Efficient nickel-mediated intramolecular amination of aryl chlorides

The use of an in situ generated Ni(0) catalyst associated with 2,2'-bipyridine or N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene (SIPr) as a ligand and NaO-t-Bu as the base for the intramolecular coupling of aryl chlorides with amines is described. The procedure has been applied to the formation of five-, six-, and seven-membered rings. [reaction: see text]     

Palladium(II) complexes of the reducing sugars D-arabinose,D-ribose,rac-mannose,and D-galactose

The cellulose solvent Pd-en, an aqueous solution of [(en)Pd(II)(OH)(2)] (en=ethylenediamine), reacts with the monosaccharides D-arabinose (D-Ara), D-ribose (D-Rib), rac-mannose (rac-Man), and D-galactose (D-Gal) under formation of dimetalated aldose complexes, if the molar ratio of Pd and sugar is 2:1 or larger. In the Pd(2) complexes, the aldoses are tetra-deprotonated and act as bisdiolato ligands. Two crystalline pentose complexes were isolated: [(en)(2)Pd(2)(beta-D-Arap1,2,3,4 H(-4))].5 H(2)O (1) and [(en)(2)Pd(2)(beta-D-Ribp1,2,3,4 H(-4))].6.5 H(2)O (2), along with two hexose complexes. With rac-Man, the major solution species is crystallized as the 9.4-hydrate [(en)(2)Pd(2)(beta-rac-Manp1,2,3,4 H(-4))].9.4 H(2)O (3). From the respective D-Gal solutions, [(en)(2)Pd(2)(beta-D-Galf1,3,5,6 H(-4))].5 H(2)O.C(2)H(5)OH (4), with the sugar tetraanion in its furanose form, is crystallized though it is not the major species, rather the second most abundant in purely aqueous solutions. The Galf species is enriched in the mother liquors to the extent of 25 % of total sugar content. Substitution of the en ligand by two molecules of ammonia, methylamine, or isopropylamine, respectively, results in the formation of different solution species. With the bulkiest ligand, isopropylamine, monometalation of the aldoses in the 1,2-position is exclusively observed.     

Artificial metalloenzymes for enantioselective catalysis based on biotin-avidin

Homogeneous and enzymatic catalysis offer complementary means to generate enantiomerically pure compounds. Incorporation of achiral biotinylated rhodium-diphosphine complexes into (strept)avidin yields artificial metalloenzymes for the hydrogenation of N-protected dehydroamino acids. A chemogenetic optimization procedure allows one to produce (R)-acetamidoalanine with 96% enantioselectivity. These hybrid catalysts display features reminiscent both of enzymatic and of homogeneous systems.     

Structural-chemical disorder of manganese dioxides 1. Influence on surface properties at the solid-electrolyte interface

Relationships between lattice parameters of manganese dioxides and their surface properties at the solid-aqueous solution interface were investigated. The studied series ranged from ramsdellite to pyrolusite and encompassed disordered MD samples. The structural model used takes into account structural defects: Pr (rate of pyrolusite intergrowth) and Tw (rate of microtwinning). Water adsorption isotherms showed that the cross sectional area of water molecules adsorbed in the first monolayer is positively correlated to Pr. Titration of the surface charge of the MD series evidenced a positive linear relationship between the PZC and Pr (Pr=0, Tw=0, PZC=1 for ramsdellite; Pr=1, Tw=0, PZC=7.3 for pyrolusite; gamma-MD with intermediate values of Pr (0.2 to 0.45) have increasing PZC values). The rate of microtwinning appeared as a secondary factor for the increase of the PZC. The above correlations are explained by the chemical defects at the origin of the structural disorder, respectively Mn(3+)/Mn4+ substitution for Pr and Mn vacancies for Tw, which result in proton affinity and thus in increased PZC. The experimental results are compared with data collected in the literature for manganese dioxides as well as for dioxides of transition elements with tetragonal structure.     

Gas‐phase functionalized carbon‐carbon coupling reactions catalyzed by Ni (II) complexes

Gas‐phase C―C coupling reactions mediated by Ni (II) complexes were studied using a linear quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. Ternary nickel cationic carboxylate complexes, [(phen)Ni (OOCR¹)]⁺ (where phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline), were formed by electrospray ionization. Upon collision‐induced dissociation (CID), they extrude CO₂ forming the organometallic cation [(phen)Ni(R¹)]⁺, which undergoes gas‐phase ion‐molecule reactions (IMR) with acetate esters CH₃COOR² to yield the acetate complex [(phen)Ni (OOCCH₃)]⁺ and a C―C coupling product R¹‐R². These Ni(II)/phenanthroline‐mediated coupling reactions can be performed with a variety of carbon substituents R¹ and R² (sp³, sp², or aromatic), some of them functionalized. Reaction rates do not seem to be strongly dependent on the nature of the substituents, as sp³‐sp³ or sp²‐sp² coupling reactions proceed rapidly. Experimental results are supported by density functional theory calculations, which provide insights into the energetics associated with the C―C bond coupling step.     

