Direct Ferrier rearrangement on unactivated glycals catalyzed by indium(III) chloride

Anhydrous InCl₃ has been shown to efficiently catalyze the Ferrier rearrangement by a direct allylic substitution of the hydroxyl group at C-3 position of glycals to afford the corresponding 2,3-unsaturated glycosides in high yields at ambient temperature. This methodology obviates the need for protecting and/or activating the C-3 hydroxyl group of glycals. The reaction works in equal ease with both 4,6-di-O-benzyl-d-glucal and 4,6-di-O-benzyl-d-galactal. The mildness of InCl₃ makes this approach compatible for glycosyl acceptors with acid labile groups. The generality of the reaction has been demonstrated with a diversity of alcohols, phenols, and sugar nucleophiles.     

Anisotropy of electron structure at InAs(1 1 1) surfaces by laser pump-and-probe photoemission spectroscopy

The electronic structure and the electron dynamics of the clean InAs(1 1 1)A 2 × 2 and the InAs(1 1 1)B 1 × 1 surfaces have been studied by laser pump-and-probe photoemission spectroscopy. Normally unpopulated electron states above the valence band maximum (VBM) are filled on the InAs(1 1 1)A surface due to the conduction band pinning above the Fermi level (E_F). Accompanied by the downward band banding alignment, a charge accumulation layer is confined to the surface region creating a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG). The decay of the photoexcited carriers above the conduction band minimum (CBM) is originated by bulk states affected by the presence of the surface. No occupied states were found on the InAs(1 1 1)B 1 × 1 surface. This fact is suggested to be due to the surface stabilisation by the charge removal from the surface into the bulk. The weak photoemission intensity above the VBM on the (1 1 1)B surface is attributed to electron states trapped by surface defects. The fast decay of the photoexcited electron states on the (1 1 1)A and the (1 1 1)B surfaces was found to be τ_1 1 1 A ? 5 ps and τ_1 1 1 B ?  4 ps, respectively. We suggest the diffusion of the hot electrons into the bulk is the decay mechanism.     

The first examples of cyclizations of a glycal with enamines leading to oxa-aza bicyclononene scaffolds

Glycals undergo smooth coupling with β-enaminoketones and β-enaminoesters generated in situ from 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and arylamines in the presence of 10 mol % of InCl₃ in refluxing dichloroethane to produce oxa-aza bicyclononene scaffolds in excellent yields with high selectivity. The use of InCl₃ makes this protocol simple, convenient and easy to scale-up.     

Synthesis of 4-allylquinazolines from N-(2-cyanoaryl)amides via the In-mediated allylation of nitrile and dehydrative cyclization cascade

The reaction of allylindium reagents and N-(2-cyanoaryl)amides afforded 2-substituted-4-allylquinazolines in good yields via the indium-mediated Barbier-type allylation of nitrile and the following dehydrative cyclization cascade.     

An efficient synthesis of α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones from Baylis-Hillman adducts via an In-mediated Barbier reaction and stereoselective lactonization under MeSO2Cl/Et3N conditions

An efficient synthesis of trans-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones is disclosed from syn-homoallylic alcohols via the intramolecular mesylate displacement reaction promoted by nearby ester group under the influence of MsCl/Et₃N. syn-Homoallylic alcohols were prepared via the In-mediated Barbier reaction of the bromides of Baylis-Hillman adducts.     

Bi3In4S10 and Bi14.7In11.3S38: Two new bismuth sulfides with interesting Bi-Bi bonding

Two new ternary bismuth chalcogenides, Bi₃In₄S₁₀ and Bi_14.7In_11.3S₃₈, were synthesized from the reactions of binary sulfides via a two-step flux technique. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that Bi₃In₄S₁₀ crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric space group Pm and Bi_14.7In_11.3S₃₈ crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P2₁/m. Both compounds adopt three-dimensional frameworks. A distinct structural feature in the two structures is the presence of chains of Bi atoms with alternating short Bi-Bi bonds of around 3.1 Å and longer distances of around 4.6 Å. The optical band gaps of 1.42(2) eV for Bi₃In₄S₁₀ and 1.45(2) eV for Bi_14.7In_11.3S₃₈ were deduced from the diffuse reflectance spectra.     

Solvothermal indium fluoride chemistry: Syntheses and crystal structures of K5In3F14, β-(NH4)3InF6 and [NH4]3[C6H21N4]2[In4F21]

The solvothermal syntheses and crystal structures of three indium fluorides are presented. K₅In₃F₁₄ (1) and β-(NH₄)₃InF₆ (2) are variants on known inorganic structure types chiolite and cryolite, respectively, with the latter exhibiting a complex and apparently novel structural distortion. [NH₄]₃[C₆H₂₁N₄]₂[In₄F₂₁] (3) represents a new hybrid composition displaying a unique trimeric metal fluoride building unit.     

Probing the local structure of crystalline ZITO: In2−2xSnxZnxO3 (x≤0.4)

The local structure of In₂O₃ cosubstituted with Zn and Sn (In_2−2xSn_xZn_xO₃, x≤0.4 or ZITO) was determined by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) for x=0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4. The host bixbyite In₂O₃ structure is maintained up to the enhanced substitution limit (x=0.4). The EXAFS spectra are consistent with random substitution of In by the smaller Zn and Sn cations, a result that is consistent with the “good-to-excellent” conductivities reported for ZITO.     

Transparent titania nanotubes of micrometer length prepared by anodization of titanium thin film deposited on ITO

Transparent TiO₂ nanotube arrays of micrometer lengths were prepared by anodization of titanium thin film RF sputtered on indium tin oxide (ITO) which was coated on glass substrate. The sputtering process took place at elevated temperature of 500 °C. The structures of the films were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) while the optical properties of the films were investigated using UV-visible spectroscopy. Two types of electrolytes were used in this work: an aqueous mixture of acetic acid and HF solution and a mixture of NH₄F and water dissolved in ethylene glycol. The concentration of NH₄F, voltage and the thickness of the sputtered titanium film were varied to study their effect on the formation of TiO₂ nanotube arrays. It is demonstrated in this work that the nanoporous layer is formed on top of the ordered array of TiO₂ nanotubes. Furthermore, the optical transmittance of TiO₂ nanotubes annealed at 450 °C is much lower than the non annealed TiO₂ nanotubes in the visible wavelength region.