The Photo‐Nazarov Reaction: Scope and Application

The reaction conditions and scope of the photo‐Nazarov reaction of aryl vinyl ketones were investigated. In contrast to the conventional acid‐catalyzed methods, this photolytic electrocyclization proceeds in the neutral or basic conditions. Irradiating substrates bearing various aromatic rings, acid‐sensitive groups, cyclohexenyl, cycloheptenyl, and unsaturated pyran with UV‐light (254 nm) smoothly yielded hexahydrofluorenones and related structures. This photo‐Nazarov reaction could also be applicable to the substrates carrying β‐alkyl groups on the enone, which gave corresponding polycyclic rings containing quaternary centers. These photo‐electrocyclized products may prove useful for synthesizing a variety of natural products and their derivatives. Further application of this mild photo‐Nazarov reaction in the synthesis of taiwaniaquinol B was achieved.     

Phenylene‐Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles that Boost Aqueous Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation Reactions

Phenylene‐coated organorhodium‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles are developed through co‐condensation of chiral 4‐(trimethoxysilyl)ethyl)phenylsulfonyl‐1,2‐diphenylethylene‐diamine and 1,4‐bis(triethyoxysilyl)benzene onto Fe₃O₄ followed complexation with [{Cp*RhCl₂}₂]. This magnetic catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity and high enantioselectivity in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation in aqueous medium. Such activity is attributed to the high hydrophobicity and the confined nature of the chiral organorhodium catalyst. The magnetic catalyst can be easily recovered by using a small external magnet and it can be reused for at least 10 times without loss of its catalytic activity. This characteristic makes it an attractive catalyst for environmentally friendly organic syntheses.     

Highly Curved Bowl‐Shaped Fragments of Fullerenes: Synthesis,Structural Analysis,and Physical Properties

Highly curved buckybowls 3 , 4 , and 5 were synthesized from planar precursors, fluoranthenes 8 , benzo[k]fluoranthenes 10 and naphtho[1,2‐k]‐cyclopenta[cd]fluoranthenes 12 , respectively, using straightforward palladium‐catalyzed cyclization reactions. These fluoranthene‐based starting materials were easily prepared from 1,8‐bis(arylethynyl)naphthalenes 6 . Both buckybowls 3 and 4 are fragments of C₆₀, whereas 5 is a unique subunit of C₇₀. The curved structures were identified by X‐ray crystallography, and they are deep bowls. The maximum π‐orbital axis vector (POAV) pyramidalization angle in both 3 and 4 is 12.8°. Such a high curvature is very rarely obtained. Buckybowls 5 are less curved than the others because they have a lower density of five‐membered rings, analogous to the tube portion of C₇₀. Cyclopentaannulation increases the bowl depths of 3 and 4 , but not the maximum POAV pyramidalization angle. Among the eight buckybowls studied herein, five form polar crystals. The bowl‐to‐bowl inversion dynamics of these buckybowls can be classified into two types; one has a planar transition structure, whereas the other has an S‐shaped transition structure. A larger longitudinal length of these buckybowls corresponds to a stronger preference for the latter. The photophysical properties of these buckybowls were examined and compared with those of C₆₀ and C₇₀. Buckybowls 5 have absorption bands at wavelengths greater than 450 nm, which are similar to those of C₇₀. The chiral resolution of the mono‐substituted buckybowl 4 ac was also studied by using HPLC with a chiral column.     

Synthesis,Thermal Behavior,and Dehydrogenation Kinetics Study of Lithiated Ethylenediamine

The lithiation of ethylenediamine by LiH is a stepwise process to form the partially lithiated intermediates LiN(H)CH₂CH₂NH₂ and [LiN(H)CH₂CH₂NH₂][LiN(H)CH₂CH₂N(H)Li]₂ prior to the formation of dilithiated ethylenediamine LiN(H)CH₂CH₂N(H)Li. A reversible phase transformation between the partial and dilithiated species was observed. One dimensional {Li_nN_n} ladders and three‐dimensional network structures were found in the crystal structures of LiN(H)CH₂CH₂NH₂ and LiN(H)CH₂CH₂N(H)Li, respectively. LiN(H)CH₂CH₂N(H)Li undergoes dehydrogenation with an activation energy of 181±8 kJ mol^?1, whereas the partially lithiated ethylenediamine compounds were polymerized and released ammonia at elevated temperatures. The dynamical dehydrogenation mechanism of the dilithiated ethylenediamine compounds was investigated by using the Johnson‐Mehl‐Avrami equation.     

