Michael additions to trifluoromethylvinyl sulfone

Michael addition reactions of trifluoromethyl vinyl sulfone with organic compounds with labile hydrogen atoms are studied. Such additions can be successfully accomplished using potassium fluoride and 18-crown-6-ether or benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (Triton B) as catalysts.     

The Reaction of 3-Formylchromone with ortho-Substituted Anilines. Preparation of a Tetraaza [14]annulene

The reactions of 3-formylchromone ( 1 ) with 1, 2-phenylenediamine, 2-amino-diphenylamine and 2-aminophenol were reinvestigated and shown to yield 1, 8-dihydro-6, 13-di (2-hydroxybenzoyl)-dibenzo [b, i]-l, 4, 8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradeca- 4, 6, 11,13-tetraene ( 7 ), 3-[2-(1-phenyl)benzimidazolyl]chromone ( 10b ) and 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)iminomethylchromone ( 4 ), respectively at variance with earlier reports. Compound 4 reacts with ethanol to give 2-ethoxy-3-[(2-hydroxyphenyl)-aminomethylidene]chroman-4-one ( 5b ). Dehydrogenation of 7 produces 3-(2-benz-imidazolyl)chromone ( 10a ), also at variance with earlier reports. The structures have been elucidated with the aid of NMR. and mass spectra. The reaction mechanism is discussed.     

Synthesis and Assembly of Zinc Oxide Microcrystals by a Low-Temperature Dissolution–Reprecipitation Process: Lessons Learned About Twin Formation in Heterogeneous Reactions

Cobalt-doped zinc oxide single crystals with the shape of hexagonal platelets were synthesized by thermohydrolysis of zinc acetate, cobalt acetate, and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) in mixtures of ethanol and water. The mineralization proceeds by a low-temperature dissolution–reprecipitation process from the liquid phase by the formation of basic cobalt zinc salts as intermediates. The crystal shape as well as twin formation of the resulting oxide phase can be influenced by careful choice of the solvent mixture and the amount of doping. An understanding of the course of the reaction was achieved by comprehensive employment of analytical techniques (i.e., SEM, XRD, IR) including an in-depth HRTEM study of precipitates from various reaction stages. In addition, EPR as well as UV/Vis spectroscopic measurements provide information about the insertion of the cobalt dopant into the zincite lattice. The Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique is shown to be suitable for depositing coatings of the platelets on glass substrates functionalized with polyelectrolyte multilayers and hence is applied for the formation of monolayers containing domains with ordered tessellation. No major differences are found between deposits on substrates with anionic or cationic surface modification. The adherence to the substrates is sufficient to determine the absolute orientation of the deposited polar single crystals by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) studies.     

Eu(O2C-C≡C-CO2): An EuII Containing Anhydrous Coordination Polymer with High Stability and Negative Thermal Expansion

Anhydrous Eu^II–acetylenedicarboxylate (EuADC; ADC²⁻ = ⁻O₂C-C≡C-CO₂⁻) was synthesized by reaction of EuBr₂ with K₂ADC or H₂ADC in degassed water under oxygen-free conditions. EuADC crystallizes in the SrADC type structure (I4₁/amd, Z=4) forming a 3D coordination polymer with a diamond-like arrangement of Eu²⁺ nodes (msw topology including the connecting ADC²⁻ linkers). Deep orange coloured EuADC is stable in air and starts decomposing upon heating in an argon atmosphere only at 440 °C. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibilities (μ_eff=7.76 μ_B) and ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer spectra (δ=−13.25 mm s⁻¹ at 78 K) confirm the existence of Eu²⁺ cations. Diffuse reflectance spectra indicate a direct optical band gap of E_g=2.64 eV (470 nm), which is in accordance with the orange colour of the material. Surprisingly, EuADC does not show any photoluminescence under irradiation with UV light of different wavelengths. Similar to SrADC, EuADC exhibits a negative thermal volume expansion below room temperature with a volume expansion coefficient α_V=−9.4(12)×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹.     

Models for the Active Center of Pterin-Containing Molybdenum Enzymes: Crystal structure of a molybdenum complex with sulfur and pterin ligands

The first crystal structure of a molybdenum complex 9 with a hydrogenated pterin and a sulfur ligand contributes to the discussion about the active center of molybdenum and tungsten enzymes containing a molybdopterin cofactor. Complex 9 was synthesized through a redox reaction of [Mo^VIO₂ (LN-S₂)] ( 8 ; LN-S₂ = pyridine-2, 6-bis(methanethiolato)) with 5, 6, 7, 8-tetrahydropterin ( 7 ). 2 HCl (H₄Ptr.2 HCl). The complex crystallizes, with a non-coordinating Cl-atom acting as a counterion, in the monoclinic space group C2/c (No. 15) with cell dimensions a = 22.900(5), b = 10.716(2), c = 17.551(4) Å, β = 120.36(3)°, and Z = 8. We interpret 9 as [Mo^IVO(LN-S₂)(H⁺-q-H₂Ptr)]Cl (q = quinonoid; H₂Ptr = dihydropterin), i.e., a Mo^IV monooxo center coordinated by a pyridine-2, 6-bis(methanethiolato) ligand and a protonated dihydropterin. The spectroscopic properties of this new complex are comparable to those of other crystalline molybdenum complexes of hydrogenated pterins without additional S-coordination. The slightly H₂O-soluble complex 9 reacts with the natural enzyme substrate DMSO very slowly, possibly due to the lack of easily dissociable ligands at the metal center.     

Variants of Solid-State and Solution Structures of (η3-Allyl)- {2-[2′-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]-4,5-dihydrooxazole-P,N}palladium(II) hexafluorophosphates and tetraphenylborates

Crystal and solution structures of the enantiomerically pure and the racemic pairs of (η³-allyl) {2-[2′-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]-4,5-dihydro-4-phenyloxazole}palladium(II) hexafluorophosphates ( 1 , and rac- 1 , resp.) and tetraphenylborates ( 2 , and rac- 2 , resp.) as well as (η³-allyl){2-[2′-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]-4,5-dihydro-4-isopropyloxazole}palladium(II) tetraphenylborate ( 3 ) were characterized by X-ray crystallography and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. In the solid state, rac- 1 and rac- 2 proved to be disordered with both diastereoisomeric complexes in the crystal. The complexes 2 and 3 exist only in the ‘exo’ form. The X-ray structures show that the [Pd^II(η³-allyl)] moiety may adopt different configurations between a nearly symmetrical three-electron Pd^II(π³-allyl) system and an asymmetrical allyl group with a η¹- and a η²-bonding to the metal center. The [Pd^II(η³-allyl)] system of rac- 1 and of ‘endo’ rac- 2 is closer to the former, and that of 2 , ‘exo’-rac- 2 , and 3 closer to the later geometry. The ¹H-NMR spectra of the hexafluorophosphates 1 and rac- 1 show two sets of signals of the allylic protons in an ‘exo’/‘endo’ ratio of 2:3. The tetraphenylborates 2, rac- 2 , and 3 give only one set of broad signals of the allylic protons.     

Photoreduction of Triplet Benzophenone by Tertiary Amines: Amine molecular structure and ketyl radical yield

The photoreduction of triplet benzophenone by 14 tertiary amines was investigated. The ketyl radical yields do not correlate with the quenching rate constants, nor with the electron donor propensity of the amines. Individual structural features of the amines seem to determine the photoreduction yields.