Cationic Lewis acids as anion receptors

德克萨斯农工大学化学系François Gabba ai博士得到化学结构、动力学和机制计划的支持，旨在探索新型阳离子主族Lewis酸作为包括氟化物、氰化物和叠氮化物在内的小阴离子的受体。本研究致力于硼、硅和锑化合物的合成和研究，这些化合物的阴离子亲和力通过库仑效应、疏水性和/或络合效应的组合而增加。这些新型的阳离子Lewis酸作为电荷转移过程中的受体被研究。这种反应性可以用来设计开启的阴离子传感器。除了研究这些新型主族化合物的合成和结构外，还特别关注了它们与阴离子结合的选择性，它们与水环境的相容性，以及阴离子结合引起的光物理响应的大小。氰化物在研究和工业环境中广泛存在，尽管它可能释放到环境中是一个令人担忧的来源；氰化物是一种有毒的阴离子，可以与人体内的酶结合并使其失活，有时会产生致命的后果。虽然氟化物经常被添加到饮用水和牙膏中，因为它对牙齿健康有好处，但高剂量的这种阴离子可能会导致氟斑牙。阴离子受体能够结合和/或感知水中潜在的有毒阴离子，在环境修复和药物方面都有帮助。参与这一研究项目的研究生和本科生在合成无机化学和光物理方面获得了出色的培训和研究经验。通过接触到一个关于捕获水中有毒阴离子的项目，这个项目增加了学生对当前环境和健康挑战的认识。将其中一些研究转化为本科无机化学实验室课程的努力，为研究和本科教育的整合提供了一个载体。

Dr. François Gabbaï, Chemistry Department, Texas A&M University, is supported by the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms Program to explore novel, cationic, main group Lewis acids as receptors for small anions including fluoride, cyanide and azide. This research focuses on the synthesis and study of boron, silicon and antimony compounds whose anion affinity is increased by a combination of Coulombic, hydrophobic, and/or chelate effects. These new, cationic Lewis acids are studied as acceptors in charge transfer processes. This reactivity can be harnessed for the design of turn-on anion sensors. In addition to investigating the synthesis and structure of these novel main group compounds, special attention is devoted to their anion binding selectivity, their compatibility with aqueous environments, and the magnitude of the photophysical response induced by anion binding.This research advances the fundamental understanding of anion recognition processes. Cyanide is widely available in both research and industrial settings even though its potential release into the environment is a source of concern; Cyanide is a toxic anion which can bind to and deactivate enzymes in the body, sometimes with fatal consequences. While fluoride is often added to drinking water and toothpaste because of its beneficial effects in dental health, high doses of this anion can be lead to dental fluorosis. Anion receptors capable of binding and/or sensing potentially toxic anions in water aid in both environmental remediation and medicine. The graduate and undergraduate students involved in this research program receive excellent training and research experiences in synthetic inorganic chemistry and photophysics. By being exposed to a project concerning the capture of toxic anions in water, this project increases the students' awareness of current environmental and health challenges. Efforts to translate some of this research into undergraduate Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory courses provide a vector for the integration of research and undergraduate education.