Effect of chemical structure and network formation on physical properties of di(cyanate ester) thermosets.

Key physical properties of three dicyanate ester monomers, bisphenol A dicyanate (BADCy), bisphenol E dicyanate (LECy), and the dicyanate of a silicon-containing analogue of bisphenol A (SiMCy) were investigated as a function of cyanurate conversion at conversions ranging from approximately 70% to greater than 90% in order to assess the range of applicability of both traditional and more unusual structure-property-process relationships known for cyanate ester resins. A more complete understanding of these relationships is essential for the continued development of cyanate ester resins and their composites for a wide variety of aerospace applications. The degree of cure in each system was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The degree of conversion achieved at a given temperature was dependent on the structure of the repeat unit, with SiMCy displaying the highest relative ease of cure. The density at room temperature was found to decrease monotonically with increasing conversion for all monomer types studied. In contrast, the water uptake decreased with increasing cure for all three materials over most or all of the conversion range studied, but leveled off or began to increase with increasing conversion at conversions of approximately 90%. The T(g) decreased after exposure to hot water in resins with greater than 85% conversion, but unexpectedly increased in samples with lower conversions. An investigation of the effect of hot water exposure on network chemistry via infrared spectroscopy indicated that carbamate formation varied with both monomer chemistry and extent of cure, but was greatest for the BADCy polycyanurates. On the other hand, the unreacted cyanate ester band tended to disappear uniformly, suggesting that reactions other than carbamate formation (such as cyclotrimerization) may also take place during exposure to hot water, possibly giving rise to the observed unusual increases in T(g) upon exposure.

Atomic oxygen effects on POSS polyimides in low earth orbit.

Kapton polyimde is extensively used in solar arrays, spacecraft thermal blankets, and space inflatable structures. Upon exposure to atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit (LEO), Kapton is severely eroded. An effective approach to prevent this erosion is to incorporate polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) into the polyimide matrix by copolymerizing POSS monomers with the polyimide precursor. The copolymerization of POSS provides Si and O in the polymer matrix on the nano level. During exposure of POSS polyimide to atomic oxygen, organic material is degraded, and a silica passivation layer is formed. This silica layer protects the underlying polymer from further degradation. Laboratory and space-flight experiments have shown that POSS polyimides are highly resistant to atomic-oxygen attack, with erosion yields that may be as little as 1% those of Kapton. The results of all the studies indicate that POSS polyimide would be a space-survivable replacement for Kapton on spacecraft that operate in the LEO environment.

Dinitrogen difluoride chemistry. improved syntheses of cis- and trans-N2F2, synthesis and characterization of N2F(+)Sn2F9(-), ordered crystal structure of N2F(+)Sb2F11(-), high-level electronic structure calculations of cis-N2F2, trans-N2F2, F2N=N, and N2F(+), and Mechanism of the trans-cis isomerization of N2F2.

N(2)F(+) salts are important precursors in the synthesis of N(5)(+) compounds, and better methods are reported for their larger scale production. A new, marginally stable N(2)F(+) salt, N(2)F(+)Sn(2)F(9)(-), was prepared and characterized. An ordered crystal structure was obtained for N(2)F(+)Sb(2)F(11)(-), resulting in the first observation of individual N[triple bond]N and N-F bond distances for N(2)F(+) in the solid phase. The observed N[triple bond]N and N-F bond distances of 1.089(9) and 1.257(8) A, respectively, are among the shortest experimentally observed N-N and N-F bonds. High-level electronic structure calculations at the CCSD(T) level with correlation-consistent basis sets extrapolated to the complete basis limit show that cis-N(2)F(2) is more stable than trans-N(2)F(2) by 1.4 kcal/mol at 298 K. The calculations also demonstrate that the lowest uncatalyzed pathway for the trans-cis isomerization of N(2)F(2) has a barrier of 60 kcal/mol and involves rotation about the N=N double bond. This barrier is substantially higher than the energy required for the dissociation of N(2)F(2) to N(2) and 2 F. Therefore, some of the N(2)F(2) dissociates before undergoing an uncatalyzed isomerization, with some of the dissociation products probably catalyzing the isomerization. Furthermore, it is shown that the trans-cis isomerization of N(2)F(2) is catalyzed by strong Lewis acids, involves a planar transition state of symmetry C(s), and yields a 9:1 equilibrium mixture of cis-N(2)F(2) and trans-N(2)F(2). Explanations are given for the increased reactivity of cis-N(2)F(2) with Lewis acids and the exclusive formation of cis-N(2)F(2) in the reaction of N(2)F(+) with F(-). The geometry and vibrational frequencies of the F(2)N=N isomer have also been calculated and imply strong contributions from ionic N(2)F(+) F(-) resonance structures, similar to those in F(3)NO and FNO.

Methyl Tin(IV) derivatives of HOTeF(5) and HN(SO(2)CF(3))(2): a solution multinuclear NMR study and the X-ray crystal structures of (CH(3))(2)SnCl(OTeF(5)) and [(CH(3))(3)Sn(H(2)O)(2)][N(SO(2)CF(3))(2)].

The new tin(IV) species (CH(3))(2)SnCl(OTeF(5)) was prepared via either the solvolysis of (CH(3))(3)SnCl in HOTeF(5) or the reaction of (CH(3))(3)SnCl with ClOTeF(5). It was characterized by NMR and vibrational spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. (CH(3))(2)SnCl(OTeF(5)) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n (a = 5.8204(8) A, b =10.782(1) A, c =15.493(2) A, beta = 91.958(2) degrees, V = 971.7(2) A(3), Z = 4). NMR spectroscopy of (CH(3))(3)SnX, prepared from excess Sn(CH(3))(4) and HX (X = OTeF(5) or N(SO(2)CF(3))(2)), revealed a tetracoordinate tin environment using (CH(3))(3)SnX as a neat liquid or in dichloromethane-d(2) (CD(2)Cl(2)) solutions. In acetone-d(6) and acetonitrile-d(3) (CD(3)CN) solutions, the tin atom in (CH(3))(3)SnOTeF(5) was found to extend its coordination number to five by adding one solvent molecule. In the strong donor solvent DMSO, the Sn-OTeF(5) bond is broken and the (CH(3))(3)Sn(O=S(CH(3))(2))(2)(+) cation and the OTeF(5)(-) anion are formed. (CH(3))(3)SnOTeF(5) and (CH(3))(3)SnN(SO(2)CF(3))(2) react differently with water. While the Te-F bonds in the OTeF(5) group of (CH(3))(3)SnOTeF(5) undergo complete hydrolysis that results in the formation of [(CH(3))(3)Sn(H(2)O)(2)](2)SiF(6), (CH(3))(3)SnN(SO(2)CF(3))(2) forms the stable hydrate salt [(CH(3))(3)Sn(H(2)O)(2)][N(SO(2)CF(3))(2)]. This salt crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c (a = 7.3072(1) A, b =13.4649(2) A, c =16.821(2) A, beta = 98.705(1) degrees, V = 1636.00(3) A(3), Z = 4) and was also characterized by NMR and vibrational spectroscopy.

Enthalpies of formation of gas-phase N3, N3-, N5+, and N5- from Ab initio molecular orbital theory, stability predictions for N5(+)N3(-) and N5(+)N5(-), and experimental evidence for the instability of N5(+)N3(-).

Ab initio molecular orbital theory has been used to calculate accurate enthalpies of formation and adiabatic electron affinities or ionization potentials for N3, N3-, N5+, and N5- from total atomization energies. The calculated heats of formation of the gas-phase molecules/ions at 0 K are DeltaHf(N3(2Pi)) = 109.2, DeltaHf(N3-(1sigma+)) = 47.4, DeltaHf(N5-(1A1')) = 62.3, and DeltaHf(N5+(1A1)) = 353.3 kcal/mol with an estimated error bar of +/-1 kcal/mol. For comparison purposes, the error in the calculated bond energy for N2 is 0.72 kcal/mol. Born-Haber cycle calculations, using estimated lattice energies and the adiabatic ionization potentials of the anions and electron affinities of the cations, enable reliable stability predictions for the hypothetical N5(+)N3(-) and N5(+)N5(-) salts. The calculations show that neither salt can be stabilized and that both should decompose spontaneously into N3 radicals and N2. This conclusion was experimentally confirmed for the N5(+)N3(-) salt by low-temperature metathetical reactions between N5SbF6 and alkali metal azides in different solvents, resulting in violent reactions with spontaneous nitrogen evolution. It is emphasized that one needs to use adiabatic ionization potentials and electron affinities instead of vertical potentials and affinities for salt stability predictions when the formed radicals are not vibrationally stable. This is the case for the N5 radicals where the energy difference between vertical and adiabatic potentials amounts to about 100 kcal/mol per N5.

