A presente Dissertação relata a síntese e o estudo conformacional das α-fenilseleno-α-dietóxifosforilacetofenonas para-substituídas p-X-Φ-C(O)CH[SeΦ][P(O)(OEt2] (X=OMe 1, Me 2, H 3, F 4, Cl 5, Br 6 e NO2 7) através da banda de estiramento da carbonila no infravermelho, em solventes de polaridade crescente apoiado por cálculos ab initio HF/6-3IG**. A comparação entre a freqüência e a intensidade relativa dos componentes do dubleto, para os derivados 6 e 7, e do singleto para os derivados 1-5, no solvente apolar tetracloreto de carbono, e dos componentes do dubleto, nos solventes de polaridade crescente (clorofórmio, diclorometano e acetonitrila), para os derivados 1-7, com os dados do cálculo ab initio de 3 (composto de referência), indicou que ambas as conformações estáveis (g1 e g2) apresentam a ligação C-Se na geometria anti-clinal (gauche) em relação à carbonila (C=O), enquanto que a ligação C-P assume uma geometria sin-periplanar (cis) em relação à carbonila. A análise dos contatos interatômicos de átomos relevante em comparação com a soma de seus raios de van der Waals, indicou que ambas as conformações g1 e g2 são fortemente estabilizadas pelo sinergismo das interações orbitalares e eletrostáticas π*(CO) / nSe e Oδ-[CO].....Pδ+[PO]. Analogamente, as interações mais fracas Oδ-[OR]..... Cδ+[CO], 0-Hδ+[SeΦ]....Oδ-[PO] e 0-Hδ+[ΦC(O)]....Oδ-[CO] estabilizam as conformações g1 e g2, aproximadamente na mesma extensão. No entanto, somente a conformação g1 é estabilizada pela interação eletrostática (ligação de hidrogênio) Hδ+[α-CH].....Oδ-[OR], enquanto que sómente a conformação g2 é desestabilizada pelo Efeito de Campo Repulsivo entre os dipolos Cδ+=.Oδ- e Pδ+-ORδ- Assim sendo, pode-se concluir que no dubleto de VCO no IV, o componente de maior freqüência e de menor intensidade corresponde à conformação menos estável g2 (do cálculo) enquanto que o componente de menor freqüência e mais intenso corresponde à conformação mais estável g1 (do cálculo). Estes dados estão de pleno acordo com os deslocamentos de freqüência mais negativos da carbonila (ΔVCO) do confôrmero mais estável g1 em relação ao menos estável g2. / This thesis reports the synthesis and the conformational study of some para-substituted α-phenylseleno-α-diethoxyphosphoryl-acetophenones p-X-Φ-C(O)CH[SeΦ][P(O)(OEt)2] (X=OMe 1, Me 2, H 3, F 4, Cl 5, Br 6 e NO2 7) through the analysis of the carbonyl stretching IR band, in solvents of increasing polarity, supported by ab initio HF/631G** computations of 3 (parent compound). The comparison between the frequency and the relative intensity of the doublet components for derivatives 6 and 7, and of the singlet for derivatives 1-5, in non polar solvent, carbon tetrachloride, and of the doublet components, in solvents of increasing polarity (chloroform, dichloromethane and acetonitrile), for derivatives 1-7, with the ab initio data for 3, has indicated that both stable conformations (g1 and g2 ) display the C-Se bond in an anti-clynal (gauche) geometry with respect to the carbonyl (C=O) bond, while the C-P bond assumes a syn-periplanar (cis) geometry relative to the carbonyl group. The analysis of the interatomic contacts between some relevant atoms in comparison with the sum of their van der Waals radii has shown that both g1 and g2 conformations are strongly stabilized almost to the same extension by the synergism of the π*(CO) / nSe and Oδ-[CO] .....Pδ+[PO] orbital and electrostatic interactions. Similarly, the weaker Oδ-[OR] ..... Cδ+[CO], o-Hδ+[SeΦ] ....Oδ-[PO] and o-Hδ+[ΦC(O)] ....Oδ-[CO] interactions stabilise the referred conformations almost to the same extent. However, conformer g1 only is stabilised by the electrostatic interaction (hydrogen bond) ) Hδ+[α-CH] ....Oδ-[OR], while the conformer g2 is the only one which is significantly destabilised through the Repulsive Field Effect which takes place between the Cδ+=Oδ- and Pδ+-ORδ- dipoles. Therefore it may be concluded that the less intense higher vco frequency doublet component should correspond to the less stable g2 conformation, while the more intense lower VCO frequency doublet component should be related to the more stable g1 conformation. Further support for these trends are given by the larger negative carbonyl frequency shifts (ΔVCO) for the g1 conformer relative to the g2 one, for the whole series.

