pi-Face donor properties of N-heterocyclic carbenes in Grubbs II complexes

The electron-donating properties of eighteen N-heterocyclic carbenes (N,N'-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)imidazol)-2-ylidene and the respective dihydro ligands) with 4,4'-R substituted aryl rings (4,4'-R = NEt2, OMe, Me, H, SMe, F, Cl, Br, I) in the respective Grubbs II complexes were studied using electrochemical techniques. The nature of the 4-R substituent has a strong influence on the RuII/III redox potentials ranging between DeltaE1/2= +0.196 and +0.532 V. Three unsymmetrical Grubbs II complexes with 4-R not equal to 4-R' were also synthesized. Dynamic NMR spectroscopy revealed the restricted rotation around the (NHC)C-Ru bond (DeltaG = 89 kJ mol(-1) at 333 K) resulting in two atropisomers, respectively, with an isomer ratio close to unity. Each of the isomers, that is the two orientations of the 4-R/4-R' substituted mesityl ring with respect to the R=CHPh unit, gives rise to different redox potentials (4-R = NEt2, 4-R' = Br: DeltaE1/2= +0.232 and +0.451 V). In the oxidized Grubbs II complex (4-R = NEt2, H) and in the cathodic isomer the electron rich aryl ring is located above the Ru=CHPh unit. This orientational effect provides clear evidence for strong pi-pi through-space interactions in the RuIII complexes, assuming that the alternative through-bond transfer of electron density is equally efficient in both isomers.     

Highly efficient Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of heterocyclic substrates through rational reaction design

A dicyclohexyl(2-sulfo-9-(3-(4-sulfophenyl)propyl)-9H-fluoren-9-yl)phosphonium salt was synthesized in 64% overall yield in three steps from simple commercially available starting materials. The highly water-soluble catalyst obtained from the corresponding phosphine and [Na(2)PdCl(4)] enabled the Suzuki coupling of a broad variety of N- and S-heterocyclic substrates. Chloropyridines (-quinolines) and aryl chlorides were coupled with aryl-, pyridine- or indoleboronic acids in quantitative yields in water/n-butanol solvent mixtures in the presence of 0.005-0.05 mol % of Pd catalyst at 100 degrees C, chloropurines were quantitatively Suzuki coupled in the presence of 0.5 mol % of catalyst, and S-heterocyclic aryl chlorides and aryl- or 3-pyridylboronic acids required 0.01-0.05 mol % Pd catalyst for full conversion. The key to the high activity of the Pd-phosphine catalyst is the rational design of the reaction parameters (i.e., the presence of water in the reaction mixture, good solubility of reactants and catalyst in n-butanol/water (3:1), and the electron-rich and sterically demanding nature of the phosphine ligand).     

On the mechanism of the initiation reaction in Grubbs-Hoveyda complexes

Grubbs-Hoveyda-type complexes with variable 4-R (complexes 1: 4-R = NEt(2), OiPr, H, F, NO(2)) and 5-R substituents (complexes 2: 5-R = NEt(2), OiPr, Me, F, NO(2)) at the 2-isopropoxy benzylidene ether ligand and with variable 4-R substituents (complexes 3: 4-R = H, NO(2)) at the 2-methoxy benzylidene ether ligand were synthesized and the respective Ru(II/III) redox potentials (ranging from ΔE = +0.46 to +1.04 V), and UV-vis spectra recorded. The initiation kinetics of complexes 1-3 with the olefins diethyl diallyl malonate (DEDAM), butyl vinyl ether (BuVE), 1-hexene, styrene, and 3,3-dimethylbut-1-ene were investigated using UV-vis spectroscopy. Electron-withdrawing groups at the benzylidene ether ligands were found to increase the initiation rates, while electron-donating groups lead to slower precatalyst activation; accordingly with DEDAM, the complex 1(NO(2)) initiates almost 100 times faster than 1(NEt(2)). The 4-R substituents (para to the benzylidene carbon) were found to have a stronger influence on physical and kinetic properties of complexes 1 and 2 than that of 5-R groups para to the ether oxygen. The DEDAM-induced initiation reactions of complexes 1 and 2 are classified as two-step reactions with an element of reversibility. The hyperbolic fit of the k(obs) vs [DEDAM] plots is interpreted according to a dissociative mechanism (D). Kinetic studies employing BuVE showed that the initiation reactions simultaneously follow two different mechanistic pathways, since the k(obs) vs [olefin] plots are best fitted to k(obs) = k(D)·k(4)/k(-D)·[olefin]/(1 + k(4)/k(-D)·[olefin]) + k(I)·[olefin]. The k(I)·[olefin] term dominates the initiation behavior of the sterically less demanding complexes 3 and was shown to correspond to an interchange mechanism with associative mode of activation (I(a)), leading to very fast precatalyst activation at high olefin concentrations. Equilibrium and rate constants for the reactions of complexes 1-3 with the bulky PCy(3) were determined. In general, sterically demanding olefins (DEDAM, styrene) and Grubbs-Hoveyda type complexes 1 and 2 preferentially initiate according to the dissociative pathway; for the less bulky olefins (BuVE, 1-hexene) and complexes 1 and 2 both D and I(a) are important. Activation parameters for BuVE reactions and complexes 1(NEt(2)), 1(H), and 1(NO(2)) were determined, and ΔS(?) was found to be negative (ΔS(?) = -113 to -167 J·K(-1)·mol(-1)) providing additional support for the I(a) catalyst activation.     

Ground-state approximation for strongly interacting spin systems in arbitrary spatial dimension

We introduce a variational method for the approximation of ground states of strongly interacting spin systems in arbitrary geometries and spatial dimensions. The approach is based on weighted graph states and superpositions thereof. These states allow for the efficient computation of all local observables (e.g., energy) and include states with diverging correlation length and unbounded multiparticle entanglement. As a demonstration, we apply our approach to the Ising model on 1D, 2D, and 3D square lattices. We also present generalizations to higher spins and continuous-variable systems, which allows for the investigation of lattice field theories.     

Facile Synthesis of Triptycene-Azolium Salts and NHC-Metal Complexes

The cycloaddition reactions of eleven substituted anthracenes with nosylated quinone imines provides a convenient route to the respective triptycenes. Following re-aromatization, selective O-butylation and cleavage of the nosyl-group the respective triptycene anilines are obtained, which are converted into the respective imidazolium salts according to established procedures. Deprotonation of the imidazolium salts provide new triptycene-NHC-metal complexes (M=AuCl, RhCl(cod), IrCl(cod), RhCl(CO)₂, IrCl(CO)₂, PdI₂(py), PtCl₂(py), Pd(allyl)Cl) with unusual ligand sterics.     

Styrene‐vinylferrocene random and block copolymers by TEMPO‐mediated radical polymerization

TEMPO‐mediated free radical polymerization was employed for homo‐ and copolymerization of vinylferrocene (Vfc). Homopolymerization of Vfc resulted in relatively narrow polydispersities (M_w/M_n = 1.24–1.8), however, molecular weights were limited to 4 800. Copolymerization with styrene afforded random copolymers with molecular weights (M_n) up to 10 000, narrow polydispersity (1.2 > M_w/M_n > 1.4) and up to 42 mol‐% Vfc. Block copolymers with PS block and P(S‐co‐Vfc) block with molecular weights (M_n) in the range of 9 000 to 17 600 (M_w/M_n > 1.3) were also prepared with up to 17 mol‐% vinylferrocene. DSC revealed two glass transition temperatures (T_g) evidencing phase separation.