C−H Activation of Inert Arenes using a Photochemically Activated Guanidinato-Magnesium(I) Compound

UV irradiation of solutions of a guanidinate coordinated dimagnesium(I) compound, [{(Priso)Mg}₂] 3 (Priso=[(DipN)₂CNPrⁱ₂]⁻, Dip=2,6-diisopropylphenyl), in either benzene, toluene, the three isomers of xylene, or mesitylene, leads to facile activation of an aromatic C−H bond of the solvent in all cases, and formation of aryl/hydride bridged magnesium(II) products, [{(Priso)Mg}₂(μ-H)(μ-Ar)] 4 – 9 . In contrast to similar reactions reported for β-diketiminate coordinated counterparts of 3 , these C−H activations proceed with little regioselectivity, though they are considerably faster. Reaction of 3 with an excess of the pyridine, p-NC₅H₄Bu^t (py^But), gave [(Priso)Mg(py^ButH)(py^But)₂] 10 , presumably via reduction of the pyridine to yield a radical intermediate, [(Priso)Mg(py^But⋅)(py^But)₂] 11 , which then abstracts a proton from the reaction solvent or a reactant. DFT calculations suggest two possible pathways to the observed arene C−H activations. One of these involves photochemical cleavage of the Mg−Mg bond of 3 , generating magnesium(I) doublet radicals, (Priso)Mg⋅. These then doubly reduce the arene substrate to give “Birch-like” products, which subsequently rearrange via C−H activation of the arene. Circumstantial evidence for the photochemical generation of transient magnesium radical species includes the fact that irradiation of a cyclohexane solution of 3 leads to an intramolecular aliphatic C−H activation process and formation of an alkyl-bridged magnesium(II) species, [{Mg(μ-Priso^−H)}₂] 12 . Furthermore, irradiation of a 1 : 1 mixture of 3 and the β-diketiminato dimagnesium(I) compound, [{(^DipNacnac)Mg}₂] (^DipNacnac=[HC(MeCNDip)₂]⁻), effects a “scrambling” reaction, and the near quantitative formation of an unsymmetrical dimagnesium(I) compound, [(Priso)Mg−Mg(^DipNacnac)] 13 . Finally, the EPR spectrum (77 K) of a glassed solution of UV irradiated 3 is dominated by a broad featureless signal, indicating the presence of a doublet radical species.     

Critical endpoint and analytical phase diagram of attractive hard-core Yukawa spheres

We analytically calculate the gas-liquid critical endpoint (cep) for hard spheres with a Yukawa attraction. This cep is a boundary condition for the existence of a liquid. We use an analytical Helmholtz energy expression for the attractive Yukawa (hard) spheres based on the first-order mean spherical approximation to the attractive Yukawa potential by Tang and Lu (J. Chem. Phys. 1993, 99, 9828). This theory and our analytical simplification of it predict the gas-liquid and fluid-solid phase behavior, as found from computer simulations, very accurately as long as the range 1/kappa of attraction is not too short. We find that the cep is situated at kappasigma approximately 6 and at a contact potential around 2 kT. It follows that a liquid state is only possible when the attraction range is longer than (1/6) of the particle diameter sigma, and the attraction strength is smaller than 2 kT. The liquid region does not span more than 0.6 kT in strength, and there is also a relatively narrow window for the attraction range.     

Three new polynuclear tetracarboxylato-bridged copper(II) complexes: Syntheses, X-ray structure and magnetic properties

The synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic measurements of three new polynuclear tetracarboxylato-bridged copper(II) complexes, i.e. {[Cu₄(phen)₂(μ-O₂CC₂H₅)₈] · (H₂O)}_n (1), [Cu₂(μ-O₂CC₆H₄OH)₄(C₇H₇NO)₂] · 6H₂O (2) and [Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄(C₇H₇NO)₂] (3) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, O₂CC₆H₄OH = 3-hydroxy benzoate, C₇H₇NO = 4-acetylpyridine) are reported. All compounds consist of dinuclear units, in which two Cu(II) ions are bridged by four syn,syn-η¹:η¹:μ carboxylates, showing a paddle-wheel cage type with a square-pyramidal geometry, arranged in different ways. The structure of compound 1 consists of an one-dimensional structure generated by an alternating classical dinuclear paddle-wheel unit and an unusual dinuclear Cu₂(μ-OCOC₂H₅)₂(μ-O₂CC₂H₅)₂(phen)₂unit, which are connected to each other via a syn,anti-triatomic propionato bridge in an axial-equatorial configuration. The adjacent chains are connected to generate a 2D structure through the face-to-face π–π interaction between phen rings. Structures of compounds 2 and 3 both consist of a symmetric dinuclear Cu(II) carboxylate paddle-wheel core and pyridyl nitrogen atoms of 4-acetylpyridine ligand at the apical position, and just differ in the substituents of the equatorial ligands.

