Highly Efficient Redox Isomerisation of Allylic Alcohols Catalysed by Pyrazole‐Based Ruthenium(IV) Complexes in Water: Mechanisms of Bifunctional Catalysis in Water

The catalytic activity of ruthenium(IV) ([Ru(η³:η³‐C₁₀H₁₆)Cl₂L]; C₁₀H₁₆=2,7‐dimethylocta‐2,6‐diene‐1,8‐diyl, L=pyrazole, 3‐methylpyrazole, 3,5‐dimethylpyrazole, 3‐methyl‐5‐phenylpyrazole, 2‐(1H‐pyrazol‐3‐yl)phenol or indazole) and ruthenium(II) complexes ([Ru(η⁶‐arene)Cl₂(3,5‐dimethylpyrazole)]; arene=C₆H₆, p‐cymene or C₆Me₆) in the redox isomerisation of allylic alcohols into carbonyl compounds in water is reported. The former show much higher catalytic activity than ruthenium(II) complexes. In particular, a variety of allylic alcohols have been quantitatively isomerised by using [Ru(η³:η³‐C₁₀H₁₆)Cl₂(pyrazole)] as a catalyst; the reactions proceeded faster in water than in THF, and in the absence of base. The isomerisations of monosubstituted alcohols take place rapidly (10–60 min, turn‐over frequency=750–3000 h^?1) and, in some cases, at 35 °C in 60 min. The nature of the aqueous species formed in water by this complex has been analysed by ESI‐MS. To analyse how an aqueous medium can influence the mechanism of the bifunctional catalytic process, DFT calculations (B3LYP) including one or two explicit water molecules and using the polarisable continuum model have been carried out and provide a valuable insight into the role of water on the activity of the bifunctional catalyst. Several mechanisms have been considered and imply the formation of aqua complexes and their deprotonated species generated from [Ru(η³:η³‐C₁₀H₁₆)Cl₂(pyrazole)]. Different competitive pathways based on outer‐sphere mechanisms, which imply hydrogen‐transfer processes, have been analysed. The overall isomerisation implies two hydrogen‐transfer steps from the substrate to the catalyst and subsequent transfer back to the substrate. In addition to the conventional Noyori outer‐sphere mechanism, which involves the pyrazolide ligand, a new mechanism with a hydroxopyrazole complex as the active species can be at work in water. The possibility of formation of an enol, which isomerises easily to the keto form in water, also contributes to the efficiency in water.     

A direct method for the decontamination of a fly ash amended wet soil,artificially polluted with dioxins

We report hereby the first method of direct treatment of a wet soil containing toxic polychloroderivatives. Using a system with metallic Ca and 5% Rh fixed on charcoal in methanol, soil samples artificially polluted with fly ash containing polychloro-dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), polychloro-dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (co-PCBs), and having 69.2% to 84.6% moisture content, were successfully treated and decontaminated. This treatment afforded excellent hydrodechlorination yields for the 29 most toxic congeners of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs (98.3% degradation yield based on toxic equivalent quotient — or TEQ) after a 24 h treatment, at room temperature.      

Coinage metal complexes with N’NN’ and SeNSe ligands – Pincer vs bridging coordination pattern

The reactions of the ligands 2,6-(Me₂NCH₂)₂C₅H₃N (N’NN’) (1) and 2,6-(PhSeCH₂)₂C₅H₃N (SeNSe) (4) with different coinage metal starting materials gave 1:1, 2:1 or 1:2 metal-to-ligand species, i.e. [Ag(N’NN’){O(O)CCF₃}] (2), [{Ag(PPh₃)}₂(N’NN’)](OTf)₂ (3), [Au(SeNSe)Cl]Cl₂ (5), [Ag(PPh₃)(SeNSe)](OTf) (6), [Cu(MeCN)(SeNSe)](PF₆) (7) or [Cu(SeNSe)₂](PF₆) (8). The new compounds were investigated by IR, multinuclear NMR spectroscopies as well as mass spectrometry. In most cases, the ligands 1 and 4 act as pincer ligands. An attempt to grow single crystals of 2 gave an unexpected result. The crystal investigated by X-ray diffraction proved to be a polynuclear species, [Ag₄(N’NN’){O(O)CCF₃}₄(EtOH)]_n (2a), which contains an unusual, bimetallic triconnective coordination pattern of the N’NN’ ligand. Two tetranuclear [Ag₄(N’NN’){O(O)CCF₃}₄(EtOH)] units form centrosymmetric dimers further associated into a polymer which contains four different coordination environments around silver atoms. The complex 3, in which the ligand also exhibits a bimetallic triconnective pattern, shows an intense, long-lived luminescence in the solid state with emission energies in the green region of the visible spectrum.     

