Polymer-supported bases. 7. Nucleophilic acyl rearrangements catalyzed by polymer-supported aminopyridine or imidazole bases

Polymer-supported aminopyridine or imidazole catalysts were effective for acyl rearrangements of O-acylated substrates to C-acylated products. Some of the aminopyridine catalysts, which had much higher activity than the imidazole catalyst, exhibited high activity comparable to that of the corresponding soluble catalyst, 4-N, N-dimethylaminopyridine. The activity of the immobilized aminopyridines was studied as a function of the percentage of ring substitution, spacer-chain length, and solvents. The affinity of the substrates for the immobilized catalysts played an important role for the rearrangements. The increased catalytic activity resulted from the increased affinity of the substrates for the catalysts. The activity of the immobilized bases decreased gradually owing to the reaction of the active site with the products as the catalysts were used repeatedly. The treatment of the used catalysts with nucleophiles restored the activity to some extent. The activity decrease can be minimized by shortening a contact time between the catalysts and the products.     

Regioselective radical ring-opening reaction of bicyclo[4.2.0]octan-2-ones promoted by samarium(II) iodide

Radical ring-opening reactions of bicyclo[4.2.0]octanones, its C6 alkyl derivatives, and tricyclic ketones promoted by SmI₂ gave cyclohexanones via fission of the external cyclobutane bond. The CO₂Me, CN, and phenyl derivatives led to the production of the eight-membered ring compounds through cleavage of the central cyclobutane bond. Using this regioselective reaction, the synthesis of (±)-acorenone was achieved.     

Synthesis and use of α-methoxyphenylmethylium hexachloroantimonate as a novel initiator for the polymerization of propylene oxide

α-Methoxyphenylmethylium hexachloroantimonate was prepared from α-methoxybenzyl chloride and antimony pentachloride at 0°C and isolated for the first time, and its visible and ¹H-NMR spectra were measured. This salt was used as a novel initiator for the polymerization of propylene oxide (PO) in the temperature range ?20 to 30°C with dichloromethane as solvent. PO polymerized spontaneously but a limit yield was observed. The microstructure of PO polymer is amorphous by ¹³C-NMR. The PO polymerization is thought to proceed in the conventional cationic mechanism on the basis of the polymerization behavior and the analyses of both the polymer structure and end groups attached to the PO polymer.     

Thermolysis of [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine n-ylides

5,7-Dimethyl[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidinio-3-phenacylide ($\text{3}$) generated by the reaction of an iminium salt ($\text{2}$) with 1 eq. of triethylamine, underwent a new thermal ring cleavage of the triazole moiety to give the pyrimidine derivative. However reaction of $\text{2}$ with 2 eq. of triethylamine afforded the 2-iminooxazoline derivative. The iminooxazoline reacted with nucleophiles such as alcohols or amines to give imidazoles.     

The polymerization of oxiranes with the α-chlorobenzyl methyl sulfide–antimony pentachloride initiator system

α-Thiomethoxyphenylmethylium hexachloroantimonate was prepared from α-chlorobenzyl methyl sulfide and antimony pentachloride and studied by visible spectroscopy. The salt is unstable at room temperature and used as in situ initiator for the polymerization of oxiranes in dichloromethane. Propylene oxide (PO) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO) were used as oxiranes. The microstructure of PO polymer is amorphous by ¹³C-NMR. The initiator was more effective for the polymerization of CHO than for that of PO.     

Oxovanadium complex-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of propargylic alcohols

A catalytic system consisting of vanadium oxyacetylacetonate [VO(acac)(2)] and 3 A molecular sieves (MS3A) in acetonitrile works effectively for the aerobic oxidation of propargylic alcohols [R(1)CH(OH)Ctbd1;CR(2)] to the corresponding carbonyl compounds under an atmospheric pressure of molecular oxygen. Although the reactivity of alpha-acetylenic alkanols (R(1) = alkyl) is lower compared to that of the alcohols of R(1) = aryl, alkenyl, and alkynyl, the use of VO(hfac)(2) as a catalyst and the addition of hexafluoroacetylacetone improve the product yield in these cases. A catalytic cycle involving a vanadium(V) alcoholate species and beta-hydrogen elimination from it has been proposed for this oxidation.     

