[4+1] Cycloaddition of N-acylimine derivatives with isocyanides: efficient synthesis of 5-aminooxazoles and 5-aminothiazoles

[4+1] Cycloaddition reaction between isocyanides and N-acylimine derivatives generated from N-acyl N,O-acetals acting as isocyanophiles has been developed. These reactions proceeded smoothly and cleanly to afford the corresponding 5-aminooxazoles in high yields. This reaction was extended to the syntheses of 5-aminothiazoles by using N-thioacyl N,O-acetals. A wide range of N-acyl N,O-acetals, N-thioacyl N,O-acetals, and isocyanides were found to be applicable to this reaction.     

Copolymerization of acrylic acid to nylon-6 by trapped radicals—I. Vapour phase grafting

Film of nylon-6 has been γ-irradiated in vacuo to various doses D. Grafting has been effected by subsequent exposure in vacuo to vapour at 50° of composition 9.1 wt% acrylic acid and 90.9 wt% water. Determinations have been made of total vapour uptake as well as the individual swellings due to monomer and water. For D ? ca. 2 Mrad, the initial rate of grafting R_g increased with D in accord with R_g ∝ D^β with β = 0.45 ± 0.05, thus suggesting bimolecular chain termination. However, for D ? ca. 2 Mrad, there is no further increase in R_g. This is attributed in part to the fact that the radical yield is proportional to dose only for D ? ca. 2.5 Mrad. Diffusion controlled grafting has been predicted elsewhere to be characterized by β = 0.67. Grafting proceeds from the surface and the initial stages are concluded to be essentially free from diffusion control, since (a) β ≠ 0.67, (b) the rate of uptake of monomer vapour >R_g and (c) a large change in film thickness yields only a very small change in R_g.     

Yeasts and Lactic Acid Bacteria Mixed-Specie Biofilm Formation is a Promising Cell Immobilization Technology for Ethanol Fermentation

We previously found that some Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum remarkably formed mixed-specie biofilm in a static co-culture and deduced that this biofilm had potential as immobilized cells. We investigated the application of mixed-specie biofilm formed by S. cerevisiae BY4741 and L. plantarum HM23 for ethanol fermentation in repeated batch cultures. This mixed-specie biofilm was far abundantly formed and far resistant to washing compared with S. cerevisiae single biofilm. Adopting mixed-specie biofilm formed on cellulose beads as immobilized cells, we could produce enough ethanol from 10 or 20 % glucose during ten times repeated batch cultures for a duration of 10 days. Cell numbers of S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum during this period were stable. In mixed-specie biofilm system, though ethanol production was slightly lower compared to S. cerevisiae single-culture system due to by-production of lactate, pH was stably maintained under pH 4 without artificial control suggesting high resistance to contamination. Inoculated model contaminants, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, were excluded from the system in a short time. From the above results, it was indicated that the mixed-specie biofilm of S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum was a promising immobilized cell for ethanol fermentation for its ethanol productivity and robustness due to high resistance to contamination.     

New investigation of Vilsmeier-type reaction using pyrazolones with various amides

New investigation of Vilsmeier-type reaction was evaluated to realize the solvent effect by using pyrazolones to react with various of amides, including formamide, N-methylformamide, N-propylformamide, N-tert-butylformamide, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-diethylformamide (DEF), N,N-dipropylformamide (DPF), N,N-diisopropylformamide, N,N-dibutylformamide, piperidine-1-carbaldehyde, and pyrrolidine-1-carbaldehyde, in the presence of phosphorous oxychloride POCl₃. The unexpected resulting products were observed in this work according to the difference chemoseletivities of substituted amides. The plausible reactive pathways were proposed to explain the experimental result.     

Rectangular source integral and recurrence relations

In this paper Hubbell's rectangular source integral H′(a,b), which is a double integral, is expressed as a series of many converging single integrals I_n (a,b). Recurrence relations relate these integrals. Once one integral I₁ is computed, recurrence relations are used to compute other integrals. I₁(a,b) can be computed analytically. H′(a,b) is approximated by considering the first seven terms in the series and the results are found to give good results for various values of a and b. Results are presented for the values of a and b (0.1 to 20 and to 2), respectively. The rate of convergence depends on the values of a and b.     

