Selective reagent ionisation‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry: a rapid technology for the novel analysis of blends of new psychoactive substances

In this study we demonstrate the potential of selective reagent ionisation‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry for the rapid and selective identification of a popular new psychoactive substance blend called ‘synthacaine’, a mixture that is supposed to imitate the sensory and intoxicating effects of cocaine. Reactions with H₃O⁺ result in protonated parent molecules which can be tentatively assigned to benzocaine and methiopropamine. However, by comparing the product ion branching ratios obtained at two reduced electric field values (90 and 170 Td) for two reagent ions (H₃O⁺ and NO⁺) to those of the pure chemicals, we show that identification is possible with a much higher level of confidence then when relying solely on the m/z of protonated parent molecules. A rapid and highly selective analytical identification of the constituents of a recreational drug is particularly crucial to medical personnel for the prompt medical treatment of overdoses, toxic effects or allergic reactions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spectroscopical Investigation of Ski Base Materials

Summary: Raman spectroscopy was applied to perform a comprehensive morphological analysis of polyethylene (PE) ski base materials at different processing levels. The morphological characterization included determination and evaluation of Raman spectra and examination of the crystallinity values by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A good agreement between Raman and DSC crystallinity fractions was obtained, thus corroborating the Raman spectroscopy approach. While for the PE grade with the lowest average molar mass no significant morphological changes due to processing from the raw material via the extruded film to the post-treated film was found, higher molar mass PE grades exhibited a decrease of crystallinity, but an increase of the amorphous fraction along the process chain.     

Are carbodiphosphoranes better ligands than N-heterocyclic carbenes for Grubb's catalysts?

Theoretical investigations suggest that substitution of an N-heterocyclic carbene by a carbodiphosphorane in the Grubb's catalyst for olefin metathesis might lead to enhanced reactivity.     

C-H bond activation of coordinated pyridine: ortho-pyridyl-ditechnetiumhydridocarbonyl metal cyclus. Crystal structure and dynamic behavior in solution

The reaction of pyridine with ditechnetium decacarbonyl [Tc2(CO)10] (1) leads to a novel ortho-pyridyl-ditechnetium hydrido complex, [Tc2(mu-H)(mu-NC5H4)(NC5H5)2(CO)6] (2) and its precursor [Tc2(mu-CO)2(NC5H5)2(CO)6] (3). At ambient temperature 1 was found to react slowly with pyridine to afford the substitution product 3 after 120 h. However, heating the reaction mixture to reflux exclusively leads to the pyridine-ortho-metalated complex 2 in only 30 min. Similarly, complex 3 can be converted completely into 2 upon heating in pyridine for 30 min. Both compounds 2 and 3 were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis. Both compounds 2 and 3 show a complex dynamic behavior in solution that was investigated by one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. Both compounds 2 and 3 show isomerization in solution according to the relative position of the non-bridging pyridine ligands. For 2 the existence of three isomers was shown at equilibrium conditions, 2a (56%) with trans-diaxial, 2b (38%) with cis-diaxial, and 2c (6%) with axial-equatorial arrangement of the non-bridging pyridines. For 3 an equilibrium was detected between two isomers, 3a (67%) with a cis-diaxial and 3b (33%) with a trans-diaxial arrangement of the pyridines.     

Analysis of the metal–ligand bonds in [Mo(X)(NH2)3] (X = P, N, PO, and NO), [Mo(CO)5(NO)]+, and [Mo(CO)5(PO)]+

Quantum chemical calculations at the DFT level have been carried out for model complexes [Mo(P)(NH₂)₃] (1), [Mo(N)(NH₂)₃] (2), [Mo(PO)(NH₂)₃] (3), [Mo(NO)(NH₂)₃] (4), [Mo(CO)₅(PO)]⁺ (5), and [Mo(CO)₅(NO)]⁺ (6). The equilibrium geometries and the vibration frequencies are in good agreement with experimental and previous theoretical results. The nature of the Mo–PO, Mo–NO, Mo–PO⁺, Mo–NO⁺, Mo–P, and Mo–N bond has been investigated by means of the AIM, NBO and EDA methods. The NBO and EDA data complement each other in the interpretation of the interatomic interactions while the numerical AIM results must be interpreted with caution. The terminal Mo–P and Mo–N bonds in 1 and 2 are clearly electron-sharing triple bonds. The terminal Mo–PO and Mo–NO bonds in 3 and 4 have also three bonding contributions from a σ and a degenerate π orbital where the σ components are more polarized toward the ligand end and the π orbitals are more polarized toward the metal end than in 1 and 2. The EDA calculations show that the π bonding contributions to the Mo–PO and Mo–NO bonds in 3 and 4 are much more important than the σ contributions while σ and π bonding have nearly equal strength in the terminal Mo–P and Mo–N bonds in 1 and 2. The total (NH₂)₃Mo–PO binding interactions are stronger than for (NH₂)₃Mo–P which is in agreement with the shorter Mo–PO bond. The calculated bond orders suggest that there are only (NH₂)₃Mo–PO and (NH₂)₃Mo–NO double bonds which comes from the larger polarization of the σ and π contributions but a closer inspection of the bonding shows that these bonds should also be considered as electron-sharing triple bonds. The bonding situation in the positively charged complexes [(CO)₅Mo–(PO)]⁺ and [(CO)₅Mo–(NO)]⁺ is best described in terms of (CO)₅Mo → XO⁺ donation and (CO)₅Mo ← XO⁺ backdonation (X = P, N) using the Dewar–Chatt–Duncanson model. The latter bonds are stronger and have a larger π character than the Mo-CO bonds.     

Filling a Gap: The Coordinatively Saturated Group 4 Carbonyl Complexes TM(CO)8 (TM=Zr,Hf) and Ti(CO)7

Homoleptic Group 4 metal carbonyl cation and neutral complexes were prepared in the gas phase and/or in solid neon matrix. Infrared spectroscopy studies reveal that both zirconium and hafnium form eight-coordinate carbonyl neutral and cation complexes. In contrast, titanium forms only the six-coordinate Ti(CO)₆⁺ and seven-coordinate Ti(CO)₇. Titanium octacarbonyl Ti(CO)₈ is unstable as a result of steric repulsion between the CO ligands. The 20-electron Zr(CO)₈ and Hf(CO)₈ complexes represent the first experimentally observed homoleptic octacarbonyl neutral complexes of transition metals. The molecules still fulfill the 18-electron rule, because one doubly occupied valence orbital does not mix with any of the metal valence atomic orbitals. Zr(CO)₈ and Hf(CO)₈ are stable against the loss of one CO because the CO ligands encounter less steric repulsion than Zr(CO)₇ and Hf(CO)₇. The heptacarbonyl complexes have shorter metal−CO bonds than that of the octacarbonyl complexes due to stronger electrostatic and covalent bonding, but the significantly smaller repulsive Pauli term makes the octacarbonyl complexes stable.