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The ortho-phenylenes are a simple class of helical oligomers and representative of the broader class of sterically congested polyphenylenes. Recent work has shown that o-phenylenes fold into well-defined helical conformations (in solution and, typically, in the solid state); however, the specific causes of this folding behavior have not been determined. Here, we report the effect of substituents on the conformational distributions of a series of o-phenylene hexamers. These experiments are complemented by dispersion-corrected DFT calculations on model oligomers (B97-D/TZV(2d,2p)). The results are consistent with a deterministic role for offset arene–arene stacking interactions on the folding behavior. On the basis of the experimental and computational results, we propose a model for o-phenylene folding with two simple rules. (1) Conformers are forbidden if they include a particular sequence of biaryl torsional states that causes excessive steric strain. These "ABA" states correspond to consecutive dihedral angles of -55°/+130°/-55° (or +55°/-130°/+55). (2) The stability of the remaining conformers is determined by offset arene–arene stacking interactions that are easily estimated as an additive function of the number of well-folded torsional states (±55°) along the backbone. For the parent, unsubstituted poly(o-phenylene), each interaction contributes roughly 0.5 kcal/mol to the helix stability (in chloroform), although their strength is sensitive to substituent effects. The behavior of theo-phenylenes as a class is discussed in the context of this model. They are analogous to α-helices, with axial aromatic stacking interactions in place of hydrogen bonding. The model predicts that the overall folding propensity should be quite sensitive to relatively small changes in the strength of the arene–arene stacking. In a broader sense, these results demonstrate that polyphenylenes may exhibit folding behavior that is amenable to simple models, and validate the use of diffusion-corrected DFT methods in predicting their three-dimensional structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of diiminoisoindoline with amine-terminated polyethers results in the formation of phthalocrown macrocycles. For n = 1 (where n is the number of ether units), a 2 + 2 condensation takes place, but for n = 2 and 3, a 1 + 1 macrocyde formation occurs. The n = 2 phthalocrown is particularly stable due to a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond, but the n = 3 ring hydrolyzes to form a 3-imino-l-oxoisoindoline derivatized crown ether species. For the n = 1 phthalocrown, we observed dynamic behavior in the ¹H NMR spectrum, and using VTNMR were able to measure a ΔG = 44.6 kJ/mol for proton exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An addition to the article "The Role of Arene-Arene Interactions in the Folding of ortho-Phenylenes" published in 2013 is presented and concerns the addition of an ASCII file for the Cartesian coordinates for optimized computational geometries which can be found online at http://pubs.acs.org.

Phlorins bearing different substituents at the sp³-hybridized meso-position were investigated. The extent to which different substituents at this unique position can influence phlorin spectroscopic properties, structure, and stability is of interest given that such substituents are not in direct conjugation with the phlorin macrocycle. While the effect of various substituents at the sp2-hybridized positions has been the subject of prior investigations, the impact of different substituents at the saturated carbon atom has not been systematically examined. In this study, phlorins with different combinations of geminal methyl and phenyl substituents were prepared in yields of 24-49% via dipyrromethane + dipyrromethanedicarbinol routes, and their NMR spectra, UV-vis spectra, X-ray crystal structures, and stability toward light and air were compared. The nature of the substituents at the sp³-hybridized position was found to impact spectroscopic properties, structure, and stability to varying degrees. Thus, the choice of substituents at the sp³-hybridized meso-position provides a further option for altering phlorin properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new fluorescent chromophore BOPHY can be readily synthesized in two steps from commercially available reagents via the coupling of pyrrole-2-carbox-aldehyde with hydrazine followed by reaction with BF3. The resultant symmetric and dimeric tetracycle is composed of two BF2 units in six-membered chelate rings appended with pyrrole units on the periphery. The quantum yields of fluorescence for the unmodified compound and the tetramethyl variant are near unity, with values of 95 and 92%, respectively, in CH2Cl2. We have probed the electronic structure of this compound via cyclic voltammetry and density functional theory analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formal replacement of one or two pyrrole groups in meso-tetraphenylporphyrin by oxazole moieties is described, generating inter alia the bacteriochlorin-type chromophores oxazolobacteriochlorins (oxabacteriochlorins) and bisoxazolobacteriochlorins (dioxabacteriochlorins). The key step is the conversion of a β,β'-dihydroxy-functionalized pyrroline group into an oxazolone or (substituted) oxazole. Depending on the substitution pattern on the oxazole or oxazoline moieties, mono- and dioxabacteriochlorins may have chlorin- or bacteriochlorin-like spectra. The optical properties (as measured by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies) of the novel oxa- and dioxabacteriochlorins are described and contrasted against benchmark chlorins and bacteriochlorins. The conformations of a representative number of mono- and dioxabacteriochlorins, as their free bases or ZnII complexes, were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. They proved to be essentially planar, showing that the modulation of their optical properties is primarily due to their intrinsic electronic structures and electronic substituent effects and are not largely affected by conformational effects. The mono- and bisoxazolobacteriochlorins are a novel class of readily prepared and oxidatively stable chlorin and bacteriochlorin analogues with tunable optical spectra that, in part, reach into the NIR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex [Ru(bpy)2(bpSO)](PF6)2, where bpy is 2,2'-bipydine and bpSO is l,2-bis(phenylsulfinyl)ethane, exhibits