A computational study of radical haloacetal cyclizations controlled by the acetal center

The stereochemical outcome of the radical haloacetal cyclization reaction (Ueno-Stork reaction) has been examined by ab initio and other molecular orbital techniques. It was found that the stereochemistry of 5-exo- and 6-exo trig cyclizations can be accurately predicted from calculations using moderate levels of theory (UHF/6-311G** or B3LYP/6-311G**). A simplified computational procedure, easily run on a standard desktop computer, has been developed that provides excellent predictive ability for the stereochemical outcome for the reactions in question. Interestingly, a novel twist transition state has been identified for the first time in 5-exo-trig radical cyclization reactions.     

Asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction catalyzed by chiral bases

Anthrone has been found to react with N-methyl maleimide in the presence of catalytic amounts of various chiral β-amino alcohols. The optically active cycloadduct 3a has been obtained in excellent yield. Several features of the reaction have been studied.     

Preparation and Diels-Alder Reactivity of 2,3,5,6,7,8-Hexamethylidenebicyclo [2.2.2]octane (‘[2.2.2]Hericene’). Force-field calculations of exocyclic dienes as a moiety of bicyclic skeletons

The [2.2.2]hericene ( 6 ), a bicyclo[2.2.2]octane bearing three exocyclic s-cis-butadiene units has been prepared in eight steps from coumalic acid and maleic anhydride. The hexaene 6 adds successively three mol-equiv. of strong dienophiles such as ethylenetetracarbonitrile (TCE) and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) giving the corresponding monoadducts 17 and 20 (k₁), bis-adducts 18 and 21 (k₂) and tris-adducts 19 and 22 (k₃), respectively. The rate constant ratio k₁/k₂ is small as in the case of the cycloadditions of 2,3,5,6-tetramethylidene-bicyclo [2.2.2]octane ( 3 ) giving the corresponding monoadducts 23 and 27 (k₁) and bis-adducts 25 and 29 (k₂) with TCE and DMAD, respectively. Constrastingly, the rate constant ratio k₂/k₃ is relatively large as the rate constant ratio k₁/k₂ of the Diels-Alder additions for 5,6,7,8-tetramethylidenebicyclo [2.2.2]oct-2-ene ( 4 ) giving the corresponding monoadducts 24 and 28 (k₁) and bis-adducts 26 and 30 (k₂). The following second-order rate constants (toluene, 25°) and activation parameters were obtained for the TCE additions: 3 +TCE→ 23 : k₁ = 0.591±0.012 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠=10.6±0.4 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?24.0±1.4 cal/mol·K (e.u.); 23 +TCE→ 25 : k₂=0.034±0.0010 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 10.6±0.6 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?29.7±2.0 e.u.; 4 +TCE→ 26 : k₁ = 0.172±0.035 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ 11.3±0.8 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?24.0±2.8 e.u.; 24 +TCE→ 26 : k₂ = (6.1±0.2)·10^?4 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 13.0±0.3 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?29.5±0.8 e.u.; 6 +TCE→ 17 : k₁ = 0.136±0.002 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 11.3±0.2 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?24.5±0.8 e.u.; 17 +TCE→ 18 : k₂ = 0.0156±0.0003 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 10.9±0.5 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?30.1 ± 1.5 e.u.; 18 +TCE→ 19 : k₃=(5±0.2) · 10^?5 mol^?1 mol^?1 ·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 15±3 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?28 ± 8 e.u. The following rate constants were evaluated for the DMAD additions (CD₂Cl₂, 30°): 6 +DMAD→ 20 : k₁ = (10±1)·10^?4 mol^?1 · l·s^?1; 20 +DMAD→ 21 : k₂ = (6.5±0.1) · 10^?4 mol^?1 ·l·^?1; 21 +DMAD→ 22 : k₃ = (1.0±0.1) · 10^?4 mol^?1 ·l·s^?1. The reactions giving the barrelene derivatives 19, 22, 26 and 30 are slower than those leading to adducts that are not barrelenes. The former are estimated less exothermic than the latter. It is proposed that the Diels-Alder reactivity of exocyclic s-cis-butadienes grafted onto bicycle [2.2.1]heptanes and bicyclo [2.2.2]octanes that are modified by remote substitution of the bicyclic skeletons can be affected by changes inthe exothermicity of the cycloadditions, in agreement with the Dimroth and Bell-Evans-Polanyi principle. Force-field calculations (MMPI 1) of 3, 4, 6 and related exocyclic s-cis-butadienes as a moiety of bicyclo [2.2.2]octane suggested single minimum energy hypersurfaces for these systems (eclipsed conformations, planar dienes). Their flexibility decreases with the degree of unsaturation of the bicyclic skeleton. The effect of an endocyclic double bond is larger than that of an exocyclic diene moiety.     

