This thesis deals with single-electron transfer (SET) radical processes mediated by ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate and TEMPO and their application in the total synthesis of natural products. Asymmetric aminooxygenation methodology for the synthesis of anti-β-amino-α-hydroxy acid derivatives has been developed by utilizing a highly diastereoselective aza-Michael addition of chiral lithium amides to various α,β-unsaturated esters or amides/SET oxidation/radical α-oxygenation. The potential of this methodology was demonstrated in short total syntheses of the anti-β-amino-α-hydroxy acid fragments of the macrocyclic (depsi)peptides perthamide C and largamide H, and (-)-cytoxazone, which is a selective modulator of TH2 cytokine secretion. The SET-catalyzed asymmetric tandem lithium amide conjugate addition/5-exo radical cyclization/oxygenation reactions were applied in the synthesis of highly substituted pyrrolidines, azabicyclo[n.3.0]alkanes and spiropyrrolidines. An enantioselective total synthesis of the pyrrolidine alkaloid (-)-α-kainic acid was accomplished by employing the SET-catalyzed 5-exo radical cyclization/oxygenation.

<p> Ring opening of heterocyclic compounds through C-X bond cleavage is a useful strategy that provides rapid access to highly functionalized acyclic building blocks. In recent years, much work has focused on using transition metal catalysts to activate the C-X bonds of heterocycles and initiate ring opening. Metal-catalyzed ring opening of unstrained heterocycles is less prevalent than catalytic activation of strained heterocycles, which is advantageously driven by relief of ring strain. Methods for catalytic ring activation of unstrained heterocycles exist but are limited. Herein, we report the use of chiral cobalt complexes as catalysts for enantioselective ring opening of dihydrofuran and nitrogen-protected pyrrolines by utilizing dichloroalkenes as vinylidene precursors, Zn as a reductant, and ZnCl2 as an additive. Based on preliminary mechanistic studies, we believe this method proceeds through [2 + 2] cycloaddition between the ligated cobalt vinylidene species and the heterocycle, followed by β-heteroatom elimination, cobalt to zinc transmellation, and protonation to give rise to synthetically useful chiral allylic alcohol and amine products. </p>

