Alkanes From thiols

Apart from the more conventional transport measurements of molecular junctions at constant bias voltage, alkane(di)thiols-based molecular junctions were also characterized by transition voltage spectroscopy [258, 259], AC voltage modulation [260], and inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopies [261],... 

Captodative alkenes 67 can be dialkylated, for example, by addition of iso-butyronitrile radical derived from thermal decomposition of AIBN under the same conditions as those which lead to polymerization of other acrylic alkenes. For example, a-morpholino-acrylonitrile (67, c = CN, d = N(CH2CH2)20) leads to 69, in 71% yield (Scheme 12) [4a]. With a-/-butylthio-acrylonitrile (67, c = CN, d = SC(CHj)3), the same process leads to 70 in 88% yield [7]. The adduct radical 68 is highly stabilized, and is in equilibrium with dimer 70. The reaction is quite general, and has been applied to other captodative alkenes (c = CN, COR, CO2R and d = NR2, OR, SR) together with various sorts of radical partners, derived from alkanes, alcohols, thiols, thioethers, amines, amides, ketones, aldehydes, acetals and thioacetals [44, 45]. 

Fig. II (continued) coordinates corresponding to the various peaks are shown in sketches on the bottom and, by reconstructing all of these, the eventual transport picture in the blobbish sketch above emerges - the current goes through the a system in the alkane thiol end, transfers to the n system to pass through the naphthalene, and then back into the o system through the ether to the other electrode. From [108] copyright 2011 by the National Academy of Sciences...

The results summarized above were obtained by using fluorescence based assays employing phospholipid vesicles and fluorescent labeled lipopeptides. Recently, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was developed as new a technique for the study of membrane association of lipidated peptides. Thus, artificial membranes on the surface of biosensors offered new tools for the study of lipopeptides. In SPR (surface plasmon resonance) systemsI713bl changes of the refractive index (RI) in the proximity of the sensor layer are monitored. In a commercial BIAcore system1341 the resonance signal is proportional to the mass of macromolecules bound to the membrane and allows analysis with a time resolution of seconds. Vesicles of defined size distribution were prepared from mixtures of lipids and biotinylated lipopeptides by extruder technique and fused with a alkane thiol surface of a hydrophobic SPR sensor. 

FIGURE 1.24. Potential-dependent forward and backward rate constants of the ferrocene-ferrocenium couple attached to a gold electrode hy a long-chain alkane thiol assembled together with unsubstituted alkane thiols of similar length. Solid line use of Equations (1.37) to (1.39) with X, = 0.85 eV, ks — 1.25 s 1. Adapted from Figure 4A in reference 65, with permission from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 

The preparation of thiols by nucleophilic displacement reactions using aqueous potassium or sodium hydrogen sulphide under catalytic conditions is not particularly effective. A limited number of simple alkane thiols have been obtained under mild and neutral conditions in moderate yield (70-80%) from the reaction of bis(n-butyltin) sulphide with bromoalkanes in the presence of a ca. twofold amount of tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride [1], but there has been no exploitation of this procedure. 

Desulphurization of thiols has been accomplished in high yield under phase-transfer conditions using tri-iron dodecacarbonyl (or dicobalt octacarbonyl). The mechanism proposed for the formation of the alkanes and the dialkyl sulphide byproducts involves a one electron transfer to the thiol from the initially formed quaternary ammonium hydridoiron polycarbonyl ion pair [14], Similar one electron transfers have been postulated for the key step in the cobalt carbonyl promoted reactions, which tend to give slightly higher yields of the alkanes (Table 11.18). 

Figure 5.16 Cyclic voltammograms for the Cu deposition on alkane thiol-modified (CH3 (CH2)m-i SH, MC ) Au(l 1 1) electrodes in 0.1 M H2SO4/I mM CUSO4. Scan rate lOmV/s. Inset shows CV for a bare Au(l 1 1) electrode for comparison. Reproduced with permission from Ref [183].

In a scheme complementary to the one just presented where thiols are removed by reductive desorption of thiols, molecules can also be removed during stripping of a UPD layer. This was demonstrated by Shimazu et al. [221] where an alkane thiol SAM was deposited onto a Au(l 11) that had been modified with Pb. Oxidative stripping of the lead also caused thiols to be removed. The empty sites were then subsequently filled with mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). A remarkable result is that the binary SAMs exhibit only one desorption peak. From this it was concluded that a well-mixed layer forms that is very different from the mixed SAM obtained by adsorption from solution containing both types of thiols. In this case the layer exhibits singlecomponent domains that are refiected by two desorption peaks. 

The preparation and application of SAM systems patterned by STM and their use in catalysis was demonstrated by Wittstock and Schuhmann [123]. The patterning (local desorption) of SAMs from alkane thiols on gold was performed by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), followed by the assembly of an amino-deriva-tized disulfide and coupling of glucose oxidase to form a catalytically active pattern of the enzyme. The enzymatic activity could be monitored/imaged by SECM. 

Effects of structure on reactivity have been studied several times. The sulphides are more stable than the thiols [248,250], In both series of thiols and of sulphides, the reactivity increases with the inductive effect of the alkyl group [248,251,252], in accordance with other elimination reactions. A linear relation between the logarithm of the rate coefficient and the enthalpy change on carbonium ion formation from the corresponding alkanes has been observed [248]. As Fig. 9 shows, linear correlation of the same rate data by means of the Taft equation is also possible. 

Figure 2.20 Inferred structure of the monolayer formed by coadsorption of a ferrocene-terminated alkane thiol (highlighted with black bonds) and an unsubstituted alkane thiol on Au(lll). [From Ref. 11, with permission. Copyright 1991 American Association for the Advancement of Science.]...

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