New approaches inμ + SR studies on critical phenomena in Ni

The critical phenomena in Ni are probed by pulsedSR method under longitudinal- and zero external magnetic fields. The sample magnetization around the critical temperature is confirmed simultaneously by bulk magnetization measurement in situ, disappearance of transverseSR signal and recovery of asymmetry under longitudinal field. At the same time, the ratio of the ⁺ hyperfine field to the bulk magnetization in the ferromagnetic phase below the critical temperature is determined from the observables obtained only in the present experiment. The zero- and low-field longitudinal relaxation rate of muon does not diverge in approaching toT _c in the paramagnetic region, but seems to reach a saturation value.This work is supported by the Grand-in-Aid of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.     

Studies on reactions of the N-phosphonium salts of pyridines. XIII. Direct polycondensation reaction of carbon dioxide or disulfide with diamines under mild conditions

Polyureas of high molecular weight were obtained by the direct polycondensation reaction of carbon dioxide with diamines at 40°C for several hours under a pressure of carbon dioxide (below 30 atm) by use of diphenyl phosphite in pyridine. Optimal temperature and pressure were 40°C and 20 atm of carbon dioxide. The polycondensation reaction was also affected by solvents and type and amounts of tertiary amines. Pyridine was most effective as tertiary amine and solvent as well. Of the phosphorous compounds used, triaryl phosphites and diphenyl phosphite were most effective, but trialkyl phosphites failed to give polymer. The reaction was assumed to proceed via a carbamyl N-phosphonium salt of pyridine formed by dephenoxylation of phosphites. Similarly, polythioureas were prepared by heating a mixture of carbon disulfide, diamines, and diphenyl phosphite in pyridine at 40°C for 6 hr under nitrogen.     

Synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles. 8. Preparation and ring-opening of spiro[cycloalkane-[1′,2′,4′]triazolo[1′,5′-c]pyrimidine] derivatives

Diaminomethylene- and aminomethylthiomethylenehydrazones [2] of cyclic ketones 1–8 readily reacted with ethoxymethylenemalononitrile to give spiro[cycloalkane-1,2′-[1,2′,4′]triazolo[1,5′-c]pyrimidine-8′-carbonitrile] derivatives 12–19 through the electrocyclic reaction of the initially formed condensation products 26 in moderate to high yields. The spiro[cyclopentanetriazolopyrimidine] derivatives underwent ring-opening at the cycloalkane moiety upon heating in solution to give 2-alkyl-5-substituted-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine-8′-carbonitriles 20–23 . When an alkyl substituent was introduced into the cyclopentane ring, cleavage of the spiro compounds occurred preferentially at the cyclopentane moiety between the spiro carbon and the more branched one. In contrast, the cyclohexane ring, especially of spiro-5-amino-triazolopyrimidines 17 and 18 strongly resisted to ring-opening under similar conditions, but those of 5-methylthiotriazolopyrimidines 14 gave up to 17 percent of cleavage after prolonged heating in hot ethanol. 2-t-Butyl-5-methylthio-2,3-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine-8-carbonitrile 25 [R³ = C(CH₃)₃] was highly susceptible to the cleavage even at room temperature and produced the corresponding 2-unsubstituted triazolopyrimidine 24 with loss of the t-butyl group.     

Studies on reactions of the N-phosphonium salts of pyridines. XIV. Wholly aromatic polyamides by the direct polycondensation reaction by using phosphites in the presence of metal salts

Poly-p-benzamide of high molecular weight (η_inh = ～ in H₂SO₄) was obtained by the direct polycondensation reaction of p-aminobenzoic acid (p-ABA) by means of diphenyl and triaryl phosphites in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP)-pyridine solution containing lithium and calcium chlorides. Molecular weight of polymer varied with the amount of these salts, showing maximum values at the concentration of about 4 wt-% of LiCl or about 8 wt-% of CaCl₂ in the reaction mixture. The reaction temperature at around 80°C gave a polymer of the highest viscosity. The polycondensation reaction was also affected by monomer concentration, solvents, and tertiary amines like pyridine. Similarly, aromatic polyamides with high molecular weight (η_inh values up to 1.34 in H₂SO₄) were prepared from isophthalic acid and aromatic diamines, whereas terephthalic acid gave only low-viscosity polymers.     

