Highly diastereoselective cyanation of methyl ketimines obtained from (R)-glyceraldehyde

[reaction: see text] Addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide to ketimines derived from (R)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl methyl ketone to generate a quaternary stereocenter has been achieved with high yields and excellent diastereoselectivity. The stereoselectivity was found to be temperature and solvent dependent. The beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino nitrile of syn configuration was the major compound in kinetically controlled reactions, whereas the anti stereoisomer was obtained in excess in thermodynamically controlled reactions. Double stereodifferentiation under kinetic control conditions was successful, and the cyanation reaction occurred with complete syn diastereoselectivity using the matched pair. The versatility of the resulting amino nitrile as a synthetic intermediate was tested by performing the synthesis of orthogonally protected (R)-(2-aminomethyl)alanine.     

Solid-state electrode with a Cu(I)-based membrane hydrophobised by PTFE for the measurement of Cu2+ and I−

The preparation of CuI + Ag₂S and Cu₂[HgI₄] + Ag₂S membranes hydrophobised by PTFE is described. The pressed membranes mounted in a multi-purpose “all-solid-state” electrode body have been examined as electrochemical sensors for Cu²⁺ and I^? ions. For the electrode with (CuI + Ag₂S + PTFE)-membrane experimental slopes of 29 mV(pCu)^?1 and 62 mV(pI)^?1 were obtained, in good agreement with the theoretical values. For practical measurement in solutions where both Cu²⁺ and I^? can be present, the investigated electrode offers certain advantages in comparison with a commercial Cu-ISE.     

Reaction of [CpRu(CH3CN)3]PF6 with bidentate ligands: structural characterization of [{CpRu(CH3CN)2}2(μ-η-dppe)](PF6)2 [dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane]

The reaction of [CpRu(CH₃CN)₃]PF₆ with the bidentate ligands L-L=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, dppe, and (1-diphenylarsino-2-diphenylphosphino)ethane, dpadppe, affords mononuclear or dinuclear complexes of formula [CpRu(η²-L-L)(CH₃CN)]PF₆, [{CpRu(CH₃CN)₂}₂(μ-η^1:1-L-L)](PF₆)₂ and [{CpRu(CH₃CN)}₂(μ-η^1:1-L-L)₂](PF₆)₂ (L-L=dppe, dpadppe). All of the compounds are characterized by microanalysis and NMR [¹H and ³¹P{¹H}] spectroscopy. The crystal structure of [{CpRu(CH₃CN)₂}₂(μ-η^1:1-dppe)](PF₆)₂ has been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The complex exhibits a dppe ligand bridging two CpRu(CH₃CN)₂ fragments.     

A simple approach for improving the hybrid MMVB force field: application to the photoisomerization of s-cis butadiene

MMVB is a QM/MM hybrid method, consisting of a molecular mechanics force field coupled to a valence bond Heisenberg Hamiltonian parametrized from ab initio CASSCF calculations on several prototype molecules. The Heisenberg Hamiltonian matrix elements Q(ij) and K(ij), whose expressions are partitioned here into a primary contribution and second-order correction terms, are calculated analytically in MMVB. When the original MMVB force field fails to produce potential energy surfaces accurate enough for dynamics calculations, we show that significant improvements can be made by refitting the second-order correction terms for the particular molecule(s) being studied. This "local" reparametrization is based on values of K(ij) extracted (using effective Hamiltonian techniques) from CASSCF calculations on the same molecule(s). The method is demonstrated for the photoisomerization of s-cis butadiene, and we explain how the correction terms that enabled a successful MMVB dynamics study [Garavelli, M.; Bernardi, F.; Olivucci, M.; Bearpark, M. J.; Klein, S.; Robb, M. A. J Phys Chem A 2001, 105, 11496] were refitted.     

2,4‐Dioxa‐7‐aza‐, 2,4‐Dioxa‐8‐aza‐, and 2,4‐Dioxa‐9‐aza‐3‐phosphadecalins as Rigid Acetylcholine Mimetics: Syntheses and Characterization

Phosphorylation of suitable piperidine precursors yielded a series of novel decalin‐type O,N,P‐heterocycles. The title compounds, P(3)‐axially and P(3)‐equatorially X‐substituted, cis‐ and trans‐configurated 2,4‐dioxa‐7‐aza‐, 2,4‐dioxa‐8‐aza‐, and 2,4‐dioxa‐9‐aza‐3‐phosphabicyclo[4.4.0]decane 3‐oxides (X=Cl, F, 4‐nitrophenoxy, and 2,4‐dinitrophenoxy), are configuratively fixed and conformationally constrained P‐analogues of acetylcholine and as such represent acetylcholine (7‐aza and 9‐aza isomers) or γ‐homo‐acetylcholine mimetics (8‐aza isomers). Being irreversible inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the compounds are considered to be suitable probes for the investigation of the stereochemical course of the inhibition reaction by ³¹P‐NMR spectroscopy. Moreover, the design of these mimetics will enable studies of molecular interactions with AChE, in particular, the recognition conformation of acetylcholine.     

The relative permittivity of 1,2-ethanediol+2-methoxyethanol+water ternary mixtures

The relative permittivities for the ternary 1,2-ethanediol (component 1) + 2-methoxyethanol (2) + water (3) solvent system have been measured for 66 mixtures covering the whole mole fraction composition 0X₁/X₂/X₃ 1 range at –10, –5 and 0 °C. The experimental data were used to test some empirical relations stating the dependence of = (X₁, X₂, X₃). A comparison between the calculated and experimental data show that these equations can be usefully employed to predict values in correspondence of the experimental data gaps.