Reactions of poly(methyl methacrylate) radicals with some <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-quinones in the presence of tri-<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-butylboron in methyl methacrylate polymerization

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by dicyclohexyl peroxydicarbonate at 30 °C was studied in the presence of tri-n-butylboron and a series of quinones, namely, p-benzoquinone, chloranil, and 2,5-di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone, whose concentration changed from 0.25 to 2.00 mol.%. The initial polymerization rate and molecular weight of poly(methyl methacrylate) depend on the structure and concentration of quinone. The growth radicals react with p-benzoquinone and chloranil predominantly at the C=C bond, while they react at the C=O bond of 2,5-di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone. The terminal stable oxygen-centered radicals that formed react with alkylborane, terminating reaction chains and generating alkyl radicals into the bulk. The latter are involved in chain initiation.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2114–2119, October, 2004.     

Alkylation of 2,6-di-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butylphenol with methyl acrylate catalyzed by potassium 2,6-di-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butylphenoxide

The kinetics of catalytic alkylation of 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol (ArOH) with methyl acrylate (MA) in the presence of potassium 2,6-di-tert-butylphenoxide (ArOK) depends on the method for the preparation of ArOK. The reaction of ArOH with KOH at temperatures > 180 °C affords monomeric ArOK, whose properties differ from those in the case of potassium 2,6-di-tert-butylphenoxide synthesized by the earlier methods. The regularities of ArOH alkylation depend on the ArOK concentration, the ArOH: MA ratio, and the effect of microadditives of polar solvents. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1971–1974, October, 2007.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-Butyl (2<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-(<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-tolylsulfonyloxy)propionate — a suitable reagent for the direct alkylation of indole derivatives

A new method is proposed for the synthesis of indole derivatives containing a chiral substituent at the nitrogen atom, which includes the direct alkylation of indole derivatives with tert-butyl (2S)-(p-tolylsulfonyloxy)propionate, obtained from commercial ethyl (S)-lactate with subsequent conversion to the corresponding p-toluenesulfonyloxy derivative by hydrolysis, and esterification. Dedicated to Academician B. A. Trofimov on his 70^th birthday. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, 1391–1398, September, 2008.     

Photo-induced interfacial electron transfer from CdSe quantum dots to surface-bound <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-benzoquinone and anthraquinone

Here we report transient spectral red-shift and transient absorption enhancement of p-benzoquinone radical in the presence of CdSe quantum dots after 355 nm pulse laser excitation. The spectral shift was caused by surface-bound p-benzoquinone molecules while the transient absorption increase was due to interfacial electron transfer from CdSe quantum dots to p-benzoquinone molecules. In contrast, spectral shift and absorption increase were much less significant for anthraquinone in the presence of CdSe quantum dots due to their weak adsorption abilities.     

Functionalization of sterically hindered <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-benzoquinones: amino-substituted 3,6-di(<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butyl)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-benzoquinones

New sterically hindered functionalized o-quinones were synthesized by the 1,4-nucleophilic addition of secondary cyclic amines to 3,6-di(tert-butyl)-o-benzoquinone. The ability of these o-quinones to form o-semiquinone complexes with transition and main-group metals was studied by ESR spectroscopy in solution. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1786–1793, September, 2007.     

Reaction sites of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N,N′</Emphasis>-substituted <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine antioxidants

The geometries of N,N′-diphenylbenzene-1,4-diamine (DPPD), N-phenyl-N′-(1-phenylethyl)benzene-1,4-diamine (SPPD), N-(4-methylpentan-2-yl)-N′-phenylbenzene-1,4-diamine (6PPD), N-propan-2-yl-N′-phenylbenzene-1,4-diamine (IPPD), N-(2-methoxybenzyl)-N′-phenylbenzene-1,4-diamine (MBPPD), and N-phenyl-N′-(2-phenylpropan-2-yl)benzene-1,4-diamine (CPPD) as well as of their dehydrogenation products were optimized by the semiempirical AM1 method. The results support the idea of stable N_B=C_X structures formation during the consecutive dehydrogenation of SPPD, 6PPD, IPPD, and MBPPD antioxidants. The biradicals formed during the second step of dehydrogenation of substituted phenylenediamines might be important for their antioxidant effectiveness. Dedicated to Professor Vladimír Kvasnička, DrSc., in honour of his 65th birthday     

Synthesis of magnesium catecholate and <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-semiquinone complexes by oxidation of the metal with 3,6-di-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-benzoquinone

Oxidation of amalgamated magnesium metal with 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone (1) in different aprotic organic solvents afforded magnesium catecholate and bis-o-semiquinolate complexes. The catecholate derivatives of magnesium CatMgL₂ (Cat is the 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone dianion, L = THF or Py) were synthesized in high yields in pyridine and tetrahydrofuran, respectively. The reactions in diethyl ether or dimethoxyethane produced hexacoordinated metal bis-o-semiquinolates SQ₂MgL_n (SQ is the 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone radical anion, L = Et₂O, n = 2; L = DME, n = 1). The reaction with the use of toluene as the solvent gave a magnesium bis-o-semiquinolate complex containing the coordinated unreduced o-quinone molecule. The molecular structures of the [CatMgPy₂]₂ and SQ₂Mg·DME complexes were established by X-ray diffraction. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 92–98, January, 2007.     