Preparation of high surface area ZrO2 and ZrO2-Y2O3 from the alkoxide

In order to obtain a catalyst support with a high surface area, ZrO₂ and ZrO₂-Y₂O₃ were prepared by the hydrolytic decomposition of the corresponding isopropoxide dissolved in benzene. The hydrolysis was carried out at 80°C using an excess amount of distilled water in flowing dry nitrogen. The precipitates thus obtained were dried at 100°C followed by calcination at 500°C in air or nitrogen for 1 h. The specific surface areas for both of the ZrO₂ and ZrO₂-Y₂O₃ increased with increasing amount of water added for hydrolysis, and the surface areas for ZrO₂-Y₂O₃ increased with increasing yttrium content. A ZrO₂ having a surface area of 130 m²/g was produced, and a stabilized tetragonal ZrO₂ with 15 mol% Y³⁺ having a surface area of 200 m²/g was produced. Furthermore, despite the difference in the ZrO₂ and ZrO₂-Y₂O₃ crystal structures, the lattice-strain of ZrO₂ has been unequivocally related to the surface area.     

Crystal structure of the parent misfit-layered cobalt oxide [Sr2O2]qCoO2

The crystal structure of our newly discovered Sr-Co-O phase is investigated in detail through high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) techniques. Electron diffraction (ED) measurement together with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis show that an ampoule-synthesized sample contains an unknown Sr-Co-O ternary phase with monoclinic symmetry and the cation ratio of Sr/Co=1. From HREM images a layered structure with a regular stacking of a CdI₂-type CoO₂ sheet and a rock-salt-type Sr₂O₂ double-layered block is observed, which confirms that the phase is the parent of the more complex “misfit-layered (ML)” cobalt oxides of [M_mA₂O_m+2]_qCoO₂ with the formula of [Sr₂O₂]_qCoO₂, i.e. m=0. It is revealed that the misfit parameter q is 0.5, i.e. the two sublattices of the CoO₂ sheet and the Sr₂O₂ block coexist to form a commensurate composite structure. We propose a structural model with monoclinic P2₁/m symmetry, which is supported by simulations of ED patterns and HREM images based on dynamical diffraction theory.     

Aromaticity of planar boron clusters confirmed

Low-energy boron clusters are characterized by two-dimensional geometry. Aromaticity of these planar boron clusters was established in terms of topological resonance energy (TRE). All planar boron clusters were found to be highly aromatic with large positive TREs even if they have 4n pi-electrons. Aromaticity must therefore be the origin of unusual planar or quasi-planar geometry. Thus, the aromaticity concept is as useful in boron chemistry as it is in general organic chemistry. It is evident that the Hückel 4n + 2 rule of aromaticity should not be applied to such polycyclic pi-systems. Some of the boron clusters are in the triplet electronic state to attain higher aromaticity. Multivalency and electron deficiency of boron atoms are responsible for lowering the energies of low-lying pi molecular orbitals and then for enhancing aromaticity. For polycyclic pi-systems, paratropicity does not always indicate antiaromaticity.     

High enantioselectivity in rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1-substituted 2-propenyl acetates

[reaction: see text] Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of 1-substituted 2-propenyl acetates with dimethyl malonate proceeded with high enantioselectivity in the presence of cesium carbonate as a base and a rhodium catalyst generated from Rh(dpm)(C(2)H(4))(2) (dpm = dipivaloylmethanato) and a chiral phosphino-oxazoline whose basic skeleton is axially chiral binaphthyl to give branch alkylation products in greater than 90% ee.     

Development of a cooled He*(23S) beam source for measurements of state-resolved collision energy dependence of Penning ionization cross sections: Evidence for a stereospecific attractive well around methyl group in CH3CN

A low-temperature discharge nozzle source with a liquid-N(2) circulator for He*(2(3)S) metastable atoms has been developed in order to obtain the state-resolved collision energy dependence of Penning ionization cross sections in a low collision energy range from 20 to 80 meV. By controlling the discharge condition, we have made it possible to measure the collision energy dependence of partial ionization cross sections (CEDPICS) for a well-studied system of CH(3)CN+He*(2(3)S) in a wide energy range from 20 to 350 meV. The anisotropic interaction potential energy surface for the present system was obtained starting from an ab initio model potential via an optimization procedure based on classical trajectory calculations for the observed CEDPICS. A dominant attractive well depth was found to be 423 meV (ca. 10 kcal/mol) at a distance of 3.20 A from the center of mass of CH(3)CN in the N-atom side along the CCN axis. In addition, a weak attractive well (ca. 0.9 kcal/mol) surrounding the methyl group (-CH(3)) has been found and ascribed to the interaction between an unoccupied molecular orbital of CH(3)CN and 2s atomic orbital of He*(2(3)S).     

Construction of optically active CF3-containing quaternary carbon centers via stereospecific S(N)2' reaction

[reaction: see text] Phosphates from 3-substituted 4,4,4-trifluorobut-2-en-1-ols were found to be effective for construction of CF3-containing quaternary carbon centers by way of Cu(I)-catalyzed Grignard reactions in the presence of catalytic amounts of CuCN and trimethylsilyl chloride (TMSCl) in an anti S(N)2' manner.