A Tabu Search Based Approach for Solving a Class of Bilevel Programming Problems in Chemical Engineering

In this paper an approach based on the tabu search paradigm to tackle the bilevel programming problems is presented. The algorithm has been tested for a number of benchmark problems and the results obtained show superiority of the approach over the conventional methods in solving such problems.     

Fragmentation and rearrangement reactions in certain 1,2,3-triaryl-2-propen-1-ones following electron impact and chemical ionization

The electron impact (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) mass spectra of certain 1,2,3-triaryl-2-propen-1-ones (TAPs) have been studied in detail with the help of exact mass measurements, deuterium labelling and metastable data. The E- and Z-isomeric pairs do not show any difference in their behaviour under EI or CH₄ CI conditions. EI-induced rearangement reactions in the TAPs include aryl migration to carbonium ion centres. A study of the metastable transitions reveals aryl group interchange in the molecular ions prior to fragmentation. Under EI conditions loss of arene involves either C(2) or C(3) aryl groups while under CI conditions the C(1) aryl is lost as a neutral arene molecule. Mechanisms for the different fragmentation modes are given.     

Nanogram level quantitation of oxycodone in human plasma by capillary gas chromatography using nitrogen-phosphorus selective detection.

A sensitive and specific capillary gas chromatographic assay is reported for the quantitation of oxycodone in human plasma. The technique involves a single extraction of oxycodone and internal standard (hydrocodone) from plasma by toluene containing 1% isopropanol. Separation is achieved on a methyl silicone (HP-1) fused-silica capillary column (25 m x 0.2 mm I.D., 0.33 microns film thickness) and detection is by nitrogen-phosphorus selective mode. The minimum quantifiable limit is 1.8 ng/ml using 2 ml of plasma. The method is applicable to characterize the plasma profile of oxycodone in humans after a single oral 5-mg oxycodone hydrochloride tablet.     

Novel highly active FSM-16 supported molybdenum catalyst for hydrotreatment

FSM-16 (Folded Sheet Silica) supported catalysts could accommodate 12 wt% Mo (18% MoO(3)) as a monolayer with higher dispersion than any other silica support; these catalysts showed outstanding HDS and HYD activities compared to gamma-Al(2)O(3), amorphous silica, and other mesoporous silica supported catalysts.     

Facile one pot microwave induced solvent-free synthesis and antifungal, antitubercular screening of spiro [1,5]-benzothiazepin-2,3'[3'H]indol-2[1'H]-ones

Microwave activation coupled with dry media technique as a green chemistry procedure has been applied to synthesis of a series of some new title compounds. They have been obtained by the reaction of in situ synthesized 1,3-dihydro-3-[2-(phenyl/4-fluorophenyl)-2-oxoethylidene)-indol-2(1H)-one (4a, b) with substituted aminobenzenethiols (5a-d). The key intermediates 4a, b were also prepared in one step by this improved technique by reacting isatin and substituted acetophenones (2a, b). The results obtained under microwave irradiation when compared with that following conventional method demonstrate the versatility of the process. The title compounds 7a-e have also been screened for their antifungal and antitubercular activity, 7a and 7e showing maximum inhibition of growth of Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporium and 7b, c, e revealing significant antitubercular activity.     

A readily-prepared and efficient solid-supported scavenger for molybdenum alkoxides and a structurally characterized model complex

A very effective solid support for the removal of molybdenum-based metathesis catalysts can be prepared by placing a salicylimine on a polystyrene support. The resin is produced by treating Merrifield’s resin with H₂NBuⁿ, 4-chloromethylsalicylaldehyde, and p-toluidine in succession. The final resin had an identifiable CN stretch in the IR and a resonance assigned to the HCN hydrogen was found by MAS ¹H NMR of the swelled resin. Solutions of Mo[C(H)CMe₂Ph](NAr)(OBu^t_F6)₂ (Mo_F6) and Mo[C(H)CMe₂Ph](NAr)(OAd)₂ (Mo_Ad), where Ar = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl and Ad = 1-adamantyl, were treated with the scavenger, which reduced the remaining molybdenum concentration as examined by ICP-MS to 30-50 ppb. Catalyst was also scavenged from ring-closing metathesis of diethyl diallylmalonate by Mo_F6; the decrease in molybdenum concentration on addition of scavenger followed first order kinetics with initial and final concentrations of 54 000 and 15 ppb, respectively. We also prepared a model system where a soluble salicylimine (H-DIB) was reacted with Mo[C(H)CMe₂Ph](NAr)(OAd)₂ to produce Mo[C(H)CMe₂Ph](NAr)(DIB)₂, which was structurally characterized.     

Synthesis of novel biaryl 2-benzimidazoles and 2-benzothiazoles

Herein, we describe the synthesis of the novel 4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)isoxazol-5-amine (7) and 4-(1H-benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)isoxazol-5-amine scaffolds (8). Initial attempts following literature procedures for the synthesis of similar compounds did not yield the desired product. Instead we obtained the ring-opened adduct 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2(3H)-ylidene)-2-cyanoacetamide (5). We were able to modify reaction conditions and successfully synthesize the desired product. We also describe a convenient one-pot microwave-assisted relay reaction for the synthesis of novel and reported 2-substituted benzimidazoles and benzothiazoles from inexpensive, commercially available reagents, 2-benzothiazole acetonitrile (2) and 2-benzimidazole acetonitrile (1). In all cases, good yields of products were obtained and reaction times were significantly reduced.     

Chemical ligation of S-scylated cysteine peptides to form native peptides via 5-, 11-, and 14-membered cyclic transition states

Cysteine-containing dipeptides 3a-l, (3b+3b') (compound numbers in parentheses are used to indicate racemic mixtures; thus (3b+3b') is the racemate of 3b and 3b'), and tripeptide 13 were synthesized in 68-96% yields by acylation of cysteine with N-(Pg-α-aminoacyl)- and N-(Pg-α-dipeptidoyl)benzotriazoles (where Pg stands for protecting group in the nomenclature for peptides throughout the paper) in the presence of Et(3)N. Cysteine-containing peptides 3a-l and 13 were S-acylated to give S-(Pg-α-aminoacyl)dipeptides 5a-l and S-(Pg-α-aminoacyl)tripeptide 14 without racemization in 47-90% yields using N-(Pg-α-aminoacyl)benzotriazoles 2 in CH(3)CN-H(2)O (7:3) in the presence of KHCO(3). (In our peptide nomenclature, the prefixes di-, tri-, etc. refer to the number of amino acid residues in the main peptide chain; amino acid residues attached to sulfur are designated as S-acyl peptides. Thus we avoid use of the prefix "iso".) Selective S-acylations of serine peptide 3k and threonine peptide 3l containing free OH groups were thus achieved in 58% and 72% yield, respectively. S-(Pg-α-aminoacyl)cysteines 4a,b underwent native chemical ligations to form native dipeptides 3f,i via 5-membered cyclic transition states. Microwave irradiation of S-(Pg-α-aminoacyl)tripeptide 15 and S-(Pg-α-aminoacyl)tetrapeptide 17 in the presence of NaH(2)PO(4)/Na(2)HPO(4) buffer solution at pH 7.8 achieved chemical ligations, involving intramolecular migrations of acyl groups, via 11- and 14-membered cyclic transition states from the S-atom of a cysteine residue to a peptide terminal amino group to form native peptides 19 and 20 in isolated yields of 26% and 23%, respectively.