2,5‐Bis(2‐(diphenylphosphino)phenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole ligands and their Cu(I) complexes for Sonogashira coupling reaction

Two diphosphane ligands – 2,5‐bis(2‐(diphenylphosphino)‐5‐R)phenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole ( L1 , R = H, L2 , R = OMe) and their binuclear complexes, L1Cu and L2Cu , were prepared and characterized. The molecular structures of L1Cu and L2Cu , as perchlorate salts, were established by X‐ray crystallography, which showed them to be binuclear complexes with each Cu atom tetrahedrally coordinated by two P atoms and two N atoms. The ligands and their Cu(I) complexes catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reactions of iodobenzene with phenylacetylene in the presence of K₂CO₃ under Pd‐free conditions. Coupling reactions catalyzed by L1 or L2 with Cu(MeCN)₄ClO₄ in situ exhibited better yields than those by the corresponding Cu(I) complexes L1Cu or L2Cu . Detailed studies showed L1 or L2 with Cu(MeCN)₄ClO₄ to be suitable catalysts for the coupling reaction of terminal alkynes and aryl halides. The coupling reactions of aryl iodides with electron‐withdrawing groups showed better results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient catalysts for ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone and β‐butyrolactone: Synthesis and characterization of zinc complexes based on benzotriazole phenoxide ligands

A series of efficient zinc catalysts supported by sterically bulky benzotriazole phenoxide ( BTP ) ligands are synthesized and structurally characterized. The reactions of diethyl zinc (ZnEt₂) with ^CMe2PhBTP ‐H, ^t‐BuBTP ‐H, and ^TMClBTP ‐H yield monoadduct [(μ‐ BTP )ZnEt]₂ ( 1 – 3 ), respectively. Bisadduct complex [( ^t‐BuBTP )₂Zn] ( 4 ) results from treatment of ZnEt₂ with ^t‐BuBTP ‐H (2 equiv.) in toluene, but treatment of ^TMClBTP ‐H with ZnEt₂ in the same stoichiometric proportion in Et₂O produces five‐coordinated monomeric complex [( ^TMClBTP )₂Zn(Et₂O)] ( 5 ). The molecular structures of compounds 1 , 4 , and 5 are characterized by X‐ray crystal structure determinations. All complexes 1 – 5 are efficient catalysts for the ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL) in the presence of 9‐anthracenemethanol. Experimental results indicate that complex 3 exhibits the greatest activity with well‐controlled character among these complexes. The polymerizations of ε‐CL and β‐butyrolactone catalyzed by 3 are demonstrated in a “living” character with narrow polydispersity indices (monomer‐to‐initiator ratio in the range of 25–200, PDIs ≤ 1.10). The “immortal” character of 3 provides a way to synthesize as much as 16‐fold polymer chains of poly(ε‐CL) (PCL) with narrow PDI in the presence of a catalyst in a small proportion. The controlled fashion of complex 3 also enabled preparation of the PCL‐b‐poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) copolymer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Efficient zinc initiators supported by NNO‐tridentate ketiminate ligands for cyclic esters polymerization

A series of zinc benzylalkoxide complexes, [LⁿZn(μ‐OBn)]₂ (L = L ¹ H – L ⁵ H ), supported by NNO‐tridentate ketiminate ligands with various electron withdrawing‐donating subsituents have been synthesized and characterized. X‐ray crystal structural studies revealed that complexes 2b and 4b are dinuclear bridging through the benzylalkoxy oxygen atoms with penta‐coordinated metal centers. All the metal complexes have acted as efficient initiators for the ring‐opening polymerization of L ‐lactide (within 12 min, 0 °C). Remarkably, a molecular weight of PLLA up to 580,000 can be achieved using [(L⁵Zn(μ‐OBn)]₂ ( 5b ) as an initiator. The kinetic studies for the polymerization of L ‐lactide with complex 3b at ?10 °C corresponded to first‐order reactions in the monomer. The ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of ε‐caprolactone, ε‐decalactone, β‐butyrolactone and their copolymer with complex 3b was investigated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Secoiridoid Constituents from the Fruits of Ligustrum lucidum

