Synthesis of New Pyrazolo[1.5.4-de]quinoxalines

New pyrazolo[1.5.4-de]quinoxaline derivatives were prepared by the action of 7-aminoindazole 1 on diethyl and dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylates. The structures of the obtained compounds and the direction of cyclization were investigated through a crystallographic study of compound 2. Further alkylation, hydrogenation, and bromination were also explored. The action of potassium thiocyanate on the obtained halo product led to a tetracyclic compound of 1.3-thiazolo[3.4-a]pyrazolo[1.5.4-de]quinoxaline series.     

Practical and Scalable Synthesis of Ethyl (R)-Piperidine-3-acetate

A practical and scalable synthesis of ethyl (R)-piperidine-3-acetate was achieved from commercially available 3-pyridylacetic acid in 76% overall yield. The practical synthesis was demonstrated on 100-g scale. One-pot reductive N-ethylation of the pyridinium salt with acetonitrile gave an N-ethyl piperidine derivative.     

Synthesis of Stereochemically Flexible Cyclic Biphenylbisphosphinite Ligands: Control of the Dynamics and Selectivity

Novel l -tartaric acid based stereodynamic biphenylbisphosphinite ligands with anilino linkers were prepared as cyclic diamide compounds. The influence of the constitutional substitution pattern of the amino group at the aniline moiety on the diastereoselective formation of the ligand was investigated. While the meta-anilino bridged ligands showed a highly dynamic behavior and no discrimination between (R_ax) and (S_ax) configuration, l -tartaric acid substitution on ortho-anilino bridged ligands leads to diastereoselective self-alignment of the central biphenol axis, which controls the stereoselectivity of the ligand and catalyst. The experimental findings were corroborated by theoretical calculations. In the rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (MAA), an enantiomeric ratio of 75 : 25 (R/S) was obtained for the ortho-substituted ligand.     

Nanocomposite Hydrogel of Pd@ZIF-8 and Laponite®: Size-Selective Hydrogenation Catalyst under Mild Conditions

The composite hydrogel of a nanoscale metal–organic framework (NMOF) and nanoclay has emerged as a new soft-material with advanced properties and applications. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of a hydrogel nanocomposite by charge-assisted self-assembly of Pd@ZIF-8 nanoparticles with Laponite^® nanoclay which coat the surface of Pd@ZIF-8 nanoparticles. Such surface coating significantly enhanced the thermal stability of the ZIF-8 compared to the pristine framework. Further, the Pd@ZIF-8+LP hydrogel nanocomposite shows better size-selective catalytic hydrogenation of olefins than Pd@ZIF-8 nanoparticles based on selective diffusion of the substrate.     

Birefringence control by hydrogen bonding on compatible polymer pair composed of hydrogenated ring‐opening polymer and modified polystyrene

A new polymer blend composed of a hydrogenated ring‐opening polymer (HROP) with an ester group and hydroxyl functionalized polystyrene (HFP) produced the excellent transparent materials which enabled a precise birefringence control in keeping with the other physical properties for optical film use. The blend with a composition from 0.28 to 0.35 for the HFP weight fraction showed an extraordinary wavelength dispersion, transmitting through a zero birefringence point at the critical fraction of 0.45, while each polymer showed an ordinary wavelength dispersion. The observed excellent transparency even above those of the glass transition temperature was attributed to a depressed phase separation that resulted from strong hydrogen bond between the ester and hydroxyl groups. An IR analysis of the film demonstrated a remarkable red‐shift in the carbonyl peak with an increase of the hydroxylated polystyrene content, indicating a strong hydrogen bond between those groups. This new polymer blend provides a useful design to achieve practical demands for film use, both optical and mechanical under the fabrication conditions using the melt extrusion technique. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3132–3143