Dynamic Interconversion between Boroxine Cages Based on Pyridine Ligation

Dynamic interconversion between large covalent organic cages was achieved simply by heating or acid/base treatment. A mixture of the boroxine cages 12‐mer and 15‐mer was cleanly converted into a pyridine adduct of the 9‐mer boroxine cage upon treatment with pyridine, and the geometry of N‐coordinated boron atoms changed from trigonal to tetrahedral. The reverse reaction was achieved by heating or acid treatment. In this process, the larger boroxine cages 12‐mer and 15‐mer were found to be entropically favored owing to the release of free pyridine molecules from 9‐mer ?6 Py.     

Utilization of Donor–Acceptor Interactions for the Catalytic Acceleration of Nucleophilic Additions to Aromatic Carbonyl Compounds

A conceptually new method for the catalytic electrophilic activation of aromatic carbonyl substrates, by utilizing donor–acceptor interactions between an electron‐deficient macrocyclic boronic ester host ( [2+2] _BTH‐F ) and an aromatic carbonyl guest substrate, was realized. In the presence of a catalytic amount of [2+2] _BTH‐F , dramatic acceleration of the nucleophilic addition of a ketene silyl acetal towards either electron‐rich aromatic aldehydes or ketones was achieved. Several control experiments confirmed that inclusion of the aromatic substrates within [2+2] _BTH‐F , through efficient donor–acceptor interactions, is essential for the acceleration of the reaction.     

Laser-induced local modification of the magnetic properties of 301 stainless steel

The martensitic phase of 301 stainless steel has been locally transformed into the austenitic phase by irradiating it with a focused Ar-ion laser beam in order to investigate the local change of magnetic properties accompanying the phase transformation. The intensity of the magnetic signal was found to locally reduce at a laser power of 350 mW and almost extinguish at 550 mW with a beam spot size of 13.2 m (at 1/e intensity), indicating the local austenitic phase transformation of the irradiated stainless steel.On leave from Ltd., Shimoteno, Himeji, Hyogo 670, Japan     

A method for measuring specific activities of 14C-labelled compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-computer system

A method for measuring specific activities of 14C-labelled compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-computer system (GC-MS-CPU) was developed. This method was proved to provide practically precise and accurate specific activities of various 14C-labelled compounds with such merits as requirement of small amount of samples, being applicable to volatile compounds, and convenience. The C.V. percent obtained for tested compounds was within 3.9 and the reliable sensitivity should be over 37 MBq/mM (1 mCi/mM). This method was also useful for obtaining information on the labelling pattern and the synthetic procedures applied.     

Separation of drugs by high-performance liquid chromatography with porous polymer resins.

The separation of cold drugs and neuroleptics by high-performance liquid chromatogarphy with the porous polymer resin DVB-MCL-O (or 11-30-0), which is a styrene-divinylbenzene-methyl methacrylate copolymer substituted with hydroxymethyl groups, was studied. This copolymer was compared with the commercial porous polymers Hitachi gel 3011, 3011-0 and 3030. A very small theoretical plate height was obtained by using DVB-MCL-O and methanol-ammonia solution (99:1) as the stationary and mobile phases, respectively. This combination was found to be the most suitable for the rapid separation of condensed aromatic ring compounds.     

Carboncarbon bond formation by cross-coupling of enol phosphates with organoaluminium compounds catalyzed by palladium(O) complex

Trialkylaluminium-mediated alkylation of enol phosphates under the CO bond cleavage is performed stereospecifically in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh₃)₄. Alkenylation and alkynylation are also described.     

Chromium carbides and cyclopropenylidenes

Carbon tetrabromide can be reduced with CrBr₂ in THF to form a dinuclear carbido complex, [CrBr₂(thf)₂)][CrBr₂(thf)₃](μ-C), along with formation of [CrBr₃(thf)₃]. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) study of the pyridine adduct displayed a dinuclear structure bridged by a carbido ligand between 5- and 6-coordinate chromium centers. The carbido complex reacted with two equivalents of aldehydes to form α,β-unsaturated ketones. Treatment of the carbido complex with alkenes resulted in a formal double-cyclopropanation of alkenes by the carbido moiety to afford spiropentanes. Isotope labeling studies using a ¹³C-enriched carbido complex, [CrBr₂(thf)₂)][CrBr₂(thf)₃](μ-¹³C), identified that the quaternary carbon in the spiropentane framework was delivered by carbide transfer from the carbido complex. Terminal and internal alkynes also reacted with the carbido complex to form cyclopropenylidene complexes. A solid-state structure of the diethylcyclopropenylidene complex, prepared from 3-hexyne, showed a mononuclear cyclopropenylidene chromium(iii) structure.

Carbon tetrabromide can be reduced with CrBr₂ in THF to form a dinuclear carbido complex, [CrBr₂(thf)₂)][CrBr₂(thf)₃](μ-C), along with formation of [CrBr₃(thf)₃].