Alkane oxidation by the system ‘tert‐butyl hydroperoxide–[Mn2L2O3][PF6]2 (L = 1,4,7‐trimethyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane)–carboxylic acid’

The kinetics of cyclohexane (CyH) oxygenation with tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) in acetonitrile at 50 °C catalysed by a dinuclear manganese(IV) complex 1 containing 1,4,7‐trimethyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane and co‐catalysed by oxalic acid have been studied. It has been shown that an active form of the catalyst (mixed‐valent dimeric species ‘Mn^IIIMn^IV’) is generated only in the interaction between complex 1 and TBHP and oxalic acid in the presence of water. The formation of this active form is assumed to be due to the hydrolysis of the Mn? O? Mn bonds in starting compound 1 and reduction of one Mn^IV to Mn^III. A species which induces the CyH oxidation is radical tert‐BuO ^. generated by the decomposition of a monoperoxo derivative of the active form. The constants of the equilibrium formation and the decomposition of the intermediate adduct between TBHP and 1 have been measured: K = 7.4 mol^?1 dm³ and k = 8.4 × 10^?2 s^?1, respectively, at [H₂O] = 1.5 mol dm^?3 and [oxalic acid] = 10^?2 mol dm^?3. The constant ratio for reactions of the monomolecular decomposition of tert‐butoxy radical (tert‐BuO ^. → CH₃COCH₃ + CH) and its interaction with the CyH (tert‐BuO ^. + CyH → tert‐BuOH + Cy ^. ) was calculated: 0.26 mol dm^?3. One of the reasons why oxalic acid accelerates the oxidation is due to the formation of an adduct between oxalic acid and 1 (K ≈ 10³ mol^?1 dm³). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1H NMR study of the hetero‐association of unsaturated alcohols with pyridine

The ¹H NMR titration method is used to investigate the association of some unsaturated alcohols with pyridine in benzene. The association constant for allyl alcohol (2‐propen‐1‐ol) is slightly higher than for alkanols, but putting one methylene group between the OH and vinyl group completely eliminates this enhancement. In alkynols both the OH and ≡CH protons associate with pyridine. Here, the effects of chain‐lengthening on the association constant are irregular. Values for alkynols and some alcohols with hetero‐atom substituents are lower than expected on the basis of a Taft polar constant (σ*) correlation of alkanol association constants and of a correlation with the pK_a’s of the corresponding carboxylic acids. It is suggested that stabilization of the ground state by OH/π interactions is responsible for these low association constants. Small increases in the NMR shifts of the OH protons in the 3‐carbon and 4‐carbon alkenols and alkynols can also be attributed to OH/π interactions, but the 5‐carbon analogues have shifts as low as alkanols. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanistic insights into N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐catalyzed N‐acylation of N‐sulfonylcarboxamides with aldehydes

In the current work, density functional theory calculations were performed to elucidate the detailed reaction mechanism for N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐catalyzed oxidative N‐acylation reaction of amides with aldehydes affording imide products. According to the calculated results, the reaction is initiated by the nucleophilic attack of NHC to aldehydes forming zwitterionic intermediate, which can then form Breslow intermediate via proton transfer. The Breslow intermediate can then be oxidized affording the oxidative intermediate, which can then go through 1,2‐addition with the deprotonated N‐sulfonylcarboxamides. Subsequently, elimination of NHC catalyst produces the final imide product. Our results reveal that the proton in N‐sulfonylcarboxamides is probably abstracted by base t‐BuOK or DPQH, and the deprotonation process is barrier‐less. Moreover, for the second step, ie, the formation of Breslow intermediate, direct proton transfer is impossible to occur. On the contrary, the results reveal that t‐BuOH can mediate the proton transfer in this step and significantly lower the energy barrier to 24.1 kcal/mol, which is also the highest energy barrier for the whole reaction. The work provides not only valuable clues for elucidating the detailed reaction mechanism for the invaluable NHC‐catalyzed oxidative reactions but also mechanistic insights for the rational design of novel NHC‐catalyzed oxidative reactions in the future.     

Mechanistic insights into the hydrolysis of organophosphorus compounds by paraoxonase‐1: exploring the limits of substrate tolerance in a promiscuous enzyme

We designed, synthesized, and screened a library of analogs of the organophosphate pesticide metabolite paraoxon against a recombinant variant of human serum paraoxonase‐1. Alterations of both the aryloxy leaving group and the retained alkyl chains of paraoxon analogs resulted in substantial changes to binding and hydrolysis, as measured directly by spectrophotometric methods or in competition experiments with paraoxon. Increases or decreases in the steric bulk of the retained groups generally reduced the rate of hydrolysis, while modifications of the leaving group modulated both binding and turnover. Studies on the hydrolysis of phosphoryl azide analogs as well as amino‐modified paraoxon analogs, the former being developed as photoaffinity labels, found enhanced tolerance of structural modifications when compared with O‐alkyl‐substituted molecules. Results from computational modeling predict a predominant active site binding mode for these molecules, which is consistent with several proposed catalytic mechanisms in the literature and from which a molecular‐level explanation of the experimental trends is attempted. Overall, the results of this study suggest that while paraoxonase‐1 is a promiscuous enzyme, there are substantial constraints in the active site pocket, which may relate to both the leaving group and the retained portion of paraoxon analogs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1H NMR study of through‐bond and through‐space effects in the hetero‐association of pyridine with alkane diols

The ¹H NMR titration method is used to investigate through‐space and through‐bond effects on the association of diols with pyridine in benzene. Alkan‐1,n‐diols (n goes from 2 to 10), DL and meso isomers of butan‐2,3‐, pentan‐2,4‐ and hexan‐2,5‐diols, two adamantane diols and a bicyclo[2.2.2]octane diol are compared with alkanols. The –CH₂OH groups of the tri‐ and bicyclic compounds behave as if they were independent, with limiting OH proton shifts (at very low concentration) and both the first and the second association constants similar to those of a primary alcohol. In contrast, the alkane diols, with n = 2–4, display unusually high limiting shifts, ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 ppm (2.1 ppm for one methyl‐substituted diol). For these diols the first dissociation constant and the sum of the OH proton shifts in the 1:1 pyridine: diol complex are enhanced. This may be attributed to small cooperative effects, implying intramolecular hydrogen bonding, for n = 3 and 4, but for n = 2 a through‐bond effect accounts for most of the increase. Substituent interaction falls off sharply for n = 5 and is practically negligible for n = 10, for which the second association constant is close to the first. A sterically hindered BiEDOT diol, 2,2′‐bis{(3,4‐ethylenedioxythienyl)‐5‐[3‐(2,2,4,4‐tetramethylpentan‐3‐ol)]} behaves like the polycyclic compounds, with the two ? C(t‐Bu)₂OH groups independent. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1H NMR study of the hetero‐association of non‐symmetrical diols with pyridine; GIAO/DFT calculations on diols

The ¹H NMR titration method is used to investigate the association of non‐symmetrical 1,2‐ and 1,3‐diols with pyridine in benzene. These diols give well‐defined titration curves for the two non‐equivalent OH protons, but it is not possible to determine individual association constants. Only the sum of the first association constants for the two protons and the product of the first and second association constants are accessible. The sum is significantly higher than that of the association constants of the corresponding primary and secondary alcohols, but close to an estimate based on symmetrical diols. The product leads to second association constants similar to those found for symmetrical diols. The sum of the chemical shifts of the associated and non‐associated OH protons in either 1:1 pyridine complex is higher than that of the shifts in the free diol and the 2:1 complex. These features are consistent with small cooperative effects, amounting to an average increase in the reaction free energy of 1.3 kJ mol^?1 compared to monohydric alcohols. Infrared (IR) spectra of non‐symmetrical diols and quantum mechanical (QM) calculation of the energies and ¹H NMR shifts of the OH protons in several conformers of propan‐1,2‐ and butan‐1,3‐diols indicate that both the primary and the secondary OH groups act as “donor” or “acceptor” in the free molecule. Gauche interactions in propan‐1,2‐diol enhance chemical shifts considerably less than does the intramolecular hydrogen bond in butan‐1,3‐diol. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High‐performance a‐Si1–xOx:H/c‐Si heterojunction solar cells realized by the a‐Si:H/a‐Si1–xOx:H stack buffer layer

We used amorphous silicon oxide (a‐Si_1–xO_x:H) and microcrystalline silicon oxide (µc‐Si_1–xO_x:H) as buffer layer and p‐type emitter layer, respectively, in n‐type silicon hetero‐junction (SHJ) solar cells. We proposed to insert a thin (2 nm) intrinsic amorphous silicon (a‐Si:H) thin film between the thin (2.5 nm) a‐Si_1–xO_x:H buffer layer and the p‐layer to form a stack buffer layer of a‐Si:H/a‐Si_1–xO_x:H. As a result, a high open‐circuit voltage (V_OC) and a high fill factor (FF) were obtained at the same time. Finally, a high efficiency of 19.0% (J_SC = 33.46 mA/cm², V_OC = 738 mV, FF = 77.0%) was achieved on a 100 μm thick polished wafer using the stack buffer layer.

     

Inter‐ and intramolecular hydrogen bonds in polyamines: variable‐concentration 1H‐NMR studies

Inter‐ and intramolecular hydrogen bonding play an important role in determining the arrangement, physical properties, and reactivity of a great diversity of structures in chemical and biological systems. Several aromatic nucleophilic substitutions (ANS) in nonpolar aprotic, (non‐HBD), solvents recently studied in our laboratory have demonstrated the importance of self‐association of amines by hydrogen‐bond interactions. In this paper, we describe ¹H‐NMR studies carried out at room temperature on bi‐ and polyfunctionalized amines, namely: N‐(3‐amino‐1‐propyl)morpholine (3‐APMo), histamine, 2‐guanidinobenzimidazole (2‐GB), 1,2‐diaminoethane (EDA), 3‐dimethylamino‐l‐propylamine (DMPA), and 1‐(2‐aminoethyl)piperidine (2‐AEPip). By ¹H‐NMR measurements of amine solutions at variable concentrations we have shown that 3‐APMo, histamine and 2‐GB are able to form a six‐membered ring by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, while EDA, DMPA, and 2‐AEPip form dimers by intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Likewise, variable concentration ¹H‐NMR studies allowed estimation of the corresponding equilibrium constants for the dimerization. These results are correlated with experimental kinetic results of ANS, confirming hereto the relevance of the “dimer mechanism” in reactions involving these amines. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

关于斑蝥素~1H NMR和UV测定结果的商榷

斑蝥素是一种从药用昆虫中提取的天然药物, 由于可用于治疗各种癌症而得到逐步深入的研究. 作者用核磁共振波谱法测定从贵州短翅豆芫菁体内分泌的斑蝥素时, 发现与参考文献[1]的解释不同; 在用紫外吸收光谱分析法测定斑蝥素的最大吸收波长时,发现斑蝥素的最大吸收波长应该是212nm, 此也与参考文献[2]的结果不一样.该文对实验结果进行了讨论,希望能得到斑蝥素的准确分析方法.     

原油降粘剂组分的红外光谱及核磁共振氢谱的分析研究

为了明确原油降粘剂的主要组分,采取蒸馏、溶解一沉淀法及柱色谱法对原油降粘剂进行分离与纯化,用红外光谱法对其主要组分官能团的结构进行了鉴定,推断其主要组分是丙烯酸乙酯/甲基丙烯酸甲酯/丙烯酸三元共聚物,用核磁共振氢谱及质谱进行了结构确认及定量分析,共聚物中3种单体:丙烯酸乙酯、甲基丙烯酸甲酯、丙烯酸的摩尔数比为37.1:25.8:37.1;重量百分比为41.1:28.8:29.8.用红外光谱对甲醇溶液部分进行了结构分析,结果表明,非离子表面活性剂为聚氧乙烯醚,分子量范围是800～1 600,阴离子表面活性剂为烷基苯磺酸钠,其余为助剂和水.     

Combined 1H NMR and DFT study of the solvent effects on the iron pentacarbonyl‐catalyzed photo‐assisted isomerization of allyl alcohol

The relative rates of iron pentacarbonyl‐catalyzed photo‐induced isomerization of allyl alcohol to propanal in various solvents have been measured using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The reactions were run in linear and cyclic alkanes, alcohols, and amines in order to investigate solvent effects on the isomerization mechanism upon ultraviolet irradiation. The isomerization was efficient in nonane, hexane, cyclohexane, and benzene. The isomerization was very slow or completely suppressed in ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, triethylamine, and pyridine. Density functional theory calculations predicted thermodynamically favorable (ΔG^o < 0) formation of Fe(CO)₄–solvent compounds in the suppressing alcohol/amine solvents and unfavorable (ΔG^o > 0) formation in the hydrocarbon solvents. The strong solvent ligation likely prevents formation of Fe(CO)₃●(η²‐alkene) necessary for isomerization. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A DFT‐based exploration augmented by X‐ray and NMR of the stereoselectivity in the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of 1‐pyrroline‐1‐oxide to methyl cinnamate and benzylidene acetophenone

A B3LYP/6–31G* study was carried out for the reactions of 1‐pyrroline‐1‐oxide (N1) with methyl cinnamate (E1) and benzylidene acetophenone (E2) for getting a quantitative rationalization of the experimental findings. The product ratios were determined by NMR studies of the crude reaction mixtures. The conformation and stereochemistry of the isolated cycloadducts were finally confirmed by 2D NMR and X‐ray diffraction. The endo/exo‐selectivities were predicted through the computation of activation parameters on the basis of assumed concerted mechanism. The regioselectivity and reactivity were amply predicted by local and global electrophilicity indices and were found to be in good agreement with the experimental findings which were supportive of polar character and of the direction of charge transfer (CT) accompanying the cycloaddition. It was found that the cycloaddition involving methyl cinnamate was endo‐selective, while that with benzylidene acetophenone produced the exo‐isomer as the major adduct. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ring inversion process for a series of 3,5‐dialkyl‐1‐oxa‐3,5‐diazacyclohexanes: 1H DNMR study and semiempirical calculations

The ring inversion process for a series of 3,5‐dialkyl‐1‐oxa‐3,5‐diazacyclohexanes was studied using proton dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H DNMR) spectroscopy in conjunction with semiempirical calculations. At low temperature, the ring methylene protons decoalesced into two AB spin systems in a 2:1 ratio. Lineshape simulations of the DNMR spectra provided first‐order rate constants for magnetic exchange. The energy barrier for each inversion reaction was calculated from the respective rate constants. In general, as the size of the N‐alkyl group increased, the barrier to ring inversion decreased. A similar trend was seen in semiempirical calculations that modeled the ring inversion process. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TX-100和CTAB交换动力学的核磁共振研究

运用核磁共振(NMR)方法分别测定了表面活性剂辛基苯聚氧乙烯醚(TX-100)和十六烷基三甲溴化铵(CTAB)在不同温度下的临界胶束浓度.阐述了应用1D NMR线型分析方法对表面活性剂快交换体系平均停留时间的定量测量.实验测量了TX-100和CTAB胶束溶液中表面活性剂分子在不同温度下的平均停留时间.结果显示,平均停留时间随温度的增加逐渐减小,说明TX-100和CTAB分子进出胶束的速率随温度的增加逐渐加快.利用阿伦尼乌斯公式拟合,获得了TX-100和CTAB的表观交换活化能,TX-100的表观交换活化能为17.6 k J/mol,CTAB的表观交换活化能为75.3 k J/mol.对TX-100和CTAB平均停留时间和表观交换活化能进行分析,得出平均停留时间和表观交换活化能与分子结构的关系:表观交换活化能反映的是疏水相互作用和静电斥力的大小;而平均停留时间不仅受活化能的影响,还与分子结构有关.     

一维NOESY和HOHAHA技术用于苯环壬酯的立体结构研究

中枢抗胆碱药物苯环壬酯-2′-苯基-2′-环戊基-2′-羟基乙酸-N-甲基-3-氮杂双环（3,3,1）壬-9α-酯的化学结构比较复杂,部分谱峰重叠,本文采用2种NMR新方法,MMDY混合脉冲梯度选择一维HOHAHA和多重激发梯度选择一维NOESY相结合对其¹H NMR和立体化学进行了研究,重叠谱峰的归属得到确定. 根据NOE实验结果,证实该化合物为9α差向异构体,并且确定了在氘代氯仿中氮杂双环为椅式-椅式构象;哌啶环中氮甲基位于e键. 本结果有助于此类化合物的化学结构和溶液构象的测定.      

Flexible a‐Si:H/nc‐Si:H tandem thin film silicon solar cells on plastic substrates with i ‐layers made by hot‐wire CVD

In this letter we report the result of an a‐Si:H/nc‐Si:H tandem thin film silicon solar mini‐module fabricated on plastic foil containing intrinsic silicon layers made by hot‐wire CVD (efficiency 7.4%, monolithically series‐connected, aperture area 25 cm²). We used the Helianthos cell transfer process. The cells were first deposited on a temporary aluminum foil carrier, which allows the use of the optimal processing temperatures, and then transferred to a plastic foil. This letter reports the characteristics of the flexible solar cells obtained in this manner, and compares the results with those obtained on reference glass substrates. The research focus for implementation of the hot‐wire CVD technique for the roll‐to‐roll process is also discussed. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

NMR Studies of Drugs. 1H and 13C NMR Chemical Shift Assignments in Etidocaine and Etidocaine Hydrochloride Determined by Two-Dimensional NMR Spectroscopy

¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shift assignments were obtained for the local anesthetics etidocaine (1) and etidocaine hydrochloride (2) in CDCl₃ solution, as well as for 2 in D₂O solution. The COSY experiment was employed for proton-proton correlation, while onebond and long-range 2D heteronuclear techniques allowed the assignments of all ¹³C chemical shifts in each molecule. Etidocaine has a chiral carbon; etidocaine hydrochloride has, in addition to the natural chiral center, an acid-induced chirality at the protonated amine nitrogen, resulting in solvent-dependent diastereomers. Ten of the fourteen magnetically nonequivalent ¹³C nuclei of 2 exhibit doubled ¹³C resonance peaks (50.3 MHz, 20°C, CDCl₃ solution) due to the presence of the two diastereomers.     

1H NMR study of the hetero-association of flavin-mononucleotide with mutagenic dyes: ethidium bromide and proflavine

The hetero-association of the vitamin B₂ derivative, flavin-mononucleotide (FMN), with a mutagenic dye, ethidium bromide (EB) or proflavine (PF), has been studied by 1D and 2D 500?MHz ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The variations of proton chemical shifts of both the vitamin and dye as a function of concentration and temperature were analysed in terms of the structural and thermodynamical properties of the FMN–EB and FMN–PF complexes in solution. The structures of the complexes were also investigated by observed intermolecular ROE contacts and molecular mechanics calculations. The results show that the 1?:?1 hetero-association complexes in solution are more stable than the self-association complexes, which is consistent with formation of an intermolecular hydrogen-bond in the hetero-complexes of FMN–EB and FMN–PF. Hence it is possible that the toxicity of aromatic molecules such as EB and PF may be reduced in vitro by the presence of FMN, partly because of the known antimutagenic action of FMN and partly because it has been shown in this work that there is an effective intermolecular association between the mutagens and the vitamin.