Gold Carbenoids: Lessons Learnt from a Transmetalation Approach

Carbophilic catalysts that are based on Au^I allow a host of different nucleophiles to be added across various π systems. 1 – 3 Although many of these reactions are thought to proceed via gold carbenoids, the challenge to observe and characterize these putative intermediates has basically been unmet. 4 The current mechanistic interpretation therefore largely relies on indirect evidence and computational data, some of which are subject to debate. 5 In an attempt to fill this gap, we pursued a potential route to gold carbenoids by formal transmetalation of chromium or tungsten Fischer carbene complexes with [LAu]⁺. Whereas this transformation proceeds with exceptional ease as long as a stabilizing heteroelement is present on the carbene center, it stops half‐way in its absence. Rather unusual bimetallic arrays are formed, which allow the charge density to delocalize over several positions. The obvious difficulty of releasing an “unstabilized” gold carbenoid has potential mechanistic implications for the understanding of π‐acid catalysis in general.     

Nanocomposites of Tantalum‐Based Pyrochlore and Indium Hydroxide Showing High and Stable Photocatalytic Activities for Overall Water Splitting and Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Nanocomposites of tantalum‐based pyrochlore nanoparticles and indium hydroxide were prepared by a hydrothermal process for UV‐driven photocatalytic reactions including overall water splitting, hydrogen production from photoreforming of methanol, and CO₂ reduction with water to produce CO. The best catalyst was more than 20 times more active than sodium tantalate in overall water splitting and 3 times more active than Degussa P25 TiO₂ in CO₂ reduction. Moreover, the catalyst was very stable while generating stoichiometric products of H₂ (or CO) and O₂ throughout long‐term photocatalytic reactions. After the removal of In(OH)₃, the pyrochlore nanoparticles remained highly active for H₂ production from pure water and aqueous methanol solution. Both experimental studies and density functional theory calculations suggest that the pyrochlore nanoparticles catalyzed the water reduction to produce H₂, whereas In(OH)₃ was the major active component for water oxidation to produce O₂.     

On the Solvent‐free Structure of a Jäger‐type Cobalt(II) N2O2‐Chelate Complex

A combined synchrotron X‐ray and density functional theory (DFT) study on the structure of a Jäger‐type N₂O₂ chelate complex was carried out. The ethoxy‐substituted bis(3‐oxo‐enaminato)cobalt(II) complex ( 1 ) was an original sample from the laboratory of the late Professor Ernst‐G. Jäger (University of Jena, Germany). Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis revealed essentially flat molecules of 1 , which are unsolvated and coordinatively unsaturated. The DFT calculations on the isolated molecule predict a planar structure for the non‐hydrogen atoms, which is a local minimum on the energy surface. The crystal packing is achieved through off‐set stacking (staircase arrangement), resulting in a herringbone pattern in the space group P2₁2₁2₁. The structure of 1 is compared to known structures of related bis(3‐oxo‐enaminato)cobalt(II) complexes ( 2 – 4 ). Original bulk material of 1 was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), melting point determination, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy.     

The First Crystal Structure of a Reactive Dirhodium Carbene Complex and a Versatile Method for the Preparation of Gold Carbenes by Rhodium‐to‐Gold Transmetalation

The dirhodium carbene derived from bis(4‐methoxyphenyl)diazomethane and [Rh(tpa)₄]?CH₂Cl₂ (tpa=triphenylacetate) was characterized by UV, IR, and NMR spectroscopy, HRMS, as well as by X‐ray diffraction. The isolated complex exhibits prototypical rhodium carbene reactivity in that it cyclopropanates 4‐methoxystyrene at low temperature. Experimental structural information on this important type of reactive intermediate is extremely scarce and thus serves as a reference point for mechanistic discussions of rhodium catalysis in general. Moreover, dirhodium carbenes are shown to undergo remarkably facile carbene transfer on treatment with [LAuNTf₂] (L=phosphine). This formal transmetalation opens a valuable new entry into gold carbene complexes that cannot easily be made otherwise; three fully characterized representatives illustrate this aspect.     

Experimentally-based recommendations of density functionals for predicting properties in mechanically interlocked molecules

Mechanically interlocked molecules (rotaxanes and catenanes) have already revolutionized molecular electronics and have the promise of a similar impact in other areas of nanotechnology, ranging from nanoactuators to in vivo drug nanocarriers. However, it would be most useful to have quantitative criteria for predicting structures, binding, and excitation energies for use in designing molecules with mechanical bonds. We assess here the use of density functional theory (DFT) to a noncovalently bound complex and find that no density functional is fully satisfactory. However, we find that the new M06-suite of density functionals, which include attractive medium-range interactions, leads to dramatic improvements in the structures (error of 0.04 A in the interplanar distances for M06-L compared to 0.42 A for B3LYP) and excitation energies (within 0.08 eV for TD-M06-HF without empirical correction compared to 2.2 eV error for TD-B3LYP). However, M06 predicts the complex to be too strongly bound by 22.6 kcal mol(-1) (B3LYP leads to too weak a bond by 29 kcal mol(-1)), while current empirical FF DREIDING is too weakly bound by only 15 kcal mol(-1).     

