Highly Efficient C?H Hydroxylation of Carbonyl Compounds with Oxygen under Mild Conditions

A transition‐metal‐free Cs₂CO₃‐catalyzed α‐hydroxylation of carbonyl compounds with O₂ as the oxygen source is described. This reaction provides an efficient approach to tertiary α‐hydroxycarbonyl compounds, which are highly valued chemicals and widely used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The simple conditions and the use of molecular oxygen as both the oxidant and the oxygen source make this protocol very environmentally friendly and practical. This transformation is highly efficient and highly selective for tertiary C(sp³) H bond cleavage.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of a Chiral Coordination Polymer with Circularly Polarized Visible Laser

Circular dichroism is known to be the feature of a chiral agent which has inspired scientist to study the interesting phenomena of circularly polarized light (CPL) modulated molecular chirality. Although several organic molecules or assemblies have been found to be CPL‐responsive, the influence of CPL on the assembly of chiral coordination compounds remains unknown. Herein, a chiral coordination polymer, which is constructed from achiral agents, was used to study the CPL‐induced enantioselective synthesis. By irradiation with either left‐handed or right‐handed CPL during the reaction and crystallization, enantiomeric excesses of the crystalline product were obtained. Left‐handed CPL resulted in crystals with a left‐handed helical structure, and right‐handed CPL led to crystals with a right‐handed helical structure. It is exciting that the absolute asymmetric synthesis of a chiral coordination polymer could be enantioselective when using CPL, and provides a strategy for the control of the chirality of chiral coordination polymers.     

Theoretical study of the thermal rearrangement of chloromethylsilanes, and its mechanism

The thermal rearrangement reactions of chloromethylsilane, (chloromethyl)dimethylsilane, and (chloromethyl)vinylsilane have been studied by use of the density functional theory method at the B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) level. The structures of the reactants, transition states, and the products were determined and fully optimized. The geometries of the different stationary points and the harmonic vibrational frequencies were calculated at the same level. The results showed that thermal rearrangement of the chloromethylsilanes occurred via one pathway. The chlorine atom migrated from the carbon atom to the silicon atom, and the hydrogen atom migrated simultaneously from the silicon atom to the carbon atom through a double-three-membered-ring transition state, forming methylchlorosilane, trimethylchlorosilane, and vinylmethylchlorosilane. The energy barriers of the three rearrangements calculated at the B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) level were 217.4, 201.6, and 208.7 kJ mol^?1, respectively. The effects of alkyl substituents on silicon atom are discussed. Changes of thermodynamic functions, equilibrium constant, and reaction rate constant were calculated in accordance with Eyring transition-state theory over the temperature range 400–1,500 K.     

Efficient synthesis of the C/D rings of atisine-type C20-diterpenoid alkaloids

A bicyclo[2.2.2]octane C/D ring system,with a lactonic ring at C-8 and C-9,of the atisine-type C₂₀-diterpenoid alkaloids,was successfully synthesized,using an oxidative dearomatization/intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction.