Ionic Liquid–Catalyzed Internal Redox Esterification Reaction

The internal redox esterification of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and alcohols was carried out using different ionic liquids (ILs) as catalysts and reaction solvents. The basic ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([bmim]OAc), exhibited the best activity for this reaction. The influences of the amount of ionic liquid catalyst and reaction time on yield of saturated ester have been investigated. The results showed that ionic liquid anions have a crucial effect on the redox esterification of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and alcohols. The nucleophilic carbenes generated in situ from the ionic liquid cation were believed to be actual active species for this reactions.     

CuI–Ionic Liquids as Efficient Reaction Media for the Synthesis of Pyran Skeleton via Domino Knoevenagel–Hetero–Diels–Alder Reaction with Unactivated Alkynes

The article describes ionic liquids [bmim][NO₃] in the presence of 30% mol CuI as efficient media for the domino Knoevenagel–hetero–Diels–Alder reaction of o-propargyloxy benzaldehydes as unactivated terminal alkynes with some active methylene compounds. Short reaction time, easy workup, good to excellent yields, and mild conditions are advantages of this new media.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® to view the free supplemental file.     

Modeling Biological Systems: The Belousov–Zhabotinsky Reaction

In this essay I examine the ways in which the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction is being used by biologists to model a variety of biological systems and processes. The BZ reaction is characterized as a functional model of biological phenomena. It is able to play this role because, though based on very different substrates, the model and system modeled are examples of the same type of excitable medium. Lessons are drawn from this case about the relationships between the sciences of chemistry and biology.     

Ar-BINMOL–Derived Salan–Cu(II) Complex–Catalyzed Silyl-Reformatsky Reaction of Aromatic Aldehydes

In this work, we have developed a facile protocol with salan–Cu system for the facile and selective synthesis of β-hydroxyesters via silyl-Reformatsky reaction with α-silylester and aldehydes. The screening and optimization of reaction conditions led to the determination of a practical and efficient procedure in which the salan–Cu exhibited promising catalytic activity in dimethylsulfoxide, in which the silyl-Reformatsky reaction of aromatic aldehydes with α-trimethylsilylmethylacetate gave the corresponding β-hydroxyester derivatives in excellent yields (up to 98%) under fluoride-free reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of 1,2-Diazepines by the Bischler–Napieralski Reaction

A new strategy has been proposed for the synthesis of 5H-[1]benzofuro[2,3-d][1,2]diazepines containing two aryl substituents in the diazepine fragment. The key stage of the synthesis is intramolecular cyclization of the corresponding hydrazides under the Bischler–Napieralski reaction conditions.     

Reaction of trimethylene–bisadenine with d10 divalent cations

The synthesis, spectroscopic characterisation and X-ray structure determination of Ade₂(CH₂)₃ 1, [(H-Ade)₂(CH₂)₃]Cl₂⋅H₂O 2 and the outer sphere complex [(H-Ade)₂(CH₂)₃]₂[Cd₂Cl₈(H₂O)₂]⋅4H₂O 3 are reported (Ade=adenine). An important change of conformation appears when trimethylene–bisadenine is protonated. The eclipsed and anti conformation between the two adenine moieties of 1 varies to a gauche and syn conformation for the corresponding Cl⁻ 2 and [Cd₂Cl₈(H₂O)₂]⁴⁻ 3 salts. Compound 3 presents a new dimeric [Cd₂Cl₈(H₂O)₂]⁴⁻ anion in which cadmium(II) has a distorted-octahedral co-ordination with two cis chlorine atoms bridging two cadmium atoms. The corresponding Zn(II) and Hg(II) salts have been obtained by similar procedures.     

Chlorine Dioxide–Iodine–Sodium Thiosulfate Oscillating Reaction Investigated by the UV–Vis Spectrophotometric Method

A new chlorine dioxide–iodine–sodium thiosulfate chemical oscillatory reaction was studied by the UV–Vis spectrophotometric method. The initial concentrations of sodium thiosulfate, chlorine dioxide, iodine, sulfuric acid, and pH have great influences on the oscillations observed at wavelength 238 nm. The oscillations occur as long as the reactants are mixed. The amplitude and the number of oscillations are associated with the initial concentrations of reactants. The equations for the triiodide ion reaction rate changes with reaction time and the initial concentrations in the oscillation stage are an attenuation sine function. Based upon the experimental data in this work and in the literature, a plausible reaction mechanism was proposed for the oscillation reaction.     

Highly Enantioselective Diels–Alder Reaction Catalyzed by Chiral Imidazolidinone

New chiral imidazolidinone with an indole group was synthesized and used to catalyze the Diels–Alder reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehyde with diene. High enantiomeric excesses and good yields were obtained. The reaction media were also surveyed. The best result in terms of enantioselectivity was achieved using acrolein and 2,3-dimethylbutdiene (up to 95% ee) in CH₃OH/H₂O.     

