Catalytic Asymmetric Dearomatization Reactions

This Review summarizes the development of catalytic asymmetric dearomatization (CADA) reactions. The CADA reactions discussed herein include oxidative dearomatization reactions, dearomatization by Diels–Alder and related reactions, the alkylative dearomatization of electron‐rich arenes, transition‐metal‐catalyzed dearomatization reactions, cascade sequences involving asymmetric dearomatization as the key step, and nucleophilic dearomatization reactions of pyridinium derivatives. Asymmetric dearomatization reactions with chiral auxiliaries and catalytic asymmetric reactions of dearomatized substrates are also briefly introduced. This Review intends to provide a concept for catalytic asymmetric dearomatization.     

Synthesis and evaluation of oxovanadium(iv) complexes of Schiff-base condensates from 5-substituted-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 2-substituted-benzenamine as selective inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B

Five oxovanadium(iv) complexes, which were divided into two groups, [V(IV)O(bhbb, nhbb)(H(2)O)(2)] (tridentate ligands: H(2)bhbb = 2-(5-bromo-2-hydroxylbenzylideneamino)benzoic acid, ; H(2)nhbb = 2-(5-nitro-2-hydroxylbenzylideneamino)benzoic acid, ) and [V(IV)O(cpmp, bpmp, npmp)(2)] (bidentate ligands: Hcpmp = 4-chloro-2-((phenylimino)methyl)phenol, ; Hbpmp = 4-bromo-2-((phenylimino)methyl)phenol, ; Hnpmp = 4-nitro-2-((phenylimino)methyl) phenol, ) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, UV-visible and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The coordination in [V(IV)O(bhbb)(H(2)O)(2)] () was confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. The oxidation state of V(iv) with d(1) configuration in was confirmed by EPR. The speciation of VO/H(2)bhbb in methanol-aqueous solution was investigated by potentiometric pH titrations. The result indicated that the main species were [V(IV)O(bhbb)(OH)](-) and [V(IV)O(bhbb)(OH)(2)](2-) at the pH range 7.0-7.4. The structure-activity relationship of the vanadium complexes in inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatases (protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, PTP1B; T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase, TCPTP; megakaryocyte protein-tyrosine phosphatase, PTP-MEG2; Src homology phosphatase 1, SHP-1 and Src homology phosphatase 2, SHP-2) was investigated. The oxovanadium(iv) complexes were potent inhibitors of PTP1B, TCPTP, PTP-MEG2, SHP-1 and SHP-2, but exhibited different inhibitory abilities over different PTPs. Complexes and displayed better selectivity to PTP1B over the other four PTPs. Kinetic data showed that complex inhibited PTP1B, TCPTP and SHP-1 with a noncompetitive inhibition mode, but a classical competitive inhibition mode for PTP-MEG2 and SHP-2. The results demonstrated that both the structures of vanadium complexes and the conformations of PTPs influenced PTP inhibition activity. The proper modification of the organic ligand moieties may result in screening potent and selective vanadium-based PTP1B inhibitors.     

Determination of endocrine-disrupting phenols in water samples by a new manual shaking-enhanced, ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction method

Manual shaking-enhanced, ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction (MS-USAEME) combined with ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with UV detection has been developed for the determination of five endocrine-disrupting phenols (EDPs) in seawater samples and detergent samples: 4-tert-butylphenol (4-t-BP), 4-cumylphenol (4-CP), 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-di-t-BP) and 4-nonylphenol (4-NP). Optimum conditions were found to be: 25 μL 1-bromohexadecane as extraction solvent, 5 mL of aqueous sample and 1 g of NaCl to control the ionic strength; manual shaking for 10 s; ultrasonication for 1 min; centrifugation for 3 min at 5000 rpm (speed). For MS-USAEME, manual shaking for 10 s is essential for effective extraction when the ultrasonic extraction time is as brief as 1 min. The small volume of aqueous sample enhances the effect of manual shaking significantly. For seawater samples, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.5-2.8 ng mL(-1), the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 1.8-9.3 ng mL(-1) with the relative standard deviation (RSD) in the range 4.2-10.3%. For detergent samples, the LOD was 0.4-2.4 ng mL(-1), LOQ was 1.6-8.2 ng mL(-1) and RSD 4.7-10.0%. The relative recovery was 96-109% for seawater samples and 81-106% for the detergent samples.     

