Ca(NO3)2•4H2O-catalysed Biginelli Reaction: One-pot Synthesis of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ones/pyrimidine-2-thiones under Solvent-free Conditions

The synthesis of 1,2,3,4-dihydropyrimidinone/thione derivatives was achieved in good to excellent yields using calcium(II) nitrate as catalyst to promote the Biginelli three-component condensation reaction from a diversity of aromatic aldehydes, β-keto compounds and urea or thiourea. The reaction was carried out under solvent-free conditions.     

The samarium(II)-mediated intermolecular couplings of ketones and β-alkoxyacrylates: a short asymmetric synthesis of an antifungal γ-butyrolactone

The samarium(II) iodide-mediated coupling of ketones with β-alkoxyacrylates gives β-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones in moderate yield. The process has been applied to the asymmetric synthesis of an antifungal, γ-butyrolactone natural product.     

Breakage of λ-DNA by inorganic tin and organotin compounds as environmental pollutants

In proportion to the environmental pollution problems caused by organotin compounds, the genotoxicities of tin compounds in the environments have become of interest so as to estimate their safety in recent years. In this work, isolated λ-DNA (double-strand DNA) was incubated with inorganic tin(II) and tin(IV) and five organotin compounds [n-butyltin trichloride, di(n-butyltin) dichloride, methyltin trichloride, dimethyltin dichloride and trimethyltin chloride] in reaction systems both with and without hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content. The tin compounds tested in this study did not induce DNA breakage in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. Divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) and tetravalent inorganic tin (SnCl₄) caused DNA breakage in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10 mM), and the DNA damage activity of inorganic tin was much more potent in divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) than in tetravalent inorganic tin (SnCl₄). Divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) induced DNA breakage in a concentration-dependent fashion at concentrations greater than 0.1 mM of SnCl₂ in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10 mM). DNA breakage was not caused by n-butyltin compounds and methyltin compounds either in the presence or in the absence of hydrogen peroxide.     

Mimicking catalase and catecholase enzymes by copper(II)-containing complexes

An imidazolate-bridged copper(II)-zinc(II) complex (Cu(II)-diethylenetriamino-μ-imidazolato-Zn(II)-tris(2-aminoethyl)amine perchlorate (denoted as “Cu,Zn complex”) and a simple copper(II) complex (Cu(II)-tris(2-aminoethyl) amine chloride (“Cu-tren”) were prepared and immobilised on silica gel (by hydrogen or covalent bonds) and montmorillonite (by ion exchange). The immobilised substances were characterised by FT-IR spectroscopy and their thermal characteristics were also studied. The obtained materials were tested in two probe reactions: catalytic oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-butyl catechol (DTBC) (catecholase activity) and the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (catalase activity). It was found that the catecholase activity of the Cu,Zn complex increased considerably upon immobilization on silica gel via hydrogen bonds and intercalation by ion exchange among the layers of montmorillonite. The imidazolate-bridged copper(II)-zinc(II) complex and its immobilised versions were inactive in hydrogen peroxide decomposition. The Cu(II)-tris(2-aminoethyl)amine chloride complex displayed good catalase activity; however, immobilisation could not improve it.     

Thermal decomposition of transition metal carboxylates

Dynamics of changes in microstresses during thermal decomposition of Cu(HCOO)₂ crystals and their effect on the thermal decomposition kinetics were studied by IR spectroscopy at 105 to 120 °C. The formation of solid intermediate HCOOCu was observed, and the dynamics of its accumulation was followed. Kinetic regularities of transformation of HCOO groups were compared with those for gas evolution.For Communication 1, see Ref. 1.Translated from Izvestiya va Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 350–354, February, 1996.     

Absorption spectra and the nature of complexes in the polyvinyl Alcohol-Nickel (II) chloride system

We have used electronic spectroscopy in the 160–1100 nm range to study the polyvinyl alcohol-nickel(II) chloride system. Based on the results obtained, we hypothesize formation of mixed-ligand complexes of the type [Ni(H₂O)_6-nCl_n]^2-n (n = 0, 1,..., 5) in the polyvinyl alcohol matrix. Transformation of the coordination sphere as the NiCl₂ concentration changes is apparent both in the region of the d-d transition bands (350–1100 nm) and in the region of the charge transfer bands (160–250 nm). We propose assigning the absorption bands separated by mathematical treatment to complexes of specific compositions. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 136–138, January–February, 2006.     

Pd (II)‐catalyzed vinyl addition polymerization of novel functionalized norbornene bearing dimethyl carboxylate groups

Three novel functionalized polynorbornenes (PNB) with pendant dimethyl carboxylate group (carboxylates—acetate, propionate, and butyrate) are synthesized as a vinyl‐type with a palladium (II) catalyst in high yield. The effects of size of substitutents, molar ratio of monomer to catalyst, solvent polarity, reaction time, and temperature on the polymerization of exo‐norbornene dimethyl propionate were systematically investigated. The low molar ratio and temperature, as well as high polarity of solvent, and long reaction time, are favorable for the enhancement of the monomer conversion, especially, the solvent have an obvious effect on the catalyst activity. The resulting poly(cis‐norbornene‐exo‐2,3‐dimethyl carboxylates) (PNB‐dimethyl carboxylates) show good solubility in common organic solvent and high thermal stability up to 360 °C. The glass transition temperature was detected by DMA at 331, 324, and 318 °C for acetate, propionate, and butyrate, respectively. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3391–3399, 2007     

Synthesis of benzofurans via Pd-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of 2-allylphenols

Substituted 2-methylbenzofurans were obtained from 2-allylphenols via Pd²⁺-catalyzed oxidative cyclization using Cu(OAc)₂–LiCl as a reoxidant and wet DMF as a solvent.     

1,3-diallyl-5-[ω-(diphenylphosphino)alkyl] isocyanurates in reactions of complex formation with palladium(ii) dichloride

The reactions of phosphine derivatives of diallyl isocyanurates with palladium(ii) dichloride lead to the formation of complexes, whose structure, composition, and stability depend on the length of the methylene chain between the isocyanurate and diphenylphosphine fragments in the ligand. 1,3-Diallyl-5-[5′-(diphenylphosphino)pentyl and 10′-(diphenyl-phosphino)decyl] isocyanurates with PdCl₂ form monomeric L₂PdCl₂ trans-complexes in which P atoms of the ligands participate in coordination with the metal. 1,3-Diallyl-5-[2′-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl] isocyanurate with PdCl₂ forms a dimeric (LPdCl₂)₂ complex, which decomposes in a solution to the monomer including solvent molecule into the coordination sphere of the metal. The reactions of 1,3-diallyl-5-[4′-(diphenylphosphino)butyl] isocyanurate and 1,3-diallyl-5-[6′-(diphenylphosphino)hexyl] isocyanurate with PdCl₂ give monomeric chelate LPdCl₂ complexes in which one of the allyl groups of the isocyanurate cycle participates in coordination with the central ion along with the phosphorus atom. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1859–1865, September, 1998.     

A Monte Carlo method for an objective Bayesian procedure

This paper describes a method for an objective selection of the optimal prior distribution, or for adjusting its hyper-parameter, among the competing priors for a variety of Bayesian models. In order to implement this method, the integration of very high dimensional functions is required to get the normalizing constants of the posterior and even of the prior distribution. The logarithm of the high dimensional integral is reduced to the one-dimensional integration of a cerain function with respect to the scalar parameter over the range of the unit interval. Having decided the prior, the Bayes estimate or the posterior mean is used mainly here in addition to the posterior mode. All of these are based on the simulation of Gibbs distributions such as Metropolis' Monte Carlo algorithm. The improvement of the integration's accuracy is substantial in comparison with the conventional crude Monte Carlo integration. In the present method, we have essentially no practical restrictions in modeling the prior and the likelihood. Illustrative artificial data of the lattice system are given to show the practicability of the present procedure.