The magnetic properties have been measured and correlated with the molecular structures. It is found that in the two classical paddle-wheel compounds the Cu(II) ions are strongly antiferromagnetically coupled with J = −278.5 and −287.0 cm⁻¹ for complexes 2 and 3, respectively. In compound 1 the magnetic susceptibility could be fitted with two different, independent Cu(II) units, one strongly coupled and one weakly coupled; the paddle-wheel dinuclear unit has the strongest antiferromagetic coupling with a value for J of −299.5 cm⁻¹, whereas the Cu(II) ions in the propionato-bridged dinuclear unit of 1 display a very weak antiferromagnetic coupling with a value for J = −0.75 cm⁻¹, due to the orthogonality of the magnetic orbitals. Also the exchange within the chain is therefore very weak. The magneto-structural correlations for complexes 1, 2, and 3 are discussed on the basis of the structural parameters and magnetic data for the complexes.     

Halogen-containing tetrametallic aluminium alkoxides

New halogen-containing tetrametallic aluminium alkoxides of formula [Al{(mu-OEt)2AlMeCl}3] ( 2-cis; 2-trans), and [Al{(mu-OEt)2AlBr2}3] ( 4), have been synthesized by combining Al(OEt)3 and Me2AlCl (for 2) or EtAlBr2 (for 4). They were fully characterized by (1H, 27Al) NMR, IR, mp, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. The chloride analogue of 4, [Al{(mu-OEt)2AlCl2}3] ( 3), prepared previously using a different route, was also prepared here by combining Al(OEt)3 and EtAlCl2.     

Influence of pressure and temperature on the physico-chemical properties of mobile phase mixtures commonly used in high-performance liquid chromatography

To fulfil the increasing demand for faster and more complex separations, modern HPLC separations are performed at ever higher pressures and temperatures. Under these operating conditions, it is no longer possible to safely assume the mobile phase fluid properties to be invariable of the governing pressures and temperatures, without this resulting in significantly deficient results. A detailed insight in the influence of pressure and temperature on the physico-chemical properties of the most commonly used liquid mobile phases: water-methanol and water-acetonitrile mixtures, therefore becomes very timely. Viscosity, isothermal compressibility and density were measured for pressures up to 1000 bar and temperatures up to 100 degrees C for the entire range of water-methanol and water-acetonitrile mixtures. The paper reports on two different viscosity values: apparent and real viscosities. The apparent viscosities represent the apparent flow resistance under high pressure referred to by the flow rates measured at atmospheric pressure. They are of great practical use, because the flow rates at atmospheric pressure are commonly stable and more easily measurable in a chromatographic setup. The real viscosities are those complying with the physical definition of viscosity and they are important from a fundamental point of view. By measuring the isothermal compressibility, the actual volumetric flow rates at elevated pressures and temperatures can be calculated. The viscosities corresponding to these flow rates are the real viscosities of the solvent under the given elevated pressure and temperature. The measurements agree very well with existing literature data, which mainly focus on pure water, methanol and acetonitrile and are only available for a limited range of temperatures and pressures. As a consequence, the physico-chemical properties reported on in this paper provide a significant extension to the range of data available, hereby providing useful data to practical as well as theoretical chromatographers investigating the limits of modern day HPLC.     

p-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene complexes of molybdenum and tungsten: reactivity of the calixarene methylene C-H bond and the facile migration of the metal around the phenolic rim of the calixarene

p-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene, [CalixBut(OH)4], reacts with Mo(PMe3)6 and W(PMe3)4(eta2-CH2PMe2)H to yield compounds of composition {[CalixBut(OH)2(O)2]M(PMe3)3H2} which exhibit unprecedented use of a C-H bond of a calixarene methylene group as a binding functionality in the form of agostic and alkyl hydride derivatives. Thus, X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate that, in the solid state, the molybdenum complex [CalixBut(OH)2(O)2]Mo(PMe3)3H2 exists as an agostic derivative with a Mo...H-C interaction, whereas the tungsten complex exists as a metallated trihydride [Calix-HBut(OH)2(O)2]W(PMe3)3H3. Solution 1H NMR spectroscopic studies, however, provide evidence that [Calix-HBut(OH)2(O)2]W(PMe3)3H3 is in equilibrium with its agostic isomer [CalixBut(OH)2(O)2]W(PMe3)3H2. Dynamic NMR spectroscopy also indicates that the [M(PMe3)3H2] fragments of both the molybdenum and tungsten complexes [CalixBut(OH)2(O)2]M(PMe3)3H2 migrate rapidly around the phenolic rim of the calixarene on the NMR time scale, an observation that is in accord with incorporation of deuterium into the methylene endo positions upon treatment of the isomeric mixture of [CalixBut(OH)2(O)2]W(PMe3)3H2 and [Calix-HBut(OH)2(O)2]W(PMe3)3H3 with D2. Treatment of {[CalixBut(OH)2(O)2]W(PMe3)3H2} with Ph2C2 gives the alkylidene complex [CalixBut(O)4]W=C(Ph)Ar [Ar = PhCC(Ph)CH2Ph].     

