Photochemical dimerization of p-benzoquinone methyl derivatives in crystals

Photochemical dimerization of p-benzoquinone and its methyl derivatives in crystals is discussed assuming that the reactivity is parallel with the stabilization energy of the transient complex. The calculation is carried out by taking both the terms of electronic structure of the monomer molecule and the intermolecular arrangement in the monomer crystal into consideration. Concerning the ability of photodimerization, the result obtained is qualitatively satisfactory. However, such an agreement with experiment cannot be obtained if either the electronic term or the geometrical term is ignored.

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Zusammenfassung Die photochemische Dimerisierung von p-Benzochinon und seines Methylderivates im Kristallzustand wird diskutiert; dabei wird angenommen, daß die Reaktivität parallel zur Stabilisierungsenergie des Übergangskomplexes ist. Die Berechnung wird so durchgeführt, daß sowohl die Elektronenstruktur des monomeren Moleküls als auch die Lage der Moleküle im Kristall des Monomeren berücksichtigt wird. Die Ergebnisse bezüglich der Fähigkeit zur Photodimerisierung sind qualitativ zufriedenstellend. Eine derartige Übereinstimmung mit dem Experiment kann jedoch nicht erhalten werden, wenn entweder der elektronische Beitrag oder der geometrische Beitrag vernachlässigt werden.

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Résumé La dimérisation photochimique de la p-benzoquinone et de ses dérivés méthylés dans les cristaux est discutée en supposant que la réactivité évolue parallèlement à l'énergie de stabilisation du complexe de transition. Le calcul est effectué en tenant compte de la structure électronique du monomère et de l'arrangement intermoléculaire dans le cristal du monomère. Le résultat obtenu est satisfaisant qualitativement en ce qui concerne la facilité de photodimérisation. Cependant, un tel accord avec l'expérience ne pourrait être obtenu si l'un des deux termes électronique ou géométrique était négligé.

     

Synthesis of dl-coriolin

The total synthesis of dl-coriolin has been achieved in a stereoselective way. The key tricyclic intermediate was synthesized from dicyclopentadiene through a route which involved an S_N2 reaction at a neopentylic position.     

Structure of the active sites of Co-Mo Hydrodesulfurization catalysts as studied by magnetic susceptibility measurement and NO adsorption

The elucidation of a molecular structure of the active sites (i.e., the Co-Mo-S phase) of Co-Mo hydrodesulfurization catalysts has received extensive attention. In the present study, we unambiguously determined, for the first time, the NO adsorption behavior and magnetic property of the Co-Mo-S phase by preparing unique Co-Mo/Al(2)O(3) catalysts (CVD-Co/MoS(2)/Al(2)O(3)), in which all the Co atoms are present as the Co-Mo-S phase. The catalysts were characterized by NO adsorption (pulse technique and FTIR), Co K-edge XANES, and the magnetic susceptibility and effective magnetic moment of Co. Nitric oxide molecules were adsorbed on 33% of the Co atoms in CVD-Co/MoS(2)/Al(2)O(3) after sulfidation and on only half of the Co atoms even after an H(2)-treatment of the sulfided catalyst at 573-673 K. The Co atoms in CVD-Co/MoS(2)/Al(2)O(3) exclusively exhibited an antiferromagnetic property, indicating that even-numbered Co atoms are interacting with each other in the Co-Mo-S phase. A Co-Mo/Al(2)O(3) catalyst, prepared by a conventional impregnation technique, was composed of the antiferromagnetic Co sulfide species as observed in CVD-Co/MoS(2)/Al(2)O(3) in addition to Co(9)S(8). On the basis of the NO adsorption behavior and magnetic property, it is empirically proposed that the structure of the Co-Mo-S phase is represented as a Co sulfide dinuclear cluster located on the edge of MoS(2) particles. The magnetic property of Co/Al(2)O(3) sulfide catalysts depended on the preparation method.     

Determination of thallium in soils by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A method is described for the determination of Tl in soils by FAAS, involving extraction of Tl from 5 g of soil by digestion with HClO₄/HNO₃ followed by separation of the extracted Tl into 5 mL of diisopropylether from HBr solution, including Ce(SO₄)₂. Tl in the organic phase is determined by direct aspiration into the spectrophotometer. The percentage relative standard deviation (% RSD) for 5 replicate samples is about 1%. The detection limits (S/N = 3) of this method are 0.001 mg/L for aqueous solution and 0.02 mg/kg DW for soil, when 50 mL of soil solution corresponding to 2.5 g soil are used. The Tl concentration even of unpolluted soils can be determined. The method was shown to be unaffected by the presence of various ions in soil and was able to recover nearly 100% Tl added to soils. The arithmetic mean (range) of 18 Japanese unpolluted surface soils was 0.33 (0.10–0.56)mgTl/kg DW.     

