Latent low-coordinate titanium imides supported by a sterically encumbering beta-diketiminate ligand

Addition of an equal molar quantity of R- (R = Me, SiMe3) to complex (Nacnac)Ti=NAr(OTf) (Nacnac- =[ArNC(tBu)]2CH, Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3) forms the imido alkyl (Nacnac)Ti=NAr(R), which can be readily protonated to afford [(Nacnac)Ti=NAr(L)]+ (L = THF, Et2O, eta1-C6H5NMe2), or treated with B(C6F5)3 to afford the zwitterion (Nacnac)Ti=NAr(micro-CH3)B(C6F5)3.     

The interaction of an osmium-carbon triple bond with copper(I), silver(I) and gold(I) to give mixed dimetallocyclopropene species and the structures of Os(AgCl) (CR) Cl(CO) (PPh3)2

The osmium carbyne complex, Os(CR)Cl(CO)(PPh₃)₂, (R  p-tolyl) reacts with Group I halides to form the mixed dimetallocyclopropene species, $\text{Os(Cul)(C}$R)Cl(CO)(PPh₃)₂, $\text{Os(AgCl)(C}$R)Cl(CO)(PPh₃)₂, $\text{Os(AuCl)(C}$R)Cl(CO)(PPh₃)₂, and [$\text{Os[Ag(OClO}{}_3\text{)](C}$R)Cl(CO)(MeCN)(PPh₃)₂] ClO₄ X-ray crystal structure determination of $\text{Os(AgCl)(C}$R)Cl(CO)(PPh₃)₂ confirms the presence of a three-membered ring and the structure can be viewed as the “acetylene-like” interaction of an osmium—carbon triple bond with AgCl. In acid solution AgCl is precipitated and an alkylidene complex results from proton addition to the carbyne ligand.     

Orthogonal separations of nicotine and nicotine-related alkaloids by various capillary electrophoretic modes

The migration behaviour of nicotine and related tobacco alkaloids was investigated using three different capillary electrophoretic (CE) modes. Novel separations were achieved both using microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) and nonaqueous CE (NACE). Improved resolution compared to previous studies was obtained using free-solution CE (FSCE). Each technique resulted in different, orthogonal separation selectivity. The suitability of each method for application to the analysis of nicotine lozenges is discussed. The FSCE method was applied to the analysis of nicotine lozenges due to its compatibility with an established lozenge extraction solvent. The method used gave good injection precision and linearity. Good agreement of CE and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results was obtained. The CE method is therefore considered suitable for the quantitative determination of nicotine in nicotine lozenges.     

Application of ESCA to polymer chemistry. XVI. Electron mean free paths as a function of kinetic energy in polymeric films determined by means of ESCA

Electron mean free paths as a function of kinetic energy have been measured by the substrate overlayer technique for in situ-polymerized films of poly(p-xylylene) and the monochloro- and monobromo-substituted derivatives. The results are compared with previous estimates of mean free paths available in the literature for organic materials. Comparison is also drawn with corresponding experimental data for typical metals and semiconductors, and it is shown that organic polymers fit into a consistent picture which may be rationalized on the basis of existing theory. For electrons of kinetic energy ～969 eV, ～1170 eV, 1202 eV, and 1403 eV, mean free paths of ～14 Å, ～22 Å, ～23 Å, and ～29 Å, respectively, are obtained for the poly(p-xylylene) polymer films studied in this work.     

Virtual screening methods that complement HTS

In this review, we discuss a number of computational methods that have been developed or adapted for molecule classification and virtual screening (VS) of compound databases. In particular, we focus on approaches that are complementary to high-throughput screening (HTS). The discussion is limited to VS methods that operate at the small molecular level, which is often called ligand-based VS (LBVS), and does not take into account docking algorithms or other structure-based screening tools. We describe areas that greatly benefit from combining virtual and biological screening and discuss computational methods that are most suitable to contribute to the integration of screening technologies. Relevant approaches range from established methods such as clustering or similarity searching to techniques that have only recently been introduced for LBVS applications such as statistical methods or support vector machines. Finally, we discuss a number of representative applications at the interface between VS and HTS.     

Hexacyanometalate molecular chemistry: di-, tri-, tetra-, hexa- and heptanuclear heterobimetallic complexes; control of nuclearity and structural anisotropy

Following a bottom-up approach to nanomaterials, we present a rational synthetic route to high-spin and anisotropic molecules based on hexacyanometalate [M(CN)(6)](3-) cores. Part 1 of this series was devoted to isotropic heptanuclear clusters; herein, we discuss the nuclearity and the structural anisotropy of nickel(II) derivatives. By changing either the stoichiometry, the nature of the terminal ligand, or the counterion, it is possible to tune the nuclearity of the polynuclear compounds and therefore to control the structural anisotropy. We present the synthesis and the characterisation by mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography and magnetic susceptibility of bi-, tri-, tetra-, hexa- and heptanuclear species [M(CN)(n)(CN-M'L)(6-n)](m+) (with n=0-5; M=Cr(III), Co(III), M'=Ni(II); L=pentadentate ligand). Thus, with M=Cr(III), d(3), S=3/2, a dinuclear complex [Cr(III)(CN)(5)(CN-NiL(n))](9+), (L(n)=polydentate ligand) was built and characterised, showing a spin ground state, S(G)=5/2, with a ferromagnetic interaction J(Cr,Cu)=+18.5 cm(-1). With M=Co(III) (d(6), S=0) were built di-, tri-, tetra-, hexa and hepanuclear CoNi species: CoNi, CoNi(2), CoNi(3), CoNi(5) and CoNi(6). By a first approximation, they behave as one, two, three, five and six isolated nickel(II) complexes, respectively, but more accurate studies allow us to evaluate the weak antiferromagnetic coupling constant between two next-nearest neighbours M'-Co-M'.     

A highly enantioselective conjugate reduction of 3-arylinden-1-ones using bakers' yeast for the preparation of (S)-3-arylindan-1-ones

[formula: see text] The bakers' yeast reduction of 3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-6-propoxy-1H-inden-1-one 4 has been shown to give (S)-3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2,3-dihydro-6-propoxy-1H-indan-1-one 6 in 65% yield with high enantioselectivity (> 99.0% ee), a key intermediate for the synthesis of the endothelin receptor antagonist SB 217242. In addition, the substituted 3-arylinden-1-ones 10a-e gave equally high enantioselectivity for the 3-arylindan-1-one products 13a-e. Mechanistic studies of the reaction indicate the operative pathway to be an asymmetric conjugate reduction, wherein the hydride transfer from NAD(P)H occurs from the Re-face of the indenone substrate.     

Similarity search profiling reveals effects of fingerprint scaling in virtual screening

Fingerprint scaling is a method to increase the performance of similarity search calculations. It is based on the detection of bit patterns in keyed fingerprints that are signatures of specific compound classes. Application of scaling factors to consensus bits that are mostly set on emphasizes signature bit patterns during similarity searching and has been shown to improve search results for different fingerprints. Similarity search profiling has recently been introduced as a method to analyze similarity search calculations. Profiles separately monitor correctly identified hits and other detected database compounds as a function of similarity threshold values and make it possible to estimate whether virtual screening calculations can be successful or to evaluate why they fail. This similarity search profile technique has been applied here to study fingerprint scaling in detail and better understand effects that are responsible for its performance. In particular, we have focused on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of similarity search profiles under scaling conditions. Therefore, we have carried out systematic similarity search calculations for 23 biological activity classes under scaling conditions over a wide range of scaling factors in a compound database containing approximately 1.3 million molecules and monitored these calculations in similarity search profiles. Analysis of these profiles confirmed increases in hit rates as a consequence of scaling and revealed that scaling influences similarity search calculations in different ways. Based on scaled similarity search profiles, compound sets could be divided into different categories. In a number of cases, increases in search performance under scaling conditions were due to a more significant relative increase in correctly identified hits than detected false-positives. This was also consistent with the finding that preferred similarity threshold values increased due to fingerprint scaling, which was well illustrated by similarity search profiling.