Absolute Asymmetric Synthesis: The Origin, Control, and Amplification of Chirality

Biomolecular homochirality, the origin of which is still a puzzle, has challenged scientists to design chemical systems that provide chiral molecules through absolute asymmetric synthesis and to amplify a small stereochemical bias in such systems. The photoresolution of the enantiomers of helical-shaped, sterically overcrowded alkene 1 with circularly polarized light and the transduction of the stereochemical information by triggering the helical arrangement of a large collection of achiral molecules in a twisted nematic liquid crystalline phase (2) are examples of control and amplification of chirality.     

Interactions between Functional Groups. Part I. Crystal Structure of 2-Phenylethynyl-N,N-dimthlaniline at 98 K: A Remarkably Short C?H …︁ C Distance

In the crystal structure of the title compound at 98 K the dimethylamino group has pyramidal geometry. The nitrogenlone pair is not directed towards the triple bond; instead, one N? CH₃ bond lies almost in the plane of the disubstituted ring, directed away from the triple bond, while the other N? CH₃ bond and the lone pair are directed to opposite sides of the plane, nearer to the acetylene. There is a remarkably short intramolecular contact (2.39 Å) between a methyl H- and an acetylenic C-atom. The Taft σ_I parameter of the arylethynyl substituent appears to be similar to that of a carboxylic ester, judging from the bond-angle deformation at the ipso-C-atom.     

Vibrational relaxation in liquid nitrogen

The time constant for the collisional deactivation of the υ = 1 vibrational level of N₂ is found to be 1.5 ± 0.5 s in liquid nitrogen of 99.9995% purity of 78 K. This result is consistent with a simple binary collision theory of vibrational relaxation for liquids.     

Kinetic study of the thermal degradation of high density polyethylene

The thermal degradation of high density polyethylene has been modelled by the random breakage of polymer bonds, using a set of population balance equations. A model was proposed in which the population balances were lumped into representative sizes so that the experimentally determined molecular weight distribution of the original polymer could be used as the initial condition. This model was then compared to two different cases of the unlumped population balance which assumed unimolecular initial distributions of 100 and 500 monomer units, respectively. The model that utilised the experimentally determined molecular weight distribution was found to best describe the experimental data. The model fits suggested a second mechanism in addition to random breakage at slow reaction rates.     

Darstellung und Kristallstruktur von Kupfer(II)-monofluorophosphat-Dihydrat CuPO3F · 2H2O

Salts of Halogenophosphoric Acids. XVII. Preparation and Crystal Structure of Copper(II) Monofluorophosphate Dihydrate CuPO₃F · 2H₂O Copper(II) monofluorophosphate dihydrate, CuPO₃F · 2H₂O 1 was obtained by the reaction of aqueous NH₄HPO₃F and acid (NH₄)₂PO₃F solutions, respectively, using acetone or ethanol as precipitating agents. The thermal dehydration of 1 gives the water-free copper monofluorophosphate CuPO₃F ( 2 ). 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 761,44, b = 780,97, c = 921,02 pm, β = 112,94° and Z = 4.     

Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Studies of New (Dimethylamino)‐Functionalised and 7‐Azaindole‐Substituted ‘Titanocene’ Anticancer Agents (7‐Azaindole=1H‐Pyrrolo[2,3‐b]pyridine)

From the carbolithiation of 1‐(cyclopenta‐2,4‐dien‐1‐ylidene)‐N,N‐dimethylmethanamine (=6‐(dimethylamino)fulvene; 3 ) and different lithiated azaindoles 2 (1‐methyl‐7‐azaindol‐2‐yl, 1‐[(diethylamino)methyl]‐7‐azaindol‐2‐yl, and 1‐(methoxymethyl)‐7‐azaindol‐2‐yl), the corresponding lithium cyclopentadienide intermediates 4a – 4c were formed (7‐azaindole=1H‐pyrrolo[2,3‐b]pyridine). The latter underwent a transmetallation reaction with TiCl₄ resulting in the (dimethylamino)‐functionalised ‘titanocenes’ 5a – 5c . When the ‘titanocenes’ 5a – 5c were tested against LLC‐PK cells, the IC₅₀ values obtained were of 8.8, 12, and 87 μM , respectively. The most cytotoxic ‘titanocene’, 5a , with an IC₅₀ value of 8.8 μM is nearly as cytotoxic as cis‐platin, which showed an IC₅₀ value of 3.3 μM when tested on the epithelial pig kidney LLC‐PK cell line, and ca. 200 times better than ‘titanocene dichloride’ itself.     

Structural studies of peri-interactions and bond formation between electron-rich atomic centres and N-phenylcarboxamides or nitroalkenyl groups

Structural studies of peri-interactions with dimethylamino groups in naphthalene systems indicate that the N-phenylcarboxamide group has a through-space electron attracting power closer to that of a carboxylic ester than a N,N-dialkylcarboxamide, while 2-nitroalkenyl groups have a lower through-space electron attracting power. However, addition of a benzoyl group to the 2-position of the nitroethenyl group leads to cyclisation to give a zwitterion, in which the carbanion is stabilised by full conjugation with the nitro group and partial conjugation with the carbonyl group. An interesting case where a steric interaction overrides an electrophile/nucleophile attraction is also described. The limitations to the interpretation of short contact distances from crystallographic measurements are discussed.     

Asymptotic values of clique partition numbers

The problem is considered of decomposing a given graph into the minimum number of complete subgraphs. Asymptotic results are obtained for the case where the graph is the complement of a graph with relatively few unisolated vertices. This research was carried out while the author was visting Queen’s University, Kingston, whose hospitality is gratefully acknowledged.     

Hadamard matrices of order 28m, 36m and 44m

We show that if four suitable matrices of order m exist then there are Hadamard matrices of order 28m, 36m, and 44m. In particular we show that Hadamard matrices of orders 14(q + 1), 18(q + 1), and 22(q + 1) exist when q is a prime power and q ≡ 1 (mod 4).Also we show that if n is the order of a conference matrix there is an Hadamard matrix of order 4mn.As a consequence there are Hadamard matrices of the following orders less than 4000: 476, 532, 836, 1036, 1012, 1100, 1148, 1276, 1364, 1372, 1476, 1672, 1836, 2024, 2052, 2156, 2212, 2380, 2484, 2508, 2548, 2716, 3036, 3476, 3892.All these orders seem to be new.