o-hydroxylmethylphenylchalcogens: synthesis, intramolecular nonbonded chalcogen...OH interactions, and glutathione peroxidase-like activity

[Structure: see text]. The synthesis and characterization of a series of organochalcogen (Se, Te) compounds derived from benzyl alcohol 13 are described. The synthesis of the key precursor dichalcogenides 15, 22, and 29 was achieved by the ortho-lithiation route. Selenide 18 was obtained by the reaction of the dilithiated derivative 14 with Se(dtc)2. Oxidation of 15 and 22 with H2O2 afforded the corresponding cyclic ester derivatives 17 and 24, respectively. Oxidation of selenide 18 with H2O2 affords the spirocyclic compound 19. The presence of intramolecular interactions in dichalcogenides 15 and 22 has been proven by single-crystal X-ray studies. The cyclic compounds 17 and 19 have also been characterized by single-crystal X-ray studies. GP(X)-like antioxidant activity of selenium compounds has been evaluated by the coupled bioassay method. Density functional theory calculations at the mPW1PW91 level on ditelluride 22 have identified a fairly strong nonbonding interaction between the hydroxy oxygen and tellurium atom. The second-order perturbation energy obtained through NBO analysis conveys the involvement of n(O) --> sigma(Te-Te) orbital overlap in nonbonding interaction. Post wave function analysis with the Atoms in Molecules (AIM) method identified distinct bond critical point in 15 and 22 and also indicated that the nonbonding interaction is predominantly covalent. Comparison between diselenide 15 and ditelluride 22 using the extent of orbital interaction as well as the value of electron density at the bond critical points unequivocally established that a ditelluride could be a better acceptor in nonbonding interaction, when the hydroxy group acts as the donor.     

Development of an effective chiral auxiliary for hydroxyalkyl radicals

The development of an effective chiral auxiliary for hydroxyalkyl radicals is delineated. Both the 2-tetrahydropyranyl (THP) and tri-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl (GLU) auxiliaries resulted in diastereoselective radical additions to methyl acrylate at -78 degrees C (ds = 6/1 and 11/1, respectively). The developing stereochemistry at the radical center was completely under auxiliary control. Correlation experiments showed that the D-GLU auxiliary led to attack on the radical Si-face. The selectivity of these radical additions dropped-off considerably when the more reactive 2-nitropropene trap was employed. Computational studies suggested that the observed facial selectivity was due primarily to entropic factors in the transition state but that a smaller temperature-dependent enthalpic contribution was also involved. It was hypothesized that incorporation of a quaternary center at C-6 (THP numbering) would restore the facial selectivity with more reactive radical traps by restricting the orientations available to the incoming alkene. In the event, the trans-6-tert-butyltetrahydropyranyl (tBu-THP) auxiliary resulted in very good diastereoselection with 2-nitropropene (ds = 35/1 at -78 degrees C, 15/1 at 0 degrees C, and 8/1 at RT) as did the tri-O-benzyl-6,6-dimethyl-2-alpha-D-deoxyglucopyranosyl (diMe-GLU) auxiliary during additions to ethyl alpha-trifluoroacetoxyacrylate (ds = 10/1 at 0 degrees C). A protocol for recovery of the sugar-derived chiral auxiliaries was also established. This work sets the stage for the development of a novel approach to 1, 3, 5.(2n + 1) polyols based on iterative radical homologation as well as the application of these pyranosidic auxiliaries to other synthetically important reactions.     

Floating spherical gaussian orbital (FSGO) studies with a model potential: some open-shell systems

A gaussian based model potential is used within the FSGO formalism to study a series of open-shell systems (e.g. LiH⁺, NaH⁺, Li⁺₂ and LiNa⁺). Results for calculated equilibrium geometries and dissociation energies are compared to the corresponding quantities from available all-electron ab initio studies and other more elaborate theoretical estimates. The overall agreement is quite satisfactory.     

Stereoselective routes to substituted β-amino carbonyl compounds via heterodiene [4π+2π] cycloadditions of auxiliary-based C2 symmetric ketene acetals

Heterodiene [4π+2π] cycloadditions of (S,S)-4,5-diaryl-2-methylene-1,3-dioxolanes 1 to a series of β-amido-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds are diastereoselective (d.r.≥4:1). The products can be purified by trituration or crystallisation and hydrolysed with acid to generate the corresponding β-amido carbonyl compounds, the overall sequence effecting an auxiliary-based enantioselective conjugate addition of an acetate enolate, leading to β-aminoacid derivatives.     

Chemically assisted ion beam etching of silicon and silicon dioxide using SF6

A chemical flux of sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) in conjunction with low-energy Ar-ion bombardment has been used for chemically assisted ion beam etching (CAIBE) of silicon and silicon dioxide. The study has shown a large degree of independent control over the selectivity and anisotropy in dry etching. The total etch rate could be controlled by varying either the Ar-ion milling parameters or the chemical flux of SF₆. Etch rate enhancement of 7–8 for silicon and 3–4 for silicon dioxide have been obtained over pure physical etching.     

Spin density distributions in some fluorinated radical cations

A theoretical study of π-electron spin density distributions has been made for a series of fluoro-substituted hydrocarbon radical cations using unrestricted Hartree-Fock theory. Although some of the predicted proton splittings are not in very good agreement with experiment, the overall agreement with experiment can be passed as fairly satisfactory considering the approximate nature of the theory used. The experimental fluorine splittings can be well predicted by using a one-parameter relationship between the isotropic fluorine splitting (a_F) and the π-electron spin density (ρ_CC) on the attached carbon. It has been further shown that both ρ_CC and the proportionality constant (Q_eff) in the linear relation, are fairly insensitive to the parameter choice.     

Adsoprtion and adsorptive separations: A bibliographical update (1992–1993)

This article provides a bibliographic listing of published journal papers concerned with adsorptive separations during 1992–1993. The references are taken from the 40 most important chemical engineering journals. This paper provides an update to the literature as provided in previous bibliographic papers [1, 2]. These previous papers also included membrane-type separations, however due to the number of papers and the diversity of membrane and associated processes, this material is to be published separately [3].Other bibliographic papers covering the more traditional unit operations, e.g. distillation [4], and equilibrium-staged separations in general [5, 6] have been published. Liquid-liquid extraction [7] is the subject of a separate bibliography (for 1992–1993), due to the number of publications on this topic. A bibliography detailing supercritical extraction from 1980–1993 is also to be published separately due to the current interest in this relatively new technology [8]. A complete bibliography of the chemical engineering journal literature from 1967–1993 has been published by the author [9–12]. An earlier bibliography [13] provides access to the literature prior to 1967.