Palladium-Mediated Catalysis Leads to Intramolecular Narcissistic Self-Sorting on a Cavitand Platform.

Palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation reactions have been used to directly convert a tetraiodocavitand intermediate into the corresponding carboxamides and 2-ketocarboxamides. When complex mixtures of the amine reactants are employed in competition experiments using polar solvents, such as DMF, no "mixed" products possessing structurally different amide fragments are detected either by 1H or 13C NMR. Only highly symmetrical cavitands are sorted out of a large number of potentially feasible products, which represents a rare example of intramolecular, narcissistic self-sorting. Our experimental results along with thermodynamic energy analysis suggest that the observed self-sorting is a symmetry-driven, kinetically controlled process.

Influence of Metal, Ligand and Solvent on Supramolecular Polymerizations with Transition-Metal Compounds: A Theoretical Study.

The nature of intermolecular interactions governing supramolecular polymerizations is very important for controlling their cooperativity. In order to address this problem, supramolecular columns made of PtII and PdII complexes of oligo(phenylene ethynylene)-based pyridine (OPE) and tetrazolylpyridine ligands (TEP) were investigated through the dispersion-corrected PM6 method. Aromatic, CH-π, M-Cl and metallophilic interactions helped stabilize the supramolecules studied, and their geometries and associated cooperativities were in excellent agreement with experimental data. The OPE ligand and/or the presence of PtII led to stronger metallophilic interactions and also to cooperative supramolecular polymerizations, which clearly suggests that metallophilic interactions are a key factor for controlling cooperativity. The results indicate that sequential monomer addition is in general less spontaneous than the combination of two larger preformed stacks. The present theoretical investigations contribute to the further understanding of the relation between the thermodynamics of supramolecular polymerizations and the nature of different synthons.

Fluorescence quenching studies on the interaction of a novel deepened cavitand towards some transition metal ions.

A novel 'three-level' deepened cavitand featuring a significantly sizable portal has been synthesized and its interaction with some transition metal ions has been investigated in THF/H2O binary solvent using fluorescence quenching technique. The results suggest that among the used transition metal ions including Ag(+), Cd(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(3+), Cr(3+), Hg(2+), La(3+), Mn(2+), Ni(2+), Zn(2+) and Co(2+), only Fe(3+) and Cu(2+) show good quenching ability. In order to interpret the quenching mechanism, the Stern-Volmer kinetics, and the presence of both the dynamic and static quenching have been discussed. It was found that the simultaneous presence of the sphere-of-action static quenching and dynamic quenching model agrees very well with the experimental results. The limits of detection for Fe(3+) and Cu(2+) were found to be 2.1×10(-6) mol L(-1) (3σ) and 3.6×10(-6) mol L(-1) (3σ), respectively. Cations with potential interference, such as K(+), Na(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Co(2+), La(3+) and Mn(2+) do not have significant effects on the determinations of Fe(3+) and Cu(2+). This cavitand can be potentially applied as optical sensor for the detection of Fe(3+) and Cu(2+).

Synthesis of novel 13α-18-nor-16-carboxamido steroids via a palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation reaction.

13α-18-nor-16-Carboxamido steroids were synthesized via a palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation reaction of the corresponding iodoalkenes. The starting material was an unnatural 13α-16-keto steroid, obtained by a Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement of a 16α,17α-epoxide in the presence of [BMIM][BF4]. The 13α-16-keto steroid was converted to a mixture of 16-iodo-16-ene and 16-iodo-15-ene derivatives in two steps by Barton's methodology. Aminocarbonylation of the steroidal alkenyl iodides was carried out using different primary and secondary amines as nucleophiles. The products, 16-carboxamido-16-ene and 16-carboxamido-15-ene derivatives, were obtained in good yields and were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR, IR and MS. The reduction of the above two unsaturated carboxamides resulted in the same product, 17α-methyl-16α-carboxamido-androstane.

