A comparison of ferroelectric liquid crystals containing diastereomeric propionic acids derived from natural ethyl lactate

Two diastereomeric carboxylic acids, 2(S)-[2(R)-methylhexyloxy]propionic acid and 2(S)[2(S)-methylhexyloxy]propionic acid, were prepared from ethyl (S)-lactate and (R)-1-iodo2-methylhexane or (S)-1-iodo-2-methylhexane in the presence of Ag₂O. From these acids two liquid crystals, 2 and 3 , whose configurations are (S , R ) and (S, S) were synthesized and their liquid crystal properties investigated. Although both LCs have the same phase sequence Cr-SmC*-N*-I as well as a wide SmC* phase range, the influence of the relative stereochemistry on their physical properties is clear. The liquid crystal with (S, S)-configuration possesses better properties: lower SmC* phase transition temperature, wider SmC* phase range and higher P_s value. The P_s value difference between the ferroelectric LCs 2 and 3 (97 and 131nCcm^-2, respectively, at T_c - T = 10°C) is unexpectedly large. The consideration, alone, of a zigzag conformation at the chiral molecular part of 2 and 3 is insufficient to explain such a difference.     

Solute alignment in liquid crystal solvents The Saupe ordering matrix for anthracene dissolved in uniaxial liquid crystals

We have described a theory for U, the potential of mean torque of rigid solutes at infinite dilution in a uniaxial liquid crystal phase; this may be used to calculate (S_xx - S_yy) and S_zz, the principal elements of the Saupe ordering matrix. In its simplest form U(ω) contains only second-rank terms and the dependence of the biaxiality (S_xx - S_yy) is determined by ω, a parameter which describes the departure of the potential of mean torque from cylindrical symmetry, and is predicted to be temperature independent. If dispersion forces are responsible for the magnitude of the orientational order parameter then ω should be independent of the solvent and depend only on the anisotropy in the electric polarizability of the solute. Indeed, this independence should result for any pair potential which can be factorized into a product of solute and solvent properties. These predictions are tested here by determining values of S_zz and (S_xx - S_yy) for anthracene-d₁₀ as a solute in several liquid crystal solvents, from the quadrupolar splittings obtained from the deuteron N.M.R. spectra. It is found that ω has a strong dependence on the nature of the solvent, which demonstrates that the solute ordering cannot be determined primarily by dispersion forces, or by a factorizable potential. There is also a weaker temperature dependence of λ observed for each binary mixture, and we show how this might be caused by a dependence of ω on solvent ordering, or by the inclusion of a fourth-rank term in U(ω).     

Ferroelectric liquid crystal materials synthesized from 2(S)-[2(S)-methylbutyloxy]propanol

A new chiral alcohol, 2(S)-[2(S)-methylbutyloxy]propanol (3), containing two chiral centres has been synthesized from ethyl lactate and (S)-1-iodo-2-methylbutane. It was used as a chiral building block for the preparation of ferroelectric liquid crystal materials. Several of the new materials exhibit an enantiotropic S*_c phase with a wide temperature range. The results indicate that the molecular structure of 3 is useful for synthesizing ferroelectric liquid crystal materials.     

Synthesis of Pt compounds containing chiral (2S,4S) -pentane-2,4-diyl-bis(5H-dibenzo[b]phosphindole) as ligand and their use in asymmetric hydroformylation of styrene derivatives

Unlike bis(diphenyl)phosphine derivatives in general, (2S,4S)-pentane-2,4-diyl-bis(5H-dibenzo[b]phosphindole), S,S-BDBPP, gives a trans oligomeric compound [PtCl₂(S,S-BDBPP)]_n, 1, in reaction with dichloro-Pt precursors such as PtCl₂(PhCN)₂, PtCl₂(CH₃CN)₂ and PtCl₂(COD) at room temperature. Compound 1, which could be readily isolated, slowly rearranges in solutions at room temperature to the expected cis-monomer PtCl₂(S,S-BDBPP), 3. Heating or the presence of PtCl₂(COD) accelerates the transformation of compound 1 to 3. SnCl₂ adducts of both compounds, trans-[PtCl(SnCl₃)(S,S-BDBPP)]_n, 2, and cis-PtCl(SnCl₃)(S,S-BDBPP), 4, as well as the known cis-PtCl(SnCl₃)(S,S-BDPP), 5, (S,S-BDPP = (2S,4S)-2,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane) have been tested as catalysts in the asymmetric hydroformylation of p-isobutylstyrene. The phenyl analog 5 provides up to 75% e.e. but moderate yields to chiral 2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-2-propanal. Compared to this, the regioselectivity to the branched aldehyde is remarkably increased; however, the enantioselectivity is drastically decreased by the use of both dibenzophosphole derivatives 2 and 4. The similarities in the selectivities provided by 2 and 4 indicate that the trans oligomer 2 transforms to the cis-monomer 4 during the catalytic process. X-ray crystal structure determination of compound 3 shows a half-chair conformation for the chelate ring with a symmetric arrangement of dibenzophosphole groups. Besides a preference for the latter achiral conformation, the planar structure of the dibenzophosphole groups can also be considered as reason for the moderate enantioselectivities provided by 4.     