多官能度噁唑烷的合成及其改性聚氨酯材料

合成了2,2-二甲基-N-羟乙基-1,3-噁唑烷(OX),并以其为结构单元合成了2种多官能度的噁唑烷化合物——丙二酸二-2,2-二甲基-N-羟乙基-1,3-噁唑烷酯(OX1)和1,1,5,5-戊烷端四甲酸四-2,2-二甲基-N-羟乙基-1,3-噁唑烷酯(OX2).采用13C核磁共振谱、质谱、元素分析和傅里叶变换红外光谱对产物结构进行表征,并探索了产物用于单组份湿固化聚氨酯(SPU)体系的潜固化剂性能.研究了固化体系的表观性能、力学性能和热性能.结果表明:纯湿固化SPU发泡且膨胀,拉伸强度为3.2 MPa,断裂伸长率为364%;而SPU-OX2固化体系的拉伸强度达27.2 MPa,是纯SPU固化体系拉伸强度(3.2 MPa)的9倍;SPU-OX2固化体系断裂伸长率达457%,是纯SPU固化体系断裂伸长率(364%)的1.26倍.聚氨酯中加入噁唑烷OX1和OX2为潜固化剂,不仅较好改善了聚氨酯的表观性能,而且增加了聚氨酯预聚体的力学性能和热稳定性.     

Time‐Resolved Assembly of Cluster‐in‐Cluster {Ag12}‐in‐{W76} Polyoxometalates under Supramolecular Control

We report the time‐resolved supramolecular assembly of a series of nanoscale polyoxometalate clusters (from the same one‐pot reaction) of the form: [H_(10+m)Ag₁₈Cl(Te₃W₃₈O₁₃₄)₂]_n, where n=1 and m=0 for compound 1 (after 4 days), n=2 and m=3 for compound 2 (after 10 days), and n=∞ and m=5 for compound 3 (after 14 days). The reaction is based upon the self‐organization of two {Te₃W₃₈} units around a single chloride template and the formation of a {Ag₁₂} cluster, giving a {Ag₁₂}‐in‐{W₇₆} cluster‐in‐cluster in compound 1 , which further aggregates to cluster compounds 2 and 3 by supramolecular Ag‐POM interactions. The proposed mechanism for the formation of the clusters has been studied by ESI‐MS. Further, control experiments demonstrate the crucial role that TeO₃^2?, Cl^?, and Ag⁺ play in the self‐assembly of compounds 1 – 3 .     

Synthesis of Long‐Sought C66 with Exohedral Stabilization

Previously reported fused‐pentagon fullerenes stabilized by exohedral derivatization do not share the same cage with those stabilized by endohedral encapsulation. Herein we report the crystallographic identification of ^#4348C₆₆Cl₁₀, which has the same cage as that of previously reported Sc₂@C₆₆. According to the geometrical data of ^#4348C₆₆Cl₁₀, both strain relief (at the fused pentagons) and local aromaticity (on the remaining sp²‐hybrided carbon framework) contribute to the exohedral stabilization of this long‐sought 66 carbon atom cage.     

A Protic Ionic Liquid Catalyzes CO2 Conversion at Atmospheric Pressure and Room Temperature: Synthesis of Quinazoline‐2,4(1H,3H)‐diones

The chemical fixation of CO₂ under mild reaction conditions is of significance from a sustainable chemistry viewpoint. Herein a CO₂‐reactive protic ionic liquid (PIL), [HDBU⁺][TFE^?], was designed by neutralization of the superbase 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU) with a weak proton donor trifluoroethanol (TFE). As a bifunctional catalyst for simultaneously activating CO₂ and the substrate, this PIL displayed excellent performance in catalyzing the reactions of CO₂ with 2‐aminobenzonitriles at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, thus producing a series of quinazoline‐2,4(1H,3H)‐diones in excellent yields.