From anisole to 1,2,4,5‐tetramethoxybenzene: Theoretical study of the factors that determine the conformation of methoxy groups on a benzene ring

Unhindered ortho‐dimethoxy‐substituted phenyl rings often display a coplanar conformation. A theoretical study of a series of methoxybenzenes consisting of methoxybenzene (anisole), the three dimethoxybenzenes, and 1,2,4,5‐tetramethoxybenzene, at the DFT/B3LYP/6‐311++G** level of theory, allows us to identify the factors influencing the conformational preference and attribute the coplanarity of such methoxy groups to mesomeric effects. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Ein Beitrag zur Bestimmung der niederen Fetts?uren nach der Halbdestillationsmethode

Zusammenfassung Die Verschiebung der Halbdestillationswerte derverdünnten Lösungen der niederen Fettsäuren je nach der Konzentration wurde auf Grund der Untersuchungen vonKonowalow und vonWiegner nachgeprüft.Wie aus den Analysenergebnissen hervorgeht, steigt sowohl der Wert von k als auch der Halbdestillationswert bei Ameisensäure und Essigsäure, deren Halbdestillationswert kleiner als 50% ist, in verdünnten Lösungenfortgesetzt mit zunehmender Konzentration der Lösungen. Bei der Propionsäure und der Buttersäure dagegen, bei denen der Halbdestillationswert schon über 50% beträgt,wächst der Wert von k nur bis zu einer bestimmten, verhältnismäig niedrigen Konzentration — bei der Propionsäure 0,2 n und bei der Buttersäure 0,04 n —an, um von da fortan zu sinken.Beim Analysieren von Zweisäurengemischen, in denen das Aufeinanderwirken der Säuren infolge ihrer verschiedenen Dissoziationskonstanten die Verhältnisse kompliziert, sind die erhaltenen Ergebnisse nicht direkt zu verwerten.Diese Arbeit schließt sich an die Erklärung der Methodik an, die bei dem auf Anregung des Herrn Professor Dr.Unto Vartiovaara durchgeführten Untersuchungen über die bakterielle Cellulosezersetzung gegeben wurde.     

Charge Dispersal in the Quinuclidine Radical Cation and in the Quinuclidinium Ion,as Revealed by PE and ICR Spectroscopy

The n ionization energies I and the gas-phase basicities GB of CH₃-, Cl-, or CN-substituted quinuclidines have been measured by PE and ICR spectroscopy. The dependence of the shifts ΔI and ΔGB (relative to the values of the parent molecule) allow conclusions about the charge dispersal accompanying the n ionization or the protonation of quinuclidine in the gas phase. The agreement with the results of a minimal basis set ab initio calculation is excellent. Comparison of the solution pK_a values with either I or GB reveals that 2-substituted quinuclidines exhibit sizeable solvent-induced proximity effects, i.e. that the corresponding quinuclidinium ions are more acidic in solution than expected on the basis of the gas-phase basicities. This agrees with earlier results concerning 2-substituted pyridines.     

Phosphinine-Based Ligands in Gold-Catalyzed Reactions

A series of substituted phosphinines, 1-phosphabarrelenes and 5-phosphasemibullvalenes were synthesized and evaluated for their potential application as ligands in homogeneous catalytic reactions. While their buried volume (%V_bur) was calculated to get insight into the steric properties, [LNi(CO)₃] complexes were prepared in order to determine the corresponding Tolman electronic parameter. ETS-NOCV (extended-transition-state natural orbital for chemical valence) calculations on [LAuCl] complexes further allowed an estimation of the σ- and π-contributions to the L− M interaction. Au^I coordination compounds of selected examples were prepared and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Finally, the three classes of P^III compounds were successfully used in the Au^I-catalyzed cycloisomerization of N-2-propyn-1-ylbenzamide, showing very good activities and selectivities, which are comparable with the reported data of cationic phosphorus-based gold catalysts.     

