Activation of Hydrogen Peroxide by Ionic Liquids: Mechanistic Studies and Application in the Epoxidation of Olefins

Imidazolium‐based ionic liquids that contain perrhenate anions are very efficient reaction media for the epoxidation of olefins with H₂O₂ as an oxidant, thus affording cyclooctene in almost quantitative yields. The mechanism of this reaction does not follow the usual pathway through peroxo complexes, as is the case with long‐known molecular transition‐metal catalysts. By using in situ Raman, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations, we have shown that the formation of hydrogen bonds between the oxidant and perrhenate activates the oxidant, thereby leading to the transfer of an oxygen atom onto the olefin demonstrating the special features of an ionic liquid as a reaction environment. The influence of the imidazolium cation and the oxidant (aqueous H₂O₂, urea hydrogen peroxide, and tert‐butyl hydrogen peroxide) on the efficiency of the epoxidation of cis‐cyclooctene were examined. Other olefinic substrates were also used in this study and they exhibited good yields of the corresponding epoxides. This report shows the potential of using simple complexes or salts for the activation of hydrogen peroxide, owing to the interactions between the solvent medium and the active complex.     

Fast Reductive Amination by Transfer Hydrogenation “on Water”

Reductive amination of various ketones and aldehydes by transfer hydrogenation under aqueous conditions has been developed, by using cyclometallated iridium complexes as catalysts and formate as hydrogen source. The pH value of the solution is shown to be critical for a high catalytic chemoselectivity and activity, with the best pH value being 4.8. In comparison with that in organic solvents, the reductive amination in an aqueous phase is faster, and the molar ratio of the substrate to the catalyst (S/C) can be set as high as 1×10⁵, the highest S/C value ever reported in reductive amination reactions. The catalyst is easy to access and the reaction is operationally simple, allowing a wide range of ketones and aldehydes to react with various amines in high yields. The protocol provides a practical and environmental friendly new method for the synthesis of amine compounds.     

Potent Antimalarial 1,2,4‐Trioxanes through Perhydrolysis of Epoxides

Perhydrolysis of a sterically congested multifunctional epoxide was achieved in ethereal H₂O₂ with the aid of a recently developed Mo catalyst. The resulting hydroperoxide cyclized to give a 1,2,4‐trioxane, which could be readily elaborated into qinghaosu and a range of novel analogues. Some of the compounds with two such trioxane moieties showed in vitro antimalarial activity comparable to or even better than that of artesunate or chloroquine.     

Rapid,General Synthesis of PdPt Bimetallic Alloy Nanosponges and Their Enhanced Catalytic Performance for Ethanol/Methanol Electrooxidation in an Alkaline Medium

We have demonstrated a rapid and general strategy to synthesize novel three‐dimensional PdPt bimetallic alloy nanosponges in the absence of a capping agent. Significantly, the as‐prepared PdPt bimetallic alloy nanosponges exhibited greatly enhanced activity and stability towards ethanol/methanol electrooxidation in an alkaline medium, which demonstrates the potential of applying these PdPt bimetallic alloy nanosponges as effective electrocatalysts for direct alcohol fuel cells. In addition, this simple method has also been applied for the synthesis of AuPt, AuPd bimetallic, and AuPtPd trimetallic alloy nanosponges. The as‐synthesized three‐dimensional bimetallic/trimetallic alloy nanosponges, because of their convenient preparation, well‐defined sponge‐like network, large‐scale production, and high electrocatalytic performance for ethanol/methanol electrooxidation, may find promising potential applications in various fields, such as formic acid oxidation or oxygen reduction reactions, electrochemical sensors, and hydrogen‐gas sensors.     

Distinct Stepwise Reduction of a Nickel?Nickel‐Bonded Compound Containing an α‐Diimine Ligand: From Perpendicular to Coaxial Structures

A nickel? nickel‐bonded complex, [{Ni(μ‐L^.?)}₂] ( 1 ; L=[(2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃)NC(Me)]₂), was synthesized from reduction of the LNiBr₂ precursor by sodium metal. Further controllable reduction of 1 with 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 equiv of Na, respectively, afforded the singly, doubly, and triply reduced compounds [Na(DME)₃] ? [{Ni(μ‐L^.?)}₂] ( 2 ; DME=1,2‐dimethoxyethane), [Na(Et₂O)]Na[(L^.?)Ni? NiL^2?] ( 3 ), and [Na(Et₂O)]₂Na[L^2?Ni? NiL^2?] ( 4 ). Here L represents the neutral ligand, L^.? denotes its radical monoanion, and L^2? is the dianion. All of the four compounds feature a short Ni? Ni bond from 2.2957(6) to 2.4649(8) Å. Interestingly, they display two different structures: the perpendicular ( 1 and 2 ) and the coaxial ( 3 and 4 ) structure, in which the metal? metal bond axis is perpendicular to or collinear with the axes of the α‐diimine ligands, respectively. The electronic structures, Ni? Ni bonding nature, and energetic comparisons of the two structure types were investigated by DFT computations.     

Al2O3-SiO2催化环己胺氧化制备环己酮肟

以Al2O3-SiO2为催化剂,用双氧水氧化环己胺制备了环己酮肟。考察了溶剂用量、催化剂用量、反应时间和反应温度等因素对催化性能的影响。结果表明,在溶剂乙腈与环己胺体积比为3∶1,催化剂质量分数31.0%,75℃反应5 h后的环己胺转化率为100%,环己酮肟选择性可达83.6%。并对环己胺催化氧化的反应机理作了初步的探讨。     

膦手性丙炔胺脯氨酸磷酸酯螺旋聚合物的合成与表征

通过添加对映体拆分剂,合成了4种含膦手性的丙炔胺磷酸酯单体[HC帒CC H2NH(PO)R1R2].单体1,R1=OPh,R2=NC4H7COOCH3;单体2,R1=OPh,R2=NC4H7COOCH2CH3;单体3,R1=OPh,R2=NC4H7-COOC(CH3)3;单体4,R1=Ph,R2=NC4H7COOC(CH3)3].1H-NMR和31P-NMR表征可知对映体(单体1)不能被拆分剂拆分,而单体2、单体3、单体4通过拆分剂可以制得单一手性的磷化合物.以(nbd)Rh+[η6-C6H5B--(C6H5)3]为催化剂,以三氯甲烷为溶剂成功得到聚合物分子量范围在0.4×10-4～0.7×10-4,分子量分布在1.26～1.98范围的3种含手性膦侧基的丙炔胺类聚合物.比旋光度([α]D)、圆二色谱(CD)对聚合物的不同侧基及温度对光学活性的影响表明,聚合物具有良好的光学活性且能够形成单一方向的螺旋构象,说明膦手性在构建螺旋聚合物具有重要作用.     

悬浮聚合制备大尺寸梭形聚苯乙烯粒子新方法及机理研究

利用氢氧化钾对苯乙烯-马来酸酐交替共聚物(SMA)进行水解,所得中等皂化程度的SMA水解产物(SMAA)在水溶液中具有刚性棒状直链构型;将此特殊结构的大分子作为分散剂用于苯乙烯悬浮聚合,通过控制搅拌速度和油水比,可得到梭形聚苯乙烯粒子;在优化条件下,粒子平均长度6.8 mm,宽度1.4 mm,厚度0.5 mm,长径比约5.0.其可能的机理为,中等皂化程度的刚棒直链型SMAA在聚合物"软粒子"表面能形成难以"回复"的有效保护层,使由剪切形成的变形聚合物"软粒子"在聚合过程中能保持形状和尺寸的稳定,从而得到梭形聚合物粒子.     

聚合物单晶生长的三维相场模拟研究

利用元胞自动机方法与相场模型的结合建立新型三维模拟相场模型.同时,为模拟真实的、三维的高分子结晶的过程,采用元胞自动机方法离散方程,且元胞几何形状的选取符合真实聚合物晶格扩散方式的物理规律,以及新建立的相场模型套用间规聚丙烯的实验参数.利用该模型模拟了多种三维立方体或者薄层的晶体形貌及其相互之间的演化过程,包括正方形、长方形、菱形、六边形、多层单晶等.通过模拟结果与真实形貌作对比来证明所建立的相场模型真实可靠性.     

3-巯基异丁酸衍生物对碲化镉量子点水相合成的影响

为探索适宜制备粒径分布窄、荧光量子产率高、发光区域在红光至近红外光区段的量子点的巯基酸的条件, 我们研究了三类3-巯基异丁酸(MIBA)衍生物在以亚碲酸钠为碲源的水相法水热制备CdTe量子点中的影响. 这三类衍生物包括设计合成的主链亲水性衍生物3-巯基异丁酰甘氨酸(MIBGly)、3-巯基异丁酰-3-氨基丙酸(MIBAPA)和3-巯基异丁酰天冬氨酸(MIBAsp), 支链亲水性衍生物N-乙酰基半胱氨酸(ACys)和支链疏水性衍生物3-巯基-2-甲基丁酸(MMBA)和3-巯基-2,2-二甲基丙酸(MDMPA). 以这三类MIBA 衍生物为修饰剂时,CdTe量子点均能够保持MIBA体系较窄的荧光半峰宽. 采用亲水性的MIBA衍生物(MIBGly、MIBAPA、MIBAsp和ACys)比采用疏水性的MIBA衍生物(MMBA和MDMPA)更有利于制备发射波长较长的量子点. 采用支链亲水性的MIBA衍生物((ACys)比采用主链亲水性的MIBA衍生物(MIBGly、MIBAPA和MIBAsp)更容易获得高荧光量子产率的量子点.