Anodic TiO2 Nanotube Layers for Wastewater and Air Treatments: Assessment of Performance Using Sulfamethoxazole Degradation and N2O Reduction

The preparation of anodic TiO₂ nanotube layers has been performed using electrochemical anodization of Ti foil for 4 h at different voltages (from 0 V to 80 V). In addition, a TiO₂ thin layer has been also prepared using the sol–gel method. All the photocatalysts have been characterized by XRD, SEM, and DRS to investigate the crystalline phase composition, the surface morphology, and the optical properties, respectively. The performance of the photocatalyst has been assessed in versatile photocatalytic reactions including the reduction of N₂O gas and the oxidation of aqueous sulfamethoxazole. Due to their high specific surface area and excellent charge carriers transport, anodic TiO₂ nanotube layers have exhibited the highest N₂O conversion rate (up to 10% after 22 h) and the highest degradation extent of sulfamethoxazole (about 65% after 4 h) under UVA light. The degradation mechanism of sulfamethoxazole has been investigated by analyzing its transformation products by LC-MS and the predominant role of hydroxyl radicals has been confirmed. Finally, the efficiency of the anodic TiO₂ nanotube layer has been tested in real wastewater reaching up to 45% of sulfamethoxazole degradation after 4 h.     

混沌腔体换能器在反向滤波弹性检测中的应用及其仿真研究

针对传统单通道时间反转无损检测成像质量低,检测灵敏度差的问题,通过混沌腔体换能器(Chaotic Cavity Transducer:CCT)的应用,极大提高聚焦检测的能力。CCT的使用可以更好的利用介质的各经历态特性,其有效解决了单通道时间反转检测中的幻影成像及边界应力增加的问题。实验过程中采用了线性调频激发信号源(Chirped Excitation:CE)及反向滤波技术(Inverse Filter:IF),他们分别能够携带更多的能量及利用更多反转信号的模态,进而有效的提高信号聚焦的质量。为了更好的理解混沌腔体换能器的特性,采用了非连续Galerkin算法对其聚焦性能进行了数值仿真和分析。数值仿真的结果及混响介质检测与成像的实现,验证了CCT与CE及IF结合应用的有效性和高效性。     

Solvato Modulation of the Magnetic Memory in Isotopically Enriched Erbium Polyoxometalate

Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) property is by essence molecular, while commonly measured in solid crystalline state. Solvent crystallization molecules are usually neglected in the analysis and interpretation of solid-state properties. The solvation/desolvation process in the polyoxometalate(POM)-based Na₉[Er(W₅O₁₈)₂] ⋅ 35 H₂O SMM demonstrates that the dehydrated form relaxes more than 1000 times faster than the initial state, while the rehydration process allows the quasi complete recovering of the initial magnetic behaviour. This dehydration process is monitored by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and temperature-dependent X-ray powder diffraction, and rationalized by periodic quantum chemical calculations evidencing the tremendous role of the labile water molecules in the stability of the edifice. Ab-initio calculations highlight that sodium ions localization in the structure drive the magnetic responses. Isotopic enrichment with nuclear spin free (¹⁶⁶Er, I=0) Er^III ions shows that the relaxation dynamics in the quantum regime depends on the nuclear spin.     

U and Pu separation with U/TEVA resin: Influence of some parameters on chromatographic cycle performances

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Due to unexpected Pu behavior using the U/TEVA resin and the most-recognized reagents, some key separation stages need to be studied for the...     

Time-dependent internal Quantum Efficiency and diffusion Modulation Transfer Function of N/P photodiodes

The minority carrier continuity equation has been solved with the Green’s function approach in a N/P photodiode under the low-level injection assumption. The analytical solution obtained with this approach depends on the three spatial coordinates and on time. The diffusion and the collection of the excess minority carriers have been studied during the transitional period corresponding to very short integration times. The internal Quantum Efficiency and the diffusion Modulation Transfer Function have been calculated according to time. The simulations showed that they evolve with time until their steady-state values. When the integration time is very short, this evolution has to be taken into account for the estimation of the sensitivity of a photodiode and the contrast on an image of a sensor based on several adjacent N/P-type photodiodes.     

Ultra performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry studies of formalin‐induced alterations of human brain lipidome

The development of ‘omics’ sciences offers new opportunities for the study of neurodegenerative diseases but increases at the same time the sample demand on brain banks that collect and store valuable human post‐mortem tissue. Our study aims to evaluate in lipidomics the potential of formalin‐fixed tissue compared with the cryopreservation method, considered as the gold standard for biochemical research. Two complementary liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analytical platforms were used on the basis of hybrid quadrupole time‐of‐flight and triple quadrupole mass spectrometers. Untargeted fingerprinting, semitargeted profiling of specific lipid classes and targeted monitoring of lipid species were performed in formalin‐fixed and cryopreserved samples to provide detailed information at the molecular level on the formalin‐induced alterations of the brain tissue. In vitro incubations of lipid standards were also performed to further describe the degradation processes induced by formaldehyde. Phospholipid compounds were found to be extensively hydrolysed, whilst the sphingolipid ones were preserved. N‐methylation and N‐formylation of amine‐containing phospholipids have also been evidenced. These findings show that the potential detrimental effect of formalin on the analytes of interest must be taken into account when analysing formalin‐fixed samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.