Phenoxide Groups Research Articles

Modulating magnetic anisotropy in linear tetranuclear dysprosium(III) complexes via coordinated anions.

We report the synthesis, structures, and magnetic properties of two novel linear tetranuclear complexes with the general formula [Dy4(Hheb)2(heb)4X2(MeOH)4] (X- = NO3-, OAc-; H2heb = (E)-N'-(1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylidene)benzohydrazide, OAc- = acetate). The rigid ligands (Hheb-/heb2-) incorporate phenoxide groups and bridge the Dy3+ ions in an unusual tetranuclear linear assembly. Notably, we demonstrate through magnetic measurements and theoretical calculations how the anion (X) coordinated at the peripheral Dy3+ centers acts as a switch, significantly changing the magnetic anisotropy of the entire complex. This control over magnetic anisotropy through the selection of the coordinated anion offers a promising avenue for tailoring the functionality of single-molecule magnets.

Sc3+ Chloro and Alkyl Complexes Coordinated by Pincer NHC‐Tethered Bis(phenolate) Ligands

AbstractBis(phenolate) ligands with benzimidazole‐2‐ylidene (L1) and tetrahydropyrimidine‐2‐ylidene (L2) linkers proved to be suitable coordination environments for the synthesis of isolable Sc3+ chloro and alkyl complexes. The treatment of Sc(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2 with equimolar amounts of [L1,2H3]Cl afforded chloro complexes L1,2ScCl(solv)2 (solv=THF, Py) in 76–85 % yields. L1,2ScCl(THF)2 were also prepared by the salt metathesis reactions of ScCl3 with [L1,2]Na2 generated from [L1,2H3]Cl and 3 equiv. of NaN(SiMe3)2 (−40 °C, THF) and isolated in somewhat lower yields (68–73 %). L2ScCl(THF)2 was subjected to the alkylation reaction with LiCH2SiMe3 affording alkyl derivative [L2Sc(CH2SiMe3)]2. This compound can be alternatively prepared by the subsequent reactions of [L2H3]Cl with equimolar amount of NaN(SiMe3)2 and Sc(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2. In the dimeric alkyl compound [L2Sc(CH2SiMe3)]2, one of the phenoxide groups of the dianionic ligand is coordinated to one scandium center, while the second one features μ‐bridging coordination with two metal centers.

Theoretical Prediction and Explanation of Reaction Site Selectivity in the Addition of a Phenoxy Group to Perfluoropyrimidine, Perfluoropyridazine, and Perfluoropyrazine.

Perfluoroaromatics, such as perfluoropyridine and perfluorobenzene, are privileged synthetic scaffolds in organofluorine methodology, undergoing a series of regioselective substitution reactions with a variety of nucleophiles. This unique chemical behavior allows for the synthesis of many perfluoroaromatic derived molecules with unique and diverse architectures. Recently, it has been demonstrated that perfluoropyridine and perfluorobenzene can be utilized as precursors for a variety of materials, ranging from high performance polyaryl ethers to promising drug scaffolds. In this work, using density functional theory, we investigate the possibility of perfluoropyrimidine, perfluoropyridazine, and perfluoropyrazine participating in similar substitution reactions. We have found that the first nucleophilic addition of a phenoxide group substitution on perfluoropyrimidine and on perfluoropyridazine would happen at a site para to one of the nitrogen atoms. While previous literature points to mesomeric effects as the primary cause of this phenomenon, our work demonstrates that this effect is enhanced by the fact that the transition states for these reactions result in bond angles that allow the phenoxide to π-complex with the electron-deficient diazine ring. The second substitution on perfluoropyrimidine and on perfluoropyridazine is most likely to happen at the site para to the other nitrogen. The second substitution on perfluoropyrazine is most likely to happen at the site para to the first substitution. The activation energies for these reactions are in line with those reported for perfluoropyridine and suggest that these platforms may also be worth investigation in the lab as possible monomers for high performance polymers.

On the non-innocence and reactive versus non-reactive nature of α-diketones in a set of diruthenium frameworks.

