Direct Esterification of Carboxylic Acids with Alcohols Catalyzed by Iron(III) Acetylacetonate Complex

Direct condensation of carboxylic acids and alcohols with electronic, steric, and functional group variations was carried out using the environmentally benign, moisture-stable, inexpensive, and recoverable iron(III) acetylacetonate [Fe(acac)₃] as catalyst (5 mol%). This iron salt efficiently catalyzed the esterification of several primary and secondary alcohols in refluxing xylene, without the need for a dehydration reagent. The chemoselectivity of the proposed protocol was demonstrated by the selective esterification of primary alcohol functionality in racemic 1-phenylethane-1,2-diol with benzoic acid. The esterification was also applicable to unmasked α -hydroxyacid, guasiaromatic, heterocyclic, and N-protected amino acids.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® to view the free supplemental file.     

Li+掺杂对Y2SiO5:Pr3+上转换发光性能影响

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备Li+掺杂改性的Y2SiO5:Pr3+上转换发光材料,考察了Li+掺杂对样品晶型及发光性能的影响。采用XRD,DSC-TGA,FS对所制备的材料进行表征,结果表明Li+掺入浓度在7%～8%(摩尔分数)之间会引起Y2SiO5晶体类型由X1型转变为X2型,且Li+掺入后样品转晶型温度由950℃降至800℃;样品经800℃煅烧处理后以X1型Y2SiO5为主相,850℃煅烧处理后以X2型Y2SiO5为主相;Li+掺入同时会提高Y2SiO5:Pr3+材料的上转换发光强度,Li+最佳掺杂浓度为10%,对于双掺杂Pr3+,Li+:Y2SiO5体系中Pr3+最佳掺杂浓度为1.2%。     

Characterization of size‐segregated aerosols using ToF‐SIMS imaging and depth profiling

Size‐segregated particles were collected with a ten‐stage micro‐orifice uniform deposit impactor from a busy walkway in a downtown area of Hong Kong. The surface chemical compositions of aerosol samples from each stage were analyzed using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) operated in the static mode. The ToF‐SIMS spectra of particles from stage 2 (5.6–10 µm), stage 6 (0.56–1 µm), and stage 10 (0.056–0.1 µm) were compared, and the positive ion spectra from stage 2 to stage 10 were analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA). Both spectral analysis and PCA results show that the coarse‐mode particles were associated with inorganic ions, while the fine particles were associated with organic ions. PCA results further show that the particle surface compositions were size dependent. Particles from the same mode exhibited more similar surface features. Particles from stage 2 (5.6–10 µm), stage 6 (0.56–1 µm), and stage 10 (0.056–0.1 µm) were further selected as representatives of the three modes, and the chemical compositions of these modes of particles were examined using ToF‐SIMS imaging and depth profiling. The results reveal a non‐uniform chemical distribution from the outer to the inner layer of the particles. The coarse‐mode particles were shown to contain inorganic salts beneath the organics surface. The accumulation‐mode particles contained sulfate, nitrate, ammonium salts, and silicate in the regions below a thick surface layer of organic species. The nucleation‐mode particles consisted mainly of soot particles with a surface coated with sulfate, hydrocarbons, and, possibly, fullerenic carbon. The study demonstrated the capability of ToF‐SIMS depth profiling and imaging in characterizing both the surface and the region beneath the surface of aerosol particles. It also revealed the complex heterogeneity of chemical composition in size and depth distributions of atmospheric particles. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An appraisal of the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction for the synthesis of novel fluorescent coumarin derivatives

We report the chemical design and development of 3-aryl-substituted 7-alkoxy-4-methylcoumarins with enhanced fluorogenic properties. The 3-aryl substituents are installed via an optimized Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling (SMC) reaction between a 7-alkoxy-3-bromo-4-methylcoumarin and aryl boronic MIDA esters using Pd(OAc)₂/XPhos in a catalytic system with K₂CO₃ in aqueous THF. Under these conditions, an exocyclic ester functionality is found to be unaffected. Subsequent saponification revealed a carboxylic acid functionality that is suitable for conjugation reactions. Evaluation of their fluorescence properties indicated that the installed 3-heteroaryl substituent, particularly benzofuran-2-yl, resulted in a significant red shift of both the excitation and emission wavelengths.     

Pseudo-Bonding Interaction between Boron-doped Heterofullerene and Zinc Porphine Predicted by DFT Calculation

Theoretical study on the supramolecular complexes formed between boron-doped het- erofullerene （C59B） and zinc porphine （ZnF）, namely C59B-ZnP and its anion species C59B-ZnP, was performed by density functional theory calculation at wB97XD/6-31G（d） level. Strong interaction between porphyrin and heterofullerene moiety was predicted for these complexes based on geometry and electronic structure analysis. Especially, pseudobonding interaction occurring between the B atom of fullerene and the N atom of porphyrin was predicted to occur in C59B-ZnP complex, but be broken in C59B-ZnP complex. Time-dependent density functional theory calculation manifests the redshift of electron absorption for ZnP upon the interaction with heterofullerene.     

Efficient cross polarization with simultaneous adiabatic frequency sweep on the source and target channels

In this work, we propose a new and efficient heteronuclear cross polarization scheme, in which adiabatic frequency sweeps from far off-resonance toward on-resonance are applied simultaneously on both the source and target spins. This technique, which we call as Simultaneous ADIabatic Spin-locking Cross Polarization (SADIS CP), is capable of efficiently locking both the source and target spins with moderate power even in the presence of large spectral distribution and fast relaxation. It is shown that by keeping the time-dependent Hartmann-Hahn mismatch minimal throughout the mixing period, polarization transfer can be accelerated. Experiments are demonstrated in a powder sample of L-alanine.     

Complex thermal evaluation for 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) by non-isothermal and isothermal kinetic analysis methods

Azo compounds are widely used in dyes, pigments, blowing agents, and initiators. Unfortunately, these compounds contain the bivalent –N–N– composition which might be cleavaged readily even under high ambient temperature. The self-accelerating decomposition might cause a runaway reaction and lead to a fire or explosion when the cooling system fails or other upsets occur. To investigate the thermal stability parameters of 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) with thermal hazard and mechanism, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal activity monitor III were applied with non-isothermal method and isothermal method to obtain onset temperature (T ₀), maximum temperature (T _max), and heat of decomposition (ΔH _d). Thermal stability parameters play a pivotal role in thermal analysis, leading particularly to complex evaluation of the inherently safer design during preparation, processing, transport, or storage. The results provide sufficient thermokinetic parameters for process safety in terms of proactive loss prevention program.     

Cellulosic nanocomposite membranes from hydroxypropyl cellulose reinforced by cellulose nanocrystals

Cellulosic nanocomposite membranes were prepared by incorporation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) into a hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) matrix using a mixing/evaporation technique. CNCs were obtained from filter paper using the sulfuric acid hydrolysis method with the aid of ultrasonication. The relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties of the CNCs/HPC nanocomposite membranes was studied. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the CNCs were well dispersed in the HPC matrix, and the fracture surface demonstrated a fibrous characteristic. With increasing CNCs content, the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the CNCs/HPC nanocomposite membranes gradually increased. At 5 wt% content of CNCs, the strength was increased by 525 % and the Young’s modulus by 124 % compared with pure HPC membrane. Moreover, the effect of the phase change of HPC on the mechanical properties of the CNCs_5wt%/HPC nanocomposite membranes and the corresponding mechanism were also studied.