Electronic Transitions in Different Redox States of Trinuclear 5,6,11,12,17,18-Hexaazatrinaphthylene-Bridged Titanium Complexes: Spectroelectrochemistry and Quantum Chemistry

Multinuclear transition metal complexes bridged by ligands with extended π-electronic systems show a variety of complex electronic transitions and electron transfer reactions. While a systematic understanding of the photochemistry and electrochemistry has been attained for binuclear complexes, much less is known about trinuclear complexes such as hexaphenyl-5,6,11,12,17,18-hexaazatrinaphthylene-tristitanocene [(Cp₂Ti)₃HATN(Ph)₆]. The voltammogram of [(Cp₂Ti)₃HATN(Ph)₆] shows six oxidation and three reduction waves. Solution spectra of [(Cp₂Ti)₃HATN(Ph)₆] and of the electrochemically formed oxidation products show electronic transitions in the UV, visible and the NIR ranges. Density functional theory (DFT) and linear response time-dependent DFT show that the three formally titanium(II) centers transfer an electron to the HATN ligand in the ground state. The optically excited transitions occur exclusively between ligand-centered orbitals. The charged titanium centers only provide an electrostatic frame to the extended π-electronic system. Complete active self-consistent field (CASSCF) calculation on a structurally simplified model compound, which considers the multi-reference character imposed by the three titanium centers, can provide an interpretation of the experimentally observed temperature-dependent magnetic behavior of the different redox states of the title compound in full consistency with the interpretation of the electronic spectra.     

Essential Amino Acid–Enabled Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystals with High Stability

This work reports the first synthesis of MAPbBr₃ perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) using amino acids as the ligand with excellent optical properties. A variety of amino acids are used to optimize the luminescence properties. A mechanochemical approach has taken lead over conventional colloidal chemistry during synthesis. All morphological and optical studies are performed to characterize the synthesized perovskite nanoparticles. Later, stability studies are investigated through thermogravimetric analysis, temperature‐dependent photoluminescence, time‐dependent X‐ray diffraction, as well as X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In an application, interestingly, these perovskites show high luminescence upon scratching on flexible conducting plates and on plain paper surface. These results suggest that the amino acid–ligated perovskite nanocrystals can be potential materials for optoelectronic application including light‐emitting diodes and imaging.     

Crystal field in RPdIn (R=Ce, Pr, Nd) compounds

The RPdIn compounds (R = rare earth) crystallise in the hexagonal ZrNiAl-type crystal structure. The compounds from this family exhibit a great variety of interesting magnetic properties including heavy fermion behaviour. In order to get a deeper insight into nature of magnetism of RPdIn with light rare earths elements (La–Nd) an inelastic neutron scattering experiment was performed. For compounds with Pr and Nd excitations due to crystal field were clearly distinguished. On the other hand, interesting behaviour for the CePdIn sample was observed. The sample exhibits no signs of crystal field excitations, likely due to highly delocalised Ce 4f states leading to its heavy fermion behaviour.     

Polyphenols and Visual Health: Potential Effects on Degenerative Retinal Diseases

Dietary polyphenols are a group of natural compounds that have been proposed to have beneficial effects on human health. They were first known for their antioxidant properties, but several studies over the years have shown that these compounds can exert protective effects against chronic diseases. Nonetheless, the mechanisms underlying these potential benefits are still uncertain and contradictory effects have been reported. In this review, we analyze the potential effects of polyphenol compounds on some visual diseases, with a special focus on retinal degenerative diseases. Current effective therapies for the treatment of such retinal diseases are lacking and new strategies need to be developed. For this reason, there is currently a renewed interest in finding novel ligands (or known ligands with previously unexpected features) that could bind to retinal photoreceptors and modulate their molecular properties. Some polyphenols, especially flavonoids (e.g., quercetin and tannic acid), could attenuate light-induced receptor damage and promote visual health benefits. Recent evidence suggests that certain flavonoids could help stabilize the correctly folded conformation of the visual photoreceptor protein rhodopsin and offset the deleterious effect of retinitis pigmentosa mutations. In this regard, certain polyphenols, like the flavonoids mentioned before, have been shown to improve the stability, expression, regeneration and folding of rhodopsin mutants in experimental in vitro studies. Moreover, these compounds appear to improve the integration of the receptor into the cell membrane while acting against oxidative stress at the same time. We anticipate that polyphenol compounds can be used to target visual photoreceptor proteins, such as rhodopsin, in a way that has only been recently proposed and that these can be used in novel approaches for the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases like retinitis pigmentosa; however, studies in this field are limited and further research is needed in order to properly characterize the effects of these compounds on retinal degenerative diseases through the proposed mechanisms.     

