Carbon dioxide and related heterocumulenes at zinc and lithium cations: bioinspired reactions and principles

IR spectroscopic investigations of chemical and photochemical reactions on metal oxides: bridging the materials gap

In this review, we highlight recent progress (2008–2016) in infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) studies on oxide powders achieved by using different types of metal oxide single crystals as reference systems.

Development of pyridine based o-aminophenolate zinc complexes as structurally tunable catalysts for CO2 fixation into cyclic carbonates

Structure–reactivity correlation in o-aminophenolate zinc catalysts provides an atom-efficient protocol for the conversion of CO₂ into valuable cyclic carbonates.

Poly(monothiocarbonate)s from the Alternating and Regioselective Copolymerization of Carbonyl Sulfide with Epoxides

Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is an air pollutant that causes acid rain, ozonosphere damage, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) generation. It is a heterocumulene and structural analogue of CO₂. Relevant to organic synthesis, it is a source of C═O or C═S groups and thus an ideal one-carbon (C1) building block for synthesizing sulfur-containing polymers through the similar route of CO₂ copolymerization. In contrast, traditional synthesis of sulfur-containing polymers often involves the condensation of thiols with phosgene and ring-opening polymerization of cyclic thiocarbonates that are generally derived from thiols and phosgene; thus, COS/epoxide copolymerization is a "greener" route to supplement or supplant current processes for the production of sulfur-containing polymers. This Accounts highlights our efforts on the discovery of the selective formation of poly(monothiocarbonate)s from COS with epoxides via heterogeneous zinc-cobalt double metal cyanide complex (Zn-Co(III) DMCC) and homogeneous (salen)CrX complexes. The catalytic activity and selectivity of Zn-Co(III) DMCC for COS/epoxide copolymerization are similar to those for CO₂/epoxide copolymerization. (salen)CrX complexes accompanied by onium salts exhibited high activity and selectivity for COS/epoxide copolymerization under mild conditions, affording copolymers with >99% monothiocarbonate units and high tail-to-head content up to 99%. By way of contrast, these catalysts often show moderate or low activity for CO₂/epoxide copolymerization. Of note, a specialty of COS/epoxide copolymerization is the occurrence of an oxygen-sulfur exchange reaction (O/S ER), which may produce carbonate and dithiocarbonate units. O/S ER, which are induced by the metal-OH bond regenerated by chain transfer reactions, can be kinetically inhibited by changing the reaction conditions. We provide a thorough mechanistic understanding of the electronic/steric effect of the catalysts on the regioselectivity of COS copolymerization. The regioselectivity of the copolymerization originates from the solely nucleophilic attack of the sulfur anion to methylene of the epoxide, and thus, the chiral configuration of the monosubstituted epoxides is retained. COS-based copolymers are highly transparent sulfur-containing polymers with excellent optical properties, such as high refractive index and Abbe number. Thanks to their good solubility and many available epoxides, COS/epoxide copolymers can potentially be a new applicable optical material. Very recently, crystalline COS-based polymers with or without chiral carbons have been synthesized, which may further expand the scope of application of these new materials.

Methanol formation by catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 on a nitrogen doped zinc oxide surface: an evaluative study on the mechanistic pathway by density functional theory

Computational evaluation of reaction pathway for simultaneous activation of CO₂ and water on N doped ZnO surface revealed carbamate mediated methanol formation.

Mechanistic investigation of the reaction of epoxides with heterocumulenes catalysed by a bimetallic aluminium salen complex

The bimetallic aluminium(salen) complex [(Al(salen))2O] is known to catalyse the reaction between epoxides and heterocumulenes (carbon dioxide, carbon disulfide and isocyanates) leading to five-membered ring heterocycles. Despite their apparent similarities, these three reactions have very different mechanistic features, and a kinetic study of oxazolidinone synthesis combined with previous kinetic work on cyclic carbonate and cyclic dithiocarbonate synthesis showed that all three reactions follow different rate equations. An NMR study of [Al(salen)]2O and phenylisocyanate provided evidence for an interaction between them, consistent with the rate equation data. A variable-temperature kinetics study on all three reactions showed that cyclic carbonate synthesis had a lower enthalpy of activation and a more negative entropy of activation than the other two heterocycle syntheses. The kinetic study was extended to oxazolidinone synthesis catalysed by the monometallic complex Al(salen)Cl, and this reaction was found to have a much less negative entropy of activation than any reaction catalysed by [Al(salen)]2O, a result that can be explained by the partial dissociation of an oligomeric Al(salen)Cl complex. A mechanistic rationale for all of the results is presented in terms of [Al(salen)]2O being able to function as a Lewis acid and/or a Lewis base, depending upon the susceptibility of the heterocumulene to reaction with nucleophiles.

Electron density controlled carbamate ligand binding mode: towards a better understanding of metalloenzyme activity

The first structurally characterized mononuclear biscarbamate complex of Zn with eta1-coordinated carbamate ligands can be prepared by reaction between [EtZn(O2CN(iBu)2)]4 and a guanidine base. Usage of a weaker base leads to eta2-coordinated complexes.

[(1-Azulen-yl)methane-thiol-ato-κS](1,4,8,12-tetra-azacyclo-penta-decane-κN)zinc(II) perchlorate

In the title compound, [Zn(C(11)H(26)N(4))(C(11)H(9)S)]ClO(4), the Zn(II) atom is five-coordinated by four N atoms from a neutral 1,4,8,12-tetra-azacyclo-penta-decane aza-macrocycle mol-ecule, and one S atom from an azulenylmethane-thiol-ate ligand. Only monomers are found in the crystal. The coordination geometry can be described as trigonal bipyramidal, with the thiol-ate group in an equatorial position. The Zn-N and Zn-S distances are in the usual ranges for this type of complex.

The Missing Link in COS Metabolism: A Model Study on the Reactivation of Carbonic Anhydrase from its Hydrosulfide Analogue

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is known to react with carbonyl sulfide, an atmospheric trace gas, whereby H(2)S is formed. It has been shown that, in the course of this reaction, the active catalyst, the His(3)ZnOH structural motif, is converted to its hydrosulfide form: His(3)ZnOH+COS-->His(3)ZnSH+CO(2). In this study, we elucidate the mechanism of reactivation of carbonic anhydrase (CA) from its hydrosulfide analogue by using density functional calculations, a model reaction and in vivo experimental investigation. The desulfuration occurs according to the overall equation His(3)ZnSH+H(2)O right harpoon over left harpoon His(3)ZnOH+H(2)S. The initial step is a protonation equilibrium at the zinc-bound hydrosulfide. The hydrogen sulfide ligand thus formed is then replaced by a water molecule, which is subsequently deprotonated to yield the reactivated catalytic centre of CA. Such a mechanism is thought to enable a plant cell to expel H(2)S or rapidly metabolise it to cysteine via the cysteine synthase complex. The proposed mechanism of desulfuration of the hydrosulfide analogue of CA can thus be regarded as the missing link between COS consumption of plants and their sulfur metabolism.