Kohlensuboxid in der präparativen Organischen Chemie

Divalent carbon(0) compounds

Quantum chemical studies show that there is a class of carbon compounds with the general formular CL2 where the carbon atom retains its four valence electrons as two lone pairs. The C-L bonds come from L → C donor-acceptor interactions where L is a strong σ-donor. Divalent C(0) compounds (carbones) are conceptually different from divalent C(II) compounds (carbenes) and tetravalent carbon compounds, but the bonding situation in a real molecule may be intermediate between the three archetypes. There are molecules like tetraaminoallenes which may be described in terms of two double bonds (R2N)2C=C=C(NR2)2 where the extraordinary donor strength of the dicoordinated carbon atom comes only to the fore through the interactions with protons and Lewis acids. They may be considered as "hidden divalent C(0) compounds". The donor strength of divalent C(0) molecules has been investigated by calculations of the binding energies with protons and with main-group Lewis acids and the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of transition-metal complexes.

First and second proton affinities of carbon bases

Quantum chemical calculations at the MP2/TZVPP//BP86/SVP level are reported for the first and second proton affinities (PAs) of divalent carbon-donor molecules. The molecules investigated are imidazol-2-ylidenes ("normal" NHCs) and the tautomeric imidazol-4/5-ylidenes ("abnormal" NHCs). PAs are also calculated for acyclic and cyclic carbodiphosphoranes, carbophosphoranesulfide, unsaturated and saturated carbodicarbenes, tetraaminoallenes and carbon suboxide. The results are discussed in terms of divalent carbon(II) compounds (carbenes) CR(2), which have one lone electron pair at carbon, and carbon(0) compounds CL(2), which have two lone pairs at carbon and two C<--L donor-acceptor bonds. Divalent C(0) compounds (carbones) not only have very high first PAs, but the second PA is also large and strong enough to isolate doubly protonated C(0) species as salts in a condensed phase. The first PA of divalent carbon(II) compounds (carbenes) are also large. However, they have much smaller second PAs than the divalent carbon(0) compounds. The divalent C(0) character of a compound is not always obvious when the bonding situation in the equilibrium geometry is considered. This is the case, for example, for tetraaminoallenes (TAAs). Protonation of TAAs changes the bonding situation of the central moiety from doubly bonded (R(2)N)(2)C=C=C(NR(2))(2) to a donor-acceptor description (R(2)N)(2)C-->C(H(+))(n)<--C(NR(2)) [n = 1, 2]. The atomic partial charge at the carbon donor atom does not correlate with the PA and the trend of the second PA may be quite different from the trend of the first. The trends of the first and second PA correlates quite well with the eigenvalues of the highest-lying carbon lone-pair orbitals.

The first 800 million years: environmental models for early Earth

Space exploration has changed our views not only on the properties of celestial bodies and the interplanetary medium but also our perspective on the formation of such bodies, including the Earth. However, on few points do the new hetegonic insights approach certainty. More appropriately, they can be said to raise physically meaningful questions and to decrease the degrees of freedom allowable in any given scenario, which necessarily extends into the early history of the planetary crust, ocean and atmosphere. An attempt is made here to outline the basic schemes envisaged in modern studies of the origin of the Earth and the ramification of consequences for its early evolution that currently appear allowable and supported by observation.