Three-component three-bond forming cascade via palladium photoredox catalysis

A highly modular radical cascade strategy based upon radical cyclisation/allylic substitution sequence between alkyl/aryl bromides, 1,3-dienes and nucleophiles ranging from sulfinates to amines, phenols and 1,3-dicarbonyls is described (>80 examples). Palladium phosphine complexes – which merge properties of photo- and cross coupling-catalysts – allow to forge three bonds with complete 1,4-selectivity and stereocontrol, delivering highly value added carbocyclic and heterocyclic motifs that can feature – inter alia – vicinal quaternary centers, free protic groups, gem-difluoro motifs and strained rings. Furthermore, a flow chemistry approach was for the first time applied in palladium–photocatalysed endeavors involving radicals.

Highly modular three-bond three-component cascade featuring palladium as dual photoredox/cross coupling catalyst.     

The search for bishomoaromatic semibullvalenes and barbaralanes: computational evidence of their identification by UV/Vis and IR spectroscopy and prediction of the existence of a blue bishomoaromatic semibullvalene

Time-dependent B3LYP/6-31G calculations have been performed at the optimized C(2) or C(2v) geometries of several substituted semibullvalenes (1(deloc)) and barbaralanes (2(deloc)), to compare the computed vertical electronic excitation energies with the temperature-dependent, long-wavelength absorptions that have been observed in the UV/vis spectra of some of these compounds by Quast and co-workers. The excellent agreement between the calculated vertical excitation energies and the observed values of lambda(max) provides strong support for the identification of the bishomoaromatic species 1(deloc) and 2(deloc) as the source of these absorptions. Furthermore, the CN stretching frequencies, computed for the C(2) geometry of 1,5-dimethyl-2,6-dicyano-4,8-diphenylsemibullvalene (1f(deloc)), fit the low-frequency absorptions seen in the IR spectrum of 1f, thus furnishing independent evidence that bishomoaromatic geometries of semibullvalenes have, in fact, been observed spectroscopically. B3LYP/6-31G calculations predict that 2,6-dicyano-4,8-diphenylsemibullvalene 1c has a C(2) equilibrium geometry (1c(deloc)) and that the long-wavelength UV/vis absorption (lambda(max) = 585 nm) and CN stretching frequencies (2192 and 2194 cm(-1)) computed for 1c(deloc) should serve to identify this bishomoaromatic semibullvalene when it is synthesized.     

A Smart Access to the Dinitramide Anion – The Use of Dinitraminic Acid for the Preparation of Nitrogen-Rich Energetic Copper(II) Complexes

Dinitraminic acid (HN(NO₂)₂, HDN) was prepared by ion exchange chromatography and acid-base reaction with basic copper(II) carbonate allowed the in situ preparation of copper(II) dinitramide, which was reacted with twelve nitrogen-rich ligands, for example, 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole, 1-methyl-5H-tetrazole, di(5H-tetrazolyl)-methane/-ethane/-propane/-butane. Nine of the complexes were investigated by low-temperature X-ray diffraction. In addition, all compounds were investigated by infrared spectroscopy (IR), differential thermal analysis (DTA), elemental analysis (EA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for selected compounds. Furthermore, investigations of the materials were carried out regarding their sensitivity toward impact (IS), friction (FS), ball drop impact (BDIS) and electrostatic discharge (ESD). In addition, hot plate and hot needle tests were performed. Complex [Cu(AMT)₄(H₂O)](DN)₂, based on 1-amino-5-methyltetrazole (AMT), is most outstanding for its detonative behavior and thus also capable of initiating PETN in classical initiation experiments. Laser ignition experiments at a wavelength of 915 nm were performed for all substances and solid-state UV-Vis spectra were recorded to apprehend the ignition mechanism.     

