Discrete cationic zinc and magnesium complexes for dual organic/organometallic-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of trimethylene carbonate

We describe herein an original approach for the efficient immortal ring-opening polymerization (iROP) of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) under mild conditions using dual-catalyst systems combining a discrete cationic metal complex with a tertiary amine. A series of new zinc and magnesium cationic complexes of the type [{NNO}M](+) [anion](-) ({NNO}(-) = 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-{[(2'-dimethylaminoethyl)methylamino]methyl}phenolate; M = Zn, [anion](-) = [B(C(6)F(5))(4)](-) (2), [H(2)N-{B(C(6)F(5))(3)}(2)](-) (3), and [EtB(C(6)F(5))(3)](-) (4); M = Mg, [anion](-) = [H(2)N{B(C(6)F(5))(3)}(2)](-) (7)) have been prepared from the corresponding neutral compounds [{NNO}ZnEt] (1) and [{NNO}-Mg(nBu)] (6). Compounds 2-4 and 7 exist as free ion pairs, as revealed by (1)H, (13)C, (19)F, and (11) B?NMR spectroscopy in THF solution, and an X-ray crystallographic analysis of the bis(THF) adduct of compound 7, 7?(THF)(2). The neutral complexes 1 and 6, in combination with one equivalent or an excess of benzyl alcohol (BnOH), initiate the rapid iROP of TMC, in bulk or in toluene solution, at 45-60?°C (turnover frequency, TOF, up to 25-30,000?mol(TMC)?mol(Zn)?h(-1) for 1 and 220-240,000?mol(TMC)?mol(Mg)?h(-1) for 6), to afford H-PTMC-OBn with controlled macromolecular features. ROP reactions mediated by the cationic systems 2/BnOH and 7/BnOH proceeded much more slowly (TOF up to 500 and 3000?mol(TMC)?mol(Zn or Mg)?h(-1) at 110?°C) than those based on the parent neutral compounds 1/BnOH and 6/BnOH, respectively. Use of original dual organic/organometallic catalyst systems, obtained by adding 0.2-5?equiv of a tertiary amine such as NEt(3) to zinc cationic complexes [{NNO}Zn](+) [anion](-) (2-4), promoted high activities (TOF up to 18,300?mol(TMC)?mol(Zn)?h(-1) at 45?°C) giving H-PTMC-OBn with good control over the M(n) and M(w)/M(n) values. Variation of the nature of the anion in 2-4 did not significantly affect the performance of these catalyst systems. On the other hand, the dual magnesium-based catalyst system 7/NEt(3) proved to be poorly effective.     

Regioselective, stereoselective, and conformationally controlled synthesis of (η4-tetraarylcyclobutadiene)(η5-carbomethoxycyclopentadienyl)cobalt metallocenes

The Friedel-Crafts reaction of (η(4)-tetraphenylcyclobutadiene)(η(5)-carbomethoxycyclopentadienyl)cobalt with acid chlorides/aluminum chloride resulted exclusively in para-phenyl acylation. Both monoacylated (1.1 equiv of RCOCl/AlCl(3)) and tetraacylated products (>4 equiv of RCOCl/AlCl(3)) were synthesized. Reaction of PhCC(o-RC(6)H(4)) (R = Me, i-Pr) with Na(C(5)H(4)CO(2)Me) and CoCl(PPh(3))(3) gave predominantly (η(4)-1,3-diaryl-2,4-diphenylcyclobutadiene)(η(5)-carbomethoxycyclopentadienyl)cobalt metallocenes (1,3-[trans] vs 1,2-[cis] selectivity up to 6:1). Conformational control of Friedel-Crafts reactions on the major isomers gave exclusively para-acylation of the unsubstituted phenyl groups.     

Chemically triggered C-ON bond homolysis of alkoxyamines. Quaternization of the alkyl fragment

The C-ON bond homolysis in alkoxyamine 2a can be chemically triggered by the protonation of the 4-pyridylalkyl fragment. The resulting 15-fold increase in k(d) (Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 4291-4293) was investigated experimentally and theoretically by quaternization of the pyridyl moiety using methylating (MeOTs), acylating (AcCl), and benzylating (PhCH(2)Br) agents as well as by oxidation of the pyridyl moiety into N-oxide and by the formation of a dative bond with BH(3) as a Lewis acid.     

