Phospha-palladacycles and N-heterocyclic carbene palladium complexes: efficient catalysts for CC-coupling reactions

Due to the great importance of palladium-catalyzed Heck-type reactions in scientific and industrial chemistry, a lot of publications and reviews have been published during the last years describing this matter under different aspects. This article presents a summary of catalytic applications of palladium complexes with phosphorus ligands containing a metallated sp³-carbon centre (“palladacycles”) or with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in C-C and C-N coupling reactions of aryl halides including recent results of mechanistic discussions about their role in the catalytic cycle.     

Low-valent cobalt complexes with three different pi acceptor ligands: experimental and DFT studies of the reduced and the low-lying excited states of (R-DAB)Co(NO)(CO), R-DAB = substituted 1,4-diaza-1,4-butadiene

The complexes (RN=CH-CH=NR)Co(NO)(CO) with R = isopropyl, 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, or p-tolyl are chemically and electrochemically reducible to radical anions at potentials which strongly depend on R. The DFT calculated structure for the neutral compound with R = iPr agrees with the experiment, and the computed structure of the anion radical reveals changes according to a reduction of the R-DAB ligand. EPR results confirm an (R-DAB)-based singly occupied molecular orbital in [(RNCHCHNR)Co(NO)(CO)](.-), with minor but detectable contributions from NO as supported by IR spectroelectrochemistry and as quantified by DFT spin density calculations. The calculations indicate increasingly stabilized CO, NO, and RNCHCHNR pi* acceptor orbitals, in that order. On the basis of TD-DFT (time-dependent density functional theory) calculations, the lowest-lying excited states are assigned to metal-to-(R-DAB) charge transfer transitions while bands due to the metal-to-nitrosyl charge transfer occur at higher energies but still in the visible region. Resonance Raman studies were used to probe these assignments.     

From quality inspection to quality assurance

Summary Systematic quality assurance, e.g. in accordance with the provisions of ISO 9000, requires not only the targeted use of quality as a management tool, but also a revised attitude to operational procedures. Although sophisticated checking of the final results of a procedure (e.g. results of analyses, sales products, reports) meets the legal requirements and often also the customers' requirements, this misses the chance of being able to influence the quality of a final result at the earliest possible stage. It is then only possible subsequently to take the uneconomic decision as to whether the result of the work is useable or must be discarded or the object reworked. Within quality assurance, all operations are to be considered as processes with the aim of arriving at a statistically controlled process. The advantages of statistical process control are explained by way of examples from analytical procedures and production. The status of internal audits is explained as it interrelates with process control.     

Mehrfachbindungen zwischen Hauptgruppenelementen und Übergangsmetallen : XLIV. Synthesen von Hydrogensulfido- und Hydrogenselenido-Komplexen der Metalle Chrom, Molybdän und Wolfram

Hydrogenchalcogenido complexes of general composition (η⁵-C₅R₅)(CO)₃M(EH) (R = H, CH₃; M = Cr, Mo, W; E = S, Se) can be obtained by three different routes, sometimes in quite good yields. Thus, the sulfur and selenium derivatives can be synthesized by insertion of the respective elements into the metal-hydrogen bonds of the precursor compounds (η⁵-C₅R₅)(CO)₃MH. This species also reacts with potassium selenocyanate to yield the hydrogenselenido derivatives (η⁵-C₅R₅)(CO)₃M(SeH) which can also be obtained by treatment of the methyl complexes (η⁵-C₅R₅)(CO)₃M(CH₃ (M = Mo, W) with HBF₄ and Li[SeH]. The corresponding hydrogentellurido compounds are probably formed by these preparative methods but appear to be quickly converted into either the dinuclear tellurium bridge products (μ-Te)[(η⁵-C₅R₅)(CO)₃M]₂ (M = Mo) or into the hydrido complexes (η⁵-C₅R₅)(CO)₃MH (M= Mo, W) by release of elemental tellurium.     

High temperature corrosion behaviour of M(Co,Ni)CrAIY-coatings on high temperature materials-microanalytical investigations

In our former investigations, the phenomenon high temperature corrosion (HTC) was described exemplarily on selected materialcoating combinations for blades of stationary gas turbines, mainly in the temperature region of up to 750° C. To answer the question, in which manner higher gas inlet and/or higher material surface temperature would influence the HTC behaviour, a special analytical technique—the integral layer profile analysis—was introduced to ameliorate concentration profile methods. By examining IN 738 LC specimens with CoCrAlY plasma spray coating, stressed by hot gas at 900° C, the limits of this system are shown by explaining the corrosion mechanism; the method is also used for other systems, e.g. U 520 with NiCrAlY coating at 750° C.     

Electrochemical stripping with carbon fiber electrodes in a microliter-capacity cell

The construction of a microcell with an in-situ mercury-plated carbon fiber electrode for the application of electrochemical stripping techniques is described. The performance of the cell is compared to a conventional mercury-film glassy carbon electrode in large-volume cells with special emphasis on the effects of mass transport and oxygen interference. Effective mass transport is provided withouth forced convection and oxygen does not appear to influence the response of the carbon fiber electrode. The dependence of the a.s.v. and p.s.a. signals on the deposition time with the microcell deviated from linearity at deposition times above 3 min because of depletion effects and decreased concentration of oxidizing agent, respectively. Good reproducibility of lead determinations in the μg 1^?1 range by a.s.v. and p.s.a. was achieved in successive scans at the same fiber and in consecutive tests of identical samples. Calibration plots were linear in the 0.01–10 mg 1^?1 range. Sample volumes down to 5 μl were used in determining cadmium and lead. The detection limits for both elements obtained with a.s.v. and p.s.a. after 5-min preconcentration were 1 and 3 μg1^?1, respectively, or in absolute mass 5 pg and 15 pg, respectively.     

UCr4C4 with filled MoNi4 type structure

The title compound was prepared by arc melting coldpressed pellets of the elemental components with subsequent annealing at both 800°C or 1100°C. UCr₄C₄ crystallizes tetragonal, space group I4/m,a=0.79363 (4) nm,c=0.30754 (3) nm,V=0.19370 nm³ withZ=2 formula units per cell. The structure was determined from single-crystal X-ray data and refined to a residual ofR=0.027 for 16 variable parameters and 279 structure factors. The positions of the metal atoms correspond to those of the MoNi₄ type structure. The carbon atoms occupy octahedral voids formed by four chromium and two adjacent uranium atoms. Chemical bonding in UCr₄C₄ and in other interstitial compounds is briefly discussed. The average valence electron number of the metal atoms is usually greater for the unfilled (host) structure than for the corresponding filled structure.Dedicated to Prof. Dr.Kurt Komarek and to Prof. Dr.Adolf Neckel on the occasion of their 60th birthdays.