Photoreductive generation of amorphous bismuth nanoparticles using polysaccharides--bismuth-cellulose nanocomposites.

A simple and highly reproducible synthesis of amorphous bismuth nanoparticles incorporated into a polysaccharide matrix using a photoreduction process is presented. As precursor for the generation of the Bi nanoparticles, organosoluble triphenylbismuth is used. The precursor is dissolved in toluene and mixed with a hydrophobic organosoluble polysaccharide, namely trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC) with high DSSi. The solution is subjected to UV exposure, which induces the homolytic cleavage of the bismuth-carbon bond in BiPh3 resulting in the formation of Bi(0) and phenyl radicals. The aggregation of the Bi atoms can be controlled in the TMSC matrix and yields nanoparticles of around 20 nm size as proven by TEM. The phenyl radicals undergo recombination to form small organic molecules like benzene and biphenyl, which can be removed from the nanocomposite after lyophilization and exposure to high vacuum. Finally, the TMSC matrix is converted to cellulose after exposure to HCl vapors, which remove the trimethylsilyl groups from the TMSC derivative. Although TMSC is converted to cellulose, the formed TMS-OH is not leaving the nanocomposite but reacts instead with surface oxide layer of the Bi nanoparticles to form silylated Bi nanoparticles as proven by TEM/EDX.

Peptide coupling between amino acids and the carboxylic acid of a functionalized chlorido-gold(I)-phosphane.

We have developed a protocol for the direct coupling between methyl ester protected amino acids and the chlorido-gold(I)-phosphane (p-HOOC(C6H4)PPh2)AuCl. By applying the EDC·HCl/NHS strategy (EDC·HCl = N-ethyl-N'-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride, NHS = N-hydroxysuccinimide), the methyl esters of l-phenylalanine, glycine, l-leucine, l-alanine, and l-methionine are coupled with the carboxylic acid of the gold complex in moderate to good yields (62-88%). All amino acid tagged gold complexes were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. As corroborated by measurement of the angle of optical rotation, no racemization occurred during the reaction. The molecular structure of the leucine derivative was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In the course of developing an efficient coupling protocol, the acyl chlorides (p-Cl(O)C(C6H4)PPh2)AuX (X = Cl, Br) were also prepared and characterized.

Facile oxidation of NHC-Au(I) to NHC-Au(III) complexes by CsBr3.

CsBr3 was investigated as a new and convenient oxidant for NHC-Au(I) complexes (NHC = imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-3-ylidene) for the preparation of the respective Au(III) complexes. The Au(I) complexes were synthesized by the silver salt method using [(NHC)2Ag]PF6 and (tht)AuBr. Unexpectedly, the reactions yielded both neutral (NHC)AuBr and ionic [(NHC)2Au]PF6, depending on the N-substituent of the NHC ligand. Oxidation with CsBr3 gave the complexes (NHC)AuBr3 and [(NHC)2AuBr2]PF6 in high yields and purity, which proves the suitability of this reagent. The complexes were further characterised by X-ray diffraction and electronic absorption and emission spectroscopy. The Au(I) complexes exhibit a dual emission attributable to intraligand fluorescence and phosphorescence at both room temperature and 77 K. Upon irradiation with polychromatic light (λ > 305 nm), the Au(III) complexes are cleanly photo-reduced to the Au(I) congener.

Silver and gold complexes with a new 1,10-phenanthroline analogue N-heterocyclic carbene: a combined structural, theoretical, and photophysical study.

Unusual coordination for gold: an imidazolium salt was synthesized and used as a precursor for an N-heterocyclic carbene, which can be considered as the carbene analogue of 1,10-phenanthroline. Like the diimine congener, this ligand gives luminescent metal complexes. Remarkably, the Au(III) complex features a gold atom in an unusual environment: it is surrounded by six donor atoms, two of which interact electrostatically with the Au atom.