Regioselective α-alkylation of ketones with alkyl chlorides and fluorides via highly nucleophilic magnesium enamides

A magnesium enamide derived from N-2-(N′,N′-dimethylamino)ethyl imine reacts with primary and secondary alkyl chlorides and fluorides to give an α-alkylated ketone in good to excellent yields upon hydrolysis of the imine moiety. Reactions of the highly nucleophilic magnesium enamide derived from an unsymmetrical ketone take place regioselectively. In addition, the C-C bond formation is stereospecific: a substantial inversion of stereochemistry at the electrophilic carbon center (Walden inversion) was observed, proving its potential utility for the production of optically active compounds.     

Sterilization of foods with low-energy electrons (“soft-electrons”)

Electrons with an energy of 300 keV or lower were defined as “Soft-electrons”, which showed several advantages over conventional irradiation with gamma-rays or high-energy electrons in decontamination of grains and spices. Energies of electrons necessary to reduce microbial loads to levels lower than 10 CFU/g were 60 keV for brown rice, 75 keV for wheat, 100 keV for white pepper, coriander and basil, 130 keV for buckwheat, 160 keV for rough rice, and 210 keV for black pepper. Electrons with such energies did not significantly influence the quality.     

New High-Performance Catalysts Developed at Mitsui Chemicals for Polyolefins and Organic Synthesis

This contribution reports Mitsui's R&D activities in the field of catalysis technology focusing on molecular catalysts. Examples of the high-performance molecular catalysts developed at Mitsui include bis(phenoxy-imine) group 4 transition metal complex catalysts (FI Catalysts), phosphazene catalysts (PZN catalysts) and b(beta)-ketoiminato Co(II) complex catalysts. Many of the materials stemming from these catalysts were either difficult or impossible to prepare using conventional catalysts.     

A convenient synthesis of 3-formyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoxaline chlorophenylhydrazones: Novel tautomeric equilibria between hydrazone imine and diazenyl enamine forms with long-range pSSrototropy

3-Formyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoxaline chlorophenylhydrazones 4a-c were synthesized from the reactions of 3-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoxaline 3 with chlorophenyl diazonium salts, and 4b,c were found to exhibit the tautomeric equilibria between the hydrazone imine and diazenyl enamine forms in the dimethylsulfoxide solutions.     

Laser Emission from Dye-Doped Organic-Inorganic Particles of Microcavity Structure

Interaction between laser light and a micrometer-size spherical particle causes an optical resonance in its interior since a spherical wall acts as a cavity. The present work seeks to investigate the preparation of organicinorganic particles containing laser dyes and demonstrate their lasing behavior. Rhodamine 6G was incorporated into organic-inorganic spherical particles of micrometer-size using sol-gel technique. Phenyl triethoxy silane was used as a starting material for particles. Particle size was 1–10 μm and dye content was 1–7 × 10⁻⁵ mol/g. A particle was set on a glass plate in air and pumped by a second harmonic pulse ofQ-switched Nd-YAG laser (532 nm wavelength). From a particle of 6 μm in diameter, a strong laser emission peak was observed at 598 nm wavelength which corresponded to the whispering-gallery mode resonance.     

Evaluation of titanium dioxide as a pharmaceutical excipient for preformulation of a photo-labile drug: effect of physicochemical properties on the photostability of solid-state nisoldipine

To characterize the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 via solid-state reaction, the relationship between the physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 was investigated and estimated from the results of photodegradation of nisoldipine. The photodegradation of nisoldipine was significantly enhanced by addition of TiO2. Two degradation products, nitroso-phenylpyridine derivative and nitro-phenylpyridine derivative, were formed. The degree of photocatalytic activity of TiO2 was quite different between the various types of TiO2 investigated, even when the crystalline phase was the same. As a result of the investigations into the relationship between the photocatalytic activity and physicochemical properties of TiO2, it was found that for the rutile form the photocatalytic activity has good correlation with specific surface area of TiO2, but poor correlation with water loss on drying of TiO2. However, for the anatase form, the photocatalytic activity has good correlation with water loss on drying of TiO2, but poor correlation with specific surface area. Moreover, it was found that the crystallinity of TiO2 has a moderate correlation with the photocatalytic activity of both crystal forms of TiO2. These results suggest that a degree of photocatalytic activity of TiO2 depends on the various physicochemical properties of each type of TiO2 investigated.     