Synthesis of ferrocene-labeled steroids via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Reactivity difference between 2ß-, 6ß- and 16ß-azido-androstanes.

Copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of steroidal azides and ferrocenyl-alkynes were found to be an efficient methodology for the synthesis of ferrocene-labeled steroids. At the same time, a great difference between the reactivity of 2ß- or 16ß-azido-androstanes and a sterically hindered 6ß-azido steroid toward both ferrocenyl-alkynes and simple alkynes, such as phenylacetylene, 1-octyne, propargyl acetate and methyl propiolate, was observed.

Synthesis of steroid-ferrocene conjugates of steroidal 17-carboxamides via a palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation--copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction sequence.

Steroids with the 17-iodo-16-ene functionality were converted to ferrocene labeled steroidal 17-carboxamides via a two step reaction sequence. The first step involved the palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation of the alkenyl iodides with prop-2-yn-1-amine as the nucleophile in the presence of the Pd(OAc)(2)/PPh(3) catalyst system. In the second step, the product N-(prop-2-ynyl)-carboxamides underwent a facile azide-alkyne cycloaddition with ferrocenyl azides in the presence of CuSO(4)/sodium ascorbate to produce the steroid-ferrocene conjugates. The new compounds were obtained in good yield and were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR, IR, MS and elemental analysis.

Role of the conformational freedom of the skeleton in the complex formation ability of resorcinarene derivatives toward a neutral phenol guest.

The interaction of phenol guest molecules with 2-methylresorcinarene and its methylene-bridged cavitand derivative has been investigated in methanol. The host molecules were selected according to the flexibility of their cavities by varying the conformational freedom of the molecular skeleton prior to molecular association. The results show stronger host-phenol interactions when the host molecule possesses a rigid molecular skeleton (i.e., cavitand) compared to that of the flexible resorcinarene with phenol. Although the enthalpy change associated with the molecular interactions was found to be the same in both cases, higher negative entropy change was obtained when the resorcinarene interacted with the phenol molecules at room temperature. As a result, stronger host-guest complexes are formed at room temperature when the host molecules, possessing a rigid molecular skeleton, participated in the complex formation. Furthermore, since the higher entropy change results in higher temperature-dependence of the interactions, the stability of the complexes formed with the flexible resorcinarene is smaller at higher temperature. These results highlight that the decreasing flexibility of the host molecular skeleton itself can determine the entropy change during the complexation process; therefore, the temperature dependence of the complex stabilities highly depends on the flexibility of the host's molecular skeleton. This information might contribute to the development of selective and sensitive sensor molecules toward phenol derivatives.

Pd, Pt, and Ru complexes of a pincer bis(amino)amide ligand.

An improved synthesis of pincer ligand bis[(2-dimethylamino)phenyl]amine ((Me)N(2)NH) was reported. Reaction of the Li complex of (Me)N(2)N with suitable Pd, Pt, and Ru precursors gave the corresponding metal complexes. The structures of the Pd, Pt, and Ru complexes were determined. The Ru complex showed activity in catalytic transfer hydrogenation of aryl and alkyl ketones.

Nickel complexes of a pincer amidobis(amine) ligand: synthesis, structure, and activity in stoichiometric and catalytic C-C bond-forming reactions of alkyl halides.

