Catalyzed Addition of Aldehydes to Activated Double Bonds—A New Synthetic Approach

In the presence of cyanide ions as catalyst, aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes can be smoothly added to α,β-unsaturated ketones, esters, and nitriles in aprotic solvents to form γ-diketones, 4-oxo carboxylic esters, and 4-oxo nitriles. Thiazolium salts in the presence of bases are also suitable catalysts; they permit not only addition of aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes but also the addition of aliphatic aldehydes.     

The dielectric constant and salt effects upon the acid hydrolysis of ethyl formate

The hydrolysis of ethyl formate catalysed by hydrochloric acid was studied at three temperatures in water-acetone media and in water media containing different concentrations of sodium nitrate. The effect of various ionic strengths and dielectric constants upon the rate of acid hydrolysis of ethyl formate is presented from the point of electrostatics and the results were compared to like effects upon the acid hydrolysis of ethyl acetate and methyl propionate. Neither the dielectric constant effect nor the salt effect lends itself readily to theoretical interpretation. It was assumed that a partial explanation of these anomalous results might be in the extrapolation of the acid radical to the simplest carboxylic acid. This suggestion was supported somewhat by the trends towards less adherance to the electrostatic theory at certain temperatures in the series methyl propionate, ethyl acetate and ethyl formate.     

Thin‐Film Infrared Spectroscopy of Acetonitrile

Acetonitrile and [D₃]acetonitrile in the vicinal region of a planar AgX fiber contain linear dipole–dipole linked oligomers as shown by 1) comparison of infrared band intensity ratios in the gaseous and condensed phases and 2) remarkable plots of absorbance (C? N stretch) versus time during evaporation from an AgX planar fiber element. The plots (CH₃CN 2252 cm^?1, CD₃CN 2262 cm^?1) reveal the presence of octamers, hexamers, tetramers, and dimers along with some heptamer, trimer, and monomer structures. A novel isotope effect arises from the somewhat smaller size of the CD₃CN resulting in an increase in the CN band intensity. The organized oligomers may be termed pseudocrystals and are the main components responsible for absorption intensity in the infrared spectrum of acetonitrile, on the AgX planar fiber or in an IR cell.     

Synthesis and binding affinities of novel SRIF-mimicking beta-D-glucosides satisfying the requirement for a pi-cloud at C1

[reaction: see text] The synthesis of four bioactive analogues of the somatostatin (SRIF-14) mimetic, beta-d-glucoside (+)-2, in which the C1 indole side chain is replaced with indole surrogates, has been achieved. These congeners, possessing the naphthyl, benzothiophene, benzyl, and benzofuran substituents, were predicted to satisfy the electrostatic requirements of the tryptophan binding pocket of SRIF. Unlike the previously described C4 picolyl and pyrazinyl congeners, these ligands bind the hSST4 receptor.     

3H-Indol-3-ols by a novel ring contraction

Treatment of α-hydroxy-α-phenyl-o-toluidide with phosphorus tribromide afforded a series of 4H-3,1-benzoxazines. These last, when reacted with potassium amide in liquid ammonia, ring contracted to 2,3-disubstituted 3H-indol-3-ols. The scope of this rearrangement was examined. The indolols on treatment with hot base were found to rearrange to indoxyls. Several of these as well as their N-alkylation products are described.     

Bestimmung des Gleichgewichts der salpetrigen Säure mit Nitritacidium-Ion auf chemischem Wege

Zusammenfassung Die Struktur des Nitritacidium-Ions¹ kann nach einer Interpretation vonSeel mit der Mesomerie zwischen zwei Grenzzuständen A und B (s. S. 428) erklärt werden. Es ist anzunehmen, daß sich bei einer Verminderung der Aktivität des Wassers der Resonanzzustand des Ions in Richtung von A nach B verschiebt. In sehr schwach perchlorsaurer, wäßriger Lösung läßt sich die Gleichgewichtskonstante der Bildung des Nitritacidium-Ions aus salpetriger Säure und Wasserstoffion aus kinetischen Daten vonHermann Schmid näherungsweise berechnen. In sehr stark perchlorsaurer, wäßriger Lösung läßt sich diese Gleichgewichtskonstante unter Verwendung der SäurefunktionJ ₀ aus Gleichgewichtsmessungen des Salpetrigsäurezerfalles ermitteln. (Der gefundene Wert stimmt mit den vonSeel und vonDeno, Berkheimer, Evans undPeterson aus optischen Untersuchungen erhaltenen Werten und mit dem kürzlich vonGerhard Schmid undU. Neumann mit Hilfe der NO/NO⁺-Elektrode gemessenen Wert größenordnungsmäßig überein.) Der vonChallis undRidd gefundene Mediumeffekt bei der Diazotierung aromatischer Amine in perchlorsaurer, wäßriger Lösung kann durch die oben erwähnte Verschiebung in der Resonanzstruktur des Nitritacidium-Ions erklärt werden.     

Untersuchungen zurFriesschen Verschiebung von Estern derortho- undpara-Methoxybenzoesäure

TheFries rearrangement of different methoxy benzoates has been investigated. Frompara-methoxy benzoates the corresponding hydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenones could be obtained in good yields by treatment withLewis acids (especially TiCl₄) in nitromethane at 20°C (4-hydroxy derivatives) or without solvent at 120°C (2-hydroxy derivatives). Under the same conditions only demethylation occurs withortho-methoxy benzoates leading to the corresponding salicylates. Small amounts of hydroxy-2-methoxy benzophenones were obtained by treatment with polyphosphoric acid.

     

Spin trapping chemistry of sodium 2-sulfonatophenyl t-butyl nitrone . a negatively charged water-soluble spin trap

A new water-soluble negatively charged spin trap, sodium 2-sulfonatophenyl $\text{t}$-butyl nitrone is described.