Facile synthesis of highly functionalized ethyltrifluoroborates

Organotrifluoroborates are generating increased interest because of their ease of preparation and purification and indefinite shelf life. Herein we report the preparation of organotrifluoroborates bearing functional groups that can be manipulated at different stages of the synthetic route, exploiting the inertness of their carbon-boron bonds. The alkylation of 2,2-dicyanoethyltrifluoroborate with a variety of electrophiles and of (EWG)2CH2 with potassium iodomethyltrifluoroborate resulted in di- and trisubstituted ethyltrifluoroborates in good to excellent yields.     

Stereo-specific synthesis of hydroanthracene-dicarboximides

Compound 3, N-((1S)-1-cyclohexylethyl)-9,10-dihydro-9,10-ethanoanthracene-(11S,12S)-dicarboximide-1,2,3,4-octahydro, was obtained by ruthenium-assisted hydrogenation of the hydroanthracene-dicarboximide 2 under mild conditions (3 bar H₂ and room temperature). In contrast to other related compounds, dicarboximides 2 and 3 were stereo-selectively obtained, confirmed by both solid state (X-ray diffraction) and solution (NMR). This selectivity denoted a hindered rotation around the N-CH axis together with the aromatic hydrogen bond acceptor behaviour of the hydroanthracene skeleton towards a methylene of the cyclohexyl group of the imide moiety. In addition, the nature of the metallic species involved in the hydrogenation process was also investigated.     

DOSY technique applied to palladium nanoparticles in ionic liquids

Multinuclear ((1)H, (31)P, (19)F and (11)B) diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) technique has been applied to palladium nanoparticles systems dispersed in ionic liquids (ILs). Even if the nanoparticles themselves cannot be detected through NMR, observation of the solvent (methanol) and the IL ([BMI][PF(6)] or [BMI][NTf(2)]), their diffusion coefficients and their changes in the presence of nanoparticles allow us to draw significant assumptions about the organisation of palladium nanoparticles in the IL. For comparison, the corresponding molecular precursors ([PdCl(2)(cod)] or [Pd(2)(dba)(3)]) have been also studied.     

Refractive Indices of the Ternary Mixtures Butanol + <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-Hexane + 1-Chlorobutane

Refractive indices for the ternary mixtures formed by each one of the isomers of butanol (1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol and 2-methyl-2-propanol), with n-hexane and 1-chlorobutane, have been measured at 298.15 K. From these data the refractive index deviations were calculated and fitted by Cibulka’s equation, and the refractive index deviations were related to the corresponding excess volumes of the mixtures. Furthermore, several mixing rules were used to predict both refractive indices and excess volumes of the ternary mixtures from their densities or refractive indices. Electronic Supplementary Material  The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

A new and specific mode of stabilization of metallic nanoparticles

We report in this paper the stabilization of ruthenium nanoparticles using a very simple ligand (4-(3-phenylpropyl)pyridine), through strong pi-coordination of the phenyl moiety.     

The impact of dihydrogen phosphate anions on the excited-state proton transfer of harmane. Effect of β-cyclodextrin on these photoreactions

Photoinduced proton transfer reactions of harmane (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) (HAR) in the presence of a proton donor/acceptor such as dihydrogen phosphate anions in aqueous solution have been studied by stationary and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The presence of high amounts of dihydrogen phosphate ions modifies the acid/base properties of this alkaloid. Thus, by keeping the pH constant at pH 8.8 and by increasing the amount of NaH(2)PO(4) in the solution, it is possible to reproduce the same spectral profiles as those obtained in high alkaline solutions (pH >12) in the absence of NaH(2)PO(4). Under these conditions, a new fluorescence profile appears at around 520 nm. This result could be related to the results of a recent investigation which suggests that a high intake of phosphates may promote skin tumorigenesis. The presence of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) avoids the proton transfer reactions in this alkaloid by means the formation of an inclusion complex between β-CD and HAR. The formation of this complex originates a remarkable enhancement of the emission intensity from the neutral form in contrast to the cationic and zwitterionic forms. A new lifetime was obtained at 360 nm (2.5 ns), which was associated with the emission of this inclusion complex. At this wavelength, the fluorescence intensity decay of HAR can be described by a linear combination of two exponentials. From the ratio between the pre-exponential factors, we have obtained a value of K = 501 M for the equilibrium of formation of this complex.     

