Universal abelian covers of superisolated singularities

We give explicit examples of Gorenstein surface singularities with integral homology sphere link, which are not complete intersections. Their existence was shown by Luengo–Velasco, Melle–Hernández and Némethi, thereby providing counterexamples to the universal abelian covering conjecture of Neumann and Wahl (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Copper-mediated N- and O-arylations with arylboronic acids in a continuous flow microreactor: a new avenue for efficient scalability

A continuous flow procedure has been elaborated for the copper(II)-mediated N- and O-arylation of a range of compounds with arylboronic acids using a commercial microreactor setup. The compounds could be continuously generated in good yields paving the way for efficient scalability.     

Developments in liquid-crystalline dimers and oligomers

ABSTRACT

Liquid-crystalline dimers and bimesogens have attracted much attention due to their propensity to exhibit the spontaneously chiral twist-bend mesophase (N_TB), most often by dimers with methylene spacers. Despite their relative ease of synthesis, the number of ether-linked twist-bend materials significantly lags behind those of methylene-linked compounds. In this work, we have prepared and studied a range of ether-linked bimesogens homologous in structure to the FFO9OCB; as with methylene-linked systems, it appears that it is molecular topology and the gross molecular shape that are the primary drivers for the formation of this phase of matter. Dimers and bimesogens are well studied within the context of the twist-bend phase; however, present understanding of this mesophase in oligomeric systems lags far behind. We report our recent efforts to prepare further examples of oligomeric twist-bend nematogens, including further examples of our ‘n+1’ methodology, which may allow the synthesis of high-purity, monodisperse materials of any given length to be prepared. We have observed that there is a tendency for these materials to exhibit highly ordered soft-crystalline mesophases as opposed to the twist-bend phase.     

Inclusion Complexes of Gossypol with 2-Pentanone, 3-Pentanone, and 2-Hexanone

Inclusion complexes of gossypol with 2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, and 2-hexanone were prepared by crystallization from the corresponding ketone and hexane, and their structures were determined by low-temperature X-ray diffraction. All three compounds crystallize in monoclinic systems and have a 2:1 gossypol-to-solvent molar ratio. Both gossypol–pentanone complexes crystallize in C2/c space groups, and the solvent cavities in these structures have C₂ symmetry. The 3-pentanone molecule, which has C₂ symmetry, sits symmetrically within the cavity, while the 2-pentanone molecule, which lacks C₂ symmetry, takes two equally probable orientations within the cavity. Both structures are similar to previously reported gossypol inclusion complexes formed with small esters and 3-hexanone. The distal positioning of the carbonyl group in 2-hexanone does not allow it to fit into the same solvent cavity that exists in the pentanone structures. In the gossypol-2-hexanone complex, the solvent cages are skewed, and the C₂ site symmetry is lost. As a result, the structure crystallizes in a Cc space group and has a larger asymmetric unit and unit cell. Although the 2-hexanone structure retains many of the features of the gossypol–pentanone complexes, this is the first report of a gossypol inclusion compound with this extended structure.     

Poincaré series and zeta-function for irreducible plane curve singularities

The Poincaré series of an irreducible plane curve singularity equals the ζ-function of its monodromy, by a result of Campillo, Delgado, and Gusein-Zade. We discuss the derivation of this fact from a formula of Ebeling and Gusein-Zade relating the Poincaré series of a quasi-homogeneous complete intersection singularity to the Saito dual of a product of ζ-functions. __________ Translated from Sovremennaya Matematika i Ee Prilozheniya (Contemporary Mathematics and Its Applications), Vol. 33, Suzdal Conference-2004, Part 1, 2005.     

The effect of boric acid on the vapour liquid equilibrium of aqueous potassium carbonate

Aqueous potassium carbonate has seen renewed interest as a viable solvent for pre and post combustion carbon capture and storage. However, slow reaction kinetics may require the addition of a rate promoter such as boric acid to improve efficiency. The vapour liquid equilibrium of 30 weight percent potassium carbonate with 0, 3 and 5 weight percent boric acid was investigated at 50 and 70 °C using a dynamic inert gas stripping method. By estimating the boric acid reactions an Electrolyte-NRTL model was able to fit this data and literature results very closely.     

Gold(III) chloride catalysed synthesis of 5-alkylidene-dihydrothiazoles

A two step synthesis of dihydrothiazoles is presented. First, the previously unknown N-propargylic dithiocarboimidates are produced in good yields from easily available, cheap starting materials. The subsequent gold catalysed ring closure is fast and efficient, leading to dihydrothiazoles through a cascade of 5-exo-dig cyclisation and 1,3-alkyl migration. The yields range from 74% to 95%.     

The formal [4+3] cycloaddition between donor-acceptor cyclobutanes and nitrones

The formal [4+3] cycloaddition of 2-alkoxy-1,1-dicarboxylate activated donor-acceptor cyclobutanes with nitrones is disclosed. The reaction forms structurally unique oxazepines in moderate to high yield with a wide scope of nitrones. In most cases either a diastereomeric mixture or a single diastereomer may be formed, depending on the reaction conditions.