Auto-tandem catalysis in the synthesis of substituted quinolines from aldimines and electron-rich olefins: cascade Povarov-hydrogen-transfer reaction

We demonstrated a catalytic cascade inverse electron demand hetero-Diels-Alder reaction (Povarov reaction) and hydrogen-transfer process. The reaction of electron-rich olefins and excess amount of imines in the presence of acid catalysts under appropriate conditions affords substituted quinolines in a single operation. In the cascade process, the catalysts, such as Tf2NH, TfOH, and Lewis acids, catalyze two mechanistically distinct reactions (auto-tandem catalysis). We also describe the synthetic utility of the prepared quinolines.     

Biosensor immunoassay for the screening of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in retail fish

Dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) often make up the majority of the toxic equivalent (TEQ) contribution of dioxins found in fish samples. For the purpose of making risk assessments, it is therefore important to develop screening methods for determining TEQ concentrations of DL-PCBs in retail fish. We have developed a rapid biosensor immunoassay (BIA) for DL-PCBs that uses a surface plasmon resonance sensor (Biacore 3000). The BIA is highly specific for 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 118) that is generally the most abundant DL-PCB isomer found in fish. The fish extracts were first cleaned up on a multilayer silica gel column followed by an alumina column, then subjected to the assay. The quantitative limit of the assay was 1 ng PCB 118 per gram of tested sample. Dilution and recovery tests using purified fish extracts suggested that the matrix effect was minimized in the assay by diluting the analyzed samples. The assay results for retail fish samples (n=7) agreed well with those obtained by an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) using the same monoclonal antibody: ELISA has been already validated for determining DL-PCBs in fish samples, so BIA performs well in this analysis. Finally, BIA results for the TEQ concentrations of DL-PCBs in retail fish samples (n=10) correlated well with those obtained by high-resolution gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (r=0.89). Our method is therefore useful for screening retail fish to determine the TEQ concentrations of DL-PCBs.     

Syntheses,structures, and solid-state phosphorescence characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis>-bis(salicylaldiminato)Pt(II) complexes bearing perpendicular <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-aryl functionalities

The syntheses, structures, and solid-state emission characteristics of trans-bis(salicylaldiminato)Pt(II) complexes bearing N-aromatic functionalities are described herein. A series of Pt complexes bearing various N-phenyl (1) and N-(1-naphthyl) (2) groups on the salicylaldiminato ligands were prepared by reacting PtCl₂(CH₃CN)₂ with the corresponding N-salicylidene aromatic amines, and the trans-coordination and crystal packing of these complexes were unequivocally established based on X-ray diffraction (XRD). Complexes with 2,6-dimethylphenyl (1c), 2,6-diisopropylphenyl (1d), 1-naphthyl (2a), and 1-(2-methylnaphthyl) (2b) groups on the N atoms exhibited intense phosphorescent emission at ambient temperature in the crystalline state, while those with phenyl (1a), 2,6-dibromophenyl (1b), and 2,6-bis(N,N-dimethylamino)phenyl (1e) functionalities were either less emissive or non-emissive under the same conditions. XRD analyses identified significant intramolecular interactions between Pt and H atoms of the N-aryl functionalities in the emissive crystals of 1c, 1d, and 2a. These interactions were evidently an important factor associated with intense emission at ambient temperature.     

Algebraic independence of reciprocal sums of binary recurrences

Algebraic independence of the numbers , where{R _n } _n 0 is a sequence of integers satisfying a binary linear recurrence relation, is studied by Mahler's method.     

Coal fly ash decomposes diethyl phthalate

Decomposition of diethyl phthalate (DEP) exposed to a coal fly ash has been investigated in water by measuring UV-VIS spectra and GC-MS. Alkaline constituents eluted from the fly ash in the liquid phase gradually hydrolyzed DEP to produce monoethyl phthalate and/or phthalic acid. These products were adsorbed on the fly ash and decarboxylated into ethyl benzoate and benzoic acid, respectively, followed by decomposition into benzenes and/or the other compounds of lower molecular weight. The fly ash acts as not only an adsorbent but also a decomposer.     

