E-selective Semi-hydrogenation of Alkynes under Mild Conditions by a Diruthenium Hydride Complex

The synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of a new class of diruthenium hydrido carbonyl complexes bound to the ^{t Bu} PNNP expanded pincer ligand is described. Reacting ^{t Bu} PNNP with two equiv of RuHCl(PPh₃)₃(CO) at 140 °C produces an insoluble air-stable complex, which was structurally characterized as [Ru₂(^tBuPNNP)H(μ-H)Cl(μ-Cl)(CO)₂] ( 1 ) using solid-state NMR, IR and X-ray absorption spectroscopies and follow-up reactivity. A reaction with KOtBu results in deprotonation of a methylene linker to produce [Ru₂(^tBuPNNP^*)H(μ-H)(μ-OtBu)(CO)₂] ( 3 ) featuring a partially dearomatized naphthyridine core. This enables metal-ligand cooperative activation of H₂ analogous to the mononuclear analogue, [Ru(^tBuPNP*)H(CO)]. In contrast to the mononuclear system, the bimetallic analogue 3 catalyzes the E-selective semi-hydrogenation of alkynes at ambient temperature and atmospheric H₂ pressure with good functional group tolerance. Monitoring the semi-hydrogenation of diphenylacetylene by ¹H NMR spectroscopy shows the intermediacy of Z-stilbene, which is subsequently isomerized to the E-isomer. Initial findings into the mode of action of this system are provided, including the spectroscopic characterization of a polyhydride intermediate and the isolation of a deactivated species with a partially hydrogenated naphthyridine backbone.     

Ring Opening Polymerization of Lactide under Solvent‐Free Conditions Catalyzed by a Chlorotitanium Calix[4]arene Complex

A novel chlorotitanium calix[4]arene complex was synthesized and tested, without activator, as catalyst for the polymerization of L ‐ and rac‐lactide under solvent‐free conditions. The catalyst displayed high activity, which depended on the monomer‐to‐catalyst molar ratio, and led to highly isotactic PLLA. Despite concomitant transesterification during the polymerization, polylactide formation was well‐controlled, the molar mass distribution indexes remaining in the restricted range of 1.2–1.4.

     

Synthesis of Sultones from Chlorosulfates by a Complex Cascade Reaction Occurring under Mild Thermal Conditions

Chlorosulfate derivatives are interesting reagents that have been traditionally used to get other sulfur-containing compounds by formal nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine atom. This work describes a different mode of reactivity of alkyne-containing chlorosulfates to get sultones, the sulfur analogues of lactones. The complex skeletal rearrangement observed in this transformation is comparable to those intricate processes promoted or catalyzed by organometallic compounds. However, the reaction here described does not require any reagent or additive, being just a thermal process. Computational calculations support a mechanism based on a series of cascade reactions where almost every step is counterintuitive. Some of these steps include original processes related to classical reactions, thus adding complementary views to traditional organic chemistry.     

A Study of the Thorpe-Ziegler Reaction in Very Mild Conditions

The Thorpe-Ziegler reaction has been used in the preparation of enaminonitriles and cyclic ketones for many years. A wide variety of bases¹ have been employed to acomplish this reaction, the most effective being the alkali metal salts of aralkyl amines. The reaction conditions vary from room temperature to toluene reflux temperature for long periods of time¹.     

LiOH-Catalyzed Simple Ring Opening of Epoxides Under Solvent-Free Conditions

LiOH has been found to be a very simple and selective catalyst for the rapid and mild synthesis of β-hydroxy sulfides and β-hydroxyl nitriles by ring opening of epoxides with aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic thiols and trimethylsilyl cyanide at room temperature under solvent free conditions. All the reactions proceeded satisfactorily in short times and afforded the corresponding products in good to excellent yields with high regioselectivity and chemoselectivity under mild reaction conditions.     

Neighbouring-group Influence on the Ring Opening of Some 2-Alkyl-1,1,2-tribromocyclopropanes under Phase-transfer Conditions

Several 2-alkyl-1,1,2-tribromocyclopropanes were treated with sodium hydroxide and ethanol under phase-transfer conditions. Ring opening gave mixtures of the corresponding acetylenic diethyl ketals and acetals. When the steric bulk of the alkyl substituent was increased acetal formation dominated, and in the case of 1,1,2-tribromo-2-(tert-butyl)cyclopropane, the acetal was formed as the only product.     

Copper-Mediated Conversion of Complex Ethers to Esters: Enabling Biopolymer Depolymerisation under Mild Conditions

Selective processing of the β-O-4 unit in lignin is essential for the efficient depolymerisation of this biopolymer and therefore its successful integration into a biorefinery set-up. An approach is described in which this unit is modified to incorporate a carboxylic ester with the goal of enabling the use of mild depolymerisation conditions. Inspired by preliminary results using a Cu/TEMPO/O₂ system, a protocol was developed that gave the desired β-O-4-containing ester in high yield using certain dimeric model compounds. The optimised reaction conditions were then applied to an oligomeric lignin model system. Extensive 2D NMR analysis demonstrated that analogous chemistry could be achieved with the oligomeric substrate. Mild depolymerisation of the ester-containing oligomer delivered the expected aryl acid monomer.     

Neighbouring-group Influence on the Ring Opening of Some 2-Alkyl-1,1,2-tribromocyclopropanes under Phase-transfer Conditions

Summary. Several 2-alkyl-1,1,2-tribromocyclopropanes were treated with sodium hydroxide and ethanol under phase-transfer conditions. Ring opening gave mixtures of the corresponding acetylenic diethyl ketals and acetals. When the steric bulk of the alkyl substituent was increased acetal formation dominated, and in the case of 1,1,2-tribromo-2-(tert-butyl)cyclopropane, the acetal was formed as the only product.     

Asymmetric Ring Opening in a Tetrazine-Based Ligand Affords a Tetranuclear Opto-Magnetic Ytterbium Complex

We report the formation of a tetranuclear lanthanide cluster, [Yb₄(bpzch)₂(fod)₁₀] ( 1 ), which occurs from a serendipitous ring opening of the functionalised tetrazine bridging ligand, bpztz (3,6-dipyrazin-2-yl-1,2,4,5-tetrazine) upon reacting with Yb(fod)₃ (fod⁻=6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octandionate). Compound 1 was structurally elucidated via single-crystal X-ray crystallography and subsequently magnetically and spectroscopically characterised to analyse its magnetisation dynamics and its luminescence behaviour. Computational studies validate the observed M_J energy levels attained by spectroscopy and provides a clearer picture of the slow relaxation of the magnetisation dynamics and relaxation pathways. These studies demonstrate that 1 acts as a single-molecule magnet (SMM) under an applied magnetic field in which the relaxation occurs via a combination of Raman, direct, and quantum tunnelling processes, a behaviour further rationalised analysing the luminescent properties. This marks the first lanthanide-containing molecule that forms by means of an asymmetric tetrazine decomposition.     

温和条件下电活化co2合成碳酸二甲酯

在含0.1mol/L四乙基铵四氟硼酸盐的乙腈和N,N-二甲基甲酰胺溶液中,研究了CO2在铜电极上的循环伏安行为。结果表明,CO2在电位E=-2.3V(vs.Ag/AgI)发生不可逆还原。在常压CO2气气氛下,含0.1mol/L四乙基铵四氟硼酸盐的乙腈溶液的一室型电解池中,以镁为牺牲阳极,铜为工作电极,Ag/AgI电极为参比电极,在一定电位下电解时,CO2可以被电活化并与甲醇反应,加入烷基化试剂碘甲烷后可得碳酸二甲酯(DMC)。该合成方法安全清洁、体系简单、实验条件温和。考察了电解电位、通电量、反应温度、支持电解质、溶剂、电极材料等对电解产率的影响。确定当E=-2.3V(vs.Ag/AgI),通电量为理论电量,以四乙基铵四氟硼酸盐为支持电解质,乙腈为溶剂,在25℃和常压下反应,DMC产率最高,为14.92%。表明以CO2和甲醇为原料在温和条件下(PCO2=1.0atm,T=25℃)电合成制备DMC具有一定的可行性。     

Conditions to Control Furan Ring Opening during Furfuryl Alcohol Polymerization

The chemistry of biomass-derived furans is particularly sensitive to ring openings. These side reactions occur during furfuryl alcohol polymerization. In this work, the furan ring-opening was controlled by changing polymerization conditions, such as varying the type of acidic initiator or the water content. The degree of open structures (DOS) was determined by quantifying the formed carbonyl species by means of quantitative ¹⁹F NMR and potentiometric titration. The progress of polymerization and ring opening were monitored by DSC and FT-IR spectroscopy. The presence of additional water is more determining on ring opening than the nature of the acidic initiator. Qualitative structural assessment by means of ¹³C NMR and FT-IR shows that, depending on the employed conditions, poly(furfuryl alcohol) samples can be classified in two groups. Indeed, either more ester or more ketone side groups are formed as a result of side ring opening reactions. The absence of additional water during FA polymerization preferentially leads to opened structures in the PFA bearing more ester moieties.     

Regioselectivity of the Base-Induced Ring Cleavage of 1-Oxygenated Derivatives of Cyclobutabenzene

Oxy anions 3 generated from 1,2-dihydrocyclobutabenzen-1-ones 1 through addition of a charged nucleophile or from 1-hydroxy-1,2-dihydrocyclobutabenzenes 2 by deprotonation with base lead to stable products through distal and/or proximal cleavage of the strained four-membered ring via benzyl carbanion 4 and/or aryl carbanion 5. A systematic study of this process reveals the relative stability of the two isomeric carbanions 4 and 5 as a key factor in determining the course of the ring-cleavage reaction. While benzyl carbanions 4 can be trapped with carbon electrophiles, attempts at trapping aryl carbanions 5 with electrophiles other than H⁺ failed. In protic solvents, the magnesium salt of the tertiary alcohol 2 shows an increased rate of proximal cleavage as compared to its alkali salts. From this, we conclude that, in contrast to benzyl carbanions 4 , free aryl carbanions 5 are of transient existence only. Proximal C,C-bond cleavage seems to occur either through protonation of 5 from a fast, reversible equilibrium 3 ? 5 in which 3 strongly predominates, or in protic solvents possibly even through a rate-limiting protonation of 3 at the aromatic C-atom, bypassing free anion 5 altogether. Thus, additional factors other than just the relative stability of isomeric carbanions 4 and 5 are of importance in determining the regiochemistry of the base-induced C,C-bond cleavage in ketones 1 and in alcohols 2 .     

Lipase-Catalyzed Phospha-Michael Addition Reactions under Mild Conditions

Organophosphorus compounds are the core structure of many active natural products. The synthesis of these compounds is generally achieved by metal catalysis requiring specifically functionalized substrates or harsh conditions. Herein, we disclose the phospha-Michael addition reaction of biphenyphosphine oxide with various substituted β-nitrostyrenes or benzylidene malononitriles. This biocatalytic strategy provides a direct route for the synthesis of C-P bonds with good functional group compatibility and simple and practical operation. Under the optimal conditions (styrene (0.5 mmol), biphenyphosphine oxide (0.5 mmol), Novozym 435 (300 U), and EtOH (1 mL)), lipase leads to the formation of organophosphorus compounds in yields up to 94% at room temperature. Furthermore, we confirm the role of the catalytic triad of lipase in this phospha-Michael addition reaction. This new biocatalytic system will have broad applications in organic synthesis.     

Heavy‐Atom Tunneling in the Ring Opening of a Strained Cyclopropene at Very Low Temperatures

The highly strained 1H‐bicyclo[3.1.0]‐hexa‐3,5‐dien‐2‐one 1 is metastable, and rearranges to 4‐oxacyclohexa‐2,5‐dienylidene 2 in inert gas matrices (neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and nitrogen) at temperatures as low as 3 K. The kinetics for this rearrangement show pronounced matrix effects, but in a given matrix, the reaction rate is independent of temperature between 3 and 20 K. This temperature independence means that the activation energy is zero in this temperature range, indicating that the reaction proceeds through quantum mechanical tunneling from the lowest vibrational level of the reactant. At temperatures above 20 K, the rate increases, resulting in curved Arrhenius plots that are also indicative of thermally activated tunneling. These experimental findings are supported by calculations performed at the CASSCF and CASPT2 levels by using the small‐curvature tunneling (SCT) approximation.     

Rare Earth Polymer Complex Catalyst for Ring Opening Polymerization of Epichlorohydrin

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Mild and Efficient Ring Opening of Epoxides Catalyzed by Potassium Dodecatungstocobaltate(III)

Summary. Efficient ring opening of epoxides under mild conditions is reported. Potassium dodecatungstocobaltate(III) trihydrate was used as an efficient catalyst for the alcoholysis and acetolysis of epoxides. Conversion of epoxides to thiiranes was also performed efficiently in the presence of this catalyst.     

Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohols under Mild Heterogeneous Conditions

A combination of iodic acid with ammonium dichromate in the presence of wet SiO₂ was used as an efficient oxidizing agent for the transformation of benzyl alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones in n-hexane or without a solvent at room temperature with excellent yields.     

Oxidation of a P−C Bond under Mild Conditions

The reactivity of phosphenium dication [(Ph₃P)₂C‐P‐NiPr₂]²⁺, 1²⁺ , towards pyridine N‐oxide (O‐py) has been investigated. The resulting oxophosphonium dication [(Ph₃P)₂C(NiPr₂)P(O)(O‐py)]²⁺, 2²⁺ , was surprisingly stabilized by a less nucleophilic O‐py ligand instead of pyridine (py). This compound was then identified as an analogue of the elusive Criegee intermediate as it underwent oxygen insertion into the P?C bond through a mechanism usually observed for Baeyer–Villiger oxidations. This oxygen insertion appears to be the first example of a Baeyer–Villiger oxidation involving O‐py.