Ion Aggregation and R3N+-C(R)-H···NR3 Hydrogen Bonding in a Fluorous Phase.

Potentiometric selectivities show that in fluorous ion-selective electrode membranes the tetrabutylammonium ion binds to fluorophilic proton ionophores. For the ionophore bis[3-(perfluorooctyl)propyl](2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)amine, this type of interaction is confirmed by the effect of the ionophore on the ionic conductivity of perfluoro(perhydrophenanthrene) solutions of a fluorophilic NBu4+ salt. In this system, ion pairs, triple ions, and higher ionic aggregates dominate over single ions, and the ionophore increases the conductivity by favoring the formation of ion aggregates with a net charge. These observations are consistent with the formation of R3N+-C(R)-H···NR3 type hydrogen bonds between the nitrogen atom of the ionophore and the hydrogen atoms in the α position to the positively charged quaternary ammonium center of NBu4+. Similar interactions were observed in a number of crystalline phases. To date, observations of C-H···N type hydrogen bonds in liquid phases have been very few, and solution-phase N+-C-H···N type hydrogen bonds have not been reported previously. Interestingly, no interactions between NBu4+ and the more basic ionophore tridodecylamine were observed in conventional plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes doped with the ionophore tridodecylamine, emphasizing the uniquely low polarity of fluorous phases.

Chiral Recognition Studies of α-(Nonafluoro-tert-butoxy)carboxylic Acids by NMR Spectroscopy.

Three chiral α-(nonafluoro-tert-butoxy)carboxylic acids (R)-1, (RS)-2, (R)-3 were synthesized to examine their application as chiral solvating agents with amines. As a model compound, first (S)- and/or (RS)-α-phenylethylamine was used, and their diastereomeric salts were investigated by (1)H and (19)F NMR and ECD spectroscopy. The NMR spectroscopic studies were carried out at room temperature using the slightly polar CDCl3 and apolar C6D6 as solvents in 5 mM and 54 mM concentrations. The difference of the chemical shifts (Δδ) in the diastereomeric complexes is comparable with other, well-known chiral derivatizing and solvating agents (e.g., Mosher's acid, Pirkle's alcohol). Diastereomeric salts of racemic acids (RS)-1 and (RS)-2 with biologically active amines (1R,2S)-ephedrine and (S)-dapoxetine were also investigated by (19)F NMR spectroscopy.

Fluorous polymeric membranes for ionophore-based ion-selective potentiometry: how inert is Teflon AF?

Fluorous media are the least polar and polarizable condensed phases known. Their use as membrane materials considerably increases the selectivity and robustness of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). In this research, a fluorous amorphous perfluoropolymer was used for the first time as a matrix for an ISE membrane. Electrodes for pH measurements with membranes composed of poly[4,5-difluoro-2,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-dioxole]-co-poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (87% dioxole monomer content; known as Teflon AF2400) as polymer matrix, a linear perfluorooligoether as plasticizer, sodium tetrakis[3,5-bis(perfluorohexyl)phenyl]borate providing for ionic sites, and bis[(perfluorooctyl)propyl]-2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine as H+ ionophore were investigated. All electrodes had excellent potentiometric selectivities, showed Nernstian responses to H+ over a wide pH range, exhibited enhanced mechanical stability, and maintained their selectivity over at least 4 weeks. For membranes of low ionophore concentration, the polymer affected the sensor selectivity noticeably at polymer concentrations exceeding 15%. Also, the membrane resistance increased quite strongly at high polymer concentrations, which cannot be explained by the Mackie-Meares obstruction model. The selectivities and resistances depend on the polymer concentration because of a functional group associated with Teflon AF2400, with a concentration of one functional group per 854 monomer units of the polymer. In the fluorous environment of these membranes, this functional group binds to Na+, K+, Ca2+, and the unprotonated ionophore with binding constants of 10(3.5), 10(1.8), 10(6.8), and 10(4.4) M(-1), respectively. Potentiometric and spectroscopic evidence indicates that these functional groups are COOH groups formed by the hydrolysis of carboxylic acid fluoride (COF) groups originally present in Teflon AF2400. The use of higher ionophore concentrations removes the undesirable effect of these COOH groups almost completely. Alternatively, the C(=O)F groups can be eliminated chemically, or they can be used to readily introduce new functionalities.

Fluorophilic ionophores for potentiometric pH determinations with fluorous membranes of exceptional selectivity.

Ionophore-doped sensor membranes exhibit greater selectivities and wider measuring ranges when they are prepared with noncoordinating matrixes. Since fluorous phases are the least polar and least polarizable liquid phases known, a fluorous phase was used for this work as the membrane matrix for a series of ionophore-based sensors to explore the ultimate limit of selectivity. Fluorous pH electrode membranes, each comprised of perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene, sodium tetrakis[3,5-bis(perfluorohexyl)phenyl]borate, and one of four fluorophilic H(+)-selective ionophores were prepared. All the ionophores are highly fluorinated trialkylamines containing three electron withdrawing perfluoroalkyl groups shielded from the central nitrogen by alkyl spacers of varying lengths: [CF(3)(CF(2))(7)(CH(2))(3)](2)[CF(3)(CF(2))(6)CH(2)]N, [CF(3)(CF(2))(7)(CH(2))(3)](2)(CF(3)CH(2))N, [CF(3)(CF(2))(7)(CH(2))(3)](3)N, and [CF(3)(CF(2))(7)(CH(2))(5)](3)N. Their pKa values in the fluorous matrix are as high as 15.4 +/- 0.3, and the corresponding electrodes exhibit logarithmic selectivity coefficients for H(+) over K(+) as low as <-12.8. The pKa and selectivity follow the trends expected from the degree of shielding and the length of the perfluoroalkyl chains of the ionophores. These electrodes are the first fluorous ionophore-based sensors described in the literature. The selectivities of the sensor containing [CF(3)(CF(2))(7)(CH(2))(5)](3)N are not only greater than those of analogous sensors with nonfluorous membranes but were of the same magnitude as the best ionophore-based pH sensors ever reported.

Coordinative properties of highly fluorinated solvents with amino and ether groups.

Despite the widespread use of perfluorinated solvents with amino and ether groups in a variety of application fields, the coordinative properties of these compounds are poorly known. It is generally assumed that the electron withdrawing perfluorinated moieties render these functional groups rather inert, but little is known quantitatively about the extent of their inertness. This paper reports on the interactions between inorganic monocations and perfluorotripentylamine and 2H-perfluoro-5,8,11-trimethyl-3,6,9,12-tetraoxapentadecane, as determined with fluorous liquid-membrane cation-selective electrodes doped with tetrakis[3,5-bis(perfluorohexyl)phenyl]borate salts. The amine does not undergo measurable association with any ion tested, and its formal pK(a) is shown to be smaller than -0.5. This is consistent with the nearly planar structure of the amine at its nitrogen center, as obtained with density functional theory calculations. The tetraether interacts very weakly with Na(+) and Li(+). Assuming 1:1 stoichiometry, formal association constants were determined to be 2.3 and 1.5 M(-1), respectively. This disproves an earlier proposition that the Lewis base character in such compounds may be nonexistent. Due to the extremely low polarity of fluorous solvents and the resulting high extent of ion pair formation, a fluorophilic electrolyte salt with perfluoroalkyl substituents on both the cation and the anion had to be developed for these experiments. In its pure form, this first fluorophilic electrolyte salt is an ionic liquid with a glass transition temperature, T(g), of -18.5 degrees C. Interestingly, the molar conductivity of solutions of this salt increases very steeply in the high concentration range, making it a particularly effective electrolyte salt.