomp and 2pomp with Cu(ClO(4))(2) produce pinwheel clusters [Cu(8)(Cl2pomp-2H)(4)(H(2)O)(8)](ClO(4))(8).7H(2)O (3) and [Cu(8)(2pomp-2H)(4)(H(2)O)(8)](ClO(4))(8) (4), respectively. Heating a solution of 1 in MeOH/H(2)O produces a [3 x 3] nonanuclear square grid complex, [Cu(9)(Cl2poap-H)(3)(Cl2poap-2H)(3)](NO(3))(9).18H(2)O (5), which is also produced by direct reaction of the ligand and metal salt under similar conditions. Reaction of m2poap with Cu(NO(3))(2) produces only the [3 x 3] grid [Cu(9)(m2poap-H)(2)(m2poap-2H)(4)](NO(3))(8).17H(2)O (6) under similar conditions. Mixing the tritopic ligand 2poap with pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (picd) in the presence of Cu(NO(3))(2) produces a remarkable mixed ligand, nonanuclear grid complex [Cu(9)(2poap-H)(4)(picd-H)(3)(picd-2H)](NO(3))(9).9H(2)O (7), in which aromatic pi-stacking interactions are important in stabilizing the structure. Complexes 1-3 and 5-7 involve single oxygen atom (alkoxide) bridging connections between adjacent copper centers, while complex 4 has an unprecedented mixed micro-(N-N) and micro-O metal ion connectivity. Compound 1 (C(76)H(92)N(44)Cu(8)O(50)Cl(4)) crystallizes in the tetragonal system, space group I, with a = 21.645(1) A, c = 12.950(1) A, and Z = 2. Compound 2 (C(84)H(88)N(36)O(44)Cl(4)Cu(8)) crystallizes in the tetragonal system, space group I, with a = 21.2562(8) A, c = 12.7583(9) A, and Z = 2. Compound 4 (C(84)H(120)N(28)O(66)Cl(8)Cu(8)) crystallizes in the tetragonal system, space group I4(1)/a, with a = 20.7790(4) A, c = 32.561(1) A, and Z = 4. Compound 7(C(104)H(104)N(46)O(56)Cu(9)) crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P, with a = 15.473(1) A, b = 19.869(2) A, c = 23.083(2) A, alpha = 88.890(2) degrees, beta = 81.511(2) degrees, gamma = 68.607(1) degrees, and Z = 2. All complexes exhibit dominant intramolecular ferromagnetic exchange coupling, resulting from an orthogonal bridging arrangement within each polynuclear structure.     

Optimisation of accurate rutile TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> (110), (100), (101) and (001) surface models from periodic DFT calculations

In this paper, geometric bulk parameters, bulk moduli, energy gaps and relative stabilities of the TiO₂ anatase and rutile phases were determined from periodic DFT calculations. Then, for the rutile phase, structures, relaxations and surface energies of the (110), (100), (101) and (001) faces were computed. The calculated surface energies are consistent with the natural rutile powder composition, even if a dependence on the number of layers of the slab used to model the surface was identified. Internal constraints, consisting in freezing some internal layers of the slab to atomic bulk positions, were thus added to mimic the bulk hardness in order to stabilise the computed surface energies for thinner systems. In parallel, the influence of pseudopotentials was studied and it appears that four valence electrons for titanium atoms are sufficient. The aim of this study was to optimise accurate rutile TiO₂ surface models that will be used in further calculations to investigate water and uranyl ion sorption mechanisms.     

Pyrazolo[3,4-d][1,2,3]triazine DNA: synthesis and base pairing of 7-deaza-2,8-diaza-2'-deoxyadenosine

7-deaza-2,8-diaza-2'-deoxyadenosine (4) was synthesized from 8-aza-7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine (1) via the 1,N(6)-etheno derivative 5. Ring opening with sodium hydroxide followed by ring closure in the presence of sodium nitrite formed the tricyclic intermediate 5 from which the transiently introduced "etheno" moiety was removed with NBS. Compound 4 was converted to the phosphoramidite 11, which was employed in solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis. Base pairing studies on 4, incorporated in a 12-mer duplex, showed that this adenine nucleoside analogue forms a strong base pair with dG but not with dT. This novel base pair is as stable as that of the canonical dA-dT pair. As a result of the absence of nitrogen-7 compound 4 is expected to form a face to face base pair with dG.     

