Tuning the Reactivity of a Heterogeneous Catalyst using N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands for C−H Activation Reactions

We report the dramatic impact of the addition of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) on the reactivity and selectivity of heterogeneous Ru catalysts in the context of C−H activation reactions. Using a simple and robust method, we prepared a series of new air-stable catalysts starting from commercially available Ru on carbon (Ru/C) and differently substituted NHCs. Associated with C−H deuteration processes, depending on Ru/C-NHC ratios, the chemical outcome can be controlled to a large extent. Indeed, tuning the reactivity of the Ru catalyst with NHC enabled: 1) increased chemoselectivity and the regioselectivity for the deuteration of alcohols in organic media; 2) the synthesis of fragile pharmaceutically relevant deuterated heterocycles (azine, purine) that are otherwise completely reduced using unmodified commercial catalysts; 3) the discovery of a novel reactivity for such heterogeneous Ru catalysts, namely the selective C-1 deuteration of aldehydes.     

Enantioselective straightforward access to benzo[b]thiophene analogs of Azatoxin

Horner-Wadsworth Emmons olefination followed by asymmetric hydrogenation allowed the first synthetic access to the chiral thiotryptophan with good enantiomeric excess. Oxazolidinone formation followed by a Pictet–Spengler condensation provided the benzothiophenic analog of Azatoxin.     

Measurement of traffic noise shielding provided by buildings

This paper presents a comparison between some current prediction methods for traffic noise shielding provided by buildings and the actual measured attenuations in typical residential areas. Generally, it was found that the method developed by the Department of Environment in the UK gives a reasonably accurate prediction of attenuation by shielding in fairly simple situations. In more complex situations, and particularly where a receiving position is close to a significant shielding structure, such as building, the attenuation obtained is underpredicted by the DOE method, thus the design facade levels for the rear of a building are overpredicted; however, in some other situations, the DOE method overpredicts the attenuation obtained. The attenuations measured for individual noise events under nominally identical conditions are shown to have large variations in attenuation.     

Angular Dependence of Lateral and Levitation Forces in Asymmetric Small Magnet/Superconducting Systems

The dipole-dipole interaction model is used to calculate the angular dependence of lateral and levitation forces on a small permanent magnet and a cylindrical superconductor in the Meissner state lying laterally off the symmetric axis of the cylinder. Under the assumption that the lateral displacement of the magnet is small compared with the physical dimensions of the system, we obtain analytical expressions for the lateral and levitation forces as functions of geometrical parameters of the superconductor as well as the height, the lateral displacement and the orientation of magnetic moment of the magnet. The effect of thickness and radius of the superconductor on the levitation force is similar to that for a symmetric magnet/superconducting cylinder system, but within the range of lateral displacement. The splitting in the levitation force increases with the increasing angle of orientation of the magnetic moment of the magnet. For a given lateral displacement of the magnet, the lateral force vanishes when the magnetic moment is perpendicular to the surface of the superconductor and has a maximum value when the moment is parallel to the surface. For a given orientation of the magnetic moment, the lateral force has a linear relationship with the lateral displacement. The stability of the magnet above the superconducting cylinder is discussed in detail.     

Measurable cardinals and the cardinality of Lindelöf spaces

We obtain from the consistency of the existence of a measurable cardinal the consistency of “small” upper bounds on the cardinality of a large class of Lindelöf spaces whose singletons are Gδ sets.