Concerted Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions

Recent developments in experimental and computational chemistry have identified a rapidly growing class of nucleophilic aromatic substitutions that proceed by concerted (cS_NAr) rather than classical, two‐step, S_NAr mechanisms. Whereas traditional S_NAr reactions require substantial activation of the aromatic ring by electron‐withdrawing substituents, such activating groups are not mandatory in the concerted pathways.     

New synthesis of β-lactams

α-Methylene-β-lactams 3 were synthesized from the various 2-bromoallylamine derivatives 2 using a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)₂ or PD(acac)₂ and PPh₃, under 1–4 atom pressure of CO in good yields. Similarly, α-alkylidene-β-lactams 20 were synthesized from 3-alkyl-2-bromoallylamines 19, which were easily prepared from the olefins 14, in the same manner.     

Oxygen ion conductivity of yttria-niobia mixed oxide with fluoride related structure

The oxygen ion conductivity of Y₂O₃---Nb₂O₅ with a fluorite-like structure was studied. Substitutional solid solutions of Nb₂ O₅ in Y₂O₃ lattice formed the defect fluorite phase and remarkably enhanced the oxygen ion conductivity. Doping with tetravalent cations, especially Ti⁴⁺ or Ce⁴⁺, in yttria-niobia oxide is effective in enhancing the oxygen ion conductivity. Although the n-type semiconducting property appeared below P_O2 = 10⁻¹⁸ atm at 1243 K, the yttria-niobia mixed oxide doped with Ce⁴⁺, Ti⁴⁺, and Zr⁴⁺ stably exhibited oxygen-ion conduction in the wide range of oxygen partial pressures studied.     

Preparation and magnetic properties of ultrafine particles of FeNi alloys

Ultrafine particles (UFP) of six kinds of FeNi alloys were synthesized by the method of hydrogen plasma reaction. The prepared UFP samples were examined by X-ray diffraction, electron transmission microscopy and magnetic measurement. The spherical FeNi UFP alloys with a mean particle size less than 35 nm can be prepared with a production rate much higher than by conventional methods. The phase constitution of UFP alloys is different from the equilibrium phase diagram owing to rapid condensation of evaporated metal gases. Although the magnetization for the UFP alloys has almost the same temperature dependence as that of the bulk alloys, the saturation magnetization remarkably decreases as the bulk alloys change into the UFP alloys.