Effect of Three Commercial Formulations Containing Effective Microorganisms (EM) on Diflufenican and Flurochloridone Degradation in Soil

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of effective microorganisms (EM) present in biological formulations improving soil quality on degradation of two herbicides, diflufenican and flurochloridone. Three commercially available formulations containing EM were used: a formulation containing Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, and Rhodopseudomonas bacteria and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae; a formulation containing Streptomyces, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhodococcus, Cellulomonas, Arthrobacter, Paenibacillusa, and Pseudonocardia bacteria; and a formulation containing eight strains of Bacillus bacteria, B. megaterium, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. pumilus, B. licheniformis, B. coagulans, B. laterosporus, B. mucilaginosus, and B. polymyxa. It was demonstrated that those formulations influenced degradation of herbicides. All studied formulations containing EM reduced the diflufenican degradation level, from 35.5% to 38%, due to an increased acidity of the soil environment and increased durability of that substance at lower pH levels. In the case of flurochloridone, all studied EM formulations increased degradation of that active substance by 19.3% to 31.2% at the most. For control samples, equations describing kinetics of diflufenican and flurochloridone elimination were plotted, and a time of the half-life of these substances in laboratory conditions was calculated, amounting to 25.7 for diflufenican and 22.4 for flurochloridone.     

Semiclassical variational study of size effects in neutral and charged jellium droplets

An analytic expression for the total energy of metallic clusters composed ofN identical atoms of valencev and with net chargeQ is obtained by means of a variational solution of the Thomas-Fermi-Weizsäcker energy density functional within the spherical jellium model. The minimum energy is given as an expansion in decreasing powers of the cluster radiusR=r _s Z ^1/3, withZ=vN andr _s the radius per electron of the bulk metal. The coefficients are obtained as functions ofr _s . Terms of volume (R ³), surface (R ²), curvature (R), constant (R ⁰), (1/R) and (1/R ²) are clearly separated in the formula, as well as the different contributions (kinetic, coulombic and exchange-correlation) to each of them. The asymptotic values (R→∞) for the work functions,W(r _s ), and surface energies σ(r _s ), are compared to analogous semiclassical and Kohn-Sham calculations of jellium-like surfaces and to the experimental values. The size dependent behaviour of chemical potentials, μ(R), electron affinities,AF(R), and ionization potentials,IP(R), are easily obtained for any kind of metallic clusters. In particular we discuss the Coulomb and quantum corrections to the coefficients β, δ in the asymptotic formulae:IP?W+β/R andAF?W+δ/R.     

Trans-selective γ-arylation of macrocyclic N-picolinoylcycloalkylamines through palladium-catalyzed methylene sp3 carbon–hydrogen bond activation

While numerous stereoselective methylene β- and γ-carbon–hydrogen activation reactions are reported, there are no examples of trans-selective γ-carbon–hydrogen activation of cyclic compounds. Herein I report the first trans-selective palladium-catalyzed γ-arylation of N-picolinoylcycloalkylamine with aryl iodides. Trans-arylation of macrocyclic N-picolinoylcyclododecylamine proceeded to give trans-3-aryl-N-picolinoylcyclododecylamine as a sole mono-arylated product in up to 85% yield. Other, larger substrates were also applicable to trans-arylation, albeit with lower efficiency. The picolinoyl group of the trans-arylated product was easily removed with zinc and diluted hydrochloric acid.     

