Catalytic properties of zeolites MCM-22 and NU-87 in disproportionation of toluene

The catalytic properties of MCM-22 and NU-87 were investigated for the disproportionation of toluene to produce benzene and xylene, and the results were compared with those obtained over mordenite, beta and ZSM-5. It turns out that dealumination of MCM-22 removes selectively the acid sites from the external surface and thus suppresses the secondary isomerization of p-xylene, enhancing the para-selectivity. This indicates that the dealuminated MCM-22 is a promising catalyst for the selective formation of p-xylene from toluene disproportionation. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Increase in Selectivity of Toluene Disproportionation and in <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Xylene Yield by Optimization of Zeolite Microporous Structure

The possibility of increasing the yield of target products and para-selectivity of toluene disproportionation on modified zeolites by optimization of their microporous structure was studied.     

Mechanistic Investigation of Molybdate‐Catalysed Transfer Hydrodeoxygenation

The molybdate‐catalysed transfer hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of benzyl alcohol to toluene driven by oxidation of the solvent isopropyl alcohol to acetone has been investigated by using a combination of experimental and computational methods. A Hammett study that compared the relative rates for the transfer HDO of five para‐substituted benzylic alcohols was carried out. Density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest a transition state with significant loss of aromaticity contributes to the lack of linearity observed in the Hammett study. The transfer HDO could also be carried out in neat PhCH₂OH at 175 °C. Under these conditions, PhCH₂OH underwent disproportionation to yield benzaldehyde, toluene, and significant amounts of bibenzyl. Isotopic‐labelling experiments (using PhCH₂OD and PhCD₂OH) showed that incorporation of deuterium into the resultant toluene originated from the α position of benzyl alcohol, which is in line with the mechanism suggested by the DFT study.     

Oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutane to isobutylene over supported transition metal oxide catalysts

Para-selectivity of ZSM-5 zeolites with similar bulk Si/Al ratio, but different particle size and surface Al concentration has been investigated in toluene disproportionation. Results showed that enhancedpara-selectivity is a consequence not only of the particle size but also of the external surface aluminium concentration in the particles.     

Catalytic Conversion of 1,2,3-Trimethylbenzene Over HY Zeolite

The reaction of 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene (1,2,3-TMB) over HY zeolite was investigated in a fixed-bed flow reactor at 200-300 °C under atmospheric pressure. The reaction products include toluene, pentamethylbenzene and isomers of xylene, 1,2,3-TMB and tetramethylbenzene. Based on the time-on-stream theory, the types and initial selectivities of these products were determined from plots of product selectivity. 1,2,4-TMB is initially produced from 1,2,3-TMB via isomerization whereas o-xylene, m-xylene, 1,2,3,4- and 1,2,3,5-tetramethylbenzene were primarily formed by disproportionation of 1,2,3-TMB. Isomerization and disproportionation obeyed first- and second-order kinetics, respectively; both reactions proceeded via a carbonium ion mechanism with the former occurring by methyl transfer on the benzene ring whereas the latter proceeded through the diphenylmethane transition state. The activation energies are 31.6 and 37.2 kJ mol^?1 for isomerizaion and disproportionation, respectively.     

Charge‐Transfer Complex Formation in Gelation: The Role of Solvent Molecules with Different Electron‐Donating Capacities

A naphthalenediimide (NDI)‐based synthetic peptide molecule forms gels in a particular solvent mixture (chloroform/aromatic hydrocarbon, 4:1) through charge‐transfer (CT) complex formation; this is evident from the corresponding absorbance and fluorescence spectra at room temperature. Various aromatic hydrocarbon based solvents, including benzene, toluene, xylene (ortho, meta and para) and mesitylene, have been used for the formation of the CT complex. The role of different solvent molecules with varying electron‐donation capacities in the formation of CT complexes has been established through spectroscopic and computational studies.     

Theoretical study of molecular and electronic structure of 2‐Se‐(2‐methyl‐2‐propenyl)‐1‐benzoic acid

A theoretical study of 2‐Se‐(2‐methyl‐2‐propenyl)‐1‐benzoic acid was carried out to investigate the molecular and electronic structure of this molecule, using the B3LYP density functional theory (DFT) method with the 6‐311+G** basis set. The optimized geometry of the molecule was obtained for the ortho, meta, and para isomers of the complex. In addition, the theoretical vibrational spectrum is presented, and thermal corrections in the limit of 100–1,000 K are discussed using the Shomate thermodynamic equations. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Optical spectra and kinetic characteristics of radicals formed upon the photolysis of aqueous solutions of a FeOH<Subscript>aq</Subscript><Superscript>2+</Superscript> complex and phenol

The nature, optical spectra, and kinetic characteristics were determined for intermediate radicals formed upon the photolysis of aqueous solutions of a FeOH_aq ²⁺ complex with phenol additives. The primary radical ^·OH reacts with phenol to form ortho- and para-isomers of the Ph(OH)₂ ^· radical. The Ph(OH)₂ ^· radical eliminates a water molecule to form a phenoxyl radical PhO^·. The latter disappears in the reactions with Fe^III complexes, recombination, and disproportionation. The final products of photochemical transformations were determined. Among them, o-quinone and diphenoquinones were identified.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2605–2612, December, 2004.     

Single‐Molecule Spectroscopy on a Ladder‐Type Conjugated Polymer: Electron–Phonon Coupling and Spectral Diffusion

We employ low‐temperature single‐molecule spectroscopy combined with pattern recognition techniques for data analysis on a methyl‐substituted ladder‐type poly(para‐phenylene) (MeLPPP) to investigate the electron–phonon coupling to low‐energy vibrational modes as well as the origin of the strong spectral diffusion processes observed for this conjugated polymer. The results indicate weak electron–phonon coupling to low‐frequency vibrations of the surrounding matrix of the chromophores, and that low‐energy intrachain vibrations of the conjugated backbone do not couple to the electronic transitions of MeLPPP at low temperatures. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the main line‐broadening mechanism of the zero‐phonon lines of MeLPPP is fast, unresolved spectral diffusion, which arises from conformational fluctuations of the side groups attached to the MeLPPP backbone as well as of the surrounding host material.     

A ruthenium(II) complex with p‐cymene and (S)‐2‐(anilinomethyl)pyrrolidine

The title compound, [(S)‐2‐(anilino­methyl)­pyrrolidine‐N,N′]‐chloro(η⁶‐para‐cymene)­ruthenium(II) chloride, [RuCl‐(C₁₀H₁₄)(C₁₁H₁₆N₂)]Cl, has been synthesized by the reaction of [RuCl₂(p‐cymene)]₂ (p‐cymene is para‐iso­propyl­toluene) with (S)‐2‐(anilinomethyl)­pyrrolidine in triethyl­amine/2‐propanol. The Ru atom is in a pseudo‐tetrahedral environment coordinated by a chloride ligand, the aromatic hydro­carbon is linked in a η⁶ manner and the amine is linked via its two N atoms. The chloride anion is involved in hydrogen bonding with the di­amine moieties through N—H?Cl interactions, with N?Cl distances of 3.273 (4) and 3.352 (4) Å.     

Mode of termination in the copolymerization of vinyl acetate–isobutyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate–methyl acrylate at 60°C

The mode of termination in the vinyl acetate–isobutyl methacrylate (VA–IBMA) and methyl methacrylate–methyl acrylate (MMA–MA) copolymerization systems has been investigated at 60°C. by using the dye-interaction technique for functional endgroup estimation. The results show that pairs of poly(vinyl acetate) radicals interact almost exclusively through a disproportionation mechanism. In the homopolymerization of methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate, about 1.16 and 1.22 carboxyl-containing endgroups per polymer molecule have been estimated, which shows the predominance of disproportionation over combination in these termination reactions. In poly(isobutyl methacrylate) about 1.55 tagged initiator fragments per chain indicate that 29% of the total radicals terminate through the disproportionation mechanism. Cross termination in the (VA–IBMA) copolymerization system occurs almost entirely through combination for monomer feeds richer in isobutyl methacrylate content while for the MMA–MA system, combination is more important at intermediate monomer feed ratios. These results have been discussed in the light of different explanations for the reaction mechanism.     

Supramolecular Architecture and a New Mode of Pyrazolate Coordination (η3) in the First Homoleptic Lanthanide Pyrazolate Complexes

A linear supramoleculecular array of anions and cations is present in the solvent-free potassium salt of the homoleptic erbium pyrazolate complex [K{Er(η²-tBu₂pz)₄}_n] ( 1 ). Treatment of 1 with [18]crown-6 in toluene/dimethoxyethane leads to formation of a charge-separated salt [Eq. (a)] in which the methyl group of a toluene molecule interacts with the potassium ion. tBu₂pz=3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolate.     

Unique para‐effect in electron ionization mass spectra of bis(perfluoroacyl) derivatives of bifunctional aminobenzenes

A new kind of ‘para‐effect’ under electron ionization (EI) conditions has been discovered for a series of bis(perfluoroacyl) derivatives of o‐, m‐ and p‐phenylenediamines, ‐hydroxybenzeneamines and ‐mercaptobenzeneamines of a common structure RCOX–C₆H₄–NHCOR (X = NH, S, O; R = CF₃, C₂F₅, C₃F₇). Only the para‐isomers showed successive loss of a radical RCO^? and a molecule RCN, leading to very intense peaks in the EI spectra. The composition and the origin of the [M–COR–NCR]⁺ ions were confirmed by exact mass measurements and linked scan experiments. The proposed mechanism of their formation takes into account likely para‐quinoid structures of the precursor ions. A similar rearrangement has not been observed for para‐isomers in the series of bis(perfluoroacyl) derivatives of benzenediols, mercaptophenols and dimercaptobenzenes. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reversal of order of chemical shifts. Differential solvent effects in the hydrogen shifts of toluene,m-xylene and o-xylene as determined by 320 MHz tritium NMR spectroscopy

Chemical shifts for the aromatic tritons of toluene decrease in the order meta>para>ortho for pure toluene, but in the order meta>ortho>para for dilute solutions of toluene in carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, cyclohexane and dimethyl sulphoxide; m-xylene shifts are 5>4,6>2 in the pure state and 5>2>4,6 in carbon tetrachloride and dimethyl sulphoxide; o-xylene shifts are 4,5>3,6 in the pure state and reversed in carbon tetrachloride.     

Chemical shifts for tritons in the ortho,meta and para positions of toluene as determined by tritium NMR spectroscopy

Chemical shifts for tritons in ortho, meta and para positions in toluene have been determined using a 64 MHz tritium NMR spectrometer. The order of shift is meta>para>ortho, whereas the calculated shift order for protons is meta>ortho>para.     

Substituent chemical shift correlations. Hammett σp+ values and shifts for exocyclic protons in para-substituted benzene derivatives

The methyl ¹H NMR shifts for series of para-substituted N,N-dimethylanilines as their conjugate acids in trifluoroacetic acid, and series of para-substituted N,N,N-trimethylphenyl-ammonium iodides in acetonitrile and in deuterium oxide, and the methylene shifts for series of para-substituted N,N-diethylanilines as their conjugate acids in deuteriosulfuric acid, are shown to be linearly related to the Hammett σ_p+ parameter. It is proposed that this dependence reflects a response of the chemical shift of the proton of the probe moiety to the electron density at the point of attachment of the probe to the aromatic ring and that this response is determined by the electric field effect of the charge at the point of attachment. Literature data are cited to indicate that Hammett σ_p+–¹H NMR shift relationships may be general for probe moieties lacking a through-resonance mechanism for interaction between the probe and the aromatic ring.     

Site‐Selective Linear Alkylation of Anilides by Cooperative Nickel/Aluminum Catalysis

We report meta‐ and para‐selective linear alkylation reactions of anilides with alkenes by nickel/N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and aluminum catalysis. With a less bulky NHC, the alkylation reaction of N‐methyl‐N‐phenylcyclohexanecarboxamides proceeded mainly at the meta position. In contrast, a bulky NHC ligand led to the para‐selective alkylation of N‐sec‐alkyl anilides.     

Arene C−H Activation at Aluminium(I): meta Selectivity Driven by the Electronics of SNAr Chemistry

The reactivity of the electron-rich anionic Al^I aluminyl compound K₂[(NON)Al]₂ (NON=4,5-bis(2,6-diisopropylanilido)-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethylxanthene) towards mono- and disubstituted arenes is reported. C−H activation chemistry with n-butylbenzene gives exclusively the product of activation at the arene meta position. Mechanistically, this transformation proceeds in a single step via a concerted Meisenheimer-type transition state. Selectivity is therefore based on similar electronic factors to classical S_NAr chemistry, which implies the destabilisation of transition states featuring electron-donating groups in either ortho or para positions. In the cases of toluene and the three isomers of xylene, benzylic C−H activation is also possible, with the product(s) formed reflecting the feasibility (or otherwise) of competing arene C−H activation at a site which is neither ortho nor para to a methyl substituent.     

Komplementär diastereoselektive Cobalt-Methylierungen des Vitamin-B12-Derivates «Cobester»

Complementary Diastereoselective Cobalt Methylations of the Vitamin-B₁₂ Derivative Cobester Treatment of heptamethyl cob(I)yrinate ( 2 ) in toluene/tetrahydrofurane (ca. 4:1) with methyl p-toluenesulfonate under exclusion of O₂ and with protection from light leads to the selective formation of the heptamethyl Coβ-methylcob(III)yrinate (perchlorate 1b ) in 75% yield. In contrast, methylation of 2 with methyl iodide under the same conditons results in the isomeric heptamethyl Coα-methyulcob(III)yrinate (perchlorate 1a ) in 73% yield, besides 7% of 1b . This complementary diastereoface-selectivity of the methylation at the Co-center results from alkylation under kinetic control and apparently involves two mechanistically distinct alkylation processes. A radical mechanism is considered to account for the stereochemically unusual outcome of the reaction with methyl iodide.