Designing Powerful Biindole-Based Inherently Chiral Selectors: Enhancing Enantiodiscrimination by Core Functionalization with Additional Coordination Elements.

Among inherently chiral selectors of axial stereogenicity, usually resulting in very good enantiodiscrimination performances, the biindole-based family has the additional advantage of very easy functionalization of the two nitrogen atoms with a variety of substituents with desirable properties. Aiming to evaluate the possibility of exploiting such feature to enhance the enantiodiscrimination ability of the archetype structure, a series of three inherently chiral monomers were designed and synthesized, characterised by a 2,2'-biindole atropisomeric core conjugated to bithiophene wings enabling fast and regular electrooligomerization, and functionalised at the nitrogen atoms with an ethyl, a methoxyethyl, or a hydroxyethyl substituent. Nitrogen alkylation was also exploited to obtain for the first time the chemical resolution of the biindole selectors without employing chiral HPLC. The enantiodiscrimination ability of the selector series was comparatively evaluated in proof-of-concept chiral voltammetry experiments with a "benchmark" chiral ferrocenyl probe as well as with chiral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs naproxen and ketoprofen. The large enantiomer potential differences for all probes increased in the ethyl < methoxyethyl ≪ hydroxyethyl sequence of selector substituents, supporting our assumption on the beneficial role of an additional coordination element. The powerful hydroxyethyl selector was also applied to ketoprofen in a commercial drug matrix.

Coordination-triggered redox activity of early and late lanthanide calix[4]arene complexes.

The methylation of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene in the distal 1,3-phenolic sites provides H2L = {p-tert-butylcalix[4](OMe)2(OH)2arene}. This unit acts as a rigid coordinating ligand to early and late lanthanide metal ions, enabling the construction of two families of mononuclear compounds featuring (N(nBu)4)[LnIIIL(acac)2]·CH3CN (Ln = Pr (1), Nd (2), Ho (3), and Er (4)) and (N(nBu)4)2[LnIIIL{Mo5O13(OMe)4(NO)}]·CH2Cl2 (Ln = Nd (5) and Er (6)). The metal ions adopt distorted bicapped trigonal prismatic coordination environments, resulting in slow relaxation of the magnetization for 4. These compounds exhibit reversible redox waves at positive potentials, centered within the calix[4]arene ligand, representing a new type of calix[n]arene-based electrochemical activity induced by coordination to the metal centers.

Propyl-phthalimide Cyclotricatechylene-Based Chemosensor for Sulfosulfuron Detection: Hybrid Computational and Experimental Approach.

The detection of trace amounts of sulfosulfuron, a pesticide of increasing importance, has become a pressing issue, prompting the development of effective chemosensors. In this study, we functionalized cyclotricatechylene (CTC) with propyl-phthalimide due to the presence of electronegative oxygen and nitrogen binding sites. Our optimized ligand displayed the highest docking score with sulfosulfuron, and experimental studies confirmed a significant fluorescence enhancement upon its interaction with sulfosulfuron. To gain a deeper understanding of the binding mechanism, we introduced density functional theory (DFT) studies. We carried out binding constant, Job's plot, and limit of detection (LOD) calculations to establish the effectiveness of our chemosensor as a selective detector for sulfosulfuron. These findings demonstrate the potential of our chemosensor for future applications in the field of pesticide detection.

Synthesis of Thiapillar[6]arenes Bearing Redox-Active (Hydro)quinone Groups. Electrochemical and XRD Study.

Pillar[n]arenes are among the newest members of the macrocyclic family. Nevertheless, their conformational behavior and binding properties as well as redox properties of dealkylated pillar[n]arenes are well-studied. At the same time, introducing a heteroatom into a cyclophane macrocycle is already known to alter all the above properties drastically. This study presents a simple synthetic approach based on thia-Michael addition cyclization that readily resulted into hexathiapillar[6]arene with four phenylene units alternated by two redox-active hydroquinone moieties. The straightforward synthesis of the macrocycle enabled a systematic study of its conformation and redox behavior. The modification of hexathiapillar[6]arene afforded five functionalized derivatives, which were studied structurally in detail. The findings revealed interesting redox and structural properties of the macrocycle and its derivatives including the formation of crystal lattices with continuous channels and empty voids.