Different two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks through ligand modification

Through ligand modification, we have replaced the central benzene ring of H₂TDBA ([1,1′:3′,1″-terphenyl]-4,4″-dicarboxylic acid) with the pyridine structurally related ligand H₂PDDA (4,4′-(pyridine-2,6-diyl)dibenzoic acid), which makes the central pyridine ring of H₂PDDA more coplanar with two benzene rings on both sides of the ligand. The modification results in a dramatically different linkage configuration, thereby allowing structural changes to the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Two 2-D MOFs, [Cu(TDBA)(DMA)₂]·H₂O (BUT-221, DMA = N,N-dimethylacetamide), and [Cu₃(PDDA)₃(DMA)₂(H₂O)]·5H₂O (BUT-223) have been synthesized through reactions of two ditopic carboxylate ligands with Cu(NO₃)₂·3H₂O under solvothermal conditions, and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy. Topological analysis shows that BUT-221 is a twofold parallel interpenetrating 4⁴ 2-D network with a skl topology, while BUT-223 is a 2-D network with a kgm topology.     

A New Class of Amide Ligands Enable Cu‐Catalyzed Coupling of Sodium Methanesulfinate with (Hetero)aryl Chlorides

((2S ,4R )‐4‐Hydroxy‐N ‐(2‐methylnaphthalen‐1‐yl)pyrrolidine‐2‐carboxamide (HMNPC), an amide derived from 4‐hydroxy‐L ‐proline and 2‐methyl naphthalen‐1‐amine, is a powerful ligand for Cu‐catalyzed coupling of (hetero)aryl halides with sulfinic acid salts, allowing for first time the metal‐catalyzed coupling of (hetero)aryl chlorides and NaSO₂Me. A considerable number of (hetero)aryl chlorides worked well, providing the pharmaceutically important (hetero)aryl methylsulfones in good to excellent yields.     

N-tripodal ligands to generate copper catalysts for the syndiotactic polymerization of methyl-methacrylate: Crystal structures of copper complexes

A library of N-tripodal ligands, based on a central nitrogen atom connected to three different functionalized arms, was investigated via a parallel approach for the polymerization of methyl-methacrylate (MMA) in presence of late transition metal salts. Copper salts CuCl₂ and Cu(OAc)₂ in combination with N-(2-furanylmethyl)-N-(1-3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazolylmethyl)-N- (phenylmethyl)amine were detected as efficient catalysts for the syndiotactic polymerization of MMA ([rr] up to 78%). Kinetic studies and X-ray structures of the best catalysts were reported.     

新型L-羟脯氨酸聚合物键合手性固定相的制备及对手性化合物的拆分

以单分散亲水性交联聚甲基丙烯酸环氧丙酯-甲基丙烯酸乙二醇双酯(PGMA/EDMA)树脂为载体,制备新型L-羟脯氨酸聚合物键合高效手性配体交换固定相。该固定相在配体交换分离模式下,以0.2mol/LNaAc和0.1mmol/LCu(Ac)2水溶液(pH5.2)为流动相,柱温为30℃～50℃,对衍生和非衍生的D,L-氨基酸和α-羟基酸等9种手性化合物进行了高效液相色谱拆分。详细考察了流动相pH值、温度、流速和进样量对手性分离的影响,选择了合适的色谱分离条件。结果表明,所拆分的9种手性化合物,有5种手性化合物能得到基线分离,最好的分离因子α=2.32。     

Novel single-crystal-to-single-crystal anion exchange and self-assembly of luminescent d(10) metal (Cd(II), Zn(II), and Cu(I)) complexes containing C(3)-symmetrical ligands

Ligands L1 and L2' (L1=N,N',N'-tris(4-pyridyl)trimesic amide, L2'=N,N',N'-tris(3-pyridinyl)-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxamide) belonging to an interesting family of tripyridyltriamides with C(3)-symmetry have been utilized to construct 3D porous or hydrogen-bonded frameworks. Through a novel single-crystal-to-single-crystal anion-exchange process, [Cd(L1)(2)(ClO(4))(2)](n) (1c) can be obtained from [Cd(L1)(2)Cl(2)](n) (1b) in the presence of ClO(4)(-) anions. This anion-exchange process is highly selective and only the substitution of Cl(-) by ClO(4)(-) or PF(6)(-) could be realized; Cl(-) was found not to be substituted by BPh(4)(-). This demonstrates that the exchange process depends on the size of the anions in relation to the size of the cavities in the host material (ca. 7.5 A). In addition, the anion-exchange properties of 1 b have also been investigated by means of powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), elemental analysis (EA), and infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR). Structurally, [Zn(L1)(NO(3))(2)](n)(2) consists of a 2D coordination network with five-coordinate Zn(II) ions. Surprisingly, different trigonal-bipyramidal Zn(II) ions propagate to form distinct respective sheet structures, A and B, which are packed in an A-B-A-B manner in the crystal lattice, and these are hydrogen-bonded to give a 3D extended framework. The molecular structure of [CuI(L2')](n)(3) shows that the Cu(I) ion adopts a distorted tetrahedral geometry, and 3 also forms a 2D coordination network. Significantly, this 2D coordination network is further assembled into a remarkable 3D homochiral framework through triple hydrogen bonding and pi...pi interactions. All of these 3D coordination polymers and/or hydrogen-bonded frameworks are luminescent in the solid state, and their solid-state luminescent properties have been investigated at room temperature and/or at 77 K.