New odorless method for the Corey-Kim and Swern oxidations utilizing dodecyl methyl sulfide (Dod-S-Me)

Development of the odorless dodecyl methyl sulfide (Dod-S-Me, 1) as an alternative for dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and new odorless methods for the Corey-Kim and Swern oxidations are described. These reactions have been developed with a view toward green chemistry, utilizing Dod-S-Me (1) and common solvents instead of dichloromethane.     

General and practical catalytic enantioselective Strecker reaction of ketoimines: significant improvement through catalyst tuning by protic additives

Significant improvement in enantioselectivity and catalyst activity was achieved for the catalytic enantioselective Strecker reaction. Using a catalyst (1-2.5 mol %) prepared from Gd(OⁱPr)₃ and d-glucose derived ligand 1, and in the presence of 2,6-dimethylphenol as an additive, high enantioselectivity was obtained from a wide range of ketoimines, including heteroaromatic and cyclic ketoimines. The new method was applied to an efficient catalytic asymmetric synthesis of sorbinil, a therapeutic agent for diabetic complications.     

Stereogenicity/Astereogenicity as Global/Local Permutation-Group Symmetry and Relevant Concepts for Restructuring Stereochemistry

Molecules of ligancy 4 that have been derived from an allene, an ethylene, a tetrahedral, and a square-planar skeleton have been investigated to show that their symmetries are dually and distinctly controlled by point groups and permutation groups. Insomuch as the point-group symmetry was exhibited to control the chirality/achirality of a molecule, sphericity in a molecule, and enantiomeric relationship between molecules [S. Fujita, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112 (1990) 3390], the permutation-group symmetry has been now clarified to control the stereogenicity of a molecule, tropicity in a molecule, and diastereomeric relationship between molecules. To characterize permutation groups, proper and improper permutations have been defined by comparing proper and improper rotations. Thereby, such permutation groups are classified into stereogenic and astereogenic ones. After a coset representation (CR) of a permutation group has been ascribed to an orbit (equivalence class), the tropicity of the orbit has been defined in term of the global stereogenicity and the local stereogenicity of the CR. As a result, the conventional stereogenicity has now been replaced by the concept local stereogenicity of the present investigation. The terms homotropic, enantiotropic, and hemitropic are coined and used to characterize prostereogenicity. Thus, a molecule is defined as being prostereogenic if it has at least one enantiotropic orbit. Since this definition has been found to be parallel with the definition of prochirality, relevant concepts have been discussed with respect to the parallelism between stereogenicity and chirality in order to restructure the theoretical foundation of stereochemistry and stereoisomerism. The derivation of the skeletons has been characterized by desymmetrization due to the subduction of CRs. The Cahn–Ingold–Prelog (CIP) system has been discussed from the permutational point of view to show that it specifies diastereomeric relationships only. The apparent specification of enantiomeric relationships by the CIP system has been shown to stem from the fact that diastereomeric relationships and enantiomeric ones overlap occasionally in case of tetrahedral molecules.     

A new synthesis of 1,3-dienes from allyl sulfides and allyl sulfones using tri-n-butylstannylmethyl iodide

Allyl 2-pyridyl sulfide $\text{6}$ or allyl phenyl sulfone $\text{7}$ on treatment with n-butyllithium in tetrahyrofuran followed by tri-n-butylstannylmethyl iodide ($\text{4}$) afforded directly the 1,3-diene $\text{8}$ in good yield.     

Synthesis and oxidation of bis(triphenylgermyl)zinc

Bis(triphenylgermyl)zinc (Ph₃Ge)₂Zn (1), prepared by the reaction of diethylzinc (Et₂Zn) with two molar amounts of triphenylgermane (Ph₃GeH), was easily reacted by a small amount of oxygen to give tetrameric oxide (Ph₃GeZnO)₄ (2). Four zinc and four oxygen atoms in 2 are arranged such that a cube is formed as determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Further oxidation of 2 led to the formation of digermoxane, (Ph₃Ge)₂O as a final product.     

Determination of chemical form of antimony in contaminated soil around a smelter using X-ray absorption fine structure.

Only limited information is available about the behavior of antimony (Sb) in contaminated soils. However, understanding the behavior of Sb in contaminated soils is important, because the toxicity or solubility of this element depends on its chemical state. In this study, we investigated the levels of Sb and the chemical forms of Sb in the soil around a smelter using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra. The highest Sb concentration in the contaminated soil was 2900 mg/kg dry soil. According to Sb-K edge X-ray absorption near edge (XANE) spectra, the Sb in the soil was in the form of Sb(V) compounds. The similarity of extended XAFS (EXAFS) spectra suggests that Sb speciation was independent of the sampling site, which indicates that Sb or Sb2O3 emitted from the smelter was converted into Sb(V) compounds in the soil.     

Studies on stable free radicals. XIX. Copolymerization of N-oxyl biradical with α-chloro-p-xylylene

Copolymerization of N-oxyl biradical with α-chloro-p-xylylene was carried out by varying the feed ratio of α,α′-dichloro-p-xylene which was the precursor of α-chloro-p-xylylene. The structures of the obtained copolymers were determined spectroscopically. The results that the N-oxyl attacked the carbon-bearing chlorine atom of α-chloro-p-xylylene suggest a nucleophilic reactivity of N-oxyl radical. The copolymerization process was also discussed.