Curie point singularity in the temperature derivative of resistivity in (Ga,Mn)As

We observe a singularity in the temperature derivative drho/dT of resistivity at the Curie point of high-quality (Ga,Mn)As ferromagnetic semiconductors with Tc's ranging from approximately 80 to 185 K. The character of the anomaly is sharply distinct from the critical contribution to transport in conventional dense-moment magnetic semiconductors and is reminiscent of the drho/dT singularity in transition metal ferromagnets. Within the critical region accessible in our experiments, the temperature dependence on the ferromagnetic side can be explained by dominant scattering from uncorrelated spin fluctuations. The singular behavior of drho/dT on the paramagnetic side points to the important role of short-range correlated spin fluctuations.     

Computational study of the thermal decomposition and the thermochemistry of allyl ethers and allyl sulfides

In spite of the several experimental and computational studies on the thermal decomposition of allyl ethers and allyl sulfides, there are still disagreements on aspects of the reaction mechanism, such as the true nature of the transition states and the grade of synchronicity of the reactions. This work presents a computational study of the gas-phase thermolysis reaction of allyl ethers and allyl sulfides substituted at α-carbon, at the M05-2X/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory and a temperature range from 586.15 to 673.15 K. The substituent groups were methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, i-propyl, allyl, benzyl and acetonyl. It was found that the sulfides react faster than the homologous ethers and that the substituent groups with the capacity of delocalize charge increase the reaction rate. Through natural bond orbital calculations, the transition states were characterized. The synchronicities and atomic charges of the studied reactions were determined. A computational study at the G3 level of theory on the thermochemistry of allyl ethers and sulfides was also carried out.     

Engineered Biocatalytic Synthesis of β-N-Substituted-α-Amino Acids

Non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) are useful synthons for the development of new medicines, materials, and probes for bioactivity. Recently, enzyme engineering has been leveraged to produce a suite of highly active enzymes for the synthesis of β-substituted amino acids. However, there are few examples of biocatalytic N-substitution reactions to make α,β-diamino acids. In this study, we used directed evolution to engineer the β-subunit of tryptophan synthase, TrpB, for improved activity with diverse amine nucleophiles. Mechanistic analysis shows that high yields are hindered by product re-entry into the catalytic cycle and subsequent decomposition. Additional equivalents of l -serine can inhibit product reentry through kinetic competition, facilitating preparative scale synthesis. We show β-substitution with a dozen aryl amine nucleophiles, including demonstration on a gram scale. These transformations yield an underexplored class of amino acids that can serve as unique building blocks for chemical biology and medicinal chemistry.     

Design and performance of BOREAS,the beamline for resonant X‐ray absorption and scattering experiments at the ALBA synchrotron light source

The optical design of the BOREAS beamline operating at the ALBA synchrotron radiation facility is described. BOREAS is dedicated to resonant X‐ray absorption and scattering experiments using soft X‐rays, in an unusually extended photon energy range from 80 to above 4000 eV, and with full polarization control. Its optical scheme includes a fixed‐included‐angle, variable‐line‐spacing grating monochromator and a pair of refocusing mirrors, equipped with benders, in a Kirkpatrick–Baez arrangement. It is equipped with two end‐stations, one for X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism and the other for resonant magnetic scattering. The commissioning results show that the expected beamline performance is achieved both in terms of energy resolution and of photon flux at the sample position.     

Computational study of the thermal decomposition of 2-methylbutyraldehyde and 2-pentanone through retro-ene reactions

In this work, a theoretical study at the MP2/6-31G(d) level of the thermal decomposition retro-ene reaction of 2-methylbutyraldehyde was carried out at a pressure of 1.5 atm. and temperatures ranging from 1110 to 1190 K. The progress of the reaction has been followed by means of the Wiberg bond indices which in turn allowed the calculation of the reaction synchronicity. Transition state theory was used to calculate the theoretical rate constant at 1150 K which was compared with the previously reported experimental value at the same conditions. We found that both values show a close agreement. The obtained computational evidence allowed us to support a reaction mechanism which proceeds in two steps: the first one with the formation of ethylene and 1-propenol via a six-membered cyclic transition state and the second one involving keto-enol equilibrium of 1-propenol to propionaldehyde via a four-membered cyclic transition state. It was found that the reaction is a highly synchronous and concerted process. The results obtained for the thermolysis of 2-methylbutyraldehyde were compared with those obtained for the thermolysis of 2-pentanone. A comparison of our results with those reported for their corresponding β-hydroxy counterparts, 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-butanone has also been made. A study of the thermochemistry of the compounds involved in the reactions studied has been carried out at the G3 level.     

Regioselective synthesis of novel polyfunctionally substituted pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines under solvent-free conditions

A series of 2-(pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-yl)benzoic acids 5 has been prepared by a novel protocol that uses the fusion method between 5-amino-1H-pyrazoles 4 and 3-(3-oxo-2-benzofuran-1(3H)-ylidene)pentane-2,4-dione 3. The use of this novel protocol renders good to excellent yields along with short reaction times. In addition, this solvent-free cyclocondensation proceeds in a regiospecific fashion by intramolecular ring opening of the furane ring in a Michael-type reaction.     

Synthesis of novel 5-aryl-6-cyano-3H,8H-pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-4,7-diones in the reaction of 6-amino-4-pyrimidinones with benzaldehyde and ethyl cyanoacetate

The title compounds 4 and 5 have been prepared in one-step reaction from 6-amino-4-pyrimidinones 1 , the corresponding 4-substituted benzaldehyde 2 and ethyl cyanoacetate 3 in very good yields. The structure of the final compounds was determined on the basis of nmr measurements, especially by ¹H, ¹H-, ¹H,¹³C COSY, and DEPT.     

Synthesis of 5-cyanopyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines in the reaction of 5-amino-3-methyl-1-phenylpyrazole with arylidene derivatives of malonodinitrile and ethyl cyanoacetate

This paper describes the synthesis of a new series of 6-amino-4-aryl-5-cyanopyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines 4 and 4-aryl-5-cyano-6H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-6-ones 5 from the reaction of 5-amino-3-methyl-1-phenylpyrazole 1 with arylidene derivatives of malonodinitrile 2 and ethyl cyanoacetate 3 . The structure of the final compounds was determined on the basis of nmr measurements, especially by ¹H, ¹H-, ¹H, ¹³C-COSY, DEPT and X-ray diffraction.     

2‐Amino‐4‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐7,7‐dimethyl‐5‐oxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐4H‐chromene‐3‐carbonitrile

The supramolecular structure of the title compound, C₁₈H₁₇ClN₂O₂, is determined by the intersection of two chains formed by N—H⋯O and N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming a two‐dimensional sheet.     

Synthesis of novel 7-aryl and 7-spiropyrazolo[4′,3′:5,6]pyrido[2,3-<Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">d</Emphasis>]pyrimidine derivatives and their study as AChE inhibitors

An efficient route for the synthesis of novel 7-aryl and 7-spiropyrazolo[4\(^{\prime }\),3\(^{\prime }\):5,6]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives is described. These compounds were obtained by a cyclocondensation reaction between pyrazolopyridinediamines 4 and aldehydes 5 or cyclic ketones 6 in the presence of acetic acid as catalyst. This procedure provides the desired compounds in good yields under a simple two-step methodology. The obtained compounds were evaluated as AChE inhibitors and showed weak AChe inhibition with \(\hbox {IC}_{50} = 115{-}470 \, \upmu \hbox {M}\).