A New Class of Lanthanide Complexes with Three Ligand Centered Radicals: NMR Evaluation of Ligand Field Energy Splitting and Magnetic Coupling

Combination of three radical anionic Ph-BIAN ligands (Ph-BIAN=bis-(phenylimino)-acenaphthenequinone) with lanthanoid ions leads to a series of homoleptic, six-coordinate complexes of the type Ln(Ph-BIAN)₃. Magnetic coupling data were measured by paramagnetic solution NMR spectroscopy. Combining ¹H NMR with ²H NMR of partially deuterated compounds allowed a detailed study of the magnetic susceptibility anisotropies over a large temperature range. The observed chemical shifts were separated into ligand- and metal-centered contributions by comparison with the Y analogue (diamagnetic at the metal). The metal-centered contributions of the complexes with the paramagnetic ions could then be separated into pseudocontact and Fermi contact shifts. The latter is large within the Ph-BIAN scaffold, which shows that magnetic coupling is significant between the lanthanide ion and the radical ligand. Pseudocontact shifts were further correlated to structural data obtained from X-ray diffraction experiments. Ligand-field parameters were determined by fitting the temperature dependence of the observed magnetic susceptibility anisotropies. The electronic structure determined by this approach shows, that the Er and Tm analogues are candidates for single molecule magnets (SMM). These results demonstrate the possibilities for the application of NMR spectroscopy in investigations of paramagnetic systems in general and single molecule magnets in particular.     

Bridging the Green Gap: Metal–Organic Framework Heteromultilayers Assembled from Porphyrinic Linkers Identified by Using Computational Screening

In organic photovoltaics, porphyrins (PPs) are among the most promising compounds owing to their large absorption cross-section, wide spectral range, and stability. Nevertheless, a precise adjustment of absorption band positions to reach a full coverage of the so-called green gap has not been achieved yet. We demonstrate that a tuning of the PP Q- and Soret bands can be carried out by using a computational approach for which substitution patterns are optimized in silico. The most promising candidate structures were then synthesized. The experimental UV/Vis data for the solvated compounds were in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions. By attaching further functionalities, which allow the use of PP chromophores as linkers for the assembly of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), we were able to exploit packing effects resulting in pronounced redshifts, which allowed further optimization of the photophysical properties of PP assemblies. Finally, we use a layer-by-layer method to assemble the PP linkers into surface-mounted MOFs (SURMOFs), thus obtaining high optical quality, homogeneous and crystalline multilayer films. Experimental results are in full accord with the calculations, demonstrating the huge potential of computational screening methods in tailoring MOF and SURMOF photophysical properties.     

A Reaction-Induced Localization of Spin Density Enables Thermal C−H Bond Activation of Methane by Pristine FeC4+

The reactivity of the cationic metal-carbon cluster FeC₄⁺ towards methane has been studied experimentally using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and computationally by high-level quantum chemical calculations. At room temperature, FeC₄H⁺ is formed as the main ionic product, and the experimental findings are substantiated by labeling experiments. According to extensive quantum chemical calculations, the C−H bond activation step proceeds through a radical-based hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) mechanism. This finding is quite unexpected because the initial spin density at the terminal carbon atom of FeC₄⁺, which serves as the hydrogen acceptor site, is low. However, in the course of forming an encounter complex, an electron from the doubly occupied sp-orbital of the terminal carbon atom of FeC₄⁺ migrates to the singly occupied π*-orbital; the latter is delocalized over the entire carbon chain. Thus, a highly localized spin density is generated in situ at the terminal carbon atom. Consequently, homolytic C−H bond activation occurs without the obligation to pay a considerable energy penalty that is usually required for HAT involving closed-shell acceptor sites. The mechanistic insights provided by this combined experimental/computational study extend the understanding of methane activation by transition-metal carbides and add a new facet to the dizzying mechanistic landscape of hydrogen-atom transfer.     

Hole Migration in Telomere-Based Oligonucleotide Anions and G-Quadruplexes

Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization of a gas-phase oligonucleotide anion leads to the formation of a valence hole. This hole migrates towards an energetically favorable site where it can weaken bonds and ultimately lead to bond cleavage. We have studied Vacuum UV photoionization of deprotonated oligonucleotides containing the human telomere sequence dTTAGGG and G-quadruplex structures consisting of four dTGGGGT single strands, stabilized by NH₄⁺ counter ions. The oligonucleotide and G-quadruplex anions were confined in a radiofrequency ion trap, interfaced with a synchrotron beamline and the photofragmentation was studied using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Oligonucleotide 12-mers containing the 5'-TTAGGG sequence were found to predominantly break in the GGG region, whereas no selective bond cleavage region was observed for the reversed 5'-GGGATT sequence. For G-quadruplex structures, fragmentation was quenched and mostly non-dissociative single and double electron removal was observed.     

Dimerisation of Dipiperidinoacetylene: Convenient Access to Tetraamino-1,3-Cyclobutadiene and Tetraamino-1,2-Cyclobutadiene Metal Complexes

The reaction of 1,2-dipiperidinoacetylene ( 1 ) with 0.5 equivalents of SnCl₂ or GeCl₂⋅dioxane afforded the 1,2,3,4-tetrapiperidino-1,3-cyclobutadiene tin and germanium dichloride complexes 2 a and 2 b , respectively. A competing redox reaction was observed with excess amounts of SnCl₂, which produced a tetrapiperidinocyclobutadiene dication with two trichlorostannate(II) counterions. Heating neat 1 to 110 °C for 16 h cleanly produced the dimer 1,3,4,4-tetrapiperidino-3-buten-1-yne ( 3 ); its reaction with stoichiometric amounts of SnCl₂ or GeCl₂⋅dioxane furnished the 1,3,4,4-tetrapiperidino-1,2-cyclobutadiene tin and germanium dichloride complexes 4 a and 4 b , respectively. Transition-metal complexes containing this novel four-membered cyclic bent allene (CBA) ligand were prepared by reaction of 3 with [(tht)AuCl], [RhCl(CO)₂]₂, and [(Me₃N)W(CO)₅] to form [(CBA)AuCl] ( 5 ), [(CBA)RhCl(CO)₂] ( 6 ), and [(CBA)W(CO)₅] ( 7 ). The molecular structures of all compounds 2 – 7 were determined by X-ray diffraction analyses, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to rationalise the formation of 3 and 4 a .