A novel and simple method for the preparation of (R)- and (S)-pyrrolidine-2-phosphonic acids: phosphonic acid analogues of proline

A simple and convenient method has been developed for the preparation of (R)- and (S)-pyrrolidine-2-phosphonic acids. The thermal reaction of proline with diethyl phosphite in the presence of benzaldehyde gave an N-benzyl derivative of diethyl pyrrolidine-2-phosphonate, which was transformed into two diastereomeric amides by sequential debenzylation and acylation with (+)-dibenzoyl-l-tartaric anhydride. The two diastereomeric amides were separated by column chromatography and the structure of one of them was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Hydrolysis of the amides in the usual manner afforded (R)- and (S)-pyrrolidine-2-phosphonic acids. The advantages of the present method are that it is easy, rapid, and prepares both enantiomers of pyrrolidine-2-phosphonic acids.     

Novel method for efficient aerobic oxidation of silyl ethers to carbonyl compounds catalyzed with N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) and lipophilic Co(II) complexes

In this work, a new method for highly efficient and selective oxidative deprotection of a variety of structurally diverse trimethylsilyl (TMS) and tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBS) ethers using molecular oxygen in the presence of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) and various types of Co(II) complexes is reported. As a result of the relatively neutral reaction medium, acid-sensitive functional groups such as phenolic TBS ethers survived intact under the presented reaction conditions.     

A chiroptical approach for the absolute stereochemical determination of P-stereogenic centers

A simple chiroptical solution for the absolute stereochemical determination for asymmetric phosphorus V stereocenters is presented. Strong coordination of the phosphorus oxide with the Zn-metallo center of the racemic host Zn-MAPOL 2 leads to an induced axial chirality of the host, yielding a strong ECCD signal. A mnemonic is proposed to correlate the asymmetry of the guest molecule with the observed ECCD signal.

A simple chiroptical solution for the absolute stereochemical determination for asymmetric phosphorus V stereocenters is presented.     

A peptide bromoiodinane approach for asymmetric bromolactonization

A series of 37 peptides containing an iodo-aryl amide active site were generated by means of both solid phase and conventional synthesis. These peptides were screened for asymmetric induction in the bromolactonization of 4-phenyl-4-pentenoic acid based on the generation of chiral bromoiodinane bromenium sources. The study culminated in the discovery of a tri-peptide iodo-aryl amide that effected the desired bromolactonization in quantitative conversion with 24% ee. The experiments disclosed herein provided valuable insight that ultimately facilitated the development of more synthetically useful enantioselective halocyclization methodology.     

Resolution of enantiomers of [α-hydroxy-(o-chlorophenyl)methyl]phosphinic acid via diastereomeric salt formation with enantiopure 1-phenylethylamines

The resolution of racemic α-hydroxy-H-phosphinic acid with enantiopure 1-phenylethylamines via diastereomeric salt formation was investigated. X-Ray crystallographic analysis of the salt revealed that (R)-1-phenylethylamine to be efficient resolving agent for obtaining a single enantiomer of [α-hydroxy-(o-chlorophenyl)methyl]phosphinic acid. Resolving racemic α-hydroxy-H-phosphinic acid with (S)-2-phenylethylamine also gave access to (S)-α-hydroxyalkylphosphinic acid in good yield.     

Alkylated chitosans of low molecular weight as non-viral transfection vectors for gene therapy

Low molecular weight chitosans (5 kDa) hydrophobically modified with 3, 10, and 18 mol % of tetradecenoyl (TDC) groups have been synthesized. Their good solubility at neutral pH, their surface activity and micelle-forming properties as well as their ability to interact with negatively charged phospholipid vesicles mimicking the internal layer of cell plasma membranes, allow us to consider them as potential non-viral transfection vectors for gene therapy.     

Limits on gravitational-wave emission from selected pulsars using LIGO data

We place direct upper limits on the amplitude of gravitational waves from 28 isolated radio pulsars by a coherent multidetector analysis of the data collected during the second science run of the LIGO interferometric detectors. These are the first direct upper limits for 26 of the 28 pulsars. We use coordinated radio observations for the first time to build radio-guided phase templates for the expected gravitational-wave signals. The unprecedented sensitivity of the detectors allows us to set strain upper limits as low as a few times 10(-24). These strain limits translate into limits on the equatorial ellipticities of the pulsars, which are smaller than 10(-5) for the four closest pulsars.     

Calcium manganese(IV) oxides: biomimetic and efficient catalysts for water oxidation

CaMnO(3) and Ca(2)Mn(3)O(8) were synthesized and characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR and BET. Both oxides showed oxygen evolution activity in the presence of oxone, cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate and H(2)O(2). Oxygen evolution from water during irradiation with visible light (λ > 400 nm) was also observed upon adding these manganese oxides to an aqueous solution containing tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II), as photosensitizer, and chloro pentaammine cobalt(III) chloride, as electron acceptor, in an acetate buffer. The amounts of dissolved manganese and calcium from CaMnO(3) and Ca(2)Mn(3)O(8) in the oxygen evolving reactions were reported and compared with other (calcium) manganese oxides. Proposed mechanisms of oxygen evolution and proposed roles for the calcium ions are also considered.     

Investigation of Aqueous Diethanolamine Performance in Prediction of Hydrogen Sulfide and Carbonyl Sulfide Removal from Liquefied Propane

Journal of Solution Chemistry - Hydrogen sulfide and carbonyl sulfide represent undesirable impurities in a variety of industrial gas streams such as natural gas, liquefied natural gas and...