Directed metalation/ligand coupling approach to the enantioselective synthesis of 1,1′-binaphthyls

Introduction of a 2-isopropoxycarbonyl or 2-NN-dimethylcarbamoyl group into homochiral 1-p-tolyl- or 1-t-butyl-sulfinylnaphthalenes, via directed metalation reaction, followed by ligand coupling reaction with 1-naphthylmagnesium bromide, furnished atropisomeric 1,1′-binaphthyls in 82–95% enantiomeric excess (e.e.).     

Addendum to “examples of semiperfect rings”

We fill a gap in [4], and provide a rigorous example of a local ringR whose Jacobson radical is locally nilpotent, butM ₂(R) is not strongly π-regular. The online version of the original article can be found at The work of the first author was partially supported by the DGICYT (Spain), through the grant PB92-0586, and by the Comissionat per Universitats i Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya.     

The delocalisation energy of benzene and the non-empirical MO theory

Algebraic expressions for the vertical Delocalisation Energy (DE) of benzene are derived from non-empirical MO theory. For comparison with early work in the π-electron approximation, and ultimately with Hückel theory, the results are formulated in terms of a core resonance integral,β, and π-electronic repulsion integrals. All integral values are inferred from the results ofab initio SCF calculations. Two expressions are derived, which refer to two ways of forming the localised π MOs: one where three pairs of adjacent atomic orbitals are selected from a set of six orthogonalised orbitals; and another where a non-orthogonal set of atomic orbitals is used. The first expression is formally similar to an expression originally derived by Pople from a different point of view and with many approximations. This expression gives too large a magnitude for DE when used with anab initio value ofβ. The second expression gives a result much closer to an empirical value of DE and shows that the main reason for DE being about 50% of 2β rather than 2β is the stabilising effect of overlap in the localised structure, and that the less important factor is the inclusion of electronic repulsion.     

Thiophene and butadiene-thiolate complexes of molybdenum: observations relevant to the mechanism of hydrodesulfurization

Mo(PMe3)6 reacts with thiophene to give the eta5-thiophene complex (eta5-C4H4S)Mo(PMe3)3 and the eta5-butadiene-thiolate complex (eta5-C4H5S)Mo(PMe3)2(eta2-CH2PMe2), which are the first examples of (i) eta5-thiophene coordination and (ii) C-S cleavage and hydrogenation by a molybdenum compound. Deuterium labeling studies suggest that the hydrogenation of thiophene may involve an alkylidene intermediate, an observation that has ramifications for the mechanisms of hydrodesulfurization.     

Determination of mefloquine in blood by supercritical fluid chromatography with electron-capture detection

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with electron-capture detection is described for the sensitive quantification of mefloquine in 0.1-ml blood samples. The method is internally standardized and incorporates partitioning into methyl tert.-butyl ether (MTBE) from aqueous base, back-extraction into dilute aqueous acid and final partitioning into MTBE from aqueous base. SFC conditions include a silica-gel-packed, glass-lined steel column and a mobile phase of 0.15% n-butylamine and 1% methanol in supercritical n-pentane. The method has a detection limit of 7.5 ng/ml in 0.1-ml blood samples and exhibits good linearity and precision. The method compares favorably with a published high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure in the analysis of blood from volunteers who received mefloquine hydrochloride (15 mg as base per kg body weight).     

Probing the formation of bicyclo[4.2.0]octan-1-ols

Reaction of lithium enolates of simple ketones with (+/-)-phenyl vinyl sulfoxide has potential for the convergent construction of complex fused ring systems containing a bicyclo[n.2.0]alkan-1-ol. The formation of sulfinylbicyclo[4.2.0]octan-1-ols 1-3 from the lithium enolate of cyclohexanone with (+/-)-phenyl vinyl sulfoxide or (R)-(+)-p-tolyl vinyl sulfoxide 18 was used to probe the mode of this novel cyclization reaction. Using phenyl vinyl sulfoxide, variations in the reaction lighting and solvent were investigated, in conjunction with radical trapping (TEMPO) and isotope labeling (deuterium) experiments. Cyclization to form sulfinylbicyclooctanols 1-3 is likely to proceed via an intermediate that ring closes to the bicycloalkanol anion 11 and was presently favored by the use of solvents such as THF or DME.     

On the calculation of the satellite peaks observed in the high energy photoelectron spectra of small molecules

The shake-up peaks which are observed to high binding energy of the main photoionization peak in the high energy photoeletron spectra of CO (carbon and oxygen core holes), H₂O and NH₃ have been interpreted by an extension of the singly excited configuration interaction method used previously in the study of the low-lying excited states of these molecules. The results obtained provide a good interpretation of the experimental spectra of these molecules in terms of many shake-up states. It is concluded that relaxed orbitals and an extensive basis set, including diffuse functions, should be used in the calculations in order to obtain good results.