Les complexes de métaux de transition, et plus particulièrement de ruthéniumII, ont connu un essor formidable depuis le milieu des années 1950 avec la découverte du complexe [Ru(bpy)3]2+. Depuis lors, de nombreuses recherches et découvertes ont permis de mettre au point un schéma photophysique prototypique pour les complexes de ruthéniumII comportant des ligands polypyridiniques. En variant la nature des ligands complexés à ce centre métallique, il a été possible de faire varier les propriétés photophysiques, photochimiques et électrochimiques des complexes résultants. Toutes ces modifications ont permis de mettre au point des complexes de ruthéniumII qui possèdent des applications dans des domaines variés. Ils sont par exemple utilisés dans le domaine de la photo-conversion d’énergie solaire ou dans le domaine de la photo-catalyse, permettant notamment de scinder l’eau en oxygène, ou de produire du dihydrogène au départ de protons. Ces complexes de ruthéniumII sont également utilisés dans le domaine biologique où ils peuvent interagir avec l’ADN via de nombreux processus. Les recherches au laboratoire de chimie organique et photochimie de l’Université libre de Bruxelles ont été concentrées sur le développement de ligands polyazaaromatiques qui possèdent un caractère π-accepteur prononcé. L’utilisation de tels ligands permet d’accéder à des complexes de ruthéniumII dont le caractère photo-oxydant est davantage prononcé que celui de leurs analogues de type [Ru(bpy)3]2+. Ce caractère photo-oxydant permet, dans le cadre d’applications biologique, d’induire la formation d’un photo-adduit résultant d’un transfert d’électron entre la guanine, base la plus réductrice de l’ADN, et le complexe de ruthéniumII. <p>Les ligands π-accepteurs permettent également de diriger et de localiser le transfert d’électron à l’état excité. Lorsque le complexe absorbe un rayonnement lumineux de bonne énergie, un électron peut être transféré du centre de ruthéniumII vers un des ligands ancillaires. Ce transfert d’électron aura lieu vers le ligand qui est le plus avide en électrons. Ce phénomène trouve des applications directes en photo-conversion d’énergie solaire. En effet, afin de convertir de l’énergie solaire, il est important d’absorber le rayonnement lumineux, mais également de pouvoir transférer cette énergie en un lieu donné. L’utilisation de ligands avides en électrons permet donc de diriger cette énergie en un lieu précis. <p>Dans le cadre de cette thèse de doctorat, nous nous sommes focalisés sur la synthèse de nouveaux ligands polyazaaromatiques qui devraient conférer des propriétés inédites aux complexes résultants. La première partie de cette thèse de doctorat a donc consisté à synthétiser des ligands polyazaaromatiques possédant un plan aromatique étendu. Nous avons mis au point une voie de synthèse pour obtenir des ligands tels que la 1,4,5,8-tétraazaphénanthrène-9,10-dione, précurseur du ligand 1,4,5,8-tétraazaphénanthrèno[9,10-b]1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphénylène (TAPHAT). Au cours de la synthèse de la 1,4,5,8-tétraazaphénanthrène-9,10-dione, nous avons également pu mettre au point une nouvelle méthode d’oxydation de noyaux de type quinoxaline à l’aide de dérivé d’iode hypervalent. Une fois la synthèse du ligand TAPHAT et des différents précurseurs effectuée, nous avons pu procéder à la synthèse des complexes de ruthéniumII. Le ligand TAPHAT, étant fortement insoluble et possédant quatre sites de chélation, nous avons décidé de procéder à la synthèse de complexes précurseurs pour préparer des complexes porteurs de ce ligand. Nous avons dès lors tenté d’obtenir les complexes précurseurs [Ru(TAP)2(diNH2TAP)]2+ et [Ru(TAP)2(tapdione)]2+. La synthèse de ces précurseurs a présenté de nombreux problèmes de chélation, donnant lieu cependant à des complexes très intéressants. Face à ces problèmes, nous nous sommes donc uniquement focalisés sur la synthèse du [Ru(TAP)2(diNH2TAP)]2+. Ce complexe précurseur a ensuite permis d’accéder à des complexes tels que le [Ru(TAP)2(HATPHE)]2+. Les complexes à base du ligand 9,10-diamino-1,4,5,8-tétraazaphénanthrène, à savoir le [Ru(TAP)2(diNH2TAP)]2+ et le [Ru(phen)2(diNH2TAP)]2+ ont ensuite été utilisés pour accéder aux complexes mono- et binucléaires symétriques du TAPHAT. Nous avons ensuite étudié les complexes à base du ligand PHEHAT ainsi que ceux à base du ligand TAPHAT et comparé leurs propriétés photophysiques, photochimiques et