Synthesis and characterization of [(diene)Rh[mu-OSi(OtBu)3]]2, a precursor to silica-bound rhodium

Reaction of [(diene)RhCl]2 with 2 equiv of KOSi(OtBu)3 afforded [(diene)Rh[mu-OSi(OtBu)3]]2, where diene=cod (1) and nbd (2). Multinuclear NMR studies reveal that 1 and 2 have a dimeric structure with bridging tris(tert-butoxy)siloxy ligands. These dimers are folded along the O...O axis. Complexes and reacted with PR3(R=Me, Ph) to give monomeric products, the formulae of which depend on the amount of PR3 added ((diene)Rh[OSi(OtBu)3](PR3) and Rh[OSi(OtBu)3](PMe3)3). The behavior of 1 towards water and methanol is discussed. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGAs) of 1 and 2 reveal rather sharp conversions to rhodium-containing materials. Thermolysis of 1 in toluene at 180 degrees C resulted in formation of a black precipitate, which contained rhodium nanoparticles with an average diameter of 22 nm, as determined by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), after calcination at 300 degrees C for 1 h.     

Synthesis and characterizations of bis(phenoxy)‐amine tin(II) complexes for ring‐opening polymerization of lactide

A series of tin(II) complexes supported by N₂O₂ bis(phenol)‐amine ligands were prepared from the reactions of the corresponding ligands with Sn[N(SiMe₃)₂]₂ in benzene at room temperature. The ligands were designed to have different substituted group at the ortho‐position on the aryl rings (R = ^tBu, CH₃) and N‐containing side arm (E = ? CH₂NEt₂ and pyridine) giving a variation of tin(II) complexes (R = ^tBu, E = CH₂NEt₂, 2a ; R = ^tBu, E = py, 2b ; R = CH₃, E = CH₂NEt₂, 2c ; R = CH₃, E = py, 2d ). All complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. The single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography revealed that all complexes have a monomeric four‐coordinate tin center with a distorted seesaw structure. All complexes are active for solvent‐free polymerization of l ‐lactide at 120 °C giving poly(l ‐lactide) with narrow to moderate dispersity (Ð = 1.12–1.56). In the presence of benzyl alcohol during the polymerization, the resulting polymer was found to be linear having benzyl alcohol as the end group while, in the absence of benzyl alcohol, the polymer was cyclic. The large ^tBu group at the ortho‐position was found to decrease polymerization activity while the more basic ? CH₂NEt₂ group was found to increase the polymerization activity. The polymerization of rac‐lactide under a similar condition gave PLA having a slight heterotactic bias for all catalysts. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2104–2112     

Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic activity of nitrogen and iron(III) co-doped TiO2

The nitrogen and iron(III) co-doped TiO₂ (N–Fe–TiO₂) samples were synthesized via modified sol–gel method by using alkyl amine as both nitrogen source and pore directing agent. Morphologies and properties of the co-doped TiO₂ samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electron spin resonance spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed anatase phase mixed with rutile structure as well as hydroxyl and amine functional groups. The presence of Fe³⁺ in N–Fe–TiO₂ sample was detected at g value of 2.00. In addition, the prepared samples were photocatalytically active for methyl orange degradation under UV light irradiation, but not under visible light.     

CoMFA and CoMSIA studies on a new series of xanthone derivatives against the oral human epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cancer cell line

Abstract  

A new series of xanthone derivatives against the oral human epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cancer cell line is examined to determine the relationship between the structural properties and the biological activity of these compounds—the 3-D quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR)—using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). The best CoMFA and CoMSIA models were obtained using the atom-based alignment of 33 compounds, 22 training compounds and 11 tested compounds, and these give desirable statistics; those for the CoMFA standard model were: r _cv² = 0.691, r ² = 0.998, S _press = 0.178, s = 0.014 and F = 1080.765, while CoMSIA combined steric, electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydrogen-bond acceptor fields: r _cv² = 0.600, r ² = 0.988, S _press = 0.206, s = 0.034 and F = 284.433. The 3D-QSAR models calculated satisfactory test set activities. The 3D-QSAR contour plots correlated strongly with the experimental data for the binding topology. For this reason, these results would be beneficial for predicting affinities with the compounds of interest, and they are advantageous for guiding the design and synthesis of new and more effective anticancer agents.     

