Matrix isolation, characterization

Either UV-VIS or IR spectroscopy can be combined with the technique of matrix isolation to detect and identify highly unstable intermediates. In this method, the intomediate is trapped in a solid inert matrix, usually one of the inert gases, at very low temperatures. Because each molecule is surrounded by inert gas atoms, there is no possiblity for intermolecular reactions and the rates of intramolecular reactions are slowed by the low temperature. Matrix isolation is a very useful method for characterizing intermediates in photochemical reactions. The method can also be used for gas-phase reactions which can be conducted in such a way that the intermediates can be rapidly condensed into the matrix. 

Preparation of pentalene is followed by immediate dimerization. Low-temperature photolysis produces a new species believed to be pentalene, but the compound reverts to dimer at — 100°C. The matrix-isolated monomer has been characterized spectroscopically. The results are in accord with the predicted lack of stabilization. ... 

By contrast to the plethora of simple oxo-halides and thiohalides of P, the corresponding derivatives of P are fugitive species that require matrix isolation techniques for preparation and characterization ClPO, BrPO, FPS and BrPS all form non-linear triatomic molecules, as expected. The corresponding oxosulfide, BrP(0)S, and its thio-analogue, FP(S)S, have also recently been isolated. 

Sulfur bromides are but poorly characterized and there are few reliable data on them. SBr2 probably does not exist at room temperature but has been claimed as a matrix-isolated product when a mixture of S2Cl2/SCl2 Br2 Ar in the ratio 1 1 150 is passed through an 80-W microwave discharge and the product condensed on a Csl... 

Recently, a variety of silylenes were generated and characterized by matrix isolation techniques. The observed loose donor adducts between silylenes and the matrix molecules (THF, CO) are only stable at very low temperatures. Melting of the matrix induces polymerization of the silylenes which proceeds through disilenes. However, 0->Si transfer reactions do not occur only in the case of 1-methyl-THF has an insertion of the silylene into the C —O bond been observed [155-158],... 

On photolyzing CoziCOg in the matrix (20), a number of photoproducts could be observed. The results of these experiments are summarized in Scheme 4, which illustrates the various species formed. Of particular interest is the formation of Co2(CO)7 on irradiation of Co2(CO)g in CO (254 nm), as this species had not been characterized in the metal-atom study of Hanlan et al. (129). Passage of Co2(CO)g over an active, cobalt-metal surface before matrix isolation causes complete decomposition. On using a less active catalyst, the IR spectrum of Co(CO)4 could be observed. An absorption due to a second decomposition product, possibly Co2(CO)g, was also noted. 

It is worth noting, prior to citing actual metal atom studies, the recent secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) on an argon matrix-isolated propene sample, demonstrating the applicability of SIMS analysis to the characterization of matrix-isolated species. The same group h s reported the first C NMR spectra of organic molecules trapped in an argon matrix. ... 

By ab initio MO and density functional theoretical (DPT) calculations it has been shown that the branched isomers of the sulfanes are local minima on the particular potential energy hypersurface. In the case of disulfane the thiosulfoxide isomer H2S=S of Cg symmetry is by 138 kj mol less stable than the chain-like molecule of C2 symmetry at the QCISD(T)/6-31+G // MP2/6-31G level of theory at 0 K [49]. At the MP2/6-311G //MP2/6-3110 level the energy difference is 143 kJ mol" and the activation energy for the isomerization is 210 kJ mol at 0 K [50]. Somewhat smaller values (117/195 kJ mor ) have been calculated with the more elaborate CCSD(T)/ ANO-L method [50]. The high barrier of ca. 80 kJ mol" for the isomerization of the pyramidal H2S=S back to the screw-like disulfane structure means that the thiosulfoxide, once it has been formed, will not decompose in an unimolecular reaction at low temperature, e.g., in a matrix-isolation experiment. The transition state structure is characterized by a hydrogen atom bridging the two sulfur atoms. 