électrochimiques. <p>En plus de ces complexes à base de ligands PHEHAT et TAPHAT, nous avons également eu l’occasion de synthétiser des ligands analogues au ligand DPPZ. Nous avons synthétisé deux ligands plus étendus que le DPPZ, à savoir le DPQQX, dont la synthèse avait déjà été rapportée dans la littérature, et le PDPPZ. Bien que les complexes à base du ligand PDPPZ n’aient pas pu être purifiés au cours de cette thèse, nous avons tout de même pu obtenir les complexes [Ru(TAP)2(DPQQX)]2+ et [Ru(phen)2(DPQQX)]2+. Les études photophysiques, photochimique et électrochimiques ont permis de mettre en évidence de nombreuses propriétés intéressantes. De plus, des études poussées en résonance magnétique nucléaire 1H ainsi qu’en dichroïsme circulaire ont permis de montrer un processus d’auto-assemblage en solution. <p>Finalement, en plus de la synthèse de ligands polyazaaromatiques et de leurs complexes de ruthéniumII, nous avons également exploité la technique d’absorption transitoire dans le cadre d’une collaboration avec le laboratoire de résonance magnétique nucléaire. Cet axe de recherche s’est articulé autour de l’utilisation de deux complexes de ruthéniumII à savoir le [Ru(TAP)3]2+ et le [Ru(TAP)2(HAT)]2+. Ces complexes sont capables, sous illumination, de réaliser un transfert d’électron avec un réducteur. Ces processus de transfert d’électron photo-induit entre des réducteurs tels que la GMP, la N-acétyl-tyrosine, l’hydroquinone et les deux complexes de ruthéniumII ont été étudiés par les membres du laboratoire de résonance magnétique nucléaire à l’aide d’une technique dite Photo-Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (Photo-CIDNP). Notre contribution a été d’investiguer les paramètres de quenching entre ces complexes et les différents réducteurs à l’aide de techniques classiques telles que la détermination de constantes de quenching via des analyses de type Stern-Volmer ainsi qu’à l’aide de techniques plus pointues telles que la photolyse éclair laser. <p> / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Mass spectrometry of negative ions is a convenient method for generating, isolating, and analyzing reactive intermediates that would otherwise be too short lived to detect. This ion approach is especially useful for studying the chemical properties of radicals. In this work, a negative charge-carrying group was attached to lignin model compounds and combined with collision-induced dissociation (CID) to generate and characterize radical species involved in the primary pyrolysis of lignin. The charge-tag served to increase the sensitivity of the model compounds using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and promoted charge-remote fragmentations (CRF) upon being collisionally activated. The resulting product ions were comparable to the primary pyrolysis products of lignin; thus, CID-CRF proved to be an effective way of identifying the mechanisms by which lignin decomposes in the gas phase. <br><div><br></div><div>Additionally, this dissertation includes a review of nitrene anions. Nitrene anions are another class of reactive intermediates protected by an electron that provide a means for studying the corresponding neutral molecules via electron photodetachment spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy. The added electron makes it possible for protected nitrene anions to be manipulated by external electric and magnetic fields of a mass spectrometer. Nitrene anions also display their own unique reactivities as reagents, which have been investigated using ion/molecule reactions. Mass spectrometry of negative ions has thereby provided information on the electronic states, reactivities, and thermochemical properties of nitrene intermediates.</div>

Positively charged aromatic carbon-centered σ-type mono-and biradicals have been studied previously in the gas phase. However, very little is known about the properties of related polyradicals. In this dissertation, the reactions of series of quinolinium-and acridinium-based bi-, tri-, and tetraradicals were studied with cyclohexane and allyl iodide in the gas phase by using tandem mass spectrometry. I atom abstraction and allyl group abstraction were observed as dominant reactions for all the studied radicals upon reactions with allyl iodide. Sequential H atom abstractions were observed as the major reactions for the studied bi-and tetraradicals upon reactions with cyclohexane. Surprisingly, triradicals appeared to undergo addition followed by elimination of a H atom as one of the major reactions upon interactions with cyclohexane. Vertical electron affinity and spin-spin coupling between radical sites were found to control the radical reactivities.