Influence of disorder on superconductivity in non-magnetic rare-earth nickel borocarbides

The effect of substitutional disorder on the superconducting properties of YNi₂B₂C was studied by partially replacing yttrium and nickel by Lu and Pt, respectively. For the two series of (Y, Lu)Ni₂B₂C and Y(Ni, Pt)₂B₂C compounds, the upper critical field H _c2(T) and the specific heat c _p(T, H) in the superconducting mixed state have been investigated. Disorder is found to reduce several relevant quantities such as T _c, the upper critical field H _c2(0) at T=0 and a characteristic positive curvature of H _c2(T) observed for these compounds near T _c. The H _c2(T) data point to the clean limit for (Y, Lu) substitutions and to a transition to the quasi-dirty limit for (Ni, Pt) substitutions. The electronic specific heat contribution γ(H) exhibits significant deviations from the usual linear γ(H) law. These deviations reduce with growing substitutional disorder but remain even in the quasidirty limit which is reached in the Y(Ni_1−x , Pt _x )₂B₂C samples for x=0.1.     

Synthesis of pipecolic acid-based spiro bicyclic lactam scaffolds as beta-turn mimics

A series of 6.5.5 spiro bicyclic lactam scaffolds were synthesized from pipecolic acid in a sequence of reactions that was initiated with the alpha-allylation of tert-butoxycarbonyl pipecolic acid. Oxidative cleavage of the olefin to give an aldehyde followed by condensation with D-cysteine methyl ester gave a mixture of pipecolyl thiazolidines. Cyclization of the pipecolyl thiazolidines with Mukaiyama's reagent yielded the spiro bicyclic lactams 4a-d. Epimerization of the 7'a bridgehead carbon under acidic conditions was observed for those spiro bicyclic lactam scaffolds with an S stereochemistry at this position. The 6.5.5 spiro bicyclic lactam scaffold with the 3'S,6'R,7'aR stereochemistry mimicked a type II beta-turn, while the scaffold with the 3'S,6'S,7'aR stereochemistry mimicked a right-handed poly-d-proline II helix.     

Non-resonant microwave absorption studies of superconducting MgB2 and MgB2 + MgO

Non-resonant microwave absorption (NRMA) studies of superconducting MgB₂ and a sample containing ∼10% by weight of MgO in MgB₂ are reported. The NRMA results indicate near absence of intergranular weak links in the pure MgB₂ sample. A linear temperature dependence of the lower critical field H _c1 is observed indicating a non-s wave superconductivity. However, the phase reversal of the NRMA signal which could suggest d wave symmetry is also not observed. In the MgB₂ + MgO sample, much larger low field dependent absorption is observed indicating the presence of intergranular weak links. The hysteretic behavior of NRMA is compared and contrasted in the two samples. In the pure MgB₂ sample, a large hysteresis is observed between the forward and the reverse scans of the magnetic field indicating strong pinning of flux lines. This hysteresis saturates a few degrees below T _c while in the MgB₂ + MgO sample, a much slower increase of hysteresis with decreasing temperature is observed, a signature of weaker pinning.     

Clay‐Mediated Selective Hydrolysis of 5′‐O‐Acetyl‐2′,3′‐isopropylidene/Cyclohexylidene Nucleosides

A generalized procedure for the selective hydrolysis of 5′‐O‐acetyl‐2′,3′‐isopropylidene/cyclohexylidene nucleosides with a solid catalyst, Montmorillonite K‐10 in refluxing methanol, to furnish 5′‐O‐acetyl‐nucleosides is described.     

Synthesis of spirocycles via ring closing metathesis of heterocycles carrying gem-diallyl substituents obtained via ring opening of (halomethyl)cyclopropanes with allyltributyltin

In the presence of allyl tri-n-butyltin--AIBN, cyclopropylmethyl bromides/xanthates undergo ring-opening reaction with concomitant formation of geminal diallyl derivatives in good yields. The ring closing metathesis reactions on geminal diallyl derivatives with Grubbs' catalyst provided spirocyclopentenyl products. Combination of these two methodologies has been applied to the synthesis of mono-, bis-cyclopentyl-carbohydrates as well as spirocyclopentylproline derivatives.