A mild hydrolysis of esters mediated by lithium salts

When treated with amine bases such as triethylamine and various lithium salts in wet solvents, esters are efficiently hydrolyzed to the corresponding acids in good yields. Esters incorporating an α- or β-heteroatom with respect to the ester carbonyl group are hydrolyzed rapidly even at room temperature. To further demonstrate the usefulness of this method, one example is provided where hydrolysis of acetylated camphorsultam is mediated by LiBr.     

Characterization of the hydrolysis and polymerization processes of methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane

The sol-gel synthesis of hybrid methacrylate-silica materials using methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) as precursor, has been analyzed using ¹H and ²⁹Si liquid NMR as well as ²⁹Si and ¹³C MAS-NMR. Under the present experimental conditions (H₂O/MPS=3; pH=2), hydrolysis of methoxy groups is fast. However, 5% of unreacted alkoxy groups are still present in the sol after 14 days aging. Condensation reactions lead mainly to cyclic or short linear species. The number of cross-linking points never exceeds 20% of the Si units, which seems to prevent the formation of a gel. Polymerization of methacrylate groups occur easily under short times of U.V. irradiation. A quantitative analysis shows about 20% of residual unreacted groups in the polymerized materials. Addition of free methylmethacrylate in the hydrolyzed sols helps in getting a fully polymerized organic network.     

Thermal stability of tert-butyl peroxypivalate

The thermal stability of tert-butyl peroxypivalate (TBPP) has been investigated in relation to peroxide—diluent compositions in the range 100—10% by weight of peroxide. TBPP was selected because the simple decomposition pattern of the pure product facilitates an interpretation of the concentration dependence. Differential thermal analyses, isothermal and adiabatic storage tests have been used analysis of the decomposition. From the experimental results it is found that the total heat of decomposition is proportional to the peroxide concentration, the activation energy is independent of concentration, and the reaction order varies slightly with concentration. The type of diluent influences the reaction rate. The results are applicable in the 290—360 K temperature range. For the determination of decomposition characteristics, a modified first order equation which takes into account the fraction of diluent can bew used for TBPP—diluent compositions.     

Photothermal degradation of copolymers of methyl methacrylate and n-butyl acrylate

The photothermal degradation of copolymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl acrylate (n-BuA) covering the whole composition range has been studied at 165°.The gaseous products, which are relatively minor, are hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane. The liquid products are predominantly MMA, with n-BuA, n-butanol and n-butyraldehyde as minor products. Infra-red spectral changes in the residue were attributed to lactone formation and associated with butanol formation as in the purely thermal reaction The “cold ring” or chain fragment fraction becomes increasingly more abundant as the n-BuA content of the copolymer is increased.All the products and principal features of the reaction are explained in terms of a radical process which is initiated by scission of pendant acrylate units and is propagated by a combination of depropagation and intra- and intermolecular transfer processes, the relative importance of which depends upon copolymer composition. Differences from the thermal reaction and the corresponding reaction in copolymers of methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate are discussed.     

Chemoselective hydrolysis of tert-butyl esters in acetonitrile using molecular iodine as a mild and efficient catalyst

A simple, mild and efficient method for the hydrolysis of tert-butyl esters using molecular iodine as a catalyst is described. Acid labile protecting groups, such as N-Boc, OBn, OAc and double bonds, are compatible under the reaction conditions.     

Thermal decomposition and glass transition of industrial hydrolysis lignin

Thermal properties of industrial hydrolysis lignin (HL) obtained from bio-ethanol production plants were investigated by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermal decomposition of HL was observed in two stages suggesting coexisting carbohydrates. Glass transition temperature (T _g) was observed in a temperature range from 248 to 363 K. T _g values were lower than that of other industrial lignins, such as kraft lignin or lignosulfate. Enthalpy relaxation was observed as sub-T _g, which is not as prominent as other industrial or laboratory scale isolated lignins. T _g of HL decreased in the presence of water and saturated at water content (W _c) of 0.18 (mass of water/mass of dry HL). The amount of bound water calculated from melting enthalpy of water and W _c was ca. 0.18. Thermal decomposition and molecular motion of as obtained industrial HL are affected by coexisting carbohydrates.     

17O NMR investigation of phosphite hydrolysis mechanisms

The use of solution 17O NMR spectroscopy in verifying the mechanism of trialkyl phosphite hydrolysis is presented. Trimethyl phosphite was reacted with 17O-labeled H2O at different temperatures and two reactant concentrations, with the reaction being monitored by 17O NMR. Kinetic details elucidated from the NMR spectra are also discussed.     

