Simulation studies of dipole correlation in the isotropic liquid phase

The Kirkwood correlation factor g₁ determines the preference for local parallel or antiparallel dipole association in the isotropic phase. Calamitic mesogens with longitudinal dipole moments and Kirkwood factors greater than 1 have an enhanced effective dipole moment along the molecular long axis. This leads to higher values of Δ? in the nematic phase. This paper describes state-of-the-art molecular dynamics simulations of two calamitic mesogens 4-(trans-4-n-pentylcyclohexyl)benzonitrile (PCH5) and 4-(trans-4-n-pentylcyclohexyl)chlorobenzene (PCH5-Cl) in the isotropic liquid phase using an all-atom force field and taking long range electrostatics into account using an Ewald summation. Using this methodology, PCH5 is seen to prefer antiparallel dipole alignment with a negative g₁ and PCH5-Cl is seen to prefer parallel dipole alignment with a positive g₁; this is in accordance with experimental dielectric measurements. Analysis of the molecular dynamics trajectories allows an assessment of why these molecules behave differently.     

Quantitation of hindered amine light stabilizers in plastic materials by high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometric detection using electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure photoionization

In this work new high performance liquid chromatographic methods in combination with mass spectrometry have been developed for the quantitation of hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) which are commonly used as monomeric and oligomeric species for stabilization of plastic materials. These analytes are difficult to separate under traditional reversed phase conditions. In the present study new silica-based pH stable reversed phases that had become available recently were investigated for HALS analysis, and turned out to be well suited employing mobile phases at a pH of around 11 adjusted by addition of ammonia. Detection was done by mass spectrometry employing both time-of-flight and triple quadrupole mass analyzers. The performance of electrospray ionization (ESI) as well as atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) was investigated and compared. Despite the high pH of the mobile phase, an excellent ionization could be obtained in the positive ion mode. ESI provided slightly lower limits of quantitation (on average a factor of 2) in comparison with APPI. The method allowed the quantitation of a range of different HALS down to 0.05–0.005% (depending on the HALS) in polymeric materials. Sample preparation consisted in dissolving the sample in toluene and precipitation of the polymer with acetone. The procedure can be routinely applied to aging tests of plastic materials in order to predict the lifetime of plastic components.     

Regular acyclic and macrocyclic [AB] oligomers by formation of push-pull chromophores in the chain-growth step

The substrate scope of the [2+2] cycloaddition-cycloreversion (CA-CR) reaction between electron-deficient (2,2-dicyanovinyl)benzene (DCVB) or (1,2,2-tricyanovinyl)benzene (TCVB) derivatives and N,N-dimethylanilino (DMA)-substituted acetylenes was investigated. The structural features of the cyanobutadiene products of these transformations were examined and the rates of selected CA-CR reactions were measured. Rate constants for reactions utilizing pentafluorinated TCVB and DCVB were found to be one to two orders of magnitude larger than those for the unsubstituted analogues. Multiple, consecutive CA-CR reactions were performed with substrates incorporating two reactive 2,2-cyanovinyl or 4-ethynylanilino sites. 1,4-Bis(2,2-dicyanovinyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene and 1,4-bis[(4'-dihexylamino)phenylethynyl]benzene were selected as suitably reactive monomers for the synthesis of regular [AB] oligomers wherein the push-pull chromophores were formed in the chain-growth step. Oligomers of two types were isolated: macrocyclic [AB](n) and open-chain B[AB](n) oligomers, with n≤4.     

Cascade catalysis for the homogeneous hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol

This communication demonstrates the homogeneous hydrogenation of CO(2) to CH(3)OH via cascade catalysis. Three different homogeneous catalysts, (PMe(3))(4)Ru(Cl)(OAc), Sc(OTf)(3), and (PNN)Ru(CO)(H), operate in sequence to promote this transformation.     

New volatile strontium and barium imidazolate complexes for the deposition of group 2 metal oxides

We report the synthesis, characterization, and experimental density function theory-derived properties of new volatile strontium and barium imidazolate complexes, which under atomic layer deposition conditions using ozone as a reagent can deposit crystalline strontium oxide at 375 °C.     

Synthesis of γ-halogenated and long-chain β-hydroxy-α-amino acids and 2-amino-1,3-diols using threonine aldolases

The l- and d-threonine aldolase catalyzed formation of γ-halogenated and long-chain l- and d-3-alkylserine-derivatives 1-12, respectively, was shown starting from glycine and halogenated C₂- or C₄-C₁₂ aldehydes. lTA from Pseudomonas putida accepted all tested aldehydes with strongly varying diastereoselectivity (de up to 93%). Only aldehydes smaller than decanal were converted by dTA from Alcaligenes xylosoxidans with good selectivities (de up to 73%). Utilizing isobutanal enantio- and diastereopure d-syn-2-amino-3-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoic acid was obtained (ee>99%, de>95%), which was converted to the corresponding 2-amino-1,3-diol.     

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Oxidation Products of the Antiprogestine Mifepristone

 Selenium dioxide oxidation allows the selective introduction of a hydroxyl group at position 6 of the steroid skeleton of the antihormone (11β, 17β)-11-(4-dimethylamino-phenyl)-17-hydroxyl-17-(1-propynyl)-estra-4,9-dien-3-one (mifepristone, RU 486) and leads in a one-step procedure to two diastereomeric oxidation products. Their structure (6α- and 6β-hydroxy-mifepristone) was determined by NMR spectroscopy. The antiprogestinic activity of the oxidation products is comparable to that of mifepristone.     

Novel lanthanide-based polymeric chains and corresponding ultrafast dynamics in solution

Two types of structurally related one-dimensional coordination polymers were prepared by reacting lanthanide trichloride hydrates [LnCl(3)·(H(2)O)(m)] with dibenzoylmethane (Ph(2)acacH) and a base. Using cesium carbonate (Cs(2)CO(3)) and praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, or dysprosium salts yielded [Cs{Ln(Ph(2)acac)(4)}](n) (Ln = Pr (1), Nd (2), Sm (3), Dy (4)) in considerable yields. Reaction of potassium tert-butoxide (KOtBu) and the neodymium salt [NdCl(3)·(H(2)O)(6)] with Ph(2)acacH resulted in [K{Nd(Ph(2)acac)(4)}](n) (5). All polymers exhibit a heterobimetallic backbone composed of alternating lanthanide and alkali metal atoms which are bridged by the Ph(2)acac ligands in a linear fashion. ESI-MS investigations on DMF solutions of 1-5 revealed a dissociation of all the five compounds upon dissolution, irrespective of the individual lanthanide and alkali metal present. Temporal profiles of changes in optical density were acquired performing pump/probe experiments with DMF solutions of 1-5 via femtosecond laser spectroscopy, highlighting a lanthanide-specific relaxation dynamic. The corresponding relaxation times ranging from seven picoseconds to a few hundred picoseconds are strongly dependent on the central lanthanide atom, indicating an intramolecular energy transfer from ligands to lanthanides. This interpretation also demands efficient intersystem crossing within one to two picoseconds from the S(1) to T(1) level of the ligands. Magnetic studies show that [Cs{Dy(Ph(2)acac)(4)}](n) (4) has slow relaxation of the magnetization arising from the single Dy(3+) ions and can be described as a single-ion single molecule magnet (SMM). Below 0.5 K, hysteresis loops of the magnetization are observed, which show weak single chain magnet (SCM) behavior.