Catalytic and structural studies of Rh complexes of (−)-(2S,4S)-2,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane. Asymmetric hydrogenation of acetophenonebenzylimine and acetophenone

Rhodium(I) complexes formed by (−)-(2S,4S)-2,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane (BDPP) are efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of acetophenone and acetophenonebenzylimine. The composition of the solvent mixture and the reaction temperature have a marked influenced on the enantioselectivity. These effects are thought to be related to the enhanced conformational flexibility of six-membered rings when simple substrates without functional groups are coordinated to the rhodium. X-ray crystallographic studies reveal that in [Rh((S,S)-BDPP)NBD]⁺ (1) the ligand is in a chair conformation, and that in [Rh((S,S)-BDPP)COD]⁺ (2) the chelate ring is in a δ-skew conformation. Studies of Rh((S,S)-BDPP)(NBD)Cl (3) in solution indicate a trigonal bipyramidal structure with a chair conformation of the ring in aromatic solvents and a conformationally labile ring in methanol.     

Field dependent switching angle of a columnar pyrene

The switching behaviour of 1,3,6,8-tetrakis-((S)-2-(heptyloxy)propanoyloxy)pyrene was studied near room temperature in a monotropic columnar phase. The switching angle (optical tilt angle) increases linearly with the applied electric field from 0° to c. ± 10° at ± 0.35°/(V μm ^-1), then rapidly increases to its upper limit of 22°. The electric polarization is roughly proportional to the switching angle with a maximum value of 110nC cm^-2 at high field strengths. At field strengths up to 10 V μm^-1, a voltage and temperature independent 0 to 90 per cent switching time of c. 650 μs was measured. The observations are explained in terms of deformation and unwinding of an intracolumnar helix.     

Preparation of both enantiomers of malic and citramalic acid and other hydroxysuccinic acid derivatives by stereospecific hydrations of cis or trans 2-butene-1,4-dioic acids with resting cells of Clostridium formicoaceticum

(R)-Malic, (S)-malic, (R)citramalic, (S)-citramalic, (2R,3S)-2-hydroxy-3-methyl-succinic and (2R,3S)-2,3-dimethyl-2-hydroxysuccinic acid were prepared on scales up to 25 mmol by stereospecific addition of water to different 2-butene-1,4-dioic acid derivatives catalyzed by resting cells of Clostridium formicoaceticum (Scheme 1). The (3R)-monodeuterio (R)- and (S)-malic acid as well as (R)- and (S)-citramalic acid were prepared using freeze-dried cells in ²H₂O-buffer. The stereochemical purity of the products was in most cases ≥ 99%.     

Asymmetric syntheses of protected (2S,3S,4S)-3-hydroxy-4-methylproline and 4′-tert-butoxyamido-2′-deoxythymidine

Described herein is a versatile approach to (i) (2S,3S,4S)-3-hydroxy-4-methylproline 3, a constituent of echinocandins and related oligopeptide antibiotics; (ii) (2S,3S)-3-hydroxyproline 1; (iii) (2R,3S)-3-hydroxyprolinol 5, and (iv) 4′-tert-butoxyamido-2′-deoxythymidine 6b. The method features a stepwise regio- and diastereoselective reductive furylation of the protected (3S,4S)-4-methylmalimide 10, (S)-malimide 9, and a chemoselective oxidative transformation of the furyl group to the carboxyl group as the key steps.     

