Hamish McNab

The natural constituents of historical textile dyes

The sources and structures of dyes used to colour Western historical textiles are described in this tutorial review. Most blue and purple colours were derived from indigo--obtained either from woad or from the indigo plant--though some other sources (e.g. shellfish and lichens) were used. Reds were often anthraquinone derivatives obtained from plants or insects. Yellows were almost always flavonoid derivatives obtained from a variety of plant species. Most other colours were produced by over-dyeing--e.g. greens were obtained by over-dyeing a blue with a yellow dye. Direct analysis of dyes isolated from artefacts allows comparison with the historical record.

An AAAA–DDDD quadruple hydrogen-bond array

Secondary electrostatic interactions between adjacent hydrogen bonds can have a significant effect on the stability of a supramolecular complex. In theory, the binding strength should be maximized if all the hydrogen-bond donors (D) are on one component and all the hydrogen-bond acceptors (A) are on the other. Here, we describe a readily accessible AAAA–DDDD quadruple hydrogen-bonding array that exhibits exceptionally strong binding for a small-molecule hydrogen-bonded complex in a range of different solvents (K(a) > 3 × 10(12) M(-1) in CH2Cl2, 1.5 × 10(6) M(-1) in CH3CN and 3.4 × 10(5) M(-1) in 10% v/v DMSO/CHCl3). The association constant in CH2Cl2 corresponds to a binding free energy (ΔG) in excess of –71 kJ mol(-1) (more than 20% of the thermodynamic stability of a carbon–carbon covalent bond), which is remarkable for a supramolecular complex held together by just four intercomponent hydrogen bonds.

AAA−DDD Triple Hydrogen Bond Complexes

Experiment and theory both suggest that the AAA-DDD pattern of hydrogen bond acceptors (A) and donors (D) is the arrangement of three contiguous hydrogen bonding centers that results in the strongest association between two species. Murray and Zimmerman prepared the first example of such a system (complex 3*2) and determined the lower limit of its association constant (K(a)) in CDCl(3) to be 10(5) M(-1) by (1)H NMR spectroscopy (Murray, T. J. and Zimmerman, S. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 4010-4011). The first cationic AAA-DDD pair (3*4(+)) was described by Bell and Anslyn (Bell, D. A. and Anslyn, E. A. Tetrahedron 1995, 51, 7161-7172), with a K(a) > 5 x 10(5) M(-1) in CH(2)Cl(2) as determined by UV-vis spectroscopy. We were recently able to quantify the strength of a neutral AAA-DDD arrangement using a more chemically stable AAA-DDD system, 6*2, which has an association constant of 2 x 10(7) M(-1) in CH(2)Cl(2) (Djurdjevic, S., Leigh, D. A., McNab, H., Parsons, S., Teobaldi, G. and Zerbetto, F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 476-477). Here we report on further AA(A) and DDD partners, together with the first precise measurement of the association constant of a cationic AAA-DDD species. Complex 6*10(+)[B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)C(6)H(3))(4)(-)] has a K(a) = 3 x 10(10) M(-1) at RT in CH(2)Cl(2), by far the most strongly bound triple hydrogen bonded system measured to date. The X-ray crystal structure of 6*10(+) with a BPh(4)(-) counteranion shows a planar array of three short (NH...N distances 1.95-2.15 A), parallel (but staggered rather than strictly linear; N-H...N angles 165.4-168.8 degrees), primary hydrogen bonds. These are apparently reinforced, as theory predicts, by close electrostatic interactions (NH-*-N distances 2.78-3.29 A) between each proton and the acceptor atoms of the adjacent primary hydrogen bonds.

Monitoring Intracellular Redox Potential Changes Using SERS Nanosensors

Redox homeostasis and signaling are critically important in the regulation of cell function. There are significant challenges in quantitatively measuring intracellular redox potentials, and in this paper, we introduce a new approach. Our approach is based on the use of nanosensors which comprise molecules that sense the local redox potential, assembled on a gold nanoshell. Since the Raman spectrum of the sensor molecule changes depending on its oxidation state and since the nanoshell allows a huge enhancement of the Raman spectrum, intracellular potential can be calculated by a simple optical measurement. The nanosensors can be controllably delivered to the cytoplasm, without any toxic effects, allowing redox potential to be monitored in a reversible, non-invasive manner over a previously unattainable potential range encompassing both superphysiological and physiological oxidative stress.

Thermal Ring Contraction of Dibenz[b,f]azepin-5-yl Radicals: New Routes to Pyrrolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazoles

Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of N-allyl- or N-benzyldibenz[b,f]azepine at temperatures from 750 to 950 degrees C gives pyrrolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazole as the major product. The mechanism of the ring contraction involves dibenzazepin-1-yl radical formation, followed by transannular attack and formation of a 2-(indol-1-yl)phenyl radical which cyclizes. The mechanism is supported by independent generation of 2-(indol-1-yl)phenyl radicals by two different methods, and the use of 1-(2-nitrophenyl)indole as a radical generator gives an optimized synthetic route to pyrrolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazole (54% overall yield in two steps from indole). The first substituted pyrrolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazoles have been synthesized by FVP methods and also by reactions of the parent compound with electrophiles, leading to a range of 4-substituted pyrrolocarbazoles.

The formation and characterisation of redox active and luminescent materials from the electrooxidation of indolizine

Indolizine has been synthesised on the small scale with enhanced yield using a novel Flash Vacuum Pyrolysis method. Electrooxidation of indolizine results in the formation of a redox-active film on the electrode surface. Excellent agreement is found between calculated and experimental indolizine oxidation potentials; a combination of fluorescence and electrochemical studies are consistent with the computational prediction that electroxidation results in the formation of three specific and redox active indolizine dimers. The insoluble redox active film is considered to be polymeric and to arise from the further oxidation of these dimers at the electrode. This combination of methods can be used for the characterisation of products formed from the electrooxidation of novel luminescent heteroaromatics synthesised on a small scale and particularly those of interest as redox active species for electrochemical processes and devices.

The molecular and electronic states of 1,2,4,5-tetrazine studied by VUV absorption, near-threshold electron energy-loss spectroscopy and ab initio multi-reference configuration interaction studies

Abstract The VUV electronic absorption spectrum of 1,2,4,5-tetrazine has been re-investigated, and together with electron energy-loss spectra has led to identification of a number of new excited states. The valence and Rydberg excited states have been studied by multi-reference multi-root configuration interaction studies using MRDCI techniques. Initial studies with the RPA and TDA methods gave almost identical results for the excitation energies, but there is a substantial energy-lowering in the MRDCI calculations, which improves agreement with experiment substantially; these differences are a result of the double, triple and quadruple excited reference configurations included in the reference set of the latter method. The 1 ππ ∗ excitations are calculated rather higher than experiment, except for the lowest-lying (weak) 1 B 2u state at 5.0 eV. The calculated order for the next three ππ ∗ states is 1 B 1u (weak) followed by 1 B 2u (strong) and 1 B 1u (strong), the last two bands being responsible for the dominant absorption near 7.5 and 8.5 eV. All of this group of four bands involve excitations from the pair of MOs 1b 2g and 1b 1g into the 1a u ∗ and 4b 3u ∗ VMOs. The sequence of n π ∗ stakes are in a similar order to the ππ ∗ excitations, with respect to the upper state, and the two lowest singlet states, 1 B 3u and 1 A u are reasonably well determined. The triplet states follow a similar order to the singlets, and again the dominance of the effect of the two lowest VMOs is demonstrated, but considerable differences between the weighting of leading configurations occurs between singlet and triplet manifolds. The non-diagonal TDA method has been used to reconsider the UV-photoelectron spectrum. The ionisation potentials for tetrazine are reinterpreted with the first three bands being regrouped into 1, 2, 2 ionisations respectively. The ground state properties of tetrazine suggest that the NQR spectrum will show a principal axis 14 N quadrupole coupling constant larger than the other known azines. The decline in diamagnetic susceptibility anisotropy in tetrazine, relative to benzene and pyridine, is indicative of lower resonance energy.

1,5-BENZODIAZEPINES AND 1,5-BENZODIAZEPINIUM SALTS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the formation, preparation, structure, and reactions of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepinium salts. It provides the treatment of 1,5- benzodiazepines that usually occur in the di-imine form. The protonation of benzodiazepines leads to the formation of monocations and dications. The most common method of preparation of 1,5-benzodiazepines is the reaction of o -phenylenediamine with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. The formation and preparation of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepinium salts take place from: 1,3–dicarbonyl compounds, β-chlorovinyl carbonyl compounds, α-alkynyl ketones, and sundry methods. Benzodiazepines have been prepared from perfluoro-enones in situ. There is no energetic driving force toward the formation of 1,5-benzodiazepines, with the lack of any marked stabilization of the 7-membered ring in the benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines and benzodiazepinium salts undergo ring contraction to give benzimidazoles when heated in aqueous solution. In the formation of a benzimidazole, the steps involving the loss of a methyl ketone, which are essentially irreversible, control the course of the reaction. The reactions with electrophiles lead to the formation of acylation, alkylation, and deuteriation. The preparation of 2(4)-amino- and 2(4)-thio-benzodiazepines is also discussed in the chapter, because they show physiological and pharmacological activity.

Gas phase generation and cyclisation reactions of some o-substituted phenyl radicals

Abstract Flash vacuum pyrolysis of the allyl esters 2 (XO,S, CH 2 , CO) at 900°C (10 −2 Torr) gives dibenzofurans, dibenzothiophenes, fluorenes, and fluorenones respectively as the major products. The mechanism involves the phenyl radical intermediates 1 which equilibrate by intramolecular hydrogen transfer via six-membered transition states, prior to cyclisation.

Formation of dibenzofurans by flash vacuum pyrolysis of aryl 2-(allyloxy)benzoates and related reactions

Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of aryl 2-(allyloxy)benzoates 5 and of the corresponding aryl 2-(allylthio)benzoates 6 at 650 degrees C, gives dibenzofurans 19 and dibenzothiophenes 20, respectively. The mechanism involves generation of phenoxyl (or thiophenoxyl) radicals by homolysis of the O-allyl (or S-allyl) bond, followed by ipso attack at the ester group, loss of CO2 and cyclisation of the resulting aryl radical. Synthetically, the procedure works well for p-substituted substrates, which lead to 2-substituted dibenzofurans 19b-f (73-90%) and dibenzothiophenes 20b-c (90-94%). Little selectivity is shown in the cyclisation of m-substituted substrates and competing interactions of the radical with the substituent--and ipso-attack--complicate the pyrolyses of o-substituted substrates. FVP of related radical precursors including 2-(allyloxy)phenyl benzoates 43 gave no dibenzofurans, whereas 2-(allyloxy-5-methyl)azobenzene 44 gave a much reduced yield. No carbazoles were obtained by FVP of 4-methylphenyl 2-(allylamino)benzoate 42.