Palladium-catalyzed and organozinc-promoted synthesis of dienes from allylic esters possessing an acyloxy or alkoxy group

Organozinc and a Pd catalyst promoted formation of dienes from allylic esters possessing a leaving group such as acyloxy and alkoxy groups next to the allyl moiety. The reaction proceeded with high regio- and stereoselectivity when applied to secondary allylic substrates.     

Photoreactive polyamides having m- or 1-type dimer moiety derived from 4-(3-oxo-3-phenyl-1-propenyl)benzoic acid derivatives

Photoreactive polyamides having m- or 1 -type cyclobutane moiety were prepared via a topochemical photodimerization of 4-(3-oxo-3-phenyl-1-propenyl)benzoic derivatives,⁴ followed by polycondensation of cyclobutane dicarboxylate derivatives with diamines. From the spectral studies of resulted polyamides compared with the corresponding reference diamides, it was concluded that both types of polyamides were depolymerized photochemically to give the same type of amide derivative having chalcone moiety with a small amount of undefined side reaction. The cyclobutane ring of the m-dimer from 4-(3-oxo-3-phenyl-1-propenyl)benzoic acid in crystal is severely twisted presumably because of the enhanced steric repulsions between two pairs of adjacent substituents. The higher quantum yield of the m-dimer for the photocleavege, compared with that of the 1 -dimer, has been interpreted in terms of such steric repulsions by the strained structure of the m-dimer.     

Synthesis of poly(ester amide)s by the melt polycondensation of semiaromatic polyesters with ethanolamine and their characterization

Semiaromatic poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) were synthesized by the melt polycondensation of ethanolamine (EA) derivatives with dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol in the presence of tetrabutyl titanate as a catalyst, and their crystallization and thermal properties were investigated. The introduction of an amide group into a semiaromatic polyester such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) produced PEAs (EA-modified PET polymers) with an increase in the melting point. However, these PEAs were found to decompose at a lower temperature than PET on the basis of TGA. Moreover, direct pyrolysis/mass spectrometry measurements suggested that an initial step of the thermal decomposition was a β-CH hydrogen-transfer reaction via asix-member ring transition state at the ester–ethylene–amide unit, at which carbon–oxygen bond scission took place to yield carboxyl and N-vinylamide end groups. Furthermore, molecular orbital calculations using trimer models bis[2-[[4-(methoxycarbonyl)benzoyl]oxy]ethyl]terephthalate, N-[2-[[4-(methoxycarbonyl)benzoyl]oxy]ethyl]-4-[2-[[4-(methoxycarbonyl)benzoyl]oxy]ethyloxycarbonyl]benzamide, and N,N′-bis[2-[[4-(methoxycarbonyl)benzoyl]oxy]ethyl]terephthalamide strongly supported the idea that the β-CH hydrogen-transfer reaction in the thermal decomposition of PEAs might occur more easily at the methylene group next to the amide group in an ester–ethylene–amide unit rather than at the methylene group next to the ester group in an ester–ethylene–ester unit. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2184–2193, 2007     

Palladium-catalyzed reaction of 4-cyclopentene-1,3-diol monoacetate with Grignard reagents producing hitherto unreachable cis-1,2-isomers

Reaction of 4-cyclopentene-1,3-diol monoacetate with RMgCl (R = alkyl, aryl) in the presence of a palladium catalyst proceeded with retention of configuration to give cis-1,2-regioisomers as the major products.     

Synergistic effect of red phosphorus, novolac and melamine ternary combination on flame retardancy of poly(oxymethylene)

New flame retardant system for poly(oxymethylene) (POM) has been studied. The combination of red phosphorus with novolac and melamine was found to act as an effective flame retardant of POM. The base POM exhibited very low limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 15.3, while the flame retarded POM gave remarkably high LOI value of 37.5 and UL94 V-1 ranking without dripping at 0.8 mm thickness. The results of cone calorimetry, thermogravimetry and FTIR analysis suggested that the flame retarding mechanism is the intumescent char formation in the condensed phase. Novolac having a phenolic hydroxyl group is miscible with POM, and in the flaming process, red phosphorus yields phosphine and its acidic product such as phosphoric acid due to hydrolysis and oxidation reactions. In addition, all of novolac, melamine and phosphine are able to readily react with formaldehyde generated from POM during burning to give the reinforced and cross-linked char network through the polyaddition and polycondensation reactions. Therefore, the red phosphorus/novolac/melamine ternary combination system could synergistically promote the high flame retardancy of POM without the flaming drips.     

Suzuki-Miyaura reaction in water, conducted by employing an amphiphilic dendritic phosphine-palladium catalyst: a positive dendritic effect on chemical yield

A series of amphiphilic dendritic ligands with a phosphine core was synthesized by use of tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)phosphine oxide and poly(benzyl ether) dendron. The corresponding phosphine-palladium core dendrimers were applied as a catalyst to an aqueous-media Suzuki-Miyaura reaction. A positive dendritic effect on chemical yields of cross-coupling products was observed.     

Diels-Alder reaction using a dendritic copper(II) triflate-catalyst: a positive dendritic effect on the chemical yield

A series of dendritic ligands with a 2,2′-bipyridine core was synthesized through the coupling of 4,4′-dihydroxy-2,2′-bipyridine with poly(arylether) dendron in fair yields. The corresponding copper(II) trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate) dendrimers were applied as a Lewis acid catalyst to the Diels-Alder reaction. A positive dendritic effect on the chemical yields of adducts was observed.