Photo-induced ligand substitution at a remote site via electron transfer in a porphyrin-appended rhenium carbonyl supermolecule.

The photochemical and electrochemical properties of a Zn-porphyrin appended rhenium(I) tricarbonyl bipyridine 3-Me-pyridine complex have been investigated; visible-light sensitisation of electron transfer results in ligand substitution at a site remote from the chromophore.

Resonance Raman and UV-visible spectroscopy of black dyes on textiles.

Resonance Raman and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded from samples of cotton, viscose, polyester, nylon, and acrylic textile swatches dyed black with one of seven single dyes, a mixture of two dyes, or one of seven mixtures of three dyes. The samples generally gave characteristic Raman spectra of the dyes, demonstrating that the technique is applicable for the forensic analysis of dyed black textiles. Survey studies of the widely used dye Reactive Black 5 show that essentially the same Raman spectrum is obtained on bulk sampling from the dye in solution, on viscose, on cotton at different uptakes, and on microscope sampling from the dye in cotton threads and single fibres. The effects of laser irradiation on the Raman bands and emission backgrounds from textile samples with and without dye are also reported.

On the syntheses, NMR spectroscopic and structural characterisations of [CuL(C(2)H(4))].PF(6) and [Cu(2)L(2)(mu-C(4)H(6))].2PF(6): L = (+/-)-N,N'-bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzylidene)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane.

Copper(i) (+/-)-N,N'-bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzylidene)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane reacts with either ethene or butadiene to give the corresponding alkene complexes. In each case crystallographic studies show that the alkene coordinates in an eta(2) fashion. In the butadiene complex a dimer is formed where the butadiene bridges two copper complexes. Variable temperature NMR spectroscopy of the ethene adduct demonstrates fluxional behaviour, which is attributed to the rotation of the coordinated ethene relative to the complex, DeltaG(double dagger)(255) = 50 +/- 2 kJ mol(-1).

An investigation by means of correlation analysis into the mechanisms of oxidation of aryl methyl sulfides and sulfoxides by dimethyldioxirane in various solvents.

Relative rate constants have been measured for the oxidation of aryl methyl sulfides and sulfoxides by dimethyldioxirane in acetone, in mixtures of acetone with aprotic co-solvents of both higher and lower relative permittivity, and in aqueous acetone mixtures. Correlation analyses of the effects of substituents in the different solvents show that, with one exception, reactions take place via a single step mechanism in which the formation of the new SO bond and the elimination of acetone occur concertedly. The exception was oxidation of the sulfides in aqueous acetone containing the highest proportion of water of those studied (20% v/v). Here, the behaviour of the reaction is consistent with a two-step mechanism in which the oxidant reversibly attacks the sulfide to form an open-chain sulfonium betaine that subsequently fragments to sulfoxide and acetone. There is no evidence for the participation of an intermediate dioxathietane as has been found in the case of sulfide oxidations by (trifluoromethyl)methyldioxirane in CH(2)Cl(2) and similar aprotic solvents. It is not justified to generalise a mechanism involving a betaine, with or without a derived dioxathietane, to the reactions of dimethyldioxirane in acetone.

Asymmetric alkene epoxidation catalysed by a novel family of chiral metalloporphyrins: effect of structure on catalyst activity, stability and enantioselectivity.

A selection of alkenes has been epoxidised with iodosylbenzene, catalysed by three related iron(III) tetraarylporphyrins: 1*, 2* and 3* with four 2,6-di(1-phenylbutoxy)phenyl groups, with one pentafluorophenyl and three 2,6-di(1-phenylbutoxy)phenyl groups and with two pentafluorophenyl and two 2,6-di(1-phenylbutoxy)phenyl groups, respectively. 1* is very sterically hindered and prone to self-oxidation which makes it a relatively poor epoxidation catalyst. Introducing the smaller pentafluorophenyl groups, in place of 2,6-di(1-phenylbutoxy)phenyl, increases catalyst reactivity, stability and selectivity. This change allows easier access of the substrates to the active oxidant and also, by decreasing the electron density on the porphyrin ligand, increases the reactivity of the oxoiron intermediate and its stability towards self-oxidation. A family of five homochiral catalysts, 1, 2 and 3, [the analogues of 1*, 2* and 3*, prepared from (R,R)-2,6-di(1-phenylbutoxy)benzaldehyde] and catalyst 4 with three pentafluorophenyl and one (R,R)-2,6-di(1-phenylbutoxy)phenyl group and 5 the manganese(III) analogue of 3 have been used to epoxidise three prochiral alkenes. All the reactions give low enantioselectivities. Using styrene as the substrate, (S)-styrene epoxide is the major enantiomer obtained with all the catalysts except 1 which leads to the (R)-styrene epoxide being preferred. In contrast cis-hept-2-ene and 2-methylbut-2-ene give the same major epoxide enantiomer with all the catalysts. The dependence of the ee values on catalyst and substrate structure, temperature and solvent is examined and discussed.

Formation and reaction of O=MnV species in the oxidation of phenolic substrates with H2O2 catalysed by the dinuclear manganese(IV) 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane complex [MnIV2(mu-O)3(TMTACN)2](PF6)2.

The oxidation of phenolic substrates with H2O2 catalysed by [MnIV2(mu-O)3(TMTACN)2](PF6)2 1, (TMTACN, 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) has been investigated by use of ESI mass spectrometry. The role of the phenols as one-electron reductants and as co-ligands in the stabilisation and reaction of an intermediate O=MnV species has been analysed and the presence of a variety of manganese species in solution has been explained. Our results lead to a proposed mechanism for the catalytic oxidation of phenols in this system.

Azo dye oxidation with hydrogen peroxide catalysed by manganese 1,4,7-triazacyclononane complexes in aqueous solution.

A kinetic and mechanistic study is reported of the oxidation of a number of azonaphthol dyes with hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution, catalysed by some mono and dinuclear manganese(IV) complexes of 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (Me3TACN). The results of UV-Vis investigations, augmented by EPR and ESI-MS studies, are described for a series of experiments in which concentrations, pH and ionic strength have been varied. The reactions are characterised by an induction period followed by a relatively rapid oxidation. For the dinuclear manganese complex 2, these are consistent with an initial perhydrolysis of the manganese complex involving both the dye anion and HO2-, to give mononuclear manganese species and the operation of a catalytic cycle incorporating MnIIIL(OH)3, O = MnVL(OH)2 and MnIVL(OH)3 (L = Me3TACN) (cf. the reactions of peroxidase enzymes). ESI-MS results provide evidence for the formation and reaction (with the dye) of MnIVL(OH)3. With the mononuclear manganese complex MnIVL(OMe)3, there is a short lag-phase attributed to perhydrolysis by HO2- followed by the same catalytic cycle.