Die vorliegende Doktorarbeit befasst sich mit Hydrolyse- und Kondensationsreaktionen an Alumosilikatclustern und deren Synthese. Bei der Hydrolyse von Verbindungen des Typs CpRAlX2 (R = N, *; X = H, Cl) zeigte sich, dass immer eine vollständige Hydrolyse und Abspaltung aller drei Substituenten auftrat. Dies war unabhängig von den gewählten Reaktionsbedingungen und stöchiometrischen Äquivalenten an Wasser. Daher wurden verschiedene Silanole mit [Cp*Al]4 zur Reaktion gebracht und die dabei erhaltenen Cluster ihrerseits hinsichtlich Hydrolyse und Kondensation untersucht. Es wurde auch der Cluster [Al7(OH)9((OSiiPr2)2O)6] hergestellt und anhand von ESI-MS-Untersuchungen festgestellt, dass es sich bei der Bildung des Clusters um einen mehrstufigen Prozess handelt. Bei dem Cluster [Al7(OH)9((OSiiPr2)2O)6] konnte auch das erste Mal nachgewiesen werden, dass die äußeren Hydroxygruppen mit Wasser austauschen, obwohl sie Teil eines Löwenstein-verbotenen Strukturmotivs sind. Die Reaktion von [Cp*Al]4 mit HOSiPh3 wurde sowohl mit und ohne Zugabe von NEt3 untersucht. Das [Al(OSiPh3)4]- Anion wurde in beiden Fällen nachgewiesen, ohne Zugabe der Base wurde der Cp* Ligand oxygeniert, während die Zugabe der Aminbase zur Bildung von [HNEt3]+ und Cp*H führte. [HNEt3][Al(OSiPh3)4] stellte sich dabei als hydrolysestabil heraus. Erst bei Zugabe von zusätzlichem NEt3 und in der Hitze wurde eine Al-OSi-Bindung hydrolisiert. Bei der ähnlichen Verbindung [Li(THF)4][Al(OSiPh3)4] dagegen wurde eine solche Hydrolyse bereits bei Raumtemperatur ohne Zusatzstoffe beobachtet. Die Kristallstrukturanalyse eines Intermediates der Hydrolyse lies den Einfluss des Lithiumions auf die höhere Hydrolyseempfindlichkeit des Eduktes erkennen. [Li(THF)4][Al(OSiPh3)4] erwies sich auch als geeigneter Single-Source-Precursor für die Hydrothermalsynthese des Zeoliths Li-ABW. / This dissertation’s main topic is the hydrolysis and condensation of alumosilicate cluster and their synthesis. Hydrolysis of compounds CpRAlX2 (R = N, *; X = H, Cl) showed always full hydrolysis and cleavage of all three substituents, regardless of used reaction conditions and stoichiometric equivalents of water. Therefore various silanols were reacted with [Cp*Al]4 and the obtained clusters where investigated in relation to their hydrolysis and condensation. It was found that [(DMAP)Al(OSi(OtBu)3)3] (DMAP = 4‑(Dimethylamino)-pyridine) is stable towards water and heat, in contrast to the products of the reaction of [Cp*Al]4 and HOSi(OtBu)3 without addition of DMAP. The synthesis of the cluster [Al7(OH)9((OSiiPr2)2O)6] was also successful and monitoring its reaction solution via ESI-MS revealed a growth process that involves multiple steps. The cluster [Al7(OH)9((OSiiPr2)2O)6] is also able to exchange its outer hydroxy groups with water, even though they are part of a structural motif which violates Löwensteins rule. However, an excess of water lead to decomposition, which was accelerated in a basic environment. The reaction of [Cp*Al]4 and HOSiPh3 was investigated with and without addition of NEt3. In both cases [Al(OSiPh3)4]- was detected. Without the base, the Cp* ligand was oxygenated; with addition of NEt3 [HNEt3]+ was formed. [HNEt3][Al(OSiPh3)4] is rather stable towards hydrolysis, only with addition of more NEt3 and heat is one Al-OSi bond hydrolyzed. The hydrolysis of the similar compound [Li(THF)4][Al(OSiPh3)4] however occurs at room temperature and without additives. Crystal structure analysis of an intermediate of the hydrolysis reaction revealed the influence of the lithium ion on the higher hydrolysis sensitivity of the starting compound. [Li(THF)4][Al(OSiPh3)4] is also a suitable single-source-precursor for the hydrothermal synthesis of zeolite Li-ABW.

<p>  </p> <p>Actinide complexes have been targeted for their potential in group transfer applications. The study of these metals, such as thorium and uranium, is essential to better understand the reactions these metals are capable of facilitating.  Hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borates such as hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)-borate (Tp*) and hydrotris(pyrazolyl)-borate (Tp) are superbulky, scorpionate ligands that have previously been used to synthesize novel uranium complexes and probe the reactivity of these materials. Similar thorium analogs have also been synthesized, but their reactivity has yet to be explored in great depth. Tp*ThCl3(THF) and Tp2ThCl2 have been reproduced and investigated as possible starting materials for such reactivity studies. While the former was found to be largely unreactive, the latter presents promising reactivity for the synthesis of thorium-element multiple bonds, and a novel thorium imido, Tp2Th(NDipp)(THF), has been synthesized and characterized using this scaffold. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The reactivity of a uranium tetrakis(imido), [U(NDipp)4][K2], has also been investigated to probe the prospect of group transfer reactions for potential catalysis applications in the future. An isocyanate, PhNCO, was reacted with this compound; the observed product showed that group transfer was incomplete, and a four-membered metallocycle product is likely formed instead. The synthesis of a novel thorium tris(imido) has also been targeted, and preliminary results are outlined. </p>

