Characterization of natural rubber using size-exclusion chromatography with online multi-angle light scattering. Study of the phenomenon behind the abnormal elution profile.

Natural and synthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) were characterized by size-exclusion chromatography coupled with an online multi-angle light scattering detector (SEC-MALS). Unlike synthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) (SR), natural rubber (NR) samples showed anomalous elution profiles. The beginning of elution was very similar to SR but, after a certain elution volume, the molar masses of the eluting macromolecules increased with elution volume instead of continuing to decrease, which resulted in an upturn curve profile. Adding tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBABr) to THF (solvent and mobile phase) removed this phenomenon. In addition, using different concentrations of TBABr showed that TBABr had two simultaneous actions. TBABr reduced the abnormal elution profiles and the quantity of aggregates (insoluble part or gel). These results mean that the main phenomenon involved in abnormal elution was delayed entities adsorbing on the column packing. Their delayed elution was responsible for the artificial increase in molar masses, especially at high elution volumes. The results obtained suggest that these entities are very compact and have a sphere-like structure.

Electrophilic amination of amino acids with N-Boc-oxaziridines: efficient preparation of N-orthogonally diprotected hydrazino acids and piperazic acid derivatives.

A general two-step preparation of enantiopure N(alpha),N(beta)-orthogonally diprotected alpha-hydrazino acids 1 is developed on a multigram scale. The key reaction is the efficient electrophilic amination of N-benzyl amino acids 6 with N-Boc-oxaziridine 7 and accommodates various functional groups encountered in side chains of amino acids. The cyclic 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-3-pyridazine carboxylic acid (piperazic acid) derivatives 2 and 3 or the cyclic 3,4-dihydro-3-pyrazolecarboxylate 4 are conveniently prepared from glutamic acid or aspartic acid via orthogonally diprotected alpha-hydrazino acids 1m and 1n.

Kinetic and thermodynamic consequences of the substitution of SMe for OMe substituents of cryptophane hosts on the binding of neutral and cationic guests.

To investigate the origin of the high selectivity of cryptophane-E (1) towards Me3NH+, Me4N+, and CHCl3, and particularly to discriminate the different contributions that stabilize the supramolecular complexes, we have synthesized the new cryptophane 2 bearing six MeS groups instead of MeO groups in 1. This led to a decrease of the negative charge density in the equatorial region of 2 without affecting notably the size of the molecular cavity. The binding properties of 1 and 2 towards the three guests were examined in solution and showed a slight decrease of the deltaGa favoring the complexes of 1, accompanied by a significant modification of the deltaHa vs. deltaSa balance. The binding of the ammonium guests to 1 and 2 was strongly entropy driven, while that of CHCl3 was purely enthalpy driven. A combination of spectroscopic and computational techniques was used to assign the main intermolecular interactions that occurred during the inclusion process. The neutral CHCl3 molecule is more stabilized in the less negatively charged CTV cap of 1. The different behavior towards the ammonium cations can be explained in term of interactions with the electronegative heteroatoms and cation-pi interactions. Moreover, this study revealed a considerable slowing down of the guest exchange kinetics with host 2, for which the association and dissociation rates are reduced by a factor 10(3) to 10(4) with respect to 1. For example, at room temperature, the Me4N+@2 complex exhibits a half-life of ca. 2 years, instead of a few hours for the corresponding complex of 1.

Resolution of Racemates: Did You Say "Classical"?

A successful "family approach" is already being used in industry for large-scale enantiomeric resolutions. In this method, racemates are resolved by formation of salts with mixtures of three structurally related resolving agents instead of a single one. Although the physical chemistry behind this is still largely unexplored, successful resolution is more likely and resolution efficiency is often improved over that of classical resolution.

Spin Transition in [Fe(DPEA)(NCS)(2)], a Compound with the New Tetradentate Ligand (2-Aminoethyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (DPEA): Crystal Structure, Magnetic Properties, and Mössbauer Spectroscopy.

The new spin transition compound [Fe(II)(DPEA)(NCS)(2)], where DPEA [(2-aminoethyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine] is a new tetradentate ligand, has been synthesized, and its structure, magnetic properties, and Mössbauer spectra have been investigated. The crystal structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction at 298 K. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group is P2(1)/c, with Z = 4,a = 9.358(1) Å, b = 11.812(2) Å, c = 17.135(2) Å, and beta = 94.5(4) degrees. The distorted [FeN(6)] octahedron is formed from four nitrogen atoms belonging to DPEA and two provided by the cis thiocyanate groups. The two pyridine rings of DPEA are in mer positions. Each molecule is linked to its neighbors by hydrogen-bonding interactions as well as by numerous van der Waals contacts supposed to be responsible for the cooperativity of the system. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements (20-290 K) have evidenced a relatively abrupt S = 2 right harpoon over left harpoon S = 0 transition centered at T(1/2) = 138 K. The thermal variation of the high spin state fraction observed by Mössbauer spectroscopy is in agreement with that obtained from magnetic susceptibility measurements. The fitting of Mössbauer and magnetic data with the Ising-like model allowed us to determine the energy gap between the high-spin and low-spin states (Delta(eff) = 835 K) and to estimate the variation of the thermodynamic parameters upon spin transition. The calculated variations of enthalpy (DeltaH = 6.76 kJ mol(-)(1)) and entropy (DeltaS = 49 J mol(-)(1) K(-)(1)) associated with the spin transition are in agreement with those previously observed for iron(II) spin-crossover compounds. The spin conversion is found to be close to a first-order phenomenon.

Polymorphism in Spin Transition Systems. Crystal Structure, Magnetic Properties, and Mössbauer Spectroscopy of Three Polymorphic Modifications of [Fe(DPPA)(NCS)(2)] [DPPA = (3-Aminopropyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine].

Three polymorphic modifications A-C of [Fe(II)(DPPA)(NCS)(2)], where DPPA = (3-aminopropyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine is a new tetradentate ligand, have been synthesized, and their structures, magnetic properties, and Mössbauer spectra have been investigated. For polymorph A, variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements as well as Mössbauer spectroscopy have revealed the occurrence of a rather gradual HS if LS transition without hysteresis, centered at about 176 K. The same methods have shown that polymorph B is paramagnetic over the temperature range 4.5-295 K, whereas polymorph C exhibits a very abrupt S = 2 if S = 0 transition with a hysteresis. The hysteresis width is 8 K, the transitions being centered at T(c) downward arrow = 112 K for decreasing and T(c) upward arrow = 120 K for increasing temperatures. The crystal structures of the three polymorphs have been solved by X-ray diffraction at 298 K. Polymorph A is triclinic, space group P&onemacr; with Z = 2, a = 8.710(2) Å, b = 15.645(2) Å, c = 7.985(1) Å, alpha = 101.57(1) degrees, beta = 112.59(2) degrees, and gamma = 82.68(2) degrees. Polymorph B is monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c with Z = 4, a = 8.936(2) Å, b = 16.855(4) Å, c = 13.645(3) Å, and beta = 97.78(2) degrees. Polymorph C is orthorhombic, space group Pbca with Z = 8, a = 8.449(2) Å, b = 14.239(2) Å, and c = 33.463(5) Å. In the three polymorphs, the asymmetric units are almost identical and consist of one chiral complex molecule with the same configuration and conformation. The distorted [FeN(6)] octahedron is formed by four nitrogen atoms belonging to DPPA and two provided by the cis thiocyanate groups. The two pyridine rings of DPPA are in fac positions. The main differences between the structures of the three polymorphs are found in their crystal packing. The stabilization of the high-spin ground state of polymorph B is tentatively explained by the presence of two centers of steric strain in the crystal lattice resulting in the elongation of the Fe-N(aromatic) distance. The observed hysteresis in polymorph C seems to be due to the existence of an array of intermolecular contacts in the crystal lattice making the spin transition more cooperative than in polymorph A.