Thermochemistry of Solution, Solvation, and Hydrogen Bonding of Cyclic Amides in Proton Acceptor and Donor Solvents. Amide Cycle Size Effect.

In the present work, the thermochemistry of solution, solvation, and hydrogen bonding of cyclic amides in proton acceptor (B) and proton donor (RXH) solvents were studied. The infinite dilution solution enthalpies of δ-valerolactam, N-methylvalerolactam, ε-caprolactam, and N-methylcaprolactam were measured at 298.15 K. The solvation enthalpies of cyclic amides were calculated based on the measured solution enthalpies and sublimation/vaporization enthalpies from literature. The enthalpies of hydrogen bonding between cyclic amides and proton acceptor and donor solvents were then calculated as a difference between the total solvation enthalpy and the non-specific contribution. The latter was estimated via two different approaches in proton donor and proton accepting solvents. The effect of the cycle size on the strength of hydrogen bonding of the cyclic amides in solution is discussed.

Unusual Tri-, Hexa-, and Nonanuclear Cu(II) Cage Methylsilsesquioxanes: Synthesis, Structures, and Catalytic Activity in Oxidations with Peroxides.

Three types of unusual cagelike copper(II) methylsilsesquioxanes, namely, nona- [(MeSiO1.5)18(CuO)9] 1, hexa- [(MeSiO1.5)10(HO0.5)2(CuO)6(C12H8N2)2(MeSiO1.5)10(HO0.5)1.33(CH3COO0.5)0.67(CuO)6(C12H8N2)2] 2, [(MeSiO1.5)10(CuO)6(MeO0.5)2(C10H8N2)2] 3, and trinuclear [(MeSiO1.5)8(CuO)3(C10H8N2)2] 4, were obtained in 44%, 27%, 20%, and 16% yields, respectively. Nuclearity and structural fashion of products was controlled by the choice of solvent system and ligand, specifically assisting the assembling of cage. Structures of 1-4 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 4 are the first cage metallasilsesquioxanes, containing nine and three Cu ions, respectively. Product 1 is the first observation of nonanuclear metallasilsesquioxane ever. Unique architecture of 4 represents early unknown type of molecular geometry, based on two condensed pentamembered siloxane cycles. Topological analysis of metal clusters in products 1-4 is provided. Complex 1 efficiently catalyzes oxidation of alcohols with tert-butylhydroperoxide TBHP to ketones or alkanes with H2O2 to alkyl hydroperoxides in acetonitrile.