Four new secoiridiod glucosides, p‐hydroxyphenethyl 7‐β‐D ‐glucosideelenolic acid ester ( 1 ), 6′‐elenolylnicotiflorine ( 2 ), 6′′′‐acetylnicotiflorine ( 3 ), and oleoside 7‐ethyl 11‐methyl ester ( 4 ), as well as six known glucosides, nuezhenide ( 5 ), Gl‐3 ( 6 ), nicotiflorine ( 7 ), isonuezhenide ( 8 ), neonuezhenide ( 9 ), and oleoside 11‐methyl ester ( 10 ) were isolated from the fruits of Ligustrum lucidum. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Compound 4 was an artifact produced during extraction.     

Kinetic Model of Fixed Bed Reactor with Immobilized Microorganisms for Removing Low-Concentration SO2

On the basis of the analysis of the process of treating low concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas in a fixed bed reactor, a kinetic model is proposed for this process after taking into consideration the effects of internal diffusion, cell concentration, and production yield of microorganisms but ignoring the effect of external diffusion. The results obtained from the model simulation show that this model can indicate the influence of the process factors, Cin,η,μmax, Cx,A, h, Km, and Q, on the removal of SO2 and that the prediction of the results by this model is also satisfactory. This kinetic model can also provide some very important indications regarding the preparation of immobilized microorganisms, selection and domestication of proper species of microorganisms, as well as the design of bioreactors.     

Phase change behavior of polyethylene glycol in blends with cellulose

Thermodynamic properties and phase change behaviors of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in blends with cellulose (CELL) were found to be completely different than those of pure PEG. When the CELL fraction of the blend was larger than 5 wt%, PEG within the blend did not melt into a liquid state, as was the case with pure PEG, even at a temperature over 50°C above its melting point. Instead of fusion, a solid-solid phase transition was found in these PEG-CELL blends with an enthalpy as large as 100 J/g.     

Three 3‐Amino‐1, 2, 4‐Triazole‐Based Magnetic Complexes Incorporated with Different Carboxylate‐Containing Coligands: Synthesis,Structures, and Magnetic Properties

Three 3‐amino‐1, 2, 4‐triazole (atz)‐based paramagnetic complexes, [Mn(atz)(pa)]_n ( 1 ), {[Mn(atz)_1.5(hip)] · H₂O}_n ( 2 ), and [Mn(H₂O)₂(atz)₂(nb)₂] ( 3 ) (H₂pa = o‐phthalic acid, H₂hip = 5‐hydroxylisophthalic acid, and Hnb = p‐nitrobenzoic acid) were prepared by introducing different carboxylate‐containing aromatic coligands, and structurally and magnetically characterized. Helical Mn^II‐atz and bent Mn^II‐pa^2– chains are crosslinked by sharing the same metal sites to generate a honeycomb‐shaped framework of 1 . The undulated Mn^II‐atz layers constructed from 22‐member metallomacrocycles are periodically supported by ditopic hip^2– ligands to lead to a pillared‐layer structure of 2 . In contrast, complex 3 is a centrosymmetric mononuclear entity, which is assembled into a three‐dimensional supramolecular network by abundant hydrogen‐bonding interactions. The structural difference of 1 – 3 is significantly due to the combinations of the flexible coordination modes adopted by the mixed atz and carboxylate groups. Weak and comparable antiferromagnetic couplings are observed in the nearest neighbors of 1 – 3 , which are cooperatively transmitted either by short carboxylate and/or atz heterobridges or by weak non‐covalent interactions.     

Equivalence of Fourth Order Boundary Value Problems and Matrix Eigenvalue Problems

We show that a class of regular self-adjoint fourth order boundary value problems (BVPs) is equivalent to a certain class of matrix problems. Conversely, for any given matrix problem in this class, there exist fourth order self-adjoint BVPs which are equivalent to the given matrix problem. Equivalent here means that they have exactly the same spectrum.