Chlorotrimethylsilane: a suitable reagent for the synthesis of chlorohydrin esters

A new methodology for obtaining chlorohydrin esters using a one-pot esterification-chlorination reaction, in which one of the reagents, chlorotrimethylsilane, acts as solvent, is described. The reaction is stereospecific and its regioselectivity depends on the number of carbons between the hydroxyl groups present in the starting material. A mechanism is proposed.     

Cyclocondensation reaction of 1,2-diamino-4-methylbenzene and p-substituted acetophenones

1,2-Diamino-4-methylbenzene 1 reacts in the presence of sulphuric acid with 4-substituted acetophenones 2a-e yielding 2,4-diaryl-2,3-dihydro-2,8-dimethyl-1H-1,5-benzodiazepines 3a-e and as minor component 2,4-diaryl-2,3-dihydro-2,7-dimethyl-1H-1,5-benzodiazepines 4a-e . The ratio 3:4 is in the range of 7:3. The structure determination of the regioisomers was performed by NOE measurements.     

Theoretical study of the gas-phase thermolysis reaction of alkyl (ethyl,isopropyl, and tert-butyl) N,N-dimethylcarbamates and N,N-diethylcarbamates

Theoretical studies on the thermolysis in the gas phase of alkyl N,N-dialkylcarbamates were carried out using ab initio theoretical methods, at the MP2/6-31G(d), MP2/6-31++G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(2d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d) levels. The reactions have two steps: the first one corresponds to the formation of an alkene and a neutral dialkylcarbamic acid intermediate via a six-membered cyclic transition state; the second one is the decarboxylation of this intermediate via a four-membered cyclic transition state, leading to carbon dioxide and the corresponding dialkylamine. The progress of the reactions was followed by means of the Wiberg bond indices. The results indicate that the transition states have character intermediate between reactants and products, and the calculated synchronicities show that the reactions are slightly asynchronous. The bond-breaking processes are more advanced than the bond-forming ones, indicating a bond deficiency in the transition states. The rate constants calculated for all the reactions agree very well with the available experimental data.From the Proceedings of the 28th Congreso de Químicos Teóricos de Expresión Latina (QUITEL 2002)     

SPME determination of volatile aldehydes for evaluation of in-vitro antioxidant activity

The in-vitro antioxidant activity of natural (essential oils, vitamin E) or synthetic substances ( tert-butyl hydroxy anisole (BHA), Trolox) has been evaluated by monitoring volatile carbonyl compounds released in model lipid systems subjected to peroxidation. The procedure employed methodology previously developed for the determination of carbonyl compounds as their pentafluorophenylhydrazine derivatives which were quantified, with high sensitivity, by means of capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Linoleic acid and sunflower oil were used as model lipid systems. Lipid peroxidation was induced in linoleic acid by the Fe2+ ion (1 mmol L-1, 37 degrees C, 12 h) and in sunflower oil by heating in the presence of O2 (220 degrees C, 2 h). The change in hexanal (the main lipoxidation product) concentration found in the lipid matrix subjected to oxidation with and without the substance being tested was used to calculate the antioxidant protection effect. These procedures were employed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the essential oils of cilantro ( Coriander sativum L.), fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis L.), "salvia negra" ( Lepechinia schiedeana), and oregano ( Origanum vulgare L.), and the well-known antioxidants BHA, vitamin E, and Trolox, its water-soluble analog. In the sunflower oil system, the essential oils had a stronger protective effect against lipid peroxidation than BHA, vitamin E, and Trolox within the range of concentrations examined (1-20 g L-1). The highest protecting effect, corresponding to a 90% drop in hexanal release, was observed for cilantro oil at 10 g L-1.     

Catalytic transformation of copaiba (Copaifera officinalis) oil over zeolite ZSM-5

The oil extracted from the trunk of the copaiba tree (Copaifera officinalis) is composed of sesquiterpenes, C₁₅H₂₄, and a small amount (>7 %) of sesquiterpenols, C₁₅H₂₆O; these were identified from their Kováts indices and mass spectra. The use of zeolites in the catalytic transformation of this renewable source of hydrocarbons is of interest in the search for new chemicals and ecologically clean fuels. Oil samples from copaiba trees growing in Colombia's Oriental Plains were circulated over zeolite ZSM-5 in a continuous flow fixed-bed micro reactor at 225, 265, and 325°C, for 1 h and subsequently analyzed by HRGC and GC-MS. Whereas only thirty four sesquiterpenes were identified in the original oil, over two hundred compounds were found in the product of the treatment of copaiba oil with zeolite ZSM-5. This complex mixture of sesquiterpenes, light aromatic compounds, and indene and naphthalene derivatives resulted from reactions such as isomerization, hydrogenation, cracking, and dehydrogenation with and without cracking. The amount of cracking products and aromatic compounds increased with reactor temperature but decreased with catalyst aging.     

trans‐Bis­[1‐methyl‐3‐(p‐nitro­phenyl)­triazenido 1‐oxide‐κ2N3,O]­di­pyridine­nickel(II)

