Carlos A. Franca

Synthesis, X-ray crystal structure, thermal behavior and spectroscopic analysis of 1-(1-naphthoyl)-3-(halo-phenyl)-thioureas complemented with quantum chemical calculations.

Two novel 1-(1-naphthoyl)-3-(halo-phenyl) substituted thioureas, namely 1-(1-naphthoyl)-3-(2,4-di-fluoro-phenyl)-thiourea (1) and 1-(1-naphthoyl)-3-(3-chloro-4-fluoro-phenyl)-thiourea (2), were synthesized and fully characterized. The X-ray crystal and molecular structures have been determined resulting in a planar acylthiourea group, with the C=O and C=S adopting a pseudo-antiperiplanar conformation. An intramolecular N-H⋯O=C hydrogen bond occurs between the thioamide and carbonyl groups. The crystal packing of both compounds is characterized by extended intermolecular N-H⋯S=C and N-H⋯O=C hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the acylthiourea moiety. Compound 2 is further stabilized by π-stacking between adjacent naphthalene and phenyl rings. The thermal behavior, as well as the vibrational properties, studied by infrared and Raman spectroscopy data complemented by quantum chemical calculations at the B3PW91/6-311++G(d,p) support the formation of these intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the UV-Vis spectrum is interpreted in terms of TD-DFT quantum chemical calculations with the shapes of the simulated absorption spectra in good accordance with the experimental data.

Enantioseparation of α-amino acids by means of Cinchona alkaloids as selectors in chiral ligand-exchange chromatography

A conventional nonchiral column was used for the enantioseparation of several racemic α-amino acids (native and derivatized) through the use of Cinchona alkaloids as chiral selectors along with Cu(II) ions in chiral ligand-exchange chromatography. The mobile phase composition (i.e., the organic modifier content and pH) was studied in order to modulate retention and enantioselectivity. Good enantioseparation of many amino acids was obtained using equimolar amounts of Cu(II) and either cinchonidine, quinine or quinidine as chiral selectors in the mobile phase. The molecular geometry of the diastereomeric complexes formed was modeled and energetic differences between both compounds were calculated by methods based on semi-empirical force-field. Good correlations were obtained between experimental enantioselectivity factors and calculated energetic differences.

Photo release of nitrous oxide from the hyponitrite ion studied by infrared spectroscopy. Evidence for the generation of a cobalt-N2O complex. Experimental and DFT calculations

The solid state photolysis of sodium, silver and thallium hyponitrite (M2N2O2, M=Na, Ag, Tl) salts and a binuclear complex of cobalt bridged by hyponitrite ([Co(NH3)5-N(O)-NO-Co(NH3)5]4+) were studied by irradiation with visible and UV light in the electronic absorption region. The UV-visible spectra for free hyponitrite ion and binuclear complex of cobalt were interpreted in terms of Density Functional Theory calculations in order to explain photolysis behavior. The photolysis of each compound depends selectively on the irradiation wavelength. Irradiation with 340-460nm light and with the 488nm laser line generates photolysis only in silver and thallium hyponitrite salts, while 253.7nm light photolyzed all the studied compounds. Infrared spectroscopy was used to follow the photolysis process and to identify the generated products. Remarkably, gaseous N2O was detected after photolysis in the infrared spectra of sodium, silver, and thallium hyponitrite KBr pellets. The spectra for [Co(NH3)5-N(O)-NO-Co(NH3)5]4+ suggest that one cobalt ion remains bonded to N2O from which the generation of a [(NH3)5CoNNO]+3 complex is inferred. Density Functional Theory (DFT) based calculations confirm the stability of this last complex and provide the theoretical data which are used in the interpretation of the electronic spectra of the hyponitrite ion and the cobalt binuclear complex and thus in the elucidation of their photolysis behavior. Carbonate ion is also detected after photolysis in all studied compounds, presumably due to the reaction of atmospheric CO2 with the microcrystal surface reaction products. Kinetic measurements for the photolysis of the binuclear complex suggest a first order law for the intensity decay of the hyponitrite IR bands and for the intensity increase in the N2O generation. Predicted and experimental data are in very good agreement.