Mechanism of the double aldol reaction: the first spectroscopic characterization of a carbon-bound boron enolate derived from carboxylic esters

The novel doubly borylated enolate is identified as an intermediate of the double aldol reaction of acetate esters. As a precursor to the formation of the doubly borylated enolate, carbon-bound boron enolates of carboxylic esters are spectroscopically characterized for the first time. When 2,6-diisopropylphenyl acetate (10d) is treated with c-Hex(2)BOTf (1.3 equiv) and triethylamine (1.5 equiv) in CDCl(3), the corresponding mono-enolate is formed as a mixture of oxygen- (11d) and carbon-bound (12d) forms in 71% and 20% yields, respectively. The structures of these enolates have been unambiguously determined by NMR spectroscopy. Investigation of the enolization of a series of substituted aryl acetates shows that the steric factor of the acetate affects the degree of the mono-enolate (as a mixture of oxygen- and carbon-bound enolates) and the doubly borylated enolate formation. Studies also revealed that oxygen- and carbon-bound boron enolates exist as equilibrium mixtures and that a proton transfer process occurs between oxygen- and carbon-bound enolates. The doubly borylated enolate formation is general for a variety of carbonyl compounds. Besides acetate esters, carbonyl containing compounds, such as acetic acid, dimethylacetamide, methoxyacetone, and 3-acetyl-2-oxazolidinone, also produce the doubly borylated enolates when treated with c-Hex(2)BOTf (2.5 equiv) and triethylamine (3.0 equiv). A plausible pathway of the double aldol reaction involving a carbon-bound boron enolate as a key intermediate is proposed.     

Double Asymmetric Synthesis and a New Strategy for Stereochemical Control in Organic Synthesis

This account examines double asymmetric induction from theoretical and practical viewpoints. In the context of four major organic reactions-the aldol, Diels-Alder, catalytic hydrogenation, and epoxidation-it is shown that a double asymmetric induction can be analyzed in terms of the single asymmetric reactions of each of the two chiral reactants. A rule which qualitatively relates the results of these single asymmetric reactions with the outcome of the double asymmetric reaction is proposed. A powerful new strategy based on this rule for the predictable creation of new chiral centers is discussed and the use of this strategy for the synthesis of sugars and macrolides is presented.     

Photodeposition of Prussian Blue Films on TiO(2): Additive Effect of Methanol and Influence of the TiO(2) Crystal Form

The coupling of TiO(2) and transition metal complexes is attempted with the aim of higher functionalization of the TiO(2) photocatalyst. UV irradiation (lambda(ex)>300 nm) of a TiO(2) suspension containing equimolar aqueous solutions of FeCl(3) and K(3)[Fe(CN)(6)] forms uniform thin films of "water-insoluble Prussian blue" (PB, Fe(4)(3+) [Fe(II)(CN)(6)](3)) on the surface of TiO(2) particles. The PB photodeposition is enhanced significantly by the addition of a small amount of CH(3)OH in both the rutile and anatase TiO(2) systems. The activity of anatase TiO(2) is greater than that of rutile in the presence of CH(3)OH (2.46 M) by a factor of 1.6+/-0.2, whereas the activities are comparable in the absence of CH(3)OH. These results are discussed on the basis of a proposed reaction mechanism. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Free-radical cross-linking polymerization of unsymmetrical divinyl compounds 2. Steric effect on gelation in the copolymerizations of allyl methacrylate with several alkyl methacrylates

As an extension of our continuing studies concerned with the free-radical cross-linking polymerization and copolymerization of multivinyl compounds, this article deals with the gelation in the copolymerization of allyl methacrylate (AMA), a typical unsymmetrical divinyl compound containing two types of vinyl groups such as methacryloyl and allyl ones having quite different reactivities, with several alkyl methacrylates, especially focusing on the steric effect of long-chain alkyl groups. Thus, AMA was copolymerized in bulk with methyl methacrylate (MMA), butyl methacrylate (BMA), lauryl methacrylate (LMA), and stearyl methacrylate (SMA) using azo-initiator at 50 °C in the presence of lauryl mercaptan as a chain transfer agent. The actual gel point was compared with the calculated one according to Stockmayer's equation by tentatively supposing equal reactivity of both vinyl groups. In the copolymerizations with LMA and SMA, the suppressed occurrence of intermolecular cross-linking reaction caused by the steric effect of long-chain alkyl groups was clearly observed as a reflection of delayed gelation, whereas the copolymerizations with MMA and BMA were roughly governed by the predominant occurrence of intermolecular cross-linking. These were supported by the conversion dependencies of the molecular-weight distribution profiles, the correlation curve of molecular weight versus elution volume, and the correlation of intrinsic viscosity versus molecular weight of resulting precopolymers.     

