Well-defined calcium initiators for lactide polymerization

A series of monomeric amide or aryloxide complexes of the form LCaX, where L = CH[CMeNC(6)H(3)-2,6-](2), CH[CMeNC(6)H(4)-2-OMe](2), a bulky tris-pyrazolyl borate, Tp(iPr) or Tp(tBu) or 9-BBN-pz(2) and X = N(SiMe(3))(2) or OC(6)H(3)-2,6-, has been prepared and characterized and investigated in the ring-opening polymerizations of lactide. The compounds (Tp(tBu))CaX in THF are shown to be highly active and stereoselective. The propylene oxide complex (Tp(tBu))Ca(OC(6)H(3)-2,6-).(PO) has been isolated and structurally characterized (single-crystal X-ray) and shown to be inert to the polymerization of PO.     

[Et3PH][W4O3Cl7(PEt3)3]. A 12-electron tetrahedral tungsten cluster with an interesting arrangement of ligands

From the reaction between W₂Cl₆(PEt₃)₂ and H₂O in tetrahydrofuran the dark green crystalline compound [Et₃PH][W₄O₃Cl₇(PEt₃)₃] was obtained and characterized by X-ray crystallography. At –155° the cell dimensions werea=b=c=20.392(3) Å,Z=8,d _calcd=2.36 g cm^–3 in the space group I23. The compound is a triethylphosphonium salt of the [W₄O₃Cl₇(PEt₃)₃]^– anion. The latter contains a tetrahedron of tungsten atoms with W–W=2.61 Å (ave) and may be viewed as a W₃(-Cl)₃Cl₃(PEt₃)₃ cluster capped by ad ⁰-[WO₃Cl]^– unit and this has proved useful in examining the bonding within the cluster by use of the M.O. calculational method of Fenske and Hall. The cluster anion has crystallographically imposed C_3v symmetry. Theoxo-groups bridge the tungsten atoms in a notably asymmetric manner W–O=1.87(2) Å and 2.04(2) Å with the shorter distances being involved with the capping [WO₃Cl]^– unit. The W–P bonds lie in the W₃(₃-Cl)₃ plane and the three terminal W–Cl bonds are trans to theoxo-bridges.     

Perfluoroterephthalate bridged complexes with M-M quadruple bonds: ((t)BuCO(2))(3)M(2)(mu-O(2)CC(6)F(4)CO(2))M(2)(O(2)C(t)Bu)(3), where M = Mo or W. Studies of solid-state,molecular, and electronic structure and correlations with electronic and Raman spectral data

The compounds [((t)BuCO(2))(3)M(2)(mu-O(2)CC(6)F(4)CO(2))M(2)(O(2)C(t)Bu)(3)], M(4)PFT, where M = Mo or W, are shown by model fitting of the powder X-ray diffraction data to have an infinite "twisted" structure involving M.O intermolecular interactions in the solid state. The dihedral angle between the M(2) units of each molecule is 54 degrees. Electronic structure calculations employing density functional theory (Gaussian 98 and ADF2000.01, gradient corrected and time dependent) on the model compounds (HCO(2))(3)M(2)(mu-O(2)CC(6)F(4)CO(2))M(2)(O(2)CH)(3), where M = Mo or W, reveal that in the gas phase the model compounds adopt planar D(2)(h) ground-state structures wherein M(2) delta to bridge pi back-bonding is maximized. The calculations predict relatively small HOMO-LUMO gaps of 1.53 eV for M = Mo and 1.22 eV for M = W for this planar structure and that, when the "conjugation" is removed by rotation of the plane of the C(6)F(4) ring to become orthogonal to the M(4) plane, this energy gap is nearly doubled to 2.57 eV for M = Mo and 2.18 eV for M = W. The Raman and resonance Raman spectra of solid M(4)PFT and of Mo(4)PFT in THF solution are dominated by bands assigned to the bridging perfluoroterephthalate (pft) group. The intensities of certain Raman bands of solid W(4)PFT are strongly enhanced on changing the excitation line from 476.5 nm (off resonance) to 676.5 nm, which is on resonance with the W(2) delta --> CO(2) (pft) pi transition at ca. 650 nm. The resonance enhanced bands are delta(s)(CO(2)) (pft) at 518 cm(-)(1) and its first overtone at 1035 cm(-)(1), consistent with the structural change to W(4)PFT expected on excitation from the ground to this pi excited state. The electronic transitions for solid Mo(4)PFT (lowest at 410 nm) were not accessible with the available excitation lines (457.9-676.5 nm), and no resonance Raman spectra of this compound could be obtained. For Mo(4)PFT in THF solution, it is the band at 399 cm(-)(1) assigned to nu(MoMo) which is the most enhanced on approach to resonance with the electronic band at 470 nm; combination bands involving the C(6)F(4) ring-stretching mode, 8a, are also enhanced.     

