Ethylene-promoted intermolecular enyne metathesis

[reaction: see text] Intermolecular enyne metathesis between functional group-rich alkynes and vinyl ethers was promoted by ethylene cometathesis. The concentration of ethylene was optimized to suppress the competing formation of butadiene through background ethylene metathesis. The role of ethylene appears to be both protective and rate enhancing.     

Analysis of chloride, bromide and iodide using miniaturised isotachophoresis on a planar polymer chip

A new method has been developed to allow the determination of the halide anions chloride, bromide and iodide using isotachophoresis. This method employs a new electrolyte system which incorporates the novel application of indium(III) as a complexing agent. This electrolyte system was devised based on the findings of an investigation into the potential for using indium(III) as a complexing counter ion to selectively manipulate the effective mobilities of halide ions. A leading electrolyte incorporating 3.5 mmol dm(-3) of indium(III) allowed the simultaneous determination of chloride, bromide and iodide to be successfully achieved. The new procedure allows such separations to be made without interference from common inorganic anions such as sulfate and nitrate. Separations were performed using a miniaturised planar poly(methyl methacrylate) chip with integrated platinum wire conductivity detection electrodes. Using this instrumentation the limits of detection were calculated to be 0.7 mg dm(-3), 1.7 mg dm(-3) and 2.2 mg dm(-3) for chloride, bromide and iodide respectively.     

Microwave-promoted organic synthesis using ionic liquids: a mini review

Due to their extraordinary properties, such as the ionic composition, good thermal stability, low vapor pressure, and solution interactions, ionic liquids can be used as solvents, reagents, and heating aids in conjunction with microwave chemistry. Synthesis of diverse molecules can be improved with the use of the ionic liquids assisted microwave heating due to fast reaction times, simple reaction work-up, and catalyst recovery. This mini-review outlines this newly emerging field.     

A study of the ionic liquid mediated microwave heating of organic solvents

The use of ionic liquids as aids for microwave heating of nonpolar solvents has been investigated. We show that hexane and toluene together with solvents such as THF and dioxane can be heated way above their boiling point in sealed vessels using a small quantity of an ionic liquid, thereby allowing them to be used as media for microwave-assisted chemistry. Using the appropriate ionic liquid, the heating can be performed with no contamination of the solvent. To show the applicability of the system, two test reactions have been successfully performed.     

Supramolecular effects on the dynamics of radicals in MFI zeolites: a direct EPR investigation

Photolysis of the supramolecular complexes (dibenzyl ketones@ZSM-5) produced supramolecular complexes of benzyl radicals@ZSM-5, which were directly detected by CW-EPR spectroscopy, and provided information on the dynamics of the radicals. The lifetimes of the radicals increased as the group X attached to the carbon atom at the radical center increases from X = H (t(1/2) ca. 2 min) to X = (CH(2))(4)CH(3) (t(1/2) > 200 min). In addition, line broadening of the EPR signal was observed as the group X increases. Experiments involving cation-exchanged zeolites (MZSM-5; M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) showed a strong dependence of the radical lifetime on the size of the cation (t(1/2) ca. 10 min for Li and t(1/2) > 200 min for Cs). The results are discussed in terms of supramolecular steric effects on the radical-radical reactions in the zeolite supercages.     

Potent competitive inhibition of α-galactosidase and α-glucosidase activity by 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-iminopentitols: syntheses of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-d-lyxitol and of both enantiomers of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-iminoarabinitol

The syntheses of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-lyxitol (3), 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-d-arabinitol (4) and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-l-arabinitol (5) are reported; (3) is a potent competitive inhibitor of α-galactosidase (green coffee beans) and (4) a competitive inhibitor of α-glucosidase (Brewer's yeast) suggesting that iminopentitols have considerable potential as glycosidase inhibitors. (4) was found to be identical to an alkaloid recently isolated from $\text{Angylocalyx boutiqueanus}$.     

THE EFFECT OF ALIPHATIC ALCOHOLS ON FLUORESCENCE QUENCHING AND FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION OF LUMINESCENCE PROBES IN HEXADECYLTRIMETHYLAMMONIUM BROMIDE MICELLES

Abstract— The fluorescence quenching of the indole chromophore by NO⁻₂ and the fluorescence depolarization of several luminescence probes in aqueous solutions containing hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTBr) were measured as a function of added C₂–C₄ aliphatic alcohol concentration. The fluorescence decay profiles of pyrene in the micellar solutions were also measured to estimate the aggregation number of the micelles. The addition of n -butyl alcohol significantly reduces the fluorescence quenching rate and the aggregation number and increases the extent of fluorescence depolarization in HDTBr micellar systems. The addition of ethyl alcohol shows a similar but smaller effect.     

Improved preparation of h5-C5H5 Fe(CO)2(h1-alkyl) complexes from [h5-C5H5Fe(CO)2(h2-alkene)]+BF4−

Sodium cyanoborohydride has been found to be very effective for the conversion of [(h⁵-C₅H₅)Fe(CO)₂(h²-alkene)]⁺BF₄^? complexes to the corresponding h¹-alkyl derivatives.     

Aryloxy radicals from diaryloxydiazirines: alpha-cleavage of diaryloxycarbenes or excited diazirines?

The synthesis of diaryloxydiazirines, precursors to diaryloxycarbenes, is described. Thermolyses of the diazirines afford anticipated carbene products, but photolyses afford both carbenes and aryloxy radicals by alpha-scission. UV spectra of the carbenes and radicals are observed. [reaction: see text]     

Interactions between spherical colloids mediated by a liquid crystal: a molecular simulation and mesoscale study

Monte Carlo simulations and dynamic field theory (DyFT) are used to study the interactions between dilute spherical particles, dispersed in nematic and isotropic phases of a liquid crystal. A recently developed simulation method (expanded ensemble density of states) was used to determine the potential of mean force (PMF) between the two spheres as a function of their separation and size. The PMF was also calculated by a dynamic field theory that describes the evolution of the local tensor order parameter. Both methods reveal an overall attraction between the colloids in the nematic phase; in the isotropic phase, the overall attraction between the colloids is much weaker, whereas the repulsion at short range is stronger. In addition, both methods predict a new topology of the disclination lines, which arises when the particles approach each other. The theory is found to describe the results of simulations remarkably well, down to length scales comparable to the size of the molecules. At separations corresponding to the width of individual molecular layers on the particles' surface, the two methods yield different defect structures. We attribute this difference to the neglect of density inhomogeneities in the DyFT. We also investigate the effects of the size of spherical colloids on their interactions.