Formation and structures of 2,5-di-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butylcyclopentadienone dimers

The structures of dimers formed from 2,5-di-tert-butylcyclopentadienone in the reaction with alkaline metals and in the Diels-Alder reaction were studied. A photochemical rearrangement with ring contraction was found for the second dimer. Spectral features of the dimers related to steric hindrance were studied by 1D and 2D NMR procedures.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2179–2183, October, 2004.     

Molecular and crystal structure of 5-amino-3-(N-<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-methylbenzoyl-N-<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-toluenesulfonyl)amino-1-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole

It has been established by X-ray structural analysis that the initial product of the interaction of 5-amino-1-phenyl-3-p-toluenesulfonylamino-1,2,4-triazole with p-methylbenzoyl chloride is 5-amino-3-(N-pmethylbenzoyl-N-p-toluenesulfonyl)amino-1-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 917–921, June, 2007.     

Synthesis of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylolacrylamide)/polymethylacrylamide hybrids via frontal free-radical polymerization

In this study, poly(N-methylolacrylamide)/polymethylacrylamide (PNMA/PMAA) hybrids were produced successfully by frontal free-radical polymerization at ambient pressure. In a typical run, the appropriate amounts of reactants (N-methylolacrylamide, NMA; methylacrylamide, MAA) and initiator (ammonium persulfate) were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide at ambient temperature. Frontal polymerization (FP) was initiated by heating the wall of the tube with a soldering iron, and the resultant hot fronts were allowed to self-propagate throughout the reaction vessel. Once initiated, no further energy was required for polymerization to occur. The dependences of the front velocity and front temperature on the initiator concentration, reactant dilution, and NMA/MAA components were thoroughly investigated. The front temperatures were between 69 and 116 °C, depending on the persulfate concentration. We have also investigated the FP of PNMA/PMAA hybrids with N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as solvent. Results show that FP can be exploited as a means for the preparation of PNMA/PMAA hybrids with the potential advantage of higher throughput compared to the traditional mode.     

Synthesis of isomeric 2-oxazolidinones from (1<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>,2<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>)-and (1<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>,2<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-2-amino-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,3-propanediols

A synthesis is reported for (4R,5R)-and (4S,5S)-4-hydroxymethyl-5-(4-nitrophenyl)oxazolidin-2-ones and (1′R,4R)-and (1′S,4S)-4-[hydroxy(4-nitrophenyl)methyl]oxazolidin-2-ones from (1R,2R)-and (1S,2S)-2-amino-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,3-propanediols. The effect of the experimental conditions on the formation of these compounds was studied. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1562–1570, October, 2007.     

Interaction of functionally-substituted 4-alkyl-2,6-di-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butylphenols with hydrohalic acids

Reactions of 4-alkyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenols containing OH, SH, COOH, and COOMe groups in their para substituents with hydrogen chloride and hydrohalic acids were studied. One-step transformations of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(ω-hydroxyalkyl)phenols to the corresponding 4-(ω-halogenoalkyl)phenols, as well as of 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid and its esters to phloretic acid were proposed. 4-(3-Mercaptopropyl)phenol upon heating with conc. HBr undergoes condensation to 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propyl 4-(3-mercaptopropyl)phenyl sulfide as the main product. Dedicated to the memory of Academician N. N. Vorozhtsov on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1078–1083, June, 2007.     

Synthesis of 2,3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">cis</Emphasis> Stereomeric Emetamines <Emphasis Type="Italic">via Reissert</Emphasis> Compounds

Summary. Alkylation of Reissert compounds with certain benzoquinolizinone derivatives followed by hydrolytic cleavage afforded the core of the title compounds in a two step sequence. Finally, the lactam intermediates were reduced with DIBAH giving the target compounds, the structural and stereochemical assignments of which were achieved by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Part of PhD thesis, LMU München, D     

Electrochemical preparation of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-phenylene) thin films

We report the electrochemical preparation of poly(p-phenylene) (PPP) thin films with a polymerization degree of approximately 20 using biphenyl as starting material. The PPP films are prepared directly on a tin oxide electrode, presenting a positive charge carrier mobility of 5×10⁻⁷ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.     

Stereoselective synthesis of spiro derivatives of 2,4-dimethyl-2,3,4,4a,5,6-hexahydro-6<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-benzo[<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>]quinolizine

The reactions of 2-(3,5-dimethylpiperidino)benzaldehyde with Meldrum's acid and cyclohexane-1,3-dione occur as a tandem of the Knoevenagel condensation and cyclization promoted by the tert-amino effect. The cyclization yields only one isomer with the axial hydrogen atoms in positions 4 and 4a of the benzoquinolizine ring. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1492–1494, June, 2005.     

Reaction of 2-methoxy-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorino[4,5-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>]pyridin-4(4<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>)-one with hexafluoroacetone

The reaction of the di-O-trimethylsilyl derivative of 2-hydroxynicotinic acid with methyl phosphodichloridite afforded 2-methoxy-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorino[4,5-b]pyridin-4(4H )-one. The NMR spectrkscopic data suggest that the reaction of the latter with hexafluoroacetone produces unstable 2-methoxy-2,5-dioxo-4,4-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,5-dihydro-1,3,2-dioxaphosphepino[4,5-b]pyridine, which is readily transformed into 9-methyl-2,5-dioxo-4,4- bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,5-dihydro-1,3,2-dioxaphosphepino[4,5-b]pyrid-9-inium-2-oate. The structure of the hydrolysis product of the latter, viz., 1-methyl-3-(2-hydroxy-3,3,3-trifluoro-2- trifluoromethylpropanoyl)pyridin-2-one, was established by X-ray diffraction analysis.Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1640–1646, August, 2004.     

Micelle formation induced by photolysis of a poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butoxystyrene)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">block</Emphasis>-polystyrene diblock copolymer

We found the novel photolysis-induced micellization of the poly(tert-butoxystyrene)-block-polystyrene diblock copolymer (PBSt-b-PSt). PBSt-b-PSt with a molecular weight of Mn(PBSt-b-PSt) = 15,000-b-97,000 showed no self-assembly in dichloromethane and existed as isolated copolymers with a hydrodynamic diameter of 16.6 nm. Dynamic light scattering demonstrated that the copolymer produced micelles with a 63.0 nm hydrodynamic diameter when the copolymer solution was irradiated with a high-pressure mercury lamp at room temperature in the presence of bis(alkylphenyl) iodonium hexafluorophosphate, a photoacid generator. The ¹H NMR analysis revealed that the micellization resulted from the photolysis of the PBSt blocks into insoluble poly(vinyl phenol) blocks based on the fact that the signal intensity of the tert-butyl protons decreased over time during the irradiation. It was found that the micellization rapidly proceeded as the degree of the photolysis reached over 50% and was completed at 90%.     

Aryltetralin Lignans from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Linum mucronatum</Emphasis> Bertol. ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">mucronatum</Emphasis>

The dried and aerial part of Linum mucronatum ssp. mucronatum was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Two aryltetralin lignans, podophylloyoxin, 6-methoxypodophylloyoxin, and β-peltatin, were identified. This is the first report of the analysis of L. mucronatum ssp. mucronatum.__________Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 24–25, January–February, 2005.     

Synthesis of 4<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>,7<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis>-tridecadien-1-ylacetate,a component of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phthorimaea opercucella</Emphasis> sex pheromone

A new synthetic approach to 4E,7Z-tridecadien-1-ylacetate, a component of the Phthorimaea opercucella (Zeller) potato moth sex pheromone, was developed using a highly stereoselective Claisen rearrangement and Wittig reaction. __________ Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 235–236, May–June, 2007.     

Annelation of drotaverine by <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-quinones to form hydroxyindolo- and hydroxybenzindoloisoquinoline derivatives

1-(3, 4-Diethoxybenzyl)-6, 7-diethoxy-3, 4-dihydroisoquinoline (drotaverine, 1a) reacts with p-benzoquinone (2) and p-naphthoquinone (3) in nitromethane or during fusion to give 5-(3, 4-diethoxyphenyl)-7, 8-diethoxy-3-hydroxy-5a, 10, 11, 12-tetrahydroindolo[2, 1-a]isoquinoline (4) and 7-(3, 4-diethoxyphenyl)-9, 10-diethoxy-5-hydroxy-7a, 12, 13, 14-tetrahydrobenz[g]indolo[2, 1-a]isoquinoline (5), respectively. Compounds 4 and 5 are smoothly alkylated at the oxygen atom in the presence of bases. The structure of one alkylation product, viz., 3-allyloxy-5-(3, 4-diethoxyphenyl)-7, 8-diethoxy-5a, 10, 11, 12-tetrahydroindolo[2, 1-a]isoquinoline, was established by X-ray diffraction analysis.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 761–769, March, 2005.