Synthesis,Structure and Reactivity of PH‐Phosphoraneiminato‐ and Iminophosphoraneiminato Group 4 Transition‐Metal Complexes

The versatile coordination chemistry of the well‐investigated phosphoraneiminato‐ligand R₃PN^— ( I ) was extended by the successive introduction of protons to the phosphorus atom. The position of the resulting equilibrium between the NH‐phosphanylamido‐ [R₂P‐NH^—] and the PH‐phosphoraneiminato‐form [R₂HP=N^—] is affected by the Lewis acidity of the coordinated metal fragment. Experimental studies on complexes with various substitution patterns at the group 4 metal center R₂HP=N[M] ( II ) were unambiguously confirmed by DFT‐calculations. The isolation of group 4 PH‐dihydrido‐phosphoraneiminato‐complexes RH₂P‐N[M] ( III ) is prevented by the low thermodynamic stability of the target molecules, also supported by the results of ab initio calculations. However, an access to the by then unknown transition‐metal substituted iminophosphanes RP=N[M] ( IV ) was verified for the first time. Within extensive studies on the coordination chemistry of bis(imino)phosphoranes RP(=NR′)(=NR″), several species of group 4 complexes R(R′N=)P=N[M] ( V ) were isolated and structurally characterized. In this case, investigations on the NH/PH‐tautomerism were performed exclusively on theoretical level, because the required educts are experimentally non‐accessible due to their kinetic instability.     

Density functional theory study of the mechanism of the proline-catalyzed intermolecular aldol reaction

Transition structures associated with the C-C bond-formation step of the proline-catalyzed intermolecular aldol reaction between acetone and isobutyraldehyde have been studies using density functional theory methods at the B3LYP/6-31G** computational level. A continuum model has been selected to represent solvent effects. For this step, which is the stereocontrolling and rate-determining step, four reactive channels corresponding to the syn and anti arrangement of the active methylene of the enamine relative to the carboxylic acid group of l-proline and the re and si attack modes to both faces of the aldehyde carbonyl group have been analyzed. The B3LYP/6-31G** energies are in good agreement with experiment, allowing us to explain the origin of the catalysis and stereoselectivity for these proline-catalyzed aldol reactions. Received: 2 April 2002 / Accepted: 18 July 2002 / Published online: 11 October 2002 Acknowledgements. This work was supported by research funds provided by the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura of the Spanish Government by DGICYT (project PB98–1429). All the calculations were performed on a Cray–Silicon Graphics Origin 2000 of the Servicio de Informática de la Universidad de Valencia. We are most indebted to this center for providing us with computer capabilities. Correspondence to: L. R. Domingo e-mail: domingo@utopia.uv.es     

Microstructure and electrical properties of BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> and (Ba,Sr)TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ferroelectric thin films on nickel electrodes

Nickel thin films have been sputtered on standard Si/SiO₂ substrates with TiO₂ as an adhesive layer. The thermal stability of these substrates was analyzed. SEM images show an increase in grain size with annealing temperature. They were found to be stable till 800°C, beyond which the nickel layer disintegrated. These substrates were used for deposition of BaTiO₃ and (Ba,Sr)TiO₃ dielectric thin films under a reducing atmosphere. The dielectric thin films were processed with various pyrolysis and annealing temperatures in order to optimize the dielectric properties. Increased pyrolysis temperatures showed an increase in the grain size. Results on these nickelised substrates were finally compared with dielectric films deposited on platinized silicon substrates under identical conditions but crystallized in an oxygen atmosphere.     

Plasma total homocysteine measurement by ion-paired reversed-phase HPLC with electrochemical detection

Homocysteine is thought to be a risk factor for vascular disease and this has led to an increase in demand for its assay in clinical laboratories. An HPLC method, incorporating electrochemical detection, for measurement of plasma total homocysteine is presented. The method is simple to perform, precise and suitable for clinical applications.     

Fabrication of lead titanate single crystalline nanowires by hydrothermal method and their characterization

Single crystalline nanowires of lead titanate (PbTiO₃) were fabricated by hydrothermal method at 200°C using lead acetate and n-tetrabutyl titanate as starting materials, where sodium hydroxide was served as a mineralizer. Crystalline phases, microstructure and optical properties of PbTiO₃ nanowires were investigated. The PbTiO₃ nanowires were uniform and continuous along the long axis, and were composed of single crystalline PbTiO₃ with a tetragonal perovskite structure. The diameter of a single nanowire was around 12 nm and the length reached up to 3 μm. The chemical composition of the samples and the valence states of elements were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ultraviolet/visible absorption spectroscopic investigation suggested that the absorption edge of optical transition of the first excitonic state occurred at around 320 nm. A blue-green light emission peaking at about 471 nm (2.63 eV) is observed at room temperature, and the intensity of this emission increased with increasing excitation wavelength. Oxygen vacancies are responsible for the light emission of PbTiO₃ nanowires.     

