Hydroformylation in fluorous solvents

The hydroformylation of long chain alkenes under fluorous biphase conditions and in neat perfluorocarbon solvents is reviewed. Special emphasis is placed upon the authors' evaluation of the steric and electronic influence of perfluoroalkylation on catalyst activity, regioselectivity and retention in the fluorocarbon phase.     

The use of temporary tethers in the meta photocycloaddition reaction

The use of temporary tethers in facilitating meta photocycloaddition reactions between phenol and allyl alcohol derivatives has been investigated. The merits of silicon, carbonate and methylene acetal tethers were assessed, whilst considering strategies for the preparation of the natural products gymnomitrol and gelsemine. The photoadducts were epoxidised, and then subjected to acid catalysed fragmentation with concomitant cleavage of the tether. Depending on whether water or methanol was used during the fragmentation stage of the methylene tethers, the methylene group was either removed altogether or transformed into a MOM group.     

An abstract Szeg? theorem

Given a semi-group U(t) of bounded linear operators with bounded self-adjoint generator A we estimate the logarithm of the section determinants of U(t) in terms of A. When A is subject to an additional condition, which is related to so-called Følner sequences of orthogonal projections, this estimate implies a Szeg? type theorem for bounded, self-adjoint, and strictly positive operators. We show that the condition mentioned is satisfied when A is a Toeplitz operator or a compact operator.     

Embedding partial Steiner triple systems so that their automorphisms extend

It is shown that there is a function g on the natural numbers such that a partial Steiner triple system U on u points can be embedded in a Steiner triple system V on ν points, in such a way that all automorphisms of U can be extended to V, for every admissible ν satisfying ν > g(u). We find exponential upper and lower bounds for g. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs.     

An existence theorem for neutral variational problems of Bolza

This note proves an existence theorem for a generalized Bolza-type problem that has time delays in both the state and velocity variables. The assumptions are stated in terms of a modification of the classical Hamiltonian, and extend ideas of Rockafellar to the delay case.     

Medicinal Organometallic Chemistry: Designing Metal Arene Complexes as Anticancer Agents

The field of medicinal inorganic chemistry is rapidly advancing. In particular organometallic complexes have much potential as therapeutic and diagnostic agents. The carbon‐bound and other ligands allow the thermodynamic and kinetic reactivity of the metal ion to be controlled and also provide a scaffold for functionalization. The establishment of structure–activity relationships and elucidation of the speciation of complexes under conditions relevant to drug testing and formulation are crucial for the further development of promising medicinal applications of organometallic complexes. Specific examples involving the design of ruthenium and osmium arene complexes as anticancer agents are discussed.     

3,4‐[2,2‐Bis(methoxyethoxymethoxymethyl)propylenedithio]‐3′,4′‐(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene: a spiro‐substituted BEDT–TTF analogue

The crystal structure of the title compound [systematic name: 2‐(1,3‐dithiolo[4,5‐b][1,4]dithiin‐2‐ylidene)‐6,6‐bis(methoxyethoxymethoxymethyl)‐1,3‐dithiolo[4,5‐b][1,4]dithiepine], C₂₁H₃₀O₆S₈, a spiro‐substituted BEDT–TTF analogue [BEDT–TTF is bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene], has a strongly bent heterocyclic framework. The seven‐membered ring adopts a pseudo‐chair conformation with notably widened ring bond angles, especially at the methylene C atoms [119.49 (11) and 117.60 (11)°]. The axial side chain adopts an extended conformation, but the equatorial side chain curls back on itself and the O atom nearest the ring system is involved in three short contacts to H atoms (2.45–2.53 Å). The molecules pack in centrosymmetrically related pairs, which are isolated from each other by columns of the polyether side chains. This study emphasizes the ease of distortion of the neutral bis(propylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene ring structure, and how the need to accommodate side chains can easily override the tendency of these donor systems to form stacks in the crystalline state.