A New High Yield Preparation of Benzyl Phenethyl Ethers by Phase Transfer Catalysis

A phase transfer method to prepare benzyl phenethyl ethers from electron-rich benzyl halides and 2-phenylethanols supporting electron-withdrawing groups is described. The yields are excellent, in contrast to the very low ones previously reported for the same kind of compounds prepared by other ways.     

Pseudoesters and Derivatives XXXV. Reactions of 4-Substituted-5-(Ethylthio)Furan-2(5H)-Ones Anions with Alkylating Agents

Alkylation of anions derived from 5-ethylthio-4-substituted furanones (1–3) is described. The regioselectivity depends on the alkylating agent but mainly on the nature of the substituent. The alkylation of 4-methoxyfuranone 3 proceeds regioselectively to afford the 5-alkylated derivative as sole product.     

On some classes of R-modules and congruences in R-tors

For a regular ideal having a principal reduction in a Noetherian ring we consider the structural numbers that arise from taking the Ratliff–Rush closure of the ideal and its powers. In particular, we analyze the interconnections among these numbers and the relation type and reduction number of the ideal. We prove that certain inequalites hold in general among these invariants, while for ideals contained in the conductor of the integral closure of the ring we obtain sharper results that do not hold in general. We provide applications to the one-dimensional local setting and present a sequence of examples in this context.     

Direct Analysis of Coffee and Tea for Aluminium Determinationby Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

 A method for direct analysis of tea and coffee samples by using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry is described. Coffee and tea from different sources were analyzed without digestion step. For slurry analyses the samples were ground, sieved at 105 μm and then suspended in 0.2% v/v HNO₃ and 10% v/v Triton X-100 medium. For liquid phase aluminium determination the samples were prepared in the same way and only the liquid is introduced directly into the graphite furnace. Calibration was performed by aqueous standards for both cases and the determinations were carried out in the linear range between 50 and 250 μg L⁻¹. The characteristic mass of aluminium and the detection limit were 45 pg and 2 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Using a typical 0.1% m/v coffee slurry sample, the relative standard deviation of measurements (n=15) for repeatability was about 8.2%. Received December 27, 1998. Revision March 18, 1999.     

A nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (δ13C, δ2H and δ18O) study of Andalusian olive oils

We have determined δ¹³C, δ²H and δ¹⁸O isotopic abundances in Andalusian olive oils. In addition, the fatty acid composition and the distribution of isomers at positions 1,3 and 2 of glycerol were determined by ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, respectively. Isotopic results obtained for four series of oil samples extracted from olives harvested in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons are discussed in terms of olive variety, ripeness, geographical origin, fatty acid composition and growing altitude. A distinction was also established between olives grown in irrigated and in dry land by studying selected samples of the previous series and others from the 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons. The results showed that olive ripeness does not influence the abundance of any of the three isotopes studied. On the other hand, the olive variety influences the abundance of the oxygen and hydrogen isotopes, and also, less markedly, that of carbon. No clear‐cut effect of height or latitude on isotope values is observed, probably because the olive variety also changes with height and latitude, thus masking such influences. The oil samples from dryland‐grown olives had increased δ¹³C values relative to irrigation‐grown olives. In addition, no definite relationship appears to exist between isotope distribution and fatty acid composition. Finally, oil samples from olives harvested in the 2005/06 season in Italy could be distinguished from those from Spain in terms of their isotopic values (δ²H mainly). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Immobilized microorganisms in the reduction of ethyl benzoylacetate

The enantioselective reduction of ethyl benzoylacetate (EBA) into ethyl (S)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanoate (S-HPPE) by nine yeast strains and three filamentous fungi strains is described. The conversion obtained was in the range 0-89% and the enantiomeric excess was 100% in many cases. Conversion levels were higher when the reduction was performed with microorganisms immobilized in calcium alginate and enantioselectivity remained excellent. Some reaction’s conditions of bioreduction by immobilized cells of Rhodotorula rubra were studied using a 2^5-2 fractional factorial design.     

Synthesis of resveratrol, DMU-212 and analogues through a novel Wittig-type olefination promoted by nickel nanoparticles

A novel synthesis of resveratrol, DMU-212 and analogues is presented using benzyl alcohols as phosphorus ylide partners in a one-pot Wittig-type olefination reaction promoted by nickel nanoparticles.     

The interaction of solvatochromic pyridiniophenolates with cyclodextrins

The interactions of six solvatochromic pyridiniophenolate dyes with α- and β-cyclodextrins were investigated with the aid of UV-vis and ¹H NMR spectroscopies, and molecular dynamics simulations. The deduced mode of encapsulation of these dyes within the hydrophobic host cavity was employed as a measure of the relative contributions of the donor and acceptor moieties to their solvatochromic properties.