Synthesis of selenolates from stannyl and silyl alkylselenides

Stannyl and silyl alkylselenides have been efficiently transformed to the corresponding alkylselenolates on reaction with butyllithiums. Other conditions proved to be limited.     

Three-component synthesis of benzo[b][1,5]thiazepines via coupling–addition–cyclocondensation sequence

2,4-Disubstituted benzo[b][1,5]thiazepines represent nonfluorescent intense yellow chromophores and are readily synthesized from acid chlorides, terminal alkynes, and ortho-amino thiophenols by a consecutive one-pot three-component Sonogashira coupling–Michael addition–cyclocondensation sequence under mild conditions in good yields.     

Decomposing torsion modules

E. Matlis proved that if R is an integral domain with quotient field Q and K is the R-module Q/R, then all torsion R-modules decompose into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes into a direct sum of local submodules. Thus K is a test module to determine whether torsion modules decompose. We generalize this result to commutative rings. If R is a commutative ring and a torsion theory of R is given by a Gabriel topology , then form the ring of quotients R_ and let K be the cokernel of the canonical ring homomorphism from R to R_. In some special cases, every -torsion R-module decomposes into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes. However, there is an example where this is not the case. The principal result is: given R,  and K, there is a related filter _K of ideals of R, which is a subset of , such that all _K-pretorsion R-modules decompose into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes. The relationship between  and _K is investigated.     

Effects of upper-frequency boundary and spectral warping on speech intelligibility in electrical stimulation

Speech understanding was tested for seven listeners using 12-electrode Med-El cochlear implants (CIs) and six normal-hearing listeners using a CI simulation. Eighteen different types of processing were evaluated, which varied the frequency-to-tonotopic place mapping and the upper boundary of the frequency and stimulation range. Spectrally unwarped and warped conditions were included. Unlike previous studies on this topic, the lower boundary of the frequency and stimulation range was fixed while the upper boundary was varied. For the unwarped conditions, only eight to ten channels were needed in both quiet and noise to achieve no significant degradation in speech understanding compared to the normal 12-electrode speech processing. The unwarped conditions were often the best conditions for understanding speech; however, small changes in frequency-to-place mapping (<0.77 octaves for the most basal electrode) yielded no significant degradation in performance from the nearest unwarped condition. A second experiment measured the effect of feedback training for both the unwarped and warped conditions. Improvements were found for the unwarped and frequency-expanded conditions, but not for the compressed condition. These results have implications for new CI processing strategies, such as the inclusion of spectral localization cues.     

Formation and Reactivity of Organo‐Functionalized Tin Selenide Clusters

Reactions of R¹SnCl₃ (R¹=CMe₂CH₂C(O)Me) with (SiMe₃)₂Se yield a series of organo‐functionalized tin selenide clusters, [(SnR¹)₂SeCl₄] ( 1 ), [(SnR¹)₂Se₂Cl₂] ( 2 ), [(SnR¹)₃Se₄Cl] ( 3 ), and [(SnR¹)₄Se₆] ( 4 ), depending on the solvent and ratio of the reactants used. NMR experiments clearly suggest a stepwise formation of 1 through 4 by subsequent condensation steps with the concomitant release of Me₃SiCl. Furthermore, addition of hydrazines to the keto‐functionalized clusters leads to the formation of hydrazone derivatives, [(Sn₂(μ‐R³)(μ‐Se)Cl₄] ( 5 , R³=[CMe₂CH₂CMe(NH)]₂), [(SnR²)₃Se₄Cl] ( 6 , R²=CMe₂CH₂C(NNH₂)Me), [(SnR⁴)₃Se₄][SnCl₃] ( 7 , R⁴=CMe₂CH₂C(NNHPh)Me), [(SnR²)₄Se₆] ( 8 ), and [(SnR⁴)₄Se₆] ( 9 ). Upon treatment of 4 with [Cu(PPh₃)₃Cl] and excess (SiMe₃)₂Se, the cluster fragments to form [(R¹Sn)₂Se₂(CuPPh₃)₂Se₂] ( 10 ), the first discrete Sn/Se/Cu cluster compound reported in the literature. The derivatization reactions indicate fundamental differences between organotin sulfide and organotin selenide chemistry.     

UV‐responsive degradable polymers derived from 1‐(4‐aminophenyl) ethane‐1,2‐diol

A UV‐responsive polymer was prepared via condensation polymerization of 2‐nitrobenzyl(4‐(1,2‐dihydroxyethyl)phenyl)carbamate and azalaic acid dichloride. When the polymer was irradiated with UV light, the nitrobenzyl urethane protecting group was removed and the deprotected aniline underwent spontaneous 1,6‐elimination reactions, resulting in degradation of the polymer. Nanoparticles with encapsulated Nile Red were formulated with the degradable polymer and triggered burst release of Nile Red was observed when the nanoparticles were irradiated by UV light. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1161–1168