Structural change of the heme pocket due to disulfide bridge formation is significantly larger for neuroglobin than for cytoglobin

Human neuroglobin (hNgb) and human cytoglobin (hCygb), two recently discovered members of the vertebrate globin family, are known to be able to form an intramolecular disulfide bridge. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), we show that formation of a disulfide bridge in ferric hNgb causes a considerable change in the heme pocket structure, whereas this is not so clear for ferric hCygb. The structural results can be related nicely to earlier histidine and dioxygen affinity studies of the ferrous proteins.     

The synthesis of 5-acyl-4-aryl(alkyl)-2-aryl-1,2,3-triazole 1-oxides by lead tetraacetate oxidation of mono- and bisarylhydrazones of α-hydroxyimino-β-diketones

The synthesis and lead tetraacetate oxidation of the title mono- and bis-arylhydrazones to the corresponding 5-acyl-4-aryl(alkyl)-2-aryl-1,2,3-triazole 1-oxides is described.     

A Pulsed EPR and DFT Investigation of the Stabilization of Coordinated Phenoxyl Radicals in a Series of Cobalt Schiff-Base Complexes

We recently demonstrated how the aerobic addition of acetic acid to N,N′-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexane-diamino Co^II, [Co(1)], leads to the formation of an unusual coordinated Co^III-phenoxyl radical. In this work, some of the structural aspects associated with the Schiff-base-derived ligand (1) that are crucial for the acid-mediated formation of the phenoxyl radical are investigated. For comparison with [Co(1)], we therefore studied the influence of acetic acid on two complexes: (1) the N,N′-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-ethane-diamino Co^II complex, [Co(2)], that lacks the cyclohexyl group of [Co(1)], and (2) the N′-disalicylidene-ethylenediamine Co^II salen complex, [Co(3)], that lacks both the tertiary butyl groups and the cyclohexyl groups. It is shown that the cyclohexyl group of [Co(1)] is not involved in the formation or stabilization of the phenoxyl radical, whereas the tertiary butyl groups of [Co(1)] play a crucial role. In addition, the characteristics of the phenoxyl radical, formed after aerobic addition of acetic acid to [Co(2)], are analyzed in detail by pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance, in combination with isotopic labeling. The experimental data are compared to density functional theory computations and to previous data on the acid-mediated phenoxyl radical of [Co(1)].     

A Phosphinine-Derived 1-Phospha-7-Bora-Norbornadiene: Frustrated Lewis Pair Type Activation of Triple Bonds

Salt metathesis of 1-methyl-2,4,6-triphenylphosphacyclohexadienyl lithium and chlorobis(pentafluorophenyl)borane affords a 1-phospha-7-bora-norbornadiene derivative 2 . The C≡N triple bonds of nitriles insert into the P−B bond of 2 with concomitant C−B bond cleavage, whereas the C≡C bonds of phenylacetylenes react with 2 to form λ⁴-phosphabarrelenes. Even though 2 must formally be regarded as a classical Lewis adduct, the C≡N and C≡C activation processes observed (and the mild conditions under which they occur) are reminiscent of the reactivity of frustrated Lewis pairs. Indeed, NMR and computational studies give insight into the mechanism of the reactions and reveal the labile nature of the phosphorus–boron bond in 2 , which is also suggested by detailed NMR spectroscopic studies on this compound. Nitrile insertion is thus preceded by ring opening of the bicycle of 2 through P−B bond splitting with a low energy barrier. By contrast, the reaction with alkynes involves formation of a reactive zwitterionic methylphosphininium borate intermediate, which readily undergoes alkyne 1,4-addition.     

Kilohertz Cr:forsterite regenerative amplifier

We report on a tunable regenerative amplifier that is operational in the near-infrared spectral region from 1230 to 1280 nm based on the vibronic laser material Cr:forsterite. Utilizing the technique of chirped-pulse amplification, we generated pulses as short as 150 fs at 1255 nm at a repetition rate of 1 kHz. Pulse amplification of more than 5 x 10(5) times was observed, with recorded output pulse energies of 34 muJ . Implementation of a second-harmonic generator yielded 110-fs-duration pulses of 7-muJ energy at 625 nm.