Cyclopentadienyl Nickel and Palladium Complexes/Activator System for the Vinyl‐Type Copolymerization of Norbornene with Norbornene Carboxylic Acid Esters: Control of Polymer Solubility and Glass Transition Temperature

Summary: In non‐polar solvents such as toluene, Cp‐Ni and ‐Pd complexes (Cp = η⁵‐C₅H₅) with appropriate activators have been found to induce the addition polymerization of norbornene in excellent yields, for example (Cp)Pd(allyl)/[Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] gave 105 120 kg‐polymer/cat‐mol · h at room temperature. While the Cp‐Pd system was not suitable in the presence of ester‐substituted norbornenes, the Cp‐Ni system, for example (Cp)Ni(Cl)(PPh₃)/AlMe₃/B(C₆F₅)₃ can copolymerize norbornene with 5‐norbornene‐2‐carboxylic acid methyl ester in toluene to give high yields (up to 68% in 2 h at room temperature) of copolymer with variable contents of the methyl ester monomer unit (17.4–60.7 mol‐%). These copolymers have high molecular weights ( = 234 100–109 500) and narrow molecular weight distributions ( = 1.78–1.89). In addition, they are soluble in common organic solvents giving flexible and transparent films on casting, that show very high T_g in the range of 352.8 to 316.0 °C. The same Ni‐catalyst system can also copolymerize norbornene derivatives with bulky substituents, i.e., 2‐butyl‐5‐norbornene and 5‐norbornene‐2‐carboxylic acid butyl ester. The T_g of these copolymers are lower (294.9–267.3 °C) than the methyl ester‐based copolymers, demonstrating that the T_g of the polynorbornene copolymer film can be tailored simply by changing the alkyl group of the monomer to within the range of 352 to 267 °C.

Figure showing the addition polymerization of norbornene using Cp‐Ni complex with appropriate activators.     

Effect of functional groups at hole edges on cisplatin release from inside single-wall carbon nanohorns

We incorporated cisplatin inside single-wall carbon nanohorns (NHs) and revealed that 70% of the cisplatin was released from NHs having holes with hydrogen-terminated edges when they were immersed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). However, only 15% was released from NHs having holes with oxygen-containing functional groups at the hole edges (NHox). Elemental analysis indicated that -COOH and -OH groups at the hole edges of NHox changed mainly to -COONa and -ONa groups by immersion in PBS. These groups decreased the practical hole diameters, which resulted in hindering the cisplatin release from NHox. This means that the release of the material from inside NHox would be controlled by chemically modifying the functional groups attached to the hole edges of NHox; thus the potential applicability of NHox to a material carrier would be enhanced.     

Intermolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition of o-quinodimethanes derived from ene-bis(sulfinylallenes)

Intermolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition of o-quinodimethanes, prepared in situ from ene-bis(propargyl alcohols) and benzenesulfenyl chloride via ene-bis(sulfinylallene) formation, was investigated. Benzene-bridged bis(propargyl alcohols) reacted with both electron-deficient and electron-rich olefins to give the corresponding [4 + 2] cycloadducts. Ethylene-bridged bis(propargyl alcohols) underwent similar cycloaddition with electron-deficient olefins. Construction of some heterocycles based on the newly developed sequential reaction is also described.     

Host-guest complexation of endohedral metallofullerene with azacrown ether and its application

Complexation of endohedral metallofullerene La@C(82)-A (1) with macrocyclic compounds, such as 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaazacyclooctadecane (2), 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexamethyl-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaazacyclooctadecane (3), mono-aza-18-crown-6 ether (4), 18-crown-6 ether (5), and p-tert-butylcalix[n]arenes (n = 4-8, 6-10), for the first time is examined. Among them, 1 forms a complex with azacrown ethers 2-4 while accompanying the electron transfer between them. This is characteristic of endohedral metallofullerene and caused by its low reduction potential. Activation energies, DeltaG(et), for the electron transfer from 2-4 to 1 are 4.6, 2.8, and 11 kcal/mol, respectively. These small DeltaG(et) values indicate that the electron transfer from the azacrown ethers to 1 is facile in the ground state. Furthermore, the selective isolation of lanthanum endohedral metallofullerenes from the extracts of soot is accomplished by utilizing the complexation of 1 with 2.