Lewis acid catalysis in supercritical carbon dioxide. Use of poly(ethylene glycol) derivatives and perfluoroalkylbenzenes as surfactant molecules which enable efficient catalysis in ScCO2

Lewis acid catalysis in supercritical carbon dioxide (CO(2)) was investigated. While solubility of most organic materials is low in scCO(2), poly(ethylene glycol) derivatives or perfluoroalkylbenzenes were found to work as surfactants to dissolve organic materials in scCO(2). In the presence of these molecules, Lewis acid catalyzed organic reactions such as aldol-, Mannich-, and Friedel-Crafts-type reactions proceeded smoothly in scCO(2). Formation of emulsions was observed in these reactions, and the systems were studied in detail.     

Lipase-catalyzed transformation of poly(lactic acid) into cyclic oligomers

Enzymatic transformations into cyclic oligomers were carried out with the objective of developing chemical recycling of poly(lactic acid)s, such as poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA), poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), which are typical biodegradable polymers. They were degraded by lipase in an organic solvent to produce the corresponding cyclic oligomer with a molecular weight of several hundreds. PDLLA (with a Mw of 84,000) was quantitatively transformed into cyclic oligomers by lipase RM (Lipozyme RM IM) in chloroform/hexane at 60 degrees C. PLLA (with a Mw of 120,000) was transformed into cyclic oligomer by lipase CA (Novozym 435) at a higher temperature of 100 degrees C in o-xylene. The oligomer structure was identified by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF (matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight) mass spectrometry.     

Microwave spectroscopic study on the molecular structure and the quadrupole coupling constants of thionyl chloride

Microwave spectra of thionyl chloride, SO³⁵Cl₂ and SO³⁵Cl³⁷Cl, in the frequency range 8–25 GHz have been analyzed. The rotational constants have been obtained from the low J transition frequencies. The r_S coordinates of Cl atoms and the r_o structure have been evaluated with some assumptions: r(S-O) = 1.435 ± 0.011± Å, r(S—Cl) = 2.072 0.005 Å, ∠ OSCl = 108.00 ± 0.06°, ∠ ClSCl = 97.15 ± 0.30°. Nuclear quadrupole coupling constants have been obtained for the SO³⁵Cl₂, species: x_aa = ?25.02 ± 0.04 MHz, x(_bb = ?0.25 ± 0.04 MHz, X_cc = 25.27 ± 0.08 MHz, and X_zz = ?96.75 MHz. The values obtained are compared with those of other workers.     

Thermal decomposition of the solvent-extracted chloro complexes of vanadium(IV) with trioctylamine and trioctylmethylammonium chloride

The complexes (R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ and (R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ prepared by drying in vacuo the organic solutions from the extraction into benzene of aqueous vanadyl chloride solution with trioctylamine (TOA, R₃N) and trioctylmethylammonium chloride (TOMAC, R₃RNCl), were studied by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis under an atmosphere of nitrogen, and the products of their thermal decomposition, such as volatile matter and residues, by gas chromatography. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. It was found that the complexes with TOA and TOMAC thermally decompose to V₂O₃ at 200–300° by cracking of the compounds R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂ and R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂ formed via dissociation of the complexes at about 150°.

---

Zusammenfassung Die Komplexe (R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ und (R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ wurden hergestellt, indem benzolische und wässrige Vanadylchlorid-Lösungen mit Trioctylamin (TOA, R₃N) und Trioctylmethylammoniumchlorid (TOMAC, R₃RNCl) extrahiert und die erhaltenen Lösungen im Vakuum eingedampft wurden. Die Komplexen wurden in Stickstoffatmosphäre mittels TG und DTA untersucht und die thermischen Zersetzungsprodukte, und zwar sowohl die flüchtigen Verbindungen als auch die Rückstände, gaschromatographisch bzw. röntgendiffraktometrisch und IR-spektroskopisch bestimmt. Es wurde festgestellt, daß die Komplexe mit TOA und TOMAC bei 150° in die Verbindungen R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂ und R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂ dissoziieren, die bei 200–300° thermisch zu V₂O₃ zersetzt werden.

---

(R₃NHVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ (R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂)₂ (R₃,) ( , R₃RNCl). , , . , 200–300° V₂₃ R₃NV()l₂ R₃RNVO(OH)Cl₂, 150°.

---

---

We wish to thank the Koei Chemical Co. Ltd. for samples of TOA and TOMAC.     

Total synthesis of (-)-tuberostemonine

The first total synthesis of the complex pentacyclic Stemona alkaloid tuberostemonine was accomplished in 24 steps and in 1.4% overall yield from a hydroindole intermediate which is readily obtained in three steps from Cbz-l-tyrosine. An innovative synthetic strategy was applied that relays the single stereocenter of the amino acid precursor into nine of the ten stereogenic carbons of the target molecule. Among the highlights of the synthetic methodology are the 3-fold use of ruthenium catalysis, first in an azepine ring-closing metathesis and then in an alkene isomerization followed by a cross-metathesis propenyl-vinyl exchange, as well as the stereoselective attachment of the gamma-butyrolactone moiety to the core tetracycle by use of a lithiated ortho ester.     

