Quantum chemical study on the mechanism of the consecutive addition of HCN to aminoacetonitrile

MINDO/3 method has been used to study the mechanism of the consecutive addition ofHCN to aminoacetonitrile.The results obtained for the first three steps show that the reaction isexothermic,and step I is the rate determining step.     

Synthesis of tunable phosphinite-pyridine ligands and their applications in asymmetric hydrogenation

A new class of modular conformationally rigid N,P ligands is conveniently synthesized from readily available starting material. Iridium complexes with these ligands have demonstrated excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee) in the asymmetric hydrogenation of aryl alkenes.     

Determination of dispersity of crushed granite

Summary Experimental crushed granite column breakthrough curves, using ⁹⁹Tc as spike tracer and ³H as invariant tracer, were analyzed by different linear regression techniques. Dispersity of crushed granite and the retardation factor of ⁹⁹TcO₄^- on the crushed granite were determined simultaneously by one linear regression. Dispersity of crushed granite was also obtained with ³H as invariant tracer by the other linear regression. The dispersities found by spike source and invariant source methods are compared. Experimental results show that the dispersity found by the spike source method is close to that found by the invariant source method. This indicates that dispersity is only a characteristic of the dispersion medium.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of bicyclic lactone derivatives via tungsten-mediated [3 + 2] cycloaddition of epoxides with a tethered alkynyl group

In the presence of BF3*Et2O, alkynyltungsten complexes underwent [3 + 2] cycloaddition with tethered epoxides to give bicyclic -lactones efficiently. Only one diastereomeric product was formed despite the presence of three stereogenic centers. A mechanism is proposed that involves formation of a tungsten-vinylidenium species via an SN2 attack of the epoxide carbon by an alkynyltungsten group to give a tungsten-enol ether species via counterattack at the central tungsten-vinylidenium carbon by the OBF3- terminus. Most of the tungsten enol ether species were too unstable for isolation and underwent hydrolysis to give only cis-fused -bicyclic lactones. This cyclization works for both cis- and trans-epoxides and tolerates various functional groups. In the case of trans-phenyl epoxide, the reaction led to an addition product via a 6-endo attack of epoxide by the tungsten fragment. This method provides a simple enantiospecific synthesis of complex bicyclic lactones if a chiral epoxide is used in the cyclization. It is also applicable to the one-pot synthesis of bicyclic unsaturated gamma-lactones if a suitable alkynyltungsten functionality is used.     

A Spectrophotometric Study of the Chelate of Iron (III) with Sorbohydroxamic Acid and Its Analytical Application

Iron (III) chelates of sorbohydroxamic acid have been studied spectrophotometrically in aqueous solution. Formation of sorbohydroxamic acid chelates was pH dependent. The “normalized absorbance” concept proposed by Likussar and Boltz has been utilized in the continuous variation plot method of determining the composition of metal chelates and the formation constants. The mole ratio of sorbohydroxamic acid to ferric ion was found to be 1 to 1 stoichiometry at pH lower than 2. The formation constant of this chelate has been evaluated to be 6.0×10¹¹ at a constant ionic strength of 0.1 M at 30°C A spectrophotometric determination of ferric ion with sorbohydroxamic acid was proposed in conjunction with the present work.     

Calculations on the octupolar molecules with enhanced two-photon absorption cross sections based on the Zn (II) and Cu (I) as centers

The equilibrium geometries, electronic structures, as well as one- and two-photon absorption cross sections of a series of octupolar chromophores with Zn(2+) or Cu(+) as coordinate centers and 4,4'-bis(dibutylaminostyryl)-[2,2']-bis(bipyridyl) as ligands have been determined by using B3LYP/6-31G and ZINDO methods. These molecules are designed by controlled combination of two or three bipyridyl ligands with the metal centers. The results show that Zn(2+) is an effective template for the design of octupolar structures which enable it to form tetrahedral and octahedral coordinated complexes; while Cu(+) only exists in a tetrahedral coordinated complex, comparing the tetrahedral complex with Zn(2+) as the center with that of Cu(+) as the center, it is found that the complex with the Cu(+) center is a better two-photon absorption material than the former as far as the transparency/nonlinearity is concerned. Furthermore, for the same metal center of Zn(2+), both one- and two-photon absorptions of the tetrahedral complex are redshifted relative to those of the octahedral complex, is attributed to the spiroconjugation effect in the tetrahedral complex. Our theoretical findings are consistent with recent experimental observations and provide an important foundation for the design of improved transparency-nonlinearity two-photon absorption materials.     

Formation and characterization of quasi-free clusters

The Si clusters are prepared by inert gas condensation method and then softly land on the mother skeleton of the porous silicon (PS), and thus quasi-free clusters are formed. Several new Raman peaks are observed and identified as surface modes of Si clusters and their combination with TA modes for the first time. Good agreement is achieved between the experimental observations and the calculated results.     

Immunosuppressive ent‐Kaurene Diterpenoids from Isodon serra

Three new enmein‐type ent‐kaurenoids, i.e., the two pairs 1 and 2 of 20‐epimers and the (20R)‐isomer 3 , besides the seven known diterpenoids 4 – 10 , were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon serra. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques and X‐ray diffraction. The immunosuppressive effect for T‐lymphocytes proliferation induced by Con A in BALB/c mouse was evaluated for the isolates 1 – 10 . They all displayed a remarkable inhibitory effect, with multi‐glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii as positive reference substance (Table 3).     

Can TMS and DSS be used as NMR references for cyclodextrin species in aqueous solution?

Tetramethylsilane (TMS) can be included by -cyclodextrin (-CD), and sodium 2,2-dimethylsilapentane-5-sulphonate (DSS) can form inclusion complexes with - and -CD. The NMR chemical shifts are changed considerably as a result of the strong interaction between CD and the guest compound in the inclusion complexes. A downfield shift of as much as 0.63 ppm shift downfield has been observed for the protons of external TMS in CD aqueous solution. In view of this, the question arises of whether TMS and DSS can be used as internal references. DSS in D₂O is suggested as an external reference for aqueous cyclodextrin solution in NMR measurements.     

Adsorption of NH3 onto activated carbon prepared from palm shells impregnated with H2SO4

Adsorption of ammonia (NH3) onto activated carbons prepared from palm shells impregnated with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) was investigated. The effects of activation temperature and acid concentration on pore surface area development were studied. The relatively large micropore surface areas of the palm-shell activated carbons prepared by H2SO4 activation suggest their potential applications in gas adsorption. Adsorption experiments at a fixed temperature showed that the amounts of NH3 adsorbed onto the chemically activated carbons, unlike those prepared by CO2 thermal activation, were not solely dependent on the specific pore surface areas of the adsorbents. Further adsorption tests for a wide range of temperatures suggested combined physisorption and chemisorption of NH3. Desorption tests at the same temperature as adsorption and at an elevated temperature were carried out to confirm the occurrence of chemisorption due to the interaction between NH3 and some oxygen functional groups via hydrogen bonding. The surface functional groups on the adsorbent surface were detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The amounts of NH3 adsorbed by chemisorption were correlated with the contents of elemental oxygen present in the adsorbents. Mechanisms for chemical activation and adsorption processes are proposed based on the observed phenomena.