The complexes (III) are cyclotrimerization catalysts for activated acetylenes such as (I) which produces the trimer (II).

The associations between cupric ions and oligosaccharides of cellulose, chitin and chitosan were investigated using potentiometry and electrospray mass spectrometry. The goal of these studies was to understand the degree to which electrospray mass spectra reÑect the solution chemistry of copper-oligosaccharide complexes. To this end, electrospray mass spectrometric data were compared with potentiometric studies. The potentiometric data revealed no copper binding for mono-and tetrasaccharides of cellulose and chitin, while the mass spectrometric data suggested the presence of distinct copper complexes, these attributed to charge attachment during desorption from the highly charged electrospray droplets. Di †erence in the distribution of tetrasaccharide-copper complexes for cellulose and chitin was attributed to possible di †erences in droplet solution conformations of these saccharides. For mono-, diand tetrasaccharides of chitosan the potentiometric data showed strong copper complexation. For the tetrasaccharide the major species expected at pH 7 is a neutral copper complex. This neutral copper-tetrasaccharide complex was observed in the protonated form at relatively low abundances under high-voltage conditions in the electrospray interface. In this complex, Cu(II) is co-ordinated to the C(1)-alkoxide, the four amine nitrogens of chitosan tetrasaccharide and an anion. The ability of electrospray mass spectrometry to probe the immediate environment of the complex provides a clearer picture of the complex as it exists in solution, the associated counter-ions and possible di †erences in conformation. However, electrospray mass spectrometric data best reÑect chemistries in highly charged droplets rather than systems at equilibrium, highlighting the signiÐcance of supporting techniques to fully understand a chemical system.

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UV spectroscopy has been used as an in situ diagnostic to measure the gas phase concentration of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate (thd) complexes of Cu and Y in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) bubbler effluent. These Cu and Y precursors for MOCVD synthesis of YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) show marked instability in gas phase concentration as a function of time during the initial bubbler purge. The precursors show ideal behavior as predicted by the Clausius–Clapeyron relation. The UV diagonstic technique has the potential of controlling precursor concentration for MOCVD fabrication of high-temperature superconducting thin films.