Basil M. Ahmed

Survival of the Fittest Nanojar: Stepwise Breakdown of Polydisperse Cu27-Cu31 Nanojar Mixtures into Monodisperse Cu27(CO3) and Cu31(SO4) Nanojars

Nanojars are emerging as a class of anion sequestration agents of unparalleled efficiency. Dinegative oxoanions (e.g., carbonate, sulfate) template the formation of a series of homologous nanojars [Cu(OH)(pyrazolato)]n (n=27-31). Pyridine selectively transforms less stable, larger CO3(2-) nanojars (n=30, 31) into more stable, smaller ones (n=27, 29), but leaves all SO4(2-) nanojars (n=27-29, 31) intact. Ammonia, in turn, transforms all less stable nanojars into the most stable one and allows the isolation of pure [CO3(2-)⊂{Cu(OH)(pz)}27] and [SO4(2-)⊂{Cu(OH)(pz)}31]. A comprehensive picture of the solution and solid-state intricacies of nanojars was revealed by a combination of variable temperature NMR spectroscopy, tandem mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Insights into the Formation Mechanism and pH-Dependent Assembly/Disassembly of Nanojars

Nanojars are large (2 nm wide) anion-incarcerating coordination complexes of the composition [anion⊂{Cu(μ-OH)(μ-pz)}n] (n = 27-36), formed by the self-assembly of simple Cu(2+), HO(-), and pyrazolate (pz(-) = C3H3N2(-)) ions in the presence of certain anions with large hydration energy (e.g., CO3(2-), SO4(2-), PO4(3-), HPO4(2-)). Nanojars display spectacular chemical properties, such as unparalleled anion binding strength and, as shown herein, extraordinary resistance to extreme alkalinities (10 M NaOH). To shed light on the mechanism of the self-assembly process leading to these distinctive constructs, we employed an array of complementary techniques including mass spectrometry, pH titration, UV-vis and NMR spectroscopies, chemical synthesis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In the reaction of Cu(NO3)2, pyrazole, NaOH, and Na2CO3 in tetrahydrofuran (THF), the first major intermediate is a trinuclear copper pyrazolate complex, [Cu3(μ3-OH)(μ-pz)3(NO3)2(H2O)], which was separately isolated and characterized. As the THF-insoluble NaOH slowly reacts, the nitrate ions are gradually precipitated out as NaNO3 and replaced by hydroxide ions. The resulting species, [Cu3(μ3-OH)(μ-pz)3(OH)x(NO3)3-x](-) (x = 1-3), have unstable terminal Cu-OH groups and react with each other to yield OH-bridged units, such as [Cu3(μ3-OH)(μ-pz)3(NO3)2]2(μ-OH) and then [{Cu3(μ3-OH)(μ-pz)3(μ-OH)2}x(NaNO3)y(Na2CO3)z] oligomers. The Cu3(OH)3(pz)3 repeating units of these oligomers have the same composition as the [Cu(OH)(pz)]n (n = 3x) nanojars and rearrange to the final products, Na2[CO3⊂{Cu(μ-OH)(μ-pz)}n] (n = 27, 29, 31), while eliminating the last amounts of NaNO3. pH titration, UV-vis monitoring, and chemical synthesis also confirm the formation of the trinuclear intermediate, followed by its clean transformation to nanojars. While displaying an unusual stability to high pH, nanojars are sensitive to acids stronger than water, a property exploitable for the recovery of the incarcerated anion. On lowering the pH, nanojars first break down to trinuclear complexes and finally to copper ions and pyrazole. This process is fully reversible, and nanojars are reassembled as pH is increased.

Green protection of pyrazole, thermal isomerization and deprotection of tetrahydropyranylpyrazoles, and high-yield, one-pot synthesis of 3(5)-alkylpyrazoles

We report a new synthetic approach that opens up the possibility of large scale, one-pot pyrazole derivatization by a wide variety of functionalities, including alkyl, halogen, hydroxyl, amino, azido, carbonyl, and organo-element (e.g., B, Si, P) groups. The approach is illustrated by the highly efficient synthesis of fourteen 3(5)-alkylpyrazoles, including the novel isopentyl- and n-hexadecyl derivatives, as well as 1,6-bis(pyrazol-3(5)-yl)hexane. The value of the new approach lies in the discovery of a green (solvent- and catalyst-free, quantitative) protection of pyrazole, followed by a high-yield lithiation/alkylation/deprotection sequence in the same pot. For the first time, the corresponding N-tetrahydropyran-2-yl (THP) intermediates have been isolated and characterized. Thermal isomerization of the 5-alkyl-1-(THP) to the 3-alkyl-1-(THP) isomer is shown to be an advantageous, green alternative to the acid-catalyzed, sequential protecting-group switching methodology in pyrazole chemistry. The X-ray crystal structures of 1,6-bis(pyrazol-3(5)-yl)hexane and 5-n-hexadecyl-1-(tetrahydropyran-2-yl)pyrazole reveal supramolecular architectures that shine light on the remarkable affinity for water and unexpected insolubility in organic solvents of alkylene-bridged bis(pyrazoles). 3(5)-Alkylpyrazoles are obtained in high yield from pyrazole by a one-pot procedure.

