Ruthenium(II) complexes of monodonor ligands: efficient reagents for asymmetric ketone hydrogenation

[Chemical reaction: See text] A series of BINOL-derived ligands have been prepared and incorporated into ruthenium(II) complexes containing a diamine ligand. The complexes have proven to be excellent catalysts for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones, giving reduction products with enantiomeric excesses of up to 99%.     

Thermal degradation of a series of polyester polyurethanes

A series of polyester polyurethanes with a range of polyester contents was prepared from an ethylene glycol/propylene glycol/adipic acid polyster, butane diol, and methylene bis (4-phenyl isocyanate) (MBPI). They were thermally degraded under vacuum and the products of degradation were identified. The urethane linkages decompose first as the temperature is increased and the stability increases with polyester content. Reaction mechanisms were proposed which account for the principal features of the reaction and the products of degradation.     

Comparison of analytical techniques to quantify malondialdehyde in milk powders

Several analytical methods were compared to quantify malondialdehyde (MDA) in milk powders. Modified thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods, using either visible spectrophotometry (direct absorbance reading or after third derivative transformation of the spectrum) or HPLC, required derivatisation at elevated temperature, which appeared to catalyse artefactual MDA formation and thus overestimate the MDA content. In contrast to the TBA derivatisation method, the measurement of MDA as the dinitrophenylhydrazone derivative by HPLC or as the phenylhydrazone product by GC-MS with a deuterated internal standard resulted in lower estimates in the ranges of 2-17- and 3-30-fold, respectively; apparently due to the milder derivatisation conditions. The estimates of MDA determined by both HPLC-UV and GC-MS techniques result in lower values which are similar in magnitude even though the GC-MS technique is more sensitive.     

Chemical Synthesis of Oligonucleotides Containing N6-Methyladenine Residues in the GATC Site

To investigate by NMR the effects of adenine methylation, a set of oligodeoxynucleotides has been synthesized by phosphotriester or phosphoramidite procedures on silica-gel support. The preparation of fully protected 2′-deoxy-N⁶-methyladenosine 3′-phosphate 4 and (2′-deoxy-N⁶-methyladenosin-3′-O-yl)(methoxy)morpholinophosphine 5 is described. The large-scale chemical synthesis, purification by HPLC, and characterization by MS of these molecules containing N⁶-methyladenine is reported.     

Irreversible cathodic behavior of graphite in the presence of some mixtures of onium salts

The electrochemically induced dissolution of ferrocene in a carbon paste electrode is investigated by using chronoamperometry at constant potential. Two types of behaviour are observed, according to the initial form of ferrocene: particles or deposit. The experimental i-t curves are respectively in agreement with the theoretical curves, derived earlier, in the case of spherical particles or planar slabs of solid. The analysis of the curve shows that the process is diffusion controlled, so that the dissolution rate of ferrocene cannot be measured. The parameters calculated from the curves (thickness of the deposit, initial distance from the electrode, area) have a reasonable order of magnitude.     

Rydberg fingerprint spectroscopy: a new spectroscopic tool with local and global structural sensitivity

Rydberg spectra are shown to provide a spectral fingerprint that is sensitive to molecular structure in unique ways. The concepts are demonstrated using a set of isomeric fluorophenols and a sequence of aliphatic diamines. In the fluorophenols, the sensitivity extends to the placement of a single hydrogen atom and can be traced to the molecular charge distributions associated with the locations of atoms and functional groups with respect to the charge center. Experiments on tetramethyl diamines demonstrate that the structural sensitivity encompasses the extended molecular structure, including parts of the molecule that are remote from the ionization center. This global structure sensitivity makes Rydberg fingerprint spectroscopy uniquely suited to characterize structures of large-scale molecular systems.     

Le diptérocarpol—II Stéréochimie en C-13 et en C-17

Various reactions of ring D of dipterocarpol (hydroxy-dammarenone-II) show this triterpene to have the configuration 13β, 17H, in accordance with biogenetic speculations.     

Spectrochemical determination of lithium,sodium, potassium and rubidium in rocks and minerals using the stallwood jet

A D C, spectrochemical method using the STALLWOOD jet has been developed for the determination of Li, Na, K and Rb in silicate minerals and rocks. Samples are mixed with graphite and Cs₂CO₃ in tho ratio 2 : 1 : 1, and Cs serves as internal standard. Precision and accuracy is satisfactory.     

Solution and X-Ray Crystal Structures of the Di- and Tetra-allyl Ether of tert- utylcalix[4]arene

The di- and tetra-allyl ethers of tert-butylcalix[4]arene 1 and 2 have been prepared by alkylation of tert-butylcalix[4]arene with allyl bromide and K₂CO₃ using different reaction times. Solution ¹H NMR measurement of the di-allyl ether 1 and X-ray crystal structures of the complexes of 1 with chloroform (1a) or methanol (1b) indicate the cone conformation of 1 in which intramolecular hydrogen bonding can be maximized. The crystalline state conformers 1a and 1b are distorted in different grades depending on the solvent. While methanol is incorporated in the macrocycle, chloroform molecules do not occupy the cage. The solution ¹H NMR spectra of tetra-allyl ether 2 show the co-existence of the cone and partial cone conformation. The partial cone conformer of 2 was investigated by X-ray crystallography. In this compound hydrogen bonding is not existent. The conformer distribution is likely affected by steric and template effects.     

Structural and energetic aspects of the protonation of phenol,catechol, resorcinol,and hydroquinone

The various protonated forms of phenol (1), catechol (2), resorcinol (3), and hydroquinone (4) were explored by ab initio quantum chemical calculations at the MP2/6-31G(d) and B3LYP/6-31G(d) levels. Proton affinities (PA) of 1-4 were calculated by the combined G2(MP2,SVP) method, and their gas-phase basicities were estimated after calculation of the change in entropy on protonation. These theoretical data were compared with the corresponding experimental values determined in a high-pressure mass spectrometer. This comparison confirmed that phenols are essentially carbon bases and that protonation generally occurs in a position para to the hydroxyl group. Resorcinol is the most effective base (PA = 856 kJ mol-1) due to the participation of both oxygen atoms in the stabilization of the protonated form. Since protonation is accompanied by a freezing of the two internal rotations, a significant decrease in entropy is observed. The basicity of catechol (PA = 823 kJ mol-1) is due to the existence of an intramolecular hydrogen bond, which is strengthened upon protonation. The lower basicity of hydroquinone (PA = 808 kJ mol-1) is a consequence of the fact that protonation necessarily occurs in a position ortho to the hydroxyl group. When the previously published data are reconsidered and a corrected protonation entropy is used, a proton affinity value of 820 kJ mol-1 is obtained for phenol.