A new method for the conversion of allyl alcohol into pi-allyl species promoted by nucleophilic interaction with a CO ligand

Upon treatment with an iridium carbonyl complex, [(PN)Ir(CO)2]+, allyl alcohol can be smoothly converted into pi-allyliridium species at ambient temperature via nucleophilic interaction of the alcohol with a CO ligand followed by C(allyl)-O bond cleavage in the resultant protonated allyloxycarbonyl intermediate.     

Stereoselective synthesis of cis- and trans-oligo(phenylenevinylene)s via palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

cis-Oligo(phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs) are synthesized by Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of arylboronic acids with (Z)-bromoalkenes in over 96% geometrical purity. On the other hand, trans-oligo(phenylenevinylene)s can be synthesized by Hiyama coupling of aryl iodide with (E)-alkenylsilanes in almost perfect purities. Effect of pi-conjugation chain length on photoisomerization behavior of OPVs is described.     

Microchip-based liquid-liquid extraction for gas-chromatography analysis of amphetamine-type stimulants in urine

A microchip-based liquid-liquid extraction for the gas chromatography analysis of urine for amphetamine-type stimulants has been developed. Partially modified microchannels with the capillarity restricted modification (CARM) method were employed for stabilizing the interface consisting of 1-chlorobutane and alkalized urine. Reliability of the microchip-based extraction was evaluated with respect to linearity, trueness and precision. As a practical demonstration, methoxyphenamine hydrochloride (50 mg) was administered to three healthy volunteers, and the concentration of methoxyphenamine in their urine was determined by both methods for comparison. This study showed the potential of pressure-driven microfluidics to contribute to the rapid automation analysis in forensic toxicology.     

Liquid phase microextraction with in situ derivatization for measurement of bisphenol A in river water sample by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new method that involves liquid phase microextraction (LPME) with in situ derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is described for the determination of trace amounts of bisphenol A (BPA) in river water samples. The LPME conditions, such as the type of extraction solvent and the extraction time, are investigated. Then, the extract is directly injected into GC-MS. The detection limit and the quantification limit of BPA in river water sample are 2 and 10pgml(-1) (ppt), respectively. The calibration curve for BPA is linear with a correlation coefficient of >0.999 in the range of 10-10,000pgml(-1). The average recoveries of BPA in river water samples spiked with 100 and 1000pgml(-1) BPA are 104.1 (RSD: 8.9%) and 98.3 (RSD: 3.2%), respectively, with correction using the added surrogate standard, bisphenol A-(13)C(12). This simple, accurate, sensitive and selective analytical method may be applicable to the determination of trace amounts of BPA in liquid samples.     

Effects of cleaning procedures of silica wafers on their friction characteristics

Silicon wafers with thermal silicon oxide layers were cleaned and hydrophilized by three different methods: (1) the remote chemical analysis (RCA) wet cleaning by use of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide mixture solutions, (2) water-vapor plasma cleaning, and (3) UV/ozone combined cleaning. All procedures were found to remove effectively organic contaminations on wafers and gave identical characteristics of the contact angle, the surface roughness and the normal force interactions, measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). However, it is found that wafers cleaned by the RCA method have several times larger friction coefficients than those cleaned by the plasma and UV/ozone methods. The difference was explained by the atomic-scale topological difference induced during the RCA cleaning. This study reveals the lateral force microscopy as a very sensitive method to detect the microstructure of surfaces.     

From carbon dioxide to methane: homogeneous reduction of carbon dioxide with hydrosilanes catalyzed by zirconium-borane complexes

A mixture of a zirconium benzyl phenoxide complex and tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane is reported that catalyzes the hydrosilation reaction of carbon dioxide to generate methane via a bis(silyl)acetal intermediate.     

CO2 incorporation reaction using arynes: straightforward access to benzoxazinone

A zwitterion, generated from an aryne and an imine, has been demonstrated to serve as an excellent molecular scaffold for capturing CO2, which results in the straightforward formation of diverse benzoxazinones.