Synthesis of silyl aziridines and alpha-amino acylsilanes with silyldibromomethyllithium

The reaction of silyldibromomethyllithium with aromatic imines provides alpha-amino acylsilanes via a bromo aziridine intermediate upon quenching the reaction with water. Alternatively, treatment of the bromo aziridine intermediate with various Grignard reagents or lithium aluminum hydride permits the nucleophilic displacement of the halogen to furnish substituted silyl aziridines.     

Continuous chemoselective methylation of functionalized amines and diols with supercritical methanol over solid acid and acid-base bifunctional catalysts

The selective N-methylation of bifunctionalized amines with supercritical methanol (scCH(3)OH) promoted by the conventional solid acids (H-mordenite, beta-zeolite, amorphous silica-alumina) and acid-base bifunctional catalysts (Cs-P-Si mixed oxide and gamma-alumina) was investigated in a continuous-flow, fixed-bed reactor. The use of scCH(3)OH in the reaction of 2-aminoethanol with methanol (amine/CH(3)OH = 1/10.8) over the solid catalysts led to a significant improvement in the chemoselectivity of the N-methylation. Among the catalysts examined, the Cs-P-Si mixed oxide provided the most efficient catalyst performance in terms of selectivity and reactivity at 300 degrees C and 8.2 MPa; the N-methylation selectivity in the products reaching up to 94% at 86% conversion. The present selective methylation was successfully applied to the synthesis of N-methylated amino alcohols and diamines as well as O-methylated ethylene glycol. Noticeably, ethoxyethylamine was less reactive, suggesting that the hydroxy group of the amino alcohols is a crucial structural factor in determining high reactivity and selectivity, possibly because of the tethering effect of another terminus, a hydroxo group, to the catalyst surface. The magic-angle-spinning NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Cs-P-Si mixed oxide catalyst revealed that the acidic and basic sites originate from P(2)O(5)/SiO(2) and Cs/SiO(2), respectively, and the weak acid-base paired sites are attributed to three kinds of cesium phosphates on SiO(2). The weak acid-base sites on the catalyst surface might be responsible for the selective dehydrative methylation.     

In situ observation of single polymers adsorbed onto mica surfaces in water

The morphology of a cationic polymer of high molecular weight, poly[2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl(trimethyl)ammoniumchloride], adsorbed on to a mica surface in water was observed in situ using the tapping mode of an atomic force microscope with a high-resolution probe. It was found that the morphology of adsorbed polymers changes with time to be lumplike, floclike, and then fibril-like and that it takes surprisingly a long time for the polymers to relax completely in water, even though they are highly charged. Detailed structures of extended polymers are also discussed.     

Construction of a square-planar hydroperoxo-copper(II) complex inducing a higher catalytic reactivity

A novel hydroperoxo-copper(II) complex with a square-planar geometry has been prepared, which has exhibited a higher selectivity and catalytic reactivity for dimethyl sulfide, in contrast to that with a trigonal-bipyramidal one.     

Regioselective allylmetalation of allenes with tetraallylmanganate or allylmagnesium chloride under MnCl2 catalysis

[reaction: see text] Treatment of allenes with tetraallylmanganate provides allylated products with high regioselectivity. A catalytic amount of MnCl(2) combined with allylmagnesium chloride also achieves efficient allylmetalation of allenes. The resulting alkenylmagnesium species react with various electrophiles. In the presence of molecular oxygen, the alkenylmagnesium undergoes diallylation reaction. A cyclization reaction of 1,2,6-heptatriene with tetraallylmanganate is also described.     

Crystal structure of ethene-/α-olefin copolymers with various long comonomers (C8–C26)

Ethene-/α-olefin copolymers having a wide range of comonomers between 8 and 26 carbon atoms in length were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). It was found that the crystallinities for the shorter comonomers (C₈, C₁₂) matched fairly well with the crystallinities from DSC and volumetric measurements, while for the longer comonomers (C₁₈, C₂₆) distinct differences between the three methods were found. This was explained by the presence of an additional crystalline phase of the side chains slightly deforming the amorphous peak.     

Permeability control in electro‐sensitive microcapsules with immobilized ferroelectric liquid crystalline segments

Nylon‐polystyrene microcapsules with immobilized ferroelectric liquid crystalline segments were prepared, and permeability control of an encapsulated core material was investigated under an external electric field. A ferroelectric liquid crystal monomer possessing both mesogenicity and chirality responded effectively to the external electrical field. Permeation of the material (oxprenolol) contained in the inner aqueous core of the microcapsules was enhanced under a weak electric field (2 V). Furthermore, the permeability of oxprenolol did not depend on the external electric field in the absence of the ferroelectric liquid crystal segments. To clarify the controlled‐release mechanism of the core material, the light transmittance of the polymer membranes was quantitatively evaluated under an external electric field using a handmade polarized light transmittance apparatus. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1749–1757, 2008     

Soft X-ray emissions by high-current vacuum discharges

Soft X-ray emissions by Z-pinch discharge between vacuum spark electrodes are examined. Mainly aluminum and molybdenum were utilized to generate soft X-rays, and emissions resulted for pulse currents of about 150 kA. These emissions increased as the discharge current increased. A large X-ray intensity was obtained when a spherical anode and a conical cathode were used. A stable spot plasma was produced for an electrode separation distance of 2 mm. For molybdenum, the X-ray emission of the 0.52-nm line and continuous X-rays of 0.65-1.2 nm were observed. The X-ray continuum was assumed to be a recombination continuum. For aluminum alloy containing magnesium, the 0.62-, 0.66-, 0.72-, 0.78-, and 0.92-nm lines were observed. The experimental results indicate that vacuum spark is a potential exposure source for X-ray lithography