A combined theoretical and experimental study of efficient and fast titanocene-catalyzed 3-exo cyclizations

The mechanism of titanocene mediated 3-exo cyclizations was investigated by a combined theoretical and experimental study. A gradient corrected density functional theory (DFT) method has been scaled against titanocene dichloride, the parent butenyl radical, and in bond dissociation energy (BDE) calculations. The BP86 method using density fitting, and a basis set of triple-zeta quality emerged as a highly reliable tool for studying titanocene mediated radical reactions. The computational results revealed important kinetic and thermodynamic features of cyclopropane formation. Surprisingly, the beta-titanoxy radicals, the first intermediates of our investigations, were demonstrated to possess essentially the same thermodynamic stabilization as the corresponding alkyl radicals by comparison of the calculated BDEs. In contrast to suggestions for samarium mediated reactions, the cyclization was shown to be thermodynamically favorable in agreement with earlier kinetic studies. It was established that stereoselectivity of the cyclization is governed by the stability of the intermediates and thus the trans disubstituted products are formed preferentially. The observed ratios of products are in good to excellent agreement with the DFT results. By a combination of computational and experimental results, it was also shown that for the completion of the overall cyclopropane formation the efficiency of the trapping of the cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals is decisive.     

From uncharged to decacationic molecules: syntheses and spectroscopic properties of heteroarenium-substituted pyridines

Nucleophilic substitutions on pentachloropyridine with 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine, 4-aminopyridine, and 4-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pyridine give mono-, tri- and pentacationic pyridine-hetarenium salts. The mono-, tri- and pentacationic 4-aminopyridine derivatives can be deprotonated to neutral compounds in solution, or protonated to di-, hexa- and decacationic pyridine derivatives, respectively. Successive substitutions with different heteroaromatic nucleophiles give pyridines with two distinct types of heteroarenium substituents.     

Size Matters! On the Way to Ionic Liquid Systems without Ion Pairing

Several, partly new, ionic liquids (ILs) containing imidazolium and ammonium cations as well as the medium‐sized [NTf₂]^? (0.230 nm³; Tf=CF₃SO₃^?) and the large [Al(hfip)₄]^? (0.581 nm³; hfip=OC(H)(CF₃)₂) anions were synthesized and characterized. Their temperature‐dependent viscosities and conductivities between 25 and 80 °C showed typical Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann (VFT) behavior. Ion‐specific self‐diffusion constants were measured at room temperature by pulsed‐gradient stimulated‐echo (PGSTE) NMR experiments. In general, self‐diffusion constants of both cations and anions in [Al(hfip)₄]^?‐based ILs were higher than in [NTf₂]^?‐based ILs. Ionicities were calculated from self‐diffusion constants and measured bulk conductivities, and showed that [Al(hfip)₄]^?‐based ILs yield higher ionicities than their [NTf₂]^? analogues, the former of which reach values of virtually 100 % in some cases.From these observations it was concluded that [Al(hfip)₄]^?‐based ILs come close to systems without any interactions, and this hypothesis is underlined with a Hirshfeld analysis. Additionally, a robust, modified Marcus theory quantitatively accounted for the differences between the two anions and yielded a minimum of the activation energy for ion movement at an anion diameter of slightly greater than 1 nm, which fits almost perfectly the size of [Al(hfip)₄]^?. Shallow Coulomb potential wells are responsible for the high mobility of ILs with such anions.     

Oxidizing Elemental Platinum with Oleum under Harsh Conditions: The Unique Tris(disulfato)platinate(IV) [Pt(S2O7)3]2− Anion

For the first time, direct oxidation of elemental platinum by a mineral acid to its tetravalent state was observed in course of the reaction of platinum with oleum (65 % SO₃) in the presence of barium carbonate. The reaction has been carried out in torch‐sealed glass ampoules at 160 °C and gave yellow single crystals of Ba[Pt(S₂O₇)₃](H₂SO₄)_0.5(H₂S₂O₇)_0.5 (triclinic, P$\bar 1$ , Z=2, a=992.05(2), b=1069.07(3), c=1114.22(3) pm, α=69.49(7), β=72.96(2), γ=72.93(1)°, V=1033.95(5) ų). The structure of Ba[Pt(S₂O₇)₃](H₂SO₄)_0.5(H₂S₂O₇)_0.5 exhibits the unique tris‐(disulfato)‐platinate anion [Pt(S₂O₇)₃]^2? with three chelating disulfate groups coordinated to the platinum atom. Charge balance is achieved by the Ba²⁺ ions, which are coordinated by (S₂O₇)^2? groups from the platinate complex and by disordered sulfuric acids and disulfuric acid molecules. Thermal decomposition of the bulk material revealed elemental platinum and barium sulfate as decomposition residual.     