Thermoelectric properties of perovskites: Sign change of the Seebeck coefficient and high temperature properties

The possibility to change the Seebeck coefficient sign has been evidenced in the LaCoO₃ perovskites. A small hole doping (Co³⁺/Co⁴⁺) will result in a large positive Seebeck coefficient, while a small electron doping (Co²⁺/Co³⁺) will give a large negative Seebeck coefficient at room temperature. This mechanism is shown to be efficient as well in 1D Ca₃Co₂O₆ deriving from hexagonal perovskites. By doping Ca₃Co₂O₆ with Ti⁴⁺, a mixed valency Co²⁺/Co³⁺ is introduced and the thermopower turns negative.

At high temperature, the Seebeck coefficients of LaCoO₃ and related compounds decrease to small values due to the spin state transition. The values converge towards a positive value, close to +20 μV/K at 800 K. This suggests that at high T, the Seebeck coefficients in the case of localized charges do not depend on the doping, but only on the spin and orbital degeneracies. On the other hand, in the case of metallic-like samples as electron-doped manganites, the properties can be described up to high T in terms of a single-band metal. Due to the linear variation of S as a function of T and the almost constant value of ρ, the ratio S²/ρ which is crucial for high temperature applications increases.     

Orientational ordering of a ferroelectric liquid crystal with high spontaneous polarization

The orientational ordering of the liquid crystal, 3M2CPHOB ((2S, 3S)-3-methyl-2-chloropentanoic acid-4',4'-hexyloxybiphenyl ester) in its smectic A and chiral smectic C phases has been studied by carbon-13 2D N.M.R. The technique used is separated local-field spectroscopy, which produces a first-order splitting for each carbon signal, from which carbon-proton dipolar constants can be determined. The order parameters for different molecular segments of the liquid crystal can then be calculated. The C-H bond order parameter at the chiral centre with a chlorine atom is unusually large, which is a strong indication of hindered rotation of the molecular segment at the chiral centre. The carbon-13 chemical shifts of 3M2CPHOB were also measured as a function of temperature, and the relation between the chemical shifts and the order parameters is discussed.     

Chiral separation of enantiomers of amino acid derivatives by high-performance liquid chromatography on a norvancomycin-bonded chiral stationary phase

A novel norvancomycin-bonded chiral stationary phase (NVC-CSP) was synthesized by using the chiral selector of norvancomycin. The chiral separation of enantiomers of several dansyl-amino acids by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the reversed-phase mode is described. The effects of some parameters, such as organic modifier concentration, column temperature, pH and flow rate of the mobile phase, on the retention and enantioselectivity were investigated. The study showed that ionic, as well as hydrophobic interactions were engaged between the analyte and macrocycle in this chromatographic system. Increasing pH of buffers usually improved the chiral resolution for dansyl--amino-n-butyric acid (Dns-But), dansyl-methionine (Dns-Met) and dansyl-threonine (Dns-Thr), but not for dansyl-glutamic acid (Dns-Glu) which contains two carboxylic groups in its molecular structure. The natural logarithms of selectivity factors (ln ) of all the investigated compounds depended linearly on the reciprocal of temperature (1/T), most processes of enantioseparation were controlled enthalpically. Interestingly, the process of enantioseparaton for dansyl-threonine was enthalpy-controlled at pH of 3.5, while at pH of 7.0, it was entropy-controlled according to thermodynamic parameters Δ_R,SΔH° and Δ_R,SΔS° afforded by Van’t Hoff plots. In order to get baseline separation for all the solutes researched, norvancomycin was also used as a chiral mobile phase additive. In combination with the NVC-CSP, remarkable increases in enanselectivity were observed for all the compounds, as the result of a “synergistic” effect.     

Balancing the Pauling bond orders in Kekuléan benzenoid hydrocarbons

We consider a cutting of the molecular graph B of a Kekuléan benzenoid molecule into two disconnected subgraphs, S and the other, by deleting from B certain edges. It is required that both subgraphs remain Kekuléan. The edges involved in this cutting are classified as starred and unstarred. A starred edge is incident to a starred carbon site of the subgraph S, whereas an unstarred edge to an unstarred carbon site of S. The following regularity is established: for any above-described cutting of any Kekuléan benzenoid system, the sum of the Pauling bond orders of the starred edges is equal to that for the unstarred edges.     

