Flow chemistry approach for partial deuteration of alkynes: synthesis of deuterated taxol side chain

The partial deuteration of alkynes proceeds via a flow chemistry approach under Lindlar’s heterogeneous catalysis to provide cis-dideuterated olefins in good yields. Further, dideuterated olefin has been successfully utilized for Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation followed by Mitsunobu reaction for the synthesis of deuterated taxol side chain.     

A high-frequency EPR characterization of the S = 2 linear tri-atomic chain in Cr3(dpa)4Cl2·CH2Cl2

We report the high frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) study of Cr₃(dpa)₄Cl₂, a linear tri-atomic (Cr^II)₃ chain, that was reported to be EPR silent at the X-band (9.5 GHz). Higher frequencies yield well resolved spectra for this S = 2 system even at room temperature. At 30 K, our variable frequency (34-400 GHz) EPR spectra yield a large axial zero-field splitting (D) of −1.643(1) cm⁻¹ as well as a small rhombic ZFS parameter E = 0.0339(4) cm⁻¹; with g_x = 1.9978(4), g_y = 1.9972(4), and g_z = 1.9808(4). The magnetic susceptibility measurements fully support the earlier magnetic susceptibility studies and the current EPR results. The observation of the EPR spectrum of only the S = 2 state at room temperature suggests that the ground state is well isolated from the excited states.     

Characterization of the Lovelock gravity by Bianchi derivative

We prove the theorem: The second-order quasilinear differential operator as a second-rank divergence-free tensor in the equation of motion for gravitation could always be derived from the trace of the Bianchi derivative of the fourth-rank tensor, which is a homogeneous polynomial in curvatures. The existence of such a tensor for each term in the polynomial Lagrangian is a new characterization of the Lovelock gravity.     

(20R,22R)-6α,7α-Epoxy-5α,27-dihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,24-dienolide in Leaves of Withania somnifera: Isolation and its Crystal Structure

Abstract  (20R,22R)-6α,7α-Epoxy-5α,27-dihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,24-dienolide (27-hydroxy-withanolide B) was isolated from Withania somnifera. The structure of the withanolide was established by spectral analysis and X-ray diffraction studies. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell parameters: a = 9.2163(3), b = 11.1828(4), c = 23.6146(9) ?, Z = 4. The crystal structure was refined to R = 0.0495 for 3,284 observed reflections. All the rings of the steroid skeleton are trans connected. Rings A and B exist in a half-chair conformation, ring C a chair, and five membered ring D is intermediate between a half-chair and an envelope. The δ-lactone ring E adopts a distorted sofa conformation. The twist along the length of the steroid nucleus is −6.5°. The characteristic pattern observed in the packing diagram is the appearance of twisted chains of molecules packed together to form layers. Index Abstract  Isolation and crystal structure analysis of (20R,22R)-6α,7α-epoxy-5α,27-dihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,24-dienolide.