Infrared microspectroscopic study of the thermo-oxidative degradation of hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene/isophorone diisocyanate polyurethane rubber

Hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene/isophorone diisocyanate (HTPB/IPDI) polyurethane rubber which was aged in air at elevated temperatures has been studied by infrared microspectroscopy. Spectra were collected in transmission mode on microtomed samples. Analysis of sets of spectra taken across the sectioned material showed that most of the degradation occurred in the polybutadiene part of the polymer and that the urethane linkage was essentially unchanged. The trans isomer of the polybutadiene appears to be preferentially degraded compared with the vinyl isomer. The IR technique does not provide significant information about the cis isomer. The IR spectra indicated that likely degradation products included acids, esters, alcohols, and small amounts of other products containing a carbonyl functional group. Band area ratios, supported by a principal components analysis, were used to derive degradation profiles for the material. These profiles were steep-sided indicating an oxygen diffusion limited process.     

Dearomatising rearrangements of lithiated thiophenecarboxamides

Thiophene-3-carboxamides bearing allyl or benzyl substituents at nitrogen undergo dearomatising cyclisation on treatment with LDA. Rearrangements transform the dearomatised products into pyrrolinones, azepinones or partially saturated azepinothiophenes.     

Sulfoxides as ‘traceless’ resolving agents for the synthesis of atropisomers by dynamic or classical resolution

Reacting (−)-menthyl sulfinate with an atropisomeric but racemic aryllithium gives two atropdiastereoisomeric sulfoxides. Separation (by chromatography or crystallisation) and sulfoxide-lithium exchange of each diastereoisomer regenerates the aryllithium in enantiomerically pure form which can be quenched with a range of electrophiles with retention of stereochemical integrity. Overall the reaction sequence is a resolution but without the need for an acidic or basic substituent—a ‘traceless’ method. In certain instances, for example when the nucleophile is an ortholithiated peri-substituted 1-naphthamide, the diastereoisomeric sulfoxides may be interconverted thermally. This allows a dynamic resolution, under thermodynamic control, and hence in principle can give yields of the final products of greater than 50%. The utility of the method is demonstrated by the synthesis of a known atropisomeric phosphine ligand.     

Wave functions derived from experiment. V. Investigation of electron densities,electrostatic potentials,and electron localization functions for noncentrosymmetric crystals

The constrained Hartree-Fock method using experimental X-ray diffraction data is extended and applied to the case of noncentrosymmetric molecular crystals. A new way to estimate the errors in derived properties as a derivative with respect to added Gaussian noise is also described. Three molecular crystals are examined: ammonia [NH(3)], urea [CO(NH(2))(2)], and alloxan [(CO)(4)(NH)(2)]. The energetic and electrical properties of these molecules in the crystalline state are presented. In all cases, an enhancement of the dipole moment is observed upon application of the experimental constraint. It is found that the phases of the structure factors are robustly determined by the constrained Hartree-Fock model, even in the presence of simulated noise. Plots of the electron density, electrostatic potential, and the electron localization function for the molecules in the crystal are displayed. In general, relative to the Hartree-Fock model, there is a depletion of charge around hydrogen atoms and lone pair regions, and a build-up of charge within the molecular framework near nuclei, directed along the bonds. The electron localization function plots reveal an increase in the pair density between vicinal hydrogen atoms.     

Synthesis and cross-coupling reactions of substituted 5-triflyloxyindoles

N-arylsulfonyl quinone monoimines undergo smooth cycloadditions in a [4+2] sense to yield the expected cycloadducts. The crude cycloadducts, when subjected to a short series of simple transformations, produce synthetically useful quantities of 5-triflyloxyindoles in excellent overall yields. Such compounds are excellent participants in cross-coupling chemistry.     