Traceability in quantitative NMR using an electronic signal as working standard

The choice of the reference, either as internal or external is not straightforward in quantitative NMR. In this context ERETIC™ methodology appears as an universal referencing technique. An electronic signal, generated by the NMR spectrometer during the acquisition time, operates as a virtual working standard. The processes for ensuring a traceability to primary standards is illustrated on the official method devoted to (D/H)_i ratios measurement on ethanol, using quantitative ²H-NMR. The ERETIC approach is shown to be equivalent to its official homologue, in terms of accuracy and precision. Finally, its performance could be beneficial to other analytes, matrices and nuclei.     

Destructive adsorption of CCl4 over lanthanum-based solids: linking activity to acid-base properties

The relative activities of a low-surface crystalline and high-surface amorphous LaOCl, further denoted as S1 and S2, have been compared for the destructive adsorption of CCl4. It was found that the intrinsic activity of S2 is higher than that of S1. Both samples were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2-physisorption, and Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. IR was used in combination with CO2, CO, and methanol as probe molecules. The CO2 experiments showed that different carbonate species are formed on both materials. For S1, a high surface concentration of bidentate carbonate species and a lower concentration of monodentate carbonate were observed. In the case of S2, bulk carbonates were present together with bridged carbonates. CO adsorption shows that S2 and S1 have very similar Lewis acid sites. However, methanol adsorption experiments showed that S2 had a higher number of stronger Lewis acid sites than S1 and that twofold coordinated methoxy species were more strongly bound than threefold coordinated methoxy species. Because of the analogy between methanol dissociation and the removal of the first chlorine atom in the destructive adsorption of CCl4, the sites enabling twofold coordination were likely to be the same Lewis acid sites actively involved in the destructive adsorption of CCl4. La2O3 was less active than the two LaOCl materials, and therefore, the intrinsic activity of the catalyst increases as the strength of the Lewis acid sites increases. S2 contains more chlorine at the surface than S1, which is expressed by the higher number of sites enabling twofold coordination. Moreover, this explains the difference in destructive adsorption capacity for CCl4 that was observed for the samples S1 and S2. Since LaCl3, being the most acidic phase, is not active for the destructive adsorption of CCl4, basic oxygen atoms, however, remain needed to stabilize the reaction intermediate CCl3 as La-O-CCl3.     

2‐Amino‐8‐(2‐deoxy‐2‐fluoro‐β‐D‐arabinofuranosyl)imidazo[1,2‐a]‐1,3,5‐triazin‐4(8H)‐one: Synthesis and Conformation of a 5‐Aza‐7‐deazaguanine Fluoronucleoside

Nucleobase‐anion glycosylation of 2‐[(2‐methyl‐1‐oxopropyl)amino]imidazo[1,2‐a]‐1,3,5‐triazin‐4(8H)‐one ( 6 ) with 3,5‐di‐O‐benzoyl‐2‐deoxy‐2‐fluoro‐α‐D ‐arabinofuranosyl bromide ( 8 ) furnishes a mixture of the benzoyl‐protected anomeric 2‐amino‐8‐(2‐deoxy‐2‐fluoro‐D ‐arabinofuranosyl)imidazo[1,2‐a]‐1,3,5‐triazin‐4(8H)‐ones 9 / 10 in a ratio of ca. 1 : 1. After deprotection, the inseparable anomeric mixture 3 / 4 was silylated. The obtained 5‐O‐[(1,1‐dimethylethyl)diphenylsilyl] derivatives 11 and 12 were separated and desilylated affording the nucleoside 3 and its α‐D anomer 4 . Similar to 2′‐deoxy‐2′‐fluoroarabinoguanosine, the conformation of the sugar moiety is shifted from S towards N by the fluoro substituent in arabino configuration.