Enhanced chromatographic resolution of amine enantiomers as carbobenzyloxy derivatives in high-performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

The carbobenzyloxy (cbz) protecting group is evaluated for it's potential to enhance the resolution of chiral amine enantiomers using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). A series of cbz derivatives of commercially available racemates was prepared and analyzed by enantioselective chromatography using a variety of mobile phases and polysaccharide and Pirkle-type chiral stationary phases (CSPs). The cbz-derivatized product consistently demonstrated enhanced chiral resolution under HPLC and SFC conditions. Improved selectivity and resolution combined with an automated preparative HPLC or SFC system can lead to the rapid generation of highly purified enantiomers of desirable starting materials, intermediates or final products.     

Microwave-assisted arylation of rac-(E)-3-acetoxy-1,3-diphenylprop-1-ene with arylboronic acids

The palladium-catalyzed arylation of rac-(E)-3-acetoxy-1,3-diphenylprop-1-ene with arylboronic acids was studied under controlled microwave irradiation conditions. A variety of different catalysts, bases, and solvents were explored in order to achieve optimum yields in the shortest possible reaction times. The best isolated yields were obtained using Pd₂(dba)₃·CHCl₃/PPh₃ as the catalytic system, potassium phosphate monohydrate as the base, and toluene/H₂O as a solvent system. Microwave irradiation using 5 mol % of the palladium catalyst for 90 s (max. temp 170 °C) generally afforded the cross-coupling products in good to excellent yields.     

Rearrangements in cobaltic fluoride fluorinations of cycloalkanes with seven or more ring carbons

Cyclo-heptane, -octane, -decane, -dodecane and -octadecane have been fluorinated in the vapour phase with cobaltic fluoride. The perfluorocarbons obtained revealed varying degrees of skeletal rearrangements. Thus, cycloheptane gave perfluoro-cycloheptane and -methylcyclohexane; cyclooctane gave at least eight fluorocarbons including-bicyclo(3,3,0)octane and -cyclooctane; cyclodecane gave a complex mixture from which were isolated perfluoro cis- and trans-bicyclo(4,4,0)decanes but no perfluorocyclodecane; cyclododecane and cyclooctadecane gave complex fluorocarbon mixtures in which none of the fluorocarbons with the original cycloalkene skeleton could be detected.Tetradecafluorobicyclo(3,3,0)octane gave dodecafluorobicyclo (3,3,0)oct-1(5)-ene and decafluorobicyclo(3,3,0)octa-di-1(5), 2-ene when pyrolysed over iron gauze.The fluorination of cyclooctane also afforded 1$\text{H}$-pentadecafluorocyclooctane which was dehydrofluorinated to tetradecafluorocyclooctene. This was converted to a range of derivatives including dodecafluorosuberic acid, 1,2-dichlorotetradecafluorocyclooctane, 1-methoxy tridecafluorocyclooctene and tetradecafluorocyclooctanone.     

Adsorption, diffusion and desorption of chlorine on and from rutile TiO2{110}: a theoretical investigation.

The adsorption, diffusion and desorption of chlorine on and from stoichiometric, reduced and partially reduced (defective) rutile TiO2{110} are investigated using ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Theoretical results are compared with experimental investigations, and microkinetic simulations based on DFT values are then used to verify the diffusion mechanisms assumed in the experimental investigations.     

The crystal and molecular structure of DI-trans-β-styrylmercury

The structure of di-trans-β-styrylmercury has been determined by single crystal X-ray methods from counter data. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbcn with unit cell dimensions a 15.413(6), b 11.161(9), c 7.668(5) Å, V 1319(1) ų, D_calc 2.049 g/cm³, and Z = 4. The crystal was solved by conventional heavy atom techniques. The crystal consists of individual molecular units with the mercury atom located on a two fold axis of symmetry. The CHgC fragment is nearly linear with an angle of 178°. The β-styryl groups are oriented so that a dihedral angle of 66.8° is formed between the planes defined by HgC(1)C(2) and HgC(1)′C(2)′ fragments. The HgC bond distance is 2.07(4) Å.     

Electro-oxidation of carbon monoxide on well-ordered Pt(111)/Sn surface alloys

The electro-oxidation of CO on model platinum-tin alloy catalysts has been studied by ex-situ electrochemical measurements following the preparation of the Pt(111)/Sn(2x2) and Pt(111)/Sn(radical3 x radical3)R30 degrees surfaces. A surface redox couple, which is associated with the adsorption/desorption of hydroxide on the Sn sites, is observed at 0.28 V(RHE)/0.15 V(RHE) in H(2)SO(4) electrolyte on both surfaces. Evidence that it is associated with the adsorption of OH comes from ex-situ photoemission measurements, which indicate that the Sn atoms are in a metallic state at potentials below 0.15 V(RHE) and an oxidized state at potentials above 0.28 V(RHE). Specific adsorption of sulfate anions is not associated with the surface process since there is no evidence from photoemission of sulfate adsorption, and the same surface couple is observed in the HClO(4) electrolyte. CO is adsorbed from solution at 300 K, with saturation coverages of 0.37 +/- 0.05 and 0.2 +/- 0.05 ML, respectively. The adsorbed CO is oxidatively stripped at the potential coincident with the adsorption of hydroxide on the tin sites, viz., 0.28 V(RHE). This strong promotional effect is unambiguously associated with the bifunctional mechanism. The Sn-induced activation of water, and promotion of CO electro-oxidation, is sustained as long as the alloy structure remains intact, in the potential range below 0.5 V(RHE). The results are discussed in the light of the requirements for CO-tolerant platinum-based electrodes in hydrogen fuel cell anode catalysts and catalysts for direct methanol electro-oxidation.     

Accurate pKa determination for a heterogeneous group of organic molecules.

Single-molecule studies that allow to compute pKa values, proton affinities (gas-phase acidity/basicity) and the electrostatic energy of solvation have been performed for a heterogeneous set of 26 organic compounds. Quantum mechanical density functional theory (DFT) using the Becke-half&half and B3LYP functionals on optimized molecular geometries have been carried out to investigate the energetics of gas-phase protonation. The electrostatic contribution to the solvation energies of protonated and deprotonated compounds were calculated by solving the Poisson equation using atomic charges generated by fitting the electrostatic potential derived from the molecular wave functions in vacuum. The combination of gas-phase and electrostatic solvation energies by means of the thermodynamic cycle enabled us to compute pKa values for the 26 compounds, which cover six distinct chemical groups (carboxylic acids, benzoic acids, phenols, imides, pyridines and imidazoles). The computational procedure for determining pKa values is accurate and transferable with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.53 and 0.57 pKa units and a maximum error of 1.0 pKa and 1.3 pKa units for Becke-half&half and B3LYP DFT functionals, respectively.     

High-speed microwave-promoted hetero-Diels-Alder reactions of 2(1H)-pyrazinones in ionic liquid doped solvents

Inter- and intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder reactions in a series of functionalized 2(1H)-pyrazinones were investigated under controlled microwave irradiation. The cycloaddition reactions were efficiently performed in sealed tubes, utilizing either a combination of 1,2-dichloroethane and a thermally stable ionic liquid, or 1,2-dichlorobenzene as reaction medium. In all cases, a significant rate-enhancement using microwave flash heating as compared to thermal heating was observed.