N-Heterocyclic carbene-stabilized gold nanoparticles with tunable sizes.

A simple and straightforward synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-protected gold nanoparticles is derived from (benz)imidazolium-AuX4 complexes and NaBH4 only. The proposed method allows size tuning, from 3 to 6 nm, by adding (benz)imidazolium bromide. Changing the reducing agent to tBuNH2BH3 shifts the size range to ca. 6-12 nm. A one pot protocol is also reported from AuCl, (benz)imidazolium bromides and NaBH4, thereby providing an even more straightforward way of producing NHC-capped gold nanoparticles. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to unambiguously evidence, on the nanoparticles, the covalent bond formed between the NHC and the surface gold atoms.

Study of interaction between NO radicals and Martin's spirosilane by means of IR spectroscopy.

The matrix isolation method is used to record the IR spectrum of C18H8O2F12Si in the 4000-500 cm(-1) range. To gain an IR spectrum with a sufficient resolution, this technique was used with neon as the dilution medium at 5 K. The generated species were characterized by in situ fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Once the Martin's spirosilane 1 (C18H8O2F12Si) was characterized, its reactivity toward NO was investigated under the same experimental conditions (i.e., using neon as a dilution medium at 5 K). In this case, the use of neon at very low temperature leads to the formation of a chemically inert matrix in which the species are trapped and isolated from one another, thus hindering consecutive reactions. As a consequence, intermediates can be observed. This approach allowed us to characterize the NO adduct, leading to the formation of 1-(NO). Concentration effects as well as annealing experiments were carried out. In addition to this experimental approach, products were identified by using reference spectra. Our results proved that, in the dilute phase, the reaction between 1 and NO radicals leads to the formation of an adduct. This stable species can further react with NO to form a more stable compound: 1-(NO)2. This proves the ability of such species to trap NO.

1,4-Hydrogen radical transfer as a new and versatile tool for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure 1,2,3-triols

[reaction: see text]1,4-Hydrogen radical transfers can now be reliably envisaged in radical synthetic chemistry as demonstrated by the formation of the cyano derivative II from I. Due to related sequences involving this new translocation process, followed by a highly diastereoselective trapping of the resulting anomeric radical, access to intriguing enantiopure 1,2,3-triols such as III is available.