Kim Daasbjerg

Singlet Oxygen Sensor Green®: Photochemical Behavior in Solution and in a Mammalian Cell

The development of efficient and selective luminescent probes for reactive oxygen species, particularly for singlet molecular oxygen, is currently of great importance. In this study, the photochemical behavior of Singlet Oxygen Sensor Green® (SOSG), a commercially available fluorescent probe for singlet oxygen, was examined. Despite published claims to the contrary, the data presented herein indicate that SOSG can, in fact, be incorporated into a living mammalian cell. However, for a number of reasons, caution must be exercised when using SOSG. First, it is shown that the immediate product of the reaction between SOSG and singlet oxygen is, itself, an efficient singlet oxygen photosensitizer. Second, SOSG appears to efficiently bind to proteins which, in turn, can influence uptake by a cell as well as behavior in the cell. As such, incorrect use of SOSG can yield misleading data on yields of photosensitized singlet oxygen production, and can also lead to photooxygenation‐dependent adverse effects in the system being investigated.

Efficient Fluoride-Catalyzed Conversion of CO2 to CO at Room Temperature

A protocol for the efficient and selective reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide has been developed. Remarkably, this oxygen abstraction step can be performed with only the presence of catalytic cesium fluoride and a stoichiometric amount of a disilane in DMSO at room temperature. Rapid reduction of CO2 to CO could be achieved in only 2 h, which was observed by pressure measurements. To quantify the amount of CO produced, the reduction was coupled to an aminocarbonylation reaction using the two-chamber system, COware. The reduction was not limited to a specific disilane, since (Ph2MeSi)2 as well as (PhMe2Si)2 and (Me3Si)3SiH exhibited similar reactivity. Moreover, at a slightly elevated temperature, other fluoride salts were able to efficiently catalyze the CO2 to CO reduction. Employing a nonhygroscopic fluoride source, KHF2, omitted the need for an inert atmosphere. Substituting the disilane with silylborane, (pinacolato)BSiMe2Ph, maintained the high activity of the system, whereas the structurally related bis(pinacolato)diboron could not be activated with this fluoride methodology. Furthermore, this chemistry could be adapted to (13)C-isotope labeling of six pharmaceutically relevant compounds starting from Ba(13)CO3 in a newly developed three-chamber system.

Evidence for Ionic Samarium(II) Species in THF/HMPA Solution and Investigation of Their Electron‐Donating Properties

The fundamental nature of samarium(II) complexes in THF/HMPA (HMPA = hexamethylphosphoramide) solutions containing SmI2 has been clarified by means of cyclic voltammetry, conductivity measurements, UV spectroscopy, and kinetic measurements. The principal species is not [SmI2(hmpa)4] as previously suggested, but either the ionic cluster [Sm(hmpa)4(thf)2+2I- if four equivalents of HMPA is present in the THF solution or [Sm(hmpa)6]2+ 2I- in the presence of at least 10 equivalents of HMPA. The formal potential of the [Sm(hmpa)4(thf)2]3+ 2I-/[Sm(hmpa)4(thf)2]2- 2I- redox couple determined by cyclic voltammetry was -1.79 +/- 0.08 V versus SCE. The order of reactivity of the samarium(II) complexes was found to be [Sm(hmpa)6]2+2I- > [Sm(hmpa)4(thf)2]2+2I- > SmI2 in their respective reactions with 1-iodobutane and with benzyl chloride. Very high rate enhancements, of the order of 1,000-15,000-fold, were observed upon addition of HMPA to the THF solution containing SmI2, Comparison of these rate constants with the corresponding rate constants for electron transfer (ET) reactions involving aromatic radical anions revealed that none of the reactions studied can be classified as outer-sphere ET processes and that the inner-sphere electron-donating abilities of the [Sm(hmpa)4(thf)2]2+ 2I- and SmI2 complexes are comparable. The inner-sphere ET character of the transition state increases on going from 1-iodobutane and benzyl bromide to benzyl chloride and acetophenone.

On Electron Transfer in Aliphatic Nucleophilic Substitution

Since the classical studies by Ingold in the nineteen thirties the mechanism of the aliphatic nucleophilic substitution reaction has been described as a polar two-electron mechanism in which the nucleophile transfers two electrons to the new bond which is established to the electrophilic center. Depending on the reaction order the abbreviations SN1 and SN2 were used for first-order and second-order reactions, respectively.

New methods for the accurate determination of extinction and diffusion coefficients of aromatic and heteroaromatic radical anions in N,N-dimethylformamide

Abstract Two electrochemical methods are presented that allow an easy access to highly accurate UV-visible spectra of aromatic and heteroaromatic radical anions with life times longer than 50 s in N , N -dimethylformamide. The uncertainty on the extinction coefficients obtained is estimated to be as low as 5% which is a significant improvement in accuracy compared with other methods. The study has involved the radical anions of benzophenone, fluorenone, 1,4-naphthoquinone, anthraquinone, 1,2-benzanthraquinone, (E) -stilbene, anthracene, 9,10-diphenylanthracene, fluoranthene, perylene, benzonitrile, p -tolunitrile, 1,4-diacetylbenzene, 1,4-dicyanobenzene, 9,10-dicyanoanthracene, (E) -azobenzene, ( E )-4-methoxycarbonylazobenzene, quinoxaline and phenazine. The first method takes advantage of a galvanostatic generation of the radical anions from the parent compounds combined with the recording of the absorbance at specific wavelengths by means of a so-called dip probe. The second technique described is based on the continuous and complete electroreduction of the aromatic compounds in an efficient electrochemical flow cell placed just ahead of a quartz cuvette in a traditional diode-array spectrometer. The successful strategy of combining a galvanostatic generation of aromatic radical anions with the measurement of a characteristic physical property has also been employed in the determination of diffusion coefficients. The recording device is here a rotating disc electrode.

Superhydrophilic polyelectrolyte brush layers with imparted anti-icing properties : Effect of counter ions

This work demonstrates the feasibility of superhydrophilic polyelectrolyte brush coatings for anti-icing applications. Five different types of ionic and nonionic polymer brush coatings of 25-100 nm thickness were formed on glass substrates using silane chemistry for surface premodification followed by polymerization via the SI-ATRP route. The cationic [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride] and the anionic [poly(3-sulfopropyl methacrylate), poly(sodium methacrylate)] polyelectrolyte brushes were further exchanged with H+, Li+, Na+, K+, Ag+, Ca2+, La3+, C16N+, F-, Cl-, BF4-, SO4(2-), and C12SO3- ions. By consecutive measurements of the strength of ice adhesion toward ion-incorporated polymer brushes on glass it was found that Li+ ions reduce ice adhesion by 40% at -18 °C and 70% at -10 °C. Ag+ ions reduce ice adhesion by 80% at -10 °C relative to unmodified glass. In general, superhydrophilic polyelectrolyte brushes exhibit better anti-icing property at -10 °C compared to partially hydrophobic brushes such as poly(methyl methacrylate) and surfactant exchanged polyelectrolyte brushes. The data are interpreted using the concept of a quasi liquid layer (QLL) that is enhanced in the presence of highly hydrated ions at the interface. It is suggested that the ability of ions to coordinate water is directly related to the efficiency of a given anti-icing coating based on the polyelectrolyte brush concept.

Nitrophenyl Groups in Diazonium-Generated Multilayered Films: Which are Electrochemically Responsive?

Various nitrophenyl-containing organic layers have been electrografted to glassy carbon surfaces using diazonium chemistry to elucidate the extent by which the layer structure influences the solvent (i.e., acetonitrile) accessibility, electroactivity, and chemical reactivity of the films. For most of these films, cyclic voltammetric and impedance spectroscopy measurements show that the electron-transfer process at the electrode is facile and independent of film thickness and structure. This is consistent with the occurrence of self-mediated electron transfers throughout the film with nitrophenyl groups serving as redox stations. Importantly, this behavior is seen only after the first potential sweep, the effect of which is to increase the porosity of the layer by inducing an irreversible desorption of nonchemisorbed material along with a reorganization of the film structure. From a kinetic point of view, the radical anions of surface-attached nitrophenyl groups are reactive toward the residual water present in acetonitrile. Thin layers (thickness of 1 to 2 nm) containing redox-active groups only in the outer part of the layer are protonated two to three times as fast as groups located in a more hydrophobic but still solvent-accessible inner layer. Hence, kinetic measurements can detect small differences in the layer environment. Finally, a deconvolution of the cyclic voltammetric response of an electrode grafted from 4-nitrobenzenediazonium discloses that roughly 25% of the overall signal can be attributed to the presence of 4-azonitrophenyl moieties introduced during the electrografting process.

Substituent effects and supramolecular interactions of titanocene(III) chloride: implications for catalysis in single electron steps.

The electrochemical properties of titanocene(III) complexes and their stability in THF in the presence and absence of chloride additives were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and computational methods. The anodic peak potentials of the titanocenes can be decreased by as much as 0.47 V through the addition of an electron-withdrawing substituent (CO2Me or CN) to the cyclopentadienyl ring when compared with Cp2TiCl. For the first time, it is demonstrated that under the conditions of catalytic applications low-valent titanocenes can decompose by loss of the substituted ligand. The recently discovered effect of stabilizing titanocene(III) catalysts by chloride additives was analyzed by CV, kinetic, and computational studies. An unprecedented supramolecular interaction between [(C5H4R)2TiCl2](-) and hydrochloride cations through reversible hydrogen bonding is proposed as a mechanism for the action of the additives. This study provides the critical information required for the rational design of titanocene-catalyzed reactions in single electron steps.

Organocatalyzed CO2 Trapping Using Alkynyl Indoles

The first organocatalyzed trapping of CO2 through C-C and C-O bond formation is reported. Alkynyl indoles together with catalytic amounts of an organic base and five equivalents of CO2 resulted in the formation new heterocyclic structures. These tricyclic indole-containing products were successfully prepared under mild reaction conditions from aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic alkynyl indoles with complete regioselectivity. Further investigations suggest that C-C bond formation is the initial intermolecular step, followed by lactone-forming C-O bond formation.

On Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Using Diazonium Chemistry To Introduce the Initiator Layer

This work features the controllability of surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of methyl methacrylate, initiated by a multilayered 2-bromoisobutyryl moiety formed via diazonium chemistry. The thickness as a function of polymerization time has been studied by varying different parameters such as the bromine content of the initiator layer, polarity of reaction medium, ligand type (L), and the ratio of activator (Cu(I)) to deactivator (Cu(II)) in order to ascertain the controllability of the SI-ATRP process. The variation of thickness versus surface concentration of bromine shows a gradual transition from mushroom to brush-type conformation of the surface anchored chains in both polar and nonpolar reaction medium. Interestingly, it is revealed that very thick polymer brushes, on the order of 1 μm, can be obtained at high bromine content of the initiator layer in toluene. The initial polymerization rate and the overall final thickness are higher in the case of nonpolar solvent (toluene) compared to polar medium (acetonitrile or N,N-dimethylformamide). The ligand affects the initial rate of polymerization, which correlates with the redox potentials of the pertinent Cu(II)/Cu(I) complexes (L = Me(6)TREN, PMDETA, and BIPY). It is also observed that the ability of polymer brushes to reinitiate depends on the initial thickness and the solvent used for generating it.