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1. Mechanochemical Reactivity of a Multimodal 2H-Bis-Naphthopyran Mechanophore

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d3py00344b  

   Osler, Skylar K.; McFadden, Molly E.; Zeng, Tian; Robb, Maxwell J. (June 2023, Polymer Chemistry)

   Multimodal mechanophores that react under mechanical force to produce discrete product states with uniquely coupled absorption properties are interesting targets for the design of force-sensing polymers. Herein, we investigate the reactivity of a 2H-bis-naphthopyran mechanophore that generates thermally persistent mono-merocyanine and bis-merocyanine products upon mechanical activation in solution using ultrasonication, distinct from the thermally reversible products generated photochemically. We demonstrate that a force-mediated ester C(O)–O bond scission reaction following ring opening establishes an intramolecular hydrogen bond, locking one merocyanine subunit in the open form. Model compound studies suggest that this locked subunit confers remarkable thermal stability to bis-merocyanine isomers possessing a trans exocyclic alkene on the other subunit, implicating the formation of an unusual trans merocyanine isomer as the product of mechanochemical activation. Density functional theory calculations unexpectedly predict a thermally reversible retro-cyclization reaction of the bis-merocyanine species that could explain the mechanochemical generation of the unusual trans merocyanine isomer. 

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2. Synthesis and Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization of a Strained trans -Silacycloheptene and Single-Molecule Mechanics of Its Polymer

   https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c01004  

   Wakefield, Herbert; Kevlishvili, Ilia; Wentz, Kelsie E.; Yao, Yunxin; Kouznetsova, Tatiana B.; Melvin, Sophia J.; Ambrosius, Em G.; Herzog-Arbeitman, Abraham; Siegler, Maxime A.; Johnson, Jeremiah A.; et al (April 2023, Journal of the American Chemical Society)

   The cis- and trans-isomers of a silacycloheptene were selectively synthesized by the alkylation of a silyl dianion, a novel approach to strained cycloalkenes. The trans-silacycloheptene (trans-SiCH) was significantly more strained than the cis isomer, as predicted by quantum chemical calculations and confirmed by crystallographic signatures of a twisted alkene. Each isomer exhibited distinct reactivity toward ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), where only trans-SiCH afforded high-molar-mass polymer under enthalpy-driven ROMP. Hypothesizing that the introduction of silicon might result in increased molecular compliance at large extensions, we compared poly(trans-SiCH) to organic polymers by single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS). Force-extension curves from SMFS showed that poly(trans-SiCH) is more easily overstretched than two carbon-based analogues, polycyclooctene and polybutadiene, with stretching constants that agree well with the results of computational simulations. 

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3. The bismuth tetramer Bi ₄ : the ν ₃ key to experimental observation

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CP03529F  

   Lahm, Mitchell E.; Hoobler, Preston R.; Turney, Justin M.; Peterson, Kirk A.; Schaefer, Henry F. (January 2018, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics)

   The spectroscopic identification of Bi 4 has been very elusive. Two constitutional Bi 4 isomers of T d and C 2v symmetry are investigated and each is found to be a local energetic minimum. The optimized geometries and vibrational frequencies of these two isomers are obtained at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVQZ-PP level of theory, utilizing the Stoll, Metz, and Dolg 60-electron effective core potential. The fundamental frequencies of the T d isomer are obtained at the same level of theory. The focal point analysis method, from a maximum basis set of cc-pV5Z-PP, and proceeding to a maximum correlation method of CCSDTQ, was employed to determine the dissociation energy of Bi 4 ( T d ) into two Bi 2 and the adiabatic energy difference between the C 2v and T d isomers of Bi 4 . These quantities are predicted to be +65 kcal mol −1 and +39 kcal mol −1 , respectively. Two electron vertical excitation energies between the T d and C 2v electronic configurations are computed to be 156 kcal mol −1 for the T d isomer and 9 kcal mol −1 for the C 2v isomer. The most probable approach to laboratory spectroscopic identification of Bi 4 is via an infrared spectrum. The predicted fundamentals (cm −1 ) with harmonic IR intensities in parentheses (km mol −1 ) are 94(0), 123(0.23), and 167(0) for the T d isomer. The moderate IR intensity for the only allowed fundamental may explain why Bi 4 has yet to be observed. Through natural bond orbital analysis, the C 2v isomer of Bi 4 was discovered to exhibit “long-bonding” between the furthest apart ‘wing’ atoms. This long-bonding is postulated to be facilitated by the σ-bonding orbital between the ‘spine’ atoms of the C 2v isomer. 

