Claire Wilson

Reduction and selective oxo group silylation of the uranyl dication

Uranium occurs in the environment predominantly as the uranyl dication [UO2]2+. Its solubility renders this species a problematic contaminant which is, moreover, chemically extraordinarily robust owing to strongly covalent U–O bonds. This feature manifests itself in the uranyl dication showing little propensity to partake in the many oxo group functionalizations and redox reactions typically seen with [CrO2]2+, [MoO2]2+ and other transition metal analogues. As a result, only a few examples of [UO2]2+ with functionalized oxo groups are known. Similarly, it is only very recently that the isolation and characterization of the singly reduced, pentavalent uranyl cation [UO2]+ has been reported. Here we show that placing the uranyl dication within a rigid and well-defined molecular framework while keeping the environment anaerobic allows simultaneous single-electron reduction and selective covalent bond formation at one of the two uranyl oxo groups. The product of this reaction is a pentavalent and monofunctionalized [O = U...OR]+ cation that can be isolated in the presence of transition metal cations. This finding demonstrates that under appropriate reaction conditions, the uranyl oxo group will readily undergo radical reactions commonly associated only with transition metal oxo groups. We expect that this work might also prove useful in probing the chemistry of the related but highly radioactive plutonyl and neptunyl analogues found in nuclear waste.

Exceptional Thermal Stability in a Supramolecular Organic Framework: Porosity and Gas Storage

Reaction of β-amino-β-(pyrid-4-yl)acrylonitrile with the aromatic dicarboxaldehydes 9,10-bis(4-formylphenyl)anthracene and terephthalaldehyde affords the dihydropyridyl products 9,10-bis(4-((3,5-dicyano-2,6-dipyridyl)dihydropyridyl)phenyl)anthracene (L(1)) and 1,4-bis(4-(3,5-dicyano-2,6-dipyridyl)dihydropyridyl)benzene (L(2)), respectively. In the solid state [L(1)]·2.5DMF·3MeOH (SOF-1) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c and forms a 3D stable supramolecular organic framework via strong N-H···N(py) hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions. The material incorporates pyridyl-decorated channels and shows permanent porosity in the solid state. The pore volumes of the desolvated framework SOF-1a calculated from the N(2) isotherm at 125 K and the CO(2) isotherm at 195 K are 0.227 and 0.244 cm(3) g(-1), respectively. The N(2) absorption capacity of SOF-1a at 77 K is very low, with an uptake of 0.63 mmol g(-1) at 1 bar, although saturation N(2) adsorption at 125 K is 6.55 mmol g(-1) (or 143 cm(3) g(-1)). At ambient temperature, SOF-1a shows significant CO(2) adsorption with approximately 3 mol of CO(2) absorbed per mole of host at 16 bar and 298 K, corresponding to 69 cm(3) g(-1) at STP. SOF-1a also adsorbs significant amounts of C(2)H(2), with an uptake of 124 cm(3) (STP) g(-1) (5.52 mmol g(-1)) at 1 bar at 195 K. Methane uptake at 195 K and 1 bar is 69 cm(3) (STP) g(-1). Overall, gas adsorption measurements on desolvated framework SOF-1a reveal not only high capacity uptakes for C(2)H(2) and CO(2), compared to other crystalline molecular organic solids, but also an adsorption selectivity in the order C(2)H(2) > CO(2) > CH(4) > N(2). Overall, C(2)H(2)(270 K)/CH(4)(273 K) selectivity is 33.7 based on Henrys Law constant, while the C(2)H(2)(270 K)/CO(2)(273 K) ratio of uptake at 1 bar is 2.05. The less bulky analogue L(2) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 as two different solvates [L(2)]·2DMF·5C(6)H(6) (S2A) and [L(2)]·2DMF·4MeOH (S2B) as pale yellow tablets and blocks, respectively. Each L(2) molecule in S2A participates in two N-H···O hydrogen bonds between dihydropyridyl rings and solvent DMF molecules. Packing of these layers generates 1D nanochannels along the crystallographic a and b axes which host DMF and benzene molecules. In S2B, each L(2) ligand participates in hydrogen bonding via an N-H···O interaction between the N-H of the dihydropyridyl ring and the O of a MeOH and also via an N···H-O interaction between the N center of a pyridine ring and the H-O of a second MeOH molecule. The presence of the L(2)-HOMe hydrogen bonds prevents ligand-ligand hydrogen bonding. As a result, S2B crystallizes as one-dimensional chains rather than as an extended 3D network. Thermal removal of solvents from S2A results in conversion to denser phase S2C which shows no effective permanent porosity.

C3‐Symmetric Lanthanide Tris(alkoxide) Complexes Formed by Preferential Complexation and Their Stereoselective Polymerization of rac‐Lactide

Restoring order: YIII, EuIII, and ErIII tris(ligand) complexes of a new chiral alkoxide ligand, tBu2P(O)CH2CH(tBu)OH (HL), preferentially form as C3‐symmetric diastereomers. Thus racemic HL affords (RRR)‐ and (SSS)‐[LnL3] complexes, which are active catalysts for the stereoselective polymerization of rac‐lactide to afford highly isotactic polylactic acid.

Using multimodal ligands to influence network topology in silver(I) coordination polymers

A range of Ag(I) one- and two-dimensional coordination frameworks has been prepared and structurally characterized by using the multimodal ligand 3,6-di-pyrazin-2-yl-(1,2,4,5)-tetrazine, which offers both monodentate and chelating binding sites. It is demonstrated that multimodal ligands can be used to prepare coordination frameworks with novel and unusual topologies and to influence the precise geometrical arrangement of both ligands and metal centers within such supramolecular arrays.

Self-assembled polymetallic square grids ([2 × 2] M4, [3 × 3] M9) and trigonal bipyramidal clusters (M5)—structural and magnetic properties

New self-assembled grids and clusters are reported, with square [2 × 2] M4 (M = Mn(II)4, Cu(II)4), trigonal-bipyramidal Mn(II)5, and square [3 × 3] M9 (M = Mn(II), Cu(II)) examples. These are based on a series of ditopic and tritopic hydrazone ligands involving pyridine, pyrimidine and imidazole end groups. In all cases the metal centres are bridged by hydrazone oxygen atoms with large (>125°) bridge angles, leading to antiferromagnetic exchange for all the Mn systems (J = −2 to −5 cm−1), which results in S = 0 (Mn4), and S = 5/2 (Mn5, Mn9) ground states. The copper systems have a 90° alternation of the Jahn–Teller axes within the Cu4 and Cu8 grid rings (Cu9), which leads to magnetic orbital orthogonality, and dominant ferromagnetic coupling. For the Cu9 grid antiferromagnetic exchange between the ring and the central copper leads to a S = 7/2 ground state, while for the Cu4 grids S = 4/2 ground states are observed. The magnetic data have been treated using isotropic exchange models in the cases of the Cu4 and Cu9 grids, and the Mn5 clusters. However due to the enormity of a fully isotropic calculation a simplified model is used for the Mn9 grid, in which the outer Mn8 ring is treated as the equivalent of an isolated magnetic chain, with no coupling to the central metal ion.

Single-Crystal to Single-Crystal Mechanical Contraction of Metal–Organic Frameworks through Stereoselective Postsynthetic Bromination

The properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be tuned by postsynthetic modification (PSM) to introduce specific functionalities after their synthesis. Typically, PSM is carried out on pendant functional groups or through metal/ligand exchange, preserving the structure of the MOF. We report herein the bromination of integral alkyne units in a pair of Zr(4+) and Hf(4+) MOFs, which proceeds stereoselectively in a single-crystal to single-crystal manner. The chemical and mechanical changes in the MOFs are extensively characterized, including the crystal structures of the postsynthetically brominated materials, which show a mechanical contraction of up to 3.7% in volume. The combination of stability and chemical reactivity in these MOFs leads to the possibility of tuning mechanical properties by chemical transformation while also opening up new routes to internal pore functionalization.

Enantioselective Total Syntheses of Omuralide, 7-epi-Omuralide, and (+)-Lactacystin

An alkylidene carbene 1,5-CH insertion has been used as a key step in an enantioselective total syntheses of omuralide, its C7-epimer, and (+)-lactacystin. An additional noteworthy feature of the synthesis is the use of a novel oxidative deprotection procedure, utilizing DMDO, for the conversion of a late-stage benzylidene acetal into a primary alcohol and a secondary benzoate ester.

Binuclear Cobalt Complexes of Schiff-Base Calixpyrroles and Their Roles in the Catalytic Reduction of Dioxygen

The syntheses and characterization of a series of binuclear cobalt complexes of the octadentate Schiff-base calixpyrrole ligand L are described. The cobalt(II) complex [Co(2)(L)] was prepared by a transamination method and was found to adopt a wedged, Pac-man geometry in the solid state and in solution. Exposure of this compound to dioxygen resulted in the formation of a 90:10 mixture of the peroxo [Co(2)(O(2))(L)] and superoxo [Co(2)(O(2))(L)](+) complexes in which the peroxo ligand was found to bind in a Pauling mode in the binuclear cleft in pyridine and acetonitrile adducts in the solid state. The dioxygen compounds can also be prepared directly from Co(OAc)(2) and H(4)L under aerobic conditions in the presence of a base. The reduction of dioxygen catalyzed by this mixture of compounds was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and rotating ring disk electrochemistry and, in acidified ferrocene solutions, using UV-vis spectrophotometry, and although no formation of peroxide was seen, reaction rates were slow and had limited turnover. The deactivation of the catalyst material is thought to be due to a combination of the formation of stable hydroxy-bridged binuclear complexes, for example, [Co(2)(OH)(L)](+), an example of which was characterized structurally, and the catalytic resting point, the superoxo cation, is formed by a pathway independent of the major peroxo product. Collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry experiments showed that, while [Co(2)(O(2))(L)]H(+) ions readily lose a single O atom, the resulting Co-O(H)-Co core remains resistant to further fragmentation. Furthermore, DFT calculations show that the O-O bond distance in the dioxygen complexes is not a good indicator of the degree of reduction of the O(2) unit and provide a reduction potential of ca. +0.40 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode for the [Co(2)(O(2))(L)](+/0) couple in dichloromethane solution.

η2-Benzyne and η1-benzylidene complexes of niobium with ancillary imido ligands

Rare η2-benzyne and benzylidene complexes of niobium have been synthesised from [Nb(C5R5)(NR′)Cl2](R = H, Me; R′= 2,6-Pri2C6H3)via intermediate diphenyl and dibenzyl species and their molecular structures have been determined: these complexes are analogues of well-established zirconocene derivatives.

Comparisons between yttrium and titanium N-heterocyclic carbene complexes in the search for early transition metal NHC backbonding interactions

The d (0) yttrium N-heterocyclic carbene compound YL 3 (L = OCMe 2CH 2[C{N(CHCH)NPr ( i )}]) has been made and structurally characterized. It adopts a mer configuration of the three bidentate ligands. A comparison of this with the isostructural d (1) titanium complex TiL 3 is made in order to seek experimental evidence of a pi-bonding contribution to the M-C bond. This has been augmented by DFT calculations. Experimentally, the metal radius-corrected Ti-C distance is shorter than the Y-C distance, suggesting a pi-bonding contribution in the d (1) complex, but the computational data suggest that a shorter sigma bond might simply be formed by the more strongly polarizing titanium cation. From the potassium reduction of TiL(OPr ( i )) 3, only a byproduct arising from silicone grease activation was isolable, identified as a mixed-valent, multinuclear, d (0)/d (1) cluster [Ti (III)L 2{Pr ( i )OSiMe 2O}K 2OTi (IV)(OPr ( i )) 4] 2 in which the carbene ligands are bound to the Ti (III) centers in preference to Ti (IV), with longer Ti-C distances than those found in TiL 3.