Ionic interaction induced novel ordered columnar mesophases in asymmetric discotic triphenylene salts

Asymmetric triphenylene imidazolium salts with different spacer lengths were successfully synthesized through quarternization of ω-bromo-substituted triphenylenes with 1-methyl imidazole. The asymmetry in ω-bromo-substituted triphenylenes tended to destroy liquid crystallinity in the sample. However, highly ordered columnar mesophases with a lamellar microphase segregation were induced by ionic interactions among the imidazolium salts, and the lamellar morphology was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. On the basis of an X-ray diffraction study on shear oriented samples, a novel rectangular columnar phase with a plane group of pm was observed for a triphenylene imidazolium salt with a spacer length of C₁₁, while an oblique columnar phase was determined for a triphenylene imidazolium salt with a C₈ spacer. Due to the asymmetric molecular shape and ionic interactions in the triphenylene imidazolium salts, the columnar liquid crystalline phase was extended to below room temperature (c. -20°C) for samples with spacer lengths of C₈ and C₁₁.     

醚基功能化离子液体[MOEMIm]Cl和[EOEMIm]Cl热力学性质

通过核磁共振氢谱,核磁共振碳谱,元素分析和热重分析对醚基功能化的离子液体[MOEMIm]Cl和[EOEMIm]Cl进行了表征。在温度范围T=288.15–328.15 K内,测定了离子液体[MOEMIm]Cl和[EOEMIm]Cl的密度(ρ)、表面张力(γ)和折光率(nD)。根据这些实验数据,讨论并计算了离子液体[MOEMIm]Cl和[EOEMIm]Cl的体积性质。计算出离子液体[MOEMIm]Cl和[EOEMIm]Cl的摩尔表面吉布斯自由能(gs)、摩尔表面熵(s)、摩尔表面焓(h)、摩尔极化度(Rm)和摩尔极化率(αp),h均近似为一个常数说明这两种离子液体从内部到表面的过程是一个等库仑过程,同时这两种离子液体的Rm和αp均与温度无关。本文还用摩尔表面Gibbs自由能改进Lorentz-Lorenz方程并预测离子液体表面张力,预测值与实验值高度相关。     

Asymmetric hydrogenations of ketones catalyzed by Ru–achiral phosphine-enantiopure diamine complexes

Five novel ruthenium complexes, RuCl₂(MOTPP)₂[(S,S)-DPEN] [MOTPP = tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphine] (1), RuCl₂(TFTPP)₂[(S,S)-DPEN] [TFTPP = tris(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)phosphine] (2), RuCl₂(PPh₃)₂[(S,S)-DPEN] (3), RuCl₂(BDPX)[(S,S)-DPEN] [BDPX = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)benzene] (4), RuCl₂(BISBI)[(S,S)-DPEN][BISBI = 2,2′-bis((diphenylphosphino)methyl)-1,1′-biphenyl]] (5) were synthesized and used for the hydrogenation of aromatic ketones. The complexes showed high catalytic activities, especially that the catalytic activity of complex 5 containing the diphosphine with large bite angle and complex 1 containing triarylphosphine with electron-donating group were higher than the other three complexes. The enantioselectivities of products were almost not influenced by the electron factors of phosphine.     

Chiral C2-symmetric 2,3-disubstituted aziridine and 2,6-disubstituted piperidine as chiral ligands in the addition reaction of diethylzinc with arylaldehydes

Chiral C₂-symmetric 2,3-disubstituted aziridines and 2,6-disubstituted piperidines having a β-amino alcohol moiety have been successfully synthesized and their catalytic chiral induction properties have been examined in the asymmetric addition reactions of diethylzinc with arylaldehydes in hexane. When N-(2,2-diphenyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-(S,S)-2,3-bis(methoxymethyl)aziridine 11 was used as a catalytic chiral ligand, sec-alcohols having (S)-configuration formed in high yields of 86–92% but low enantiomeric excesses (ee's) of 11–13%. However, when N-(2,2-diphenyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-(R,R)-2,6-disubstituted piperidine derivatives 16 and 20 were used as the chiral ligands under the same reaction conditions, the ee's of the corresponding sec-alcohols were 20–30 and 5–6%, respectively, along with the inversion of absolute configuration. A plausible mechanism for this inversion is proposed.     

