The equilibrium molecular structure of 3-cyanopyridine according to gas-phase electron diffraction and microwave data and the results of quantum-chemical calculations

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A Planar‐Chiral Rhodium(III) Catalyst with a Sterically Demanding Cyclopentadienyl Ligand and Its Application in the Enantioselective Synthesis of Dihydroisoquinolones

The rapid development of enantioselective C?H activation reactions has created a demand for new types of catalysts. Herein, we report the synthesis of a novel planar‐chiral rhodium catalyst [(C₅H₂^tBu₂CH₂^tBu)RhI₂]₂ in two steps from commercially available [(cod)RhCl]₂ and tert‐butylacetylene. Pure enantiomers of the catalyst were obtained through separation of its diastereomeric adducts with natural (S)‐proline. The catalyst promoted enantioselective reactions of aryl hydroxamic acids with strained alkenes to give dihydroisoquinolones in high yields (up to 97 %) and with good stereoselectivity (up to 95 % ee).     

Bifurcate hydrogen bonds. Interaction of intramolecularly H-bonded systems with Lewis bases

The structure and the hydrogen bonding in the systems formed by the intramolecularly H-bonded systems, namely, maltol (3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone), 5, 2,4,6-trinitrophenol, 6, acetylacetone enol, 7, with Lewis bases, phosgene, 8, dioxane, 9, and DMSO, 10, have been studied by density functional theory (B3LYP) and MP2 using the 6-311G* basis set. The continuum solvent effect was simulated by IEF-PCM model. The hydrogen bond analysis using the atoms in molecules (AIM) method was applied by using the MP2(full)/6-311++G** electron density to establish the nature of the bifurcate hydrogen bond (BHB) in these systems as well as contributory factors for its stabilization. The nature of interaction in the intermolecular H-complexes formed by compounds 5- 7 with the Lewis bases 8- 10 was shown to depend on the strength of the intramolecular hydrogen bond O...H and the strength of the base. The critical values of the CO...H and NO...H angles for which the formation of BHB is possible, have been determined.     

Structure of hydrated tin dioxide doped with Sb(III) ions

The effect of antimony doping of tin dioxide at Sb/Sn = 0.2–2.5 on the physical properties and structure of air-dry samples of hydrous tin dioxide, SnO₂ ? nH₂O (HTD), was studied by IR and Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, impedance measurements, TGA, and electron microscopy. The doped materials retained the structure of undoped HTD materials if the Sb/Sn ratio did not exceed the threshold value of 1.0. When Sb/Sn > 1, crystalline antimony oxide admixture appeared. The data of IR spectroscopy attested to the presence of two types of water in HTD-Sb, namely, physisorbed and chemisorbed water. The major part of water of the former type can be removed by evacuation at room temperature. Chemisorption occurs upon coordination of water molecules by metal ions through the formation of metal–oxygen bonds. Water molecules of the latter type are retained in evacuated samples at room temperature and on heating above the boiling point of liquid water. By impedance spectroscopy, HTD-Sb samples were shown to possess fairly high proton conductivity at high humidity; however, the conductivity decreased by two orders of magnitude after partial removal of water molecules of the former type. This attests to the destruction of the loosely bound hydrogen bond network, across which proton transfer takes place. It was also found that under conditions of constant humidity, the proton conductivity successively decreases with increasing antimony concentration. This is attributable to the fact that Sb(III) ions polarize the local environment to a lesser extent than Sn(IV) ions.     

Effect of medium acidity on the efficiency of oxidation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene to 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid

An effect of boric acid additives on oxidation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) to 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid (TNBA) with chromic anhydride in concentrated (96—100%) H₂SO₄ has been studied. In the presence of tetrahydrosulfatoboric acid HB(HSO₄)₄ formed in situ (up to 5 mol.%) or added as a preliminary prepared solution (up to 1 mol. %), TNT is selectively oxidized to TNBA in the yields up to 95—99%. The mechanism including formation of TNT dication as a key step of its oxidation at the methyl group has been suggested.     

Lanthanum-strontium cuprate: A promising cathodic material for solid oxide fuel cells

Samples of lanthanum-strontium cuprate LaSrCuO_3.61 are synthesized by a solid-phase method at 1473 K, in air. Electron diffraction patterns reveal low-intensity satellites whose position is described in the reciprocal space by the (3 + 2)-dimensional space group I4/mmm(αα0, α-α0)00mg. Using a five-layer cell LaSrCuO_4-δ|YSZ|LaSrCuO_4-δ|YSZ|LaCuO_4-δ prepared by isostatic hot pressing, the ionic component of conductivity of LaSrCuO_4-δ is determined (σ_{1179 K} = 3.8 × 10^?3 S cm^?1), which is commensurate with other mixed conductors based on complex oxides of cobalt and iron.     

The properties of CuInSe2 films obtained by selenation of Cu-In layers

CuInSe₂(112) films with the chalcopyrite structure were obtained by the selenation of Cu-In layers (Cu/In=0.5–2.9) in a closed-type reactor. The surface morphology, phase composition, electrical performance, and low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) of the films depend on the Cu/In ratio.     

The NQR picture of electronic phase separation in the lanthanum–barium cuprates

We report the results of Cu and La NQR investigations of the spin and charge separation in La_2−xBa_xCuO₄ compounds. For Ba doping inducing the low-temperature tetragonal phase our Cu–NQR measurements revealed three inequivalent Cu sites in CuO₂ planes. In terms of the stripe-phase picture we assign them to the charged stripe, to its neighborhood and to the AF correlated regions free of holes correspondingly. The last site corresponds to the ordered Cu magnetic moment of 0.29μ_B.     

Novel antimitotic agents related to tubuloclustin: synthesis and biological evaluation

Tubuloclustin [N-(7-adamant-2-yloxy-7-oxoheptanoyl)-N-deacetylcolchicine], a highly cytotoxic anti-tubulin compound is known for its ability to promote microtubule disassembly followed by the formation of tubulin clusters of unique morphology. Three series of antimitotic agents related to tubuloclustin were designed and synthesized in order to enhance the molecular diversity of “tubuloclustin-like” family of compounds. The series of compounds with modified adamantane moiety was highly potent in cytotoxic effect on human lung carcinoma A549 cells (EC50 = 6–400 nM) and was active in affecting the microtubule arrays and induction of strong tubulin clusterization. In two other sets of compounds, the colchicine moiety of tubuloclustin was replaced by podophyllotoxin or combretastatin A-4. All combretastatin A-4 derivatives displayed noticeable cytotoxic activity (\(\hbox {EC}50=0.8{-}1.6\,\upmu \hbox {M}\)) but their effect on microtubules depended on the position of the linker attachment. Podophyllotoxin derivatives were also toxic to A549 cells (\(\hbox {EC}50=0.38{-}0.50\,\upmu \hbox {M}\)) and caused both microtubule depolymerization and some tubulin clustering. The data obtained gave additional evidence that the whole panel of C7-colchicine, podophyllotoxin and combretastatin derivatives could manifest clustering effect, and the strength of this effect correlated with cytotoxic activity of the compounds.