Far infrared spectrum and conformational potential function of n-butane

The far i.r. spectrum of gaseous n-butane obtained at 0.06 cm⁻¹ resolution is reported between 80 and 230 cm⁻¹. Several transitions for the asymmetric torsion of the trans conformer have been identified. Utilizing these data along with the previously reported asymmetric torsional transitions of the gauche conformer from Raman spectroscopic data, the potential function for the conformational change has been obtained. The determined potential parameters were found to be: V₁ = 181, V₂ = 148, V₃ = 1154 and V₆ = −33 cm⁻¹. The s-trans to gauche, gauche to gauche, and gauche to s-trans barriers in cm⁻¹ were found to be: 1315 (3.76 kcal/mol), 1090 (3.12 kcal/mol) and 1070 (3.06 kcal/mol), respectively. The potential functions obtained from these spectroscopic data are consistent with the trans to gauche energy difference, but not with the high trans/cis potential barrier suggested by recent ab initio calculations.     

Supercritical CO2 Plant Extracts Show Antifungal Activities against Crop-Borne Fungi

Fungal infections of cultivated food crops result in extensive losses of crops at the global level, while resistance to antifungal agents continues to grow. Supercritical fluid extraction using CO₂ (SFE-CO₂) has gained attention as an environmentally well-accepted extraction method, as CO₂ is a non-toxic, inert and available solvent, and the extracts obtained are, chemically, of greater or different complexities compared to those of conventional extracts. The SFE-CO₂ extracts of Achillea millefolium, Calendula officinalis, Chamomilla recutita, Helichrysum arenarium, Humulus lupulus, Taraxacum officinale, Juniperus communis, Hypericum perforatum, Nepeta cataria, Crataegus sp. and Sambucus nigra were studied in terms of their compositions and antifungal activities against the wheat- and buckwheat-borne fungi Alternaria alternata, Epicoccum nigrum, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium poae. The C. recutita and H. arenarium extracts were the most efficacious, and these inhibited the growth of most of the fungi by 80% to 100%. Among the fungal species, B. cinerea was the most susceptible to the treatments with the SFE-CO₂ extracts, while Fusarium spp. were the least. This study shows that some of these SFE-CO₂ extracts have promising potential for use as antifungal agents for selected crop-borne fungi.     

Conversion-time curves in the diffusion-controlled free radical polymerization of styrene

In order to calculate conversion-time curve in radical polymerization, the termination rate constant for interacting polymer radicals with chain lengths n and s is written as: k_t,ns = k(ζ_n + ζ_s) where k ∝ exp(−0.40/v_f) (v_f: free volume), and ζ = 1 at n ⩽ n_c and ζ = (n_c/n)^1,5 at n ⩾ n_c + 1 (n_c: a critical chain length of polymer moving by reptation). The curves are applicable to the experimental data obtained from 20°C to 154°C in the thermal polymerization of styrene. Further, it is shown that the curves can be applied to the experimental data for polymerization in the presence of initiator.     

An improved model of the fringing fields of a quadrupole mass filter

The fringing field region of a quadrupole mass filter is modelled using an iterative finite difference technique to solve Laplace's equation for the electrostatic potential. The results are used to formulate an expression f(z) such that the electrostatic potential of the fringing field, F(x, y, z, t) may be written in the form F(x, y, z, t) = f(z) φ(x, y, t), where φ(x, y, t) is the hyperbolic field of the quadrupole. The function f(z) is expressed in the form f(z) = 1 - exp {- az - bz²}), where a and b are constants and z is in units of r_O, where 2r_O is the spacing of the quadrupole rods. The effect of the distance from the quandrupole rods to the end plate of the quadrupole mass filter, d on f(z) is investigated and the results presented show that for d < 0.125 r_O the function f(z) does not alter significantly.     

Reactions of ortho oxy-substituted benzyl and phenacyl bromides in dimethyl sulphoxide

o-Acetoxy- and o-benzoyloxy-benzyl bromides and tosylates oxidatively rearrange in moist dimethyl sulphoxide to o-hydroxybenzyl esters; o-acetoxy- and o-benzoyloxy- phenacyl bromides rearrange to mixtures of 2-hydroxycoumaran-3-ones and o-hydroxyphenacyl esters; o-hydroxyphenacyl bromides also yield 2-hydroxycoumaran-3-ones, together with o-hydroxyphenacyl alcohols. 2-Acetoxybenzaldehyde is reductively rearranged by sodium borohydride to o-hydroxybenzyl acetate.     

