'Lock and key' control of optical properties in a push-pull system

We report the modulation of the absorbance of a flavin push-pull derivative through specific recognition by a complementary diamidopyridine (DAP), shifting the flavin intramolecular charge transfer band by approximately 30 nm.     

Tuneable pseudorotaxane formation between a biotin-avidin bioconjugate and CBPQT4+

A biotinylated 1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene derivative has been shown to have the ability to bind strongly to avidin and thus act as an artificial binding site for cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) thereby facilitating the formation of a tuneable pseudorotaxane-based bioconjugate.     

Reaction of [Ru3(CO)12] with tri(2-furyl)phosphine: Di- and tri-substituted triruthenium and phosphido-bridged diruthenium complexes

Reaction of [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] with tri(2-furyl)phosphine, P(C₄H₃O)₃, at 40 °C in the presence of a catalytic amount of Na[Ph₂CO] furnishes two triruthenium complexes [Ru₃(CO)₁₀{P(C₄H₃O)₃}₂] (1) and [Ru₃(CO)₉{P(C₄H₃O)₃}₃] (2) with the ligand coordinated through the phosphorus atom. Treatment of 1 and 2 with Me₃NO at 40 °C affords the dinuclear phosphido-bridged complexes [Ru₂(CO)₆(μ-η¹,η²-C₄H₃O){μ-P(C₄H₃O)₂}] (3) and [Ru₂(CO)₅(μ-η¹,η²-C₄H₃O){μ-P(C₄H₃O)₂}{P(C₄H₃O)₃}] (4), respectively, that are formed via phosphorus–carbon bond cleavage of a coordinated phosphine followed by coordination of the dissociated furyl moiety to the diruthenium center in a σ,π-alkenyl mode. Reaction of [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] with tri(2-furyl)phosphine in refluxing benzene gives, in addition to 3 and 4, low yields of the cyclometallated complex [Ru₃(CO)₉{μ-η¹,η¹-P(C₄H₃O)₂(C₄H₂O)}₂] (5). Treatment of 3 with EPh₃ (E = P, As, Sb) at room temperature yields the monosubstituted derivatives [Ru₂(CO)₅(μ-η¹,η²-C₄H₃O){μ-P(C₄H₃O)₂}(EPh₃)] (E = P, 8; E = As, 9; E = Sb, 10). Similar reactions of 3 with P(C₄H₃O)₃, P(OMe)₃ and Bu^tNC yield 4, [Ru₂(CO)₅(μ-η¹,η²-C₄H₃O){μ-P(C₄H₃O)₂}{P(OMe)₃}] (11) and [Ru₂(CO)₅(μ-η¹,η²-C₄H₃O){μ-P(C₄H₃O)₂}(NCBu^t)] (12), respectively. The molecular structures of complexes 3, 4 and 8 have been elucidated by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Each complex contains a bridging σ,π-alkenyl group and while in 4 the phosphine is bound to the σ-coordinated metal atom, in 8 it is at the π-bound atom. Protonation of 3 and 4 gives the hydride complexes [(μ-H)Ru₂(CO)₆(μ-η¹,η²-C₄H₃O){μ-P(C₄H₃O)₂}]⁺ (6) and [(μ-H)Ru₂(CO)₅(μ-η¹,η²-C₄H₃O){μ-P(C₄H₃O)₂}{P(C₄H₃O)₃}]⁺ (7), respectively, while heating 3 with dimethylacetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) in refluxing toluene gives the cyclotrimerization product, C₆(CO₂Me)₆.     

Experimental Confirmation of a Predicted Porous Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) with low densities and high porosities are rare and challenging to design because most molecules have a strong energetic preference for close packing. Crystal structure prediction (CSP) can rank the crystal packings available to an organic molecule based on their relative lattice energies. This has become a powerful tool for the a priori design of porous molecular crystals. Previously, we combined CSP with structure-property predictions to generate energy-structure-function (ESF) maps for a series of triptycene-based molecules with quinoxaline groups. From these ESF maps, triptycene trisquinoxalinedione (TH5) was predicted to form a previously unknown low-energy HOF (TH5-A) with a remarkably low density of 0.374 g cm⁻³ and three-dimensional (3D) pores. Here, we demonstrate the reliability of those ESF maps by discovering this TH5-A polymorph experimentally. This material has a high accessible surface area of 3,284 m² g⁻¹, as measured by nitrogen adsorption, making it one of the most porous HOFs reported to date.     

Density functional theory calculations of novel Rh(I) diphosphinite catalysts

Novel Rh(I) diphosphinite catalysts [Rh((R,R)-3,4-(bis(O-diphenylphosphino)-1,2,5,6-tetra-O-methyl-chiro-inositol)]+ ([Rh-CANDYPHOS]+) and [Rh((R,R)-3,4-(bis(O-diphenylphosphino)-1,2,5,6-tetra-O-ethyl-chiro-inositol)]+ ([Rh-EtCP]+) have been prepared utilizing naturally-occurring resources. Potential energy surfaces for the catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of the prochiral enamides methyl-(Z)-α-acetamido cinnamate, methyl-(Z)-α-acetamido cinnamic acid and dimethyl itaconate have been surveyed using density function theory (DFT) methods. Key transition states were identified from previous [Rh((R,R)-DUPHOS)]+ studies for the two diastereoisomeric manifolds 1 and 2. Transition state energies were found starting from models based on (1) the X-ray structure of the active complex (CANDYPHOS)(η⁴-(Z,Z)-cyclo-octa-1,5-diene)-rhodium(I) tetrafluoroborate CHCl₃ solvate [3] and (2) models in which the complex (without substrate) started with C2 molecular symmetry. The difficulties encountered in calculations of the transition state energies of large cations are outlined and limitations noted. Transition state enthalpy values are compared with the observed experimental free energy differences results and previous studies 1 and 2. The predictive aspects of the calculations appear to be limited with the starting models playing an important part in the absolute value of the final energies.     

Small bite angle diphosphines: synthesis of Ph(p-tolyl)PCH2PPh(p-tolyl) upon lithium reduction of Ph2P(p-tolyl)—molecular structure of anti-[Mo(CO)4{Ph(p-tolyl)PCH2PPh(p-tolyl)}]

Lithiation of Ph₂P(p-tolyl) followed by quenching with dichloromethane affords the new diphosphine Ph(p-tolyl)PCH₂PPh(p-tolyl) as a mixture of syn and anti isomers. Upon crystallisation the anti isomer can be isolated relatively pure and reaction of this with [Mo(CO)₄(piperidine)₂] gives anti-[Mo(CO)₄{Ph(p-tolyl)PCH₂PPh(p-tolyl)}] which has been crystallographically characterised. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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γ-Hydroxypropyl-functionalised iron thiolate complexes: crystal and molecular structure of [{Fe2(CO)6(μ-SCH2CH2CH2OH)}2(μ4-S)]

The γ-hydroxypropyl-functionalised diiron dithiolate complex [Fe₂(CO)₆(μ-SCH₂CH₂CH₂OH)₂] is prepared upon thermolysis of Fe₃(CO)₁₂ and HO(CH₂)₃SH and further reaction with dppm (dppm = Ph₂PCH₂PPh₂) affords [Fe₂(CO)₄(μ-dppm)(μ-SCH₂CH₂CH₂OH)₂]. From the reaction of Fe₃(CO)₁₂ with dppm(S₂) a minor product is the tetrairon cluster, [{Fe₂(CO)₆(μ-SCH₂CH₂CH₂OH)}₂(μ⁴-S)], the mode of formation of which is unclear. It has been crystallographically characterised and adopts a μ⁴-S bridged double butterfly structure which is compared with other crystallographically characterised complexes of this type. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Porous conducting polymer/heteropolyoxometalate hybrid material for electrochemical supercapacitor applications

A porous conducting polymer/heteropolyoxometalate hybrid material that displays high specific capacitance and low ionic resistance has been prepared for electrochemical supercapacitor applications. Polypyrrole/phosphomolybdate composite films were chemically synthesized in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of sodium sulfate, which acts as a porogen. While the phosphomolydic acid could be removed from the film upon rinsing with pure tetrahydrofuran or acetone, rinsing with water or methanol resulted in retention of the heteropolyoxometalate at a level high enough to easily observe its electrochemistry. The retained phosphomolybdate exhibits fast and reversible redox behavior, adding a significant amount of pseudocapacitance to the polymer. Porous films were obtained by leaching out the sodium sulfate porogen from the films using water. The morphology obtained using this method is altered by varying the monomer-to-porogen ratio. Increasing the porosity increases the rate at which the hybrid material can be charged/discharged (i.e., oxidized/reduced) by increasing the ionic conductivity and in turn lowering the resistor-capacitor time constant of the material. The ability to tune the porosity of the material allows the optimization of performance characteristics for use in supercapacitor applications. Impedance measurements indicate that the ionic conductivity of these porous structures can be increased more than an order of magnitude over that observed for standard conducting polymer films and that the hybrid material displays peak specific capacitance of around 700 F/g as well as excellent reversibility and cyclability.     

Towards prediction of stoichiometry in crystalline multicomponent complexes

We report on the crystal structure of urea (U) with acetic acid (A), its physical stability and its predictability using computational methods. The crystal structure of urea:acetic acid (U:A) shows hydrogen-bond ribbons and a 1:2 stoichiometry. Crystal structure prediction calculations are presented for two sets of U:A stoichiometries: 1:1 and 1:2. A 1:3 stoichiometry is also partially explored by means of a synthon approach. The calculated lattice energies, along with hydrogen-bond patterns, of crystal structures predicted with the three stoichiometries are presented and analysed to provide a rationalisation for the stoichiometry observed. Exploring stoichiometric diversity using computational methods provides a tool for the rationalisation of stoichiometry preferences in crystalline multicomponent systems and a first step towards their prediction.