Tris-chelate complexes with chiral ligands: In search of diastereoisomeric selectivity with remote stereogenic centres

The chiral ligands, 4,4′-bis{(1S,2R,4S)-(−)-bornyloxy}-2,2′-bipyridine, (1S,2R,4S)-1, and 4,4′-bis{(1R,2S,4R)-(+)-bornyloxy}-2,2′-bipyridine, (1R,2S,4R)-1, have been prepared and characterized by spectroscopic techniques and, for (1S,2R,4S)-1, by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Despite the use of enantiomerically pure ligands, the formation of the complexes [Fe((1S,2R,4S)-1)₃]²⁺, [Ru((1S,2R,4S)-1)₃]²⁺, [Ru((1S,2R,4S)-1)(bpy)₂]²⁺ and [Ru((1R,2S,4R)-1)(bpy)₂]²⁺ proceeds without preference for either the Δ or Λ-diastereoisomers.     

Mesophase characterization of some long chain vicinal multihydroxy amphiphiles [1,2]

The mesophase characterization of three stereoisomeric multihydroxy compounds, the 1, 2(S), 3(R), 4(R)-, 1, 2(R), 3(S), 4(R)-, and 1, 2(S), 3(S), 4(R)-ico-sanetetrols, as well as of an octadecafuranose derivative has been carried out by means of polarizing microscopy, X-ray diffraction etc. The four multiols with their very long flexible alkyl chains are mono-thermomesomorphic; their single mesophases are miscible with each other, with a typical carbohydrate derivative, and are characterized by X-ray diffraction having a layer structure without order in it. The phase transition data of the three icosanetetrols are strongly dependent on their stereochemistry. The measurements of the refractive indices of one of the tetrols show a typical behaviour known for S_A phases or for lamellar phases, i.e. the sign of the birefringence is positive.     

Enantioselektive Katalyse VII. Komplexe von (P(R,S),3R,4R,P′(R,S))-3,4-Bis(phenylphosphino)pyrrolidinen. Die Darstellung optisch reiner 1,2-Bisphosphanliganden mit vier Stereozentren, die zusätzliche funktionnelle Gruppen enthalten

Diastereomeric mixtures of the palladium, the platinum, and the rhodium complexes were prepared from [P(R,S),3R,4R,P′(R,S)]-3,4-bis(phenylphosphino)pyrrolidine (1a). The phosphorus atoms in bis[(P(R,S),3R,4R,P′(R,S))-1-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-3,4-bis(phenylphosphino)pyrrolidine-P,P′]dihalogenopalladium (2) can be alkylated stereoselectively with iodomethane. The P---H bonds in 2 open epoxides, and add to Michael systems, to give new ligands, which can be split off from the palladium with cyanide. The three isomerically pure [(PR,3R,4R,P′R)(PS,3R,4R,P′S)(PR,3R,4R,P′S)]-1-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-3,4- bis[(2-cyanoethyl)phenylphosphino]pyrrolidines were prepared via the neutral diiodopalladium complexes. [(PS,3R,4R,P′S)1-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-3,4-bis[(2-cyanoethyl)phenylphosphino]pyrrolidine-P,P′]diiodopalladium(II) (14-1) was characterised by X-ray crystallography.     

Synthesis of four enantiomerically pure 4-(4-carbamoyl-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-2,3-dihydroxy-1-methoxybutylphosphonic acids

CuCl-catalysed cycloaddition of methyl propiolate to O,O-diisopropyl (1S,2R,3S)- and (1R,2R,3S)-, or O,O-dibenzyl (1S,2R,3S)-, (1R,2R,3S)-, (1S,2R,3R)- and (1R,2R,3R)-4-azido-1,2,3-trihydroxy-2,3-O-isopropylidenebutylphosphonates followed by methylation of HO–C-1, ammonolysis of methoxycarbonyl groups and hydrolysis of isopropylidene acetals led to diisopropyl (1S,2R,3S)- and (1R,2R,3S)-4-(4-carbamoyl-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-2,3-dihydroxy-1-methoxybutylphosphonates or, after hydrogenolytic removal of benzyl groups, to (1S,2R,3S)-, (1R,2R,3S)-, (1S,2R,3R)- and (1R,2R,3R)-4-(4-carbamoyl-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-2,3-dihydroxy-1-methoxybutylphosphonic acids.