Kinetic study of proton-transfer reactions of phenylnitromethanes. Implication for the origin of nitroalkane anomaly

Measurements of rate constants and substituent effects for three important elementary steps of proton-transfer reactions of phenylnitromethane were reported. The Hammett ρ values for the deprotonation of ArCH(2)NO(2) with OH(-), protonation of ArCH═NO(2)(-) with H(2)O, and protonation of ArCH═NO(2)(-) with HCl were determined in aqueous MeOH at 25 °C. Comparison of these experimentally observed ρ values with those calculated at B3LYP/6-31G* revealed that aci-nitro species (ArCH═NO(2)H), which is formed on the O-protonation of ArCH═NO(2)(-), does not lie on the main route of the proton-transfer reaction. Analysis of the Br?nsted plot implies that the proton-transfer reaction of most XC(6)H(4)CH(2)NO(2) exhibits nitroalkane anomaly, but not for p-NO(2)C(6)H(4)CH(2)NO(2), and that the transition state charge imbalance is an origin of anomaly.     

La2Sb, a layered superconductor with metal-metal bonds

We found that La(2)Sb with a layered structure composed of alternate stacking of La square nets and LaSb layers exhibits bulk superconductivity with a critical temperature of 5.3 K. This suggests that the presence of the square net with strong La-La metal bonding is essential for the emergence of superconductivity.     

Insulated π-conjugated metallopolymers

Recently, there has been a progressive development of insulated π-conjugated metallopolymers with accumulated features of π-conjugated bridging units, transition metal complexes, and encapsulating moieties, as higher-order functionalized materials. A number of insulated conjugated metallopolymers have been successfully synthesized and their fascinating properties have been reported. In addition to the conventional features derived from π-conjugation and transition metals, their insulated structures can compensate for solubility, a disadvantage in conventional metallopolymers, and enhance their functionalities, such as sensing, luminescence, and conduction. In this review, we summarize the synthetic methodologies, structural characteristics, and functionalities of one-dimensional insulated π-conjugated metallopolymers, while focusing on the effect of transition metals and insulation on their properties.     

Synthesis of Lignans Based on a Borate-mediated One-pot Sequential Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling of Cyclic Boranes

Lignans are a group of polyphenolic phytochemicals that possess a large spectrum of chemical structures and biological activities. Here the syntheses of lignans – anwulignan, burseran, dehydroxycubebin, ruburisandrin B, and sesamin – are achieved based on a borate-mediated one-pot sequential Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of cis- and trans-fused bicyclic boranes, which were prepared by diastereoselective cyclic hydroboration of exo-cyclic diene with cyclopentyl- and thexylboranes, respectively. A one-pot sequential Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of each cyclic borate with various aryl bromides initiated by activation of the cyclic borane with the carbon nucleophile provided 2,3-dibenzylbutane derivatives with different aromatic substituents. Finally, the syntheses of naturally occurring lignans were accomplished in several steps from the products of Suzuki-Miyaura coupling.     

LETHAL AND MUTAGENIC ACTION OF VACUUM-AND FAR-ULTRAVIOLET RADIATIONS ON DRY X174 PHAGE

Killing and mutation of dry X174 phages (amber mutant) were investigated with vacuum-UV (130, 150 and 190 nm) and far-UV (254 nm) radiations. The sensitivity to killing was greatest at 130 nm; the sensitivity (in terms of energy fluence) at 130 nm was about 17 times higher than that at 150 nm. The reversion frequency of amber mutants to pseudo-wild type at 190 nm was lower than at 254 nm. Comparison of the induction rate of revertants per survivor showed that mutagenicity after 130 nm radiation, which may raise the ionization process, and after X-rays was similar.     

