Sulfur-containing polymers. VI. Preparation of poly[alkylene bis(oxycarbonyl) disulfides] and related polymers

Poly[alkylene bis(oxycarbonyl) disulfides] have been prepared for the first time by the reductive coupling of alkylene bis(oxycarbonylsulfenyl chlorides). Potassium iodide and a variety of transition metals or their salts were employed as reducing agents. Of these potassium iodide and cuprous chloride gave the best results. Pyrolysis, desulfurization. and thiol-induced fragmentation of the polymers have been studied. Homologous polymers, i.e., monosulfide polymer, trisulfide polymer, and tetrasulfide polymer, have been also synthesized. Monosulfide and disulfide polymers were highly crystalline solids. Trisulfide polymer was a white solid with a low degree of crystallinity. These polymers were soluble in chloroform and dichloromethane. Tetrasulfide polymer was a crystalline yellow solid and was soluble only in HMPA.     

Nickel-catalyzed cycloaddition of o-arylcarboxybenzonitriles and alkynes via cleavage of two carbon-carbon σ bonds

An intermolecular cycloaddition reaction has been developed, where o-arylcarboxybenzonitriles react with alkynes to afford coumarins in the presence of Ni(0)/P(CH(2)Ph)(3)/MAD as a catalyst. The reaction process displays an unusual mechanistic feature-the cleavage of two independent C-CN and C-CO bonds.     

Development of a far-red to near-infrared fluorescence probe for calcium ion and its application to multicolor neuronal imaging

To improve optical imaging of Ca(2+) and to make available a distinct color window for multicolor imaging, we designed and synthesized CaSiR-1, a far-red to near-infrared fluorescence probe for Ca(2+), using Si-rhodamine (SiR) as the fluorophore and the well-known Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA. This wavelength region is advantageous, affording higher tissue penetration, lower background autofluorescence, and lower phototoxicity in comparison with the UV to visible range. CaSiR-1 has a high fluorescence off/on ratio of over 1000. We demonstrate its usefulness for multicolor fluorescence imaging of action potentials (visualized as increases in intracellular Ca(2+)) in brain slices loaded with sulforhodamine 101 (red color; specific for astrocytes) that were prepared from transgenic mice in which some neurons expressed green fluorescent protein.     

Investigating the antimony determination in environmental samples by NAA

In recent years, environmental concerns regarding antimony have grown considerably due to anthropogenic processes that have resulted in increasing concentration of Sb in the environment, and also because of its impacts and possible adverse effects to living organisms. Several techniques have been used, to obtain reliable results for Sb, since Sb is present at low level concentration, requiring analytical instrumentation with low detection limits. The neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique has a high metrological level for the determination of several elements in different matrices. However, Sb determination in environmental and biological samples presents some analytical difficulties due to its low concentrations and gamma ray spectrum interferences. The objective of this research was to study on Sb determination in environmental reference materials by NAA. Ten environmental reference materials were selected and analyzed using long period irradiation at IEA-R1 research nuclear reactor. The induced gamma activities of ¹²²Sb and ¹²⁴Sb were measured. Relative errors of the results demonstrated that the accuracy depends mainly on Sb radioisotope measured, the decay time for counting and the sample composition.     

Enantioselective synthesis of AG-041R by using N-heteroarenesulfonyl cinchona alkaloid amides as organocatalysts

The organocatalytic enantioselective decarboxylative addition of malonic acid half thioesters to ketimines derived from isatins by using N-heteroarenesulfonyl cinchona alkaloid amides afforded products with high enantioselectivity. The products could be converted into optically active AG-041R. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that the hydrogen bonding between the sulfonimide proton and the 8-quinolyl nitrogen atom plays an important role in exerting the enantioselectivity of the reaction.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 1,3-dioxolanes by organocatalytic formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition via hemiacetal intermediates

A novel asymmetric formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction for the synthesis of 1,3-dioxolanes using cinchona-alkaloid-thiourea-based bifunctional organocatalysts is reported. The reaction proceeds via the formation of hemiacetal intermediates between γ-hydroxy-α,β-unsaturated ketones and aldehydes.     

One-pot primary aminomethylation of aryl and heteroaryl halides with sodium phthalimidomethyltrifluoroborate

A one-pot primary aminomethylation of aryl halides, triflates, mesylates, and tosylates via Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions with sodium phthalimidomethyltrifluoroborate followed by deamidation with ethylenediamine is reported.     

Copper-catalyzed [5+1] annulation of 2-ethynylanilines with an N,O-acetal leading to construction of quinoline derivatives

A novel copper-catalyzed [5 + 1] annulation of 2-ethynylanilines with an N,O-acetal, which functioned as a C1 part, leading to the preparation of quinoline derivatives with an ester substituent on the 2-position is described. A combination of CuBr(2) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) promoting [5 + 1] annulation of the 2-ethynylaniline with ethyl glyoxylate is also demonstrated.     

Palladium-catalyzed direct hydroxymethylation of aryl halides and triflates with potassium acetoxymethyltrifluoroborate

Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides and triflates with potassium acetoxymethyltrifluoroborate afforded the corresponding aryl and heteroaryl methanol products in moderate to excellent yields.