Light irradiation induces fragmentation of the plasmodium, a novel photomorphogenesis in the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum: action spectra and evidence for involvement of the phytochrome

A new photomorphogenesis was found in the plasmodium of the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum: the plasmodium broke temporarily into equal-sized spherical pieces, each containing about eight nuclei, about 5 h after irradiation with light. Action spectroscopic study showed that UVA, blue and far-red lights were effective, while red light inhibited the far-red-induced fragmentation. Difference absorption spectra of both the living plasmodium and the plasmodial homogenate after alternate irradiation with far-red and red light gave two extremes at 750 and 680 nm, which agreed with those for the induction and inhibition of the fragmentation, respectively. A kinetic model similar to that of phytochrome action explained quantitatively the fluence rate-response curves of the fragmentation. Our results indicate that one of the photoreceptors for the plasmodial fragmentation is a phytochrome.     

Comparative study of electron transfer reactions at the ionic liquid/water and organic/water interfaces

The rates of electron transfer (ET) reactions at the water/ionic liquid (IL) interface have been measured for the first time using scanning electrochemical microscopy. The standard bimolecular rate constant of the interfacial ET between ferrocene dissolved in 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and aqueous ferricyanide (0.4 M-1 cm s-1) was found to be approximately 30 times higher than the corresponding rate constant measured at the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface. The driving force dependence of the ET rate was investigated over a wide range of the interfacial potential drop values (>200 mV). The observed Butler-Volmer-type dependence is discussed in terms of the interfacial model. The ET was also probed at the interface between aqueous solution and the mixture of the IL and 1,2-dichloroethane. The mole fractions in this mixture were varied systematically to investigate the transition from the water/organic to the water/IL interface. The observed decrease in the rate constant with increasing mole fraction of 1,2-dichloroethane is in contrast with the previously reported direct correlation between the electrochemical rate constant and the diffusion coefficient of redox species in solution.     

An alternate route for the synthesis of hybrid mesoporous organosilica with crystal-like pore walls from allylorganosilane precursors

The bridged allylorganosilanes 1,4-bis(diallylethoxysilyl)benzene and 1,4-bis(triallylsilyl)benzene are presented as new precursors for the surfactant-assisted synthesis of ordered mesoporous organosilica with pore walls having crystal-like molecular-scale periodicity. This approach provides a new route to the formation of periodic mesostructures with crystal-like pore walls. The synthesis method presented is applicable to the preparation of mesoporous organosilica with bulky organic groups, the precursors of which are typically impossible to obtain in high purity.     

Evaluation of 239+240Pu, 137Cs and natural 210Pb fallout in agricultural upland fields in Rokkasho, Japan

The background distributions of ^239+240Pu and ¹³⁷Cs fallout in agricultural soil were investigated in Rokkasho where Japan's first commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant is now being constructed. The mean inventories of ^239+240Pu and ¹³⁷Cs in three fields with non-yam-cultivation history were 116 Bq·m⁻² and 3.4 kBq·m⁻², respectively. The mean atomic ratio of ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu for all studied fields was 0.18±0.04, and was similar to that of global fallout. The ^239+240Pu concentrations correlated very well with ¹³⁷Cs (r = 0.97) in spite of heavy disturbance of the soil, and the activity ratio of ^239+240Pu/¹³⁷Cs was 0.037±0.007, which is a typical value for global fallout. These results showed that the nuclides had similar behavior in agricultural upland fields in Rokkasho. Since ²¹⁰Pb is steadily deposited from the atmosphere to the land, this nuclide could be an index for the degree of disturbance of a field and of soil lost from the field. The ratio of excess ²¹⁰Pb inventory in the soil to the equivalent inventory of atmospheric ²¹⁰Pb deposition was 96%, and indicated that soil was not lost from the cultivated fields. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.