Tristhiolatomolybdenum nitrides, (RS)(3)Mo[triple bond]N where R = (i)Pr and (t)Bu,preparation, characterization and comparisons with related trialkoxymolybdenumnitrides

The addition of thiols to ((t)BuO)(3)Mo[triple bond]N in toluene leads to the formation of (RS)(3)Mo[triple bond]N compounds as yellow, air-sensitive compounds, where R = (i)Pr and (t)Bu. The single-crystal structure of ((t)BuS)(3)Mo[triple bond]N reveals a weakly associated dimeric structure where two ((t)BuS)(3)Mo[triple bond]N units (Mo-N = 1.61 A, Mo-S = 2.31 A (av)) are linked via thiolate sulfur bridges with long 3.03 A (av) Mo-S interactions. Density functional theory calculations employing Gaussian 98 B3LYP (LANL2DZ for Mo and 6-31G* for N, O, S, and H) have been carried out for model compounds (HE)(3)Mo[triple bond]N and (HE)(3)MoNO, where E = O and S. A comparison of the structure and bonding within the related series ((t)BuE)(3)Mo[triple bond]N and ((t)BuE)(3)MoNO is made for E = O and S. In the thiolate compounds, the highest energy orbitals are sulfur lone-pair combinations. In the alkoxides, the HOMO is the N 2p lone-pair which has M-N sigma and M-O pi* character for the nitride. As a result of greater O p pi to Mo pi interactions, the M-N pi orbitals of the Mo-N triple bond are destabilized with respect to their thiolate counterpart. For the nitrosyl compounds, the greater O p pi to Mo d pi interaction favors greater back-bonding to the nitrosyl pi* orbitals for the alkoxides relative to the thiolates. The results of the calculations are correlated with the observed structural features and spectroscopic properties of the related alkoxide and thiolate compounds.     

A humidity blocker approach to overcoming the humidity interference with cationic photopolymerization

A humidity blocker approach to overcoming the humidity interference with cationic photopolymerization is proposed and validated. Environmental humidity is one of the major interfering factors in cationic photopolymerization, and cationic photopolymerization is found to be inhibited by high humidity. When curing cycloaliphatic epoxide based cationic UV curable materials flexibilized by various reactive diluents under different humidity conditions, it was found that the more hydrophobic materials exhibited higher monomer conversion under higher humidity. To obtain cationic UV curable materials that are less influenced by humidity, a humidity blocker approach was proposed and monomer conversion of materials containing both hydroxy‐functional reactive diluents and epoxy‐siloxane were examined using real‐time FTIR. The hydroxy‐functional reactive diluents act as an internal hydroxyl source that enhances monomer conversion through chain transfer mechanism, and the hydrophobic epoxy‐siloxane acts as a humidity blocker, mitigating the inhibiting effects of humidity. Cationic UV curable materials with an optimized combination of these two components exhibited higher and more consistent monomer conversion under a range humidity conditions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4344–4351, 2008     

Comparative experimental analysis of composite pulses in 14N NQR

Experimental results of comparing composite pulses in nitrogen-14 NQR, that are analogous to common 90 degrees RF pulses in powder, are presented. All tested pulses have been taken from publications in journals. Comparative diagrams of the measurement results for induction signals and echo signals are presented. The results of the measurements demonstrate that the best outcomes are achieved when the composite pulse (45)0(95)180(164)0 is used.