Synthesis and Luminescence Studies of a Tethered, Trigonal, Silver(I) Tris(alkyne) Complex.

The synthesis and characterization of a tris(alkyne) ligand, tris[2-(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl-4--butylbenzyl]amine (), and its silver(I) hexafluorophosphate complex, , are reported. The solid-state structure and luminescence properties of indicate relatively strong silver(I)-alkyne interactions between the metal cation and . No significant changes in the bond angles or lengths were observed upon metalation of with Ag, indicating a relatively unstrained ligand-metal motif.

Metal-Ligand Redox Cooperativity in Cerium Amine-/Amido-Phenolate-Type Complexes.

The synthesis and characterization of two cerium complexes of redox-active amine/amido-phenolate-type ligands are reported. A tripodal framework comprising the tris(2-(3',5'-di--butyl-2'-hydroxyphenyl)amino-phenyl) amine (HClamp) proligand was synthesized for comparison of its cerium complex with a potassium-cerium heterobimetallic complex of the 4,6-di--butyl-2-[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]quinone (ap) proligand. Structural studies indicate differences in the cerium(III) cation coordination spheres, where Ce(CHCN)(HClamp) () exhibits shorter Ce-O distances and longer Ce-N bond distances compared to the analogous distances in K(THF)Ce(ap) (), due to the gross structural differences between the systems.

Observing Similarities and Differences in the Properties of Isostructural Niobium(V)/Tantalum(V) Coordination Compounds with Strong Pi-Donor Ligands.

While niobium and tantalum are found together in their mineral ores, their respective applications in technology require chemical separation. Nb/Ta separations are challenging due to the similar reactivities displayed by these metals in the solution phase. Coordination complexes of these metals have been studied in the contexts of catalysis, small-molecule activation, and functional group insertion reactivity; relatively few studies exist directly comparing the properties of isostructural Nb/Ta complexes.

Selective Reduction of Niobium(V) Species to Promote Molecular Niobium/Tantalum Separation.

The critical metals niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta) coexist in mineral sources, requiring a separation step to purify the elements from one another. The industrial separation process by solvent extraction uses stoichiometric hydrofluoric acid to manifest differences in the speciation of these otherwise chemically similar elements. The identification of alternative methods to separate Nb/Ta is desirable for fluoride waste reduction.

Separation of Aldehydes and Reactive Ketones from Mixtures Using a Bisulfite Extraction Protocol.

The purification of organic compounds is an essential component of routine synthetic operations. The ability to remove contaminants into an aqueous layer by generating a charged structure provides an opportunity to use extraction as a simple purification technique. By combining the use of a miscible organic solvent with saturated sodium bisulfite, aldehydes and reactive ketones can be successfully transformed into charged bisulfite adducts that can then be separated from other organic components of a mixture by the introduction of an immiscible organic layer.