Phosphine-stabilized arsenium salts: water-stable,labile, coordination complexes

A series of air- and water-stable tertiary phosphine-stabilized arsenium salts of the type R(3)P-->AsR(2)(+)PF(6)(-) has been isolated. In the crystal structures of two chiral triarylphosphine complexes of prochiral methylphenylarsenium hexafluorophosphate, the stereochemistry around arsenic is trigonal pyramidal with the phosphorus atom occupying the apical position, the As-P bond being orthogonal to the plane of the trigonal (lone-pair included) arsenium ion: Ph(3)P-->AsMePh(+) PF(6)(-), P2(1)/c, a = 10.7775(2) A, b = 17.7987(3) A, c = 13.3797(2) A, beta = 109.066(1) degrees, V = 2425.78(7) A(3), T = 200 K, Z = 4; Ph(2)(2-MeOC(6)H(4))P-->AsMePh(+) PF(6)(-), P1, a = 10.8077(2) A, b = 10.9741(2) A, c = 13.5648(2) A, alpha = 99.0162(9) degrees, beta = 105.2121(9) degrees, gamma = 116.4717(9) degrees, V = 1318.11(5) A(3), T = 200 K, Z = 2. The arsenium ion in each case appears to be further stabilized by conjugation of the lone pair with the phenyl group, with which the arsenic and methyl-carbon atoms are almost coplanar. In the crystal structure of the 2-(methoxymethylphenyl)diphenylphosphine adduct of methylphenylarsenium hexafluorophosphate, there operates a counteractive chelate effect in which anchimeric oxygen coordination to arsenic destabilizes the arsenic-phosphorus bond in the six-membered chelate ring. Although they are stable, phosphine-stabilized arsenium salts undergo rapid phosphine exchange and attack at arsenic by anionic carbon and oxygen nucleophiles to give tertiary arsines and arsinous acid esters, respectively, with liberation of the phosphine.     

Organoselenium chemistry : A study of intermediates in the fragmentation of aliphatic ketoselenoxides. Characterization of selenoxides,selenenamides and selenolseleninates by 1H-,13C-and 77Se-NMR

A series of β-ketoselenenic acids was generated at low temperature ( - 20° to - 50°) by selenoxide syn elimination of appropriate selenoxides (13-ox, 16-ox, 35-ox, 38-ox, and 39-ox). No evidence for the buildup of significant concentrations of selenenic acid was obtained. A selenolseleninate (15, 2,2' - diseleno - bis(1 - phenyl - 2 - methyl -1 - propanone) - Se - oxide) was detected as an intermediate in the decomposition of 13-ox and 16-ox. This compound, which is stable in solution below - 50° was charaeterized by NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C,⁷⁷Se) and by its thermal decomposition and reactions with phosphite (reduction to diselenide 6) and dialkylamines (formation of selenenamide 11). Decomposition of 15 in the presence of dibenzylamine resulted in trapping of a selenenic acid-like species (RSeSeOH) to give RSeSeN(CH₂Ph)₂ (R = PhC(O)C(CH₃)₂). Although 15 could not be prepared by oxidation of diselenide 6, it was possible to prepare a cyclic selenolseleninate (4,4-dimethyl-1,2-diselenolane monoxide, 20) by oxidation of the related diselenide (19). Attempts to prepare more stable aliphatic selenenic acids by blocking the principal decomposition pathway of 15 were not successful. Thus 1 - benzoyl -1 - cyclopropaneselenenic acid was generated from 35-ox and 38-ox and 1 - benzoyl - 2,2 - dimethylcyclopropaneselenenic from 39-ox. The former underwent normal disproportionation (to 36 and 37) even when prepared at -49°. The latter gave what appeared to be a selenolseleninate (40) which again disproportionated at -17°.     

Protein adsorption on nanoporous TiO2 films: a novel approach to studying photoinduced protein/electrode transfer reactions

We have investigated the use of nanoporous TiO2 films as substrates for protein immobilisation. Such films are of interest due to their high surface area, optical transparency, electrochemical activity and ease of fabrication. These films moreover allow detailed spectroscopic study of protein/electrode electron transfer processes. We find that protein immobilisation on such films may be readily achieved from aqueous solutions at 4 degrees C with a high binding stability and no detectable protein denaturation. The nanoporous structure of the film greatly enhances the active surface area available for protein binding (by a factor of up to 850 for an 8 microns thick film). We demonstrate that the redox state of proteins such as immobilised cytochrome-c (Cyt-c) and haemoglobin (Hb) may be modulated by the application of an electrical bias potential to the TiO2 film, without the addition of electron transfer mediators. The binding of Cyt-c on the TiO2 films is investigated as a function of film thickness, protein concentration, protein surface charge and ionic strength. We demonstrate the potential use of immobilised Hb on such TiO2 films for the detection of dissolved CO in aqueous solutions. We further show that protein/electrode electron transfer may be initiated by UV bandgap excitation of the TiO2 electrode. Both photooxidation and photoreduction of the immobilised proteins can be achieved. By employing pulsed UV laser excitation, the interfacial electron transfer kinetics can be monitored by transient optical spectroscopy, providing a novel probe of protein/electrode electron transfer kinetics. We conclude that nanoporous TiO2 films may be useful both for basic studies of protein/electrode interactions and for the development of novel bioanalytical devices such as biosensors.     

