Michal Babiak

Bambusuril as a One-Electron Donor for Photoinduced Electron Transfer to Methyl Viologen in Mixed Crystals

Methyl viologen hexafluorophosphate (MV2+·2PF6-) and dodecamethylbambus[6]uril (BU6) form crystals in which the layers of viologen dications alternate with those of a 1:2 supramolecular complex of BU6 and PF6-. This arrangement allows for a one-electron reduction of MV2+ ions upon UV irradiation to form MV+• radical cations within the crystal structure with half-lives of several hours in air. The mechanism of this photoinduced electron transfer in the solid state and the origin of the long-lived charge-separated state were studied by steady-state and transient spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our experiments are supported by quantum-chemical calculations showing that BU6 acts as a reductant. In addition, analogous photochemical behavior is also demonstrated on other MV2+/BU6 crystals containing either BF4- or Br- counterions.

Modulation of Bambusuril Anion Affinity in Water

Neutral and negatively charged anion receptors functioning in pure water are rare in supramolecular chemistry. Moreover, studies on adjusting the affinity of such receptors toward anions in water are absent from the literature. Two new bambusurils, 1 a and 2 a, were prepared to demonstrate that the affinity of bambusurils towards anions can be altered by the length of carboxyalkyl groups attached to the macrocycles. The stability of the bambusuril complexes was further controlled by the pH value. The crystal structure of bambusuril 1 a was described, in which two carboxyalkyl arms fold into the macrocycle cavity, thus forming the intramolecular self-inclusion complex.

Novel non-hydrolytic templated sol–gel synthesis of mesoporous aluminosilicates and their use as aminolysis catalysts

A novel non-hydrolytic sol–gel (NHSG) synthesis of mesoporous aluminosilicate xerogels is presented. The polycondensation between silicon acetate, Si(OAc)4, and tris(dimethylamido)alane, Al(NMe2)3, leads to homogeneous aluminosilicate xerogels containing Si–O–Al linkages through dimethylacetamide elimination. The addition of Pluronic P123 and F127 templates provides stiff gels that are, after calcination at 500 °C, converted to stable mesoporous xerogels with a high surface area (>600 m2 g−1) and wormhole-type pores (d = 5.9 nm). The xerogels exhibit high catalytic activity in aminolysis of styrene oxide (82% conversion) with the turnover frequency up to 100.

Control of micro/mesoporosity in non-hydrolytic hybrid silicophosphate xerogels

Non-hydrolytic sol–gel reactions of acetoxysilanes with trimethylsilyl esters of phosphoric and phosphonic acids produce cross-linked matrices containing homogeneous dispersions of silicon and phosphoryl groups connected together by networks of Si–O–P(O) linkages. These polycondensation reactions proceed cleanly and under mild conditions for a wide variety of precursor silanes RnSi(OAc)4−n (R = alkyl, aryl; n = 1, 2) and phosphoryl compounds RP(O)(OSiMe3)2 (R = alkyl, aryl) to provide hybrid xerogels, the final properties of which are a sensitive function of the organic substituents and the Si : P ratio of the precursors. The reactions of bridged acetoxysilanes (AcO)3Si–X–Si(OAc)3 and phosphoryl reagents (Me3SiO)2P(O)–X–P(O)(OSiMe3)2 have also been investigated and found to produce gels that exhibit large surface areas (up to 700 m2 g−1). The presence of SiO6 structural units in bridged-phosphoryl xerogels is related to their microporosity while the absence of such moieties in bridged-acetoxysilane networks is congruent with significant mesoporosity. Several important parameters are identified which can be used to tailor the properties of these hybrid matrices such that gels with specific polarity, porosity and surface area can be targeted at the time of synthesis.

Hexanuclear iron(III) α-aminophosphonate: synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of a molecular wheel

A new hexanuclear molecular iron phosphonate complex, [Fe6(HAIPA)12(OH)6]·nH2O (1·nH2O) (H2AIPA = NH2(CH3)2CP(O)(OH)2, (2-aminopropan-2-yl)phosphonic acid), was synthesized from Fe2+ and Fe3+ salts in water by interaction with the ligand salts. Addition of corresponding amounts of sodium or tetramethylammonium salts of H2AIPA to the solution of iron precursors led to the formation of large bright-green crystals of complex 1. Isolated products were studied by spectroscopic and analytical methods – IR, Mossbauer spectroscopy, TG/DSC, ICP-OES, and CHN analysis. A novel {Fe6} hexanuclear molecular structure of 1 was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. An octahedral coordination environment of iron cations is formed by phosphonate and hydroxo oxygens. Twelve phosphonate groups and six –OH groups act as bridging ligands and bind six Fe octahedra. Because of protonation of the amino group, the phosphonate anions coordinate in the zwitterionic form as HAIPA− (NH3+(CH3)2CPO32−). The iron cations are present in the form of high-spin Fe3+, which was confirmed by the bond valence sum (BVS) calculations and the 57Fe Mossbauer spectra. The magnetic measurements show antiferromagnetic coupling between the iron centers with decreasing temperature.

New Adamantane-like Silicophosphate Cage and Its Reactivity toward Tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane

The condensation reaction between Ph2Si(OC(O)CH3)2 and OP(OSiMe3)3 leads to elimination of CH3C(O)OSiMe3 and the formation of the new silicophosphate cage molecule Ph12Si6P4O16 (1) with an adamantane-like core possessing four terminal P═O moieties and six O-SiPh2-O bridging groups. Compound 1 was further reacted with the Lewis acid B(C6F5)3. We observed adduct formation by coordination through the P═O→B bonds and isolated and structurally characterized two new molecules. In the first of them, the adamantane-like cage is preserved and three phosphoryl oxygen atoms coordinate to boranes, forming Ph12Si6O16P4·3B(C6F5)3 (2); the remaining P═O group is inverted toward the cage center pointing along a C3 molecular axis. The molecule is chiral, and the compound 2 crystallizes as a conglomerate of homochiral crystals. Enantiomers 2M and 2P were both structurally characterized. The second adduct resulted from an unexpected reorganization of the Si-O-P linkages in the adamantane cage during the reaction of 1 with 4 equiv of B(C6F5)3. The bis-adduct Ph6Si3O8P2·2B(C6F5)3 (3) was formed with an inorganic core representing half of the parent molecule 1.

A Cucurbituril Derivative That Exhibits Cation-Modulated Self Assembly

Cucurbiturils are the most potent artificial receptors known for many organic molecules in water. However, little is known about their supramolecular chemistry in organic solvents. Here we present a new cucurbituril derivative, 1, and investigate its supramolecular properties in methanol. The macrocycle resembles a five-membered cucurbituril in which four glycoluril units are replaced with propanediurea. Macrocycle 1 can bind to one cation such as potassium or anilinium via each of its opposed portals. The stability of these complexes in methanol at nanomolar concentrations exceeds that of complexes between metal cations and crown ethers. Moreover, macrocycle 1 forms a self-assembled tetrameric aggregate in the solid state and in methanol. The tetramer is stabilized by the addition of up to 1 equiv of a cation but is fully disassembled in the presence of 2 equiv of the cation. Cations can thus be used to tune the aggregation of 1 in solution.

X-ray structures of heteroleptic zinc(II) complexes involving combinations of O,O'-dialkyldithiophosphato and bidentate N-donor ligands

Abstract The detailed X-ray structural elucidation of reaction products of a zinc(II) salt with O,O′-dialkyldithiophosphate and nitrogen-containing heterocycles (N–N=1,10-phenanthroline (phen) or 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy)) has been performed. Surprisingly, together with [Zn(S2 P(OR)2)2(N–N)] compounds, also ionic-type complexes having the formula of [Zn(N–N)3](S2 P(OR)2)2 have been obtained using the same molar ratios of the reactants. The prepared complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and single-crystal X-ray analysis. The crystallographic analysis showed that the bond lengths and bite angles of the prepared complexes are in good agreement with those of similar compounds. The crystal packing of described complexes is formed via π–π stacking interactions and/or C–H···S non-covalent contacts.

Successful oxidation of Ph 2 P(CH 2 ) n PPh 2 ( n = 2, 4, 6) by tellurium leading to Ph 2 P(Te)(CH 2 ) n P(Te)Ph 2

The first successful syntheses of Ph2P(Te)(CH2)nP(Te)Ph2 (n = 2, 4, 6) via oxidation of Ph2P(CH2)nPPh2 by tellurium powder are reported. The prepared compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, 31P and 125Te NMR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray analysis.

N,N-Dibenzyl-O,O'-dimethyl thio-phosphate.

The P atom in the title compound, C16H20NO2PS, is bonded in a distorted tetrahedral P(S)(O)2N environment with the bond angles at the P atom in the range 99.37 (7) to 115.68 (5)°. The angles at the amido N atom (with bond-angle sum of 357.8°) confirm its sp 2 character. The C—O—P bond angles are 119.78 (11) and 119.39 (12)°.