Internal rotation and pyramidal inversion in triacylphosphines

MO calculations predict a P-C rotation barrier in triformylphosphine of less than 6 kcal/mol, and an inversion barrier of ca 14 kcal/mol.     

Fluorodiazadiphosphetidine, 12. Mitt.: Reaktionen von Oktafluoro-1,3,2λ6,4λ6-diazoniadiphosphatetidinen

Reaction of (CH₃NHPF₄)₂ with selected organometallic reagents yields (CH₃NPF₃)₂, while reaction with non-nucleophilic bases such as 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) or 1,8-Bis(dimethylamino)naphthalin and with alkali fluorides yields ionic compounds with the diazoniadiphosphatetidine ring as a dianion.     

1,3-Oxazolidin-4-ones. Synthesis and configuration of cis and trans isomers

Mixtures of cis and trans 1,3-oxazolidin-4-ones were obtained by cyclodehydration, in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid or boron trifluoride etherate, of lactamide and N-methyl-lactamide with aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. The products were separated by column (silica) chromatography and their configurations were determined.     

Structure and diffusion in amorphous aluminum silicate: a molecular dynamics computer simulation

The amorphous aluminum silicate (Al2O3)2(SiO2) [AS2] is investigated by means of large scale molecular dynamics computer simulations. We consider fully equilibrated melts in the temperature range 6100 K> or =T> or =2300 K as well as glass configurations that were obtained from cooling runs from T=2300 to 300 K with a cooling rate of about 10(12) K/s. Already at temperatures as high as 4000 K, most of the Al and Si atoms are fourfold coordinated by oxygen atoms. Thus, the structure of AS2 is that of a disordered tetrahedral network. The packing of AlO4 tetrahedra is very different from that of SiO4 tetrahedra in that Al is involved with a relatively high probability in small-membered rings and in triclusters in which an O atom is surrounded by four cations. We find as typical configurations two-membered rings with two Al atoms in which the shared O atoms form a tricluster. On larger length scales, the system shows a microphase separation in which the Al-rich network structure percolates through the SiO2 network. The latter structure gives rise to a prepeak in the static structure factor at a wave number q=0.5 A(-1). A comparison of experimental x-ray data with the results from the simulation shows good agreement for the structure function. The diffusion dynamics in AS2 is found to be much faster than in SiO2. We show that the self-diffusion constants for O and Al are very similar and that they are by a factor of 2-3 larger than the one for Si.     

(PPh4)2[WO2Cl3]2 · 2 CH2Cl2: Synthese,Schwingungsspektrum und Kristallstruktur

(PPh₄)₂[WO₂Cl₃]₂ · 2 CH₂Cl₂. Synthesis, Vibrational Spectrum, and Crystal Structure Depending on the stoichiometry and the solvent, dichloromethane or 1.2-dichloroethane, WO₂Cl₂ reacts with tetraphenylphosphonium chloride affording (PPh₄)₂[WO₂Cl₄] or (PPh₄)₂[WO₂Cl₃]₂, respectively. Both compounds are easily soluble in dichloromethane, from which they can be crystallized under incorporation of two molecules CH₂Cl₂ per formula unit. The crystalline compounds have been characterized by their IR and Raman spectra. According to the X-ray crystal structure analysis, (PPh₄)₂[WO₂Cl₃]₂ · 2 CH₂Cl₂ crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with one formula unit per unit cell (986 independent observed reflexions, R = 0.061). Lattice constants: a = 1100.2, b = 1116.9, c = 1238.4 pm, = 69.40, = 80.46 and = 85.62°. The crystals consist of PPh₄^⊕ ions, centrosymmetric [WO₂Cl₃]₂^2? anions and CH₂Cl₂ molecules. In the anions, the tungsten atoms are linked via two oxo bridges with WO distances of 184 and 252 pm. The distorted octahedral coordination around each tungsten atom is completed by three terminal chloro and one terminal oxo ligand (WO bond length 166 pm), the latter being in trans position to the longer WO bridging bond. (PPh₄)₂[WO₂Cl₄] · 2 CH₂Cl₂ also forms triclinic crystals that are isotypic with (PPh₄)₂[WOCl₅] · 2 CH₂Cl₂ and in which the anions must have orientational disorder.     

Total synthesis of (±)-Δ9(12)-capnellene via iterative intramolecular type-I-“Magnesium-ene” reactions

The marine triquinane sesquiterpene Δ⁹(¹²)-capnellene ($\text{1}$) was synthesised from 2,2,5-trimethyl-5-hexenal ($\text{2}$) by a sequence of all synthetic operations in 5% overall yield. The key steps 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 involve two intramolecular type-I-“Mg-ene” processes.     

Equilibrium interaction of solid surfaces across a polymer melt

Forces across polymer melts are poorly understood despite their importance for adhesion and fabricating composite materials. Using an atomic force microscope (AFM), this interaction was measured for poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS). The structure of the polymer at the surface changed during the first approximately 10 h. Afterward, short-range attractive forces were observed with short-chain PDMS (M(w) = 4200 g/mol). Using PDMS with a molecular weight (M(w) = 18 000 g/mol) above the entanglement limit, we measured a monotonically decaying repulsive force, which indicates that a quasi-immobilized layer had formed at the solid surface. Due to the small radius of curvature of the tip, forces could be measured in equilibrium.     

Novel Variant of the Tricyclooctanone Approach to Cyclopentanoid Natural Products. Synthesis of (±)-Coriolin. Preliminary Communication

A total synthesis of the antitumor sesquiterpene coriolin ( 9 ; racemic) in 11 steps from 3,3,6-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,5-dione ( 2a / 2b ) is described (yield 2a / 2b → 8: 28%). The sequence is unprecedentedly short and avoids difficult separation problems. The key step in the scheme is a novel facet of oxadi-π-methane photochemistry, i.e., the steering by subtle steric effects of the β,γ-unsaturated ?-diketone to undergo a regioselective photorearrangement involving one β,γ-enone partial chromophore. Furthermore, the overall phototransformation, which can be carried out at unusually high concentrations (≥20% solutions), involves also a Norrish type I process equilibrating the two epimeric starting enediones 2a and 2b in favour of the desired stereoisomer.