Highly efficient redox isomerisation of allylic alcohols catalysed by pyrazole-based ruthenium(IV) complexes in water: mechanisms of bifunctional catalysis in water

The catalytic activity of ruthenium(IV) ([Ru(η(3):η(3)-C(10)H(16))Cl(2)L]; C(10)H(16) = 2,7-dimethylocta-2,6-diene-1,8-diyl, L = pyrazole, 3-methylpyrazole, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, 3-methyl-5-phenylpyrazole, 2-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)phenol or indazole) and ruthenium(II) complexes ([Ru(η(6)-arene)Cl(2)(3,5-dimethylpyrazole)]; arene = C(6)H(6), p-cymene or C(6)Me(6)) in the redox isomerisation of allylic alcohols into carbonyl compounds in water is reported. The former show much higher catalytic activity than ruthenium(II) complexes. In particular, a variety of allylic alcohols have been quantitatively isomerised by using [Ru(η(3):η(3)-C(10)H(16))Cl(2)(pyrazole)] as a catalyst; the reactions proceeded faster in water than in THF, and in the absence of base. The isomerisations of monosubstituted alcohols take place rapidly (10-60?min, turn-over frequency = 750-3000?h(-1)) and, in some cases, at 35?°C in 60?min. The nature of the aqueous species formed in water by this complex has been analysed by ESI-MS. To analyse how an aqueous medium can influence the mechanism of the bifunctional catalytic process, DFT calculations (B3LYP) including one or two explicit water molecules and using the polarisable continuum model have been carried out and provide a valuable insight into the role of water on the activity of the bifunctional catalyst. Several mechanisms have been considered and imply the formation of aqua complexes and their deprotonated species generated from [Ru(η(3):η(3)-C(10)H(16))Cl(2)(pyrazole)]. Different competitive pathways based on outer-sphere mechanisms, which imply hydrogen-transfer processes, have been analysed. The overall isomerisation implies two hydrogen-transfer steps from the substrate to the catalyst and subsequent transfer back to the substrate. In addition to the conventional Noyori outer-sphere mechanism, which involves the pyrazolide ligand, a new mechanism with a hydroxopyrazole complex as the active species can be at work in water. The possibility of formation of an enol, which isomerises easily to the keto form in water, also contributes to the efficiency in water.     

Chemoselective transfer hydrogenation to nitroarenes mediated by cubane-type Mo3S4 cluster catalysts

Chemoselective cubes: Cubane-type [Mo(3)S(4)X(3)(dmpe)(3)](+) clusters (dmpe = 1,2-(bis)dimethylphosphinoethane), in combination with an azeotropic 5:2 mixture of HCOOH and NEt(3) as the reducing agent, act as selective cluster catalysts (X = H) or precatalysts (X = Cl) for the transfer hydrogenation of functionalized nitroarenes, without the formation of hazardous hydroxylamines.     

Thermal behaviour and spectroscopic studies of complexes of some divalent transitional metals with 2-benzoil-pyridil-izonicotinoylhydrazone

New complexes of 2-benzoyl-pyridil-isonicotinoylhydrazone (L) with Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Mn(II), having formula of type [ML₂] SO₄·xH₂O (M = Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, x = 2 and M = Mn²⁺, x = 3), have been synthesised and characterised. All complexes were characterised on the basis of elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, UV–VIS–NIR, EPR, as well as thermal analysis and determination of molar conductivity and magnetic moments. The thermal behaviour of complexes was studied using thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The structure of L hydrazone was established by X-ray study on single crystal. The ligand works as tridentate NNO, being coordinated through the azomethine nitrogen, the pyridine nitrogen and carbonylic oxygen. Heats of decomposition, ΔH, associated with the exothermal effects were also determined.     

