The facile reduction of methoxyethoxymethyl esters with lithium triethylborohydride

The use of a methoxyethylmethyl (MEM) ester has been shown to facilitate the selective reduction of that ester function in the presence of other reduceable esters.     

Selective molecular sequestration with concurrent natural product functionalization and derivatization: from crude natural product extracts to a single natural product derivative in one step

A resin-bound nitroso compound sequestered a single unexpected component from crude plant seed extracts. Several plants, including Piper nigrum, Eugenia caryophyllata, and Pimenta dioica, were extracted with organic solvent in the presence of a nitroso-containing resin. The nitroso resin selectively sequestered a single compound, β-caryophyllene, via a chemo- and regioselective ene reaction. The ene product was released from the resin, and proper selection of the solid-phase linker and cleavage cocktail allowed concomitant further transformation of the primary ene product to a novel functionalized polycycle. Preliminary studies indicate that the new hydroxylamine-containing natural product derivatives have antibiotic activity.     

Structure of a boron-free hydrolysis product from boromycin

The structure of des-boron-des-valine-boromycin C₄₀H₆₈O₁₄ · H₂O (DBDVB), the product obtained by hydrolysis of the antibiotic boromycin C₄₅H₇₄BNO₁₅, has been determined by X-ray analysis. The molecule is remarkably similar in constitution, configuration and even in conformation to those of boromycin and des-valine-boromycin determined previously [2], showing that the overall molecular shape is retained on removal of the spiro boron atom.     

Monitoring dediazoniation product formation by high-performance liquid chromatography after derivatization

A derivatization protocol that exploits the rapid reaction between arenediazonium ions and a suitable coupling agent followed by high-performance liquid chromatography analyses of the reaction mixture was employed to determine the product distribution, the rate constants for product formation and the association constant of 4-nitrobenzenediazonium, PNBD, ion with beta-cyclodextrin, beta-CD. The derivatization of PNBD with the coupling agent leads to the formation of a stable azo dye that prevents by-side reactions of PNBD with the solvents of the mobile phase, including water, or the metallic parts of the chromatographic system that would eventually lead to erroneous identification and quantification of dediazoniation products. The results show that in the presence of beta-CD, nitrobenzene is formed at the expense of 4-nitrophenol, which is the major product in its absence. The observed rate constants for the interaction between PNBD and beta-CD increase upon increasing [beta-CD] showing a saturation profile indicative of the formation of an inclusion complex between PNBD and beta-CD. By fitting the experimental data to a simplified Lineaweaver-Burk equation, the corresponding association constant and the maximum acceleration rate of beta-CD towards PNBD were estimated. The protocol is applicable under a variety of experimental conditions provided that the rate of the coupling reaction is much faster than that of dediazoniation.     

Rapid reduction of alkyl tosylates with lithium triethylborohydride. A convenient and advantageous procedure for the deoxygenation of simple and hindered alcohols. Comparison of various hydride reagents

Lithium triethylborohydride (super-hydride) in tetrahydrofuran reduces the p-toluenesulfonates of primary and secondary alcohols to the corresponding alkanes in excellent yields. The reaction is general and applicable even to tosylates derived from cycloalkanols, hindered alcohols, and polyhydroxy derivatives. Examination of the scope of the reaction and comparison with the results realized with other hydridic reducing agents reveals the advantages of this new procedure.     

Structure and properties of lithium n-butyl amidinates

Lithium n-butyl amidinates (formally lithium salts of N',N-disubstituted amidoimides of pentanoic acid) with various substituents were prepared and characterized in solution by ¹H, ⁷Li, ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR spectra parameters in C₆D₆, THF-d₈ and Et₂O-d₁₀. The characteristic spectral parameters were compared with parent carbodiimides and amidines prepared by hydrolysis, where large solvent effects were described. Five of studied compounds were studied by X-ray diffraction techniques in the solid state. Lithium n-butyl amidinates containing less bulky substituents like isopropyl or cyclohexyl crystallize with Et₂O or THF as centrosymmetric dimers with mutually parallel amidinate moieties. The lithium N,N'-bis[2,6-di(propan-2-yl)phenyl]n-butylamidinate crystallizes from Et₂O solution as an asymmetric dimer. The first unit is composed by one ligand coordinated to one of lithium atoms. The lithium atom is also coordinated by one of the nitrogen atoms of the second ligand. The second nitrogen atom of the same ligand is coordinated to the second lithium atom which is also connected to the Et₂O molecule and the aromatic ring of the ligand in a η³-fashion. The same compound crystallizes from the THF solution as a monomeric bis-tetrahydrofuranate.     

Extraction of nickel from nickel alloy by carbonylation

Carbonylation refining technology has been used to extract nickel from nickel alloy. Before carbonylation, roasting and size reduction is used as a pre-treatment method, and re-activation with H₂ is needed. During carbonylation, the addition of H₂S helps to activate the nickel surface and improve the extraction rate. The supply of H₂S does not necessarily need to be continuous. The optimum parameters for extraction of nickel are a carbonylation temperature of 70 °C, pressure of 10 bar, flow rate of 0.25–0.35 L/min and mixture of CO and H₂S as carbonylation agent. The best extraction rate of nickel can reach 99%.     

Structure elucidation of an unexpected product from dehydration of a beta-hydroxyketone

The structure of an unexpected compound from the dehydration of an aldol addition product has been determined using 1-D and 2-D NMR techniques. This reaction is the last step in a new synthetic approach to the galanthan ring system. Complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments for two synthetic precursors are also reported.     

Thermal dehydration of lithium metaborate dihydrate and phase transitions of anhydrous product

Reaction steps and mechanisms of the thermal dehydration of lithium metaborate dihydrate were investigated by means of thermoanalytical measurements, high temperature powder X-ray diffractometry, FT-IR spectroscopy, and microscopic observations. The first half of thermal dehydration was characterized by the melting of the sample producing viscous surface layer, the formation of bubbles on the particle surfaces, and the sudden mass-loss taking place by an opportunity of cracking and/or bursting of the bubble surface layer. The second half of the dehydration with a long-tailed mass-loss process in a wide temperature region was divided further into three distinguished reaction steps by the measurements of controlled rate thermal analysis. During the course of the thermal dehydration, four different poorly crystalline phases of intermediate hydrates were observed, in addition to an amorphous phase produced by an isothermal annealing. Just after completing the thermal dehydration, an exothermic DTA peak of the crystallization of β-LiBO₂ was appeared at around 750 K. The phase transition from β-LiBO₂ to α-LiBO₂ was observed in the temperature range of 800-900 K, which subsequently melted by indicating a sharp endothermic DTA peak with the onset temperature at 1101.4 ± 0.6 K.