Calculation of solvation free energies of charged solutes using mixed cluster/continuum models

We derive a consistent approach for predicting the solvation free energies of charged solutes in the presence of implicit and explicit solvents. We find that some published methodologies make systematic errors in the computed free energies because of the incorrect accounting of the standard state corrections for water molecules or water clusters present in the thermodynamic cycle. This problem can be avoided by using the same standard state for each species involved in the reaction under consideration. We analyze two different thermodynamic cycles for calculating the solvation free energies of ionic solutes: (1) the cluster cycle with an n water cluster as a reagent and (2) the monomer cycle with n distinct water molecules as reagents. The use of the cluster cycle gives solvation free energies that are in excellent agreement with the experimental values obtained from studies of ion-water clusters. The mean absolute errors are 0.8 kcal/mol for H(+) and 2.0 kcal/mol for Cu(2+). Conversely, calculations using the monomer cycle lead to mean absolute errors that are >10 kcal/mol for H(+) and >30 kcal/mol for Cu(2+). The presence of hydrogen-bonded clusters of similar size on the left- and right-hand sides of the reaction cycle results in the cancellation of the systematic errors in the calculated free energies. Using the cluster cycle with 1 solvation shell leads to errors of 5 kcal/mol for H(+) (6 waters) and 27 kcal/mol for Cu(2+) (6 waters), whereas using 2 solvation shells leads to accuracies of 2 kcal/mol for Cu(2+) (18 waters) and 1 kcal/mol for H(+) (10 waters).     

Lithium amide conjugate addition for the asymmetric synthesis of 3-aminopyrrolidines

Conjugate addition of homochiral lithium amides to methyl 4-(N-benzyl-N-allylamino)but-2-enoate, chemoselective N-deprotection and concomitant cyclisation, followed by enolate functionalisation and deprotection allows access to syn- and anti-3,4-disubstituted aminopyrrolidines in > 98% d.e. and > 98% e.e.     

Structural Diversity of Metallosupramolecular Assemblies from Cu(phen)2+ (phen = 1,10‐Phenanthroline) Building Blocks and 4,4′‐Bipyridine

Attempts to crystal engineer metallosupramolecularcomplexes from Cu(phen)²⁺ building blocks and the prototypical,rod‐like, exo‐bidentate ligand 4,4′‐bipyridine (4,4′‐bipy) by layering techniques are described. Reactions of Cu(phen)²⁺ (phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline) with 4,4′‐bipy in the presence of NO₃^– counterions yielded two distinct, discrete, dinuclear, C_i symmetric, dumbbell‐typecomplexes, [{Cu(NO₃)₂(phen)}₂(4,4′‐bipy)] ( 1 ) and [{Cu(NO₃)(phen)(H₂O)}₂(4,4′‐bipy)](NO₃)₂ ( 2 ), depending upon the mixture of solvents used for crystallization. In compound 1 , a mono‐ and a bidentate nitrato group coordinate to Cu²⁺, whereas in 2 the monodentate nitrato groups are replaced by aqua ligands, which introduce additional hydrogen‐bond donor functionality to the molecule. The crystal structure of 1 was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis at 296 and 110 K. Upon cooling, a disorder‐order transition occurs, with retention of the space group symmetry. The crystal structure of 2 at room temperature was reported previously [Z.‐X. Du, J.‐X. Li, Acta Cryst. 2007 , E63, m2282]. We have redetermined the crystal structure of 2 at 100 K. A phase transition is not observed for 2 , but the low temperature single‐crystal structure determination is of significantly higher precision than the room temperature study. Both 1 and 2 are obtained phase‐pure, as proven by powder X‐ray diffraction of the bulk materials. Crystals of [Cu(phen)(CF₃SO₃)₂(4,4′‐bipy) · 0.5H₂O]_n ( 3 ), a one‐dimensional coordination polymer, were obtained from [Cu(CF₃SO₃)₂(phen)(H₂O)₂] and 4,4′‐bipy. In 3 , Cu(phen)²⁺ corner units are joined by 4,4′‐bipy via the two vacant cis sites to form polymeric zig‐zag chains, which are tightly packed in the crystal. Compounds 1 – 3 were further studied by infrared spectroscopy.     

A microfluidic device for self-synchronised production of droplets

The primary requirement for a mixing operation in droplet-based microfluidic devices is an accurate pairing of droplets of reaction fluids over an extended period of time. In this paper, a novel device for self-synchronous production of droplets has been demonstrated. The device uses a change in impedance across a pair of electrodes introduced due to the passage of a pre-formed droplet to generate a second droplet at a second pair of electrodes. The device was characterised using image analysis. Droplets with a volume of ~23.5 ± 3.1 nl (i.e.~93% of the volume of pre-formed droplets) were produced on applying a voltage of 500 V. The synchronisation efficiency of the device was 83%. As the device enables self-synchronised production of droplets, it has a potential to increase the reliability and robustness of mixing operations in droplet-based microfluidic devices.