On the contrary. Chapman and McMahon found that H-transfer in o-tolylcar-bene can be directly observed at very low temperatures, through several different spectroscopic methods. Irradiation of Ar matrix isolated diazo compound 50 at 4.2 to 10 K gave triplet carbene 51, which could be characterized by EPR, IR, and UV/VIS spectroscopy. The various spectra of 51 slowly decayed at temperatures as low as 4.2 K (tin ca. 64 h), and o-xylylene (52) could be observed to grow correspondingly... 

The photolysis of matrix-isolated di-f-butyldiazidosilane in 3-MP at 77 K or in argon matrix at 10 K yields several products, the JV,AT-di-f-butylsi-lane diimine,41 among others. This pale yellow compound is characterized by UV absorption bands at 240 nm and 385 nm. 

Any new technique relies heavily on what has gone before. In the remainder of this introduction, first we outline briefly the role of matrix isolation in characterizing transition metal fragments and then consider what conventional flash photolysis with uv-vis detection has revealed about the reactivity of these fragments. It is the timescale of these reactions which dictates the speed of the IR spectroscopy required to detect the intermediates. 

High-vacuum pyrolysis of 2,5-dimercapto-l,3,4-thiadiazole 34 and 2-mercapto-5-methyl-l,3,4-thiadiazole 9 performed between ambient and 800 °C gave products that were trapped by matrix-isolation techniques and characterized by IR spectroscopy. Pyrolysis of the dimercaptothiadiazole 34 gave HNCS, CS2, and HCN (Equation 2), whereas the thiadiazolethione 9 showed a more complex fragmentation pattern forming HNCS, CH3NCS, HCN, and CS2 (Equation 3) <2002J(P2)1620>. 

Berezney R, Coffey DS (1977) Nuclear matrix, isolation and characterization of a framework structure from rat liver nuclei. J Cell Biol 73(3) 616-637... 

The matrix isolation and spectroscopic characterization of m- and p-benzynes and their derivatives have been reported. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry has been employed to investigate the reactivity of w-benzyne biradical with a pyridinium charge site in the 5-position. The chemical properties of w-benzyne in the gas phase differ from those of the monoradical and... 

Irradiation of matrix-isolated imidazole-2-carboxylic acid gave the 2,3-dihydro-imidazol-2-ylidene-C02 complex (31) characterized by IR spectroscopy and calculated to lie 15.9 kcal mol above the starting material. A series of non-aromatic nucleophilic carbenes (32) were prepared by desulfurization of the corresponding thiones by molten potassium in boiling THF. The most hindered of the series (32 R = Bu) is stable indefinitely under exclusion of air and water and can be distilled without decomposition. The less hindered carbenes slowly dimerize to the corresponding alkenes. Stable aminoxy- and aminothiocarbenes (33 X = O, S) were prepared by deprotonation of iminium salts with lithium amide bases. The carbene carbon resonance appears at 260-297 ppm in the NMR spectrum and an X-ray structure determination of an aminooxycarbene indicated that electron donation from the nitrogen is more important than that from oxygen. These carbenes do not dimerize. 

The Characterization and Reactivity of Photochemically Generated Phenylene Bis(diradical) Species as Revealed by Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy and Computational Chemistry... 

Matrix isolation is a powerful tool for studying highly reactive species. The matrix provides an inert environment, which increases the lifetime of the reactive species to the extent that it may be thought of as a stable species. This allows for its spectroscopical identification and/or characterization using normal-type spectrometers. It is also possible to learn something about the intrinsic reactivity of the species, because, under such conditions, intermolecular reactions can be excluded. 

For species of higher than singlet multiplicity, matrix isolation coupled with ESR spectroscopy is often used for detection and characterization purposes. This is how the first examples of exotic organic compounds with quintet ground states were obtained. Since then, this kind of spectroscopy has been closely linked to the developments in the area of carbenes and nitrenes. 

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