<div><br></div><div>The radical site(s) which react first with cyclohexane were experimentally determined. For the studied biradicals, the first reacting radical sites were found to be the ones that are predicted to be more reactive based on the reactivities of related monoradicals. For the studied triradicals, the first reacting radical sites are the ones that are least strongly coupled to the other radical sites. For tetraradicals, the first two sites reacting with cyclohexane are more weakly coupled than the other two radical sites.<br></div><div><br></div><div>The mechanisms for the reactions of the triradicals with cyclohexane were proposed based on tandem mass spectrometry experiments and supported by quantum chemical calculations. Briefly, the least strongly coupled radical site of a triradical reacts with cyclohexane first by abstracting a H atom. The more reactive radical site insome of the produced biradicals will then abstract a H atom from the cyclohexyl radical within the product collision complex to generate a monoradical and cyclohexene. Some of these monoradicals undergo addition to cyclohexene within this product complex,followed by elimination of a H atom. When allowed to react with allyl iodide, all of the monoradicals and most of the biradicals demonstrated predominant I atom abstraction. The quinolinium-based meta-and para-benzynes exhibited allyl group abstraction as the major reaction. The triradicals with a meta-benzyne moiety in the pyridinium ring demonstrated dominant allyl group abstraction, which is likely to occur at the pyridinium moiety. The reaction efficienciesof these triradicals toward allyl iodide are correlated with their calculated vertical electron affinities. The other triradicals showed I atom abstraction as the major reaction. These triradicals react with allyl iodide through different mechanisms compared to those mainly abstract an allyl group. Therefore, their reactivities are not directly related to their calculated vertical electron affinities.<br></div><div><br></div><div>In the tetraradicals, spin-spin coupling between all the radical sites affects their reactivities. The coupling of the radicals in a benzyne moiety is weakened by the couplings of radical sites between two benzyne moieties. This interaction results in higher reaction efficiencies for the tetraradicals than the related benzynes. Particularly, the 2,4,7,8-tetradehydroquinolinium cation was found to have much higher reactivity than the related meta-benzyne, the 2,4-didehydroquinolinium cation. This was rationalized based on the low distortion energy of the meta-benzyne moiety in the tetraradical.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Spin-spin coupling between the radical sites in bi-, tri-, and tetraradicals significantly affect their reactivity. To better understand the relation between the effects of spin-spin coupling and the spatial distance between two radical sites, a series of acridinium-based mono-and biradicals were studied in the gas phase. The acridinium-based monoradicals are less reactive than the related quinolinium-based monoradicals, which is possibly because of the steric hindrance of the additional benzene ring. Unlike quinolinium-based biradicals, which are less reactive than the related monoradicals, acridinium-based biradicals showed higher reactivities than the monoradicals with similar vertical electron affinities. In order to better illustrate the coupling strength in the studied biradicals, the natural logarithm of their total reaction efficiencies toward cyclohexane was plotted as a function of their calculated vertical electron affinities. The plots indicate that the coupling of quinolinium-based biradicals hinders the radical reactivity, while for acridinium-based biradicals, the coupling is negligibly weak and the biradicals react as two individual monoradicals.<br></div>

<p> Mass spectrometry (MS) has become one of the most powerful and versatile tools for chemical analysis due to its ultra-high sensitivity, high throughput, ease of automation, and the large amount of information obtained. Nowadays, MS is extensively used in many tasks, such as identification and quantitation of drug metabolites, analysis of the products of biomass pyrolysis, and study of reactive intermediates, to name a few. However, these mass spectrometric analyses are not without challenges. For example, the requirement for quantifying trace amounts of substances in a complex mixture constantly pushes the detection limit of mass spectrometers, and the increased sample complexity demands higher and higher mass resolution. Therefore, MS is constantly evolving to address more difficult analytical challenges. A variety of MS techniques have been developed over the years, including soft ionization methods that facilitate mass spectrometric analysis of macromolecules, such as proteins and antibodies that enables the development of new therapeutic agents, benchtop high-resolution mass spectrometers, such as the orbitraps that can be used to analyze some of the most complex mixtures, and portable mass spectrometers which can be used in the home and garden and even in cancer surgery. Besides its applications in chemical analysis, MS can serve as a unique tool for the fundamental study of gas-phase ion/molecule reactions, these gas-phase reactions can be used to better understand the reactivities of many reactive intermediates and to obtain structural information for unknown analytes.</p><p></p><p> This thesis is aimed at addressing challenges involved in mass spectrometric analyses of isomeric drug metabolites (Chapter 4), quantitation of drug metabolites by using tandem mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS) (Chapter 5), delineating cellulose depolymerization mechanisms upon fast pyrolysis by using pyrolysis-tandem mass spectrometry (py-MS/MS) (Chapter 6), and studying the reactivities of vinyl cation intermediates (Chapter 7). An overview of the dissertation research is given in Chapter 1, the instrumentation and principles of linear quadrupole ion trap (LQIT) mass spectrometer are discussed in Chapter 2, and the organic synthesis performed for several studies is detailed in Chapter 3.</p>

O sistema peroxioxalato possui diversas aplicações analíticas, principalmente devido aos altos rendimentos de emissão obtidos e relativa simplicidade. Aqui se estudou a alta eficiência desse sistema em diversas frentes, comparando-o a sistemas semelhantes, relacionando-o com um sistema intramolecular eficiente, procurando a estrutura do seu intermediário de alta energia e investigando as etapas de produção desse, tentando-se obter informações experimentais e teóricas sobre essa reação. A cinética do sistema peroxioxalato foi estudada utilizando-se como ativador o naftaleno, um composto aromático relativamente simples, que permite a aplicação de cálculos teóricos precisos ao sistema. Esses estudos teóricos dos complexos de transferência de carga entre naftaleno e o 1,2-dioxetano, a 1,2-dioxetanona e a 1,2-dioxetanodiona mostraram que a acessibilidade dos estados excitados está diretamente relacionada às propriedades eletrônicas do peróxido envolvido. Estudando-se os ânions radicais desses peróxidos se observou que o aumento no número de carbonilas do peróxido faz dele um melhor aceptor de elétron e que, especificamente para a 1,2-dioxetanona, a transferência de elétron é capaz de promover um caminho de decomposição sem barreiras energéticas. Estudos cinéticos da reação peroxioxalato utilizando DBU como catalisador básico forte não nucleofílico indicaram a viabilidade da reação nessas condições, embora com velocidades altas. Entretanto, não foi possível obter resultados cinéticos usando fenolatos como ativadores. Experimentos de adição retardada de ativador também foram efetuados usando um solvente que poderia facilitar a detecção do intermediário de alta energia, observando-se um acúmulo desse intermediário nas cinéticas de emissão. Porém, não foi possível detectar esse intermediário por espectrometria de massas. Por último, verificou-se que as etapas iniciais do sistema são exotérmicas, exceto a formação do anel de quatro membros. Estudando-se esse passo detalhadamente obteve-se para uma das etapas um valor de &#961; de Hammett semelhante ao observado experimentalmente, indicativo de que essa deve ser a etapa determinante de velocidade e de que o intermediário de alta energia deve ser a 1,2-dioxetanodiona. / The peroxyoxalate system has several analytical applications, mainly due to its high emission yields and relative simplicity. Here this system high efficiency was studied in several fronts, comparing it with similar systems, connecting