Green aldose isomerisation: 2-C-methyl-1,4-lactones from the reaction of Amadori ketoses with calcium hydroxide

Saccharinic acids, branched 2-C-methyl-aldonic acids, may be accessed via a green procedure from aldoses by sequential conversion to an Amadori ketose and treatment with calcium hydroxide; d-galactose and d-glucose are converted to 2-C-methyl-d-lyxono-1,4-lactone (with a small amount of 2-C-methyl-d-xylono-1,4-lactone) and 2-C-methyl-d-ribono-1,4-lactone. Inversion of configuration at C-4 of the branched lactones allows access to 2-C-methyl-l-ribono-1,4-lactone and 2-C-methyl-l-lyxono-1,4-lactone, respectively. d-Xylose affords 2-C-methyl-d-threono-1,4-lactone and 2-C-methyl-d-erythrono-1,4-lactone, whereas l-arabinose, under similar conditions, gave the enantiomers 2-C-methyl-l-threono-1,4-lactone and 2-C-methyl-l-erythrono-1,4-lactone.     

Polyfluorinated arylnitrosamines

N-Methyl-, N-n-butyl-, N-t-butylperfluoroarylamines undergo nitrosation with nitrous acid to give the corresponding N-nitroso derivatives. Perfluoroaryl groups were selected from the benzene, indane, biphenyl, naphthalene and pyridine series. According to ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR spectra, N-nitroso-N-methyl derivatives of polyfluoroarenes consist of E and Z isomers with the former prevailing. The more bulky n-butyl group promotes an increase in the formation of Z isomers. Only Z isomers have been obtained from N-t-butyl derivatives of perfluorinated 4-toluidine and 4-aminopyridine. The structure of the Z isomer of N-nitroso-N-methylperfluoro-4-toluidine is confirmed by X-ray data.     

Geminal proton non-equivalences and internal rotation in 2-amino-thiophen derivatives.

3-Substituted N-acetyl, N-ethoxycarbonylmethyl-2-aminothiophen derivatives are shown to exist in the endo (the amide carbonyl cis to the thiophen ring) and exo forms, the latter in predominant amount (92 to 98%). Proton nonequivalence reveals the absence of coplanarity between the thiophen and amide planes and the presence of two biphenyl-like enantiomers d and l. The barriers to rotation about the amide bond (R_x) and the aryl-to-nitrogen bond (R_N) have been measured in three solvents: ΔG^≠ (25°C) ～ 71 and 54 kJ. mole^?1, respectively. Competitive delocalisation of the nitrogen doublet to the amide group or to the thiophen ring is shown to account for structural and solvent effects upon the endo to exo molar ratio, the degree of chemical shift nonequivalence and the kinetic parameters of processes R_x and R_N.     

Products of Photo- and Thermochemical Rearrangement of 19-Membered di-tert-Butyl-Azoxybenzocrown

The preparation and characterization of products of the photochemical and thermochemical rearrangements of 19-membered azoxybenzocrowns with two, bulky, tert-butyl substituents in benzene rings in the para positions to oligooxyethylene fragments (meta positions to azoxy group, i.e., t-Bu-19-Azo-O have been presented. In photochemical rearrangement, two colored typical products were expected, i.e., 19-membered o-hydroxy-m,m′-di-tert-butyl-azobenzocrown (t-Bu-19-o-OH) and 19-membered p-hydroxy-m,m′-di-tert-butyl-azobenzocrown (t-Bu-19-p-OH). In experiments, two colored atypical macrocyclic derivatives, one 6-membered and one 5-membered ring, bearing an aldehyde group (t-Bu-19-al) or intramolecular ester group (t-Bu-20-ester), were obtained. Photochemical rearrangement led to one more macrocyclic product being isolated and identified: a 17-membered colorless compound, without an azo moiety, t-Bu-17-p-OH. The yield of the individual compounds was significantly influenced by the reaction conditions. Thermochemical rearrangement led to t-Bu-20-ester as the main product. The structures of the four crystalline products of the rearrangement—t-Bu-19-o-OH, t-Bu-19-p-OH, t-Bu-20-ester and t-Bu-17-p-OH—were determined by the X-ray method. Structures in solution of atypical derivatives (t-Bu-19-al and t-Bu-20-ester) and t-Bu-19-p-OH were defined using NMR spectroscopy. For the newly obtained hydroxyazobenzocrowns, the azo–phenol⇄quinone–hydrazone tautomeric equilibrium was investigated using spectroscopic methods. Complexation studies of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations were studied using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. ¹H NMR spectroscopy was additionally used to study the cation recognition of metal cations. Cation binding studies in acetonitrile have shown high selectivity towards calcium over magnesium for t-Bu-19-o-OH.     

