Remarkably mild and efficient catalytic Sakurai reaction of N-alkoxycarbonylamino sulfones with allyltrimethylsilane using indium(III) chloride

The Sakurai reaction of N-alkoxycarbonylamino sulfones with allyltrimethylsilane in the presence of a catalytic amount of indium(III) chloride at room temperature produces the corresponding protected homoallylic amines in high yields.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,and magnetic properties of an alkoxo-hydroxo-bridged octanuclear copper(II) complex showing chemically significant hydrogen-bonding interactions involving a metallamacrocyclic core

A novel 16-member metallamacrocyclic octanuclear copper(II) complex of formulation [Cu8L4(OH)4] (1) has been prepared from a reaction of [Cu2L(O2CMe)] and NaOH in methanol, where L is a pentadentate trianionic Schiff base ligand N,N'-(2-hydroxypropane-1,3-diyl)bis(salicylaldimine). The complex has been characterized by analytical, structural, and spectral methods. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with the following unit cell dimensions: a = 30.365(3) A; b = 14.320(2) A; c = 19.019(2) A; beta = 125.33(2) degrees; V = 6746.7(13) A3; Z = 4. A total of 4589 unique data with l > 2 sigma (l) were used to refine the structure to R1(F0) = 0.0525 and wR2 = 0.1156. The structure consists of four binuclear [Cu2L]+ units linked covalently by four hydroxide ligands to form an octanuclear core which is stabilized by strong hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the hydroxide ligands. Each binuclear unit has a pentadentate ligand L showing N2O3 coordination with an endogenous alkoxide bridging atom. The magnetic susceptibility data of 1, obtained in the temperature range 14-306 K, show the presence of antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between adjacent spin-1/2 Cu(II) ions. The mu eff values are 1.54 and 0.26 microB (per copper) at 295 and 15 K, respectively. The magnetic data have been theoretically fitted using a Heisenberg spin-1/2 Hamiltonian with nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic interactions. The spin coupling in the metallamacrocyclic ring has been modeled using four different coupling constants (J) on the basis of the structural parameters of the octanuclear core. The coupling constants obtained are J1 = -318.8, J2 = -293.3, J3 = -111.6, and J4 = -63.8 cm-1. The theoretical modeling of the susceptibility data gives a higher magnitude of the antiferromagnetic interaction within the binuclear [Cu2L]+ unit compared to those involving adjacent dimeric units.     

Effect of trace amounts of water on organic solvent transport through gamma-alumina membranes with varying pore sizes

The transport behavior of toluene and n-hexane in gamma-alumina membranes with different pore diameters was studied. It was shown that the permeability of water-lean hexane and toluene is in agreement with Darcy's law down to membrane pore diameters of 3.5 nm. The presence of molar water fractions of 5-8 x 10(-4) in these solvents led to a permeability decrease of the gamma-alumina layer by a factor of 2-4 depending on pore size. In general, a lower permeability was found for hexane than for toluene. Moreover, in the presence of water a minimum applied pressure of 0.5-1.5 bar was required to induce net liquid flow through the membrane. These phenomena were interpreted in terms of capillary condensation of water in membrane pores with a size below a certain critical diameter. This is thought to lead to substantial blocking of these pores for transport, so that the effective tortuosity of the membrane for transport of hydrophobic solvents increases.     

A polyaniline-containing filter paper that acts as a sensor, acid, base, and endpoint indicator and also filters acids and bases

In this paper we report a new idea for synthesizing polyaniline in an ordinary filter paper. The synthesis was carried out by a process in which aqueous acidic aniline solution and the oxidizing agent H(2)O(2) was added to the paper drop by drop and in sequence. Uniform polymerization could be obtained with the addition of reagents in either sequence. The polymer formation led to a green coloration of the paper. Formation of the emeraldine salt of polyaniline was confirmed by UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopic measurements were made for surface characterization of the polymer formed in the paper. The same paper was used as a sensor for ammonia in vapor and in solution, for acid and base as well as endpoint indication, and also to filter acids and bases. We found that, using the polymer-containing paper, ammonia concentrations in a solution as low as 14 ppm could be measured.     

Studies on synthetic inorganic ion exchangers-V: preparation, properties and ion-exchange behaviour of amorphous and crystalline thorium tungstate

Amorphous and crystalline thorium tungstate have been prepared by mixing 0.1M thorium nitrate and 0.1M sodium tungstate under different conditions. The physico-chemical properties, chemical stability, composition, TGA, DTA, X-ray, infrared absorption and ion-exchange behaviour of thorium-tungstate are reported and discussed. Distribution coefficients of metal ions on thorium tungstate have been determined at pH 2-3 and 5.5-6.5. Selective ion-exchange separations of bismuth and mercury from other metal ions have been achieved on a column of thorium tungstate.     