In the centrosymmetric title complex, [Ni(C₇H₇N₄O₃)₂(C₅H₅N)₂], the coordination geometry about the Ni²⁺ ion is octahedral, with two deprotonated 1‐methyl‐3‐(p‐nitro­phenyl)­triazenide 1‐oxide ions, viz. [O₂N­C₆H₄­NNN(O)­CH₃]^?, acting as bidentate ligands (four‐electron donors). Two neutral pyridine (py) mol­ecules complete the coordination sphere in positions trans to each other. The triazenide 1‐oxide ligand is almost planar, the largest interplanar angle of 8.80 (12)° being between the phenyl ring of the p‐nitro­phenyl group and the plane defined by the N₃O moiety. The Ni—N_triazenide, Ni—O and Ni—N_py distances are 2.0794 (16), 2.0427 (13) and 2.1652 (18) Å, respectively.     

Calorimetric and computational study of 3-buten-1-ol and 3-butyn-1-ol. Estimation of the enthalpies of formation of 1-alkenols and 1-alkynols

The enthalpies of combustion and vaporization of 3-buten-1-ol and 3-butyn-1-ol have been measured by static bomb combustion calorimetry and correlation gas chromatography techniques, respectively, and the gas-phase enthalpies of formation, Delta(f)H degrees (m)(g), have been determined, the values being -147.3 +/- 1.8 and 16.7 +/- 1.6 kJ mol(-1), for 3-buten-1-ol and 3-butyn-1-ol, respectively. High level calculations at the G2 and G3 levels have also been carried out. Relationships between the enthalpies of formation of 1-alkanols, 1-alkenols and 1-alkynols and with the corresponding hydrocarbons have been discussed. From the calculated contributions to Delta(f)H degrees (m)(g) for the substitutions of CH(3) by CH(2)OH, CH(3)CH(2) by CH(2)=CH and CH(3)CH(2) by CH triple bond C, we have estimated the Delta(f)H degrees (m)(g) values for 3-buten-1-ol and 3-butyn-1-ol, in excellent agreement with the experimental ones. Delta(f)H degrees (m)(g) values for 1-alkenols and 1-alkynols up to 10 carbon atoms have also been estimated.     

Persistence of layer motifs in the crystal structures of [1,4-bis-(2-methoxy-2-carbonylethyl)piperazinium (2’)] chloride and [1,4-bis-(2-amidoethyl)piperazinium (2’)] perchlorate

Two structures of the closely related piperazinium salts, [1,4-bis-(2-methoxy-2-carbonylethyl)piperazinium (2+)] chloride (1) and [1,4-bis-(2-amidoethyl)piperazinium (2+)] perchlorate (2) reveal the persistence of a layer structure, interspersed with anions, held in place by N–H···Cl, C–H···O and C–H···Cl interactions in the case of 1, and N–H···O and C–H···O interactions in the case of 2. Compound 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P-1 with a=6.7667(6) ?, b = 6.9467(6) ?, c=9.3880(18) ?, α=105.845(9)°, β=99.896(16)°, γ=103.600(9)°, and Z=1. Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 9.0930(8) ?, b=10.0525(11) ? c=10.2104(13) ?, β=114.279(9)°, and Z=2.     

HRGC/FID and HRGC/MSD Analysis of the Secondary Metabolites Obtained by Different Extraction Methods from Lepechinia schiedeana,and in Vitro Evaluation of Its Antioxidant Activity

Steam distillation (SD), simultaneous distillation-solvent extraction (SDE), microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MWE), and supercritical (CO₂) extraction (SFE) were used to isolate secondary metabolites from Lepechinia schiedeana. The various extracts were analyzed by capillary gas-chromatography, on poly (dimethylsiloxane) (DB-1) and poly(ethyleneglycol) (INNOWAX), 60 m columns, using FID or MSD (EI, 70 eV). Kováts indexes, mass spectra, or standard compounds were employed for compound identification. 43, 61, 67, and 79 compounds at concentrations above 0.01% were detected in the SD, SDE, MWE, and SFE extracts, respectively. Ledol, C₁₅H₂₆O, was the major constituent (20.04–36.87%) in all extracts. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (24.36–43.14%), C₁₀H₁₆, monoterpenes (27.70–39.87%), and C₁₅H₂₄, sesquiterpenes (10.04–22.22%) were the main groups of compounds present in SD, SDE, MWE, and SFE extracts. Heavy hydrocarbons (C_n > 15), diterpenoids, and phytosterols were found only in MWE and SFE extracts. The antioxidant activity of Lepechinia schiedeana was measured by the HRGC quantification of the volatile carbonyl compounds, final products of lipoxidation, released in a model lipid system (sunflower oil) by the effect of the Fenton reagent. The concentration of volatile carbonyl compounds decreased by 65% when lipid oxidation was induced in the presence of macerated Lepechinia plant. The protection of polyunsaturated acids in sunflower oil was also studied by measuring their concentrations after heating of the oil (180°C, 2 h) with and without macerated Lepechinia plant.