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4. Separation, identification, and confirmation of cyclic and tadpole macromolecules via UPLC-MS/MS

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d2an00208f  

   O'Neill, Jason M.; Mao, Jialin; Haque, Farihah M.; Barroso-Bujans, Fabienne; Grayson, Scott M.; Wesdemiotis, Chrys (May 2022, The Analyst)

   Macrocyclic poly(glycidyl phenyl ether) (pGPE) synthesized via zwitterionic ring opening polymerization is typically contaminated by chains with linear and tadpole architecture. Although mass spectrometry (MS) analysis can readily confirm the presence of the linear byproduct, due to its unique mass, it is unable to differentiate between the cyclic and tadpole structures, which are constitutional isomers produced by backbiting reactions in monomeric or dimeric chains, respectively. To overcome this problem, ultraperformance reversed-phase liquid chromatography interfaced with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) was employed. The separation achieved by UPLC revealed that the tadpole isomer elutes before the cyclic structure because of the increased polarity afforded by its distinctive substituents. The ratio of tadpole to cyclic species increased with the degree of polymerization, in agreement with the synthetic method used, as the potential for forming tadpole structures by backbiting is entropically favored in longer polymer chains. Once separated, the two isomers could be independently characterized by tandem mass spectrometry. The macrocyclic and tadpole species exhibit unique fragmentation patterns, including structurally diagnostic fragments for each structure. 

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5. Deprotonated carbohydrate anion fragmentation chemistry: structural evidence from tandem mass spectrometry, infra-red spectroscopy, and theory

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CP02620C  

   Rabus, Jordan M.; Simmons, Daniel R.; Maître, Philippe; Bythell, Benjamin J. (November 2018, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics)

   We investigate the gas-phase structures and fragmentation chemistry of deprotonated carbohydrate anions using combined tandem mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, regioselective labelling, and theory. Our model system is deprotonated, [lactose-H] − . We computationally characterize the rate-determining barriers to glycosidic bond (C 1 –Z 1 reactions) and cross-ring cleavages, and compare these predictions to our tandem mass spectrometric and infrared spectroscopy data. The glycosidic bond cleavage product data support complex mixtures of anion structures in both the C 1 and Z 1 anion populations. The specific nature of these distributions is predicted to be directly affected by the nature of the anomeric configuration of the precursor anion and the distribution of energies imparted. i.e. , Z 1 anions produced from the β-glucose anomeric form have a differing distribution of product ion structures than do those from the α-glucose anomeric form. The most readily formed Z 1 anions ([1,4-anhydroglucose-H] − structures) are produced from the β-glucose anomers, and do not ring-open and isomerize as the hemiacetal group is no longer present. In contrast the [3,4-anhydroglucose-H] − , Z 1 anion structures, which are most readily produced from α-glucose forms, can ring-open through very low barriers (<25 kJ mol −1 ) to form energetically and entropically favorable aldehyde isomers assigned with a carbonyl stretch at ∼1640 cm −1 . Barriers to interconversion of the pyranose [β-galactose-H] − , C 1 anions to ring-open forms were larger, but still modest (≥51 kJ mol −1 ) consistent with evidence of the presence of both forms in the infrared spectrum. For the cross-ring cleavage 0,2 A 2 anions, ring-opening at the glucose hemiacetal of [lactose-H] − is rate-limiting (>180 (α-), >197 kJ mol −1 (β-anomers)). This finding offers an explanation for the low abundance of these product anions in our tandem mass spectra. 

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