Ca1.5Eu3Sn0.5O7: a calcium europium tin oxide with a novel structure

A new quaternary compound in the Ca–Eu–Sn–O system, namely calcium europium tin hepta­oxide, Ca_1.5Eu₃Sn_0.5O₇, was prepared by solid‐state reaction at 2073 K. All atoms in the structure are on 4i special positions (on mirrors) in space group C2/m. Ca/Eu sites are situated within two O octa­hedra and within two sevenfold coordination sites surrounded by O‐capped trigonal prisms. A Ca/Eu/Sn site is coordinated by five O atoms. The structural formula can be represented as (Ca_0.28Eu_0.72)(Ca_0.16Eu_0.84)(Ca_0.46Eu_0.54)(Ca_0.28Eu_0.72)(Ca_0.32Eu_0.18Sn_0.50)O₇. The crystal structure is a new type and is related to the structure of B‐form Eu₂O₃.     

Multinuclear macromolecule metal complexes 2. Preparation and characterization of Prussian blue and its analogs bonded to pofy(vinylamine hydrochloride)

Prussian blue and its analogs bonded to poly(vinylamine hydrochloride) (PVAm · HCl) containing Fe^II or Fe^III and M²⁺ (M=Fe, Co, Cu) in a 11 molar ratio were obtained by the reaction of [Fe(CN)₆] ^n– (n=3,4) with M²⁺ ion-PVAm · HCl mixture in aqueous solution. Under a limited polymer concentration (T_VAm/T_Fe over 10), these polymer complexes thus obtained were stable and soluble in water. By casting these solutions, colored films can be produced. The formation of Prussian blue and its analogs bonded to PVAm · HCl was also investigated by the Benesi-Hildebrand method. The molar extinction coefficients of intervalence charge transfer (Fe^IIFe^III, Co^IIFe^III, Fe^IICu^II) band for MFe(CN)₆]^(n–2)– bound to PVAm · HCl (M=Fe, Co, Cu) were found to be 10,100–9601 · mol^–1 · cm^–1 at 25 C. The formation constants were found to be in the range of 10⁷ to 10¹⁰ M^–1. The changes of enthalpy (H) and entropy (S) were found to be in the range of –10.4 to –22.5 kJ · mol^–1 and 5.7 to 52.9 J · K^–1 mol^–1 respectively, at 25C.     

Acid-catalyzed degradation mechanism of poly(phthalaldehyde): Unzipping reaction of chemical amplification resist

The acid-catalyzed degradation mechanism of chemical amplification resists based on end-capped poly(phthalaldehyde) has been elucidated by semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations. It is concluded that: (i) two different starting points exist in the degradation of end-capped poly(phthalaldehyde), the central part of the polymer as well as the polymer end; (ii) in both cases, after the first protonation, cationic hydroxyl compounds generated decompose to the identical cation intermediate, which can unzip itself to phthalaldehyde monomers successively (unzipping reaction); (iii) the hemiacetal type intermediates hardly degrade to the same intermediate without acid catalyst; (iv) the overall activation energy for the degradation reaction is less than 14 kcal/mol in all the cases. Thus, the poly(phthalaldehyde) resist can easily self-develop below 100°C, as reported in the literature. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Development of high ductility and tensile properties by a two-stage draw of poly(acrylonitrile): Effect of molecular weight

Ultradrawing of atactic poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) was investigated for a M_v series, ranging 8.0 × 10⁴–2.3 × 10⁶. Samples for the draw were prepared from 0.5–30 wt % solutions of PAN in N,N′-dimethylformamide. The solutions were converted to a gel by quenching from 100 to 0°C. The dried gel films were initially drawn uniaxially by solid-state coextrusion (first-stage draw) to an extrusion draw ratio (EDR) of 16, followed by further tensile draw at 100–250°C (second-stage draw). The maximum total draw ratio (DR_t,max) and tensile properties achieved by two-stage draw increased remarkably with sample M_v. Other factors affecting ductility were the solution concentration from which gel was made and the second-stage draw temperature. The effects of these variables became more prominent with increasing M_v. The temperature for optimum second-stage draw increased with sample M_v. Both the initial gel and the drawn products showed no small-angle X-ray long period scattering maximum, suggesting the absence of a chain-folded lamellae structure, which had been found in our previous study on the drawing of nascent PAN powder. The chain orientation function (f_c) and sample density (ρ_s) increased rapidly with DR_t in the lower range (DR_t < 30) and approached constant values of f_c = 0.980–0.996 and ρ_s = 1.177–1.181 g/cm³, respectively, at higher DR_t > 30–100. The tensile modulus also showed a similar increase with DR_t. The tensile strength increased linearly with DR_t, reaching a maximum, and decreased slightly at yet higher DR_t. The highest modulus of 28.5 GPa and strength of 1.6 GPa were achieved with the highest M_v of 2.3 × 10⁶. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 629–640, 1998