Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of alkyl halides

Cross-coupling reactions have become indispensable tools for creating carbon-carbon (or heteroatom) bonds in organic synthesis. Like in other important transition metal catalyzed reactions, such as metathesis, addition, and polymerization, unsaturated compounds are usually employed as substrates for cross-coupling reactions. However during the past decade, a great deal of effort has been devoted to the use of alkyl halides as saturated compounds in cross-coupling reactions, which has resulted in significant progress in this undeveloped area by introducing new effective ligands. Many useful catalytic systems are now available for synthetic transformations based on C(sp(3))-C(sp(3)), C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) and C(sp(3))-C(sp) bond formation as complementary methods to conventional C(sp(2))-C(sp(2)), C(sp(2))-C(sp) and C(sp)-C(sp) coupling. This tutorial review summarizes recent advances in cross-coupling reactions of alkyl halides and pseudohalides catalyzed by a palladium complex.     

A novel approach to carbon hollow spheres and vessels from CCl4 at low temperatures

Carbon hollow spheres (400-600 nm) and vessels (400 nm x 3000 nm) have been synthesized from sp3-CCl4 at 190 and 230 degrees C, respectively. The HRTEM images and Raman spectra reveal the sp2 nature of the as-obtained products, indicating that the transformation from carbon sp3 to sp2 occurs in the reactions. The possible mechanism has also been proposed.     

Improved pseudobonds for combined ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods

The pseudobond approach offers a smooth connection at the quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical interface which passes through covalent bonds. It replaces the boundary atom of the environment part with a seven-valence-electron atom to form a pseudobond with the boundary atom of the active part [Y. Zhang, T. S. Lee, and W. Yang, J. Chem. Phys. 110, 46 (1999)]. In its original formulation, the seven-valence-electron boundary atom has the basis set of fluorine and a parametrized effective core potential. Up to now, only the Cps(sp3)-C(sp3) pseudobond has been successfully developed; thus in the case of proteins, it can only be used to cut the protein side chains. Here we employ a different formulation to construct this seven-valence-electron boundary atom, which has its own basis set as well as the effective core potential. We have not only further improved Cps(sp3)-C(sp3) pseudobond, but also developed Cps(sp3)-C(sp2,carbonyl) and Cps(sp3)-N(sp3) pseudobonds for the cutting of protein backbones and nucleic acid bases. The basis set and effective core potential for the seven-valence-electron boundary atom are independent of the molecular mechanical force field. Although the parametrization is performed with density functional calculations using hybrid B3LYP exchange-correlation functional, it is found that the same set of parameters is also applicable to Hartree-Fock and MP2 methods, as well as DFT calculations with other exchange-correlation functionals. Tests on a series of molecules yield very good structural, electronic, and energetic results in comparison with the corresponding full ab initio quantum mechanical calculations.     

Biodegradation of microbial polyesters P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-3HV) under the tropical climate environment

The biodegradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB), and its copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), P(3HB-co-3HV) produced by a locally isolated bacteria identified as Erwinia sp. USMI-20 were carried out by using soil burial test and immersion test method at various places under the tropical environment in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The isolation of P(3HA)-degrading microorganisms was done by the in vitro rapid plate test method and was further characterized by using biochemical reactions. Our results showed that P(3HB) biodegraded at a rate of 3.6% per week in activated sludge, 1.9% per week in soil, 1.5% per week in lake water and 0.8% per week in Indian Ocean sea water. The degradation rates for P(3HB-co-3HV) were 17.8% per week in activated sludge, 6.7% per week in soil, 3.2% per week in lake water and 2.7% per week in Indian Ocean sea water. The biodegradation of both polymers were highest after burial into activated sludge with a half-life (T_1/2) of 14 weeks and the time for 100% degradation (T_100%) of 28 weeks for P(3HB), and a T_1/2 of 3 weeks and T_100% at 6 weeks for P(3HB-co-3HV). In this study, 10 bacteria which were responsible for the biodegradation of P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-3HV) film were isolated and identified from the various places studied under the tropical environment. They were Bacillus sp. FAAC-2202, Enterobacter sp. FAAC-2207, Bacillus sp. FAAC-2209 and Proteus sp. FAAC-2203 obtained from activated sludge, Bacillus sp. FAAC-2201 and Alcaligenes sp. FAAC-2210 from soil, Alcaligenes sp. FAAC-2205, Micrococcus sp. FAAC-2206 and Pseudomonas sp. FAAC-2208 from lake water and Proteus sp. FAAC-2204 from Indian Ocean sea water.     

Platinum(IV) centres with agostic interactions from either sp² or sp³ C-H bonds

Agostic complexes of platinum(IV) have been isolated and characterised. A Pt(II) sp3 agostic complex maintains the agostic interaction upon oxidation giving a Pt(IV) sp3 agostic complex; in another Pt(IV) complex the agostic interaction from an sp2 C-H bond is sufficient to displace another ligand.     

Control of sp2/sp3 carbon ratio and surface chemistry of nanodiamond powders by selective oxidation in air

The presence of large amounts of nondiamond carbon in detonation-synthesized nanodiamond (ND) severely limits applications of this exciting nanomaterial. We report on a simple and environmentally friendly route involving oxidation in air to selectively remove sp(2)-bonded carbon from ND. Thermogravimetric analysis and in situ Raman spectroscopy shows that sp(2) and sp(3) carbon species oxidize with different rates at 375-450 degrees C and reveals a narrow temperature range of 400-430 degrees C in which the oxidation of sp(2)-bonded carbon occurs with no or minimal loss of diamond. X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy detects an increase of up to 2 orders of magnitude in the sp(3)/sp(2) ratio after oxidation. The content of up to 96% of sp(3)-bonded carbon in the oxidized samples is comparable to that found in microcrystalline diamond and is unprecedented for ND powders. Transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies show high purity 5-nm ND particles covered by oxygen-containing surface functional groups. The surface functionalization can be controlled by subsequent treatments (e.g., hydrogenization). In contrast to current purification techniques, the air oxidation process does not require the use of toxic or aggressive chemicals, catalysts, or inhibitors and opens avenues for numerous new applications of nanodiamond.     

Regio- and stereoselective cross-coupling of tert-propargyl alcohols with bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene and its utilization in constructing a fluorescent donor-acceptor system

1,1-Disubstituted 3-aryl-2-propyn-1-ols undergo regio- and stereoselective cross-coupling on treatment with bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene in the presence of a rhodium catalyst via cleavage of C(sp)-C(sp3) and C(sp)-Si bonds to produce the corresponding 2-hydroxymethyl-(E)-enynes. The subsequent desilylative Sonogashira coupling followed by base-promoted cyclization affords fluorescent dihydrofuran derivatives.     

Silver-catalyzed decarboxylative alkynylation of aliphatic carboxylic acids in aqueous solution

C(sp(3))-C(sp) bond formations are of immense interest in chemistry and material sciences. We report herein a convenient, radical-mediated and catalytic method for C(sp(3))-C(sp) cross-coupling. Thus, with AgNO(3) as the catalyst and K(2)S(2)O(8) as the oxidant, various aliphatic carboxylic acids underwent decarboxylative alkynylation with commercially available ethynylbenziodoxolones in aqueous solution under mild conditions. This site-specific alkynylation is not only general and efficient but also functional group compatible. In addition, it exhibits remarkable chemo- and stereoselectivity.     

轰击离子能量对CNx薄膜中sp3型C-N键含量的影响

对磁控溅射生长在单晶Si(001)衬底上的CNx薄膜样品的化学键合及结构进行了研究,利用不同的衬底负偏压(Vh)来控制轰击衬底表面的入射离子能量,从而影响膜中的化学键合的状态.样品的FTIR,Ra-man和XPS分析结果表明,CNx薄膜中N原子分别与sp,sp2和sp3杂化状态的C原子结合,其中sp3型C-N键含量先随着衬底偏压(Vb)的升高而增加,并在偏压Vb=-50V时达到最大值,但随着Vb继续升高,sp3型C-N键含量减少,这表明CNx薄膜中,sp3型C-N键的含量与轰击离子的能量变化密切相关.     

Sequential protocol for C(sp3)-H carboxylation with CO2: transition-metal-catalyzed benzylic C-H silylation and fluoride-mediated carboxylation

One of the most challenging transformations in current organic chemistry is the catalytic carboxylation of a C(sp(3))-H bond using CO(2) gas, an inexpensive and ubiquitous C1 source. A sequential protocol for C(sp(3))-H carboxylation by employing a nitrogen-directed, metal-assisted, C-H activation/catalytic silylation reaction in conjunction with fluoride-mediated carboxylation with CO(2) was established. The carboxylation proceeded only at the benzylic C(sp(3))-Si bond, not at the aromatic C(sp(2))-Si, which is advantageous for further manipulations of the products.     

衬底温度对强流脉冲离子束烧蚀沉积类金刚石薄膜化学结构的影响

采用强流脉冲离子束(High-intensitypulsedionbeam,HIPIB)烧蚀技术在Si(100)基体上沉积类金刚石(Diamond-likecarbon,DLC)薄膜,衬底温度的变化范围为298～673K.利用Raman光谱和X射线光电子谱(XPS)对DLC薄膜的化学结合状态与衬底温度之间关系进行研究.薄膜XPS的C1s谱的解谱分析得出薄膜中含有sp³C(结合能为285.5eV)和sp²C(结合能为284.7eV)成分,根据解谱结果评价薄膜中sp³C含量.根据XPS分析可知,衬底温度低于473K时,sp³C的含量大约为40%左右;随着沉积薄膜时衬底温度的提高,sp³C的含量降低,由298K时的42.5%降到673K时的8.1%,从573K开始发生sp³C向sp²C转变.Raman光谱表明,随着衬底温度的提高,Raman谱中G峰的峰位靠近石墨峰位,G峰的半峰宽降低,D峰与G峰的强度比I_D/I_G增大,说明薄膜中的sp³C的含量随衬底温度增加而减少.     

Palladium-catalyzed oxidative aryltrifluoromethylation of activated alkenes at room temperature

A palladium-catalyzed intramolecular oxidative aryltrifluoromethylation reaction of activated alkenes has been explored. The reaction allows for an efficient synthesis of a variety of CF(3)-containing oxindoles. Preliminary mechanistic study indicated that the reaction involves a C(sp(3))-Pd(IV)(CF(3)) intermediate, which undergoes reductive elimination to afford a C(sp(3))-CF(3) bond.     

Palladium-catalyzed silyl C(sp3)-H bond activation

The first transition-metal-catalyzed activation of silyl C(sp(3))-H bond was realized and synthetically applied. A variety of organic skeletons substituted with SiMe(3) groups could undergo the Pd-catalyzed intramolecular coupling reaction, resulting in an unprecedented synthetic method for yielding six-membered silacycles. It was found that the adjacent Si atom played an essential role for the activation of the C(sp(3))-H bond of the SiMe(3) group; no activation reaction of the C(sp(3))-H bond of the CMe(3) group took place under the same reaction conditions.     

Electronic influences on 3J(C,H) coupling constants via -S-, -S(O)- and -SO2-: their determination, calculation and comparison of detection methods

3J(C,H) coupling constants via a sulfur atom in two series of compounds, both including a sulfide, a sulfoxide and a sulfone, were detected experimentally and calculated by quantum mechanical methods. In the first series (1-3) the coupling between a hydrogen, bonded to an sp3 carbon, and an sp2 carbon is treated; the second series (4-6) deals with the coupling between a hydrogen, bonded to an sp3 carbon, and an sp3 carbon. Different pulse sequences (broadband HMBC, SelJres, 1D HSQMBC, J-HMBC-2, selective J-resolved long-range experiment and IMPEACH-MBC) proved to be useful in determining the long-range 3J(C,H) coupling constants. However, the dynamic behaviour of two of the compounds (4 and 6) led to weighted averages of the two coupling constants expected (concerning equatorial and axial positions of the corresponding hydrogens). DFT calculations proved to be useful to calculate not only the 3J(C,H) coupling constants but also the different contributions of FC, PSO, DSO and SD terms; the calculation of the Fermi contact term (FC) was found to be sufficient for the correct estimation of 3J(C,H) coupling constants.     

Through-space intramolecular palladium rearrangement in substituted aryl complexes: theoretical study of the aryl to alkylpalladium migration process

DFT/B3LYP calculations have been carried out to study intramolecular 1,n palladium shifts (n = 3-5) between sp2 and sp3 carbon atoms in alkylarylpalladium systems. Such shifts, which also involve a concomitant exchange with a hydrogen atom of the alkylaryl ligand, are quite often a pivotal step of several organic transformations mediated by palladium complexes. We show that the intimate mechanism for the 1,3 shift corresponds to a Pd(IV) pathway, whereas a Pd(II) pathway is favored in the case of 1,5 migrations. In the case of 1,4 migrations, both mechanisms are competitive. The Pd(IV) pathway can involve either a true Pd(IV) intermediate (oxidative addition/reductive elimination mechanism) or a Pd(IV) transition state (oxidative hydrogen migration mechanism). The energy barrier is very high for the 1,3 palladium shift, making this process very unlikely, in contrast to the other ones which have enthalpy barriers ranging between 22.8 kcal mol-1 (for the 1,5 shift) and 31.9 kcal mol-1 (for the least favorable 1,4 shift studied here). All of these results are in line with our previous results for palladium shifts between two sp2 carbon atoms. In addition, the sp2 to sp3 shifts have been found to be rather exothermic owing to the possibility for the alkylaryl ligand in the product to achieve a eta3 coordination mode. This eta3 coordination mode results either from the shift itself (1,3 case) or from a subsequent rearrangement that comprises a chain-running mechanism within the alkyl chain bound to the metal (for n > 3).     

用XPS和XAES分析电化学沉积的DLC膜

采用电化学沉积方法，以甲醇溶剂作碳源，直流电压作用下在单晶硅表面沉积得到碳薄膜。通过研究石墨、金刚石和样品薄膜的XPS和XAES谱图特征，证明了此方法沉积得到的是DLC薄膜;利用曲线拟合技术在C_1s电子能谱图中拟合出sp³峰与sp²峰，并计算出样品薄膜中sp³碳的相对含量为55%;研究石墨、金刚石和样品薄膜的一阶微分XAES谱图，用线性插入法估算出样品薄膜中sp³碳的相对含量为60%。     

Polymorphic phases of sp3-hybridized carbon under cold compression

It is well established that graphite can be transformed into superhard carbons under cold compression (Mao et al. Science 2003, 302, 425). However, structure of the superhard carbon is yet to be determined experimentally. We have performed an extensive structural search for the high-pressure crystalline phases of carbon using the evolutionary algorithm. Nine low-energy polymorphic structures of sp(3)-hybridized carbon result from the unbiased search. These new polymorphic carbon structures together with previously reported low-energy sp(3)-hybridized carbon structures (e.g., M-carbon, W-carbon, and Cco-C(8) or Z-carbon) can be classified into three groups on the basis of different ways of stacking two (or more) out of five (A-E) types of buckled graphene layers. Such a classification scheme points out a simple way to construct a variety of sp(3)-hybridized carbon allotropes via stacking buckled graphene layers in different combinations of the A-E types by design. Density-functional theory calculations indicate that, among the nine low-energy crystalline structures, seven are energetically more favorable than the previously reported most stable crystalline structure (i.e., Cco-C(8) or Z-carbon) in the pressure range 0-25 GPa. Moreover, several newly predicted polymorphic sp(3)-hybridized carbon structures possess elastic moduli and hardness close to those of the cubic diamond. In particular, Z-carbon-4 possesses the highest hardness (93.4) among all the low-energy sp(3)-hybridized carbon structures predicted today. The calculated electronic structures suggest that most polymorphic carbon structures are optically transparent. The simulated X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra of a few polymorphic structures are in good agreement with the experimental spectrum, suggesting that samples from the cold-compressed graphite experiments may consist of multiple polymorphic phases of sp(3)-hybridized carbon.     

Pinene-derived iminodiacetic acid (PIDA): a powerful ligand for stereoselective synthesis and iterative cross-coupling of C(sp3) boronate building blocks

Efficient access to chiral C(sp(3)) boronates in stereochemically pure form is critical for realizing the substantial potential of such building blocks in complex-molecule synthesis. We herein report that a pinene-derived iminodiacetic acid (PIDA) ligand enables the highly diastereoselective synthesis of a wide range of oxiranyl C(sp(3)) boronates from the corresponding olefins. These oxiranyl PIDA boronates, in turn, can be readily transformed into unprecedented stable α-boryl aldehydes via a novel 1,2-migration of the boronate group that proceeds with complete maintenance of stereochemical purity. B-Protected haloboronic acids containing dual sp(3)-hybridized C centers are readily accessible via this platform, and the herein demonstrated capacity for stereocontrolled iterative C(sp(3)) cross-coupling with this novel type of bifunctional reagent to access a medicinally important chiral small-molecule target in highly enantioenriched form represents a substantial advance for the building-block-based approach to synthesis.     

Theoretical study and X-ray determination of bianthronyl [corrected] : long C-C bond length and preferred gauche conformation

Five X-ray crystallographic structures of bianthronyl (1, 2b-5b) revealed the presence of long central C(sp3)-C(sp3) bonds (> or =1.60 A) and mostly gauche conformation. DFT calculations were carried out to study the structural features of bianthronyl and related model molecules [corrected]. Our B3LYP/6-31G gas-phase calculation results suggest that steric effect plays a role in causing the long C-C sigma bond length (>1.60 A), nonplanarity of the anthracenone moiety (>20 degrees ), and preferred gauche conformation. However, when the gauche preference is weak, environmental effects such as solvation and packing forces can reverse it. As the degree of nonplanarity of the anthracenone moiety is consistently larger in the anti conformation than in the gauche and the ease of achieving nonplanarity is determined by flexibility of the central six-membered rings directly connected to the C(sp3)-C(sp3) bond, one way to control the structure and anti-gauche energy difference of closely related compounds is by changing the clamping group (Z) in the central six-membered ring.     

脂肪族胺、醇和醚气相碱性的通用表达式

脂肪族胺、醇和醚气相质子亲合能(PA)与N、O原子所带电荷(qx)、烷基的极化效应指数(PEI)以及N、O原子的sp^3杂化轨道能量[Ex(sp^3)]的并系可以表示为：PA(kj/mol)=2383.5547-1060.3351qx+59.4247∑PEI-117.0142Ex(sp^3)。上式较好地表达了脂肪族胺、醇和醚气相碱性的共同规律。