α-Diketones are an important class of building blocks employed in many organic synthetic reactions. However, their coordination chemistry has rarely been explored. In light of this, our earlier report on [(acac)2RuII(μ-2,2'-pyridil)RuII(acac)2] (acac = acetylacetonate) showcased the sensitivity of a diketone fragment towards oxidative C-C cleavage. Following the lead, the synthesis of similar but stable diketo fragments containing diruthenium compounds was attempted. Three diruthenium compounds with the bridge 1,2-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethane-1,2-dione (L) were prepared: diastereomeric [(acac)2RuIII(μ-L2-)RuIII(acac)2], 1a(rac)/1b(meso), [(bpy)2RuII(μ-L2-)RuII(bpy)2](ClO4)2, [2](ClO4)2 and [(pap)2RuII(μ-L2-)RuII(pap)2](ClO4)2, [3](ClO4)2 with ancillary ligands of different donating/accepting characteristics. The metal is stabilised in different oxidation states in these complexes: Ru(iii) is preferred in 1a/1b when σ-donating acac is used as the co-ligand whereas electron rich Ru(ii) is preferred in [2](ClO4)2 and [3](ClO4)2 when co-ligands of moderate to strong π-accepting properties are employed. The oxidative chemistry of these systems is of particular interest with respect to the participation of varying bridging-ligands which contain phenoxide groups. On the other hand, the reduction processes primarily resulting from the metal or the ancillary ligands are noteworthy as the normally reducible 1,2-diketo- group remains unreduced. These results have been rationalised and outlined from thorough experimental and theoretical investigations. The results presented here shed light on the stability of metal coordinated α-diketones as a function of their substituents.

Losses of CO and CO2 upon collision-activated dissociation of substituted 2-methoxyphenoxides after methyl radical loss

Some deprotonated, substituted 2-methoxyphenols fragment by methyl radical loss followed by competing losses of CO and CO2 upon collisional activation in linear quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometers. These reactions were examined experimentally and computationally in order to determine their mechanisms. For deprotonated vanillin, the CO loss was found to involve ring contraction, with the highest free energy barrier of 58.0 kcal mol−1 (for the syn rotamer; here, syn refers to the relationship between the aldehyde oxygen atom and the oxygen atom of the methoxy group) for the entire process. The atoms lost in this fragmentation are the oxygen atom that was bound to the first eliminated methyl group and the aromatic carbon atom bound to this oxygen. Examination of carbon-13 labeled vanillin supports these assignments. Examination of several model compounds revealed that this reaction requires the presence of an electron-withdrawing substituent in the para-position relative to the phenol moiety. In contrast, the CO2 loss from deprotonated vanillin occurs via ring opening followed by re-cyclization and then ring contraction, leading to the loss of CO2 in a process wherein the highest free energy barrier is 84.5 kcal mol−1 (for the syn isomer). The atoms lost in this fragmentation are the carbon and oxygen atoms from the phenoxide group and the oxygen atom that was bound to the first eliminated methyl group, which is supported by examination of carbon-13 labeled vanillin. Despite the higher total free energy requirement, the CO2 loss is competitive with CO loss, possibly due to favorable entropy and low activation energy (free energy barrier of 48.9 kcal mol−1) for the first reaction step (the analogous value for CO loss is 58.0 kcal mol−1). The extent of CO2 loss is strongly affected by substituents – it either is not observed or is very slow for the other compounds studied here. For example, it is substantially less favorable than CO loss (highest free energy barrier 60.9 kcal mol−1) for deprotonated acetovanillone for which the first reaction step for CO2 loss has a substantially greater free energy barrier (60.6 kcal mol−1) than for vanillin.