Sulphonamidic Groups as Electron-Withdrawing Units in Ureido-Based Anion Receptors: Enhanced Anion Complexation versus Deprotonation.

A sulphonamidic moiety was utilized as an electron-withdrawing group for enhancement of anion complexation features of urea-based receptors. A series of receptors varying in acidity of sulphonamidic and urea NH groups was synthesized and thoroughly tested. The individual complexation properties reflect deprotonation/complexation equilibrium in a given molecule as a function of the substitution. The receptors containing electron-donating groups in conjugation to the sulphonamidic moiety showed higher association constants towards H2 PO4- and carboxylate anions, while those containing electron-withdrawing groups inclined to deprotonation of sulphonamidic NH. The deprotonation issue can be avoided by alkylation at the early step of receptor synthesis or it can be utilized for insertion of suitable groups that enable its anchoring on various substrates to form more elaborated receptor structures.

The Impact of Huge Structural Changes on Electron Transfer and Measurement of Redox Potentials: Reduction of ortho-12-Carborane.

A massive structural change accompanies electron capture by the 1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane cage molecule (1). Bimolecular electron transfer (ET) by pulse radiolysis found a reduction potential of E0 = -1.92 V vs Fc+/0 for 1 and rate constants that slowed greatly for ET to or from 1 when the redox partner had a potential near this E0. Similarly, two electrochemical techniques could detect no current at potentials near E0, finding instead peaks or polarographic waves near -3.1 V, which is 1.2 V more negative than E0. Voltammetry could determine rate constants, but only near -3.1 V. DigiSim simulations can describe the irreversible voltammograms but require electrochemical rate constants near 1 × 10-10 cm/s at E0, a factor of 10-10 relative to molecules undergoing facile ET. This factor of 10-10 compared to ∼10-5 for bimolecular ET presents a puzzle. This puzzle can be understood as a manifestation of one of the "Frumkin Effects" in which only part of the applied voltage is available to drive ET at the electrode.

The cone-tetranitrocalix[4]arene tetraradical tetraanion as an electrochemically generated ligand for heavier alkali metal cations.

Four-electron electrochemical reduction of the cone-tetranitrocalix[4]arene in DMF results in the stable tetraradical tetraanion. The positive shift of the reduction potential of the title compound with an increasing concentration of alkali metal ions is caused by complex formation. The tetranitrocalix[4]arene thus represents an electrochemically generated ligand - a promising receptor/sensor - for alkali metal ions. Observed stoichiometries and corresponding stability constants for individual complexes of potassium, rubidium and caesium were determined. The immobilization and reduction of nitrocalixarenes on the electrode surface offers new applications in electroseparation of alkali metal ions in analytical chemistry.

Role of pre-corrosion of Fe0 on its efficiency in remediation systems: An electrochemical study.

The duration of in-situ generation of iron corrosion products (FeCPs) prior the remediation process (so called "aging" of metallic iron (Fe0)), was found as the key parameter affecting the efficiency of Fe0 for water remediation. Batch experiments were performed in buffered solutions (pH 4.0, 4.7 and 5.5) and under oxic conditions (presence of dissolved oxygen) using Zn2+ as probe contaminant. The time-dependent (0-16 d) concentration changes of aqueous Fe2+ and Zn2+ were monitored using differential pulse polarography (DPP). During the time of pre-corrosion varying from 0 to 6 d, an "induction period" of the corrosion occurs in the first one - 2 h when no Fe2+ ion is released in the solution. After this period, Fe2+ was identified in solution and its concentration progressively increases up to 6 h, then starts to decrease and after 6 d nearly disappears. Experiments with Zn2+ reveal that the most efficient Fe0 remediation occurs after 6 h of pre-corrosion. This coherence thus proves that the presence, the amount and the age of FeCPs ("degree" of corrosion) significantly impact the removal efficiency of Zn2+ in Fe0/H2O systems. The present study severely refute the wording 'reactivity loss' and states that progress in designing sustainable Fe0/H2O systems will not be achieved before the role of "active" FeCPs is clarified.

Crystal structure of 2-tert-butyl-2,3-di-hydro-1H-benzo[c]pyrrol-1-one.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C12H15NO, comprises two sym-metry-independent mol-ecules which differ mainly in the conformations of the tert-butyl groups. The mol-ecules contain an essentially planar five-membered 3-pyrroline ring incorporating a carbonyl substituent (pyrrolinone) which forms part of an isoindolinone skeleton. The planarity of the pyrrole ring is compared to other structures with isoindolinone. There are only weak intra- and inter-molecular C-H⋯O and C-H⋯π-electron-ring inter-actions in the crystal structure.

Anodic Oxidation of 18 Halogenated and/or Methylated Derivatives of CB11H12.

Anodic oxidation of [CB11H12]- and 18 of its halogenated and/or methylated derivatives was examined. Reversible oxidation was found for four of the anions in liquid SO2 and for four more in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol. The oxidation occurred at ∼1 V (for [CB11Me12]-) up to more than 4 V (for [1-H-(2-6)-F5-(7-12)-(CF3)6-CB11]-) relative to ferrocene/ferricinium. The anodic peak potentials are reproduced by a set of additive position-sensitive substituent increments.

Electrochemical Oxidation of [1-X-12-I-CB11Me10-] Anions: Formation of Borenium Ylides [12-Dehydro-1-X-CB11Me10] and Iodonium Ylide Anions [{12-(1-X-CB11Me10-)}2I+].

Cyclic voltammograms of 12-iodinated icosahedral carborane anions [1-X-12-I-CB11Me10-] (X = H, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, C4H9, C6H13, and COOCH3) show two one-electron anodic oxidation peaks at the Pt electrode in liquid SO2. Oddly, the first is irreversible and the second partially reversible. Mass spectrometry of the principal anionic product of preparative anodic oxidation of [1-H-12-I-CB11Me11-], identical with the anionic product of its reaction with [Et3Si-H-SiEt3]+ and/or Et3Si+, allows it to be identified as the iodonium ylide anion [{12-(1-H-CB11Me10-)}2I+]. Its reversible oxidation to a neutral ylide radical [{12-(1-H-CB11Me10•)}{12-(1-H-CB11Me10-)}I+] is responsible for the second peak. A DFT geometry optimization suggests that both the ylide anion and the ylide radical are very crowded and have an unusually large C-I-C valence angle of ∼132°; they are the first compounds with two bulky highly methylated CB11 cages attached to the same atom. Molecular iodine is another product of the electrolysis. We propose an electrode mechanism in which initial one-electron oxidation of [1-X-12-I-CB11Me10-] is followed by a transfer of an iodine atom from the B-I bond to SO2 to yield a weakly bound radical ISO2• which disproportionates into SO2 and I2. The other product is the borenium ylide [12-dehydro-1-X-CB11Me10], which has a strongly Lewis acidic naked vertex in position 12 that rapidly adds to another [1-X-12-I-CB11Me10-] anion to form the observed stable ylide anion [{12-(1-X-CB11Me10-)}2I+]. In acetonitrile, where it presumably exists as a solvent adduct, [12-dehydro-1-X-CB11Me10] has been trapped with H2O and, to a small extent, with MeOH, but not with several other potential trapping agents.

A study of the planarity of the pyrrolone fragment in 2-isopropyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-1-one.

Orthophthalaldehyde (o-phthalaldehyde, OPA) is an aromatic dialdehyde bearing two electron-withdrawing carbonyl groups. The reactions of OPA with primary amines are broadly applied for the synthesis of important heterocyclic compounds with biological relevance. A number of such reactions have been investigated recently and several structures of condensation products have been reported, however, the complex reaction mechanism is still not fully understood and comprises concurrent as well as consecutive reactions. The reaction products depend on the primary amine which reacts with OPA, the reaction environment (solvent) and the proportion of the reactants. The title molecule, C11H13NO, the product of the reaction of OPA with isopropylamine, contains a five-membered pyrrole C4N ring with a carbonyl substituent, which forms part of the isoindolinone unit. Though this pyrrole ring contains one C atom in the sp(3)-hybridized state, it is fairly planar. The title molecule has been compared with similar structures retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database in order to study this phenomenon. The planarity of this fragment has been explained by the presence of partially delocalized C-C, C-N and C-O bonds, and by an inner angle in the planar pentagonal ring (∼108°), which is close to the ideal tetrahedral value for the sp(3)-hybridized state of the constituent C atom. Due to this propitious angle, this C atom can be present in states intermediate between sp(3)- and sp(2)-hybridized in different structures, while still maintaining the planarity of the ring. There are only weak intermolecular C-H...O hydrogen bonds and C-H...π-electron ring interactions in the structure. In particular, it is the pyrrole ring which is involved in these interactions.

Covalent dimers of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran for singlet fission: synthesis and electrochemistry.

The synthesis of covalent dimers in which two 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran units are connected through one phenyl substituent on each is reported. In three of the dimers, the subunits are linked directly, and in three others, they are linked via an alkane chain. A seventh new compound in which two 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran units share a phenyl substituent is also described. These materials are needed for investigations of the singlet fission process, which promises to increase the efficiency of solar cells. The electrochemical oxidation and reduction of the monomer, two previously known dimers, and the seven new compounds have been examined, and reversible redox potentials have been compared with results obtained from density functional theory. Although the overall agreement is satisfactory, some discrepancies are noted and discussed.

Electrochemical and quantum chemical investigation of tetranitrocalix[4]arenes: molecules with multiple redox centers.

The calix[4]arene skeleton is electrochemically inactive, but it is a useful stable frame for building "smart" molecules and supramolecular assemblies. Suitable substitution on the upper (and/or lower) rim leads to unusual and surprising properties in this system. Polynitrocalix[4]arenes with reducible nitro groups located at the upper rim represent molecules with multiple redox centers where the potential for interactions between them is the focus of interest. The title compounds are promising precursors, e.g., for design and synthesis of sensors. In this work, the stepwise reduction of two tetranitrocalixarenes was investigated electrochemically, and the results were correlated with quantum chemical calculations. The order of individual electron transfers was described as a consequence of molecular geometry. Two independent pairs of equivalent nitro groups were identified whose reduction potential depends upon their respective locations in the molecule. All nitro groups are electronically isolated and thus are reduced independently yielding poly radical ions. The increasing charge has negligible impact on the geometry of the calixarene, which maintains its pinched shape even when carrying an overall molecular charge of -4.

Measured and calculated oxidation potentials of 1-X-12-Y-CB11Me10- anions.

Cyclic voltammetry of 31 icosahedral carborane anions 1-X-12-Y-CB(11)Me(10)(-) at a Pt electrode in liquid SO(2) revealed a completely reversible one-electron oxidation even at low scan rates, except for the anions with Y = I, which are oxidized irreversibly up to a scan rate of 5.0 V/s, and the anion with X = COOH and Y = H, whose oxidation is irreversible at scan rates below 1.0 V/s. Relative reversible oxidation potentials agree well with RI-B3LYP/TZVPP,COSMO and significantly less well with RI-BP86/TZVPP,COSMO or RI-HF/TZVPP,COSMO calculated adiabatic electron detachment energies. Correlations with HOMO energies of the anions are nearly as good, even though the oxidized forms are subject to considerable Jahn-Teller distortion. Except for the anion with X = F and Y = Me, the oxidation potentials vary linearly with substituent σ(p) Hammett constants. The slopes (reaction constants) are ~0.31 and ~0.55 V for positions 1 and 12, respectively.

Imidazole as a donor/acceptor unit in charge-transfer chromophores with extended π-linkers.

Eleven new, stable, push-pull systems that feature 4,5-bis[4-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenyl]imidazole and 4,5-dicyanoimidazole as the donor and acceptor moieties and the systematically extended and varied π-linker were prepared and investigated. Evaluation of the measured UV/Vis spectra, electrochemical data (cyclic voltammetry (CV), rotating-disc voltammetry (RDV), and polarography) and calculated ß and γ polarizabilities showed efficient charge transfer (CT) in biimidazole-type chromophores. Push-pull system 27, which features a planar thiophene-derived π-linker, was revealed to be the most efficient chromophore within the studied series. This chromophore possessed the most bathochromically shifted CT band, the lowest electrochemical gap, and highest ß and γ polarizabilities. The CT transition was most significantly affected by structural features such as π-linker length, planarity, conjugating arrangement, and the presence of olefinic/acetylenic or 1,4-phenylene/thiophene subunits in the π-linker.

New approaches to the characterization of carbon paste electrodes using the ohmic resistance effect and qualitative carbon paste indexes.

In this article, some new approaches to characterize the carbon paste mixtures and the respective carbon paste electrodes (CPEs) are presented, discussed, and critically evaluated. Particular attention has been paid to the changes of the ohmic resistance, relative to the dependence on composition of the CPE, the materials used, the time, and the position of storage. Four types of carbon pastes were examined, and for the interpretation of experimental data, a new simple model of "close-packing of spheres" has been applied. This model resembles the percolation theory for solid matter. In our case, however, it is possible to explain not only the "bent" or "broken" shape of the dependence of the electrode resistance upon the binder:carbon ratio and the corresponding electrochemical current response, but also differences caused by various material used and three various effects observed during the electrode aging. Furthermore, the report presents the significance of practical utilization of the recently introduced carbon paste index (denoted as chi(CPE)), which is a qualitative hitherto unused factor based on the evaluation of cyclic voltammograms for standard redox systems (e.g., [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-)) and specifying the electrochemical properties of a CPE. Some problems connected with homogeneity and stability of carbon pastes, their handling, storage, or eventual aging effects are also discussed.

2-(2-Hydroxy-ethyl)-3-[(2-hydroxy-ethyl)imino]isoindolin-1-one.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C(12)H(14)N(2)O(3), mol-ecules are packed into layers parallel to (100). Each layer contains centrosymmetric dimers formed by a pair of strong O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds with an R(2) (2)(10) motif, while strong O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds forming C(10) chains connect mol-ecules into a two-dimensional network. Additional stabilization is supplied by weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and weak π-π stacking inter-actions with centroid-centroid distances in the range 3.4220 (7)-3.9616 (7) Å.

4-Amino-3-methyl-6-phenyl-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one (metamitron) and 4-amino-6-methyl-3-phenyl-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one (isometamitron).

The title structures, both C(10)H(10)N(4)O, are substitutional isomers. The N-N bond lengths are longer and the C=N bond lengths are shorter by ca 0.025 A than the respective average values in the C=N-N=C group of asymmetric triazines; the assessed respective bond orders are 1.3 and 1.7. There are N-H...O and N-H...N hydrogen bonds in both structures, with 4-amino-3-methyl-6-phenyl-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one containing a rare bifurcated N-H...N,N hydrogen bond. The structures differ in their molecular stacking and the hydrogen-bonding patterns.

Synthesis of the isolable biradicals *(CH3B)11C-C triple bond C-C(BCH3)11* and trans-*(CH3B)11C-CH=CH-C(BCH3)11*.

A synthesis of ethene and ethyne derivatives carrying the anionic -C(BCH3)11- substituent on one or both carbon atoms is described. Two-electron oxidation of the dianions yielded the stable and isolable electroneutral title biradicals.