Photodecarboxylative benzylations of phthalimide in pH 7 buffer: a simple access to 3-arylmethyleneisoindolin-1-ones

Photoadditions of phenylacetates to phthalimide in pH 7 buffer solution give the corresponding benzylated-hydroxyphthalimidines in moderate to high yields of up to 94%. In a micro-structured reactor, higher conversions and purities are achieved. With branched phenylacetates, photoaddition affords diastereoisomeric mixtures with low to moderate de values. Subsequent acid-catalyzed dehydration furnishes the corresponding 3-arylmethyleneisoindolin-1-ones in good to excellent yields and with high E-selectivities. Irradiation of the parent 3-phenylmethyleneisoindolin-1-one under oxidative conditions only leads to cis/trans-isomerization.     

Photodecarboxylative additions of N-protected α-amino acids to N-methylphthalimide

Photoreactions involving N,N-dimethylated α-amino acid salts and N-methylphthalimide are dominated by photoreduction and acetone trapping. Only, N-phenyl glycinate underwent photodecarboxylative addition in a moderate yield of 30%. In contrast, N-acylated α-amino acid salts readily gave addition products in fair to high yields of 20-95%. Comparison experiments with N,N-dimethylacetamide and amino-/amido-containing phthalimides revealed the origin of the crucial electron-transfer step and the reactivity order NR₃ »  ? RCONR₂ was established.     

Passive standoff detection of RDX residues on metal surfaces via infrared hyperspectral imaging

Hyperspectral images of galvanized steel plates, each containing a stain of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), were recorded using a commercial long-wave infrared imaging spectrometer. Demonstrations of passive RDX chemical detection at areal dosages between 16 and 90 μg/cm² were carried out over practical standoff ranges between 14 and 50 m. Anomaly and target detection algorithms were applied to the images to determine the effect of areal dosage and sensing distance on detection performance for target RDX. The anomaly detection algorithms included principal component analysis, maximum autocorrelation factors, and principal autocorrelation factors. Maximum difference factors and principal difference factors are novel multivariate edge detection techniques that were examined for their utility in detection of the RDX stains in the images. A target detection algorithm based on generalized least squares was applied to the images, as well, to see if the algorithm can identify the compound in the stains on the plates using laboratory reflection spectra of RDX, cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) as the target spectra. The algorithm could easily distinguish between the nitroaromatic (TNT) compound and the nitramine (RDX, HMX) compounds, and, though the distinction between RDX and HMX was less clear, the mean weighted residuals identified RDX as the stain on the plate. Improvements that can be made in this detection technique are discussed in detail. As expected, it was found that detection was best for short distances and higher areal dosages. However, the target was easily detected at all distances and areal dosages used in this study. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Poly(butylene terephthalate)–polyarylate blends

In this paper we focus on miscible blends of two engineering polymers: poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and a polyarylate (PAr). The issue of transesterification in these blends will be addressed, followed by a discussion of the crystallization kinetics of PBT, poly(ethylene terephthalate) and several PBT/PAr blends. The ability to estimate polymer–polymer interaction parameters in blends from melting point depression will also be discussed. The amorphous phase behavior of the PBT/PAr blends has been explored primarily using dielectric spectroscopy. For blends in which PBT has crystallized, we observe two relaxations associated with T_g-like motion, and this behavior is interpreted in light of our recent work on order–disorder interphases in crystalline blends.     

Intermolecular interactions in N‐(ferrocenyl­methyl)­anthracene‐9‐carbox­amide

The title compound, [Fe(C₅H₅)(C₂₁H₁₆NO)], was synthesized from the coupling reaction of anthracene‐9‐carboxyl­ic acid and ferrocenyl­methyl­amine. The ferrocenyl (Fc) group and the anthracene ring system both lie approximately orthogonal to the amide moiety. An amide–amide interaction (along the a axis) is the principal interaction [N⋯O = 2.910 (2) Å]. A C—H⋯π(arene) interaction [C⋯centroid = 3.573 (2) Å] and a C—H⋯O interaction [C⋯O = 3.275 (3) Å] complete the hydrogen bonding; two short (Fc)C⋯C(anthracene) contacts are also present.     

Use of the Cationic Fragments [Ru(η5-C5H5) (MeCN)3]+ and [M(η6-C6H5R)(MeCN)3]+ (M=Os, Ru; R=H, Me) as Ionic Coupling Reagents in the Synthesis of the Clusters [Os4M2(CO)12(η6-C6H5R)], [Os4M(CO)12(η6-C6H6)(Au2dppm)] and [Os5Ru(CO)15(η5-C5H5)(AuPPh3)]*

The clusters [H₂Os₄M(CO)₁₂eta⁶-C₆H₆)] (M=Os, Ru) may be deprotonated to generate anions [Os₄M(CO)₁₂eta⁶-C₆H₆)]^2- which react with [M′eta⁶-C₆H₅R) (MeCN)₃]²⁺(M^′=Os, Ru; R=H, Me) to give the bicapped tetrahedral clusters [Os₄(CO)₁₂MM′eta⁶-C₆H₅R)₂]. Whereas [Os₄(CO)₁₂M₂eta⁶-C₆H₆)₂] (M=Os, Ru) have one Meta⁶-C₆H₆) unit in a site connected to three other metals, {3}, and one in a site connected to four other metals, {4}, [Os₄(CO)₁₂OsRueta⁶-C₆H₆)₂] has the Rueta⁶-C₆H₆) unit in the {3} site irrespective of whether the Os or Ru anion is capped. Coupling of these anions with Au₂dppm yields [Os₄M(CO)₁₂eta⁶-C₆H₆)(Au₂dppm)] (M=Os, Ru), which have the arene ligand in the axial site of a trigonal bipyramid and the digold unit capping two faces. Reduction of [H₂Os₅(CO)₁₅] with K/Ph₂CO and coupling with [Rueta⁵-C₅H₅)(MeCN)₃]²⁺yields the monoanion [Os₅(CO)₁₅Rueta⁵-C₅H₅)]^? which reacts with [AuPPh₃]⁺ generating [Os₅(CO)₁₅Rueta⁵-C₅H₅)(AuPPh₃)] with the “Ru(C₅H₅)” unit in the terminal {3} site.     

Structural systematics and conformational analyses of an isomer grid of nine tolyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-pyridinylcarbamates

A 3 × 3 isomer grid of nine Methylphenyl-N-pyridinylcarbamates (CxxM) is reported with seven CxxM crystal structures at 294 K (xx = pp, pm, po, mp, op, om, oo; x = para-, meta-, ortho), where Cx = pyridinyl ring (as C₅NH₄NH-) and xM is representative of –C(=O)OC₆H₄CH₃. All seven carbamate crystal structures aggregate via N–H…N intermolecular interactions with the three CpxM carbamates having C(6) zigzag chains, CmpM with C(5) zigzag chains and three ortho-pyridine CoxM structures as hydrogen-bonded dimers with graph set \(R_{2}^{2}\) (8) and augmented by flanking C–H…O contacts. The CpoM crystal structure crystallises with 0.25 CHCl₃ per carbamate molecule and solvent channels aligning along the a-axis direction. Conformational analyses of the nine minimised CxxM structures in gas phase are detailed for comparisons with the solid-state structures and demonstrate similarities between both structural methods. The modelling results also demonstrate the problems associated with pendant ortho-groups sterically clashing in the CmoM and CooM structures and methods to find a reasonable estimate of the CxxM conformational landscape.