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Chloromagnesium dimethylaminoborohydride (ClMg+ [H3BNMe2]-, MgAB) is an analogue of the versatile lithium dialkylaminoborohydrides (LAB reagents), prepared by the reaction of dimethylamine-borane with methylmagnesium chloride. MgAB is a partial reducing agent for Weinreb amides under ambient conditions and is complementary to the commonly utilized lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) and diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL) reagents, while exhibiting enhanced chemoselectivity. To prevent over-reduction, the aldehyde products are readily isolated in good yields by forming the sodium bisulfite adducts. Aldehyde products can both be stored and later used as the bisulfite adducts, or can be regenerated from the bisulfite adducts by treatment with aqueous formaldehyde.

Monomers or N-alkoxyamine initiators containing protected thiol groups are utilized to prepare polymers via nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization. Following thiol deprotection, the macromolecular properties of these polymers are manipulated, by adjusting the redox conditions to either form or cleave disulfide bonds, or irreversibly cap free thiols by the rapid addition to a maleimide Michael acceptor. Formation of disulfide bonds under dilute conditions results in intramolecular disulfide formation, resulting in internal polymer collapse. Alternatively, disulfide formation under high concentration results in intermolecular crosslinking of polymers to form networked macromolecular assemblies.© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum dot (QD) fluorescence is effectively quenched at low concentration by nitroxides bearing amine or carboxylic acid ligands. The association constants and fluorescence quenching of CdSe QDs with these derivatized nitroxides have been examined using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The EPR spectra in the non-protic solvent toluene are extremely sensitive to intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonding of the functionalized nitroxides. Fluorescence measurements show that quenching of QD luminescence is nonlinear, with a strong dependence on the distance between the radical and the QD. The quenched fluorescence is restored when the surface-bound nitroxides are converted to hydroxylamines by mild reducing agents, or trapped by carbon radicals to form alkoxyamines. EPR studies indicate that photoreduction of the nitroxide occurs in toluene solution upon photoexcitation at 365 nm. However, photolysis in benzene solution gives no photoreduction, suggesting that photoreduction in toluene is independent of the quenching mechanism. The fluorescence quenching of QDs by nitroxide binding is a reversible process.