Synthesis and Single-Electron Oxidation of Bulky Bis(m-terphenyl)chalcogenides: The Quest for Kinetically Stabilized Radical Cations.

Sterically encumbered bis(m-terphenyl)chalcogenides, (2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 E (E=S, Se, Te) were obtained by the reaction of the chalcogen tetrafluorides, EF4 , with three equivalents of m-terphenyl lithium, 2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 Li. The single-electron oxidation of (2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 Te using XeF2 /K[B(C6 F5 )4 ] afforded the radical cation [(2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 Te][B(C6 F5 )4 ] that was isolated and fully characterized. The electrochemical oxidation of the lighter homologs (2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 E (E=S, Se) was irreversible and impaired by rapid decomposition.

Tuning the Optoelectronic Properties of Stannoles by the Judicious Choice of the Organic Substituents.

Stannoles are organometallic rings in which the heteroatom is involved in a form of conjugation that is called σ*-π* conjugation. Only very little is known about how the substituents on the Sn atom or substituents on the stannole ring determine the optoelectronic properties of these heterocycles. In this work, this question has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Calculations of optimized equilibrium geometries, energy gaps between the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs), and of the absorption spectra of a wide range of compounds were performed. The computational data showed that the substituents on the Sn atom influence the optoelectronic properties to a lower extent than the substituents in the 2 and 5 positions of the ring. These substituents in the 2 and 5 positions of the stannole ring can also have a strong influence on the overall planarity of the structure, in which mesomeric effects can play a substantial role only if the structure is planar. Thus, only structures with a planar backbone are of interest in the context of tuning the optoelectronic properties. These were selected for the experimental studies. On the basis of this information, a series of six novel stannoles was synthesized by the formation of a zirconium intermediate and subsequent transmetalation to obtain the tin compound. The calculated electronic HOMO-LUMO energy gaps varied between 2.94 and 2.68 eV. The measured absorption maxima were located between 415 and 448 nm compared to theoretically calculated values ranging from 447 nm (2.77 eV) to 482 nm (2.57 eV). In addition to these optical measurements, cyclic voltammetry data could be obtained, which show two reversible oxidation processes for three of the six stannoles. With this study, it could be demonstrated how the judicious choice of the substituents can lead to large and predictable bathochromic shifts in the absorption spectra.

New Charge-Transfer Complexes with 1,2,5-Thiadiazoles as Both Electron Acceptors and Donors Featuring an Unprecedented Addition Reaction.

The design and synthesis of novel charge-transfer (CT) complexes are of interest for fundamental chemistry and applications to materials science. In addition to the recently described first CT complex with both electron acceptor (A) and donor (D) groups belonging to the 1,2,5-thiadiazole series (1; A: 4-nitro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole; D: 4-amino-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole), herein novel CT complexes 2 and 3 with 1,2,5-thiadiazoles as both A (4,6-dinitro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole and [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole) and D (4-amino-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole) were synthesized. The series is completed by complex 4 with [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole as A and phenoxatellurine as D. Structures of complexes 2-4 were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), as well as solution and solid-state UV/Vis spectroscopy. Thermodynamics of their formation were obtained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, their bonding situations were analyzed by quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) calculations and dimer model energies of interactions quantified in the framework of the Hirshfeld surface (HS) analysis. With DFT calculations, the largest value of CT between D and A was found for complex 2, with 0.027 e in the XRD structure and 0.150 e in the optimized structure in MeCN. In the UV/Vis spectra, the λmax of the CT bands of 2-4 varied in the range λ=517-705 nm. Model energy calculations for 1-4 revealed the importance of both dispersion interactions and hydrogen bonding between D and A as contributors to CT in the crystalline state. In an attempt to enlarge the CT value with bis[1,2,5-thiadiazolo][3,4-b;3',4'-e]pyrazine as A and 4-amino-2,1,3-benzoselenadiazole as D, an unprecedented 1:1 addition reaction was observed upon formation of a C-N bond between atom C7 of D and pyrazine atom N4 of A, accompanied by hydrogen atom transfer from C7 to another pyrazine atom N8 (compound 5). According to DFT calculations, the reaction is a multistep process featuring diradical intermediates and hydrogen atom intramolecular migration over four positions. Molecular and crystal structures of 5 (solvate with toluene) were elucidated by XRD and the crystal structure revealed a rather unusual porous framework.

Halogenated Dodecaborate Clusters as Agents to Trigger Release of Liposomal Contents.

Halogenated dodecaborates, and especially dodecaiodododecaborate(2-), are found to trigger effectively the release of the contents of phospholipid liposomes, including liposomes containing distearoylphosphatidylcholine and cholesterol, which are used clinically in cancer therapy. The basis of the release is studied through differential scanning calorimetry, cryo-transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Upon administration at high concentrations, drastic morphological changes are induced by the dodecaborates. Their possible use in triggered release is suggested.