Monosulfonated Azo Dyes: A Crystallographic Study of the Molecular Structures of the Free Acid, Anionic and Dianionic Forms

Crystallographic studies of monosulfonated azo dyes have concentrated on the salt forms that contain the azo anion. Here we present a study that compares the structures of these anions with protonated free acid forms and with doubly deprotonated dianion forms. To this end, the new single crystal diffraction structures of 13 systematically related free acid forms of monosulfonated azo dyes are presented, together with three new structures of doubly deprotonated forms and two new structures of Na salt forms of azo anions. No structures of dideprotonated monosulfonated azo dyes have previously been reported and this paper also reports the first crystal structure of an azo dye with a hydronium cation. The geometries of the free acid, anion and dianion forms are compared to literature equivalents. It is shown that protonation of the azo bond gives predictable bond lengthening and shortening, which is of a greater magnitude than similar effects caused by azo-hydrazone tautomerisation, or the smaller again effects caused by the resonance electron donation from O or N based substituents. The dianion containing structures have twisted dianion geometries that can be understood based on the resonance effects of the phenoxide groups and upon the needs to bond to a relatively high number of metal cations.

Polypyridines, Picrates, Lanthanides: A Plethora of Stacks?

Reactions of the lanthanide(iii) picrates (picrate=2,4,6-trinitrophenoxide=pic) with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (terpy) in a 1:2 molar ratio have provided crystals suitable for X-ray structure determinations in instances predominantly involving the lighter lanthanides. In all, the aza-aromatic ligands chelate the lanthanide ion, none being found as ‘free’ ligands within the lattice. The complexes of 1,10-phenanthroline have been characterised in two forms, one unsolvated (Ln=La, Sm, Eu; monoclinic, C2/c, Z 8), one an acetonitrile monosolvate (Ln=Gd; monoclinic, P21/a, Z 4), the latter being the only previously known form (with Ln=La). In both forms, the LnIII is nine-coordinate, in an approximately tricapped trigonal-prismatic environment, with two picrate ligands chelating through phenoxide and 2-nitro group oxygen atoms, the third being bound through phenoxide-O only. The 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine complexes, all acetonitrile monosolvates defined for Ln=La, Gd, Er, and Y (monoclinic, C2/c, Z 4), are ionic, one picrate having been displaced from the primary coordination sphere. For Ln=La, the two bound picrates are again chelating, making the LaIII 10-coordinate in a distorted bicapped square-antiprismatic environment but in the other species they are bound through phenoxide-O only, making the LnIII ions eight-coordinate in a distorted square-antiprismatic environment. Stacked arrays of the ligands can be found in both series of complexes, with intramolecular picrate–picrate and picrate–aza-aromatic stacks being prominent features.

Biocompatible hydrogels of chitosan-alkali lignin for potential wound healing applications

Biocompatible hydrogels were prepared by mixing aqueous-acidic solution of chitosan with alkali lignin, a major by-product of the paper producing industries, for the first time, by sustainable means. Electrostatic interactions between the phenoxide groups in lignin and the ammonium groups on the chitosan backbone were found to be responsible for the ionotropic cross-linking. These gels were non-toxic to Mesenchymal stem cells, in vitro, and to zebrafish up to 100 μg/ml, in vivo. In addition, these gels provided a conducive surface for cell attachment and proliferation, making it suitable for application as scaffolds in tissue engineering. In presence of the hydrogel, NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells showed good cell migration characteristics suggesting that the gel might be suitable for wound healing application. The chitosan-alkali lignin gelation system was further capable of removing ferric ions from contaminated water by way of complexation and coagulation. Cross-linked films of chitosan and alkali lignin could also be prepared by simply immersing chitosan films into a solution of alkali lignin. Alkali lignin was observed to diffuse into the chitosan “crystal”, forming electrostatic cross-links between the chitosan chains. The choice of lignin, in comparison to the other ionotropic cross-linkers for chitosan, makes the cross-linking system, inexpensive and sustainable.

