Unexpected differences in the alpha-halogenation and related reactivity of sulfones with perhaloalkanes in KOH-t-BuOH

Most alkyl phenyl sulfones are readily alpha-chlorinated with CCl(4) and alpha-brominated with CBrCl3 in KOH-t-BuOH via radical-anion radical pair (RARP) reactions. While isopropyl mesityl sulfone (4) is easily alpha-chlorinated with CCl(4), it was completely recovered when treated with the more reactive CBrCl3. Subsequent investigations showed the latter result to be due to the poor acidity of 4 together with the rapid depletion of CBrCl3 and KOH by their reaction with each other, and led to a variety of other important results. 4-Hydroxyphenyl isopropyl sulfone (6) is unreactive with either CCl4 or CBrCl3 in KOH-t-BuOH, its phenoxide anion strongly reducing the electronegativity of the sulfonyl group, thereby inhibiting alpha-anion formation. This effect is reversed by the electron-withdrawing influence of two alpha-phenyls, so that benzhydryl 4-hydroxyphenyl sulfone (8) is readily alpha-halogenated in KOH-t-BuOH with CCl4 or CBrCl3. On further contact with KOH-t-BuOH the alpha-halogenated sulfones from 8 are decomposed into benzophenone and phenol. While the alpha-halogenated derivatives of 4-methoxyphenyl benzhydryl sulfone (9) are stable to base, they are decomposed even under mildly acidic conditions into 4-methoxyphenyl 4-methoxybenzenethiolsulfonate (9c), phenol, and benzophenone. Mono-alpha-halogenation of benzyl phenyl sulfone (10) enhances the rate of the subsequent halogenation, so that alpha,alpha-dihalogenation is attained while much substrate is still present and the mono-alpha-halogenated product is not detected. The ease of reductive debromination of alpha-bromo sulfones with Cl3C- was correlated with the stability of the formed alpha-anions, explaining the success with alpha-bromobenzylic sulfones but failure with alpha-bromoalkyl sulfones. In the presence of air and the absence of competing halogenation, formation of the alpha-anions of alkyl aryl sulfones is quickly accompanied by oxidative cleavage by atmospheric O2, leading to the formation of arenesulfonyl alcohols, arenesulfonyl halides, and haloarenes.     

Characterization of tension and normally lignified wood cellulose inPopulus maximowiczii

We have investigated unlignified tension wood and normally lignified wood celluloses inPopulus maximowiczii with particular reference to the composition of two crystalline phases I/I (triclinic/ monoclinic). Four independent techniques, which enable us to detect the two phases, CP/MAS¹³C NMR, Fourier transform infrared microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction were applied. Because of the low crystallinity of wood celluloses, particularly in the case of celluloses in the lignified cell wall, no single method was decisive enough to be able to determine the composition of the two phases as one can with highly crystalline materials. The I dominant structure (monoclinic crystal type) was, however, preferred for both tension and normal wood celluloses.     

Preparation and photochromic properties of oligomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) with the spiropyran or spirooxazine moiety in the side chain

Spirobenzopyran 1 , with the 3-(diethoxymethylsilyl)-propyl group at the N atom, was synthesized. The condensation reaction of the spiropyran 1 and diethoxydimethylsilane gave oligomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) with the spiropyran moiety in the side chain. The oligomer was photochromic; its colour changed from colorless to purple-red on uv irradiation and the color faded on visible irradiation or on standing in the dark. The half-decay time of the thermal decoloration was about twice that of monomeric spiropyran dissolved in the dimethylsiloxane oligomer. Photochromic poly(dimethylsiloxane) with the spirooxazine moiety in the side chain was also prepared.     

A novel method for determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry using dehydration reactions

Novel methods for the determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray (ES) ionization mass spectrometry have been developed using dehydration reactions between oxyanions and carboxylic acids at the ES interface. Twelve oxyanions (VO₃^?, CrO₄^2?, MoO₄^2?, WO₄^2?, BO₃^3?, SiO₃^2?, SiO₄^4?, AsO₄^4?, AsO₂^?, SeO₄^2?, SeO₃^2? and NO₂^?), out of 16 tested, reacted with at least one of four aminopolycarboxylic acids, i.e. iminodiacetic acid (IDA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), trans‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid and triethylenetetramine‐N,N,N′,N″,N′″,N′″‐hexaacetic acid, at the ES interface to produce the dehydration products that gave intense mass ion responses, sufficient for trace analysis. As examples, trace determinations of Cr^VI and silica in water samples were achieved after online ion exchange chromatography, where the dehydration product of CrO₄^2? and NTA (m/z 290) and that of SiO₄^4? and IDA (m/z 192) were measured. The limits of detection of the respective methods were 17 nM (0.83 ng Cr/ml) for Cr^VI and 0.17 μM (4.8 ng Si/mL) for SiO₄^4?. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structure and crystallization of sub-elementary fibrils of bacterial cellulose isolated by using a fluorescent brightening agent

The structure and crystallization of carefully isolated sub-elementary fibrils (SEFs) of bacterial cellulose have been investigated using TEM, WAXD, and high-resolution solid-state ¹³C NMR. The addition of a suitable amount of fluorescent brightener (FB) to the incubation medium of Acetobacter xylinum effectively suppressed the aggregation of the SEFs into the microfibrils, as previously reported. However, this study confirmed for the first time that serious structural change in the SEFs occurs during the removal of excess FB by washing with buffer solutions having pH values higher than 6 or with the alkaline aqueous solution that was frequently used in previous studies. In contrast, the isolation of unmodified SEFs was successfully performed by utilizing a washing protocol employing pH 7 citrate–phosphate buffer solution containing 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. High-resolution solid-state ¹³C NMR and WAXD measurements revealed that the SEFs thus isolated are in the noncrystalline state in which the pyranose rings of the almost parallel cellulose chains appear to be stacked on each other. The respective CH₂OH groups of the SEFs adopt the gt conformation instead of the tg conformation found in cellulose I _α and I _β crystals, and undergo significantly enhanced molecular motion in the absence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding associated with these groups. The main chains are also subject to rapid motional fluctuations while maintaining the parallel orientation of the respective chains, indicating that the SEFs have a liquid crystal-like structure with high molecular mobility. Moreover, the SEFs crystallize into cellulose I _β when the FB molecules that may adhere to the surface of the SEFs are removed by extraction with boiling 70 v/v% ethanol and 0.1N NaOH aqueous solution. On the basis of these results, the crystallization of the SEFs into the I _α and I _β forms is discussed, including the possible formation of the crystalline-noncrystalline periodic structure in native cellulose.     

Detailed Analysis of the Crystal Structures and Magnetic Properties of a Dysprosium(III) Phthalocyaninato Sextuple-Decker Complex: Weak f–f Interactions Suppress Magnetic Relaxation

In the research field of single-molecule magnets (SMMs), lanthanoid–lanthanoid interactions, so-called f–f interactions, are known to affect the SMM properties, although their magnitudes are small. In this article, an SMM with very weak f–f interactions is reported, and the effects of the interactions on the SMM properties are discussed. X-ray structural analysis of the Dy^III-Cd^II-phthalocyaninato sextuple-decker complex (Dy₂Cd₃) reveals that the intramolecular Dy−Dy length in Dy₂Cd₃ is more than 13 Å, which is longer than the intermolecular Dy−Dy length. Even though the two Dy^III ions are far apart, intermolecular ferromagnetic dipole–dipole interactions are observed in Dy₂Cd₃. From detailed analysis of ac magnetic susceptibilities, quantum tunneling of the magnetization (QTM) in Dy₂Cd₃ is partially suppressed owing to the existence of very weak Dy−Dy interactions. Our results show that even very weak Dy−Dy interactions act as a dipolar bias, suppressing QTM.     

PHENYLATION OF PYRIDINE BY PHOTOLYSIS OF DIPHENYL SULFONE

Abstract

The photolysis of diphenyl sulfone in neat pyridine or pyridine diluted with the organic solvent, with a high-pressure mercury arc lamp, was studied. The presence of acetone in the reaction system remarkably promoted photochemical conversion of the sulfone. The isomer distribution ratios (β > α > γ) of phenylpyridines produced during the reaction were clearly different from those (α > β > γ) so far reported for a free-radical phenylation of pyridine. Benzenesulfinic acid produced in the reaction was separated from the product mixture and identified as its S-benzylthiuronium derivative.