Studies on stereoselective approaches to β-carboline derivatives

Transformation of β-carboline derivatives into optically active entities were studied and the de and ee values of the resulted compounds were detected. Dedicated to Professor Károly Lempert on his 80th birthday.     

Constraints on Contact Angles for Multiple Phases in Thermodynamic Equilibrium

For three or more fluid phases in thermodynamic equilibrium and in contact with a solid surface, the Young equation can be used to find relations between the contact angles for different pairs of fluids. For an n-fluid-phase system, n(n-1)/2 contact angles can be defined, but there are (n-1)(n-2)/2 constraints between them, leaving only n-1 independent values of the contact angle. These constraints are very powerful in limiting and determining possible types of wetting behavior. The consequences are discussed for three- and four-phase flow. They have important applications for the understanding of gas injection processes in petroleum reservoirs. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Direct, stereoselective substitution in [Rh(CO)(2)Cl](2)-catalyzed allylic alkylations of unsymmetrical substrates

[Rh(CO)(2)Cl](2) has been found to possess the unusual property of catalyzing allylic alkylations of unsymmetrical allylic carbonates with high levels of regioselectivity to provide products arising from substitution at the carbon atom bearing the leaving group, irrespective of the structure of the starting carbonate. The substitution reaction occurs with retention of stereochemistry at the reacting center, and the carbon-carbon double-bond stereochemistry of primary (Z)-allylic carbonates is maintained. [reaction: see text]     

Gasphasen-Reaktionen. 92. Thermische HCl-Abspaltung aus Alkyldichlorphosphanen (H3C/H)3C?PCl2 zu Phosphaalkenen (H3C/H)2CPCl und Phosphaalkinen (H3C/H)C≡P

Gasphase Reactions. 92 Thermal Elimination of HCl from Alkyldichlorophosphanes (H₃C/H)₃C? PCl₂ to Phosphaalkenes (H₃C/H)₂C?PCl and Phosphaalkines (H₃C/H)C≡P The alkyldichlorophosphanes H₃C? PCl₂, ClH₂? PCl₂, (H₃C)H₂C? PCl₂ and (H₃C)₂HC? PCl₂ split off HCl on heating in a gasflow under reduced pressure. PE spectroscopic gas analysis proves that under these conditions the short-lived phosphaalkenes H₂C?PCl, (H₃C)H₂C?PCl and – catalyzed by [MgCl₂? MgO/SiO₂]_∞ – (H₃C)₂C?PCl as well as the phosphaalkines HC≡P and (H₃C)C≡P are formed, all of which can be isolated by low temperature condensation. Based on the PES ionization patterns recorded and on the MNDO calculations for their assignment, the π_CP multiple bonds are discussed. The presumable pathway of the HCl elimination is rationalized for (H₃C)H₂C? PCl₂ by an approximate MNDO energy hypersurface.     

Synthesis and crystallization kinetics of the novel ion exchanger Na<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>4</Subscript>Si<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>10</Subscript> for cesium removal

Thermodynamics and crystallization kinetics of the hydrothermal synthesis of Na₄Ti₄Si₃O₁₀ (NaTS) were systemically studied by both experiments and model simulation. Experimental results showed that the curve of crystallinity with time was a characteristic signmoid in the shape that indicated the crystallization of Na₄Ti₄Si₃O₁₀ was a typical spontaneous nucleation process on the laboratory scale. Crystallization of NaTS belongs to the liquid-liquid transformation mechanism and the reaction is endothermic (ΔH = 15.3 kJ/mol). A mathematic model of crystallization kinetics was developed to simulate the synthesis of NaTS. Runge-Kutta and simplex methods were adopted to solve the partial differential equations. Model results fitted well with the experimental data and showed that the synthesis process belongs to spontaneous nucleation and crystal growth. Moreover, the very small crystal growth constant (5.6·10⁻⁷) and gel dissolution constant (7.0·10⁻⁷) indicate they are the rate-limiting steps of the whole synthesis process.