it with an intramolecular efficient system, searching for the structure of its high-energy intermediate and investigating the steps in its production, trying to obtain experimental and theoretical information about this reaction. The peroxyoxalate system kinetics was studied using naphthalene as activator, an aromatic compound relatively simple, that allows the application of accurate theoretical calculations to this system. These theoretical study of charge transfer complexes between naphthalene and 1,2-dioxetane, 1,2-dioxetanone, and 1,2- dioxetanedione have shown that the availability of excited states is directly related to the electronic properties of the involved peroxide. Studying the radical anion of these peroxides it was observed that an increase in the number of peroxide carbonyls makes it a better electron acceptor and that, specifically for 1,2-dioxetanone, the electron transfer can provide a barrierless decomposition path. Kinetic studies of the peroxyoxalate system using DBU as a nonnucleophilic strong base catalyst indicated the reaction feasibility in these conditions, despite its high rate. However, it was not possible to obtain kinetic results using phenolates as activators. Experiments of delayed addition of activator were made as well using a solvent that could facilitate the detection of the high-energy intermediate, observing accumulation of this intermediate in emission kinetics. Yet, it was not possible to detect this intermediate by mass spectroscopy. At last, it was verified that the initial steps of the system are exothermic, with exception of the four-membered ring formation. Studying this step in more detail, it was obtained for a step a Hammett &#961; value similar to the one observed experimentally, indicating that this step should be the rate limiting step and that the high-energy intermediate should be the 1,2-dioxetanedione.

O sistema peroxioxalato possui diversas aplicações analíticas, principalmente devido aos altos rendimentos de emissão obtidos e relativa simplicidade. Aqui se estudou a alta eficiência desse sistema em diversas frentes, comparando-o a sistemas semelhantes, relacionando-o com um sistema intramolecular eficiente, procurando a estrutura do seu intermediário de alta energia e investigando as etapas de produção desse, tentando-se obter informações experimentais e teóricas sobre essa reação. A cinética do sistema peroxioxalato foi estudada utilizando-se como ativador o naftaleno, um composto aromático relativamente simples, que permite a aplicação de cálculos teóricos precisos ao sistema. Esses estudos teóricos dos complexos de transferência de carga entre naftaleno e o 1,2-dioxetano, a 1,2-dioxetanona e a 1,2-dioxetanodiona mostraram que a acessibilidade dos estados excitados está diretamente relacionada às propriedades eletrônicas do peróxido envolvido. Estudando-se os ânions radicais desses peróxidos se observou que o aumento no número de carbonilas do peróxido faz dele um melhor aceptor de elétron e que, especificamente para a 1,2-dioxetanona, a transferência de elétron é capaz de promover um caminho de decomposição sem barreiras energéticas. Estudos cinéticos da reação peroxioxalato utilizando DBU como catalisador básico forte não nucleofílico indicaram a viabilidade da reação nessas condições, embora com velocidades altas. Entretanto, não foi possível obter resultados cinéticos usando fenolatos como ativadores. Experimentos de adição retardada de ativador também foram efetuados usando um solvente que poderia facilitar a detecção do intermediário de alta energia, observando-se um acúmulo desse intermediário nas cinéticas de emissão. Porém, não foi possível detectar esse intermediário por espectrometria de massas. Por último, verificou-se que as etapas iniciais do sistema são exotérmicas, exceto a formação do anel de quatro membros. Estudando-se esse passo detalhadamente obteve-se para uma das etapas um valor de &#961; de Hammett semelhante ao observado experimentalmente, indicativo de que essa deve ser a etapa determinante de velocidade e de que o intermediário de alta energia deve ser a 1,2-dioxetanodiona. / The peroxyoxalate system has several analytical applications, mainly due to its high emission yields and relative simplicity. Here this system high efficiency was studied in several fronts, comparing it with similar systems, connecting it with an intramolecular efficient system, searching for the structure of its high-energy intermediate and investigating the steps in its production, trying to obtain experimental and theoretical information about this reaction. The peroxyoxalate system kinetics was studied using naphthalene as activator, an aromatic compound relatively simple, that allows the application of accurate theoretical calculations to this system. These theoretical study of charge transfer complexes between naphthalene and 1,2-dioxetane, 1,2-dioxetanone, and 1,2- dioxetanedione have shown that the availability of excited states is directly related to the electronic properties of the involved peroxide. Studying the radical anion of these peroxides it was observed that an increase in the number of peroxide carbonyls makes it a better electron acceptor and that, specifically for 1,2-dioxetanone, the electron transfer can provide a barrierless decomposition path. Kinetic studies of the peroxyoxalate system using DBU as a nonnucleophilic strong base catalyst indicated the reaction feasibility in these conditions, despite its high rate. However, it was not possible to obtain kinetic results using phenolates as activators. Experiments of delayed addition of activator were made as well using a solvent that could facilitate the detection of the high-energy intermediate, observing accumulation of this intermediate in emission kinetics. Yet, it was not possible to detect this intermediate by mass spectroscopy. At last, it was verified that the initial steps of the system are exothermic, with exception of the four-membered ring formation. Studying this step in more detail, it was obtained for a step a Hammett &#961; value similar to the one observed experimentally, indicating that this step should be the rate limiting step and that the high-energy intermediate should be the 1,2-dioxetanedione.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemistry / Stefan Bossmann / A series of methylene-bridged resorcin[4]arenes featuring electrochemically active and hydrophilic viologene-units chemically attached to their "rim"-regions have been synthesized. Depending on the choices of pendent groups (feet) and the numbers of positive charges on the "rim" (four or eight), moderate to very good solubilities in water were obtained. A fluorescent coumarin tag designed for the purpose of photophysical studies was chemically linked to the feet of some of the synthesized resorcin[4]arenes. These compounds were designed to act as guests in mycobacterial channel proteins (channel blockers). The proven host-guest interaction between resorcin[4]arenes and the mycobacterial porin MspA suggests potential application of my research in TB treatment. Both, hydrophilic nutrients and metabolites have to diffuse through the porin channels of mycobacteria because of the lack of an active transport mechanism. If these channels are successfully blocked, the mycobacteria have either to synthesize new channels, which make their outer membrane more susceptible to conventional antibiotics, or they become dormant. (3,3'-dimethyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium units are very suitable electron relays. They can be reduced stepwise to viologen monoradical cations and then to uncharged viologen diradicals which possess highly negative redox potentials, allowing them to reduce C-Cl bonds. Therefore, the deep cavitand viologen resorcin[4]arenas, are expected to bind and detoxify chlorinated hydrocarbons by reductive dechlorination. In this work, the step wise reduction process of viologen- resorcin[4]arenes and the formation of negative redox potentials of double-reduced viologen resorcin[4]arenes are demonstrated by electrochemistry studies. These results encourage future studies toward an efficient electrocatalytic system for the reductive dehalogenation of organic compounds. Besides highly charged resorcin[4]arene cavitands, the synthesis of a thiol-footed resorcin[4]arene was also attempted. The product was used for gold nanoparticle binding studies. The results of the photochemistry measurements provided a proof-of-concept for using the emission of gold nanoparticles in chemical sensors after covering their surfaces with thiol-footed resorcin[4]arenes. Two heterocylic resorcin[4]arene cavitands were synthesized for DNA-intercalation studies. The results of the photochemical measurements suggested binding between DNA and the heterocyclic resorcin[4]arenes and provided proof-of-principle for potential drug applications of this type of macrocycle.

