Wall-liquid and wall-crystal interfacial free energies via thermodynamic integration: A molecular dynamics simulation study

A method is proposed to compute the interfacial free energy of a Lennard-Jones system in contact with a structured wall by molecular dynamics simulation. Both the bulk liquid and bulk face-centered-cubic crystal phase along the (111) orientation are considered. Our approach is based on a thermodynamic integration scheme where first the bulk Lennard-Jones system is reversibly transformed to a state where it interacts with a structureless flat wall. In a second step, the flat structureless wall is reversibly transformed into an atomistic wall with crystalline structure. The dependence of the interfacial free energy on various parameters such as the wall potential, the density and orientation of the wall is investigated. The conditions are indicated under which a Lennard-Jones crystal partially wets a flat wall.     

The Synthesis of α‐Azidoesters and Geminal Triazides

Three simple methods for the synthesis of geminal triazides are described: Starting from 1) 3‐oxocarboxylic acids, 2) iodomethyl ketones, or 3) terminal olefins, a range of triazidomethyl ketones can be constructed under mild oxidative reaction conditions by the use of IBX‐SO₃K, a sulfonylated derivative of 2‐iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX), and NaN₃ as an azide source. This is the first report of representatives of this novel class of triazide compounds: Despite their high nitrogen content, the geminal triazides are easy to handle, even when preparative‐scale syntheses are performed. (Caution: These procedures still require protective measures!) The triazides are now broadly available for further studies regarding their properties and reactivity. Furthermore, we show how the method can be used to provide α‐azidoesters, which are potential building blocks for amino acids.     

Capillary-Channeled Polymer (C-CP) Films as Processing Platforms for Protein Analysis by Matrix-Assisted Laser/Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-MS)

Polypropylene (PP) capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) films have parallel, μm-sized channels that induce solution wicking via capillary action. Efficient mass transport from the solution phase to the channel surface leads to adsorption of hydrophobic protein solutes. The basic premise by which C-CP films can be used as media to manipulate analyte solutions (e.g., proteins in buffer), for the purpose of desalting or chromatographic separation prior to MALDI-MS analysis is presented here. Cytochrome c and myoglobin prepared in a Tris-HCl buffer, and ribonuclease A, lysozyme, and transferrin prepared in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), are used as the test solutions to demonstrate the desalting concept. Protein analysis is performed after deposition on a C-CP film with and without a water washing step, followed by spray deposition of a typical sinapinic acid matrix. Extracted MALDI mass spectra exhibit much improved signal-to-noise characteristics after water washing. A mixture of cytochrome c and myoglobin (2 μL of 2.5 μM each in Tris-HCl buffer) was applied, washed with water and spatially separated via simple capillary action (wicking) using a reversed-phase solvent composition of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in 50:50 acetonitrile (ACN):H₂O. Subsequent application of sinapinic acid followed by imaging of the film using MALDI-MS reveals that as the protein solution is wicked down the film, separation occurs.     

Copper(II) complexes of 2-amino-5-chloro-3-fluoropyridine: syntheses and magnetic properties of (3,5-FCAP)2CuX2 and (3,5-FCAPH)2CuX4

Using 2-amino-5-chloro-3-fluoropyridine, two new copper halide coordination complexes and two new salts have been synthesized: [(3,5-FCAP)₂CuCl₂] (1), [(3,5-FCAP)₂CuBr₂](2), (3,5-FCAPH)₂[CuCl₄] (3) and (3,5-FCAPH)₂[CuBr₄] (4) [3,5-FCAP?=?2-amino-5-chloro-3-fluoropyridine; 3,5-FCAPH?=?2-amino-5-chloro-3-fluoropyridinium]. These complexes have been analyzed through single-crystal X-ray diffraction and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility. Compounds 1 and 2 crystallize in the triclinic space group P-1, while 3 and 4 crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c. All structures were distinct, with 1 giving a bihalide bridged chain, 2 yielding a halide bridged dimer, 3 forming a two-halide bridged chain via short Cl???Cl contacts, and 4 producing a rectangular sheet via short Br???Br contacts. All four compounds exhibit anti-ferromagnetic interactions and were fit to linear chain (1 and 3), dimer (2), and rectangular 2-D sheet (4) models. The resulting J/k_B values are ?3.4(1), ?31.3(8), ?0.9(1), and ?9.46(6)?K with an α value (α?=?J?/J) of 0.06(2), respectively.     

Enantioselective metallo-organocatalyzed preparation of cyclopentanes bearing an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter

Enantioselective metallo-organocatalyzed carbocyclizations of formyl-alkynes have been developed. The cooperation between aminocatalysis and a chiral copper(I) complex granted access to enantio-enriched cyclopentanes through the challenging formation of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters.     

Hydroformylation by Pt-Sn compounds from N-heterocyclic stannylenes

[(Me(2)Si{NAr}(2))-κ(2)N,N']Sn, reacts with PtCl(2)(L(2)) and [PtCl(μ-Cl)(L)](2) to afford products containing Pt-Sn bonds. In the absence of supporting ligands L, coordination of the stannylene and rearrangement to a structurally unique PtSn(2)N(2)Si metallacycle occurs. The hydroformylation activity of a representative Pt-Sn compound is investigated.     

How many chiral centers can Raman optical activity spectroscopy distinguish in a molecule?

To study the capabilities and limitations of Raman optical activity, (-)-(M)σ-[10]helicene and (-)-(M)σ-[4]helicene serve as scaffold molecules on which new chiral centers are introduced by substitution of hydrogen atoms with other functional groups. These functional groups are deuterium atoms, fluorine atoms, and methyl groups. Multiply deuterated species are compared. Then, results of singly deuterated derivatives are compared against results obtained from singly fluorinated and methylated derivatives. The analysis required the calculation of a total of 2433 Raman optical activity spectra. The method we propose for the comparison of the various Raman optical activity spectra is based on the total intensity of squared difference spectra. This allows a qualitative comparison of pairs of Raman optical activity spectra and the extraction of the pair of most similar Raman optical activity spectra for each group of stereoisomers. Different factors were accounted for, such as the spectral resolution (modeled by line broadening) and the range of vibrational frequencies considered. In the case of σ-[4]helicene all generated stereoisomers in each group can be distinguished from one another by Raman optical activity spectroscopy. For σ-[10]helicene this holds except for the lower one of the two resolutions considered. Here, the group consisting of stereoisomers with five chiral centers contains at least one pair of derivatives whose Raman optical activity spectra cannot be distinguished from one another. This indicates that an increased molecular size has a negative effect on the number of chiral centers which can be distinguished by Raman optical activity spectroscopy. Regarding the different substituents, stereoisomers are the better distinguishable in Raman optical activity spectroscopy, the more distinct the signals of the substituent are from the rest of the spectrum.     

Improved ruthenium catalysts for Z-selective olefin metathesis

Several new C-H-activated ruthenium catalysts for Z-selective olefin metathesis have been synthesized. Both the carboxylate ligand and the aryl group of the N-heterocyclic carbene have been altered and the resulting catalysts evaluated using a range of metathesis reactions. Substitution of bidentate with monodentate X-type ligands led to a severe attenuation of metathesis activity and selectivity, while minor differences were observed between bidentate ligands within the same family (e.g., carboxylates). The use of nitrato-type ligands in place of carboxylates afforded a significant improvement in metathesis activity and selectivity. With these catalysts, turnover numbers approaching 1000 were possible for a variety of cross-metathesis reactions, including the synthesis of industrially relevant products.     

Synthesis of 2,3-syn-diarylpent-4-enamides via acyl-Claisen rearrangements of substituted cinnamyl morpholines: application to the synthesis of magnosalicin

The acyl-Claisen rearrangement of substituted phenylacetyl chlorides and cinnamyl morpholines gives 2,3-syn-diarylpent-4-enamides. Electron-rich cinnamyl morpholines containing alkoxy substituents only reacted with phenylacetyl chlorides; replacement of the phenylacetyl chlorides with alkyl acid chlorides in these reactions gave no rearranged products. Use of the morpholine amides generated in the synthesis of the natural tetrahydrofuran neolignan magnosalicin and tetraphenyl tetrahydrofuran is also reported.