Palladium complexes with Pd-->B dative bonds: analysis of the bonding in the palladaboratrane compound [kappa4-B(mimBut)3]Pd(PMe3)

The dinuclear complex {[mu-kappa(1),kappa(3)-B(mim(Bu(t)))(3)]Pd}(2), which features a Pd-->B dative bond, may be obtained by the reaction of [Tm(Bu(t))]K with Pd(OAc)(2); treatment of {[mu-kappa(1),kappa(3)-B(mim(Bu(t)))(3)]Pd}(2) with PMe(3) affords the mononuclear boratrane derivative [kappa(4)-B(mim(Bu(t)))(3)]Pd(PMe(3)), for which a molecular orbital analysis indicates that the palladium center possesses a d(8) configuration.     

Single-molecule magnets constructed from cyanometalates: {[Tp*Fe(III)(CN)3M(II)(DMF)4]2[OTf]2} x 2DMF (M(II) = Co, Ni)

Treatment of several divalent transition-metal trifluoromethanesulfonates [M(II)(OTf)2; M(II) = Mn, Co, Ni] with [NEt4][Tp*Fe(III)(CN)3] [Tp* = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate] in DMF affords three isostructural rectangular clusters of {[Tp*Fe(III)(CN)3M(II)(DMF)4]2[OTf]2} x 2DMF (M(II) = Mn, 3; Co, 4; Ni, 5) stoichiometry. Magnetic studies of 3-5 indicate that the Tp*Fe(CN)3(-) centers are highly anisotropic and exhibit antiferromagnetic (3 and 4) and ferromagnetic (5) exchange to afford S = 4, 2, and 3 spin ground states, respectively. ac susceptibility measurements suggest that 4 and 5 exhibit incipient single-molecule magnetic behavior below 2 K.     

Synthesis and characterization of two novel organic–inorganic hybrid solids from Keggin ions and metal coordination complexes

Two new hybrid compounds, [Co(4,4′-bpy)₂(H₂O)₄][(4,4′-bpyH₂]₂[CoW₁₂O₄₀]·8H₂O (1) and [Fe(2,2′-bpy)₃]₃[H₂W₁₂O₄₀]·6H₂O (2), (4,4′-bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine, 2,2′-bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) have been hydrothermally synthesized. These solids were characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, UV–Vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The hydrogen-bonding interactions in 1 lead to the formation of a three dimensional network consisting of [CoW₁₂O₄₀]⁶⁻ anionic clusters, [Co(4,4′-bpy)₂(H₂O)₄]²⁺ cations and lattice water molecules, while the discrete Keggin ion [H₂W₁₂O₄₀]⁶⁻ in compound 2 is surrounded by 14 [Fe(2,2′-bpy)₃]²⁺ complexes through CH?O interactions (2.24–2.56 Å).     

Coordination chemistry of 5,6,7-trimethyl-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine with first-row transition-metal salts: Synthesis, spectroscopy and single-crystal structures, with counter-anion dependence of the structures

A variety of new coordination compounds with transition-metal salts and the ligand trimethyl[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (abbreviated as tmtp) is described, together with several of their 3D crystal structures and spectroscopic and magnetic properties. The compounds were selected based on the coordination ability of the counterion, halide, nitrate, sulfate, thiocyanate and perchlorate. The formed coordination compounds and their coordination numbers were found to be strongly dependent on both the cation and the used counter-anion. The several compounds studied have the following structural formulae: [CuCl₂(tmtp)₂], [CuBr₂(tmtp)₂], [ZnBr₂(tmtp)₂], [Cu(NO₃)₂(tmtp)₂], [CuSO₄(tmtp)₂]₂(H₂O)(MeOH), [Cu(H₂O)(NCS)₂(tmtp)₂], [Zn(NCS)₂(tmtp)₂], [Cd(NCS)₂(tmtp)₂] and [M(H₂O)₂(tmtp)₄](BF₄)₂, in which M = Co, Ni, Zn.The new coordination compounds have been further characterized by NMR, (far-)IR and LF spectra, as well as by C, H, N element analyses, and EPR spectra for the Cu(II) compounds. The coordination around the metal varies from 4 (Zn, Cu), via 5 (Cu) to 6 (for Co, Cu and Cd). The anions usually complete the coordination sphere; only the Co and Zn compounds with the tetrafluoridoborate anions have no coordinated anions, but water ligands complete the octahedral coordination sphere. In the 5-coordinated [Cu(H₂O)(NCS)₂(tmtp)₂] water completes the square pyramid geometry.