n-type organic field-effect transistors with very high electron mobility based on thiazole oligomers with trifluoromethylphenyl groups

Novel thiazole oligomers and thiazole/thiophene co-oligomers with trifluoromethylphenyl groups were developed as n-type semiconductors for OFETs. They showed excellent n-type performances with high electron mobilities. A 5,5'-bithiazole with trifluoromethylphenyl groups forms a closely packed two-dimensional columnar structure leading to a high performance n-type FET. The electron mobility was enhanced to 1.83 cm2/Vs on the OTS-treated substrate.     

A convenient synthesis of tricyclic purine derivatives

A convenient synthesis of new heterocycles such as 7,8-dihydro-1H-imidazo[2,1-i]purin-5(4H)-ones ( 2 , n = 0) and 5,6-dihydro-1H-imidazo[2,1-b]purin-9(8H)-ones ( 3 ) was described. The syntheses of 2 and 3 were accomplished by treatment of 6-methylthio-7H-purin-2(3-H)-ones 7 or 2-benzylthio-1-methyl-9-triphenylmethyl-9H-purin-6(1H)-one ( 15 ) with appropriate aminoalcohol followed by dehydrative cyclization using thionyl chloride. Compound 15 was efficiently prepared by benzylation of 6-hydroxy-2-mercaptopurine ( 12 ) followed by tritylation and N-methylation.     

Cationic graft copolymerization of styrene onto natural rubber

The polymerization of styrene was carried out in a cyclohexane solution of natural rubber with stannic chloride. It was found that the grafting copolymerizations of styrene took place as well as the cyclization of rubber. The rate of polymerization of styrene was proportional to the second power of the concentration of styrene and to the concentrations of stannic chloride and natural rubber, respectively. The overall activation energy was about 6 kcal./mole. The percentage grafting increased with increasing concentration of rubber. On the other hand, the grafting efficiency showed the reverse tendency. The percentage grafting could be increased to 150% by the addition of nitrobenzene, a polar solvent.     

Artificial model for cystathionine β-synthase: construction of a catalytic cycle with a pyridoxal model compound having an ionophore function

Catalytic transformation of serine-O-carbonate to S-aryl cysteine derivatives was successfully achieved in the presence of Li⁺ by the use of a pyridoxal model compound having an ionophore function, which is the first example mimicking cystathionine β-synthase, artificially.     

Flavin-catalyzed generation of diimide: an environmentally friendly method for the aerobic hydrogenation of olefins

The first green and practical method for "aerobic hydrogenation" involving the use of hydrazine and an organocatalyst is described. Olefins can be hydrogenated by treatment with hydrazine in the presence of a 5-ethyl-3-methyllumiflavinium perchlorate (FlEt+.ClO4-) catalyst under O2 atmosphere to give the corresponding hydrogenated products in excellent yields along with environmentally benign water and molecular nitrogen as the only waste products.     

One step synthesis of aziridines by the Michael type addition of free sulfimides: Preparation and absolute configuration of optically active acylaziridines

The Michael type additions of diphenyl N-unsubstituted sulfimide (free sulfimide) to various electrophilic olefins were carried out. The reaction with cis- and trans-dibenzoylethylene, dimethyl-fumarate, dimethylmaleate, benzalacetophenone and benzalacetone gave mainly the corresponding trans-2-acylaziridines and trans-enaminoketones. However, phenyl vinyl sulfone or acrylonitrile afforded not the corresponding aziridine but diphenyl-N-2-cyano or N-2-phenylsulfonylethylsulfimide, a simple Michael adduct When optically active (+)-(R)-o-methoxyphenyiphenyl free sulfimide was treated with such an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound as benzalacetopbenone, an optically active 2-acylazindine, i.e., (-)-trans-2-benzoyl-3-phenylaziridine was obtained in ca 30% optical purity and its absolute configuration was assigned as (2R,3S) upon chemical transformation to the configuration-ally known 2-phenyl-2-benzoylamino-1-ethanol or by comparing its CD spectrum with that of (1R,2R)-1-phenyl-2-benzoyl-cyclopropane. Meanwhile, (-)-(S)-o-methoxyphenylphenyl free sulfimide was found to react with benzalacetophenone to afford (+)-trans-2-benzoyl-3-phenylaziridine of 25% optical purity. Effects of solvent and temperature on both die distribution of the products ratio and the optical yield were examined.