Simultaneous two- and three-component determinations in multicomponent mixtures by extraction-spectrophotometry and thermochromism of ion-association complexes

A selective method of determination of amines and quaternary ammonium salts by solvent extraction and thermochromism of ion-association complexes has been established. The method is based on the formation of ion-association species with tetrabromophenolphthalein ethyl ester and the thermochromism effect in the organic phase at low temperature. The absorbance of the red amine charge-transfer complexes decreases quantitatively (DeltaA) with increase in temperature (DeltaT), and Delta A Delta T is characteristic of a particular species. This characteristic has been applied for the sensitive and selective determination of amines. The absorbance of the blue quaternary ammonium ion-association complexes does not vary with temperature, however, and the quaternary ammonium compounds can be determined without interference by amines because of the disappearance of the red species at 60 degrees . Methylephedrine, diphenhydramine, ephedrine (amines), benzethonium and/or berberine (quaternary ammonium compounds) in two- and three-component mixtures can be determined by using the thermochromism effect. The method is highly selective, sensitive and reproducible.     

Melting behavior of highly stretched isotactic polypropylene film

Isotactic polypropylene film was stretched in poly(ethylene glycol) at 140°C and its melting behavior was investigated by using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC-1B). The shape of the melting curve depends largely on the stretching ratio, v. A sample stretched to moderate extension (1 < v < 3.5–4) has only a single melting peak (163°C) in the thermogram. When the sample is stretched beyond v = 3.5–4, the thermogram becomes more and more complex with increase of v, and some peaks appear when stretched to 10 < v < 13. The lowest peak which is considered to be the melting peak of the intermolecular crystals produced by the unfolding of chain molecules in the lamellae develops gradually with increase of v. In the thermogram for v = 18 the lowest temperature peak is most pronounced, in contrast to the highest temperature peak which decreases markedly in intensity. The phenomenon shows that large amounts of lamellar crystals are converted to intermolecular crystals in this region. On further stretching (v > 20) a very sharp high temperature peak appears, whose half-width is about 1°C. Qualitatively similar results were obtained for the samples stretched in poly(ethylene glycol) at 150°C and in air at 140 and 150°C.     

Reactivity of cobaloxime bound to polystyrene chain by carbon–cobalt σ bond

The (alkyl)-bis(dimethylglyoximato)pyridinecobalt attached to polychloromethylstyrene by a cobalt–carbon bond was prepared by the reaction of Co(II)(DH)₂Py with polychloromethylstyrene in benzene. The fraction of p-vinylbenzyl·Co(DH)₂Py introduced to the polymer was 8.1 and 2.1 mole %. The photodecomposition of the polymer-bonded cobaloxime was investigated by following the change of the visible spectrum. The rate constant k_dec of the polymer-bonded cobaloxime was 1.1 × 10^?2 sec^?1 in benzene; it is one-fourth of that of its monomeric analog, benzyl·Co(DH)₂Py. The k_dec values of the cobaloximes were also measured in benzene–dimethyl sulfoxide mixed solvents, and the polymer effects were discussed. The dependence of the photodecomposition on energy of the irradiation light was investigated, and it was found that the absorption band near 470 nm is important for the photodecomposition of the cobalt–carbon bond. Spectroscopic measurements of the ligand exchange reaction of polymer-bonded cobaloxime with pyridine in dimethyl sulfoxide gave a larger equilibrium constant (1.2 × 10⁴ liter/mole) than that of benzyl·Co(DH)₂Py (9.4 × 10² liter/mole). The kinetic data of the ligand exchange reaction indicated that the larger equilibrium constant for the polymeric system is due to the smaller rate constant of the reverse reaction. The thermodynamic parameters were also obtained.     

Polyesters containing ring units in main chains. I. Preparation and stereochemistry of monomers and polyesters

Cycloalkanone (C₅–C₈, C₁₂, and C₁₅) or cycloalkane (C₅ and C₆) ring-containing monomeric diesters and the polyesters derived from them were prepared, and their configurations were studied by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. Absolute configurations were determined for ring sizes 5, 6, and 7. Configurational change during reduction of a ketonic group of monomeric diesters with ring sizes 5 and 6 was discussed in terms of the steric effect of ring substituents on the ketonic group. In the polycondensation reaction epimerization of the ring units was observed in 5-, 6-, and 7-membered cycloalkanones and not in others, which is explained by steric hindrance by the ring substituents against attack of tetrabutyl titanate catalyst on the ketonic group.