Time-dependent complex formation of dendritic poly(L-lysine) with plasmid DNA and correlation with in vitro transfection efficiencies

Dendritic poly(L-lysine) of the 6th generation shows high transfection efficiency into several cultivated cells with low cytotoxicity. In order to understand the mechanism of complex formation with plasmid DNA, the complex was observed using atomic force microscopy. After mixing for 15 min, 1-2 microns assemblies of complexes composed of several small particles (50-200 nm) were observed. At the same time, individual small complexes of 50 to 500 nm were observed on a mica surface. After incubation for 2 h, only the large complexes were found on the mica surface. As a result of further dynamic light scattering analysis and measurement of the transfection efficiency at different time points, the transfection efficiency of KG6 was found to increase with increasing size of the DNA-complexes. This result indicates that large complexes of more than 1 micron are major species that contribute to transfection in vitro.     

First total syntheses of the phytotoxins solanapyrones D and E via the domino Michael protocol

The phytotoxins solanapyrones D (1) and E (2) have been synthesized from the decalone prepared by the domino Michael reaction of the kinetic enolate of optically pure acetylcyclohexene with methyl crotonate. The decalone was transformed into a solanapyrone core by equilibration into thermodynamically stable trans-decalone (11), dehydroxylation, and dehydration. Condensation of a methyl acetoacetate equivalent followed by cyclization installed a pyrone moiety. Introduction of a formyl or hydroxymethyl unit into the pyrone ring via Pummerer related reactions furnished solanapyrones D (1) and E (2).     

Potential energy surfaces and dynamics of Ni2+ ion aqueous solution: molecular dynamics simulation of the electronic absorption spectrum

We develop a model effective Hamiltonian for describing the electronic structures of first-row transition metals in aqueous solutions using a quasidegenerate perturbation theory. All the states consisting of 3d(n) electronic configurations are determined by diagonalizing a small effective Hamiltonian matrix, where various intermolecular interaction terms such as the electrostatic, polarization, exchange, charge transfer, and three-body interactions are effectively incorporated. This model Hamiltonian is applied to constructing the ground and triplet excited states potential energy functions of Ni(2+) in aqueous solution, based on the ab initio multiconfiguration quasidegenerate perturbation theory calculations. We perform molecular dynamics simulation calculations for the ground state of Ni(2+) aqueous solution to calculate the electronic absorption spectral shape as well as the ground state properties. Agreement between the simulation and experimental spectra is satisfactory, indicating that the present model can well describe the Ni(2+) excited state potential surfaces in aqueous solution.     

Using branch-and-bound algorithms to obtain suboptimal solutions

The branch-and-bound principle is successful in solving various combinatorial optimization problems. In general, however, the computation time becomes excessive as the sizes of problems grow. To overcome this difficulty the following three suboptimal methods are often employed in practice.

1. Letz be the value of currently known best solution of a given minimization problem, and letg (P _i ) be a lower bound on the objective value of partial problemP _i . TerminateP _i ifg (P _i ) ?z?? (z), where? (z) is an allowance specified in advance.
2. Cut off the computation as soon as T₀ partial problems are decomposed, where T₀ is a prespecified positive integer.
3. Always take into account at mostM ₀ (a given positive integer) number of active partial problems. The overflown partial problems are simply ignored.

The effects of these methods on the computation time and the quality of obtained suboptimal solutions are investigated from both theoretical and simulation points of view.     

Simultaneous determination of 16 estrogens,dehydroepiandrosterone and their glucuronide and sulfate conjugates in serum using sodium cholate micelle capillary electrophoresis

The simultaneous determination of 16 estrogens, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and their glucuronide and sulfate conjugates by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with sodium cholate micelle is reported. Sodium cholate, sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and alpha-, beta-, gamma-cyclodextrins were studied as micelle reagents in the pH range of 7.0-10.0. Estrogens, DHEA and their glucuronide and sulfate conjugates were separated using a 50 cm x 50 microm capillary with 10 mM borate-phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) containing 50 mM sodium cholate as carrier. The method could simultaneously determine 1.0-1000 microg/mL of steroids and metabolites in 100 microL of serum by photometric detection at 214 nm within 14 min and 80 ng/mL steroids could be determined by using 2.0 mL of serum. The relative standards deviations were 6.7-7.7% at 10 microg/mL in serum. The recoveries were 89.1-92.0% with 10 microg/mL serum samples.     

Hydride ion as photoelectron donor in microporous crystal

Atomic hydrogen (H0) and trapped electrons generated by UV illumination (lambda approximately 330 nm) at 4 K were observed using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in a 12CaO.7Al2O3 (C12A7) crystal heated in a hydrogen atmosphere. The concentration ratio of generated H0 to the electrons encaged in the subnanometer-sized cages of C12A7 (F+ centers) is almost 1:1, providing direct evidence that a hydride ion, H-, accommodated in the cage by the heat treatment was dissociated to a pair of an H0 and an electron by a UV photon: H- --> H0 + e- (F+). After annealing at 300 K, H0 was completely annihilated, while approximately 60% of the trapped electrons survived. The remaining electrons can hop between neighboring cages and give electrical conductivity to C12A7. The hyperfine splitting of the EPR spectrum of H0 in C12A7 (48.6 mT) is 4% smaller than that of the neutral hydrogen atom (50.6 mT), implying that H0 is trapped at the interstitial sites among the cages.