Synthesis, spectral and thermal studies of new copper (II) complexes with 1,2-di(imino-2-aminomethylpyridil)ethane

New copper (II) complexes of Schiff bases with 1,2-di(imino-2-aminomethylpyridil)ethane with the general composition CuLX _m (H₂O) _x , [L = Schiff base, X = Cl^?, Br^?, NO₃ ^?, ClO₄ ^?, CH₃COO^?, m = 2; X = SO₄ ^2?, m = 1] were prepared by template synthesis. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, magnetic moments, IR, UV–VIS and EPR spectra. The thermal behavior of complexes was studied using thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Infrared spectra of all complexes are in good agreement with the coordination of a neutral tetradentate N₄ ligand to the cooper (II) through azomethinic and pyridinic nitrogen. Magnetic, EPR and electronic spectral studies show a monomeric distorted octahedral geometry for all Cu(II) complexes. Conductance measurements suggest the non-electrolytic nature of the compounds, except for copper (II) nitrate and perchlorate complexes which are 1:2 electrolytes. Heats of decomposition, ΔH, associated with the exothermal effects were also determined.     

GC-MS determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons evolved from pyrolysis of biomass

A method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in liquid pyrolysate of biomass (bio-oil) was developed with attention to greenness along with accuracy. Bio-oil obtained from preparative pyrolysis at 500 °C of poplar wood as representative biomass matrix was dissolved into acetonitrile (ACN). An aliquot of the ACN solution (0.1 mg bio-oil) was added with water (20% v/v) and spiked with perdeuterated standards, then PAHs were extracted with n-hexane and separated from phenolic interferents by silica gel solid-phase extraction (SPE). All 16 priority PAHs were detected at concentrations between 7.7 μg g⁻¹ (naphthalene) and 0.1 μg g⁻¹ (benz[a]anthracene) with RSD in the 6–23% range. Recovery of perdeuterated acenaphthene, phenanthrene and chrysene was 84, 93 and 90%, respectively. Results obtained from the analysis of bio-oil were used to evaluate the performance of analytical pyrolysis conducted with a heated platinum filament in off-line configuration. Two sampling procedures were compared: (1) sorption onto silica gel followed by elution with n-hexane (Py-SPE), (2) dynamic solid-phase micro-extraction followed by fibre cleanup with aqueous ammonia (Py-SPME). Emission levels of priority PAHs could be determined by Py-SPE with RSD in the 13–45% range, while Py-SPME was unsatisfactory for quantitation. Emission levels determined by Py-SPE fell in the 6.4–0.1 μg g⁻¹ range slightly higher than those calculated from bio-oil analysis. Both Py methods were adequate for screening purposes to assess the effect of catalysts on PAH formation. In particular, they agreed to show that the content of PAHs expected in bio-oil increased dramatically when pyrolysis was conducted over HZSM-5 zeolite.     

Microparticles for Drug Delivery Based on Functional Polycaprolactones with Enhanced Degradability: Loading of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Active Compounds

Microparticle drug carriers made of biodegradable functional polyesters were produced. The polyesters consist of a poly(ε‐caprolactone) backbone bearing pendant acryloyloxy and methacryloyloxy groups. Stable microparticles were prepared via an oil/water emulsion‐solvent evaporation technique eventually combined with a simultaneous crosslinking procedure. Crosslinked particles were obtained via photo‐crosslinking and Michael type addition using diamines as crosslinking agents. Encapsulation of a hydrophobic fluorescent dye and a hydrophilic protein, as model drugs, were performed and confirmed by optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The presence of the functional groups allow for not only the tuning of the degradation rate, but also for further processing and (bio)functionalization.