Synthesis and characterization of well-defined poly(tert-butyl acrylate) star polymers

Star polymers with different numbers and lengths of poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PTBA) arms were obtained via atom transfer radical polymerization. Aliphatic alcohols with different number of hydroxyl groups varying from 3 to 6 and calix[4]arenes based on pyrogallol with 12 and 16 phenol groups were transformed to bromoester derivatives to prepare multifunctional ATRP initiators used as the cores of the stars. The star polymers were characterized by GPC with refractive index, multiangle laser light scattering and viscosimetric detectors. The molar masses of the stars reached 70,000 g/mol and the molar mass dispersities did not exceed 1.2. To elucidate the compact structure of the stars, their true molar masses were determined by GPC with triple detection (RI-MALLS-Visco) and compared with the apparent molar masses obtained from the calibration with linear poly(tert-butyl acrylate) standards. The intrinsic viscosities of the PTBA stars of the same molar mass decreased with the number of star arms but were always lower than the intrinsic viscosities of the analogue linear PTBA polymers. The values of the branching ratio g′ decreased with increasing number of arms indicating more compact structure of stars. The branching ratio g′ was correlated to the empirical predictions.     

Convenient synthesis of t-butyl Z-3-substituted glycidates under conditions of phase-transfer catalysis

Reactions of mixtures of t-butyl E- and Z-3-substituted glycidates 1a-h with 50% aq. sodium hydroxide and a catalyst, benzyltriethylammonium chloride, TEBAC in dichloromethane (phase-transfer catalysis, PTC) led to preferential hydrolysis of the E-isomers to afford pure (90-98%) t-butyl Z-3-substituted glycidates 1a-i in good yields; PTC cleavage of glycidates additionally substituted at C-2, 1g or C-3, 1h,i suggests that an aryl group in the Z isomers hampers attack of HO⁻ on the carbonyl carbon atom. As described in the literature, the diastereoselective PTC synthesis of Z-3-substituted glycidates and glycidonitriles consists of fast hydrolysis of E isomers present in mixtures with Z ones.     

Thermal analysis of hydrolysis and degradation of biodegradable polymer and bio-composites

The purpose of this study was to conduct a thermal analysis of the hydrolysis and degradation behavior of biodegradable polymers and bio-composites at 50°C and 90% relative humidity (RH). With increasing hydrolysis time, the thermal stability and degradation temperature of polybutylene succinate (PBS) slightly decreased. The glass transition temperature (T _g) and melting temperature (T _m) of PBS and the anti-hydrolysis agent treated PBS did not vary significantly with increasing hydrolysis time, whereas those of the trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA)-treated PBS slightly increased. With increasing hydrolysis time, the storage modulus (E’) values of the bio-composites decreased, whereas those of the TMPTA treated bio-composites slightly increased. Also, the tan values of the anti-hydrolysis agent and TMPTA treated PBS-BF bio-composites were slightly lower than those of the non-treated bio-composites, due to the reduction in their degree of hydrolysis. The tanδ_max peak temperature (T _g) of the anti-hydrolysis agent treated bio-composites was not significantly changed, whereas that of the TMPTA treated bio-composites was increased.     

Solution behavior of 4-arm poly(tert-butyl acrylate) star polymers

This paper reports the synthesis of 4-arm poly(tert-butyl acrylate) stars of different molar masses up to 10⁶ g/mol by the “core-first” method using ATRP. All obtained stars have a monomodal and narrow molar-mass distribution (<1.2).The dilute-solution properties of these star polymers were investigated in good solvents (tetrahydrofuran and acetone). Gel permeation chromatography and dynamic and static light scattering were used to measure the hydrodynamic properties including intrinsic viscosity [η], radius of gyration R_g, hydrodynamic radius R_h, second virial coefficient A₂ and diffusion coefficient D₀. These data were used to establish relationships between these parameters and the molar mass of 4-arm poly(tert-butyl acrylate) stars. The branching parameters g and g′ and the shape factor ρ were calculated for all obtained star polymers.     

Kinetics of glucose decomposition during dilute-acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass

Recent research work in-house both at Auburn University and National Renewable Energy Laboratory has demonstrated that extremely low concentrations of acid (e.g., 0.05–0.2 wt% sulfuric acid) and high temperatures (e.g., 200–230°C) are reaction conditions that can be effectively applied for hydrolysis of the cellulosic component of biomass. These conditions are far from those of the conventional dilute-acid hydrolysis processes, and the kinetic data for glucose decomposition are not currently available. We investigated the kinetics of glucose decomposition covering pH values of 1.5–2.2 and temperatures of 180–230°C using glass ampoule reactors. The primary factors controlling glucose decomposition are the reaction medium, acid concentration, and temperature. Based on the experimental data, a kinetic model was developed and the best-fit kinetic parameters were determined. However, a consistent discrepancy in the rate of glucose disappearance was found between that of the model based on pure glucose data and that observed during the actual process of lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis. This was taken as an indication that glucose recombines with acid-soluble lignin during the hydrolysis process, and this conclusion was incorporated accordingly into the overall model of glucose decomposition.     

Stable free radical polymerization of n-butyl acrylate in the presence of high-temperature initiators

Living radical polymerizations of acrylate are known to be difficult to achieve using TEMPO as a mediator. The stable free radical polymerization (SFRP) of acrylate tends to stop at low monomer conversion due to the accumulation of TEMPO in the medium as a result of unavoidable bimolecular termination. Rather than solving this problem by destroying the excess nitroxide using ascorbic acid or glyceraldehyde associated with pyridine as reported recently, high temperature initiators were used to slowly and continuously generate new radicals throughout the polymerization to consume the excess TEMPO molecules. Polymerizations of n-butyl acrylate initiated by the alkoxyamine unimer (1-benzoyloxy)-2-phenyl-2-(2′,2′,6′,6′-tetramethyl-1′-piperidinyloxy)ethane (BST) were performed between 130 °C and 134 °C in the presence of a series of high temperature peroxide and azo initiators. The best results in this study were obtained by the continuous addition of small amounts of di-tert-amyl peroxide throughout the polymerization. Under these conditions, the acrylate polymerizations fulfilled the criteria of a controlled polymerization process although the molecular weight distributions were slightly broad (M_w/M_n ∼ 1.5).     

The relationship between crystal structure and NMR relaxation in molecular solids with tert-butyl groups

We correlate an X-ray determination of the molecular and crystal structures of 2-tert-butylanthracene and 2-tert-butylanthraquinone reported here with the previously reported dynamical nuclear magnetic resonance determination of the motions of the tert-butyl groups and their resident methyl groups in the solid state [P.A. Beckmann, K.S. Burbank, M.M.W. Lau, J.N. Ree, T.L. Weber, Chem. Phys. 290 (2003) 241].     

New fluorescent probes for testing combinatorial catalysts with phosphodiesterase and esterase activities

Combinatorial development of new catalysts with phosphodiesterase and esterase activities requires specific fluorescent probes for rapid visual detection of hydrolytic activity. Such fluorescent probes have been synthesized with special attention to solubility in water and stability towards spontaneous hydrolysis at a given pH. The probes reported here include compound 5 based on a fluorescein fluorophore, compound 12 for FRET-detection of phosphodiester hydrolysis and compound 25 based on a quinolinium fluorophore.     

Real‐time mechanistic monitoring of an acetal hydrolysis using ultrafast 2D NMR

Ultrafast (UF) 2D NMR makes it possible to obtain a 2D NMR spectrum in less than a second. Here, UF‐HSQC experiments are used for the real‐time mechanistic study of an acetal hydrolysis at ¹³C natural abundance, and it is possible to characterize the presence of the hemiacetal, an intermediate with a well‐known short lifetime. The assignments are confirmed and rationalized by quantum calculations of ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts and natural bonding orbital analysis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Acidic hydrolysis of N-acyl-1-substituted 3-amino-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaboranes

Acidic hydrolysis of N-acyl 1-methyl- and 1-phenyl-3-amino-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaboranes has been studied. It has been shown that acidic hydrolysis of diastereomeric amides of 1-methyl-3-amino-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane results in the partial racemization of the target 3-amino-1-methylcarborane. Under the similar conditions, the hydrolysis of N-acyl-3-amino-1-phenyl-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaboranes resulted in amide bond cleavage accompanied by simultaneous deboronation with the removal of boron atom at position 6 of carborane cage and formation of 7,8-dicarba-nido-undecaborane derivative according to ¹¹B and ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

Tensile properties of blends of copolymers of n-butyl methacrylate with ethyl acrylate and chlorinated rubber

Solution blending of n-butyl methacrylate-ethyl acrylate copolymers with chlorinated rubber was investigated. The tensile properties of the blends were studied; it was concluded that the blends serve as good film forming materials.     

Synthesis of tertiary-butyl acrylate polymers and preparation of diblock copolymers using atom transfer radical polymerization

The synthesis of tert-butyl acrylate by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is reported. This polymer was prepared using FeCl₂ · 4H₂O(PPh₃)₂ catalyst system in conjunction with methyl 2-bromopropionate as initiator, in bulk and in solution using acetone as a solvent. The addition of solvent was necessary in order to decrease the polymerization rate and to afford low polydispersity polymers. The number-average molecular weights of the resulting polymers increased in direct proportion to the monomer conversion, and the polydispersities (M_w/M_n) were as low as 1.2. In addition, the preparation of an AB diblock copolymer of poly (n-butyl methacrylate)-block-poly (tert-butyl acrylate) by ATRP is reported. The resulting polymers and copolymers were characterized by means of size exclusion chromatography and ¹H-NMR Spectroscopy.