Synthesis, Characterization, and Stability of Dealkylated Salen-Supported Aluminum Phosphates.

Three salen aluminum bromide compounds salen(Bu)AlBr () (salen = ,'-ethylenebis(3,5-di--butylsalicylideneimine)), salpen(Bu)AlBr () (salpen = ,'-propylenebis(3,5-di--butylsalicylideneimine)), and salophen(Bu)AlBr () (salophen = ,'--phenylenenebis(3,5-di--butylsalicylideneimine) were evaluated for their potential use as dealkylation agents with a series of organophosphates. These reactions led to the aluminum phosphate compounds containing six-coordinate aluminum centers and hydrolytically stable P-O-C bonds: = [salen(Bu)AlOP(O)(OMe)], = [salen(Bu)AlOP(O)(OEt)], = [salen(Bu)AlOP(O)(OPh)], = [salophen(Bu)AlOP(O)(OMe)], = [salpen(Bu)AlOP(O)(OPr)], = (salen(Bu)AlO)PO, = (salpen(Bu)AlO)PO, = (salophen(Bu)AlO)PO. All the compounds were characterized by H, C, Al, and P NMR, IR, and mass spectrometry.

Lewis acid-assisted detection of nerve agents in water.

The five-coordinate compound, Salen((t)Bu)Al(Ac), prepared in situ from Salen((t)Bu)AlBr and NH4Ac, forms Lewis acid-base adducts in aqueous solution with the G-type nerve agents, Sarin and Soman, and the VX hydrolysis product, ethylmethylphosphonate (EMPA). The resulting compounds, [Salen((t)Bu)Al(NA)](+)[Ac] (-) (with NA = Sarin, Soman, and EMPA) are sufficiently stable to be identified by ESI-MS. Molecular ion peaks were detected for every compound with little or no fragmentation.