High throughput continuous titration based on a flow ratiometry controlled with feedback-based variable triangular waves and subsequent fixed triangular waves

We propose a new approach for high-throughput continuous titration based on a flow ratiometry. The method was applied to potentiometric titrations of acids and bases. A base solution, the flow rate F_B of which was varied in response to controller output voltage V_c, was merged with an acid solution under constant total (acid + base) flow rate. Downstream, the pH of the mixed solution was measured with a flow-through glass electrode. Initially, V_c, and thus F_B was increased linearly. At the instant the equivalence point (EP) was sensed, the ramp direction of V_c was reversed from upward to downward. The direction was reversed to upward when EP was sensed again. Such the feedback-based operation gives a triangular waveform of V_c, because there is a delay corresponding mainly to the transit time of merged solutions to reach the sensor. The value of V_c that gives EP composition, V_E, was estimated by averaging the most recent maximum and minimum values of V_c. Next, fixed triangular waves of V_c was used to control F_B. The amplitude and the scan rate of the waves were fixed narrower and faster, respectively, than those in the feedback-based operation in order to improve the throughput rate. The EP can be located as long as the scan range covers V_E. These automated processes limited the titration to just the narrow range around EP, and thus realized extremely high throughput rate of maximally 17.6 titrations per minute (=3.4 s per titration) at R.S.D. = 0.35%.     

Key aspects of crystalline Mo-V-O-based catalysts active in the selective oxidation of propane

Mo-V-O-based complex metal oxide catalysts were synthesized hydrothermally for the first time, characterized structurally and tested in the selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid, and the results obtained were compared on the basis of catalyst crystal structures in order to clarify key aspects of alkane selective oxidation over multifunctional metal oxide catalysts. The catalysts tested were black solids of rod-shaped crystals, which had a layer structure in the direction of fiber axis and various high dimensional arrangements of metal octahedra in the cross-section plane. A strong dependency on the octahedra arrangements and a facet dependency were observed, and the roles of metal elements in the course of selective oxidation of propane were clarified by comparing the catalytic performance of various Mo-V-O-based catalysts. We discuss the multi-functional character derived from high dimensional structures of the catalysts and mechanism of the selective oxidation of propane.     

Stannyl radical addition-cyclization of oxime ethers connected with olefins

Stannyl radical addition-cyclization of oxime ethers connected with olefin moieties was studied. The radical reactions proceeded effectively by the use of triethylborane as a radical initiator to provide the functionalized pyrrolidines via a carbon-carbon bond-forming process.     

A new synthetic route to 2-substituted naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione2-Substituted Naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione

4,9-Dimethoxynaphtho[2,3-b]furan 9 was obtained in 91% yield via the reductive methylation of naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione 2 . After treatment of 9 with butyllithium, the mixture was allowed to react with N,N-dimethylacetamide, followed by oxidization with cerium(IV) diammonium nitrate to give 2-acetylnaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione 1 . 2-Formylnaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione 13 and 2-trimethylsilyl-naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione 14 were also obtained from 9 by a similar method. The halodesilylations of 14 easily gave 2-iodonaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione 16 , 2-bromonaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione 17 , and 2-chloronaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione 18 in 82%, and 93% and 83% yield, respectively. Furthermore, the nitrodesilylation of 14 gave 2-nitronaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione 3 in 77% yield.     

Penicillin-cephalosporin conversion X. New synthesis of dithioazetidinones from thiazoline-azetidinones

New ring-opening reaction of thiazoline-azetidinones 1 to dithioazetidinones 2 was achieved with 2-benzothiazolyl disulfide in aqueous acidic media and its potentiality for the preparation of a variety of cephalosporins 3 from various thiazoline-azetidinones 1 is demonstrated.     

Direct UHV-TEM observation of palladium clusters on a silicon surface.

About 1 monolayer of palladium was deposited onto a silicon (111) 7 x 7 surface at a temperature of about 550 K inside an ultrahigh vacuum transmission electron microscope, resulting in formation of Pd2Si nanoislands and a 1 x 1 surface layer. Pd clusters created from an excess of Pd atoms on the 1 x 1 surface layer were directly observed by in situ plan view high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. When an objective aperture was introduced so that electron diffractions less than 0.20 nm were filtered out, the lattice structure of the 1 x 1 surface with 0.33 nm spacing and the Pd clusters with a trimer shape were visualized. It was found that image contrast of the 1 x 1 lattice on the specific height terraces disappeared, and thereby an atomic structure of the Pd clusters was clearly observed. The appearance and disappearance of the 1 x 1 lattice was explained by the effect of the kinematical diffraction. It was identified that a Pd cluster was composed of three Pd atoms without a centered Si atom, which is consistent with the model proposed previously. The feature of the Pd clusters stuck at the surface step was also described.     

Synthesis of porphyrin-introduced silica gels by sol-gel process

Using a hydroxyl group appended free base porphyrin derivative (HP), porphyrin-introduced silica gels were synthesized by a sol-gel process. The HP content in the materials linearly increased with increasing the HP concentration. Meanwhile, free base tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) with no hydroxyl groups were almost not incorporated into the silica gels. These facts suggested that the interaction between hydroxyl groups of the HP molecules and silica network is considerably strong. The UV-vis characters of HP-introduced materials were almost the same as pure HP molecules. The Beer's plot indicated that the HP molecules in the materials are dispersed.