Water compatible gold(III)-catalysed synthesis of unsymmetrical ethers from alcohols

An efficient and broad-scoped method for the preparation of unsymmetrical ethers from alcohols catalysed by the simplest and least expensive gold catalyst, NaAuCl(4), is described for the first time. The procedure enables the etherification of benzylic and tertiary alcohols with moderate to good yields under mild conditions with low catalyst loading. Symmetrical ethers, the usual side products in the etherification of alcohols, were not detected in this case. The formation of the racemic ether from a chiral benzyl alcohol suggests the intermediacy of a carbocation, which has not previously been postulated for gold-catalysed reactions involving alcohols.     

A new yardstick for benzenoid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The newly introduced signature of benzenoids (a sequence of six real numbers Si with i = 6-1) shows the composition of the pi-electron partition by indicating the number of times all rings of the benzenoid are assigned 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 pi-electrons. It allows the introduction of a new ordering criterion for such polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by summing some of the terms in the signature. There is an almost perfect linear correlation between sums S6 + S5 and S4 + S3 for isomeric cata- or peri-fused benzenoids, so that one can sort such isomers according to ascending s 6 + S5 or to descending S4 + S3 sums (the resulting ordering does not differ much and agrees with that based on increasing numbers of Clar sextets and of Kekule structures). Branched cata-condensed benzenoids have higher S6 + S5 sums than isomeric nonbranched systems. For nonisomeric peri-condensed benzenoids, both sums increase with increasing numbers of benzenoid rings and decrease with the number of internal carbon atoms. Other partial sums that have been explored are S6 + S5 + S3 And S6 + S2 + S1, and the last one appears to be more generally applicable as a parameter for the complexity of benzenoids and for ordering isomeric benzenoids.     

Combination of BOLD-fMRI and VEP recordings for spin-echo MRI detection of primary magnetic effects caused by neuronal currents

In the present paper, for the first time, the feasibility to detect primary magnetic field changes caused by neuronal activity in vivo by spin-echo (SE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is investigated. The detection of effects more directly linked to brain activity than secondary hemodynamic–metabolic changes would enable the study of brain function with improved specificity. However, the detection of neuronal currents by MRI is hampered by such accompanying hemodynamic changes. Therefore, SE image acquisition, rather than gradient-echo (GE) image acquisition, was preferred in the present work since the detection of primary neuronal and not blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD)-related effects may be facilitated by this approach. First of all, a precise spatiotemporal synchronization of image acquisition with the neuronal event had to be performed to avoid refocusing of the dephasing phenomenon during the course of the SE sequence. At this aim, we propose the combined use of visual evoked potential (VEP) recordings and BOLD-fMRI measurements prior to SE MRI scanning. Moreover, we exemplify by theory and experimentation how the control of artefactual signal changes due to BOLD and movement effects may be further improved by the experimental design. Finally, results from a pilot study using the proposed combination of VEP recordings and MRI techniques are reported, suggesting the feasibility of this method.     

Engineered complex emulsion system: toward modulating the pore length and morphological architecture of mesoporous silicas

In the complex alkane/P123/TEOS/H2O emulsion system, an emulsion engineering method to modulate pore length and morphological architecture of mesoporous materials has been built. With fine tuning of the synthetic parameters (e.g., the composition of the synthetic mixtures, temperature, stirring, etc.), a series of chemically significant mesostructures (i.e., short-pore SBA-15 materials) with tunable pore length and morphological architecture have been successfully constructed. The effects of alkane solubilizates on pore length and particle morphology are discussed. The resulting short-pore materials would have potential applications in the fields of adsorption/separation of biomolecules and inclusion chemistry of guest species, etc.     

Catalytic oxidation activity of Pt3O4 surfaces and thin films

The catalytic oxidation activity of platinum particles in automobile catalysts is thought to originate from the presence of highly reactive superficial oxide phases which form under oxygen-rich reaction conditions. Here we study the thermodynamic stability of platinum oxide surfaces and thin films and their reactivities toward oxidation of carbon compounds by means of first-principles atomistic thermodynamics calculations and molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory. On the Pt(111) surface the most stable superficial oxide phase is found to be a thin layer of alpha-PtO2, which appears not to be reactive toward either methane dissociation or carbon monoxide oxidation. A PtO-like structure is most stable on the Pt(100) surface at oxygen coverages of one monolayer, while the formation of a coherent and stress-free Pt3O4 film is favored at higher coverages. Bulk Pt3O4 is found to be thermodynamically stable in a region around 900 K at atmospheric pressure. The computed net driving force for the dissociation of methane on the Pt3O4(100) surface is much larger than that on all other metallic and oxide surfaces investigated. Moreover, the enthalpy barrier for the adsorption of CO molecules on oxygen atoms of this surface is as low as 0.34 eV, and desorption of CO2 is observed to occur without any appreciable energy barrier in molecular dynamics simulations. These results, combined, indicate a high catalytic oxidation activity of Pt3O4 phases that can be relevant in the contexts of Pt-based automobile catalysts and gas sensors.     

The variable connectivity index 1chi(f) versus the traditional molecular descriptors: a comparative study of 1chi(f) against descriptors of CODESSA.

In this study we compared the prediction abilities of the variable connectivity index 1chi(f) (not included in CODESSA) with topological indices available from CODESSA. We selected the boiling points of n = 100 alcohols as the property and examined the pool of 56 topological indices. Prediction capabilities of the developed models were evaluated by classical training/test set approach. RMS errors calculated from the prediction set for the MLR models obtained from CODESSA software with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 parameters were 9.06, 5.69, 5.40, 4.9, and 3.37 degrees C, respectively. Using the variable connectivity index with weights x = 0.10 and y = -0.92 for carbon and oxygen atom respectively, we obtain regression BP = 38.12 1chi(f) - 37.56 with the correlation coefficient r = 0.9915, RMS error 4.21 degrees C calculated from the test set, and Fisher ratio F = 5691. Prediction capability of the variable connectivity index was better than for MLR regression model with up to four parameters.     

Diselenadiphosphetandiselenide und Triselenadiphospholandiselenide – Synthese und Charakterisierung mittels 31P‐ und 77Se‐Festkörper‐NMRSpektroskopie

Diselenadiphosphetane Diselenides and Triselenadiphospholane Diselenides – Synthesis and Characterization by ³¹P and ⁷⁷Se Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopy 1,3‐Diselena‐2,4‐diphosphetane‐2,4‐diselenides (RPSe₂)₂ with R = Me, Et, t‐Bu, Ph, 4‐Me₂NC₆H₄, 4‐MeOC₆H₄ have been synthesized by different methods. The insoluble compounds were investigated by ³¹P and ⁷⁷Se solid‐state NMR and the purity of the compounds has been checked by their CP MAS sideband NMR spectra. The structure of the investigated compounds has been confirmed by the isotropic and anisotropic values of the chemical shifts and the ¹J_P–Se coupling constants. In addition, two new 1,2,4‐triselena‐3,5‐diphospholane‐3,5‐diselenides, (RPSe₂)₂Se (R = Me, Et), formed under similar synthesis conditions, were investigated. Their structure was derived from the ⁷⁷Se satellites of ³¹P solution spectra and from solid‐state spectra. For (t‐BuPSe₂)₂ the experimentally obtained principal values of phosphorus and selenium shielding tensors are compared with values from IGLO calculations (HF und SOS DFPT). The calculated orientations of the principal axes are discussed.     

Application of High Temperature High Resolution Gas Chromatography to Crude Extracts of Propolis

The underivatized acetone and hexane fractions from propolis samples (predominant flora Citrus spp. and Vernonia polyanthes) were analyzed by HT-HRGC (high temperature high resolution gas chromatography) and HT-HRGC coupled to mass spectrometry (HT-HRGC-MS). Several compounds, including flavonoid aglycones, phenolic acids, and high molecular weight compounds were characterized in crude extracts by HT-HRGC-MS. HT-HRGC and HT-HRGC-MS were shown to be quick and informative tools for rapid analysis of crude extracts without need for prior derivatization and purification.