A novel Cu(II) tetranuclear complex, chemical properties and catalysis of hydrolysis of phosphate esters

A new CuII tetranuclear complex of the Schiff base ligand 2,6-bis((E)-((2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)imino)methyl)-4-(tert-butyl)phenol has been synthesized and the crystal structure of the complex has been determined by x-ray crystallography. The complex crystallizes as a dimer with outer bridging phenoxide groups and inner μ3-bridging chloride groups. The CuII complex was studied electrochemically by cyclic voltammetry and its composition determined by CHN elemental analysis. It was determined experimentally that the complex was catalytically active in the hydrolysis of 4-nitophenylphosphate, increasing the rate of hydrolysis by one order of magnitude at pH 7.5. UV–visible spectroscopy was employed to track the progress of hydrolysis by monitoring the release of 4-nitrophenolate ions at 415 nm.

A dinuclear gadolinium complex based on schiff base ligand: structure and magnetic properties

A novel dinuclear dysprosium complex, namely [Gd2 (L)4 (C2H3O2)2 (CH3OH)2] (1) (L=2-hydroxy-3-methodxybenzaldehyde-5-bromo oxime), was synthesized, structurally and magnetically characterized. Single-crystal X-ray structural analysis reveals that complex 1 is neutral dinuclear complex, in which two Gd (III) ions with nine-coordinated environment are bridged by two phenoxide groups from two Schiff base ligands and four O ions from two molecules of methanoic acid. The magnetic study of complex 1 indicates the slow relaxation of magnetization.

From Benzofurans to Indoles: Palladium‐Catalyzed Reductive Ring‐Opening and Closure via β‐Phenoxide Elimination

AbstractBenzofurans can undergo ring‐opening by a palladium‐catalyzed process resulting in C−O bond breaking. Benzofuran‐tethered 2‐iodoanilines give synthetically interesting 2‐(3‐indolylmethyl)phenols in an overall reductive process. Mechanistic studies suggest that this unusual reaction proceeds by carbopalladation of benzofuran giving a 3‐palladated 2,3‐dihydrobenzofuran intermediate, which then fragments by an uncommon trans‐elimination of the phenoxide group β to the metal. In this transformation, N,N‐diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) acts as a base and as a reducing agent: it regenerates palladium(0) from palladium(II), thus allowing catalytic turnover.magnified image

Synthesis and properties of the para-trimethylammonium analogues of green fluorescence protein (GFP) chromophore: The mimic of protonated GFP chromophore

At low pH, protons from the external, bulk solution can protonate the phenoxide group of the p-HBDI chromophore in wild-type green fluorescent protein (wtGFP) and its mutants, and likely continue to tentatively protonate the phenol hydroxyl group of the same chromophores. Because the protonated GFP chromophore is a transient, we prepare the stable p-trimethylammonium analogues (2a and 2b) of the GFP chromophore to mimic it and explore their properties. What we found is that the p-trimethylammonium analogues of the GFP chromophore have the highly electrophilic amidine carbon, blue-shifted electronic absorption, smaller molar absorptivity, smaller fluorescent quantum yield, and faster E-Z thermoisomerization rate. The amidine carbon of the p-trimethylammonium analogue (2b) of the GFP chromophore is the only site that is attacked by very weak nucleophile of water, resulting in ring-opening of the imidazolinone moiety. The half-life of its decay rate in D2O is around 33 days. Actually, acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of p-HBDI also results in ring-opening of the imidazolinone moiety. The ratio of the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis rate constants [kobs(p-HBDI)/kobs(1b)] between p-HBDI and 1b (p-dimethylammonium analogue of the GFP chromophore) is dramatically increased from 0.30 at pH = 2 to 0.63 at pH = 0. This is the evidence that more and more phenol hydroxyl groups of p-HBDI are tentatively protonated in a low-pH aqueous solution and that accelerates hydrolysis of p-HBDI in the way similar to the quaternary ammonium derivatives 2a and 2b in water. With this view point, 2a and 2b still can partially mimic the cationic p-HBDI with the protonated phenol hydroxyl group. Implication of the experiment is that the amidine carbon of the chromophore in wtGFP and its mutants at very low pH should be highly electrophilic. Whether ring-opening of the imidazolinone moiety of the GFP chromophore would occur or not depends on if water molecules can reach the amidine carbon of the chromophore inside wtGFP and its mutants.

A dinuclear dysprosium complex based on schiff base ligand: synthesis, structure and magnetic property

A novel dinuclear dysprosium complex, namely [Dy2 (L) 4 (COO) 2 (CH3OH)2] (1) (L = 2-hydroxy-3-methodxybenzaldehyde-5-bromo oxime), was synthesized, structurally and magnetically characterized. Single-crystal X-ray structural analysis reveals that complex 1 is neutral dinuclear complex, in which two Dy(III) ions with nine-coordinated environment are bridged by two phenoxide groups from two schiff base ligands and four O ions from two molecules of methanoic acid. The magnetic study of complex 1 indicates the slow relaxation of magnetization.

Crystal structure and DFT study of bis-{(S)-2-[(2-hy-droxy-benzyl)-amino]-4-methyl-penta-noato-κ2N,O}(1,10-phenanthroline-κ2N,N')nickel(II).

In the title compound, [Ni(C13H18NO3)2(C12H8N2)], the NiII cation shows a distorted octa-hedral coordination environment. It is formed by two N atoms from the phenanthroline ligand, as well as two N and two O atoms belonging to two 2-[(2-hy-droxy-benz-yl)amino]-4-methyl-penta-noate ligands. Complex mol-ecules are connected into layers propagating along the ab plane via hydrogen bonds formed by O atoms of carboxyl-ate and phenoxide groups, which are further connected into a three-dimensional motif.

Analysis of Magnetic Anisotropy and the Role of Magnetic Dilution in Triggering Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) Behavior in a Family of CoII YIII Dinuclear Complexes with Easy-Plane Anisotropy.

Three new closely related CoII YIII complexes of general formula [Co(μ-L)(μ-X)Y(NO3 )2 ] (X- =NO3- 1, benzoate 2, or 9-anthracenecarboxylato 3) have been prepared with the compartmental ligand N,N',N''-trimethyl-N,N''-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-methylbenzyl)diethylenetriamine (H2 L). In these complexes, CoII and YIII are triply bridged by two phenoxide groups belonging to the di-deprotonated ligand (L2- ) and one ancillary anion X- . The change of the ancillary bridging group connecting CoII and YIII ions induces small differences in the trigonally distorted CoN3 O3 coordination sphere with a concomitant tuning of the magnetic anisotropy and intermolecular interactions. Direct current magnetic, high-frequency and -field EPR (HFEPR), frequency domain Fourier transform THz electron paramagnetic resonance (FD-FT THz-EPR) measurements, and ab initio theoretical calculations demonstrate that CoII ions in compounds 1-3 have large and positive D values (≈50 cm-1 ), which decrease with increasing the distortion of the pseudo-octahedral CoII coordination sphere. Dynamic ac magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that compound 1 exhibits field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior, whereas compounds 2 and 3 only display this behavior when they are magnetically diluted with diamagnetic ZnII (Zn/Co=10:1). In view of this, it is always advisable to use magnetically diluted complexes, in which intermolecular interactions and quantum tunneling of magnetism (QTM) would be at least partly suppressed, so that "hidden single-ion magnet (SIM)" behavior could emerge. Field- and temperature-dependence of the relaxation times indicate the prevalence of the Raman process in all these complexes above approximately 3 K.

Bulk solvent-free ring-opening copolymerization of CHO and MA catalyzed by series of Cr(III) asymmetrical bis-Schiff-base complexes

Using each of the Cr(III) asymmetrical bis-Schiff-base complexes with different substituents as the catalyst, bulk solvent-free copolymerization of CHO (cyclohexene oxide) and MA (maleic anhydride) is efficiently realized, where besides high catalytic activity and polymeric chain-growth owe to the introduction of substituent ortho and/or para to the phenoxide group, low catalyst concentration is helpful for the formation of perfectly alternating polyester.

