Does activation of the anti proton, rather than concertedness, determine the stereochemistry of base-catalyzed 1,2-elimination reactions? Anti stereospecificity in E1cB eliminations of β-3-trifluoromethylphenoxy esters, thioesters, and ketones

As part of a comprehensive investigation on the stereochemical aspects of base-catalyzed 1,2-elimination reactions, we have studied a set of acyclic carbonyl substrates that react by an irreversible E1cB mechanism with largely anti stereospecificity. (2)H NMR data show that these reactions using KOH in EtOH/H(2)O under non-ion-pairing conditions produce a minimum of 85-89% anti elimination on stereospecifically labeled tert-butyl (2R*,3R*)- and (2R*,3S*)-3-(3-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-2,3-(2)H(2)-butanoate, S-tert-butyl (2R*,3R*)- and (2R*,3S*)-3-(3-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-2,3-(2)H(2)-butanethioate, and the related ketones, (4R*,5R*)- and (4R*,5S*)-5-(3-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-4,5-(2)H(2)-3-hexanone. With both diastereomers of each substrate available, the KIEs can be calculated and the innate stereoselectivities determined. The elimination reactions of the β-3-trifluoromethylphenoxy substrates occur by E1cB mechanisms with diffusionally equilibrated enolate-anion intermediates. Thus, it is clear that anti elimination does not depend solely upon concerted E2 mechanisms. Negative hyperconjugation provides a satisfactory explanation for the anti stereospecificity exhibited by our carbonyl substrates, where the leaving group activates the anti proton, leading to the enolate intermediate. The activation of the anti proton by negative hyperconjugation may also play a role in the concerted pathways of E2 mechanisms. We have also measured the rates of the hydroxide-catalyzed elimination reactions of butanoate, thiobutanoate, and ketone substrates in EtOH/H(2)O, with β-tosyloxy, acetoxy, and 3-trifluoromethylphenoxy nucleofuges.     

Tuning the hydrogen bond donor/acceptor isomerism in jet-cooled mixed dimers of aliphatic alcohols

Hydrogen bonded complexes between two different aliphatic alcohols exhibit donor/acceptor isomerism. In a supersonic jet expansion, the less stable isomer can isomerize to the more stable isomer if the energy difference is sufficiently large and the barrier sufficiently low. We show by FTIR jet spectroscopy that this is progressively the case for methanol/methanol-d1, methanol/ethanol, and methanol/tert-butyl alcohol, until no metastable donor/acceptor isomer persists in the expansion. Collisional relaxation experiments, 18O labeling and quantum chemical calculations are used to assign the spectra. Differences between energetical and spectroscopic acceptor strengths are discussed.     

Exposure of phage T7 to simulated space environment: the effect of vacuum and UV-C radiation

The experiment "Phage and Uracil Response" (PUR) will be accommodated in the EXPOSE facility of the International Space Station (ISS). Its objective is to examine and quantify the effect of specific space conditions on bacteriophage T7 and isolated T7 DNA thin films. In order to define the environmental and technical requirements of the EXPOSE, the samples were subjected to the Experiment Verification Test (EVT). During EVT the samples were exposed to selected space conditions: high vacuum (10(-4) to 10(-6) Pa) and UV-C radiation (254 nm) alone and in combination. Characteristic changes in the absorption spectrum, in the electrophoretic pattern of DNA/phage and the decrease of the amount of PCR products have been detected indicating the damage of isolated and intraphage T7 DNA. Intraphage DNA is more sensitive to simulated space parameters than isolated T7 DNA in thin layers as well. We obtained substantial evidence that DNA lesions accumulate throughout exposure, and the amount of damage depends on the thickness of the layers. According to our preliminary results, the damages by exposure to conditions of dehydration and UV irradiation are larger than the sum of vacuum alone, or radiation alone case, suggesting a synergistic action of space vacuum and UV radiation with DNA being the critical target.     

[{Fe(tim)}2]: An Fe?Fe Dimer Containing an Unsupported Metal–Metal Bond and Redox‐Active N4 Macrocyclic Ligands

Mixed doubles : The dimeric complex [{Fe(tim)}₂] (see structure, tim=2,3,9,10‐tetramethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradeca‐1,3,8,10‐tetraene) represents an unprecedented complex containing an unsupported Fe? Fe bond. The crystal structure confirms the presence of reduced tim units, thus indicating ligand redox activity. Spectroscopic and computational studies establish a triplet ground state for [{Fe(tim)}₂] and suggest a mixed‐valence compound with respect to both the Fe ions and the ligands.

     

Hard versus Soft Materials as Supports for Metallocene and Post‐Metallocene Catalysts

The influence of organic supports on the polymerization behavior of post‐metallocene catalysts is studied and compared with similarly supported titanium and zirconium metallocenes. The effects of the immobilization, activation, and polymerization process were studied by video microscopy, laser confocal fluorescence microscopy, SEM, and TEM. A model for the polymerization process for a catalyst supported on latex particles was developed from the results obtained. Organic supports based on latex particles are easily adjustable for different catalysts due to the versatile functionalization of the surfaces and can be applied to different types of olefin polymerization catalysts. They can be considered as an alternative to SiO₂ or MgCl₂ supports.

     

Polypeptoids by Living Ring‐Opening Polymerization of N‐Substituted N‐Carboxyanhydrides from Solid Supports

The nucleophilic living ring‐opening polymerization of N‐substituted glycine N‐carboxyanhydrides using solid‐phase synthesis resins is reported. By variation of experimental parameters, products with near Poisson distributions are obtained. As opposed to reversible deactivation radical polymerization, the living polymerization is demonstrated to be viable to high monomer conversion and through multiple monomer addition steps. Successful preparation of a multiblock copolypeptoid is proof for a highly living and robust character of the solid‐phase peptoid polymerization.

     

Adaptive finite elements methods for virtual engineering design

The focus of this paper is the utilization of improved stresses on the surface of a construction for error estimation. The improved stresses are derived by using stress boundary conditions. They are applied for the calculation of recovered stresses required by the Zienkiewicz–Zhu error indicator. This approach leads to an enhancement of the error estimation on the boundary. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)