An efficient synthesis of substituted alkyl acrylates using α-keto amides

The addition of α-keto amides as a NH-acid to alkyl propiolates and dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates in the presence of a catalytic amount of triphenylphosphine gives the corresponding substituted alkyl acrylates.     

UV isomerisation in nematic elastomers as a route to photo-mechanical transducer

The European Physical Journal E - The macroscopic shape of liquid-crystalline elastomers strongly depends on the order parameter of the mesogenic groups. This order can be manipulated if...     

Anomalous viscoelastic response of nematic elastomers

We report a combined theoretical and experimental study of linear viscoelastic response in oriented monodomain nematic elastomers. The model predicts a dramatic decrease in the dynamic modulus in certain deformation geometries in an elastic medium with an independently mobile internal degree of freedom, the nematic director with its own relaxation dynamics. Dynamic mechanical measurements on monodomain nematic elastomers confirm our predictions of dependence on shear geometry and on nematic order, and also show a very substantial mechanical loss clearly associated with director relaxation.     

Heteropolyacid immobilized on polymer/magnetic zeolite nanocomposite as a new and recyclable catalyst for the selective oxidation of alcohols

A new magnetic oxidation catalyst was prepared using immobilization of tungstophosphoric acid on poly(N-vinylimidazole) entrapped magnetic nanozeolite and characterized by FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, VSM, and ICP-OES. The resulting heterogeneous catalyst displays high catalytic performance for selective oxidation of alcohols compared to the other catalysts. The catalyst could be reused eight times without any loss of catalytic activity.     

Ethylenebis( N -methylimidazolium) Chlorochromate ( EBMICC ): An Efficient and Selective Reagent for the Oxidation of Thiols to Disulfides

Ethylenebis(N-methylimidazolium) chlorochromate was prepared by addition of N-methylimidazole to 1,2-dibromoethane to form the corresponding dibromide salt and subsequent treatment of this salt with CrO₃ in 6N HCl solution. It is a stable yellow-orange solid, which oxidized thiols to the corresponding disulfides at room temperature. Selective oxidation of thiols in the presence of sulfides and hydroxyl groups was also achieved with this reagent.     

Direct reductive amination and selective 1,2-reduction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones by NaBH4 using H3PW12O40 as catalyst

A simple and convenient procedure for direct reductive amination of aldehydes and ketones with sodium borohydride is described. The reaction has been carried out in methanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (0.5 mol %). α,β-Unsaturated aldehydes and ketones can be easily converted into the corresponding allyl alcohols by reaction with H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (0.5 mol %)/NaBH₄.     

Reductive Amination of Aldehydes and Ketones to Their Corresponding Amines with NaBH4 in Micellar Media

A variety of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes and ketones were efficiently reduced to their corresponding amines when treated with primary and secondary amines and NaBH₄ in micellar media at room temperature under neutral conditions.     

Sodium Borohydride – Ammonium Carbonate: An Effective Reducing System for Aldehydes and Ketones

Reduction of aldehydes and ketones to the corresponding alcohols was achieved in a simple procedure using the system sodium borohydride and ammonium carbonate. This system needs lower excesses of reducing agent and leads to significantly shortened reaction times.