Synthesis and structural characterization of isomeric coumarino‐1,2‐oxaphosphole derivatives

The coumarino‐[3,4‐c]‐3H‐10‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐2‐phenyl‐1,2‐oxaphosphole was prepared by the addition of PhPCl₂ to 3‐acetylcoumarin in the presence of acetic anhydride. Its conversion to the isomeric coumarino‐[3,4‐c]‐9H‐9‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐2‐phenyl‐1,2‐oxaphosphole was studied in different reaction conditions. The structures of the two isomers were determined by X‐ray crystallography and by ab initio molecular orbital calculations.     

Diels‐alder reactions of 2‐(2‐nitroethenyl)‐1H‐pyrroles and their oxygen and sulfur analogs with quinones

Diels‐Alder reaction of 2‐(E‐2‐nitroethenyl)‐1H‐pyrrole ( 2a ) with 1,4‐benzoquinone gave the desired benzo[e]indole‐6, 9(3H)‐dione ( 4a ) in 10% yield versus a 26% yield (lit. 86% [5]) of the known N‐methyl compound ( 4b ) from the N‐(or 1)‐methyl compound ( 2b ). Protection of the nitrogen of 2a with a phenylsul‐fonyl group ( 2c ) gave a 9% yield of the corresponding N‐(or 3)‐phenylsulfonyl compound ( 4c ). The reaction of 2b with 1,4‐naphthoquinone gave in 6% yield (lit. 64% [5]) the known 3‐methylnaphtho[2,3‐e]‐indole‐6, 9(3H)‐dione ( 6 ). The reaction of 2‐(E‐2‐nitroethenyl)furan ( 8a ) gave a small yield of the desired naphtho[2,1‐b]furan‐6, 9‐dione ( 9a ), recognized by comparing its NMR spectrum with that of 4b. The corresponding reaction of 2‐(E‐2‐nitroethenyl)thiophene ( 8b ) gave a 4% yield of naphtho[2,1‐ b ]thiophene‐6,9‐dione ( 9b ), previously prepared in 24% yield [12] in a three‐step procedure involving 2‐ethenylthiophene. Introducing an electron‐releasing 2‐methyl substituent into 8a and 8b gave 12a and 12b , which, upon reaction with 1,4‐benzoquinone, gave 2‐methylnaphtho[2,1‐b]furan‐6, 9‐dione ( 13a ) and its sulfur analog ( 13b ) in yields of 4 and 8%, respectively.     

Dye-sensitized photooxygenation of furanosyl furans: synthesis of a new pyridazine C-nucleoside

The dye-sensitized photooxygenation of furanosyl furans easily affords C- or O-glycosides with cis-alpha,beta-unsaturated 1,4-dioxo aglycones. The reaction, performed on a ribofuranosyl furan, provides a useful new entry to a novel pyridazine C-nucleoside that can be achieved through a simple one-pot procedure.     

Fluorinated heterocyclic compounds. An effective strategy for the synthesis of fluorinated Z-oximes of 3-perfluoroalkyl-6-phenyl-2h-1,2,4-triazin-5-ones via a ring-enlargement reaction of 3-benzoyl-5-perfluoroalkyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles and hydrazine

The reaction of 3-benzoyl-5-perfluoroalkyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with hydrazine has been investigated, evidencing the possibility of competitive reaction paths. Nucleophilic addition of the hydrazine to the electrophilic C(5) of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring, followed by ring opening and ring closure with enlargement, leads with high yield and in very mild experimental conditions to the formation of Z-oximes of 3-perfluoroalkyl-6-phenyl-2H-1,2,4-triazin-5-ones (11a-c) as major products of the reaction. In turn, the hydrazine can attack the electrophilic carbonyl carbon giving 4-perfluoroacylamino-5-phenyl-2H-1,2,3-triazoles (13a-c) through the well-known Boulton-Katritzky rearrangement of the intermediate hydrazones.     

A macrocyclic ligand able to bind gallium(III) by preorganized pendant arms; coordination and kinetic studies

The equilibria and kinetics of the binding of gallium(III) to 4-(N),10-(N)-bis[2-(3-hydroxo-2-oxo-2-H-pyridine-1-y1)acetamido]-1,7-dimethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (L) were investigated in acidic medium at ionic strength 1 M (NaClO4). Spectrophotometric titrations in the UV region revealed that L is able to bind Ga3+ also at high H+ concentration. The kinetic (stopped-flow) experiments are interpreted on the basis of three parallel reaction paths (i) M3+ + H2L2+ = M(H2L)5+ where M(H2L)5+ is in a steady state, (ii) M(OH)2+ + H2L2+ = M(HL)4+ + H2O and (iii) M(OH)2+ + HL+ = ML3+ + H2O. The first-order rate constants for conversion of the outer-sphere into the inner-sphere complexes are similar to those of the Ga(III)/tropolone system which is known to react according to the dissociative Id mechanism and to the relevant rate constants for water exchange at the metal ion. The effects of pH on the UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence emission properties and NMR spectral features on the Ga(III)/L system were also investigated. Spectrophotometric titrations in the UV region reveal that, in acid medium the prevailing species is M(HL)4+ whereas the chelate ML3+ prevails for [H+] < 0.01 M. The results indicate metal coordination at the oxygen atoms of the 3-hydroxo-2-oxopyridine residues.     

Second-Order Covariant Tensor Decomposition in Curved Spacetime

Local four-dimensional tensor decomposition formulae for generic vectors and 2-tensors in spacetime, in terms of scalar and antisymmetric covariant tensor potentials, are studied within the framework of tensor distributions. Earlier first-order decompositions are extended to include the case of four-dimensional symmetric 2-tensors and new second-order decompositions are introduced.     

Gravity on a multifractal

Despite their diversity, many of the most prominent candidate theories of quantum gravity share the property to be effectively lower-dimensional at small scales. In particular, dimension two plays a fundamental role in the finiteness of these models of Nature. Thus motivated, we entertain the idea that spacetime is a multifractal with integer dimension 4 at large scales, while it is two-dimensional in the ultraviolet. Consequences for particle physics, gravity and cosmology are discussed.     

Quantification of character-impacting compounds in Ocimum basilicum and 'Pesto alla Genovese' with selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an important flavourant plant which constitutes the major ingredient of the pasta sauce 'Pesto alla Genovese'. The characteristic smell of basil stems mainly from a handful of terpenoids (methyl cinnamate, eucalyptol, linalool and estragole), the concentration of which varies according to basil cultivars. The simple and rapid analysis of the terpenoid constituents of basil would be useful as a means to optimise harvesting times and to act as a quality control process for basil-containing foodstuffs. Classical analytical techniques such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) are, however, slow, technically demanding and therefore less suitable for routine analysis. A new chemical ionisation technique which allows real-time quantification of traces gases, Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS), was therefore utilised to determine its usefulness for the assay of terpenoid concentrations in basil and pesto sauce headspace. Trace gas analysis was performed using the NO(+) precursor ion which minimised interference from other compounds. Character-impacting compound concentration was measured in basil headspace with good reproducibility and statistically significant differences were observed between cultivars. Quantification of linalool in pesto sauce headspace proved more difficult due to the presence of interfering compounds. This was resolved by careful selection of reaction product ions which allowed us to detect differences between various commercial brands of pesto. We conclude that SIFT-MS may be a valid tool for the fast and reproducible analysis of flavourant terpenoids in basil and basil-derived foodstuffs.     

Observational constraints on loop quantum cosmology

In the inflationary scenario of loop quantum cosmology in the presence of inverse-volume corrections, we give analytic formulas for the power spectra of scalar and tensor perturbations convenient to compare with observations. Since inverse-volume corrections can provide strong contributions to the running spectral indices, inclusion of terms higher than the second-order runnings in the power spectra is crucially important. Using the recent data of cosmic microwave background and other cosmological experiments, we place bounds on the quantum corrections.