Sofia M. Bruno

Structural and Photoluminescence Studies of a Europium(III) Tetrakis(β-diketonate) Complex with Tetrabutylammonium, Imidazolium, Pyridinium and Silica-Supported Imidazolium Counterions

Tetrakis(naphthoyltrifluoroacetonato)lanthanate(III) complexes (Ln = Eu, Gd) containing the cations tetrabutylammonium, [NBu(4)](+); 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, [C(4)mim](+); and 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium, [C(4)mpyr](+), have been prepared and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The {EuO(8)} coordination sphere in [NBu(4)][Eu(NTA)(4)] is best described as a distorted dodecahedron, where the metal ion is located at the 4-fold inversion axis with only one crystallographically independent NTA residue. In [C(4)mim][Eu(NTA)(4)] and [C(4)mpyr][Gd(NTA)(4)], the central Ln(3+) ions are coordinated by eight oxygen atoms from four distinct beta-diketonate ligands, in an overall distorted square-antiprismatic geometry. Besides electrostatic interactions, the crystal packing in all three structures is stabilized by offset pi-pi interactions involving the naphthyl rings of neighboring complexes (and, for [C(4)mim][Eu(NTA)(4)] and [C(4)mpyr][Gd(NTA)(4)], neighboring naphthyl/imidazolium and naphthyl/pyridinium rings) and C-H...pi contacts. The photoluminescence properties of the three Eu(III) complexes were studied at room temperature and -259 degrees C by measuring emission and excitation spectra, (5)D(0) emission decay curves, and absolute emission quantum yields. Under ligand excitation (lambda(ex) = 290-395 nm), the quantum yields (room temperature) were in the range 0.72-0.77 for the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium salt. An immobilized analogue of this complex was prepared by supporting [Eu(NTA)(4)](-) on an ordered mesoporous silica derivatized with 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium groups. The disappearance of the intra-4f(6) lines in the excitation spectrum of the supported material indicated an increase in the ligands sensitization process of the Eu(3+) ions, relative to direct intra-4f(6) excitation. The emission quantum yield measured for the supported material (0.32-0.40, for excitations between 265 and 360 nm) is the highest so far reported for lanthanide-containing ordered mesoporous silicas.

Thermal Transformation of a Layered Multifunctional Network into a Metal–Organic Framework Based on a Polymeric Organic Linker

The preparation of layered [La(H(3)nmp)] as microcrystalline powders from optimized microwave-assisted synthesis or dynamic hydrothermal synthesis (i.e., with constant rotation of the autoclaves) from the reaction of nitrilotris(methylenephosphonic acid) (H(6)nmp) with LaCl(3)·7H(2)O is reported. Thermogravimetry in conjunction with thermodiffractometry showed that the material undergoes a microcrystal-to-microcrystal phase transformation above 300 °C, being transformed into either a three-dimensional or a two-dimensional network (two models are proposed based on dislocation of molecular units) formulated as [La(L)] (where L(3-) = [-(PO(3)CH(2))(2)(NH)(CH(2)PO(2))O(1/2)-](n)(3n-)). The two crystal structures were solved from ab initio methods based on powder X-ray diffraction data in conjunction with structural information derived from (13)C and (31)P solid-state NMR, electron microscopy (SEM and EDS mapping), FT-IR spectroscopy, thermodiffractometry, and photoluminescence studies. It is shown that upon heating the coordinated H(3)nmp(3-) anionic organic ligand undergoes a polymerization (condensation) reaction to form in situ a novel and unprecedented one-dimensional polymeric organic ligand. The lanthanum oxide layers act, thus, simultaneously as insulating and templating two-dimensional scaffolds. A rationalization of the various steps involved in these transformations is provided for the two models. Photoluminescent materials, isotypical with both the as-prepared ([(La(0.95)Eu(0.05))(H(3)nmp)] and [(La(0.95)Tb(0.05))(H(3)nmp)]) and the calcined ([(La(0.95)Eu(0.05))(L)]) compounds and containing stoichiometric amounts of optically active lanthanide centers, have been prepared and their photoluminescent properties studied in detail. The lifetimes of Eu(3+) vary between 2.04 ± 0.01 and 2.31 ± 0.01 ms (considering both ambient and low-temperature studies). [La(H(3)nmp)] is shown to be an effective heterogeneous catalyst in the ring opening of styrene oxide with methanol or ethanol, producing 2-methoxy-2-phenylethanol or 2-ethoxy-2-phenylethanol, respectively, in quantitative yields in the temperature range 40-70 °C. The material exhibits excellent regioselectivity to the β-alkoxy alcohol products even in the presence of water. Catalyst recycling and leaching tests performed for [La(H(3)nmp)] confirm the heterogeneous nature of the catalytic reaction. Catalytic activity may be attributed to structural defect sites. This assumption is somewhat supported by the much higher catalytic activity of [La(L)] in comparison to [La(H(3)nmp)].

Application of an indenyl molybdenum dicarbonyl complex in the isomerisation of α-pinene oxide to campholenic aldehyde

The complex [{(η5-Ind)Mo(CO)2(μ-Cl)}2] (1) has been tested for the industrially relevant catalytic isomerisation of α-pinene oxide (PinOx) to campholenic aldehyde (CPA) in the liquid phase. PinOx conversion and CPA selectivity are strongly influenced by the solvent employed. Complete conversion of PinOx was achieved within 1 min at 55 °C or 30 min at 35 °C using 1,2-dichloroethane as solvent, giving CPA in 68% yield. Other products included trans-carveol, iso-pinocamphone and trans-pinocarveol. The stability of 1 under the reaction conditions used was investigated by using FT-IR spectroscopy and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to characterise recovered solids. In the presence of air/moisture 1 undergoes oxidative decarbonylation upon dissolution to give oxomolybdenum species that are proposed to include a tetranuclear oxomolybdenum(V) complex. Conversely, ESI-MS studies of 1 dissolved in dry acetonitrile show mononuclear species of the type [IndMo(CO)2(CH3CN)n]+. The crystal structure of the ring-slipped dicarbonyl complex [(η3-Ind)Mo(CO)2Cl(CH3CN)2] (2) (obtained after dissolution of 1 in acetonitrile) is reported.

Preparation of crystal-like periodic mesoporous phenylene-silica derivatized with ferrocene and its use as a catalyst for the oxidation of styrene

The surface silanol groups in crystal-like mesoporous phenylene-silica have been derivatized with trimethylsilyl, benzyldimethylsilyl and dimethylsilyl(ferrocene) groups by performing a post-synthetic grafting reaction with the corresponding chlorosilane precursors. The success of the grafting procedure was demonstrated by transmission FT-IR spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and (13)C and (29)Si magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N2 adsorption data for the modified materials indicated preservation of the mesostructure as well as the molecular-scale periodicity in the pore walls. Ferrocene and the ferrocenyl-modified periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) were employed in the catalytic oxidation of styrene at 55 °C using either hydrogen peroxide or tert-butylhydroperoxide as an oxidant. The main reaction product was always benzaldehyde (BzCHO), and other products included styrene oxide, benzoic acid and 2-hydroxyacetophenone. Using a styrene:H2O2 molar ratio of 1:5, the highest BzCHO yields at 24 h were 65% (85% selectivity) for ferrocene (semibatch conditions involving stepwise addition of H2O2, 1 mol% Fe) and 34% (83% selectivity) for the modified PMO (batch conditions, 0.06 mol% Fe). The modified PMO could be recovered and reused, albeit with a drop in catalytic activity due to partial metal leaching during the first catalytic run.

[(E)-1-(Naph­thalen-2-yl)ethyl­idene](naph­thalen-1-ylmethyl)amine

The title compound, C23H19N, was obtained unexpectedly from the reaction of [Eu(nta)3(PzPy)] {Hnta = 1-(2-naphthoyl)-3,3,3-trifluoroacetone and PzPy = 2-[3(5)-pyrazolyl]pyridine} with 1-naphthylmethylamine. The 1- and 2-naphthyl groups are essentially planar [r.m.s. deviations of 0.007 and 0.011 Å, respectively] and subtend angles of 38.69 (11) and 16.50 (11)°, respectively, with the central CH3—C=N—CH2 unit, which is also almost planar [r.m.s. deviation = 0.002 Å]. In the crystal, the molecules are disposed in zigzag-type fashion, forming layers perpendicular to [100]. Weak supramolecular C—H⋯π interactions contribute to the packing forces.

High-yield synthesis and catalytic response of chainlike hybrid materials of the [(MoO3)m(2,2′-bipyridine)n] family

The one-dimensional organic–inorganic hybrid material [MoO3(2,2′-bipy)] (1) (2,2′-bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine) has been used as a starting material to prepare the bipy-deficient phases [Mo2O6(2,2′-bipy)] (2) and [Mo3O9(2,2′-bipy)2] (3) in excellent yields. The hybrid 2 was obtained by a solid-state thermal treatment of 1 (300 °C, 10 min) while 3 was obtained by a hydrothermal treatment of 1 (160 °C, 6 d). A study was performed to compare the catalytic properties of 1–3 in the epoxidation of cis-cyclooctene at 55 °C with tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBHP) or aqueous H2O2 as oxidant. In all cases Cy was converted to cyclooctene oxide (CyO) with 100% selectivity, and Cy conversions increased in the order 1 < 3 < 2, which parallels an increase in the Mo/2,2′-bipy molar ratio of the hybrid (1 < 1.5 < 2). With compound 2, CyO yields at 24 h were 96% for TBHP (cosolvent α,α,α-trifluorotoluene) and 53% for H2O2 (cosolvent CH3CN). The catalytic reactions occurred in homogeneous phase with active species formed in situ from 1–3. All three hybrids react with aqueous H2O2 to give the catalytically active oxodiperoxo complex [MoO(O2)2(2,2′-bipy)]. The 2 : 1 hybrid 2 was further examined for the epoxidation of other cyclic and linear non-functionalised olefins with TBHP, namely cyclododecene, 1-octene and trans-2-octene, and the biomass-derived olefins DL-limonene, α-pinene and methyl oleate.

Propyl-ammonium 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)butane-1,3-dionate.

The title salt, C3H10N+·C14H8F3O2 −, constitutes the first organic crystal containing a residue of 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)butane-1,3-dione. The terminal –CF3 group is disordered over two locations [occupancy ratio = 0.830 (7):0.170 (7)]. Bond delocalization involving the two carbonyl groups and the α-carbon was observed. The crystal packing is mediated by several supramolecular interactions, namely charged-assisted N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, C—H⋯F and C—F⋯F short contacts and C—H⋯π interactions.