Phosphonated Polyethylenimine‐Coated Nanoparticles: Size‐ and Zeta‐Potential‐Adjustable Nanomaterials

Novel partially phosphonated polyethylenimine polymers are developed in order to control the modification of nanoparticle (NP) surfaces. This polymer is built by an accessible one‐step process. The numerous phosphonate functions assume both a strong covalent anchoring on metal oxide NPs and a modulation of electric charges, while amino groups are associated with dispersion preservation and subsequent biofunctionalization. The zwitterionic nanomaterials obtained display a good stability toward pH and ionic strength. According to the selected percentage of phosphonation and the polymer size, zeta potential, and diameter of the particles are controlled.     

New highlights on degradation process of verdigris from easel paintings

Verdigris is a green copper organometallic pigment, widely used in paintings during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. With ageing, chromatic modifications like browning or darkening can be observed on those green painted layers. An original but crucial approach has been developed based on the characterization of a reference neutral verdigris pigment—anhydrous copper acetate—and model samples, made of verdigris and linseed oil. Samples have undergone artificial ageing (temperature, light) to reproduce the color change effect. They were analysed before and after accelerated ageing tests by a complementary set of classical techniques: colorimetry, electron paramagnetic resonance, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and UV–visible absorption. Our experiments revealed that the incorporation of the verdigris pigment in linseed oil induces a transformation of the copper acetate bimetallic structure, with the formation of monomeric species. These monomers, however, are not directly responsible for the darkening. The chromatic alteration seems instead linked to the transient formation of Cu(I) in the copper complexes of the pigment/oil system. This formation could be initiated by ambient light absorption through ligand-to-metal charge transfer, which favors the decarboxylation of the copper complexes leading to the reduction of Cu(II) into Cu(I). Moreover, dioxygen can react with partially decarboxylated dimers to form peroxy-Cu dimer complexes that can be responsible for the darkening.     

A Multicolor Photoinitiator for Cationic Polymerization and Interpenetrated Polymer Network Synthesis: 2,7‐Di‐tert‐butyldimethyldihydropyrene

For polymer synthesis upon visible light, actual photoinitiator operates in a restricted part of the spectrum. As a consequence, several photoinitiators are necessary to harvest all of the emitted visible photons. Herein, 2,7‐di‐tert‐butyldimethyldihydropyrene is used for the first time as a multicolor photoinitiator for the cationic polymerization of epoxides. Upon addition of diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate and optionally N‐vinylcarbazole, the originality of this approach is to allow efficient monomer conversions under various excitation light sources in the 360–650 nm wavelength range: halogen lamps, and light‐emitting and laser diodes. The synthesis of an interpenetrated polymer network from an epoxide/acrylate blend using a red light at 635 nm is also feasible. The formed polymer material exhibits a photochromic character.

     

Single-Directional Properties of Quasi-Monotone Operators

A large supply of quasi-monotone multivalued mappings with values in a weak* fragmentable dual Banach space is shown to be generically single-directional. This is of some interest in analysis of quasi-convex functions. The paper extends/strengthens some results of a recent paper by Aussel and Eberhard (Math Program 30, 2012).     

Weak quadratic overgroups for a class of Lie groups

Let $G$ be a connected and simply connected Lie group with Lie algebra $\mathfrak g $ . We say that a subset $X$ in the set $\mathfrak g ^\star / G$ of coadjoint orbits is convex hull separable when the convex hulls differ for any pair of distinct coadjoint orbits in $X$ . In this paper, we define a class of solvable Lie groups, and we give an explicit construction of an overgroup $G^+$ and a quadratic map $\varphi $ sending each generic orbit in $\mathfrak g ^\star $ to a $G^+$ -orbit in $\mathfrak{g ^+}^\star $ , in such a manner that the set $\varphi (\mathfrak g ^\star _{gen}){/ G^+}$ is convex hull separable. We then call $G^+$ a weak quadratic overgroup for $G$ . Thanks to this construction, we prove that any nilpotent Lie group, with dimension at most 7 admits such a weak quadratic overgroup. Finally, we produce different examples of solvable Lie groups, having weak quadratic overgroups, but which are not in our class of Lie groups and for which usual constructions fail to hold.     

Cations Insertion in Molybdenum Cluster Compounds: Electronic Structure and Electrochemical Study Using Cavity Microelectrode

Owing to the high lability of cations in the three-dimensional framework of K_1+x Mo₁₂S₁₄ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.6), first-principles calculations and electrochemical methods have been carried out to study the insertion of cations in the empty channels of this compound. The cavity microelectrode that is a suitable electrode for powder material analysis has been used in voltammetric experiments. Results obtained for Li⁺, Na⁺, Rb⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺ and NH₄ ⁺ cations are presented and discussed.