three distinct isomers which are accessible upon metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) irradiation. This complex and its parent, [Ru(bpy)2(bpte)](PF6)2, where bpte is 1,2-bis(phenylthio)ethane, have been synthesized and characterized by UV--visible spectroscopy, NMR, X-ray crystallography, and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. A novel method of 2-color Pump-Repump-Probe spectroscopy has been employed to investigate all three isomers of the bis-sulfoxide complex This method allows for observation of the isomerization dynamics of sequential isomerizations of each sulfoxide from MLCT irradiation of the S,S-bonded complex to ultimately form the 0,0-bonded metastable complex. One-dimensional (l-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) (COSY, NOESY, and TOCSY) 'H NMR data show the thioether and ground state S,S-bonded sulfoxide complexes to be rigorously C2 symmetric and are consistent with the crystal structures. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that the S,S to S,0 isomerization occurs with an observed time constant of 56.8 (±7.4) ps. The S,0 to 0,0 isomerization time constant was found to be 59 (±4) ps by pump-repump-probe spectroscopy. The composite S,S- to 0,0-isomer quantum yield is 0.42. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formal replacement of a pyrrole moiety of meso-tetraarylporphyrin 1 by an oxazole moiety is described. The key step is the conversion of porpholactones 4 (prepared by a known two-step oxidation procedure from 1) by addition of alkyl Grignard reagent to form meso-tetraaryl-3-alkyl-2-oxachlorins 9 (alkyloxazolochlorins; alkyl = Me, Et, iPr). Hemiacetal 9 can be converted to an acetal, reduced to an ether, or converted to bis-alkyloxazolochlorins 11. The optical properties (UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy) are described. The chlorin-like optical properties of the alkyloxazolochlorins are compared to regular chlorins, such as 2,3-dihydroxychlorins and nonalkylated oxazolochlorins made by reduction from porpholactone 4. The conformations of the mono- and bis-alkylated 2-oxachlorins, as determined by single crystal X-ray diffractometry, are essentially planar, thus proving that their optical properties are largely due to their intrinsic electronic properties and not affected by conformational effects. The mono- and bis-3-alkyl-2-oxachlorins are a class of readily prepared and oxidatively stable chlorins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new zwitterionic nickel(II) catalyst that comprises a partially fluorinated tetrakis(aryl)borate center in a bidentate phosphine ligand and a cationic Ni center has been developed and studied for CO-ethylene copolymerization in the context of comparison with a previously reported zwitterionic catalyst that carries a nonfluorinated borate anion. The crystal structures of several zwitterionic and related nickel compounds are characterized. Partial fluorination of the tetrakis(aryl)borate only brings a modest increase in productivity (2700 vs 1600 g of polyketone per gram of Ni, g (g of Ni)-1). Like the nonfluorinated catalyst, the fluorinated zwitterionic catalyst is extremely active at the beginning of the polymerization but deactivates rapidly. Deactivation of the two catalysts apparently follows different mechanisms. Stoichometric decomposition studies show that the partially fluorinated tetrakis(aryl)borate in the Ni compounds is stable under acidic conditions either directly introduced by addition of an acid or created by a CO atmosphere. In contrast, the nonfluorinated tetrakis(aryl)borate is readily decomposed by an acid or under acidic conditions created by CO. For the new catalyst system with the partially fluorinated tetrakis(aryl)borate anion, the deactivation likely involves initially redox processes and eventually ligand redistribution around Ni, as inferred from the stoichiometric decomposition studies. It turns out that such a process allows the deactivated catalyst to be reactivated by H2. When the polymerization is carried out in the presence of H2, the productivity of the new zwitterionic catalyst can reach 6400 g (g of Ni)-1. The zwitterionic catalyst with the nonfluorinated tetrakis(aryl)borate anion cannot be reactivated by H2. A cationic analogue of the zwitterionic catalysts is also studied for comparison. Its productivity for CO-ethylene copolymerization (230 g (g of Ni)-1) is about 1 order of magnitude lower than that of the zwitterionic catalysts, demonstrating the critical role of the zwitterionic character in attaining the aforementioned high productivity. At the productivity level of the zwitterionic catalysts, which to our knowledge is among the highest observed for Ni catalysts, an unacceptable amount of residual Ni(II) species is left in the product, causing the alternating CO-ethylene copolymer to begin to decompose near its melting temperature and hence making melt processing difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational syntheses of meso-tetraaryl-3-oxo-2-oxaporphyrins 5, known as porpholactones, via Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed-mediated oxidations of the corresponding meso-tetraaryl-2,3- dihydroxychlorins (7) is detailed. Since chlorin 7 is prepared from the parent porphyrin 1, this amounts to a 2-step replacement of a pyrrole moiety in 1 by an oxazolone moiety. The stepwise reduction of the porpholactone 5 results in the formation of chlorin analogues, meso-tetraaryl-3-hydroxy-2- oxachlorin (11) and meso-tetraaryl-2-oxachlorins (12). The reactivity of 11 with respect to nucleophilic substitution by O-, N-, and S-nucleophiles is described. The profound photophysical consequences of the formal replacement of a pyrrole with an oxazolone (porphyrin-like chromophore) or (substituted) oxazole moiety (chlorin-like chromophore with, for the parent oxazolochlorin 12, red-shifted Qx band with enhanced oscillator strengths) are detailed and rationalized on the basis of SAC--CI and MNDO-PSDCI molecular orbital theory calculations. The single crystal X-ray structures of the porpholactones point at a minor steric interaction between the carbonyl oxygen and the flanking phenyl group. The essentially planar structures of all chromophores in all oxidation states prove that the observed optical properties originate from the intrinsic electronic properties of the chromophores and are not subject to conformational modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]