Synthesis of Calix

The formation of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene mono-, bis-, tris-, and tetrakistriflates 3, 2, 4, and 5, respectively, and their respective reactions, under typical Pd-catalyzed carbonylative, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, or deoxygenation conditions are described. A novel, nonsolvent-derived 1:1 clathrate (6) of benzophenone and 3 was formed from the palladium-catalyzed carbonylative reaction of phenylboronic acid and 2. The X-ray crystal structure of this first nonsolvent-derived clathrate of a calix[4]arene derivative is reported. Another 1:1 clathrate of triethylamine and 3 was formed during the attempted Pd-catalyzed deoxygenation of 2.     

Infrared depletion spectroscopy of the doubly hydrogen-bonded aniline–(tetrahydrofuran)2 complex produced in supersonic jet

The vibrational frequencies of the N–H stretching modes of aniline after forming a strong doubly H-bonded complex with tetrahydrofuran (THF) are measured with infrared depletion spectroscopy that uses cluster-size-selective resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Two strong infrared absorption features observed at 3355 and 3488 cm⁻¹ are assigned to the symmetric and antisymmetric N–H stretching vibrations of the 1:2 aniline–THF complex, respectively. The red-shifts of the N–H stretching vibrations of aniline agree with the ab initio calculated (MP2/6-31G**) aniline-(THF)₂ structure in which both aniline N–H bonds interact with the oxygen atom of THF through two hydrogen bonds. The calculated binding energy is found to be 29.6 kJ mol⁻¹ after corrections for basis set superposition error (BSSE) and zero-point energy. The calculated structure revealed that the angle between the N–H bonds in the NH₂ group increased to 112.5° in the aniline–(THF)₂ complex from that of 109.8° in the aniline. The electronic 0–0 band origin for the S₁ ← S₀ transition is observed at 32,900 cm⁻¹ in the aniline–(THF)₂ complex, giving a red-shift of 1129 cm⁻¹ from that of the aniline molecule.     

Diastereoselective formation of glycoluril dimers: isomerization mechanism and implications for cucurbit[n]uril synthesis

Cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) is a macrocyclic compound, prepared in one pot from glycoluril and formaldehyde, whose molecular recognition properties have made it the object of intense study. Studies of the mechanism of CB[n] formation, which might provide insights that allow the tailor-made synthesis of CB[n] homologues and derivatives, have been hampered by the complex structure of CB[n]. By reducing the complexity of the reaction to the formation of S-shaped (12S-18S) and C-shaped (12C-18C) methylene bridged glycoluril dimers, we have been able to probe the fundamental steps of the mechanism of CB[n] synthesis to a level that has not been possible previously. For example, we present strong evidence that the mechanism of CB[n] synthesis proceeds via the intermediacy of both S-shaped and C-shaped dimers. The first experimental determination of the relative free energies of the S-shaped and C-shaped dimers indicates a thermodynamic preference (1.55-3.25 kcal mol(-)(1)) for the C-shaped diastereomer. This thermodynamic preference is not because of self-association, solvation, or template effects. Furthermore, labeling experiments have allowed us to elucidate the mechanism of this acid-catalyzed equilibrium between the S-shaped and C-shaped diastereomers. The equilibration is an intramolecular process that proceeds with high diastereoselectivity and retention of configuration. On the basis of the broad implications of these results for CB[n] synthesis, we suggest new synthetic strategies that may allow for the improved preparation of CB[n] (n > 8) and CB[n] derivatives from functionalized glycolurils.     

Molecular clips form isostructural dimeric aggregates from benzene to water

We report the synthesis and characterization of eight C-shaped methylene-bridged glycoluril dimers (1-8) bearing hydrogen-bonding amide groups on their aromatic rings. Compounds 1-6 undergo tight dimerization in CDCl3 solution (Ks > 9 x 10(5) M(-1)); binary mixtures of 1-7 form mixtures of homodimers and heterodimers in moderately selective dimerization processes (0.23 < or = Keq < or = 768; 0.253 < or = chiAB < 0.933). The high affinity formation of 1.1-6.6 is due to the commensurate nature of the geometrical constraints imposed by the pi-pi interactions and only two hydrogen bonds. The differential response of the strengths of the pi-pi interactions and H-bonds of 2.2 to changes in solvent polarity--from C6D6 to D2O--results in the formation of a solvent-independent isostructural aggregate that exhibits high affinity dimerization across the full range of solvents.