Phosphine-Stabilized Pnictinidenes

The reaction of the intramolecular germylene-phosphine Lewis pair (o-PPh₂)C₆H₄GeAr* ( 1 ) with Group 15 element trichlorides ECl₃ (E=P, As, Sb) was investigated. After oxidative addition, the resulting compounds (o-PPh₂)C₆H₄(Ar*)Ge(Cl)ECl₂ ( 2 : E=P, 3 : E=As, 4 : E=Sb) were reduced by using sodium metal or LiHBEt₃. The molecular structures of the phosphine-stabilized phosphinidene (o-PPh₂)C₆H₄(Ar*)Ge(Cl)P ( 5 ), arsinidene (o-PPh₂)C₆H₄(Ar*)Ge(Cl)As ( 6 ) and stibinidene (o-PPh₂)C₆H₄(Ar*)Ge(Cl)Sb ( 7 ) are presented; they feature a two-coordinate low-valent Group 15 element. After chloride abstraction, a cyclic germaphosphene [(o-PPh₂)C₆H₄(Ar*)GeP] [B(C₆H₃(CF₃)₂)₄] ( 8 ) was isolated. The ³¹P NMR data of the germaphosphene were compared with literature examples and analyzed by quantum chemical calculations. The phosphinidene was treated with [iBu₂AlH]₂, and the product of an Al−H addition to the low-valent phosphorus atom (o-PPh₂)C₆H₄(Ar*)Ge(H)P(H)Al(C₄H₉)₂ ( 9 ) was characterized.     

Cobalt and Iron Stabilized Ketyl,Ketiminyl and Aldiminyl Radical Anions

Carbonyl and iminyl based radical anions are reactive intermediates in a variety of transformations in organic synthesis. Herein, the isolation of ketyl, and more importantly unprecedented ketiminyl and aldiminyl radical anions coordinated to cobalt and iron complexes is presented. Insights into the electronic structure of these unusual metal bound radical anions is provided by X-Ray diffraction analysis, NMR, IR, UV/Vis and Mössbauer spectroscopy, solid and solution state magnetometry, as well as a by a detailed computational analysis. The metal bound radical anions are very reactive and facilitate the activation of intra- and intermolecular C−H bonds.     

Germaborenes: Borylene Transfer Agents for the Synthesis of Iminoboranes

Halide and phenyl substituted germaborenes were shown to react with azides at room temperature and transfer a borylene moiety to give iminoboranes. This iminoborane synthesis based on a borylene transfer route was investigated computationally in the case of the phenyl substituted germaborene.     

2,6-dicyano-1,5-dimethylsemibullvalene as a probe for homoaromatic molecules of the Dewar-Hoffman type

The 2,6-dicyano-1,5-dimethylsemibullvalene (2d) synthesized via the bicyclo[3.3.0]octanedione 7 exists as a classical ground state which is lower in energy by less than 5 kcal/mole than the homoaromatic transition of the Cope rearrangement of 2d.     

Synthesis of a highly enantiomerically enriched silyllithium compound

The highly enantiomerically enriched silyllithium compound lithiomethylphenyl(1-piperidinylmethyl)silane (4) reacts stereospecifically with chlorosilanes, but over a period of several hours slow racemization in solution at room temperature occurs, which can be suppressed by a transmetalation reaction with MgBr2(thf)4.     

Folding and unfolding of an elastinlike oligopeptide: "inverse temperature transition," reentrance, and hydrogen-bond dynamics

The temperature-dependent behavior of a solvated oligopeptide, GVG(VPGVG), is investigated. Spectroscopic measurements, thermodynamic measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations find that this elastinlike octapeptide behaves as a two-state system that undergoes an "inverse temperature" folding transition and reentrant unfolding close to the boiling point of water. A molecular picture of these processes is presented, emphasizing changes in the dynamics of hydrogen bonding at the protein/water interface and peptide backbone librational entropy.     

Tailoring the ultrafast dephasing of quasiparticles in metallic photonic crystals

The ultrafast dephasing of waveguide-plasmon polaritons in metallic photonic crystal slabs is investigated in the femtosecond regime by second-order nonlinear autocorrelation. We find a drastic modification of the dephasing rates due to interaction between localized particle plasmons and optical waveguide modes and subsequent modification of the photonic density of states. In the strong coupling regime our measurements give clear evidence for the appearance of ultrafast polaritonic beat phenomena. All experimental results agree well with theoretical simulations based on a coupled damped harmonic oscillator model.