Aqueous Titanate Sols from Ti Alkoxide-α-Hydroxycarboxylic Acid System and Preparation of Titania Films from the Sols

Aqueous titanate sols were prepared by reactions of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TIP) with -hydroxycarboxylic acids in water. IR and Raman spectra, and elemental analyses of the precipitates obtained from the sols revealed that the carboxylates were chelated to titanium but the Ti species were polymerized to form a cluster that had a colloidal nature. Spin-coating of titania (TiO₂) thin films from these sols was also examined. Interestingly, it was found that (004) preferentially oriented anatase films with refractive index of 2.54 were obtained from TIP-lactic acid-NH₃ (1:1:1, molar ratio) aqueous sol. This crystallographic orientation was characteristic of the TIP-lactic acid-NH₃ (1:1:1) system, and was not affected by the kinds of substrates used and the heating rate of the film. TEM observation indicated that small anatase grains had already formed at 200°C. Therefore, the crystallographic orientation might depend strongly on the structure of the chemical species of the precursor solutions.     

Highly sensitive automatic analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor and outdoor air

A method for the quantitation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor and outdoor air by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a spectrofluorometric detection and programmed excitation and emission wavelength pairs is proposed. The mobile phase is a linear gradient of methanol-water. The relative standard deviations (n = 5) are in the range 0.38-1.7% at concentration levels of 0.69-11.40 ng ml(-1). The determination limits (S N = 10 ) are 0.5-15.9 pg. The proposed method was successfully applied to quantitate 12 PAHs in gas phase and particulates in indoor and outdoor air. The recoveries of PAHs from gas phase and particulates were 95.7-117.5 and 94.8-112.4%, respectively. This highly sensitive automatic HPLC analysis for PAHs both in gas phase and particulates can be applied to indoor and outdoor survey.     

Metallic Na formation in/on NaCl crystals with irradiation by electron or vacuum ultraviolet photons

Metallic Na was formed in/on NaCl single crystals by irradiating them with a variety of radiation sources, namely, 21 MeV electron pulses, an electron beam of 30 keV and photon fluxes in the VUV region. The physical states were analysed using several methods, optical absorption, lifetime measurement of positron annihilation, Auger electron spectroscopy and UV photoelectron spectroscopy. Metallic Na was obtained in different physical states; clusters were formed in bulk, thin layers (islands) and thick layers on the surface.     

(2,7-Disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) as bidentate organoaluminum Lewis acids: elucidation and synthetic Utility of the double electrophilic activation phenomenon

A series of (2,7-disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) (2) has been readily prepared in situ by treatment of the requisite 2,7-disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenediol (1) with Me3Al (2 equiv) in CH2Cl2 at room temperature; this primarily relies on the successful establishment of a new synthetic procedure of 1 starting from inexpensive m-anisidine. Evaluation of 2 as a bidentate organoaluminum Lewis acid has been performed by the reduction of ketonic substrates using Bu3SnH as a hydride source in comparison to the conventional monodentate Lewis acid dimethylaluminum 2,6-xylenoxide (11), uncovering the significantly high activation ability of 2 toward carbonyl. Particularly, (2,7-dimethyl-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) (2a) exerted the highest reactivity, which has also been emphasized in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction. The structure of the bidentate Lewis acid 2 was unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of 2g possessing a bulky 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl substituent, revealing the rigid dimeric assembly in the solid state. The double electrophilic activation of carbonyl substrate by 2a has been supported by low-temperature 13C NMR analysis as well as theoretical study using the Gaussian 98 program. Moreover, unique stereoselectivity has been observed in the 2a-promoted Mukaiyama Michael addition, and highly chemoselective functionalization of carbonyl compounds in the presence of their acetal counterparts has been realized using 2a. Finally, the effectiveness of 2a for the activation of ether functionality has been demonstrated in the Claisen rearrangement of allyl vinyl ethers.     

Quantitative study of diffuse increased 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate accumulation of both kidneys

Patients with diffuse increased accumulation in both kidneys on 99mTc-MDP bone scintigram were evaluated quantitatively. Among 1,100 cases, 7 (0.63%) showed this finding. The accumulation density ratios of kidneys/lumbal vertebra in A/D exchanged images of these patients were compared with control group, so that these ratios of patient group were higher than control group statistically. In conclusion, the accumulation density ratio was made the index of diffuse increase accumulation in both kidneys on 99mTc-MDP bone scintigram.