The synthesis of azadirachtin: a potent insect antifeedant

We describe in full the first synthesis of the potent insect antifeedant azadirachtin through a highly convergent approach. An O-alkylation reaction is used to unite decalin ketone and propargylic mesylate fragments, after which a Claisen rearrangement constructs the central C8-C14 bond in a stereoselective fashion. The allene which results from this sequence then enables a second critical carbon-carbon bond forming event whereby the [3.2.1] bicyclic system, present in the natural product, is generated via a 5-exo-radical cyclisation process. Finally, using knowledge gained through our early studies into the reactivity of the natural product, a series of carefully designed steps completes the synthesis of this challenging molecule.     

Two-dimensional infrared investigation of N-acetyl tryptophan methyl amide in solution

The linear infrared and two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectra in the amide-I region of N-acetyl tryptophan methyl amide (NATMA) in solvents of varying polarity are reported. The two amide-I transitions have been assigned unambiguously by using 13C isotopic substitution of the carbonyl group. The amide unit at the amino end shows a lower transition frequency in CH2Cl2 and methanol, while the acetyl end has a lower transition frequency in D2O. Multiple conformers exist in CH2Cl2 and methanol, but only one conformer is evident in D2O. The 2D IR cross peaks from the intermode coupling yield off-diagonal anharmonicities 2.5 +/- 0.5, 3.25 +/- 0.5, and 3.0 +/- 0.5 cm(-1) in CH2Cl2, methanol, and D2O, respectively, which by simple matrix diagonalization yield the coupling constants 8.0 +/- 0.5, 8.0 +/- 1.0, and 5.5 +/- 1.0 cm(-1). The major conformer in CH2Cl2 corresponds to a C7 structure, in agreement with that found in the gas phase [Dian, B. C.; Longarte, A.; Mercier, S.; Evans, D. A.; Wales, D. J.; Zwier, T. S. J. Chem. Phys. 2002, 117, 10688-10702] with intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the acetyl end C=O and the amino end N-H. The backbone dihedral angles (phi, psi) are determined to be in the ranges of (-55 +/- 5 degrees , 30 +/- 5 degrees ), (120 +/- 10 degrees , -20 +/- 10 degrees ), and (+/-160 +/- 10 degrees , +/-75 +/- 10 degrees ) in CH2Cl2, methanol, and D2O, respectively.     

Total synthesis of (-)-okilactomycin

A highly convergent synthesis of (-)-okilactomycin is described. Key reactions of this synthesis include a strategy-level diastereoselective oxy-Cope rearrangement/oxidation sequence, a Petasis-Ferrier union/rearrangement tactic, and an efficient RCM reaction to construct the 13-membered macrocyclic ring.     

Origin of Radiation Reaction

The emission of radiation from an accelerated charge is analyzed. It is foundthat at zero velocity, the radiation emitted from the charge imparts no countermomentum to the emitting charge, and no radiation reaction force is created bythe radiation. A reaction force is created by the stress force that exists in thecurved electric field of the charge, and the work done in overcoming this forceis the source of the energy carried by the radiation.     

Polymer structure of cured alkaline phenol–formaldehyde resol resins with respect to resin synthesis mole ratio and oxidative side reactions

A wood adhesive-type phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resol resin synthesized with a typical formaldehyde to phenol mol ratio of 2.10 was thoroughly cured and studied by the solid-state crosspolarization/magic angle spinning ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS NMR) spectroscopy. The methylene group/phenol mol ratio values found were between 1.35 and 1.46, close to the value of a completely cured PF polymer structure. The amount of formaldehyde emitted during resin curing was very small. Other formaldehyde-derived groups determined from CP/MAS NMR spectra and relatively high levels of oxidation products of formaldehyde determined from water extracts of cured resin raised the total formaldehyde-derived groups/phenol mol ratio value to close to that of the synthesis mol ratio. Technological implications of these findings are discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 3275–3285, 1997     

Analysis of optical characteristics of holey photonic crystal devices with the extended coupled-mode formalism

Presented here is a new approach for analysis of the so-called holey photonic crystals—a class of electro-optical components, in which periodicity of air holes in dielectric media is used for confinement of light. This class includes several kinds of microstructured fibers, semiconductor lasers etc. Accurate evaluation of optical characteristics of those devices is usually a complicated problem due to the large dimensions and the fine structure of their refractive index distribution. Furthermore, usually, only numerical solutions for this class of optical components are available. The overwhelming majority of the physical models, suitable for analysis of holey photonic devices, proceed from the “natural” assumption: the devices are considered as arrays of air holes, surrounded by dielectric material. In this work we propose another model. Namely, we treat them as arrays of dielectric spots (waveguides), embedded in the air (cladding material). This model allows utilization of the extended coupled-mode theory (a relatively new approach designed for analysis of infinite arrays of coupled waveguides and previously considered inapplicable to holey optical components) for calculations of the latter. In this sense, we present a new method for analysis of holey photonic crystals. On the one hand, our method allows analytical evaluation of some optical characteristics of holey optical components (such as the number of photonic bands and bandwidth). On the other hand, accurate numerical computation of the photonic band structure of the holey photonic devices, incorporating a large number of holes, can be done with this technique on a timescale of several minutes.     

Anion relay chemistry: an effective tactic for diversity oriented synthesis

An effective one-flask multicomponent linchpin coupling protocol employing the concept of anion relay chemistry (ARC) was developed. This concept calls for addition of an anion (5) to an epoxide (6), bearing on a distal carbon a trialkyl silyl group and an anion stabilizing group (ASG), to furnish upon epoxide ring opening oxyanion 7. Addition of HMPA or other polar solvents to trigger a solvent controlled 1,4-Brook rearrangement then leads to a new distal anion (8), which in turn is available to react with a variety of second electrophiles.     

Bright‐Dark Rogue Waves

During the last two decades, revealing mechanisms of origin waves with anomalous amplitude (rogue waves) have been in the focus of researchers from different fields ranging from oceanography to laser physics. Mode‐locked lasers, as a test bed system, provide a unique opportunity to collect more data on rogue waves in the form of random pulses (soliton rain) and to clarify the mechanisms of rogue‐wave emergence caused by soliton–soliton and soliton–dispersive wave interactions. Here, for the first time, for an Er‐doped mode‐locked laser, a new type of vector rogue waves is demonstrated experimentally and theoretically, which is driven by desynchronization of the orthogonal linear states of polarization, so leading to output power oscillations in the form of anomalous spikes‐dips (bright‐dark rogue waves). The results can pave the way to unlocking the universal nature of the origin of rogue waves and thus can be of interest to the broad scientific community.