Recovering Invisible Signals by Two‐Field NMR Spectroscopy

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies have benefited tremendously from the steady increase in the strength of magnetic fields. Spectacular improvements in both sensitivity and resolution have enabled the investigation of molecular systems of rising complexity. At very high fields, this progress may be jeopardized by line broadening, which is due to chemical exchange or relaxation by chemical shift anisotropy. In this work, we introduce a two‐field NMR spectrometer designed for both excitation and observation of nuclear spins in two distinct magnetic fields in a single experiment. NMR spectra of several small molecules as well as a protein were obtained, with two dimensions acquired at vastly different magnetic fields. Resonances of exchanging groups that are broadened beyond recognition at high field can be sharpened to narrow peaks in the low‐field dimension. Two‐field NMR spectroscopy enables the measurement of chemical shifts at optimal fields and the study of molecular systems that suffer from internal dynamics, and opens new avenues for NMR spectroscopy at very high magnetic fields.     

Binding of hairpin polyamides to DNA studied by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy for DNA nanoarchitectures

We have recently constructed a “DNA strut” consisting of two DNA-binding hairpin polyamides of Dervan-type connected via a long flexible linker and were able to show that this strut can be used to sequence-selectively connect DNA helices. This approach provides a second structural element (besides the Watson–Crick base pairing) for the assembly of higher-order DNA nanoarchitectures from smaller DNA building blocks. Since none of the existing analytical techniques for studying this kind of system were found suitable for detection and quantification of the formation of the resulting complexes, we chose fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). In the present study we show that FCS allowed us in a versatile and fast way to investigate the binding of Dervan polyamides to DNA. In particular it also shows its power in the quantitative detection of the formation of multimeric complexes and the in investigation of binding under nonphysiological conditions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Reactions with Oleum under Harsh Conditions: Characterization of the Unique [M(S2O7)3]2− Ions (M=Si,Ge, Sn) in A2[M(S2O7)3] (A=NH4, Ag)

The reactions of group 14 tetrachlorides MCl₄ (M=Si, Ge, Sn) with oleum (65 % SO₃) at elevated temperatures lead to the unique complex ions [M(S₂O₇)₃]^2?, which show the central M atoms in coordination with three chelating S₂O₇^2? groups. The mean distances M? O within the anions increase from 175.6(2)–177.5(2) pm (M=Si) to 186.4(4)–187.7(4) pm (M=Ge) to 201.9(2)–203.5(2) pm (M=Sn). These distances are reproduced well by DFT calculations. The same calculations show an increasing positive charge for the central M atom in the row Si, Ge, Sn, which can be interpreted as the decreasing covalency of the M? O bonds. For the silicon compound (NH₄)₂[Si(S₂O₇)₃], ²⁹Si solid‐state NMR measurements have been performed, with the results showing a signal at ?215.5 ppm for (NH₄)₂[Si(S₂O₇)₃], which is in very good agreement with theoretical estimations. In addition, the vibrational modes within the [MO₆] skeleton have been monitored by Raman spectroscopy for selected examples, and are well reproduced by theory. The charge balance for the [M(S₂O₇)₃]^2? ions is achieved by monovalent A⁺ counter ions (A=NH₄, Ag), which are implemented in the syntheses in the form of their sulfates. The sizes of the A⁺ ions, that is, their coordination requirements, cause the crystallographic differences in the crystal structures, although the complex [M(S₂O₇)₃]^2? ions remain essentially unaffected with the different A⁺ ions. Furthermore, the nature of the A⁺ ions influences the thermal behavior of the compounds, which has been monitored for selected examples by thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (DTA/TG) and XRD measurements.