<p>Solid-state (SS) luminescent materials are an important class of materials in a myriad of technological applications including light-emitting devices (LEDs) and displays, SS lasers, sensors, imaging agents, etc. Unfortunately, the design of efficient SS emitters is often plagued by sensitivity to environment/matrix (e.g. aggregation-induced quenching, AIQ), competing non-radiative relaxation pathways, and complicated emission mechanisms that are difficult to systematically study and tune. Copper-based systems have been proven to be good candidates for SS emissive materials due to their low-cost, high synthetic variation and well-defined features. Examples of copper-cluster systems, specifically, have been shown to be highly stable, exhibit high photoluminescent quantum yields (ΦPL), and are often relatively insensitive to environmental changes. However, many of these systems are complicated in nature, and often evoke additional relaxation pathways. To mitigate these issues, tetranuclear Cu(I)-pyrazolate complexes have been made which exhibit high ΦPL, matrix insensitivity and proceed through one major radiative emission pathway: cluster-centered based phosphorescence (3CC). The pyrazoles are highly tunable, and by increasing the size of the ligand substituents (H, F, Cl/Me/Br), a rigidochromic effect is observed, causing a significant blue-shift in their photoluminescence, making these viable materials for organic LEDs (OLEDs), especially in the deep-blue region. Furthermore, by increasing the chain length of the ligand substituent (e.g., Me → Et), another material which exhibits stimuli-responsive luminochromism in response to solvent vapor or heat can be achieved. This material exhibits blue ↔ green rigidochromic luminescence in response to stimuli via isomerization of the ethyl units from exo ↔ endo resulting in additional steric effects that effectively prevent rigidification of the Cu4 cluster. This additional phenomenon opens the door for further exploration of Cu(I)-pyrazolate complexes for stimuli-responsive luminescent materials (SRLMs) applications.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Vinylidenes are highly reactive intermediates that undergo a variety of chemical reactions. Our group has pioneered the in-situ generation of vinylidenes from bench stable 1,1-dichloroalkenes using transition metal catalysts and an exogenous reductant.</p><p dir="ltr">Herein, we demonstrate the intramolecular insertion of vinylidenes into Si–H bonds for the synthesis of unsaturated silacycles of different ring sizes. It is well known that the replacement of carbon for silicon are of significant interest to medicinal chemists as a strategy for improving the potency or pharmacokinetic properties of biologically active compounds. This method provides convenient access to trisubstituted vinyl silanes which are synthesized intermolecularly, including those that can be used as nucleophilic partners in Hiyama cross-coupling reactions. Finally, deuterium isotope labelling experiments reveal interesting mechanistic features of the reaction.</p><p dir="ltr">The second chapter of the thesis further highlights the reactivity of vinylidenes through utilizing a cobalt catalyst. Vinylidene complexes can be added into an alkyne intramolecularly followed by a cobalt to zinc transmetalation step. The resulting organozinc intermediate can be trapped with various electrophiles. Further, by altering the reaction condition, the cobaltacycle intermediate can be accessed using π systems to form different cycloadducts.</p>

No description available.

