Recyclable 1,2‐bis[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]diselane‐catalyzed oxidation of cyclohexene with H2O2: a practical access to trans‐1,2‐cyclohexanediol

1,2‐Bis[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]diselane‐catalyzed oxidation of cyclohexene by hydrogen peroxide affords a quick, clean and practical access to the important compound trans‐1,2‐cyclohexanediol under mild conditions. The highly atom‐economic properties, clean procedures, high reaction concentration, short reaction time, mild conditions and eco‐friendly, recyclable and low loading catalysts facilitate this methodology for possible future practical industrial production. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Composites of poly(ε‐caprolactone) and Mo6S3I6 Nanowires

Composites of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and molybdenum sulfur iodine (MoSI) nanowires were prepared using twin‐screw extrusion. Extensive microscopic examination of the composites revealed the nanowires were well dispersed in the PCL matrix, although bundles of Mo₆S₃I₆ ropes were evident at higher loadings. Secondary electron imaging (SEI) showed the nanowires had formed an extensive network throughout the PCL matrix, resulting in increased electrical conductivity of PCL, by eight orders of magnitude, and an electrical percolation threshold of 6.5 × 10^?3 vol%. Thermal analysis (DSC), WAXD, and hot stage polarized optical microscopy (HSPOM) experiments revealed Mo₆S₃I₆ addition altered PCL crystallization kinetics, nucleation density, and crystalline content. A greater number of smaller spherulites were formed via heterogeneous nucleation. The onset of thermal decomposition (TGA) of PCL decreased by 70°C, a consequence of the thermal degradation of Mo₆S₃I₆ to MoO₃, which in turn accelerates the formation of volatile gases during the first stage of PCL decomposition. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oxide reduced silicon nanowires

Core crystalline silicon nanowires with a heavily reduced amorphous shell have been successfully synthesised using palladium as a metal catalyst. We present two approaches to reduce the oxidation of the nanowires during the thermal annealing growth. The ratios of the amorphous shell to crystalline core of the nanowires produced, from the two methods, are compared and show a remarkable drop (hence thinner oxide) compared to wires fabricated using currently available techniques. In addition, a focused ion beam was utilised to contact the oxide-reduced nanowires for transport measurements, without first removing the thin oxide shell. The oxygen-reduced core-shell silicon nanowires showed a very low electrical resistivity (4 × 10⁻¹ Ω cm). Our novel approach presents a new alternative to the production of low cost, high yield, highly conducting silicon nanowires offering a wide range of opportunities for semiconductor based technology.     

Full four‐component relativistic calculations of the one‐bond 77Se–13C spin‐spin coupling constants in the series of selenium heterocycles and their parent open‐chain selenides

Four‐component relativistic calculations of ⁷⁷Se–¹³C spin–spin coupling constants have been performed in the series of selenium heterocycles and their parent open‐chain selenides. It has been found that relativistic effects play an essential role in the selenium–carbon coupling mechanism and could result in a contribution of as much as 15–25% of the total values of the one‐bond selenium–carbon spin‐spin coupling constants. In the overall contribution of the relativistic effects to the total values of ¹J(Se,C), the scalar relativistic corrections (negative in sign) by far dominate over the spin‐orbit ones (positive in sign), the latter being of less than 5%, as compared to the former (ca 20%). A combination of nonrelativistic second‐order polarization propagator approach (CC2) with the four‐component relativistic density functional theory scheme is recommended as a versatile tool for the calculation of ¹J(Se,C). Solvent effects in the values of ¹J(Se,C) calculated within the polarizable continuum model for the solvents with different dielectric constants (ε 2.2–78.4) are next to negligible decreasing negative ¹J(Se,C) in absolute value by only about 1 Hz. The use of the locally dense basis set approach applied herewith for the calculation of ⁷⁷Se–¹³C spin‐spin coupling constants is fully justified resulting in a dramatic decrease in computational cost with only 0.1–0.2‐Hz loss of accuracy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Substituted Quinolinones. Part 19. New and Unexpected Results from Oxidation of 3-Acetyl-1-Alkyl- 4-Hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-Ones Using Selenium Dioxide

Abstract

Oxidation of 3-acetyl-1-alkyl-4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-ones using selenium dioxide under Riley conditions was described. The oxidation reaction produced a mixture of 2 unexpected α-keto acid and its dehydrated dimer derivatives. The oxidation reaction was studied under different reaction conditions in order to maximize the yields and optimize reaction conditions. Also, 1-alkyl-4-hydroxy-3-(2-nitroacetyl)quinolin-2(1H)-one and/or 3-acetyl-1-alkyl-4-diflouro-boryloxyquinolin-2(1H)-one derivatives were subjected to the same oxidation reaction giving rise improved reaction yields and selectivity in case of the boron-complex. Alkaline degradation of the dehydrated dimers led to formation of the 4-hydroxy-2-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acids while under the same conditions the α-keto acids underwent deoxalylation.

[Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the following free supplemental files: Additional figures].     

Synthesis and optical nondestructive evaluation of GaN nanorods on silicon surfaces with gold catalyst

Nanometric gallium-nitride rods were grown on a silicon (1 1 1) substrate through a chemical vapor deposition process with gold particles as the catalyst. Randomly distributed gallium-nitride rods of 20–200 nm in diameter and of various densities and lengths were formed under different deposition conditions. Characterization analyses, such as scanning electron microscopy and optical reflection spectroscopy, have been carried out on samples containing gallium-nitride rods different in size, shape, length and density. While the scanning electron microscopy shows directly the images of the sample surfaces, the optical spectroscopy provides a nondestructive evaluation of the sample surfaces, especially helpful for checking the uniformity of the samples.