Effect of counter-ion on packing and crystal density of 5,5'-(3,3'-bi[1,2,4-oxa-diazole]-5,5'-di-yl)bis-(1H-tetra-zol-1-olate) with five different cations.

In energetic materials, the crystal density is an important parameter that affects the performance of the material. When making ionic energetic materials, the choice of counter-ion can have detrimental or beneficial effects on the packing, and therefore the density, of the resulting energetic crystal. Presented herein are a series of five ionic energetic crystals, all containing the dianion 5,5'-(3,3'-bi[1,2,4-oxa-diazole]-5,5'-di-yl)bis-(1H-tetra-zol-1-olate), with the following cations: hydrazinium (1) (2N2H5+·C6N12O42-), hydroxyl-ammonium (2) 2NH4O+·C6N12O42- [Pagoria et al.. (2017). Chem. Heterocycl. Compd, 53, 760-778; included for comparison], di-methyl-ammonium (3) (2C2H8N+·C6N12O42-), 5-amino-1H-tetra-zol-4-ium (4) (2CH4N5+·C6N12O42-·4H2O), and amino-guanidinium (5) (2CH7N4+·C6N12O42-). Both the supra-molecular inter-actions and the sterics of the cation play a role in the density of the resulting crystals, which range from 1.544 to 1.873 Mg m-1. In 5, the tetra-zolate ring is disordered over two positions [occupancy ratio 0.907 (5):0.093 (5)] due to a 180° rotation in the terminal tetra-zole rings.

Statistical analysis of the chemical attribution signatures of 3-methylfentanyl and its methods of production.

Chemical attribution of the origin of an illegal drug is a key component of forensic efforts aimed at combating illicit and clandestine manufacture of drugs and pharmaceuticals. The results of these studies yield detailed information on synthesis byproducts, reagents, and precursors that can be used to identify the method of manufacture. In the present work, chemical attribution signatures (CAS) associated with the synthesis of the analgesic 3-methylfentanyl, N-(3-methyl-1-phenethylpiperidin-4-yl)-N-phenylpropanamide, were investigated. Eighteen crude samples from six synthesis methods were generated, the analysis of which was used to identify signatures (i.e. chemical compounds) that were important in the discrimination of synthetic route. These methods were carefully selected to minimize the use of scheduled precursors, complicated laboratory equipment, number of steps, and extreme reaction conditions. Using gas and liquid chromatographies combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-QTOF and LC-QTOF) over 160 distinct species were monitored. Analysis of this combined data set was performed using modern machine learning techniques capable of reducing the size of the data set, prioritizing key chemical attribution signatures, and identifying the method of production for blindly synthesized 3-methylfentanyl materials.

Chemical Attribution of Fentanyl Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Orthogonal Mass Spectral Data.

Attribution of the origin of an illicit drug relies on identification of compounds indicative of its clandestine production and is a key component of many modern forensic investigations. The results of these studies can yield detailed information on method of manufacture, starting material source, and final product, all critical forensic evidence. In the present work, chemical attribution signatures (CAS) associated with the synthesis of the analgesic fentanyl, N-(1-phenylethylpiperidin-4-yl)-N-phenylpropanamide, were investigated. Six synthesis methods, all previously published fentanyl synthetic routes or hybrid versions thereof, were studied in an effort to identify and classify route-specific signatures. A total of 160 distinct compounds and inorganic species were identified using gas and liquid chromatographies combined with mass spectrometric methods (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-time of-flight (LC-MS/MS-TOF)) in conjunction with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The complexity of the resultant data matrix urged the use of multivariate statistical analysis. Using partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), 87 route-specific CAS were classified and a statistical model capable of predicting the method of fentanyl synthesis was validated and tested against CAS profiles from crude fentanyl products deposited and later extracted from two operationally relevant surfaces: stainless steel and vinyl tile. This work provides the most detailed fentanyl CAS investigation to date by using orthogonal mass spectral data to identify CAS of forensic significance for illicit drug detection, profiling, and attribution.

Grubbs and Hoveyda-Type Ruthenium Complexes Bearing a Cyclic Bent-Allene.

Stable cyclic bent-allene 1 displaces the chelating ether linkage of the Hoveyda-Grubbs-type ruthenium complex 2 bearing triphenylphosphine. The resulting complex 3 features an unusual cis-arrangement of the phosphine and the cyclic bent-allene, while retaining a distorted square pyramidal geometry around the ruthenium center. Monitoring by (31)P NMR spectroscopy the reaction of cyclic bent-allene 1 with the indenylidene bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium dichloride complex 4 allowed for the observation of dissociated triphenylphosphine, and the formation of a ruthenium complex featuring 1 and triphenylphosphine in the desired trans-configuration. However, continued reaction times saw the disappearance of this complex, and after workup complex 5 featuring a cis-arrangement was isolated.

A persistent (amino)(ferrocenyl)carbene().

Deprotonation of N,N-diisopropyl-C-ferrocenylaldiminium triflate 2 cleanly leads to the corresponding 1,2-diamino-1,2-diferrocenylethene 3, the dimer of the desired (amino)(ferrocenyl)carbene. Fulvene 6, obtained by addition of the lithium salt of tetramethylcyclopentadiene to methoxyformamidinium methylsulfate 5, reacts with dicarbonylcyclopentadienylbromoiron(II), and with a mixture of FeCl(2) and Cp* lithium salt, affording the corresponding tetramethylferrocenylaldiminium salt 7, and nonamethylferrocenylaldiminium salt 8, respectively. Although the deprotonation of 7 gives a complex mixture of products, the treatment of 8 at -78 °C with sodium hexamethyldisilazide allowed for the isolation of the corresponding (amino)(ferrocenyl)carbene 9 as a yellow powder. However, even in the solid state, it is stable for less than 48 h at -20 °C. In addition to NMR spectroscopy, evidence for the carbene nature of 9 was found by a trapping experiment with sulfur that leads to the corresponding adduct 10, which was characterized by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study.

Exocyclic delocalization at the expense of aromaticity in 3,5-bis(pi-donor) substituted pyrazolium ions and corresponding cyclic bent allenes.

Small ring allenes are usually highly strained and highly reactive species, and for a long time considered only as transient intermediates. The recent isolation of a five membered heterocyclic allene 1f has raised questions and debate regarding the factors responsible for its stability. Since 1f has been derived by deprotonation of a pyrazolium ion 2f, it has been suggested that the stability of 1f comes from its aromatic character. Here we report computational evidence, including HOMA and NICS aromaticity indices, that allenes derived from 3,5-bis(pi-donor) substituted pyrazolium salts are weakly aromatic to nonaromatic, and that even their pyrazolium ion precursors have dramatically reduced aromaticity. Exocyclic delocalization, involving the pi-donor substituents, occurs at the expense of aromaticity and increases with the strength of the donor. Experimental support for these conclusions is found in the crystallographically determined structure of 3,5-bis(dimethlamino)pyrazolium ion 2g, which exhibits highly pyramidalized endocyclic nitrogen centers but planarized exocyclic ones, and from the facile C4 protonation to give a stable pyrazole-1,2-diium salt 3g, which has also been crystallographically characterized.