Deprotonation of Methyl-Substituted, Five-Membered Aromatic Molecules: A Surprising Case of Mixed Conjugation, Rehybridization, and Induction Contributions

Methyl-substituted, six-membered aromatic molecules are deprotonated to benzylic carbanions, which are stabilized by π conjugation. In contrast, deprotonation of 3(5)-methylpyrazole (NH protected) occurs at an endocylic CH group. Computational analyses showed that the reduction of π conjugation in substituted five-membered rings plays a major role, while the reduced bond angles, in addition to the strengthened induction of Csp(2) versus Csp(3), further favor the deprotonation of endocyclic carbon sites rather than that of the methyl group.

Drastic Deprotonation Reactivity Difference of 3- and 5-Alkylpyrazole Isomers, Their I2-Catalyzed Thermal Isomerization, and Telescoping Synthesis of 3,5-Dialkylpyrazoles: The “Adjacent Lone Pair Effect” Demystified

N-Protected 3-alkylpyrazoles are easily deprotonated by (n)BuLi at the 5-position of the aromatic ring, while the 5-alkyl isomers are completely unreactive under the same conditions. Using computational analysis, we reveal that electron pair repulsion within the deprotonated anion is not the reason behind the lack of reactivity of 5-alkylpyrazoles. Instead, diminished π-resonance and attractive electrostatic interactions within the pyrazole ring are responsible for the observed effect. A greener, telescoping alternative to the synthesis of 3,5-dialkylpyrazoles is presented.

Solvent- and catalyst-free, quantitative protection of hydroxyl, thiol, carboxylic acid, amide and heterocyclic amino functional groups

A truly green, solventless and catalyst-free method has been developed for the quantitative protection of various functional groups using 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran (DHP) under its own pressure at 125 °C. Advantages of this new technique are numerous: (a) no work-up or laborious purification steps are required; (b) no additional chemicals are employed; (c) no waste products are generated; (d) the protected intermediate can be used in the next synthesis step in the same flask in which the protection was carried out; (e) as there are no losses during the protection step, the overall yield is maximized; (f) the robust tetrahydropyranyl protecting group allows substrate derivatization under a variety of reaction conditions, yet can conveniently be removed by mild acidic hydrolysis. The influence of substrate acidity, miscibility of substrate and DHP, amount of DHP employed, nucleophilicity of the atom to be protected, steric hindrance, reaction time and reaction temperature on the efficiency of the protection reaction is discussed.

Adjacent Lone Pair (ALP) Effect: A Computational Approach for Its Origin

The adjacent lone pair (ALP) effect is an experimental phenomenon in certain nitrogenous heterocyclic systems exhibiting the preference of the products with lone pairs separated over other isomers with lone pairs adjacent. A theoretical elucidation of the ALP effect requires the decomposition of intramolecular energy terms and the isolation of lone pair-lone pair interactions. Here we used the block-localized wavefunction (BLW) method within the ab initio valence bond (VB) theory to derive the strictly localized orbitals which are used to accommodate one-atom centered lone pairs and two-atom centered σ or π bonds. As such, interactions among electron pairs can be directly derived. Two-electron integrals between adjacent lone pairs do not support the view that the lone pair-lone pair repulsion is responsible for the ALP effect. Instead, the disabling of π conjugation greatly diminishes the ALP effect, indicating that the reduction of π conjugation in deprotonated forms with two σ lone pairs adjacent is one of the major causes for the ALP effect. Further electrostatic potential analysis and intramolecular energy decomposition confirm that the other key factor is the favorable electrostatic attraction within the isomers with lone pairs separated.

Selective, Ambient-Temperature C-4 Deuteration of Pyrazole Derivatives by D2O

A simple, inexpensive, and highly efficient procedure for the selective deuteration (up to >99% D atom %) of the C-4 position of pyrazole substrates activated by NH2 or OH groups at the C-3(5) position is reported. The deuteration reaction is carried out by simply dissolving the substrate in D2O or other deuterated protic solvents, either in the absence of a catalyst with heating, or under acidic catalysis at ambient temperature; the products are obtained by simple evaporation of the solvent.