A true electron-transfer reaction between 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinato cadmium(II) and the hexacyanoferrate couple at the nitrobenzene/water interface.

The ability of some metal complexes of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) to give a voltammetric wave due to the heterogeneous electron transfer (ET) at a nitrobenzene (NB)/water (W) interface has been examined. The previously-proposed, electron-conductor separating oil-water (ECSOW) system has been successfully employed to find that the TPP complex with cadmium(II) added to NB gives a well-defined, reversible wave for the heterogeneous (i.e., "true") ET with the hexacyanoferrate couple in W. A digital simulation analysis has entirely excluded the possibility of the ion-transfer mechanism due to the homogeneous ET in W. The a.c. impedance method has then been used to determine the kinetic parameters including the standard rate constant k0 (= 0.10 cm M(-1) s(-1)) and the transfer coefficient alpha (= 0.53 at the half-wave potential). These values are in good agreement with those predicted from the Marcus theory with the assumption that the heterogeneous ET due to molecular collision occurs at the "sharp" NB/W interface.     

Cationic polymerization of styrene by acetyl perchlorate. II. Steric structure of the polymer and nature of the propagating species

Cationic polymerization of styrene initiated by acetyl perchlorate in CH₂Cl₂ yields a polymer having a bimodal molecular weight distribution. The high molecular weight and the low molecular weight portions of the polymer were separated by thin-layer chromatography, and the steric structure of these separated polymers was investigated by ¹³C NMR spectra. The high molecular weight polymer had a larger racemic dyad content than the low molecular weight material. From the dependence of the steric structure of the polymer on the polarity of a solvent, it was estimated that the propagating species producing the high molecular weight material was a loose ion pair or a free ion, and that producing the high molecular weight material was a loose ion pair or a free ion, and that producing the low one was a nondissociated species.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of morphine in street opium samples by thermal desorption gas chromatography using a microfurnace pyrolyzer

Thermal desorption of the alkaloids in opium samples at 300 degrees C using a vertical microfurnace pyrolyzer was followed by their on-line gas chromatographic (GC) analysis on a large-bore glass capillary column. This method permitted rapid and sensitive determination of the content of the main alkaloid, morphine, in the small (ca. 100 microg) opium samples with a relative standard deviation within 4% for 5 runs. The observed morphine contents of about 12 to 15 w/w% in the given opium samples were in fairly good agreement with those estimated by a conventional GC-MS method.     

Stereoregularity of polystyrene-β,β-d2

The 100-MHz methine proton spectra of polystyrene-β,β-d₂ obtained by radical and cationic initiators consisted of four peaks at 2.35, 2.25, 2.17, and 2.03 ppm, the proportion of which changed with polymerization conditions such as catalyst, solvent, and temperature. The spectrum was interpreted in terms of pentad sequences assuming Bernoullian statistics and the stereoregularity was determined. Polystyrene-β,β-d₂ prepared by radical initiators had a syndiotactic-rich configuration, independent of polymerization temperature. Polymers obtained by cationic initiators had lower racemic dyads. Cationic polymerization in toluene at 0°C gave a polymer of an almost random configuration. It was revealed that nondeuterated polystyrene of a random configuration can be distinguished from syndiotactic-rich polystyrene as well as the isotactic polymer by 100 MHz NMR spectroscopy.     

Triad tacticity of polyacrylonitrile

The high-resolution NMR spectra of polyacrylonitrile-β,β-d₂ prepared by radical polymerization were determined, and the stereoregularity of the polymer was studied. The NMR spectra of methine protons of polyacrylonitrile-β,β-d₂ in dimethyl sulfoxide-d₆ and a mixture of nitromethane-d₃ and ethylene carbonate showed three partially resolved multiplets. The deuterium-decoupled spectra of the polymer were measured, and three well resolved peaks were observed in the two solvents and dimethylformamide-d₇. These three peaks were analyzed by comparison with the NMR spectra of model compounds and polyacrylonitrile-α-d, and they were assigned to isotactic, heterotactic, and syndiotactic triads with decreasing magnetic field. This order seems to be unchanged in other solvents. Triad stereoregularity of the polymer was determined according to the assignment. Polymerizations of acrylonitrile-β,β-d₂ by radical initiators between ?78°C and 60°C were explained by the Bernoulli trial propagation step. The polymers had an atactic structure, independent of polymerization temperature. This shows that in free-radical polymerization of acrylonitrile, the chain end is not represented as having any particular stereochemistry. Other stereochemical control is necessary to produce tactic polymers. The triad tacticity of isotactic polyacrylonitrile was also determined.     

Cationic graft copolymerization of styrene onto chlorinated butyl rubber

The graft copolymerization of styrene onto chlorinated butyl rubber (Cl-IIR) with stannic chloride as cationic catalyst was studied in cyclohexane, and the rate of polymerization, per cent grafting and grafting efficiency were obtained. Polymerization was carried out in a sealed tube. The product was precipitated in methanol and dried. The increase in weight of Cl-IIR used was regarded as styrene conversion, and the increase in weight after extraction by boiling acetone as the weight of grafted styrene. Grafting was confirmed by fractional dissolution and infrared spectra. The rate of polymerization of styrene was proportional to concentrations of styrene, Cl-IIR and SnCl₄. The per cent grafting increased with styrene and SnCl₄ concentration, but was constant with Cl-IIR concentration. It also increased with time and with halogen content in the polymer. The addition of a polar solvent such as nitrobenzene greatly promoted the grafting reaction and the per cent grafting was 200%.     

13C nuclear magnetic resonance studies on the stereochemical configurations of 2,4-dimethoxypentane and poly(alkyl vinyl ethers)

¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (CMR) spectra were obtained for 2,4-dimethoxypentane, which is a model compound of poly(methyl vinyl ether), and the effects of the solvent and temperature on the chemical shifts were investigated. CMR spectra of poly-(alkyl vinyl ethers) were also determined and analyzed. The diad tacticities were obtained from β-methylene carbon resonances of poly(methyl vinyl ether), poly(ethyl vinyl ether), and poly(isobutyl vinyl ether), but not from those of poly(isopropyl vinyl ether) and poly(tert-butyl vinyl ether). The methoxyl carbon resonance of poly(methyl vinyl ether) and the ethoxyl methylene carbon resonance of poly(ethyl vinyl ether) showed splittings corresponding to pentad and triad sequences, respectively. The α-methine and quaternary carbon resonances of poly(tert-butyl vinyl ether) showed splittings corresponding to pentad and triad sequences, respectively.     

Photochemical reactions of aromatic compounds XLV: controlling factors for reactivities and mechanisms in photoelectron transfer reactions of some selected diarylcyclobutanes with electron acceptors

We have attempted to explore mechanistic aspects of the photosensitized ring-cleavage reactions of cis-1,2-diphenylcyclobutane (1), cis-transoid-cis-cyclobutal[1,2-a:4,3-a′] diindene (2) and r-1,c-2-dimethyl-t-3,t-4-di(4-methoxyphenyl)cyclobutane (3) by electron acceptors (A) in acetonitrile. The experimental results demonstrate that the ring cleavage of 1 and 2 occurs as a consequence of the rapid geminate recombination of ion-radical pairs occurring at a rate of well over 10⁹ s⁻¹ without ionic dissociation. In the case of 3, however, the photoreactions proceed by way of a chain-reaction mechanism involving the free cation radical of 3 which undergoes ring cleavage at much less than 10⁷ s⁻¹. The rapid ring cleavage of 1⁺ and 2⁺ is attributed to significant perturbations of the cyclobutane ring by the population of positive charge on the orbital array of the two π-electron systems and the cyclobutane-ring σ framework because of strong through-bond couplings. It is presumed that the cyclobutane ring of 3⁺ is much less distorted since the positive charge is mostly localized on the aryl group. The rapid geminate recombination of the A⁻⁻−1⁺ and A⁻⁻−2⁺ pairs is discussed in terms of a very efficient transition from the “distorted” and “ring-opened” minima of the A⁻⁻−D⁺ surface to the A–D surface. In the case of 3, this mechanism cannot be expected to operate in the geminate recombination.     

Solvent-assisted thiocarboxylation of amines and alcohols with carbon monoxide and sulfur under mild conditions

DMSO or DMF as a solvent strongly accelerated the thiocarboxylation of amines and alcohols with carbon monoxide and sulfur. Under mild conditions (1 atm, 20 °C), this thiocarboxylation of amines assisted by DMSO with carbon monoxide and sulfur has been developed into a practical and convenient synthetic method for S-alkyl thiocarbamates in good to excellent yields, including EPTC, thiobencarb, orbencarb, and molinate (herbicides). DMF also showed the similar solvent effect. NMP slightly decreased the effect for the thiocarboxylation of amines, and the yield of S-alkyl thiocarbamate was lowered in DMAc. Surprisingly, no formation of S-alkyl thiocarbamate was observed at the use of the other solvents, such as THF, hexane, toluene, AcOEt, MeCN, MeOH, and H₂O. The present solvent-assisted thiocarboxylation with carbon monoxide and sulfur could be also applied to a new synthesis of S-alkyl O-alkyl carbonothioates from alcohols under mild conditions (1 atm, 20 °C) in DMF using DBU (1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene).