Asymmetric Baylis–Hillman Reactions Promoted by Chiral Imidazolines

The coupling of electrophiles with activated alkenes by using tertiary amines or phosphines is generally known as the Baylis–Hillman reaction. It is a useful and atom‐economical carbon–carbon bond‐forming reaction that generates multifunctionalized products. This reaction is notoriously slow; yields are often low and substrate‐dependent. The asymmetric reaction is still limited especially for unactivated olefins such as acrylates. Imidazolines have been developed as ligands in metal‐catalyzed reactions and have also been used as privileged structures in diversity‐oriented synthesis. A series of novel chiral imidazolines were prepared and used to develop asymmetric Baylis–Hillman reactions. These imidazolines promote the reactions of various aromatic aldehydes with unactivated acrylates. Enantiomeric excesses of up to 60 % and high yields were obtained by using stoichiometric amounts of the promoter. Furthermore, the imidazolines are also suitable promoters for the reactions between aromatic aldehydes and alkyl vinyl ketones. Enantiomeric excesses of up to 78 % and high yields were obtained with 50 mol % of an imidazoline with a chiral methylnaphthyl group. These chiral imidazolines are easily prepared from commercially available amino alcohols and can be easily recovered for reuse without loss of product enantioselectivity.     

Theoretical studies on the acid hydrolysis of methyl carbamate

The mechanism of the A2 acid hydrolysis of methyl carbamate was investigated using MNDO method. The reaction was found to proceed in two steps: (1) the rate-determining nucleophilic attack of water on the carbonyl carbon of the N-protonated tautomer involving the tetrahedral TS; and (2) the fast subsequent proton abstraction by the leaving group, NH₃, to form products. The mechanism is similar to that involved in the A2 hydrolysis of acetamide. Effects of substituents, R¹, R², and R³ in R¹OCONR²R³, on rates can be predicted by the changes in electron densities on alkoxy oxygen and N, in complete agreement with the experimental results. We concluded that there is no need for invoking two different mechanisms for amides and carbamates since a common mechanism can easily accommodate all the experimental results.     

Determinant identities for theta functions

Two proofs of a theta function identity of R.W. Gosper and R. Schroeppel are given. A cubic analogue is presented, and several interesting special cases are noted.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the cracking behavior of sol-gel-derived SiO2 film on InP substrate

In this paper, we study and characterize the cracking behavior of a sol-gel-derived amorphous silica film on a InP substrate. The sol-gel silica films are deposited by spin-coating and rapid thermal processing (RTP). It is observed that the volatility of the III-V semiconductor results in the cracking of the films when the annealing temperature is higher than 450 °C, and that the crack patterns are all parallel or perpendicular to 𘜄¢. The experimental results on the crack patterns in the sol-gel silica films are then theoretically analyzed. In addition, the critical thicknesses of the sol-gel films on InP are compared with those deposited on Si.     

Nonlinear response of Josephson vortex flow in Bi-2212 with pancake vortices

Nonlinear response of Josephson vortex (JV) flow has been studied for controlling the JV motion. Rectification effect has been observed clearly with a biharmonic ac drive in the current–voltage measurements in the presence of pancake vortices. This method has a large advantage in changing the polarity of the rectified voltage with varying the phase- and the frequency-difference, compared to the spatially asymmetric nano-dots/anti-dots. Using a Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+y single crystal, multiply-stacked Josephson junctions result us in obtaining a large gain. Further application of this method will be promising.     

Carbon-carbon bond formation by electrophilic addition at the central carbon of the mu-eta(3)-allenyl/propargyl ligand on the Pd-Pd bond.

The mu-eta(3)-allenyl/propargyldipalladium complexes were synthesized by the reaction of the corresponding eta(1)-allenyl- or eta(1)-propargylpalladium complexes with Pd(2)(dba)(3). The X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the dinuclear complex has a unique structure, in which two palladium, three carbon, two phosphorus, and one halogen atoms are in the same plane. These dinuclear complexes react with electrophiles, such as HCl or AcCl, at the central carbon of the mu-eta(3)-allenyl/propargyl ligand to give the mu-eta(3)-vinylcarbenedipalladium complexes. Intramolecular reaction proceeded smoothly to give cyclization products quantitatively. Addition of a catalytic amount of a palladium(0) complex dramatically accelerated the carbon-carbon bond formation. The MO calculations on the mu-eta(3)-allenyl/propargyl complexes indicated that the reaction proceeds via orbital control.     

Theoretical studies on the structure of hydration in perfluorinated lithium salt membranes

Using an ab initio molecular orbital (MO) method, the normal frequencies are calculated for perfluorinated lithium sulfonate and carboxylate membranes by construction of a cluster model, which severs the ion core from the polymer chain, and then analysis of the experimentally observed infrared (IR) spectra is carried out. During the process of dehydration, small sharp peaks at about 3650 and 3700 cm(-1) appeared on the shoulder of the broad band at about 3500 cm(-1). These sharp peaks are identified as the symmetric and asymmetric stretching modes of the free water molecule. Furthermore, by estimation of the evaporation ratio based on thermochemical analysis, it can be assumed that the first hydration shells are naked in some part of the ion core, thereby allowing evaporation to take place within the external hydration shell during the dehydration process.