A nickel(II) coordination polymer derived from a tridentate Schiff base ligand with N,O-donor groups: synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopy, electrochemical behavior and electrocatalytic activity for H2O2 electroreduction in alkaline medium

A Ni(II) coordination polymer [C42H42K2N4Ni4O27] has been synthesized under open-air mild reaction conditions and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The X-ray crystal structure of the complex has been obtained. The crystallographic data revealed that each metal center is in a distorted octahedral geometry where the ligand coordinates to the metal centers by a nitrogen from the imine group, an oxygen from the carboxylic acid and a phenoxide group as an endogenous bridge to the metal centers. The coordination sphere is completed by an acetate, coordinated as an exogenous bridging ligand to both nickel centers, plus one terminal water ligand on each nickel. The polymeric structure is an infinite chain involving the binuclear nickel structure and K+ ions. Carbon paste electrodes modified with the Ni(II) coordination polymer were prepared, and the electrochemical behavior and electrocatalytic activity toward H2O2 reduction were investigated. The electrochemical results suggest that this Ni(II) coordination polymer has good catalytic activity with respect to H2O2 reduction.

Electronic structure and dynamics of torsion-locked photoactive yellow protein chromophores.

The photocycle of photoactive yellow protein (PYP) begins with small-scale torsional motions of the chromophore leading to large-scale movements of the protein scaffold triggering a biological response. The role of single-bond torsional molecular motions of the chromophore in the initial steps of the PYP photocycle are not fully understood. Here, we employ anion photoelectron spectroscopy measurements and quantum chemistry calculations to investigate the electronic relaxation dynamics following photoexcitation of four model chromophores, para-coumaric acid, its methyl ester, and two analogues with aliphatic bridges hindering torsional motions around the single bonds adjacent to the alkene group. Following direct photoexcitation of S1 at 400 nm, we find that both single bond rotations play a role in steering the PYP chromophore through the S1/S0 conical intersection but that rotation around the single bond between the alkene moiety and the phenoxide group is particularly important. Following photoexcitation of higher lying electronic states in the range 346-310 nm, we find that rotation around the single bond between the alkene and phenoxide groups also plays a key role in the electronic relaxation from higher lying states to the S1 state. These results have potential applications in tuning the photoresponse of photoactive proteins and materials with chromophores based on PYP.

Ortho and para chromophores of green fluorescent protein: controlling electron emission and internal conversion.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) continues to play an important role in the biological and biochemical sciences as an efficient fluorescent probe and is also known to undergo light-induced redox transformations. Here, we employ photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations to investigate how the phenoxide moiety controls the competition between electron emission and internal conversion in the isolated GFP chromophore anion, following photoexcitation with ultraviolet light in the range 400-230 nm. We find that moving the phenoxide group from the para position to the ortho position enhances internal conversion back to the ground electronic state but that adding an additional OH group to the para chromophore, at the ortho position, impedes internal conversion. Guided by quantum chemistry calculations, we interpret these observations in terms of torsions around the C-C-C bridge being enhanced by electrostatic repulsions or impeded by the formation of a hydrogen-bonded seven-membered ring. We also find that moving the phenoxide group from the para position to the ortho position reduces the energy required for detachment processes, whereas adding an additional OH group to the para chromophore at the ortho position increases the energy required for detachment processes. These results have potential applications in tuning light-induced redox processes of this biologically and technologically important fluorescent protein.

Ring-opening copolymerization of epoxide and dianhydride in the presence of manganese(III) asymmetrical bis-Schiff base catalysts

Based on a series of asymmetrical bis-Schiff base H2Ln (n = 1–4) ligands with different electronic and steric effects, a series of [Mn(Ln)Cl] complexes 1–4 are obtained and shown to be effective catalysts in ring-opening copolymerization of epoxides and dianhydrides. Through the structure design, the input of electron-withdrawing bromine substituent para to the phenoxide group of the complexes is considerately beneficial to the improved activities. Moreover, steric and electronic effects of the suitable MeO substituent at the ortho orientation on the phenoxide group may both play a role in the formation of alternating ring-opening copolymers under the identical reaction conditions. In three cocatalysts tested, n-Bu4NBr is positive to monomer conversion and chain growth of polymer.