The first structural and spectroscopic characterization of a neptunyl polyoxometalate complex

The reaction between PW9O349- and NpO2+ has yielded the first structurally characterized neptunyl(V) polyoxometalate complex, [Na2(NpO2)2(A-PW9O34)2]14-. This complex is isostructural with the uranyl(VI) analogue, and there is also spectroscopic evidence for its existence in solution. The complex is readily extracted into toluene, and this may have significance in the sequestering and/or separation of the neptunyl ion in terms of nuclear waste management.     

Structural characterization of a lanthanum bistriflimide complex, La(N(SO2CF3)2)3(H2O)3, and an investigation of La, Sm, and Eu electrochemistry in a room-temperature ionic liquid, [Me3N(n)Bu][N(SO2CF3)2

The reduction of selected lanthanide cations to the zerovalent state in the room-temperature ionic liquid [Me3N(n)Bu][TFSI] is reported (where TFSI = bistriflimide, [N(SO2CF3)2]-). The lanthanide cations were introduced to the melt as the TFSI hydrate complexes [Ln(TFSI)3(H2O)3] (where Ln = La(III), Sm(III) or Eu(III)). The lanthanum compound [La(TFSI)3(H2O)3] has been crystallographically characterized, revealing the first structurally characterized f-element TFSI complex. The lanthanide in all three complexes was shown to be reducible to the metallic state in [Me3N(n)Bu][TFSI]. For both the Eu and Sm complexes, reduction to the metallic state was achieved via divalent species, and there was an additional observation of the electrodeposition of Eu metal.     

Synthesis and characterization of uranyl compounds with iminodiacetate and oxydiacetate displaying variable denticity

Eight uranyl compounds containing the dicarboxylate ligands iminodiacetate (IDA) or oxydiacetate (ODA) have been characterized in the solid state. The published polymeric structures for [UO(2)(C(4)H(6)NO(4))(2)] and [UO(2)(C(4)H(4)O(5))](n) have been confirmed, while Ba[UO(2)(C(4)H(5)NO(4))(2)] x 3H(2)O, [(CH(3))(2)NH(CH(2))(2)NH(CH(3))(2)][UO(2)(C(4)H(4)O(5))(2)] [orthorhombic space group Pnma, a = 10.996(5) A, b = 21.42(1) A, c = 8.700(3) A, Z = 4], and [C(2)H(5)NH(2)(CH(2))(2)NH(2)C(2)H(5)][UO(2)(C(4)H(4)O(5))(2)] [monoclinic space group P2(1)/n, a = 6.857(3) A, b = 9.209(5) A, c = 16.410(7) A, beta = 91.69(3), Z = 2] contain monomeric anions. The distance from the uranium atom to the central heteroatom (O or N) in the ligand varies. Crystallographic study shows that U-heteroatom (O/N) distances fall into two groups, one 2.6-2.7 A in length and one 3.1-3.2 A, the latter implying no bonding interaction. By contrast, EXAFS analysis of bulk samples suggests that either a long U-heteroatom (O/N) distance (2.9 A) or a range of distances may be present. Three possible structural types, two symmetric and one asymmetric, are identified on the basis of these results and on solid-state (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The two ligands in the complex can be 1,4,7-tridentate, giving five-membered rings, or 1,7-bidentate, to form an eight-membered ring. (C(4)H(12)N(2))[(UO(2))(2)(C(4)H(5)NO(4))(2)(OH)(2)] x 8H(2)O [monoclinic space group P2(1)/a, a = 7.955(9) A, b = 24.050(8) A, c = 8.223(6) A, beta = 112.24(6), Z = 2], (C(2)H(10)N(2))[(UO(2))(2)(C(4)H(5)NO(4))(2)(OH)(2)] x 4H(2)O, and (C(6)H(13)N(4))(2)[(UO(2))(2)(C(4)H(4)O(5))(2)(OH)(2)] x 2H(2)O [monoclinic space group C2/m, a = 19.024(9) A, b = 7.462(4) A, c = 2.467(6) A, beta = 107.75(4), Z = 4] have a dimeric structure with two capping tridentate ligands and two mu(2)-hydroxo bridges, giving edge-sharing pentagonal bipyramids.