Generation of Selenoaldehydes via Retro Diels–Alder Reaction and Their Behavior in the Reaction with Some Enophiles

Abstract

The [4, 2] cycloadducts of selenoaldehydes and anthracene regenerate selenoaldehydes in situ quantitatively under neutral conditions via thermal retro Diels–Alder reaction. The reactions of selenoaldehydes generated by this method with 2-silyloxy-1,3-butadiene, 2-methoxyfuran, and 5-ethoxyoxazoles are described.     

An Unexpected Chromophore–Solvent Reaction Leads to Bicomponent Aggregation-Induced Phosphorescence

Organic luminogens with persistent room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) have found a wide range of applications. However, many RTP luminogens are prone to severe quenching in the crystalline state. Herein, we report a strategy to construct a donor-sp³-acceptor type luminogen that exhibits aggregation-induced emission (AIE) while the donor-sp²-acceptor counterpart structure exhibits a non-emissive solid state. Unexpectedly, it was discovered that a trace amount (0.01 %) of the structurally similar derivative, produced by a side reaction with the DMF solvent, could induce strong RTP with an absolute RTP yield up to 25.4 % and a lifetime of 48 ms, although the substance does not show RTP by itself. Single-crystal XRD-based calculations suggest that n–σ* orbital interactions as a result of structural similarity may be responsible for the strong RTP in the bicomponent system. This study provides a new insight into the design of multi-component, solid-state RTP materials from organic molecular systems.     

Synthesis of Macrocyclic Depsipeptides via the Passerini–Click Reaction Strategy

Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry - A combination of the Passerini reaction and copper(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC, click reaction) was used to synthesize...     

Self-Accelerating Diels–Alder Reaction for Preparing Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity

It is a formidable challenge in polycondensation to simultaneously construct multiple covalent bonds to prepare double-stranded polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) with fused multicyclic linkages. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to develop a self-accelerating Diels–Alder reaction for successfully preparing double-stranded PIMs with fused multicyclic backbone structures. A self-accelerating Diels–Alder reaction was developed based on the [4+2] cycloaddition of sym-dibenzo-1,5-cyclooctadiene-3,7-diyne (DIBOD) and ortho-quinone compounds. In this reaction, the cycloaddition of ortho-quinone with the first alkyne of DIBOD activates the second alkyne, which reacts with ortho-quinone at a rate constant 192 times larger than that of the original alkyne. Using this self-accelerating reaction to polymerize DIBOD and spirocyclic/cyclic difunctional ortho-quinone monomers, a novel stoichiometric imbalance-promoted step-growth polymerization method was developed to prepare PIMs. The resultant PIMs possess intrinsic ultramicropores with pore sizes between 0.45 to 0.7 nm, high specific surface areas above 646 m² g⁻¹, and good H₂ separation performance.     

Elucidation of Organometallic Reaction Mechanisms by a China–Germany Team

This invited Team Profile was created by Jiaxiang Chu at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) and Dominik Munz at Saarland University (Germany) . They recently reported isocyanide homologation mediated by aluminium(I) as a Fischer–Tropsch model reaction. Up to five molecules were coupled, and the step-by-step mechanism was elucidated. Combined mechanistic/computational work provided evidence that carbenes are the key intermediates during this process. “Evidence for Carbene Intermediates in Isocyanide Homologation by Aluminium(I)”, C. J. Zhang, F. Dankert, Z. A. Jiang, B. L. Wang, D. Munz, J. X. Chu, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202307352 .     

Enantioselective Fluorination Reaction of β-Ketoester–Catalyzed Chiral Primary Amine–Based Multifunctional Catalyst Systems

The fluorination reaction is an important organic transformation for asymmetric synthesis. In this article, we reported the determination of chiral primary amine–based multicatalyst systems for enantioselective fluorination of β-ketoester. Studies on the enantioselective organocatalytic fluorination promoted by cinchona alkaloid–derived chiral primary amines in the absence of various co catalysts revealed that the combined metal salts and organocatalysts resulted in poor conversion and enantioselectivities, whereas the combinational use of L-leucine and QN-NH₂ as dual primary amine catalysts led to the determination of a novel dual organocatalyst with promising catalytic activity. On the basis of these results, we revealed that the steric environment of the chiral enamine intermediate formed by the condensation of β-ketoester with the chiral primary amine is most responsible for the observed enantioselectivity.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]     

Brønsted Acid–Catalyzed Friedel–Crafts Reaction of Indoles to α-Ketimino Esters

Friedel–Crafts reaction of indoles to aromatic α-ketimino esters was found to be catalyzed by camphorsulfonic acid with good yields (up to 98%) under ambient temperature. This process provides an efficient method for the synthesis of unnatural amino acid derivatives that bear quaternary carbon centers.     

Reaction pathway and phase transitions in Al–Ti–Si system during differential thermal analysis

The present paper mainly studied the phase formation and reaction pathway of the Al–Ti–Si system in detail by thermal analysis combined with XRD and SEM observations. The phase formation sequence in Al–Ti–Si system from starting mixtures to final products with increasing temperature can be described as following: Al_(l) + Ti_(s) + Si_(s) → (Al–Si)_(l) + Ti_(s) + Si_(s) → Ti(Al,Si)_3(s) + Si_(s)Ti₅(Si,Al)₃ + Al_(l). More importantly, the solubility of Si in Ti(Al,Si)₃ decreased gradually while that of Al in Ti₅(Si,Al)₃ increased with temperature increasing, suggesting the transportation of Si atoms from intermediate aluminides Ti(Al,Si)₃ to final stable silicides Ti₅(Si,Al)₃ and hence further confirming the formation of Ti₅(Si,Al)₃ at the expense of Ti(Al,Si)₃.     

Chlorine Dioxide–Iodine–Ethyl 2-Chloroacetoacetate Oscillation Reaction Investigated by UV–Vis and Online FTIR Spectrophotometric Methods

In order to study the chemical oscillatory behavior and mechanism of a new chlorine dioxide–iodine–ethyl 2-chloroacetoacetate reaction system, a series of experiments were carried out by using UV–Vis and online FTIR spectrophotometric methods. The initial concentrations of ethyl 2-chloroacetoacetate, chlorine dioxide, iodine, sulfuric acid, and the pH value have great influence on the oscillations observed at wavelength of 585 nm for the starch–triiodide complex ( \( \text{QI}_{3}^{ - } \) ). There is a pre-oscillatory or induction stage, the amplitude and the number of oscillations are associated with the initial concentration of reactants. Equations were obtained for the starch–triiodide complex reaction rate change with reaction time and the initial concentrations in the oscillation stage. The intermediates were detected by the online FTIR analysis. Based upon the experimental data in this work and in the literature, a plausible reaction mechanism was proposed for the oscillation reaction.     

Chlorine Dioxide–Iodide–Methyl Acetoacetate Oscillation Reaction Investigated by UV–Vis and an Online FTIR Spectrophotometric Method

In order to study the chemical oscillatory behavior and mechanism of a new chlorine dioxide–iodide ion–methyl acetoacetate reaction system, a series of experiments were done by using UV–vis and an online FTIR spectrophotometric method. The initial concentrations of methyl acetoacetate, chlorine dioxide, potassium iodide, sulfuric acid, and the pH have great influences on the oscillations observed at the wavelength 350 nm. There is a pre-oscillatory or induction period, and the amplitude and number of oscillations are dependent on the initial concentration of the reactants. Equations were obtained for the variation of the triiodide ion reaction rate with the reaction time and the initial concentrations in the oscillation stage. The oscillation reaction was accelerated by increasing the temperature. The apparent activation energies for the induction period and the oscillation period are 55.65 and 33.00 kJ·mol^?1, respectively. The intermediates were detected by the online FTIR analysis. Based upon the experimental data in this work and in the literature, a plausible reaction mechanism is proposed for the oscillation reaction.     

Elucidating Zeolite Channel Geometry–Reaction Intermediate Relationships for the Methanol-to-Hydrocarbon Process

The chemical industry has exploited zeolite shape selectivity for more than 50 years, yet our fundamental understanding remains incomplete. Herein, the zeolite channel geometry–reactive intermediate relationships are studied in detail using anisotropic zeolite ZSM-5 crystals for the methanol-to-hydrocarbon (MTH) process, and advanced magic-angle spinning solid-state NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy. The utilization of anisotropic ZSM-5 crystals enabled the preferential formation of reaction intermediates in single-orientation zeolite channels, as revealed by molecular dynamics simulations and in situ UV/Vis diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy. The ssNMR results show that the slightly more constrained sinusoidal zeolite channels favor the olefin cycle by promoting the homologation of alkanes, whereas the more extended straight zeolite channels facilitate the aromatic cycle with a higher degree of alkylation of aromatics. Dynamic nuclear polarization experiments further indicate the preferential formation of heavy aromatics at the zeolite surface dominated by the sinusoidal channels, providing further insight into catalyst deactivation.     

“Instant Methylide” Modification of the Corey–Chaykovsky Cyclopropanation Reaction

Treatment of various electron‐deficient alkenes in DMSO with stable, dry, equimolar mixtures of either Me₃S(O)I/KOt‐Bu or Me₃S(O)I/NaH cleanly afforded the corresponding substituted cyclopropanes in good yields and short reaction times (<20 min for reactions at 50–60°C using 0.4–4.0 mmol alkene).