The synthesis, properties, and reactivity of nickel(II) complexes of a newly developed pincer amidobis(amine) ligand ((Me)NN(2)) are described. Neutral or cationic complexes [((Me)NN(2))NiX] (X = OTf (6), OC(O)CH(3) (7), CH(3)CN (8), OMe (9)) were prepared by salt metathesis or chloride abstraction from the previously reported [((Me)NN(2))NiCl] (1). The Lewis acidity of the {((Me)NN(2))Ni} fragment was measured by the (1)H NMR chemical shift of the coordinated CH(3)CN molecule in 8. Electrochemical measurements on 1 and 8 indicate that the electron-donating properties of NN(2) are similar to those of the analogous amidobis(phosphine) (pnp) ligands. The solid-state structures of 6-8 were determined and compared to those of 1 and [((Me)NN(2))NiEt] (3). In all complexes, the (Me)NN(2) ligand coordinates to the Ni(II) ion in a mer fashion, and the square-planar coordination sphere of the metal is completed by an additional donor. The coordination chemistry of (Me)NN(2) thus resembles that of other three-dentate pincer ligands, for example, pnp and arylbis(amine) (ncn). Reactions of 2 with alkyl monohalides, dichlorides, and trichlorides were investigated. Selective C-C bond formation was observed in many cases. Based on these reactions, efficient Kumada-Corriu-Tamao coupling of unactivated alkyl halides and alkyl Grignard reagents with 1 as the precatalyst was developed. Good yields were obtained for the coupling of primary and secondary iodides and bromides. Double C-C coupling of CH(2)Cl(2) with alkyl Grignard reagents by 1 was also realized. The scope and limitations of these transformations were studied. Evidence was found for a radical pathway in Ni-catalyzed C-C cross-coupling reactions, which involves Ni(II) alkyl intermediates.

Permittivity-dependent entropy driven complexation ability of cone and paco tetranitro-calix[4]arene toward para-substituted phenols.

Considering the importance of the polarizability of the rings of calixarenes in the entropy-driven interaction processes, we examined the effect of entropy compensation on the complex formation of cone and partial cone (paco) conformers of tetranitro-calix [4]arene, possessing O-ethyl substituents at the lower rim. Both calixarene conformers were fully characterized including X-ray crystallography. Various para-substituted phenols were used as guest molecules. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements and quantum-chemical (QC) investigations were used. A permittivity dependence of the molecular interactions was obtained in different alcohols as solvents. It was found that the cone conformer of the title calixarene derivative forms stable complexes with all phenols of the p-substituted series. The free enthalpy changes show very high complex stability of cone calixarene with p-nitro and p-chloro-substituted phenols. In the cases of parent phenol, p-cresol and p- tBu-phenol, the stability is significantly lower; however, it slightly increases with the increasing electron density on the aromatic ring of guest molecules. Similarly, the entropy changes are significantly different for these two separated groups: the entropy changes obtained in the former cases are nearly the same, while large differences in the formation entropy were obtained in the latter cases. Both the experimental and theoretical investigations revealed that no considerable interaction exists between phenols and the paco conformer of the title calixarene. It is probably due to the locking of the calixarene cavity by the bent O-ethyl chain.

Nickel complexes of a pincer NN2 ligand: multiple carbon-chloride activation of CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 leads to selective carbon-carbon bond formation.

A new pincer-type bis(amino)amine (NN2) ligand and its lithium and nickel complexes, including Ni(II) methyl, ethyl, and phenyl complexes, were synthesized. The Ni(II) alkyl complexes react cleanly with alkyl halides including chlorides to form C-C coupled products and Ni(II) halides. More interestingly, the Ni(II) alkyls undergo unprecedented reactions with CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 to cleave all the C-Cl bonds and replace them with C-C bonds. The reactions are highly selective and lead to the first efficient catalytic coupling of CH2Cl2 with alkyl Grignards. A conversion of 82% and a turnover number of 47 are achieved within minutes. Coupling of CD2Cl2 and 1,1-dichloro-3,3-dimethylbutane with nBuMgCl is also realized. Preliminary mechanistic study suggests a radical initiated process for these reactions.

Dichlorobis(cumylcyclopentadienyl)titanium(IV).

The title compound, [Ti(C(14)H(15))(2)Cl(2)], belongs to a class of complexes that are potentially active as pre-catalysts in the stereospecific polymerization of olefins. In the crystal structure, molecules lie on C(2) axes with pseudo-tetrahedral coordination around the Ti atoms. Conformational features of the compound are discussed, in conjunction with calculations that demonstrate the existence of other energetically favorable conformations in addition to that found in the reported crystal structure.