Completely Green Synthesis of Colloid Adams’ Catalyst α‐PtO2 Nanocrystals and Derivative Pt Nanocrystals with High Activity and Stability for Oxygen Reduction

We report a first solution strategy for controlled synthesis of Adams’ catalyst (i.e., α‐PtO₂) by a facile and totally green approach using H₂PtCl₆ and water as reactants. The prepared α‐PtO₂ nanocrystals (NCs) are ultrasmall in size and have very “clean” surfaces, which can be reduced to Pt NCs easily in ethanol under ambient conditions. Such Adams’ catalysts have been applied as electrocatalysts beyond the field of heterogeneous catalysis. Noticeably, the water‐only synthesized α‐PtO₂ NCs and their derivative Pt NCs all exhibit much higher oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities and stabilities than that of the state‐of‐art Pt/C electrocatalysts. This study provides an example on the organics‐free synthesis of α‐PtO₂ and Pt NCs as promising cathode catalysts for fuel cell applications and, particularly, this simple, straightforward method may open a new way for the synthesis of other “clean” functional nanomaterials.     

Monodisperse Mesocrystals of YF3 and Ce3+/Ln3+ (Ln=Tb,Eu) Co‐Activated YF3: Shape Control Synthesis,Luminescent Properties,and Biocompatibility

A family of monodisperse YF₃, YF₃:Ce³⁺ and YF₃:Ce³⁺/Ln³⁺ (Ln=Tb, Eu) mesocrystals with a morphology of a hollow spindle can be synthesized by a solvothermal process using yttrium nitrate and NH₄F as precursors. The effects of reaction time, fluorine source, solvents, and reaction temperature on the synthesis of these mesocrystals have been studied in detail. The results demonstrate that the formation of a hollow spindle‐like YF₃ can be ascribed to a nonclassical crystallization process by means of a particle‐based reaction route in ethanol. It has been shown that the fluorine sources selected have a remarkable effect on the morphologies and crystalline phases of the final products. Moreover, the luminescent properties of Ln³⁺‐doped and Ce³⁺/Ln³⁺‐co‐doped spindle‐like YF₃ mesocrystals were also investigated. It turns out that Ce³⁺ is an efficient sensitizer for Ln³⁺ in the spindle‐like YF₃ mesocrystals. Remarkable fluorescence enhancement was observed in Ce³⁺/Ln³⁺‐co‐doped YF₃ mesocrystals. The mechanism of the energy transfer and electronic transition between Ce³⁺ and Ln³⁺ in the host material of YF₃ mesocrystals was also explored. The cytotoxicity study revealed that these YF₃‐based nanocrystals are biocompatible for applications, such as cellular imaging.     

含均苯四甲酸二酰亚胺受体单元的共轭高分子的合成及其在有机太阳能电池上的应用

通过Stille反应合成了一系列含有均苯四甲酸二酰亚胺受体单元的共轭聚合物P1～P7.该系列聚合物在常见有机溶剂中溶解性良好,在370～600 nm范围内有较强吸收.通过循环伏安法测量其LUMO能级范围在-3.66～-3.90 eV之间,HOMO能级在-5.25～-6.17 eV之间,在同类分子中接近最低值.通过改变主链中噻吩单元的数量和给电子单元,可以调节分子的能隙,使其电化学能隙在2.45～1.55 eV范围内变化.将含均苯四甲酸二酰亚胺受体单元的P1～P7应用于有机太阳能电池中,作为给体材料与PC61BM共混制成本体异质结聚合物电池,器件开路电压普遍较高.其中基于均苯四甲酸二酰亚胺与二噻吩并噻咯的聚合物P7的器件,在AM 1.5 G,86 mW/cm2光照条件下,开路电压为0.72 V,短路电流为1.22 mA/cm2,能量转换效率为0.27%.