Tricarboranyl pentaerythritol-based building block

A new tricarborane building block based on pentaerythritol was prepared for applications in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Its X-ray single-crystal structure revealed a high degree of steric congestion. To enable the attachment of the building block to other moieties, a succinimidyl linker has been introduced at the focal point, and a generation-2 hexacarborane-containing dendron carrying 60 boron atoms has been prepared using a 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid core.     

Assessment of Gaussian-4 theory for the computation of enthalpies of formation of large organic molecules

Gas-phase enthalpies of formation of 122 relatively large organic molecules with up to 15 non-hydrogen atoms have been calculated at the Gaussian-4 (G4) level of theory using the atomization reaction procedure. The calculated values were compared with experimental data published mainly last years. Particular attention has been given to nitro compounds and nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur containing heterocyclic compounds. The expected accumulation of systematic errors as the molecular size increases was not observed with increasing the number of non-hydrogen atoms from 6 to 15. The largest mean absolute deviation between experimental and G4 enthalpies of formation, 10.7 kJ/mol, was revealed for nitro compounds. All theoretical values for nitro compounds were underestimated by 5–15 kJ/mol. The best agreement with experiment with mean absolute deviation of 4.5 kJ/mol was observed for compounds which types were widely presented in the original test set of G4 method. The mean absolute deviations for nitrogen heterocycles (6.8 kJ/mol) and oxygen and sulfur heterocycles (9.1 kJ/mol) are noticeably larger. Experimental enthalpies of formation of four compounds (N,N-dinitromethanamine, 2,3,5,6-tetrachloronitrobenzene, 2-methyl-2H-tetrazole, and proline) were suggested to be unreliable from comparison with the G4 values calculated from atomization energies and isodesmic reactions.     

Nanocrystalline aerogel VOx/MgO as a catalyst for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

Nanocrystalline aerogel VO_x/MgO catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane with high surface area and uniform vanadium distribution were synthesized by co-gelation followed by supercritical drying. The catalysts were shown to have superior performance compared to nanocrystalline VO_x/MgO catalysts prepared by impregnation.     

Electronic Communication between S=1/2 Spins in Negatively‐charged Double‐caged Fullerene C60 Derivative Bonded by Two Single Bonds and Pyrrolizidine Bridge

Radical anion salt {cryptand[2.2.2] (K⁺)}₂(bispheroid)^2??3.5C₆H₄Cl₂ ( 1 ) of the double‐caged fullerene C₆₀ derivative, in which fullerene cages are linked by a cyclobutane bridging cycle and additionally by a pyrrolizidine moiety, was obtained. Each fullerene cage in this derivative accepts one electron on reduction, thus forming the (bispheroid)^2? dianions with two interacting S=1/2 spins on the neighboring cages. Low‐temperature magnetic measurements reveal a singlet ground state of the bispheroid dianions whereas triplet contributions prevail at increased temperature. An estimated exchange interaction between two spins J/k_B=?78 K in 1 indicates strong magnetic coupling between them, nearly two times higher than that (J/k_B=?44.7 K) in previously studied (C₆₀^?)₂ dimers linked via a cyclobutane bridge only. The enhancement of magnetic coupling in 1 can be explained by a shorter distance between the fullerene cages and, possibly, an additional channel for the magnetic exchange provided by a pyrrolizidine bridge. Quantum‐chemical calculations of the lowest electronic state of the dianions by means of multi‐configuration quasi‐degenerate perturbation theory support the experimental findings.     