One barbiturate and two solvated thiobarbiturates containing the triply hydrogen‐bonded ADA/DAD synthon,plus one ansolvate and three solvates of their coformer 2,4‐diaminopyrimidine

A path to new synthons for application in crystal engineering is the replacement of a strong hydrogen‐bond acceptor, like a C=O group, with a weaker acceptor, like a C=S group, in doubly or triply hydrogen‐bonded synthons. For instance, if the C=O group at the 2‐position of barbituric acid is changed into a C=S group, 2‐thiobarbituric acid is obtained. Each of the compounds comprises two ADA hydrogen‐bonding sites (D = donor and A = acceptor). We report the results of cocrystallization experiments of barbituric acid and 2‐thiobarbituric acid, respectively, with 2,4‐diaminopyrimidine, which contains a complementary DAD hydrogen‐bonding site and is therefore capable of forming an ADA/DAD synthon with barbituric acid and 2‐thiobarbituric acid. In addition, pure 2,4‐diaminopyrimidine was crystallized in order to study its preferred hydrogen‐bonding motifs. The experiments yielded one ansolvate of 2,4‐diaminopyrimidine (pyrimidine‐2,4‐diamine, DAPY), C₄H₆N₄, (I), three solvates of DAPY, namely 2,4‐diaminopyrimidine–1,4‐dioxane (2/1), 2C₄H₆N₄·C₄H₈O₂, (II), 2,4‐diaminopyrimidine–N,N‐dimethylacetamide (1/1), C₄H₆N₄·C₄H₉NO, (III), and 2,4‐diaminopyrimidine–1‐methylpyrrolidin‐2‐one (1/1), C₄H₆N₄·C₅H₉NO, (IV), one salt of barbituric acid, viz. 2,4‐diaminopyrimidinium barbiturate (barbiturate is 2,4,6‐trioxopyrimidin‐5‐ide), C₄H₇N₄⁺·C₄H₃N₂O₃⁻, (V), and two solvated salts of 2‐thiobarbituric acid, viz. 2,4‐diaminopyrimidinium 2‐thiobarbiturate–N,N‐dimethylformamide (1/2) (2‐thiobarbiturate is 4,6‐dioxo‐2‐sulfanylidenepyrimidin‐5‐ide), C₄H₇N₄⁺·C₄H₃N₂O₂S⁻·2C₃H₇NO, (VI), and 2,4‐diaminopyrimidinium 2‐thiobarbiturate–N,N‐dimethylacetamide (1/2), C₄H₇N₄⁺·C₄H₃N₂O₂S⁻·2C₄H₉NO, (VII). The ADA/DAD synthon was succesfully formed in the salt of barbituric acid, i.e. (V), as well as in the salts of 2‐thiobarbituric acid, i.e. (VI) and (VII). In the crystal structures of 2,4‐diaminopyrimidine, i.e. (I)–(IV), R₂²(8) N—H…N hydrogen‐bond motifs are preferred and, in two structures, additional R₃²(8) patterns were observed.     

Mechanistic Insights into a Sustainable Mechanochemical Synthesis of Ettringite

Mechanochemistry offers an environmentally benign and facile synthesis method for a variety of cement paste constituents. In addition, these methods can be used to selectively tune the properties of cement components. The mineral ettringite is an important component of cementitious materials and has additional technological potential due to its ion exchange properties. Synthesis of ettringite via mechanochemistry is an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional wet-chemical synthesis established in industry. This contribution explores the mechanism of a two-step mechanochemical synthesis of ettringite, which was previously found to greatly improve the reaction conversion as compared with one-pot synthesis. The crystallinity of Al(OH)₃ was found to decrease during the first stage of this mechanochemical synthesis. This was correlated to a significant decrease in the particle size of Al(OH)₃ in this stage. No other significant changes were found for the other components, suggesting that mechanochemical activation of Al(OH)₃ is responsible for the enhanced formation of ettringite by the two-step approach. The environmentally friendly approach developed for ettringite synthesis offers a versatile synthetic strategy, which can be applied to synthesise further cementitious materials.