<div>The first chapter reports a study of aryl nitrene intermediates. Although extensively studied over the past 30 years, phenyl nitrenes have a propensity to undergo rearrangement reactions and form polymeric tars. This is in stark contrast to the phenyl carbenes which are known to undergo several important reactions to produce a library of useful organic compounds. One such reaction is the insertion of phenyl carbenes into a double bond to produce a cyclopropane moiety. If aryl nitrenes can be exploited to conjure a similar reactivity, they would be an excellent synthetic route to produce aziridine rings which are a crucial component of many natural products. This review chapter is a collection of all the efforts that have been made in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>In the next chapter, the electronic effect of the azide functional group on an aromatic system has been investigated by using Hammett-Taft parameters obtained from the effect of azide-substitution on the gas-phase acidity of phenol. Gas-phase acidities of 3- and 4-azidophenol have been measured by using mass spectrometry and the kinetic method and found to be 340.8 ± 2.2 and 340.3 ± 2.0 kcal/mol respectively. The relative electronic effects of the azide substituent on an aromatic system have been measured by using Hammett-Taft parameters. The σF and σR values are determined to be 0.38 and 0.02 respectively, consistent with predictions based on electronic structure calculations. The values of σF and σR demonstrate that azide acts an inductively withdrawing group but has negligible resonance contribution on the phenol. In contrast, acidity values calculated for substituted benzoic acids gives values of σF = 0.69 and σR = -0.39, indicating that the azide is a strong  donor, comparable to that of a hydroxyl group. The difference is explained as being the result of “chimeric” electronic behavior of the azide, similar to that observed previously for the n-oxide moiety, which can be more or less resonance donating depending on the electronic effects of other groups in the system.</div><div><br></div><div>Phenyl nitrenes undergo bimolecular chemistry under very specific circumstances. For example, having an oxide substituent at the para position of the phenyl ring enables the formation of an indophenol product from a photocatalyzed reaction of the nitrene. Although, this reaction has been reported before, the mechanism involved in this reaction has not been fully understood. A two-electron mechanism involving electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction has been proposed in the literature, however we found evidence that did not support this theory. Instead, we find this reaction analogous to the popular Gibbs’ reaction whose single electron transfer mechanism has been extensively studied. The following chapter encompasses a study of the mechanism of the photolysis reaction to look for evidence of a single electron transfer similar to the Gibbs’ reaction.</div><div><br></div><div>As mentioned earlier, phenyl nitrenes have a proclivity to undergo rearrangement reactions instead of exhibiting bimolecular reactivity that can lead to useful products. One of the strategies to overcome this challenge is to spatially separate the two electrons of an open-shell singlet nitrene so as to minimize electron-electron repulsion. This separation can be achieved by delocalizing the individual electrons over multiple aromatic rings and heteroatoms which can act as radical stabilizers. In this chapter, a short review of literature that sets precedence for developing a unique heteroatom containing aromatic backbone to achieve the necessary stabilization is presented. Our efforts in synthesizing the model azide precursor compound have also been discussed.</div>

<p>High resolution tandem mass spectrometry (MSⁿ) coupled with various separation techniques, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC), is widely used to analyze mixtures of unknown organic compounds. In a mass spectrometric analysis, analytes of interest are at first transferred into the gas phase, ionized (protonated or deprotonated) and introduced into the instrument. Tandem mass spectrometric experiments may then be used to gain insights into structure and reactivity of the analyte ions in the gas phase. The tandem mass spectral data are often compared to those reported in external databases. However, the tandem mass spectra obtained for protonated analytes may be markedly different from those in external databases because protonation site manifested during a mass spectrometric experiment can be affected by the ionization technique, ionization solvents and condition of the ion source. This thesis focuses on investigating the effects of instrumental conditions and analyte concentrations on the protonation sites of 4-aminobenzoic acid. Reactivities of radical species were also investigated. A modified bracketing method was developed and proton affinities of a series of mono- and biradicals of pyridine were measured. In another study, a <i>para</i>-benzyne analog was generated in both solution and the gas phase and its reactivities towards various neutral reagents in the gas phase were compared to those in solution.</p> <p> Chapter 2 discusses the fundamental aspects of the instruments used in this research. In chapter 3, the effects of residual moisture in linear quadrupole ion trap on the protonation sites of 4-aminobenzoic acid are considered. Chapter 4 focuses on the use of gas-phase ion-molecule reactions with trimethoxymethylsilane (TMMS) for the identification of the protonation sites of 4-aminobenzoic acid. Further, the effects of analyte concentration on the protonation sites of 4-aminobenzoic acid are considered. Chapter 5 introduces a modified bracketing method for the experimental determination of proton affinities of a series of pyridine-based mono- and biradicals. In chapter 6, successful generation of <i>para</i>-benzynes in solution is discussed. The reactivity of a <i>para</i>-benzyne analog, 1,4-didehydrophenazine, is compared to its reactivity in the gas phase.</p>