Structural characterization of a lanthanum bistriflimide complex, La(N(SO2CF3)2)3(H2O)3, and an investigation of La, Sm, and Eu electrochemistry in a room-temperature ionic liquid, [Me3N(n)Bu][N(SO2CF3)2

The reduction of selected lanthanide cations to the zerovalent state in the room-temperature ionic liquid [Me3N(n)Bu][TFSI] is reported (where TFSI = bistriflimide, [N(SO2CF3)2]-). The lanthanide cations were introduced to the melt as the TFSI hydrate complexes [Ln(TFSI)3(H2O)3] (where Ln = La(III), Sm(III) or Eu(III)). The lanthanum compound [La(TFSI)3(H2O)3] has been crystallographically characterized, revealing the first structurally characterized f-element TFSI complex. The lanthanide in all three complexes was shown to be reducible to the metallic state in [Me3N(n)Bu][TFSI]. For both the Eu and Sm complexes, reduction to the metallic state was achieved via divalent species, and there was an additional observation of the electrodeposition of Eu metal.     

Captured at last: a catalyst-substrate adduct and a Rh-dihydride solvate in the asymmetric hydrogenation by a Rh-monophosphine catalyst

The mechanism of asymmetric hydrogenation catalyzed by [Rh(NBD)((R)-PhenylBinepine)(2)]SbF(6)1 has been studied by NMR experiments and DFT computations. Either the low-temperature hydrogenation of the catalyst-substrate adduct 4 or the reaction of solvate dihydride 6 with MAC produced the hydrogenation product with over 99% ee (S).     

Structures of Chlorinated Fullerenes,IPR C96Cl20 and Non‐classical C94Cl28 and C92Cl32: Evidence of the Existence of Three New Isomers of C96

Chlorination of various HPLC fractions of C₉₆ with a mixture of VCl₄ and SbCl₅ at 340–360 °C and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study of the products led to the identification of three new IPR isomers of C₉₆. The C₉₆(175) isomer forms a stable chloride, C₉₆(175)Cl₂₀, while chlorides of two other new isomers, C₉₆(114) and C₉₆(80), undergo cage shrinkage yielding C₉₄(NC1)Cl₂₈ and C₉₆(NC2)Cl₃₂ with non‐classical (NC) cages. These two NC chlorides contain, respectively, one and two heptagons flanked by pairs of fused pentagons and are stabilized by chlorine attachment to the emerging pentagon–pentagon junctions. Thus, the number of the experimentally confirmed C₉₆ isomers has reached nine, which corroborates the empirical rule that the C_6n fullerenes exhibit particularly rich isomerism.     

Development of a proficiency testing scheme for a limited number of participants in the field of natural water analysis

A proficiency testing (PT) scheme was developed for a limited number of analytical laboratories participating in the analysis of natural water in Israel. Three fit-for-intended-use reference materials (RMs) were prepared for a pilot PT from natural water: RM-blank and two in-house reference materials (IHRMs) with seven analytes fortified to achieve different levels of analyte concentrations. The measurands for the PT participants were the traceable spike values certified in the IHRMs, i.e., added mass concentrations of the analytes. The RM-blank and IHRMs were found to be homogeneous and stable over 11 days, the time necessary for the experimental part of the PT. The RMs were distributed to the PT participants as unknown test items similar to routine samples. The test results were evaluated using their deviations from the IHRM-certified values. Eight Israeli laboratories took part in the interlaboratory comparison. Individual laboratory performance and metrological compatibility of the PT results of the participants, as a local group of laboratories, were evaluated for every analyte.     

BINOL-derived diphosphoramidites bearing unsymmetrical 1,2-diamine link and their application in asymmetric catalysis

New P,P-bidentate diastereomeric diphosphoramidite chiral ligands with mixed stereogenic elements and a C₁ backbone symmetry have been prepared from (S_a)- and (R_a)-1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diol (BINOL) and (S)-N-benzyl-1-(pyrrolidin-2-yl)methanamine and are fully characterized. The use of these ligands provides up to 84% ee in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of (E)-1,3-diphenylallyl acetate and up to 95% ee in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of α-dehydrocarboxylic acid esters. The results indicate that the catalytic performance is highly affected by the axial chirality of the binaphthyl moieties of the ligand and the nature of the solvent.