A different approach to X-ray stress analysis

A different approach to X-ray stress analysis has been developed. At the outset, it must be noted that the material to be analyzed is assumed homogeneous and isotropic. If a sphere with radius r within a specimen is subjected to a state of stress, the sphere is deformed into an ellipsoid. The semi-axes of the ellipsoid have the values of (r + ε_x), (r + ε_y), and (r + ε_z), which are replaced by d_x, d_y, and d_z, or for the cubic case, a_x, a_y, and a_z. In this technique, at a particular ϕ angle (see Fig. 1), the two-theta position of a high angle (hkl) peak is determined at ψ angles of 0, 15, 30, and 45°. These measurements are repeated for 3 to 6 ϕ angles in steps of 30°. The d_ϕψ or a_ϕψ values are then determined from the peak positions. The data is then fitted to the general quadratic equation for an ellipsoid by the method of least squares. From the coefficients of the quadratic equation, the angle between the laboratory and the specimen coordinates (direction of the principle stress) can be determined. Applying the general rotation of axes equations to the quadratic, the equation of the ellipse in the x–y plane is determined. The a_x, a_y, and a_z values for the principal axes of the lattice parameter ellipsoid are then evaluated. It is then possible to determine the unstressed a₀ value from Hooke's Law using a_x, a_y, and a_z. The magnitude of the principal strains/stresses is then determined.     

Asymmetric synthesis of phosphonotrifluoroalanine and its derivatives using N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine derived from fluoral

Addition of dialkyl phosphites to (S)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine derived from fluoral afforded, under mild conditions, the corresponding N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-aminophosphonates in moderate to high yields and diastereoselectivity. The major diastereomers of N-tert-butanesulfinyl α-aminophosphonates of (S_S,S) configuration were isolated, and after partial or complete deprotection, converted into enantiomerically pure phosphonotrifluoroalanine and its dialkyl esters.     

Thermodynamics of proton dissociations from aqueous l-proline: apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of the protonated cationic,zwitterionic, and deprotonated anionic forms at temperatures from 278.15 K to 393.15 K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa

Apparent molar volumes V_φ and apparent molar heat capacities C_p,φ were determined for aqueous solutions of l-proline, l-proline with equimolal HCl, and l-proline with equimolal NaOH at the pressure p=0.35 MPa. Density measurements obtained with a vibrating-tube densimeter at temperatures (278.15⩽T/K⩽368.15) were used to calculate V_φ values, and heat capacity measurements obtained with a twin fixed-cell, differential-output, power-compensation, temperature-scanning calorimeter at temperatures (278.15⩽T/K⩽393.15) were used to calculate C_p,φ values. Speciation arising from equilibrium was accounted for using Young’s Rule, and semi-empirical equations describing (V_φ, m, T) and (C_p,φ, m, T) for each aqueous equilibrium species were fitted by regression to the experimental results. From these equations, the volume change Δ_rV_m and heat capacity change Δ_rC_p,m for the protonation and deprotonation reactions were calculated. Additionally, the Δ_rC_p,m expression was integrated symbolically to yield values of the reaction enthalpy change Δ_rH_m, reaction entropy change Δ_rS_m, and equilibrium molality reaction quotient Q for both reactions. The results provide a much-improved thermodynamic characterization of aqueous l-proline and of its protonation and deprotonation equilibria.