Solvent-free synthesis of highly functionalized indole-based 4,5-dihydrofurans and evaluation of their antioxidant activity

Facile and efficient diastereoselective synthesis of trans-indolyldihydrofurans by three-component reaction of 3-cyanoacetyl indoles with various aromatic aldehydes and N-phenacylpyridinium bromides in presence of 1,1,3,3-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylguanidine under solvent-free conditions is described. This ecofriendly protocol offers several advantages such as a cost-effective procedure with excellent yield, short reaction time, ease workup and product isolation, good functional group tolerance, and broad scope of usable substrates. The synthesized compounds were also evaluated for their antioxidant activity by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of 3-Substituted 4-Oxoesters Using the SAMP-/RAMP-Hydrazone Method

Based on aldehydes 1a—f or ketone 1g, 3-substituted 4-oxo esters 6a—g were synthesized in three steps in moderate to good overall yield (12—50%) and in excellent enantiomeric excesses (ee >90—>95%) by an Umpolung-strategy employing the SAMP-/RAMP-hydrazone method. The key step in the synthesis is the highly diastereoselective alkylation of lithiated SAMP-hydrazones 3a—g (chiral d²-nucleophiles) with tert-butyl bromoacetate (4) (a²-electrophile) to furnish the alkylated 3-hydrazono tert-butylesters 5a—g in good yields (58—91%) and in excellent diastereomeric excesses (de >90—>98%). Regeneration of the carbonyl functionality by cleavage of the hydrazones 5a—g was accomplished either by acidic hydrolysis or ozonolysis to give the acid labile and oxidation-sensitive 3-substituted 4-oxo esters 6a—g in moderate yields (19—63%) and in excellent enantiomeric excesses (ee >90—>95%). The absolute configuration of compounds 6a—g were assigned by conversion of 4-oxo esters (S)-6d and (R)-6e into their corresponding known 3-substituted λ-butyrolactones (S)-7d and (R)-7e.     

Percolation in the model of random successive adhesion of anisotropic particles

Numerical studies of random successive adsorption (the RSA model) of rectangular particles on a flat substrate are performed and the dependences of saturation concentration and the percolation threshold on the parameters of a model are determined. The dependences of saturation concentration φ _j∞ on the particle diameter-to-length ratio r and the parameter of orientational order S are found. Correlations between the ? _j∞(r) function and excluded surface area are discussed. It is revealed that for highly ordered systems (S ≈ 1), the saturation concentration φ _j∞ is equal to 0.557 ± 0.005 and is virtually independent of r. For partially ordered systems, the ? _j∞ value decreases with an increase in r and in the r → ∞, ? _j∞ → 0. Percolation transition and electrical connectivity for the systems studied can take place only under the assumption of the tunnel mechanism of conductivity through gaps with finite thicknesses. The minimum thickness of tunnel gaps, at which percolation can occur, rises with increasing r and decreasing S.     

DMT [(−)-(2<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>,3<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>)-2,3-dimethoxy-1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane-1,4-diol], a highly efficient host compound for nitroaromatic guests: selectivity,X-ray and thermal analyses

In this work, we reveal that the compound (?)-(2R,3R)-2,3-dimethoxy-1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane-1,4-diol (DMT) is a highly efficient host material for nitroaromatics o-nitrotoluene (o-NT), m-nitrotoluene (m-NT), p-nitrotoluene (p-NT) and nitrobenzene (NB). Each of these guests was included with a 2:1 host:guest ratio. The host displayed selectivity for p-NT and NB when these guests were mixed in equimolar proportions with any one of the other guest solvents, and the host recrystallized from this binary mixture. A selectivity order for the host in these conditions was thus noted to be NB?≈?p-NT?>?o-NT?>?m-NT. Furthermore, guests were also mixed in non-equimolar proportions and the host behaviour analysed, the results of which were in accordance with observations from the equimolar studies. Additionally, an equimolar quaternary experiment of all four guests provided a somewhat adjusted host selectivity order [p-NT (39.9%)?>?NB (30.2%)?>?m-NT (17.1%)?>?o-NT (12.8%)]. Single crystal diffraction analyses of all four complexes showed the crystals to share the same host packing, and comparable host–guest interactions were observed in each. However, thermal analyses, both DSC and TG, showed that the preferred guests p-NT and NB formed complexes with increased relative thermal stabilities, and this observation correlated with the selective behaviour of the host in competition experiments.     

Solutions of mixtures of cellulose and synthetic polymers in <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylmorpholine-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxide

Phase state and morphological features of solutions of cellulose blends with rigid-chain thermotropic LC copolyesters and isotropic poly(m-phenyleneisophthalamide) in the highly polar donor solvent N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide are studied by DSC and polarization microscopy. The ternary phase diagram for the cellulose-copolyesters-N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide system is constructed. Rheological characteristics of the prepared solutions are studied using capillary and rotary rheometers under the regimes of continuous and periodic shear deformation. Rheological characteristics of cellulose solutions with copolyesters in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide with their different phase states are shown to change in accordance with the traditional mechanism of flow for solutions with high specific interactions between their components. However, the character of the rheological behavior of mixtures of cellulose with poly(m-phenyleneisophthalamide) in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide primarily stems from structural-morphological transformations in solutions taking place upon deformation.     

Synthesis of isotactic polystyrene-block-polyethylene by the combination of sequential monomer addition and hydrogenation of 1,4-<Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis>-polybutadiene block

Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of a well-defined diblock copolymer consisting of isotactic polystyrene (iPS) and linear polyethylene, isotactic polystyrene-block-polyethylene (iPS-b-PE), by the combination of sequential monomer addition and hydrogenation. Isospecific living polymerization of styrene and living trans-1,4-polymerization of 1,3-butadiene were catalyzed by 1,4-dithiabutandiyl-2,2′-bis(6-cumenyl-4-methylphenoxy) titanium dichloride (complex 1) activated by triisobutyl aluminum modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) at room temperature to provide highly isotactic polystyrene (iPS) and 1,4-trans-polybutadiene (1,4-trans-PBD) with narrow molecular weight distribution. Furthermore, the iPS-b-1,4-trans-PBD was synthesized via sequential monomer addition in the presence of complex 1 and MMAO. The hydrogenation of the 1,4-trans-PBD block was promoted by RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ used as a catalyst to produce iPS-b-PE.     

Diffusion and Relaxation Dynamics of Supercooled Polymer Melts

The dynamic properties of polymer melts are investigated in the range of normal liquid regime to the supercooled liquid regime. The polymer is modeled as a coarse-grained bead-spring model with chain length ranging from 5 to 160. The mean squared displacement and non-Gaussian parameter are used to describe the self diffusion of polymer beads. We find slow dynamics with decreasing temperature and increasing chain length. The time evolution of non-Gaussian parameters shows two peaks(or one peak one shoulder) in the α-relaxation time, τα, regime and sub-diffusion time regime, respectively, where the first primary peak indicates the dynamic heterogeneity stemmed from the motion of beads, and the secondary peak is the result of correlated motion along a polymer chain. Moreover, the relaxation of polymer beads shows clear two-step decay in supercooled melts and the dynamics shows growing heterogeneity with decreasing temperature. As chain length is increased, a peak of the dynamic susceptibility occurs, and the peak height,χ*4, increases and then reaches a plateau. The curves of the height of the first peak of α_2, α _2~*, versus τ and the curves of χ_4~*α versus τα follow two master curves for different chain lengths. Our results indicate the similarity of dynamic heterogeneity dominated by the motion of single bead even the chain length is different. It is interesting to find that the Stokes-Einstein(SE) relation between τα and diffusion coefficient D, D~τ-1 q, is highly length-scale dependent. The SE relation breaks down in both normal melts regime and supercooled regime at large magnitude of wave vectors, attributed to the non-Brownian motion arising from the chain connectivity and growing heterogeneity due to supercooling. However, the SE relation is reconstructed when the probing length scale is large(at small magnitude of wave vectors). Our results show a hierarchical physical picture of the supercooled polymeric dynamics.     

Alkylation of 2-(methylsulfanyl)-6-polyfluoroalkylpyrimidin-4(3<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>)-ones with haloalkanes

The alkylation of ambident anions of 2-(methylsulfanyl)-6-(polyfluoroalkyl)pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones with 4-bromobutyl acetate leads to concurrent formation of O- and N-(4-acetoxybutyl) derivatives. Polar aprotic solvents favor formation of the O-isomer, and weakly polar dioxane favors N-alkylation. The reaction of 2-(methylsulfanyl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-4(3H)-one with an equimolar amount of 1,2-dibromoethane in polar acetonitrile gives a mixture of N,N-, O,O-, and N,O-bridged bis-pyrimidines, as well as N- and O-[2-(methylsulfanyl)ethyl] derivatives, whereas in the presence of 10 equiv of 1,2-dibromoethane the N,O-isomer is formed as the only product. The reaction in weakly polar tetrahydrofuran yields N,N- and N,O-bispyrimidines.     

New approaches to the calculation and interpretation of asymmetry factors of chromatographic peaks

The suitability of the determination of the asymmetry factor of chromatographic peaks by the ratio of areas of two components separated by a perpendicular dropped from the maximum of the peak to the base-line, A _s * = S _b /S _a , where symbol a corresponds to the leading edge of the peak and b is for its tailing slope, is discussed. It is demonstrated that this method enables the estimation of the asymmetry of even partially separated chromatographic signals, including those eluted “in the tail” of intense peaks of solvents. The concepts of the asymmetry index I(A _s *) and its increment ΔI(A _s *) = (A _s *)–I(A _s *) are introduced, which ensures the characterization of the asymmetry of peaks of polar analytes with respect to the asymmetry of nonpolar reference components, that is, the separation of the effects of the polarity of analytes and their quantities injected into the chromatographic column on this parameter. For the first time we revealed a correlation of the asymmetry factors of compounds of different chemical nature with such a characteristic of their polarity as the difference in chromatographic separation temperature and the normal boiling point of analytes.     

Bimolecular reduction of 9-alkyl-3-nitrocarbazoles

Reduction of 9-alkyl-3-nitrocarbazoles (Ia–Ie) with lithium aluminium hydride gave corresponding 9,9′-dialkyl-3,3′-azocarbazoles (IIa–IIe) in moderate yield. By the action of zinc dust in alcohol and aqueous alkali on I or II, 5,13-dialkyldiindolo[3,2-a,d]phenazines (IIIa–IIId) were obtained. Parent compounds, viz. 3,3′-azocarbazole (IIf) and diindolo[3,2-a,d]phenazine (IIIf) could not be obtained in these ways. Compound IIf was obtained in Vorländer reaction and IIIf by thermal decomposition of 3-azidocarbazole. Formation of IIIa–IIId is explained as a result of ortho-benzidine rearrangement of hypothetical 9,9′-dialkyl-3,3′-hydrazocarbazoles.     

Method for calculating the sizes of nucleation centers upon homogeneous crystallization from a supercooled liquid

An alternative approach to calculating critical sizes l_k of nucleation centers and work A_k of their formation upon crystallization from a supercooled melt by analyzing the variation in the Gibbs energy during the phase transformation is considered. Unlike the classical variant, it is proposed that the transformation entropy be associated not with melting temperature T_L but with temperature T < T_L at which the nucleation of crystals occurs. New equations for l_k and A_k are derived. Based on the results from calculating these quantities for a series of compounds, it is shown that this approach is unbiased and it is possible to eliminate known conflicts in analyzing these parameters in the classical interpretation.     

Glycosylation of panaxadiol

Glycosylation of 3β,12β-dihydroxy-20R,25-epoxydammarane (panaxadiol) (1) under Koenigs–Knorr, Helferich, and ortho-ester reaction conditions was studied. Condensation of panaxadiol and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-glucopyranosylbromide (2) in the presence of silver oxide and 4-Å molecular sieves in dichloroethane gave a mixture of acetylated panaxadiol 3- and 12-O-β-D-glucopyranosides (3:1 ratio). Reaction of diol 1 and D-glucose tert-butylorthoacetate (3) in the presence of 2,4,6-collidinium perchlorate in chlorobenzene resulted in regioselective formation of panaxadiol 12-O-β-D-glucopyranoside tetraacetate. Reaction of equimolar amounts of 1 and glycosyl donor 2 in the presence of Hg(II) cyanide in nitromethane at 90°C was accompanied by opening of the tetrahydropyran ring and gave 3β,12β,25-trihydroxydammar20(22)E-ene 12-O-β-D-glucopyranoside tetraacetate. Panaxadiol 3- and 12-O-β-D-glucopyranosides and 3β,12β,25-trihydroxydammar-20(22)E-ene 12-O-β-D-glucopyranoside tetraacetate were synthesized for the first time.     

Cycloascauloside b from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astragalus caucasicus</Emphasis>

The structure of a new cycloartane glycoside isolated from leaves of Astragalus caucasicus Pall. (Leguminosae) was elucidated using chemical transformations and spectral data. Cycloascauloside B is 20R, 25-epoxy-24S-cycloartan-3β,6α,16β,24-tetraol 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1å2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside.     

Crystalline inclusion complexes of diterpenoid isosteviol with aromatic compounds

Crystalline inclusion complexes of diterpenoid isosteviol (ent-16-ketobeyeran-19-oic acid) with individual benzene, o-, m-, p-xylenes, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, o-and m-nitoranilins, benzaldehyde, styrene and naphthalene are obtained and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. As determined by GC and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, isosteviol selectively includes toluene from the equimolar benzene-toluene mixture, o-xylene from a commercial mixture of xylenes, o-and m-nitroanilins from their mixture with p-nitroanilin, and also styrene from styrene-ethylbenzene and styrene-isopropylbenzene mixtures thus yielding crystalline inclusion complexes.     

Structure of the stereoisomers of tetrasubstituted <Emphasis Type="Italic">p-t</Emphasis>-butylcalix[4]arene containing a morpholine fragment: Data of 1D and 2D (NOESY) NMR spectroscopy

The structure of three isomers of 5,11,17,23-tetra-t-butyl-25,26,27,28-tetrakis[(morpholidocarbonyl) methoxy]-2,8,14,20-tetrathiacalix[4]arene in conformations of partial cone, 1,3-alternant and cone was studied by the methods of 1D and 2D (NOESY) ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with computational modeling (semiempirical quantum-chemical PM3 calculations). Characteristic cross-peaks for each conformer in the two-dimensional NOESY spectra were established. It is found that unsymmetrical conformation of partial cone is more “flattened” as compared with highly symmetrical 1,3-alternant and cone conformations, while OCH₂C(O)NC₄H₈O substituent is located in the exo-position. Theoretical modeling is found to be more consistent with the experimental data for highly symmetrical conformations.     

Random packing of monoatomic structures

The dependence of the first coordination number k _n on the packing factor k _y is obtained for four cubic structures: fcc, bcc, simple cubic, and diamond. The k _n (k _y ) dependence is described by a third-degree polynomial k _n = ?71.76782 + 467.78914 k _y ? 925.48451 k _y ² + 603.01146 k _y ³ with the confidence factor R _d = 1. The k _n (k _y ) function has an N loop with a maximum at k _n = 6.32; k _y = 0.454 and a minimum at k _n = 5.84; k _y = 0.573. The tangents intersect the k _n (k _y ) curve at extrema at k _y = 0.4 and k _y = 0.625. Around the N loop, i.e., at 5.84 ≤ k _n ≤ 6.32 and 0.4 ≤ k _y ≤ 0.625, two or three packing factors correspond to a certain value of the coordination number. Therefore, this range of the k _n and k _y values can be defined as a “random packing” region. Estimations presented here agree well with the results of calculations, both geometric and numerical. For monoatomic solids with the random packing parameters, the difference between the specific volumes of the solid and liquid phases is insignificant. The dilatancy effect is possible in the region where ?k _n / ?k _y ≤ 0.     

Dehydroxylation of high-energy ball-milled diasporic bauxite

The review consists of four parts. Part I is about the thermal transformation in clay minerals under firing and about the properties of fired clay. The transformations in the clay are expressed quantitatively with the extent of conversion, α, which is the function of two parameters of firing process, time t and temperature T: α?=?f(t, T). Part II is about the estimation of firing temperature after the analysis of the products of firing clays. All the estimations are speculative, without mathematical equations. It is impossible to derive the value of only one variable T from α?=?f(t,T), the function of two variables. Part III is about the long-term inverse transformation in fired ceramic paste under ambient conditions. The mass gain as a function of time is used for the evaluation of the time elapsed from the ancient firing, t. Part IV is about the visualization of the extent of conversion of the clay in the paste after all direct and reverse reactions, i.e., α.     

A new complex of Mn(II) with highly flexible bistriazole ligand 1,2-bis(1,2,4-triazole-l-yl)ethane: Synthesis and crystal structure

Using a highly flexible ligand 1,2-bis(1,2,4-triazole-1-yl)ethane (L), the one-dimensional (1D) chain polymer [[Mn(L)(Cl)₂(H₂O)₂] _n (I) has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The crystal crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c, a = 12.507(4), b = 8.812(3), c = 12.662(4) Å, β = 115.474(6)°, Z = 4. The X-ray analysis shows that I has the three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular network featuring 1D channel along the crystallographic y axis via intermolecular O-H...N interactions.