Chiral hydroperoxides as oxygen source in the catalytic stereoselective epoxidation of allylic alcohols by sandwich-type polyoxometalates: control of enantioselectivity through a metal-coordinated template

The epoxidation of allylic alcohols is shown to be efficiently and selectively catalyzed by the oxidatively resistant sandwich-type polyoxometalates, POMs, namely [WZnM(2)(ZnW(9)O(34))(2)](q)(-) [M = OV(IV), Mn(II), Ru(III), Fe(III), Pd(II), Pt(II), Zn(II); q = 10-12], with organic hydroperoxides as oxygen source. Conspicuous is the fact that the nature of the transition metal M in the central ring of polyoxometalate affects significantly the reactivity, chemoselectivity, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity of the allylic alcohol epoxidation. For the first time, it is demonstrated that the oxovanadium(IV)-substituted POM, namely [ZnW(VO)(2)(ZnW(9)O(34))(2)](12-), is a highly chemoselective, regioselective, and also stereoselective catalyst for the clean epoxidation of allylic alcohols. A high enantioselectivity (er values up to 95:5) has been achieved with [ZnW(VO)(2)(ZnW(9)O(34))(2)](12)(-) and the sterically demanding TADOOL-derived hydroperoxide TADOOH as regenerative chiral oxygen source. Thus, a POM-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of excellent catalytic efficiency (up to 42 000 TON) has been made available for the development of sustainable oxidation processes. The high reactivity and selectivity of this unprecedented oxygen-transfer process are mechanistically rationalized in terms of a peroxy-type vanadium(V) template.     

An efficient, catalytic, aerobic, oxidative iodination of arenes using the H5PV2Mo10O40 polyoxometalate as catalyst

Iodination of arenes was carried out by reacting 1 equiv of arene substrate with 0.5 equiv of iodine under an oxygen atmosphere with H5PV2Mo10O40 as oxidation catalyst. The synthesis is an inherently waste-free method for the preparation of iodoarenes.     

Mild, aqueous, aerobic, catalytic oxidation of methane to methanol and acetaldehyde catalyzed by a supported bipyrimidinylplatinum-polyoxometalate hybrid compound

We have demonstrated that a bipyrimidinylplatinum-polyoxometalate, [Pt(Mebipym)Cl2]+[H4PV2Mo10O40]-, supported on silica is an active catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of methane to methanol in water under mild reaction conditions. Further oxidation of methanol yields acetaldehyde. The presence of the polyoxometalate is presumed to allow the facile oxidation of a Pt(II) intermediate to a Pt(IV) intermediate and to aid in the addition of methane to the Pt catalytic center.     

Phenanthroline-polyoxometalate hybrid compounds and the observation of intramolecular charge transfer

A phenanthroline ligand has been covalently modified at the 2 and 9 positions by an aminophenylhexamolybdate substituent. The 1H NMR spectrum indicated a strong electron-withdrawing effect of the hexamolybdate (Mo6O19(2-)) moiety on the phenanthroline ligand. UV-vis and cyclic voltammetry showed extended conjugation of the hybrid phenanthroline-polyoxometalate compound and the possibility of easy oxidation of the extended phenanathroline ligand. Further EPR experiments provided strong evidence for an intramolecular charge-transfer process with the formation of a phenanthroline cation radical and a reduced hexamolybdate.     

Chiral Compounds Synthesized by Biocatalytic Reductions [New Synthetic Methods (51)]

It has been known for many decades that chiral compounds can be obtained by stereospecific biocatalytic reduction. Further significant methodological developments in this field have, however, only been made during the past ten years; they include the application of previously unused microorganisms and electron donors, the discovery of additional substrates for the known reductases, the development of methods for regenerating reduced pyridine nucleotides, and the discovery of new reductases which were sought for specific preparative purposes. Many chiral compounds can now be synthesized by microbial hydrogenation using H₂ and hydrogenase-containing microorganisms as well as by electromicrobial or electroenzymatic reduction. In the two latter methods, anaerobic or aerobic organisms are supplied with electrons from electrochemically reduced, artificial mediators, e.g., methyl viologen. Reductases that do not require pyridine nucleotides and can accept electrons directly from reduced viologens are especially useful. Two examples of this type of enzyme are described which are of preparative interest. Many cells contain methyl viologen-dependent NAD(P) reductases, a large number of which have still not been characterized. A productivity number is proposed which allows different methods of bioconversion with microorganisms to be compared. The productivity numbers of compounds synthesized by the methods described in this review are often 10- to 100-fold higher than those of substances obtained by conventional techniques.     

Purification by solid layer melt crystallization

The application of solid layer crystallization techniques in industry is arousing ever more interest. One reason is the increasing demand for ultrapure products, and another is the energysaving potential of this separation technology.This article examines solid layer melt crystallization as concerns its purification efficiency. The crystallization process was carried out in two different modes, whereby the process parameters were varied and post-crystallization treatments were additionally applied. The experimental results were used as the basis for a mathematical fit of a semi-empirical expression which predicts the purification efficiency. It was used for a design of different multistage plants, which operate with different crystallization strategies. One result is that a comparable product quality is attainable with a simple process technique in combination with post-crystallization treatments, instead of a more complicated and therefore more expensive process technique.The authors wish to acknowledge support by the EU (JOULE program), which helped attainment of some results presented here.     

Characterization of SiC-platelets

Three fractions of SiC platelets were characterized using polarizing microscopy, X-ray diffraction, high resolution Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis (SEM/EDX). The chemical analysis of the three fractions is given. The determination of the SiC polytypes (4H, 6H, 15R, 3C) was done and has been correlated with the chemical analysis. The results of the X-ray diffraction investigations confirm the polarizing microscopy observations. Using microanalytical techniques important conclusions about the impurity elements (e.g. B, Al, Fe) and their local distribution could be drawn. Most of them were found to be present on the outermost surfaces of the platelets. Some conclusions concerning the processing of the platelets are suggested.Dedicated to Professor Günther Tölg on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy of photolytically generated hot CF radicals

In this paper, we investigate the rotationally resolved spectra of hot CF radicals generated after IR multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) of CFCl₃ or CF₂Cl₂ and subsequent UV photodissociation. It is shown that these conditions are advantageous for the spectroscopy of transitions involving high rotational quantum numbers and hot bands. Thus molecular constants of CF for the first vibrationally excited state of the electronic ground state (A_v=77.1 cm⁻¹, B_v=1.389 cm⁻¹, D_v=6.570×10⁻⁶ cm⁻¹) are determined for the first time or are calculated more accurately. The spectroscopic method used was resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy.