pH‐controlled reaction divergence of decarboxylation versus fragmentation in reactions of dihydroxyfumarate with glyoxylate and formaldehyde: parallels to biological pathways

The reactions of dihydroxyfumarate with glyoxylate and formaldehyde exhibit a unique pH‐controlled mechanistic divergence leading to different product suites by two distinct pathways. The divergent reactions proceed via a central intermediate (2,3‐dihydroxy‐oxalosuccinate, 3 , in the reaction with glyoxylate and 2‐hydroxy‐2‐hydroxymethyl‐3‐oxosuccinate, 14 , in the reaction with formaldehyde). At pH 7–8, products ( 7 , 8 , and 15 ) exclusively from a decarboxylation of the intermediate are observed, while at pH 13–14, products ( 9 , 10 , and 16 ) solely derived from a hydroxide‐promoted fragmentation of the intermediate are formed. The decarboxylative and fragmentation pathways are mutually exclusive and do not appear to coexist under the range of pH (7–14) conditions investigated. Herein, we employ a combination of quantitative ¹³C NMR measurements and density functional theory calculations to provide a rationale for this pH‐driven reaction divergence. These rationalizations also hold true for the reactions of dihydroxyfumarate produced in situ by the catalytic cyanide‐mediated dimerization of glyoxylate. In addition, the non‐enzymatic decarboxylation and fragmentation transformations of these central intermediates ( 3 and 14 ) appear to have intriguing parallels to the enzymatic reactions of oxalosuccinate and formation of glyceric acid derivatives in extant metabolism – the high and low pH mimicking the precise control exerted by the enzymes over reaction pathways. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Self-organization of water in lithium/nitrobenzene system

The effect of lithium ion on the ordering of water in water-saturated nitrobenzene has been probed by 2H NMR, diffusion ordered spectroscopy and neutron scattering. It was shown that increased water concentration in LiClO4/wet nitrobenzene results in the formation of a metastable solvatomer with mixed water and nitrobenzene character, Li+(W/NB). This species is shown to decay over hours to two solvatomers, one dominated by nitrobenzene Li+(NB) and the other dominated by water Li+(W). To confirm the assignment of these solvation states, diffusion ordered deuterium NMR spectroscopy has been used to elucidate the hydrodynamic radii of these solvatomers. Neutron scattering yields vibrational spectroscopy information that shows how addition of lithium to the nitrobenzene/water system results in relatively slow self-organization of the water environment (hours).     

Structural investigations on lewis acid mediated solubilization of poly(p-phenylenebenzobisthiazole) in an aprotic solvent

Investigations on aluminum chloride-mediated solubilization of poly(p-phenylenebenzo-bisthiazole), PBZT, in nitromethane revealed that, in general, dilute solutions of the polymer prepared in nitromethane with a large molar excess of the Lewis acid with respect to PBZT were relatively stable and thus suitable for processing into films and coatings via regeneration with hydroxylic nosolvents while polymer solutions with minimum stoichiometrically required (PBZT:AlCl₃ molar ratio 1:4) or marginal molar excess of AlCl₃ relative to PBZT tended to gel during handling. Structural studies on polymer–Lewis acid complex solutions were performed using ¹H and ²⁷Al NMR. ¹H NMR of the protonated structure of the model compound 2,6-diphenylbenzo [1,2-d:4,5-d′] bisthiazole was useful for confirming the ¹H NMR assignments of PBZT-AlCl₃ complex solution in CD₃NO₂. ²⁷Al NMR was particularly useful in probing the different tetrahedrally coordinated environments of the Al nucleus in the polymer solution, pointing to a complexation interaction between the polymer molecule and the Lewis acid and also between the solvent and the Lewis acid. Direct evidence in the solid state for the presence of a reversible electron donor–acceptor complex (EDA complex) was obtained from FTIR spectra of complexed films, isolated and handled in an inert atmosphere. The structural changes upon PBZT complexation caused significant frequencly shifts in both aromatic as well as heteroring stretching modes relative to PBZT itself, and intensity variations indicative of changes in the resonance configuration between the 1,4-phenylene moiety and the aromatic heterocyclic ring were also observed upon complexation. A preliminary comparison between the pristine PBZT fibers and regenerated PBZT by dilute solution viscometry indicates that the process results, to some extent, in polymer degradation leading to a decrease in the molecular weight of the polymer © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Independence of events and of random variables

The phenomenon of independence of random variables is shown to be singular in that, e.g., there are both finite and infinite sample spaces on which two random variables can be independent iff one is constant. Furthermore on [0,1], with Lebesgue measure for probability, the usual function spaces contain dense subsets each member of which is independent only of constants. Finally, the requirement of independence among a set of orthonormal functions is shown to imply, in all but trivial instances, that the orthogonal complement of the space is infinite-dimensional.     

Diffusion Studies on Polystyrene in 1,4-Dioxane

The diffusion behavior of polystyrene with narrow molecular weight distribution at 20℃ in 1, 4-dioxane was investigated by the photon correlation spectroscopy. The cumulant method was employed for the analysis of the intensity-intensity autocorrelation function measured over a wide range of the scattering vector. The diffusion coefficient D was determined as the function of concentration C in the molecular weight range of 3. 0×104-1. 20×106. In a low concentration range, D was found to be linearly dependent on C, which has been found for some other systems. The dependence of D on molecular weight at infinite dilution can be written as an empirical formula D0 = kDM-γ M, the exponent γ(0. 576 ±0. 01) is in good agreement with the result of the scaling theory.     

Synthesis and characterization of processable polyborate precursors

Polyborates have been formed by disproportionation and polycondensation of trimethoxyboroxine and also of trimethoxyboroxine and boric acid. The crtiical role of stoichiometry in the formation of polyborates without requiring incorporation of a metal counter ion is revealed. The emphasis is on integration of this chemistry with fabrication processes. Incorporation of an appropriate linear organic polymer is shown to yield the required rheological and thermal characteristics in this regard. These polyborates are inferred to be suitable as precursors for boron nitride in geometrical forms that can be processed as supported structures. However, they are also determined to be unsuitable as precursors for boron nitride fibers, oriented or isotropic, primarily due to their low glass transition temperature.     

碳和硼的笼状原子簇及其关系

碳笼烯C_(60)的发现及碳笼烷C-(60)H_(60)的制备,激励人们去探索合成新的碳元素类似物和其它元素的类似物。本文利用碳和硼的笼型烷烃的化学键和几何特征,讨论碳和硼的笼状原子簇骨架的共轭关系,推导其中一些高对称化合物的原子数和几何结构,并讨论其稳定性。 1 碳和硼的笼状原子簇骨架的共轭关系