Homology equivalences inducing an epimorphism on the fundamental group and Quillen's plus construction

Quillen's plus construction is a topological construction that kills the maximal perfect subgroup of the fundamental group of a space without changing the integral homology of the space. In this paper we show that there is a topological construction that, while leaving the integral homology of a space unaltered, kills even the intersection of the transfinite lower central series of its fundamental group. Moreover, we show that this is the maximal subgroup that can be factored out of the fundamental group without changing the integral homology of a space.

     

New disc-shaped mesogens based on pentakis(phenylethynyl)benzene derivatives

First examples of amphiphilic alkyl pentakis(phenylethynyl)benzene ethers containing functional groups at the terminal position of their alkoxy chains were synthesized by etherification of pentabromophenol with 11-bromoundecan-1-ol and 11-bromoundecanoic acid ethyl ester, respectively, and subsequent palladium catalyzed, fivefold coupling reactions with the substituted phenylacetylene. Two undecanoic acid derivatives with different pentakis(phenylethynyl)phenoxy substituents in the ω-position were prepared by ester cleavage from the corresponding ethyl esters. The thermal behaviours of five penta-alkynes in their pure states, as well as of their charge transfer complexes formed from mixtures with 2,4,7-tri-nitrofluorenone, were examined.     

Hg2(OH)[BF4], the First Basic Mercurous Tetrafluoroborate

The first basic mercurous tetrafluoroborate, Hg₂(OH)[BF₄], was obtained through a synproportionation reaction of red mercuric oxide, HgO, and elemental mercury in a 35% solution of HBF₄ in water as colourless single crystals. The crystal structure (orthorhombic, Pbca, Z = 8, a = 985.0(1), b = 991.0(1), c = 1141.0(2) pm) contains [(HO)_1/2—Hg—Hg—(OH)_1/2]⁺ zig‐zag chains that are further connected via weak Hg—OH interchain interactions to layers between which the [BF₄]^— are located in an up and down fashion.     

Comparison of the Hartree-Fock,Møller-Plesset,and Hartree-Fock-Slater method with respect to electrostatic properties of small molecules

Summary The results of various quantum chemical calculations, the Hartree-Fock (HF) method, the Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), and the Hartree-Fock-Slater (HFS) method are compared. Atomic charges, dipole moments, topological properties of the electron density distribution and polarizabilities, and first hyperpolarizabilities are calculated. Atomic charges obtained with the HFS method are found to be very close to those calculated with the MP2 method, from which we conclude that the HFS method describes to some extent electron correlation effects. Performing an MP2 calculation after an HF calculation improves the molecular dipole moments considerably, yielding values close to the experimental ones. HFS calculations are computationally less demanding than MP2 and yield comparable results for the electron density distributions, dipole moments and polarizabilities.     

A concise synthesis of β-lactam-sulfonamide hybrids

Using ring closing metathesis (RCM) as the key operation, a rapid access to β-lactams fused to a sultam moiety of variable ring size was developed from low cost, commercially available starting materials. An efficient RCM of 4-vinyl-azetidin-2-ones to give 1-aza-bicyclo[4.2.0]oct-4-en-8-ones is also reported.     

Syntheses and X-Ray Crystal Structures of 2-Aminoindenes and Aminocymantrenes

Substituted 2-aminoindenes have been synthesized in almost quantitative yields by reactions of amines such as methylpiperazine, trimethylethylenediamine, 1,4-diaza-cycloheptane and N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine with 2-indanone. The 2-aminoindenes can be deprotonated and reacted with BrMn(CO)₃(Py)₂ to produce the respective aminoindenyl-cymantrenes in yields between 55–70%. The X-ray crystal structures of 2-(methylpiperazine)indenyl-cymantrene 5 (P1 , a = 12.667(3) Å, b = 16.630(3) Å, c = 17.382(3) Å, α = 72.70(3)°, β = 74.59(3)°, γ = 88.66(3)°, V = 3364.1(12) Å ³, Z = 8, R1(2σ(I)) = 4.02%, wR2(2σ(I)) = 10.30%) and the HClO₄ adduct of 2-(trimethylethylenediamine)-indenyl-cymantrene 6 (Cc, a = 23.722(5) Å, b = 6.9080 Å, c = 13.264 Å, β = 111.77(3)°, V = 2018.6(7) Å 3, Z = 4, R1(2σ(I)) = 2.94%, wR2(2σ(I)) = 7.90%) were determined. In both complexes the indenyl-carbon bonded to nitrogen displays significantly longer bonds to manganese [223.5(3)–225.8(3) pm] than the other four carbon atoms [213.3(3)–219.1(3) pm]. The short indenyl-nitrogen bonds of 136.2(4) and 137.8(4) pm are indicative of a substantial multiple bond character. The complexation of Zn²⁺ by the nitrogen atoms of 6 results in significant shifts of the CO stretching frequencies.     

Synthesis of [(MeCyt)2H]I-structure and stability of a dimeric threefold hydrogen-bonded 1-methylcytosinium 1-methylcytosine cation

Reaction of trimethylsilyl-protected cytosine with methyl iodide afforded N1-methylated product. Subsequent treatment with ethanol resulted in cleavage of the protection group forming [(MeCyt)2H]I (4). Identity of was confirmed by microanalysis, mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystals of consist of dimeric [(MeCyt)2H]+ cations and I- anions. These ions are arranged in the crystal such that there is a strong base stacking (mean stacking distance 3,467 angstroms) and, furthermore, pi interactions between I- and cytosine rings (mean distance 3,737 angstroms). The dimeric [(MeCyt)2H]+ cations are centrosymmetric having three strong hydrogen bonds, namely two terminal N4-H...O' ones (N4...O' 2.815(4) angstroms) and a central N3-H...N3' (N3...N3' 2.813(4) angstroms) one. Quantum chemical calculations on the DFT level of theory show that the gas phase structure of the dimeric cation exhibits two different terminal N-HO hydrogen bonds, a stronger (N4...O' 2.722 angstroms) and a weaker one (N4'...O 2.960 angstroms). The central N3-HN3[prime or minute] hydrogen bond (N3...N3' 2.852 angstroms) was characterized to have an unsymmetrically located proton and a typical double minimum potential with a very low activation barrier. The interaction energy between [(MeCyt)H]+ and MeCyt yielding [(MeCyt)2H]+ was calculated to be -42.4 kcal mol(-1)(ZPE and BSSE corrected). Comparison with the interaction energy (calculated on the same level of the theory) between cytosine and guanine yielding the triply hydrogen-bonded Watson-Crick dimer (-24.2 kcal mol(-1)) revealed a much higher stability of the hydrogen bonds in [(MeCyt)2H]+.     

A novel MCR of isocyanates, aldehydes, and dienophiles

[reaction: see text] A novel one-pot procedure for the three-component coupling reaction of isocyanates, aldehydes, and dienophiles (IAD reaction) has been developed. Condensation of isocyanates and aldehydes and subsequent Diels-Alder reactions with electron-deficient dienophiles furnishes endo-selective amino-substituted cyclohexenes in good yield.     

Electrostatic representations of molecular groups

The treatment of electrostatic interactions between molecular groups is based on quantum mechanical electron density distributions. A general method is suggested using tesseral harmonic multipole expansions and representing each set of point multipoles by a cluster of discrete charges small with respect to atomic dimensions. The procedure is carried out for the amino group with an electron density derived from the wave function of ammonia. We evaluate the optical rotation of two aminopyrrolidones as a test case. Expansions are compared for several approximate wave functions for ammonia.     

Various carbon dust particles

Nano-sized carbon dusts are suspected of having negative effects on human health. An exact characterization of such particles is necessary to understand possible toxic effects, i.e. in the lung. Observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the carbon dusts are a composite of very small primary particles and larger agglomerates of these. A differentiation of the primary particles and agglomerates according to source is not possible by TEM, however, thermogravimetry investigations in synthetic air atmosphere are helpful. Standardized carbon black and graphite show a single-step oxidation behaviour, whereas ethene soot and diesel soot, for example, show more complex-reaction mechanisms. The results of ethene soot exemplarily demonstrate the oxidation mechanism. In addition to the oxidation reaction to carbon dioxide, a sintering process takes place. To confirm the oxidation mechanism, thermal behaviour of ethene soot has been simulated by kinetic modulation using a three-step reaction mechanism of n-th order. The reaction order indicates a complex mechanism for the first-reaction step. For the second and third-reaction step, a phase boundary mechanism could be suggested.