Syntheses and Structures of Two New Cu/Nb/pyrazine Complexes: Three dimensional CuNb(pyz)2OF5 · (pyz)(H2O) and two dimensional [Cu(pyz)2.5]+ [NbF6]− · (pyz)

Crystals of CuNb(pyz)₂OF₅ · (pyz)(H₂O) ( 1 ) and [Cu(pyz)_2.5]⁺ [NbF₆]^? · (pyz) ( 2 ) were grown (150°C and autogeneous pressures) from CuO, 1/2(Nb₂O₅), (HF)_x · pyridine, and H₂O in excess pyrazine. Light blue single crystals of ( 1 ) are orthorhombic, crystallizing in space group Cccm (No. 66), with a = 14.547(1) Å, b = 16.135(2) Å, c = 13.803(2) Å, and Z = 8. The structure of ( 1 ) contains corner shared [Cu(pyz)_4/2F_2/2]⁺, [Cu(pyz)_4/2O_2/2], and [NbF₄O_1/2F_1/2]^?0.5 octahedra. Orange crystals of ( 2 ) are monoclinic, crystallizing in space group C2/c (No. 15), with a = 11.792(8) Å, b = 17.123(3) Å, c = 17.051(5) Å, β = 90.04(4)°, and Z = 8. The structure of ( 2 ) contains puckered rings of corner shared [Cu(pyz)(pyz)_3/2]⁺ tetrahedra and isolated [NbF₆]^? anions within the rings.     

Factors affecting propagating fronts of addition polymerization: Velocity,front curvature,temperatue profile,conversion, and molecular weight distribution

Several properties of propagating fronts of addition polymerization were studied. A power function could be fit to the velocity dependence on initiator concentration, but not with the exponents predicted by current models or in agreement with other published work. Bubbles from the volatile by-products of initiator decomposition were found to affect the front velocity and curvature. The front velocity for triethylene glycol dimethacrylate polymerization was found to depend linearly on temperature over a moderate range. The conversion of methacrylic acid in fronts varied greatly with initiator type and concentration. Benzoyl peroxide produced much lower conversion than t-butyl peroxide, but fronts with tBPO propagated slower. A dual initiator system of BPO and tBPO produced rapidly propagating fronts with good conversion but the contribution of each initiator to the velocity was not additive. The possibility of chain branching was considered. The apparent molecular weight distributions were very broad, often trimodal, and found to depend on initiator type and concentration as well as the tube diameter. The temperature profiles were measured and found to be very sharp for BPO and broader for tBPO but both had front temperatures in excess of 200°C, indicating a high ceiling temperature. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reactions in the presence of organic phosphites,II: Low-temperature amidatior in solvent

Polyamides and related model compounds were prepared from carboxy acids and primary amines by reacting them with triphenylphosphite in an appropriate solvent at 100°C. The reactions proceeded in the absence of organic base but were accelerated by the addition of bases such as pyridine. Nevertheless, even the powerful combination of ¹³C and ³¹P NMR failed to indicate the presence of pyridinium phosphite in the reaction mixture. In the reaction of a primary amine and carboxyl groups a detectable amount of the diphenoxy aminophosphine intermediate was observed. The end products are the amides, phenol, and diphenyl phosphite. When primary amine was not present a slow formation of a phenyl ester of the carboxylic acid was evident. All the intermediate species and the end products were formed with or without added pyridine. A mixed anhydride of carboxylic acid and phosphite was never seen. The results in this article are fundamentally the same as those in the companion article (I) for which the data were obtained at 280°C in the absence of solvent and base. However, because the reaction went quickly to completion at 280°C, the diphenoxy aminophosphine intermediate was not observed. A mechanism for the amidation in which the diphenoxy aminophosphine is an initial reaction intermediate is proposed. This species reacts with the carboxylic acid through an intramolecular substitution to give an amide. This mechanism may be valid for the high-temperature reactions as well. Several minor unclear points are indicated.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Desymmetrisation as a Tool for the Synthesis of Hodgkinsine and Hodgkinsine B

Two palladium‐catalysed amination protocols are deployed in the desymmetrisation of the complex dimeric alkaloid meso‐chimonanthine. The power of these transformations is showcased in an efficient formal and total synthesis of the natural products hodgkinsine and hodgkinsine B, respectively.