Ph. D. (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / A major challenge for this generation is cleaning up heavy metal pollution disposed during industrial, domestic and agricultural activities. So, to obtain clean water resources, new treatment technologies are needed that can be applied to a broad range of highly toxic heavy metals in water. In this study, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized from 1,2,4,5-tertabenzene carboxylic acid with metal salts of; cobalt, copper, iron, antimony, strontium and lanthanum through solvothermal method. The synthesized MOFs were reacted with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) by electrospinning. To the best of our knowledge it is for the first time that such hybrid materials are synthesized and reported. PVA/MOF materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetry analyzer (TGA). The SEM micrographs of PVA/MOFs materials showed relatively uniform nanofibers that were non-beaded and entangled. Some formed patches, while others were partially cross linked. TGA analysis revealed that PVA/MOF nanofibers exhibited higher decomposition temperature than PVA nanofibres. Thus, it confirmed the interactive force between MOF and PVA nanofibres. FTIR plots also exhibited shifts in critical functional group positions, thus it confirmed that there was a given amount of MOFs embedded in the electrospun fibrous mat. PVA/MOFs materials were used in the adsorption of lead ions in solution to study the effects of temperature, time dependant studies and concentrations. The batch adsorption experiments were performed at five different Pb(II) ion concentrations (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg/L), four different temperatures (25, 40, 60 and 80 oC), time dependent studies ranged from (5, 10, 30 and 60 min) and pH of all Pb(II) solutions were recorded to be 5.05. The results indicated that the uptake performance of PVA and PVA/MOFs nanofibers significantly changed with concentration, temperature and time. The PVA/MOFs nanofiber hybrids demonstrated greater adsorption percentage and adsorption capacity for Pb(II) ions than PVA nanofibers. PVA nanofibers showed moderate adsorption percentage and capacity performance of 25.5 % and 44.13 mg/g (meaning 44.13 mg of Pb(II) per gram of PVA nanofibers) while PVA/MOFs nanofibers showed improved percentage and capacity perfomance (PVA/Cu-MOFs 76.36 % and 152.72 mg/g), (PVA/Co-MOFs 59.41 % and 99.28 mg/g), (PVA/La-MOFs 92.27 % and 184.03 mg/g), (PVA/Cd-MOFs 83.19 % and 165.94 mg/g), (PVA/Sb-MOFs 50.66 % - 91.57 mg/g), (PVA/Sr-MOFs 58.85 % - 124.82 mg/g) and (PVA/Fe-MOFs 56.76 % - 108.82 mg/g). The adsorption data of Pb(II) ions on PVA and all PVA/MOFs nanofibers showed that a pseudo-second order kinetic model was more suitable than a pseudo first order kinetic model. The adsorption rate was much faster on PVA/MOFs nanofibers. This is marked by lower activation energy compared to PVA nanofibers activation energy. The Temkin model did not correlate well with all the adsorption data. On the contrary, Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models described the adsorption data adequately. All PVA/MOFs nanofibers followed Langmuir isotherm model, only PVA nanofibers followed Freundlich isotherm model. The PVA and PVA/MOFs nanofibers gave negative values of enthalpy change (ΔHo) and negative values of Gibbs free energy change (ΔGo) showing the adsorption processes were exothermic and spontaneous. Moreover, obtained positive entropy changes (ΔSo) on PVA, PVA/Fe-MOF, PVA/Cu-MOF, PVA/Co-MOF and PVA/Sb-MOF nanofibers showed that the sorped Pb(II) ions were not restricted on the electrospun nanofibres and physisorption mechanism was dominant, while negative entropy changes (ΔSo) on PVA/Sr-MOF and PVA/La-MOF nanofibers indicated that chemisorption was more dominant. The influence of ubiquitous cations such as Ca(II) and Mg(II) on the adsorption of Pb(II) ions onto PVA and PVA/MOF nanofibers was also assessed. The results showed that the ubiquitous ions had no significant influence on the sorption of Pb(II) ions. Current investigation provides a method to develop novel PVA/MOFs nanofibers hybrid adsorbents for water purification system. The adsorption capacities and removal achieved with the PVA/MOFs nanofibers sorbent were higher than those for PVA sorbent. The electro spun nanofiber sorbents presents an efficient alternative for pre-treating lead ions in aqueous solutions. Results from this research demonstrated that higher performance novel nanofibers, which possessed higher adsorption percentages and capacity capabilities were obtsained far exceeding some of the commonly used adsorbents, were obtained.

No description available.

Yes / Carbon monoxide (CO) is both a substance hazardous to health and a side product of a number of industrial processes, such as methanol steam reforming and large-scale oxidation reactions. The separation of CO from nitrogen (N2) in industrial processes is considered to be difficult because of the similarities of their electronic structures, sizes, and physicochemical properties (e.g., boiling points). Carbon monoxide is also a major poison in fuel cells because of its adsorption onto the active sites of the catalysts. It is therefore of the utmost economic importance to discover new materials that enable effective CO capture and release under mild conditions. However, methods to specifically absorb and easily release CO in the presence of contaminants, such as water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen, at ambient temperature are not available. Here, we report the simple and versatile fabrication of a new class of hybrid materials that allows capture and release of carbon monoxide under mild conditions. We found that carborane-containing metal complexes encapsulated in networks made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) react with CO, even when immersed in water, leading to dramatic color and infrared signature changes. Furthermore, we found that the CO can be easily released from the materials by simply dipping the networks into an organic solvent for less than 1 min, at ambient temperature and pressure, which not only offers a straightforward recycling method, but also a new method for the “on-demand” release of carbon monoxide. We illustrated the utilization of the on-demand release of CO from the networks by carrying out a carbonylation reaction on an electron-deficient metal complex that led to the formation of the CO-adduct, with concomitant recycling of the gel. We anticipate that our sponge-like materials and scalable methodology will open up new avenues for the storage, transport, and controlled release of CO, the silent killer and a major industrial poison. / The Royal Society, The Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, The University of Bradford, European Regional Development Fund of the European Union / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner.