Radical chemistry has attracted a large amount of research interest over the last few decades and radical reactions have recently been recognized as powerful tools for organic synthesis. The synthetic applications of radicals have been demonstrated in many fields, including in the synthesis of complex natural products. Radical reactions have a number of inherent synthetic advantages over their ionic counterparts. For example, they typically proceed at fast reaction rates under mild and neutral conditions in a broad spectrum of solvents and show significantly greater functional group tolerance. Furthermore, radical processes have the capability of performing in a cascade fashion, allowing for the rapid construction of complex molecular structures with multiple stereogenic centers. To further enhance the synthetic applications of radical reactions, current efforts are devoted toward the development of effective approaches for the regioselective control of their reactivity as well as stereoselectivity, especially enantioselectivity, a challenging issue that is intrinsically challenged by the "free" nature of radical chemistry. This research has identified a fundamentally new approach to radical reactions based on the concept of metalloradical catalysis (MRC) for controlling the stereoselectivity of both C- and N-centered radical reactions. Cobalt(II) porphyrins [Co(Por)], are stable metalloradicals, and have been shown to enable the activation of diazo reagents and azides to cleanly generate C- and N-centered radicals, respectively, with N2 as the only byproduct in a controlled and catalytic manner. In addition to the radical nature of [Co(Por)], the low bond dissociation energy of Co-C/Co-N bonds plays a key role in the successful turnover of the Co(II)-based catalytic carbene and nitrene transfers. Through the support of porphyrin ligands with tunable electronic, steric, and chiral environments, this general concept of Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis (Co-MRC) has been successfully applied to the development of various radical processes that enable stereoselective carbene and nitrene transfers.

The reactivities of several electron rich, low-valent group 6 complexes with a series of N-donor ligands were explored in order to gain information about the nature of M-N binding. Reactions of trimethylsilyl diazomethane (N=N=CHSiMe3) and 1-adamntyl azide (N=N=N-Ad) with the organometallic complexes [Cr(CO)3(C5R5)]2 (R = H, Me) and HMo(CO)3(C5R5) (R = H, CH3) were studied from both a kinetic and thermodynamic aspect. Ultimately, this information was used to propose plausible mechanisms by which the reactions take place. Furthermore, reactions of M(PiPr3)2(CO)3 (M = Mo, W; iPr = isopropyl) with N2, trimethylsilyl diazomethane, 1-adamantyl azide, a series of nitriles, and a choice group of N-heterocyclic compounds were studied. The use of the coordinatively unsaturated but sterically hindered M(PiPr3)2(CO)3 complex was used to evaluate the importance of sigma and pi bonding in these complexes.

Nitrenes are reactive intermediates for many organic reactions, such as Curtius rearrangement. The thermo- or photochemical- decomposition of azides or isocyanates was known to generate nitrenes. We investigated the thermal chemistry of nitrene adsorbed on Cu(111) using benzyl azide (Bz-N=N=N), benzyl isocyanate (Bz-N=C=O) and phenyl isocyanate (ph-N=C=O) as precursors under ultrahigh vacuum conditions using temperature-programmed reaction/desorption (TPR/D), reflectionabsorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Our study shows that despite of the isoelectronic functionalities (-N=N=N vs. -N=C=O) these molecules undergo different reaction pathways. For benzyl azide (Bz-N=N=N), the azido group losses N2 ,and the phenyl group migrates from nitrogen to carbon, forming surface bound H2C=N-Ph at 210 K. Eventually, H2 elimination and a carbon-to-nitrogen phenyl shift give the thermally stable ph-CN final product. XPS reveals that benzyl isocyanate (Bz-N=C=O) rearranges to form amide intermediate on the surface, which breaks into CO2, HCN and toluene at 410 K. RAIRs suggests that phenyl isocyanate (ph-N=C=O) undergoes cyclodimerization, cyclotrimerization and condensation to remove CO2 at 170 K, and phenyl group shifts from nitrogen to carbon to produce a metal bound acyl nitrene species (Ph-(C=O)-N---Cu) at 410 K.

Excepting agricultural based products, which themselves require a great deal of energy to produce, our supply of natural resources such as minerals, metal ore, fresh water, coal, oil and natural gas are all limited in supply. The depletion of these substances is imminent and this knowledge weighs heavily on humankind. The utilization of CO2 for the production of polycarbonates is one attempt at exploiting a profoundly abundant and renewable resource. The importance of research in this and similar fields justifies the detailed study of the chemicals and procedures involved with this chemistry. This current work concentrates on the fundamental study of transition metal Schiff base complexes that have shown a great deal of promise in their ability to catalyze the copolymerization of CO2 and epoxide to form aliphatic polycarbonates. A new chromium(III) Schiff base complex has been synthesized and evaluated for its ability to catalyze the formation of polymer. The ligand employed bears an N2O2 coordination sphere identical to the widely utilized chromium(III) and cobalt(III) salen catalysts. This complex was shown to be active towards the copolymerization of CO2 and cyclohexene oxide. Although the activity was less than that seen with chromium(III) salen complex, the study demonstrates that new ligand systems are available beyond salen and deserve further attention. A class of manganese(III) Schiff base complexes was also synthesized and evaluated as catalysts. Although crystallographic data has shown that these complexes are structural analogs to chromium(III) salens, the difference in metal center leads to a nearly complete elimination of catalytic activity. Such a marked difference has been taken advantage of by using this very low activity to study the ring-opening of epoxide in the initial step of the copolymerization both mechanistically and kinetically. It has also been utilized in an evaluation of the coordination chemistry of the polymerization process. This has led to some valuable conclusions about the nature and role of the metal center that previously have not been studied. Manganese(III) salen complexes were also synthesized and evaluated in an effort to compare these important ligands to other Schiff bases and confirm the findings mentioned above.

Processing information in the nervous system is energetically expensive, constraining the ability of the system to survive disturbances caused by stress. While some organisms compensate for extreme changes in the abiotic features of their environment, the mechanisms underlying this are poorly understood. We used the locust Descending Contralateral Movement Detector (DCMD) neuron to study how the propagation characteristics of action potentials (APs) change following an acute energy stress in control and heat shock (HS) pre-treated animals. We also attempted to determine if Ca2+ is involved in the DCMD AP and the possible changes indicated above. Conduction velocity decreased over an hour of recording in all groups, except those with minimal dissections, and we observed an increase in AP half-width and a decrease in the slope of the rising phase of the AP over time. After HS pre-treatment the response to a standard looming stimulus was delayed, showed significantly fewer APs and a lower peak frequency compared to controls. Brief application of sodium azide (NaN3) as an acute metabolic inhibitor did not subsequently affect DCMD’s conduction velocity or ability to fire at high frequencies during the recording period. There were no significant differences from control animals with extracellular Ca2+ manipulations; however we cannot conclude that Ca2+ does not contribute to DCMD’s AP because Na+ could have flowed through Ca2+ channels in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Furthermore, examination of possible performance impairments with decreased Ca2+ currents, to indicate if Ca2+ current manipulation may account for the performance impairment, could not be conducted because no differences in AP characteristics were observed with Ca2+ manipulations. We suggest that the slowing of propagation in all groups represents a response to energetic stress and that HS modifies neuronal properties in ways that can be interpreted as saving energy in case of future stressors. / Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-11 08:36:26.571

Stuttgart, Univ., Diss., 2003.

Extensive research work was carried out in past few decades to synthesize new compounds with extended structures by employing various organic linkers and metals. A large number of potential applications of these coordination polymer materials were explored as it contains both inorganic metals as well as organic molecules. The large open pores of coordination polymer compounds were explored for applications such as absorption, separation, and catalysis etc. whereas the framework part provides a model system to study physical properties such as magnetism, luminescence, ferroelectricity etc. We were mainly interested in designing new magnetic materials with extended structures which is the primary objective of this thesis. To study this a systematic investigations are carried out with azide bridged copper(II) compounds. Azide is a versatile ligand which possesses a large number of bridging modes. On the other hand, the coordination flexibility offered by the copper centres makes it to possess diverse coordination number (4-6) as well as geometry. Copper-azide compounds were synthesized at room temperature and the structure was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Structure and magnetic behavior of the copper-azide compounds were studied and discussed here in this thesis. Further, we have studied selective absorption and separation of aliphatic nitrile compounds by employing a two-dimensional interdigitated coordination polymer. In addition, transformation studies of a Ni5 cluster to a Ni9 cluster have also been carried out. Chapter 1 of this thesis presents a brief overview of azide based compounds and summarizes important copper-azide compounds and their magnetic behavior. In chapter 2, synthesis, structure, and magnetic behavior of two-dimensional copper-azide based compounds have been presented. Field dependent magnetic studies were also carried out for all the compounds. Chapter 3 presents the synthesis, structure, and magnetic behavior of copper-azide compounds where 1,2-diaminopropane was employed as a site blocking agent. In chapter 4, the synthesis, structure, and magnetic behavior of two isostructural three-dimensional copper-azides are presented. In chapter 5, synthesis, structure, and magnetic behavior of the azide based one and two-dimensional compounds are presented. Chapter 6 presents synthesis and structure of a two-dimensional inter-digitated coordination polymer compounds. The selective absorption and separation of aliphatic nitriles were also presented in this chapter. In chapter 7, synthesis, structure, and magnetic behavior of Ni clusters are presented. A transformation study to convert a Ni5 cluster to Ni9 cluster was also carried out and presented in this chapter.

Na área de Química, uma das linhas mais tradicionais de pesquisa envolve o estudo de formação de complexos. Estes trabalhos são realizados de modo sistemático em nossos laboratórios, geralmente envolvendo cátions de metais de transição com vários ligantes (haletos, pseudo-haletos e carboxilatos). A intensa coloração desenvolvida pela maioria dessas reações de complexação, entre um metal e um pseudo-haleto, tem motivado o desenvolvimento de novos métodos espectrofotométricos para a determinação de íons em amostras reais. Espera-se que o crômio(III), da mesma forma que outros metais de transição, como o ferro, níquel e cobalto, forme complexos com o pseudo-haleto denominado azida ou azoteto (N3-). Desta forma, dando continuidade a esta linha de pesquisa, este trabalho teve como objetivo otimizar as condições experimentais para o sistema crômio(III)/azoteto. Diversos parâmetros como acidez, concentração de ligante, natureza e concentração de solvente, bem como o efeito da temperatura, foram investigados. Reunidas as melhores condições (otimização), montou-se o método analítico que possibilita a determinação do metal. As condições ideais empregadas foram: concentração analítica de ligante e ácido perclórico de 493 e 12,0 mmol L-1, respectivamente, numa temperatura de 25ºC, em meio aquoso. Para a determinação no ultravioleta, o tempo de espera para cada medida foi de 1 hora, enquanto que na região do visível, foi de apenas 30 minutos. Os máximos de absorção ocorreram em torno de 646, 480 e 287 nm, com coeficientes de absortividade molar médios de 184±1, 157±1 e (1,481±0,008) 104 L mol-1 cm-1, respectivamente. As condições estabelecidas foram promissoras, permitindo uma boa repetitividade nas regiões do visível e ultravioleta. Para o método desenvolvido, os íons mais interferentes na região do visível foram: Fe3+, Co2+ e Cu2+ e, na região do ultravioleta, foram HC8H4O4-, Fe3+, Cu2+ e Hg2+. Por meio de um sistema com duas equações, a determinação simultânea de crômio e ferro mostrou-se possível e com erros dentro dos limites analiticamente aceitáveis. Sem a utilização do sistema de equações, verificou-se ainda a possibilidade de se determinar crômio diretamente, mesmo na presença de ferro, no comprimento de onda de 646,5 nm, com um erro menor que 5%, desde que a concentração de ferro não ultrapasse 4 mg L-1. Aplicações analíticas para o método proposto foram testadas em dois suplementos alimentares contendo crômio. Os resultados foram comparados e mostraram-se concordantes com os da técnica de espectrometria de absorção atômica, para o suplemento contendo crômio quelato. Para o suplemento alimentar contendo picolinato de crômio, houve uma discordância dos resultados, indicando a existência de interferentes da matriz que não puderam ser eliminados. Um teste com uma amostra sintética de crômio mostrou um erro de cerca de 1,0% para o método proposto. Em condições ideais, e com um controle dos interferentes presentes, o método proposto mostra-se preciso, simples e barato. Considerando valores de absorbância entre 0,2 e 0,8 (faixa ideal), pode-se determinar o metal nos intervalos de 1,27 a 5,09 mmol L-1 a 480,5 nm, de 1,09 a 4,35 mmol L-1 a 646,5 nm e, finalmente, entre 0,702 a 2,81 mg L-1 no ultravioleta (287 nm). / In Chemistry, the study of complexes formation is one of the most traditional research lines. These studies are done under systematic manners in our laboratories, usually involving metallic transition cations with several ligands (halides, pseudohalides and carboxylates). The intense coloration developed by the major part of those complexation reactions, between a metal and a pseudohalide, has encouraged the development of new spectrophotometric methods for determination of ions in real samples. Conforming others transition metals, (iron, nickel and cobalt), which form complexes with the pseudohalide azide (N3-), we tried to observe the same behavior to chromium(III). Continuing this research line, this work had as principal objectives optimizes the experimental conditions for the chromium(III)/azide system. Several parameters were investigated as acidity, ligand concentration, nature and solvent concentration, as well as temperature effect for optimization of experimental conditions. Gathering all these conditions, the analytical methods were tested for the metal determination. The ideal conditions employed were: analytical ligand concentration and perchloric acid of 493 and 12.0 mmol L-l respectively, at 25 °C, in aqueous medium. For the studies in the ultraviolet region, the contact time before the measures was one hour, while for studies in the visible band measures were made after 30 minutes. The wavelengths of maximum absorption were encountered at 646, 480 and 287 nm, with molar absorptivity coefficients (mean) of 184±1, 157±1 and (1.481±0,008) 104 L mol-1 cm-1, respectively. The established conditions were promising, allowing a good precision in the visible and ultraviolet region. For the developed method, the more interfering ions on visible band were: Fe3+, Co2+ and Cu2+ and, on the ultraviolet band, were HC8H4O4-, Fe3+, Cu2+ and Hg2+. Through a system of two equations, the simultaneous determination of chromium and iron ions was possible with errors within the tolerance range. Without the simultaneous equations system, it was verified directly the possibility of chromium determination in the presence of iron, at a wavelength of 646.5 nm, with an error smaller than 5%, since the concentration of iron doesn’t exceed 4 mg L-l. In this proposed method, analytical applications were tested for two alimentary supplements containing chromium. The results were compared, being concordant with those of atomic absorption technique for the supplement containing chromium chelate, while for the alimentary supplement containing chromium picolinate, the results were in disagreement with the results, indicating the existence of matrix interferences which could not be eliminated. A test with a synthetic sample of chromium had an error of about 1.0% for the proposed method. Under ideal conditions, and with some control of possible interfering, the proposed method can be precise, accurate, simple and cheap. Considering the absorbance values between 0.2 and 0.8 (ideal range), the metal can be determined from 1.27 to 5.09 mmol L-l in 480 nm; 1.09 to 4.35 mmol L-l in 646 nm and, finally, from 0.702 to 2.81 mg L-l at 287 nm (ultraviolet).

Realizaram-se estudos potenciométricos, em combinação com medições espectrofotométricas, para caracterizar a espécie de íon manganês obtida a partir de oxidação coulométrica a corrente constante utilizando-se solução de Mn(II) (0,050 mol.L-1) em N3- (0,50 a 2,0 mol.L-1) e H+ (0,01 mol.L-1). Graficamente foi possível concluir que a espécie gerada é Mn(III) e obter os valores dos potenciais condicionais de redução, E0\'x, do par Mn(III)/Mn(II), em soluções tampão N3-/HN3, de concentração de N3- 0,50; 1,0; 1,5; 2,0 e 4,0 mol.L-1 e H+ 0,010 mol.L-1, sendo 0,468, 0,421, 0,396, 0,377 e 0,336 V (vs. ECS), respectivamente. Esses valores de E0\'x permitiram o cálculo das constantes de equilíbrio para os complexos no sistema Mn(III)/N3-, sendo: β1 = 1,23.105 M-1, β2 = 6,03.108 M-2, β3 = 2,37.1011 M-3, β4 = 1,54.1011 M-4 e β5 = 9,57.1011 M-5 (T = 25,0 ± 0,1 ºC, I = 2,0 mol.L-1 com NaClO4). Os valores calculados para as absortividades molares, em 430 nm, para as espécies [Mn(N3)3], [Mn(N3)4]- e [Mn(N3)5]2- foram 226, 3.680 e 6560 mol-1.L.cm-1, respectivamente. Para o estudo do cátion Co(II), foram efetuadas oxidações coulométricas da mesma forma e nas mesmas condições que para o cátion Mn(II). Os valores de E0\'x encontrados para o par Co(III)/Co(II) foram 0,400, 0,338, 0,302, 0,277 e 0,228 V (vs. ECS), para as concentrações de N3- 0,50; 1,0; 1,5; 2,0 e 4,0 mol.L-1 e H+ 0,010 mol.L-1. Com os valores de E0\'x obtidos para os pares Co(III)/Co(II) e Mn(III)/Mn(II), calcularam-se as constante de equilíbrio global, K, para a reação redox entre [Co(N3)n]3-n e [Mn(N3)n]2-n, encontrando-se os valores 7,1xl0-2, 4,0x10-2, 2,6x10-2, 2,0x10-2 e l,5x10-2, para os tampões acima descritos, respectivamente. Outros estudos revelaram a possível formação da espécies Mn(VI) quando KMnO4 e K2MnO4 são adicionados, separadamente, a uma solução tampão azoteto, por exemplo, N3- = 1,5 mol.L-1 e HN3 = 0,05 mol.L-1. / Spectrophotometric studies combined with coulometric generation of Mn(III), in presence of large excess of Mn(II), showed a maximum absorbance peak at 430 nm. The average molar absorptivity increases with azide concentration (0.44 to 3.9 mol.L-1) from 3,100 to 6,300 mol-1.L.cm-1, showing a stepwise complex formation. Potential measurements of the Mn(III)/Mn(II) system in several azide aqueous buffers solutions: 1.0x10-2 mol.L-1 HN3, (0.50 to 2.0 mol.L-1) N3- and 5.0x10-1 mol.L-1 Mn(II) and constant ionic strength 2.0 mol.L-1, kept with sodium perchlorate, leads to the conditional potential, E0\'x, in several azide concentrations at 25.0 ± 0.1 ºC (0.468, 0.421, 0.396, 0.377 e 0.336 V (vs. SCE) for the 0.50; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0 and 4.0 mol.L-1 N3- concentration, respectively). Considering the overall formation constants of Mn(II)/N3-, from former studies, and the potential, E0\'s = 1.063 V vs. SCE, for Mn(III)/Mn(II) system in non-complexing medium, it was possible to calculate the Fronaeus function, F0(L), and the following overall formation constants: β1 = 1.2x105 M-1, β2 = 6.0x108 M-2, β3 = (2.4±0.7)x1011 M-3, β4 = (1.5±0.5)x1011 M-4 and β5 = (9.6±.0.8)x1011 M-5 for the Mn(III)/N3- complexes. The molar absorptivity values, at 430 nm, found for the species [Mn(N3)3], [Mn(N3)4]- and [Mn(N3)5]2- were 226, 3,680 and 6,560 mol-1.L.cm-1, respectively. Similar studies with Co(II) in the same conditions, lead to the following conditional potentials, E0\'x, for the Co(III)/Co(II) system: 0.400, 0.338, 0.302, 0.277 e 0.228 V (vs. SCE). Using the E0\'x values obtained for both systems, Co(III)/Co(II) and Mn(III)/Mn(II), it was possible to calculate the equilibrium constant for the redox reaction between [Co(N3)n]3-n and [Mn(N3)n]2-n. The values found were 7.1xl0-2, 4.0x10-2, 2.6x10-2, 2.0x10-2 and 1.5x10-2, for 0.50; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0 and 4.0 mol.L-1 N3- concentration, respectively, in the same acidity (1.0x10-2 mol.L-1 HN3).

No description available.