Mild, aqueous, aerobic, catalytic oxidation of methane to methanol and acetaldehyde catalyzed by a supported bipyrimidinylplatinum-polyoxometalate hybrid compound

We have demonstrated that a bipyrimidinylplatinum-polyoxometalate, [Pt(Mebipym)Cl2]+[H4PV2Mo10O40]-, supported on silica is an active catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of methane to methanol in water under mild reaction conditions. Further oxidation of methanol yields acetaldehyde. The presence of the polyoxometalate is presumed to allow the facile oxidation of a Pt(II) intermediate to a Pt(IV) intermediate and to aid in the addition of methane to the Pt catalytic center.     

Single-crystal structures of polyphenylene dendrimers

A series of first-generation polyphenylene dendrimers based on three different cores were prepared by Diels-Alder cycloaddition and their single-crystal structures were determined. Consisting exclusively of interlocked, twisted phenyl rings, these polyphenylene nanostructures have exciting structural and dynamic properties. Single crystals of dendrimers, suitable for X-ray structure analysis, were grown from different solvent mixtures by slow evaporation at room temperature. It should be pointed out that one of the described polyphenylene dendrimers represents up to now the biggest oligophenylene nanostructure from which crystallographic data is available.     

Intramolecular Cyclizations of Allenic Acylureas and -Amides

Allenic acids are found to add to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide affording, in the presence of Et₂NH, the 4H-1,3-oxazin-4-ones 5 via 4 . Under neutral conditions, they add to diaryl- or pyridyl(cyclohexyl)carbodiimides and triphenylketene imine to give the corresponding tricyclo[5.2.2.0^1,5]undeca-4,8,10-trien-3-ones 7 , 8 , 9 , and 12 . The allenic phenyl ester 13a dimerises, on heating in a [2+2] head-to-head fashion, to 14 but fails to undergo intramolecular Diels-Alder cyclization, to 15 .     

Kinetic and mechanistic study of the quasiliving cationic polymerization of styrene with the 2-phenyl-2-propanol/AlCl3 · OBu2 initiating system

The cationic polymerization of styrene with the 2-phenyl-2-propanol (CumOH)/AlCl₃ · OBu₂ initiating system at various dibutyl ether concentrations in a mixture of 1,2-dichloroethane and n-hexane (55:45 v/v) at −15 °C was investigated. The experimental results showed that an increase in dibutyl ether concentration leads to a noticeable decrease in the polymerization rate as well as to the more controlled polymerization in terms of molecular weight (M_n) and molecular weight distribution (MWD) evolutions. The kinetic investigation revealed that the polymerization proceeds in two stages. The first stage is characterized by high polymerization rate and slow initiation relative to propagation. During this stage molecular weight decreases or does not change and MWD increases with conversion. In the second stage considerably slower quasiliving polymerization of styrene occurs. The quasiliving nature of the styrene polymerization by the CumOH/AlCl₃ · OBu₂ system is proved and mechanistic scheme of the polymerization is proposed.     

A statistical model for the optimization of dsc performance in the evaluation of drugs for preformulation studies

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a thermal analytical tool for preformulation studies. Extrapolated melting temperature (T_P) and heat of fusion (ΔH_f) can be used as parameters for optimizing the DSC performance. Two model pharmaceuticals acetaminophen and nicotinamide are used in this study. Using a factorial design for the experimental model and matrix analysis the results, the effect of sample mass, heating rate and the nitrogen flow rate were evaluated on the ΔH_f values and T_P values. Two levels for each of the procedural variables were used as a balanced experimental design with two sample sizes, two heating rates and two nitrogen flow rates. It was found that the change in the heating rate caused significant changes in the ΔH_f values but not the T_p values for acetaminophen. However, no significant effect was found for the T_p value but ΔH_f value was affected to a certain extent for nicotinamide.     

Synthesis and structure of [(Sn(mu-PCy))3(Na x PMDETA)2], containing an electron-deficient [(Sn(mu-PCy))3]2- dianion

The reaction of CyPHNa with Sn(NMe2)2 in the presence of PMDETA (= (Me2NCH2CH2)2NMe) gives the title compound [(Sn(mu-PCy))3(Na x PMDETA)2] (1), containing an electron-deficient [(Sn(mu-PCy))]3(2-) dianion with a novel two-electron, three centre (2e-3c) bonding arrangement.     

Iron(II) and zinc(II) monohelical binaphthyl salen complexes

A new chiral binaphthyl salen ligand with rigid polyaromatic sidearms gives monohelical complexes (Fe(II) and Zn(II)) of predetermined handedness.