RESUMO
The synthesis of tris(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)amine diborate, 4, is reported. This compound contains a linear B...N...B array for which a symmetrical three-center two-electron (3c-2e) bond is possible. The X-ray crystal structure of 4 shows that 3c-2e bonding is, in fact, absent. Rather, the B-N-B array of 4 is unsymmetrical, having a 2c-2e B-N dative bond with the remaining boron pyramidalized outward and bonded to the oxygen of THF, i.e., 4 x THF. In THF solution, 4 displays temperature-dependent 13C NMR spectra from which a DeltaG++ of 11.6 kcal/mol at 262 K may be calculated. The dynamic process observed in solution corresponds to a bond-switching equilibrium in which the B-N bond oscillates between the two borons ("bell clapper"). Ab initio calculations indicate that the most likely pathway for the bond switch does not involve a 3c-2e B...N...B bond, but rather occurs by nucleophilic attack of THF on the datively bonded boron to generate 4 x (THF)2, lacking any B-N interactions, followed by loss of one THF. The B-N-B system of 4 sans the perturbing effect of solvent was also investigated computationally. The form of 4 containing a 3c-2e bond is found to be a transition state in the solvent-free bond-switch reaction of 4, lying 2.66 kcal/mol above 4. The stability of three-center bonds to in-line distortion (viz., X...Y...X --> X-Y.........X) is discussed from the point of view of the second-order Jahn-Teller effect.
RESUMO
Over 200 hospitals in England report resistance data for bacteraemia and meningitis isolates to the Public Health Laboratory Service. We reviewed ampicillin and trimethoprim resistance rates from 1990 to 1997 for Escherichia coli, which is the species reported most frequently from these bacteraemias. Ampicillin resistance was relatively stable over time, but varied between Health Regions. The proportion of ampicillin-resistant E. coli in the East Anglia region remained