Approach for the Direct Synthesis of β-Dichlorosubstituted Acetanilides Using Iodine Trichloride (ICl3) as the Oxidant and Catalyst

A reliable method for direct synthesis of β‐dichlorosubstituted acetanilides is reported. The key transformation involves the oxidative and catalytic cleavage of a carbon‐carbon bond in the presence of iodine trichloride (ICl₃). In this protocol ICl₃ is used not only as the catalyst but also as the oxidant which widely broadens the scope of its application in organic synthetic chemistry.     

Highly efficient oxidation of 2-imidazoline-5-carboxylic derivatives to imidazole-5-carboxylic derivatives by dioxygen

A highly efficient and environmental-benign oxidation by dioxygen (or air) as the sole oxidant was first applied for the conversion of 2-imidazoline-5-carboxylic derivatives to imidazole-5-carboxylic derivatives in very good and excellent yields. The substituent effect on 2-imidazoline ring was investigated. This protocol was also suitable for the synthesis of 2-imidazoles in relatively large scale.     

Direct transition metal-free C-S bond formation: synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazole derivatives via base-mediated approach

A general, efficient, and more practical protocol for the base-mediated intermolecular or intramolecular S-arylation leading to the 2-aminobenzothiazole derivatives is reported. Remarkably, all reactions were carried out under transition-metal-free conditions with good to excellent yields, rendering the methodology presented herein highly valuable from both environmental and economic points of view.     

Copper‐catalyzed Clauson–Kass pyrroles synthesis in aqueous media

An efficient and convenient copper‐catalyzed Clauson–Kass reaction of 2,5‐dimethoxytetrahydrofuran with amines in aqueous media has been developed, providing a wide range of N‐substituted pyrroles in good yields. It is noteworthy that the Clauson–Kass reaction of 2,5‐dimethoxytetrahydrofuran with p‐phenylenediamine or m‐phenylenediamine proceeds smoothly to afford the corresponding monopyrroles and bispyrroles with high selectivity in impressive yields. A plausible mechanism for the formation of N‐substituted pyrroles has been proposed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discontinuous crack-bridging model for fracture toughness analysis of nacre

Studying the structure–property relation of biological materials can not only provide insight into the physical mechanisms underlying their superior properties and functions but also benefit the design and fabrication of advanced biomimetic materials. In this paper, we present a microstructure-based fracture mechanics model to investigate the toughening effect due to the crack-bridging mechanism of platelets. Our theoretical analysis demonstrates the crucial contribution of this mechanism to the high toughness of nacre. It is found that the fracture toughness of nacre exhibits distinct dependence on the sizes of platelets, and the optimized ranges for the thickness and length of platelets required to achieve higher fracture toughness are given. In addition, the effects of such factors as the mechanical properties of the organic phase (or interfaces), the effective elastic modulus of nacre, and the stacking pattern of platelets are also examined. Finally, some guidelines for the biomimetic design of novel materials are proposed based on our theoretical analysis.     

无人机视角下的林木爆燃火特性研究

森林火灾“爆燃”现象的特征是突然发生的高强度、高蔓延速度的燃烧。目前为止,关于“爆燃火”的原因还没有达成共识。以无人机视角下对林木爆燃火特性研究,以四川木里特大森林火灾为研究对象,通过分析凉山州某森林扑火部队3月31日木里森林火灾当天KWT（科卫泰）无人机航拍火场画面,结合无人机实时影像及实地调研数据,分析了峡谷地形林火蔓延时空特征,探讨了峡谷中风向风速变化时空分布规律,研究了地形变化条件下,不同海拔高度风速特征,建立了无人机倾角测量风速模型（其中为风速m·s-1,为无人机倾角°）。结果表明,高山峻岭特殊地形环境下每天4:00—12:00时间段为静风期,为峡谷林火扑救最佳时期;午后15:00—17:00和晚上20:00—22:00为山谷地形风速活跃期;仿真软件数据显示山顶、谷底与山腰不同海拔位置的风速风向不统一,谷底会产生乱流现象,且风速与海拔不存在正相关关系,小气候在复杂地形中占主导影响地位;在谷口至山谷深处的中间位置会出现气流速度的波峰状态,并易形成乱流,为爆燃火发生提供了客观必要条件。该研究可为复杂地形环境下,森林草原火灾扑救安全提供数据和技术支撑。