High-precision tracking with non-blinking quantum dots resolves nanoscale vertical displacement

Novel non-blinking quantum dots (NBQDs) were utilized in three-dimensional super-localization, high-precision tracking applications under an automated scanning-angle total internal reflection fluorescence microscope (SA-TIRFM). NBQDs were randomly attached to stationary microtubules along the radial axis under gliding assay conditions. By automatically scanning through a wide range of incident angles with different evanescent-field layer thicknesses, the fluorescence intensity decay curves were obtained. Fit with theoretical decay functions, the absolute vertical positions were determined with sub-10-nm localization precision. The emission intensity profile of the NBQDs attached to kinesin-propelled microtubules was used to resolve the self-rotation of gliding microtubules within a small vertical distance of ~50 nm. We demonstrate the applicability of NBQDs in high-precision fluorescence imaging experiments.     

Tetranuclear [Co-Gd]2 complexes: aiming at a better understanding of the 3d-Gd magnetic interaction

Tetranuclear [Co-Gd](2) complexes were prepared by using trianionic ligands possessing amide, imine, and phenol functions. The structural determinations show that the starting cobalt complexes present square planar or square pyramid environments that are preserved in the final tetranuclear [Co-Gd](2) complexes. These geometrical modifications of the cobalt coordination spheres induce changes in the cobalt spin ground states, going from S = 1/2 in the square planar to S = 3/2 for the square pyramid environments. Depending on the ligand, the complexes display antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic Co(II)-Gd(III) interactions. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility-temperature products indicate that the Co-Gd interaction is ferromagnetic when high spin Co ions are concerned and antiferromagnetic in the case of low spin Co ions. This different magnetic behavior can be explained if we observe that the singly occupied σ d(x(2)-y(2)) orbital is populated (S = 3/2 Co ions) or unoccupied (S = 1/2 Co ions). Such an observation furnishes invaluable information for the understanding of the more general 3d-4f magnetic interactions.     

Correlation between photophysical parameters and gold-gold distances in gold(I) (4-pyridyl)ethynyl complexes

The systematic analysis of the luminescence of a series of alkynyl gold derivatives with general formulas [(diphos)(AuC≡Cpy)(2)] (diphosphane =2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane or dppip (1), bis(diphenylphosphanyl)acetylene or dppa (2), 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethane or dppe (3) and 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)butane or dppb, (4), has shown a straightforward correlation between the Au(I)···Au(I) distance and the emission quantum yields and decaytimes. The analysis of the decaytimes, quantum yields and thus, the corresponding calculated rate constants demonstrated the existence of a correlation between Au(I)···Au(I) distance and the radiative rate constant for the deactivation of the emissive triplet states. It was concluded that the increased emission of these compounds results from the increase in spin-orbit coupling that favors the spin forbidden transition to the singlet ground state.     

Reactions of an osmium-hexahydride complex with Cytosine, deoxycytidine, and cytidine: the importance of the minor tautomers

Complex OsH(6)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (1) deprotonates cytosine to give molecular hydrogen and the d(4)-trihydride derivative OsH(3)(cytosinate)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (2), which in solution exists as a mixture of isomers containing κ(2)-N1,O (2a) and κ(2)-N3,O (2b) amino-oxo and κ(2)-N3,N4 (2c) imino-oxo tautomers. The major isomer 2b associates with the minor one 2c through N-H···N and N-H···O hydrogen bonds to form [2b·2c](2) dimers, which crystallize from saturated pentane solutions of 2. Complex 1 is also able to perform the double deprotonation of cytosine (cytosinate') to afford the dinuclear derivative (P(i)Pr(3))(2)H(3)Os(cytosinate')OsH(3)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (3), where the anion is coordinated κ(2)-N1,O and κ(2)-N3,N4 to two different OsH(3)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) metal fragments. The deprotonation of deoxycytidine and cytidine leads to OsH(3)(deoxycytidinate)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (4) and OsH(3)(cytidinate)(P(i)Pr(3))(2) (5), respectively, containing the anion κ(2)-N3,N4 coordinated. Dimer [2b·2c](2) and dinuclear complex 3 have been characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis.