Development of chiral pincer palladium complexes bearing a pyrroloimidazolone unit. Catalytic use for asymmetric Michael addition

Novel pincer palladium complexes having chiral hexahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]imidazolone groups were designed and prepared. Catalytic asymmetric Michael addition of isopropyl 2-cyanopropionate to ethyl vinyl ketone was catalyzed by the chiral pincer palladium complex to give isopropyl 2-cyano-2-methyl-5-oxoheptanoate with high enantioselectivity (up to 83% ee). [structure: see text]     

Highly-dispersed Ta-oxide catalysts prepared by electrodeposition in a non-aqueous plating bath for polymer electrolyte fuel cell cathodes

The Ta-oxide cathode catalysts were prepared by electrodeposition in a non-aqueous solution. These catalysts showed excellent catalytic activity and have an onset potential of 0.92 V(RHE) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The highly-dispersed Ta species at the nanometer scale on the carbon black was an important contributor to the high activity.     

Highly efficient, one-step macrocyclizations assisted by the folding and preorganization of precursor oligomers

Highly efficient, one-step macrocyclizations leading to the formation of macrocyclic hexa(aramides) in high yields (69-82%) are described. The one-step macrocyclizations were facilitated by the preorganization or folding of the backbones of uncyclized precursors in the course of macrocyclization. The preorganization of backbones was achieved by the presence of localized three-centered hydrogen bonds that were adopted in the design of a class of closely related, backbone-rigidified foldamers. The macrocyclization involved reactions between diacid chloride 1 and diamine 2. The crude reaction mixtures and products were conveniently examined by mass spectrometric method (MALDI-TOF). Compared to most traditional one-step macrocyclizations that usually require high dilution conditions and often lead to very low overall yields of the desired products, cyclic hexamers 3 were obtained as the overwhelmingly major product under a variety of reaction conditions, suggesting the generality of this approach.     

Construction of carbocyclic ring of indoles using ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing olefin metathesis

The selective synthesis of substituted indoles was achieved by the ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM)/elimination sequence or the RCM/tautomerization sequence of functionalized pyrrole precursors. The RCM/elimination sequence was also applied to double ring closure to yield a substituted carbazole.     

The synthesis of isoquinoline alkaloid and its related compounds using alanine derivatives as chiral auxiliaries

Chiral 1-substituted isoquinoline derivatives, which were obtained by the reaction using alanine derivatives as chiral auxiliaries, were transformed to (S)-2,3,9,10,11-pentamethoxyhomoprotoberberine (7) and a synthetic intermediate for O-methylkreysigine (9) in good yields and high stereoselectivity. The corresponding chiral allyl derivative of isoquinoline was transformed to a pyrrolidinoisoquinoline (16) in a highly enantioselective manner.     

Vinyl Polymerization. 418. Polymerization of Vinyl Monomer Initiated by Betaine-Type Polymers in Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Three kinds of betaine-type polymers, which are macromolecular amphoteric electrolytes, were found to be able to polymerize vinyl monomers in aqueous solution through a radical mechanism without any further initiator. Betain-type polymers form hydrophobic areas (HA) in water. Vinyl polymerization commenced in the HA. The effect of the pH of the aqueous solution on polymerization was investigated.