Polynitrogen chemistry: preparation and characterization of (N5)2SnF6, N5SnF5, and N5B(CF3)4.

Metathetical processes were used to convert N5SbF6 into N5[B(CF3)4] and (N5)2SnF6. The latter salt is especially noteworthy because it contains two N5+ ions per anion, thus demonstrating that salts with touching polynitrogen cations can be prepared. This constitutes an important milestone towards our ultimate goal of synthesizing a stable, ionic nitrogen allotrope. The stepwise decomposition of (N5)2SnF6 yielded N5SnF5. Multinuclear NMR spectra show that in HF the SnF5- ion exists as a mixture of Sn2F(10)(2-) and Sn4F(20)(4-) ions. Attempts to isolate FN5 from the thermolysis of (N5)2SnF6 were unsuccessful, yielding only the expected decomposition products, FN3, N2, trans-N2F2, NF3, and N2.

Structures of the BrF(4)(+) and IF(4)(+) cations.

The large discrepancies between the calculated and observed structures for BrF(4)(+) and IF(4)(+) (Christe, K. O.; Zhang, X.; Sheehy, J. A.; Bau, R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 6338) prompted a redetermination of the crystal structures of BrF(4)(+)Sb(2)F(11)(-) (monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 5.2289(6) A, b = 14.510(2) A, c = 14.194(2) A, beta = 90.280(1) degrees, Z = 4) and IF(4)(+)SbF(6)(-) (orthorhombic, Ibca, a = 8.2702(9) A, b = 8.3115(9) A, c = 20.607(2) A, Z = 8). It is shown that for BrF(4)(+), the large differences were mainly due to large errors in the original experimental data. For IF(4)(+)SbF(6)(-), the geometry previously reported for IF(4)(+) was reasonably close to that found in this study despite a very large R-factor of 0.15 and a refinement in an incorrect space group. The general agreement between the calculated and the redetermined geometries of BrF(4)(+) and IF(4)(+) is excellent, except for the preferential compression of one bond angle in each ion due to the influence of interionic fluorine bridges. In BrF(4)(+), the fluorine bridges are equatorial and compress this angle. In IF(4)(+), the nature of the fluorine bridges depends on the counterion, and either the axial (in IF(4)(+)SbF(6)(-)) or the equatorial (in IF(4)(+)Sb(2)F(11)(-)) bond angle is preferentially compressed. Therefore, the geometries of the free ions are best described by the theoretical calculations.

Synthesis and characterization of the SO(2)N(3)(-), (SO(2))(2)N(3)(-), and SO(3)N(3)(-) anions.

SO(2) solutions of azide anions are bright yellow, and their Raman spectra indicate the presence of covalently bound azide. Removal of the solvent at -64 degrees C from CsN(3) or N(CH(3))(4)N(3) solutions produces yellow (SO(2))(2)N(3)(-) salts. Above -64 degrees C, these salts lose 1 mol of SO(2), resulting in white SO(2)N(3)(-) salts that are marginally stable at room temperature and thermally decompose to the corresponding azides and SO(2). These anions were characterized by vibrational and (14)N NMR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. Slow loss of the solvent by diffusion through the walls of a sealed Teflon tube containing a sample of CsSO(2)N(3) in SO(2) resulted in white and yellowish single crystals that were identified by X-ray diffraction as CsSO(2)N(3).CsSO(3)N(3) with a = 9.542(2) A, b = 6.2189(14) A, c = 10.342(2) A, and beta = 114.958(4) degrees in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/m, Z = 2, and Cs(2)S(2)O(5).Cs(2)S(2)O(7).SO(2), respectively. Pure CsSO(3)N(3) was also prepared and characterized by vibrational spectroscopy. The S-N bond in SO(2)N(3)(-) is much weaker than that in SO(3)N(3)(-), resulting in decreased thermal stability, an increase in the S-N bond distance by 0.23 A, and an increased tendency to undergo rotational disorder. This marked difference is due to SO(3) being a much stronger Lewis acid (pF(-) value of 7.83) than SO(2) (pF(-) value of 3.99), thus forming a stronger S-N bond with the Lewis base N(3)(-). The geometry of the free gaseous SO(2)N(3)(-) anion was calculated at the RHF, MP2, B3LYP, and CCSD(T) levels. The results show that only the correlated methods correctly reproduce the experimentally observed orientation of the SO(2) group.