CoMFA and CoMSIA studies on a new series of xanthone derivatives against the oral human epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cancer cell line

Abstract  A new series of xanthone derivatives against the oral human epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cancer cell line is examined to determine the relationship between the structural properties and the biological activity of these compounds—the 3-D quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR)—using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). The best CoMFA and CoMSIA models were obtained using the atom-based alignment of 33 compounds, 22 training compounds and 11 tested compounds, and these give desirable statistics; those for the CoMFA standard model were: r _cv² = 0.691, r ² = 0.998, S _press = 0.178, s = 0.014 and F = 1080.765, while CoMSIA combined steric, electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydrogen-bond acceptor fields: r _cv² = 0.600, r ² = 0.988, S _press = 0.206, s = 0.034 and F = 284.433. The 3D-QSAR models calculated satisfactory test set activities. The 3D-QSAR contour plots correlated strongly with the experimental data for the binding topology. For this reason, these results would be beneficial for predicting affinities with the compounds of interest, and they are advantageous for guiding the design and synthesis of new and more effective anticancer agents. Graphical abstract   A new and more effective anticancer agent of xanthone derivatives against the oral human epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cell line, as investigated by CoMFA and CoMSIA analysis     

Silica-supported,single-site titanium catalysts for olefin epoxidation. A molecular precursor strategy for control of catalyst structure

A molecular precursor approach involving simple grafting procedures was used to produce site-isolated titanium-supported epoxidation catalysts of high activity and selectivity. The tris(tert-butoxy)siloxy titanium complexes Ti[OSi(O(t)Bu)(3)](4) (TiSi4), ((i)PrO)Ti[OSi(O(t)Bu)(3)](3) (TiSi3), and ((t)BuO)(3)TiOSi(O(t)Bu)(3) (TiSi) react with the hydroxyl groups of amorphous Aerosil, mesoporous MCM-41, and SBA-15 via loss of HO(t)Bu and/or HOSi(O(t)Bu)(3) and introduction of titanium species onto the silica surface. Powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, infrared, and diffuse reflectance ultraviolet spectroscopies were used to investigate the structures and chemical natures of the surface-bound titanium species. The titanium species exist mainly in isolated, tetrahedral coordination environments. Increasing the number of siloxide ligands in the molecular precursor decreases the amount of titanium that can be introduced this way, but also enhances the catalytic activity and selectivity for the epoxidation of cyclohexene with cumene hydroperoxide as oxidant. In addition, the high surface area mesoporous silicas (MCM-41 and SBA-15) are more effective than amorphous silica as supports for these catalysts. Supporting TiSi3 on the SBA-15 affords highly active cyclohexene epoxidation catalysts (0.25-1.77 wt % Ti loading) that provide turnover frequencies (TOFs) of 500-1500 h(-1) after 1 h (TOFs are reduced by about half after calcination). These results demonstrate that oxygen-rich siloxide complexes of titanium are useful as precursors to supported epoxidation catalysts.     

Scaling factors for vibrational frequencies and zero-point vibrational energies of some recently developed exchange-correlation functionals

The scaling factors for the vibrational frequencies and zero-point vibrational energies evaluated at various combinations of recently developed exchange-correlation functionals and various basis sets are reported. The exchange-correlation functionals considered are B972, B98, HCTH, OLYP, O3LYP, G96LYP, PBE0 and VSXC functionals; the basis sets employed are 3-21G, 6-31G*, 6-31G**, 6-31+G, 6-311G*, 6-311G**, 6-311G(df,p), 6-311+G(df,p), cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVDZ. The experimental harmonic frequencies of 122 small molecules and the zero-point vibrational energies of 39 small molecules are used to determine the scaling factors through the least-square fitting procedure. It was found that the scaling factors do not depend significantly on the basis sets considered. The vibrational frequency scaling factors evaluated by using the B98 and PBE0 functionals are recommended on the basis of smallest root mean square error. The zero-point vibrational energy scaling factors evaluated from the B972 functional with Pople's double-zeta basis set and the HCTH functional with Pople's triple-zeta basis set are recommended on the basis of smallest root mean square error.