The renaissance of palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidation chemistry

Palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidations constitute a paramount reaction class but have remained immature over the past few decades. Recently, this field has reappeared at the forefront of organometallic catalysis. This emerging area article outlines recent developments in palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidation chemistry with discussion of potential future growth.     

Electronic structures and MCD spectra of trigonal Cr(III)S6 systems

MCD, electronic absorption, external heavy atom, and crystal field data are presented for the low energy region (² E _g, ² T _1g, ⁴ T _2g) and high energy region (² T _2g, ⁴ T _1g) of Cr(dtp)₃, Cr(dtc)₃, and Cr(exan)₃. At low energy, MCD intensities of ² E(² E _g) and ² E(² T _g) are as large or larger than ⁴ T _2g, and the MCD technique is advantageous over electronic absorption in this respect. The MCD positions of ² E _g and ² T _1g are nearly the same for these molecules ( 13 kK and 13.6 kK) · ⁴ T _2g of this region appears trigonally split ( 500 cm^–1) in the MCD of dtp but to a smaller extent than in the electronic crystal spectrum of Lebedda and Palmer ( 600 cm^–1). MCD did not resolve such components for exan and dtc. The higher energy region includes ² T _2g and ⁴ T _1g, and the combined MCD and electronic absorption data of the three compounds taken together lead us to conclude the ordering ² A ₁(² T _2g)<² E(² T _2g)<⁴ E(⁴ T _1g). The potentially useful external heavy atom affect on the solution-observed electronic ² E and ⁴ E bands of Cr(dtp)₃ did not shed additional light on this order of E states. Finally, it is concluded that the order of ⁴ T _1g and ² T _2g cannot be decided from O _h crystal field calculations because of experimental uncertainties about choosing centers of gravity. In addition, ⁴ T _1g and ² T _2g are close together so that ordering ² E<⁴ E does not guarantee ² T _2g<⁴ T _1g. However, it can be concluded that the ratio C/B4 is not correct, whereas the larger 7<(C/B)<8 is consistent with the data of all three molecules because of small B parameters ( 0.4). Locating OO transitions may somewhat decrease C/B and Dq.

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Zusammenfassung In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden folgende Meßergebnisse mitgeteilt; MCD, elektronische Absorption, Einfluß eines äußeren schweren Atoms sowie Kristallfelddaten für den Bereich niedriger Energie (² E _g, ² T _1g, ⁴ T _2g) und den Bereich hoher Energie (² T _2g, ⁴ T _1g) von Cr(dtp)₃, Cr(dtc)₃ und Cr(exan). Bei niedriger Energie sind die MCD-Intensitäten von ² E(² E _g) und ² E(² T _1g) genau so groß, oder größer als ⁴ T _2g, und die MCD-Technik bietet Vorteile gegenüber der elektronischen Absorptionsmethode. Die MCD-Werte von ² E _g und ² T _1g sind für die genannten Moleküle etwa gleich ( 13 kK und 13,6 kK). ⁴ T _2g dieses Gebietes erscheint trigonal aufgespalten ( 500 cm^–1) bei MCD von dtp, aber in einem geringeren Maß als im elektronischen Kristallspektrum von Lebedda und Palmer ( 600 cm^–1) MCD löste solche Komponenten bei exan und dtc nicht auf. Der Bereich höherer Energie enthält ² T _2g und ⁴ T _1g, und aus der Kombination von Daten der MCD-Methode sowie der elektronischen Absorption schlossen wir auf die Anordnung ² A _1g(² T _2g)<² E(² T _2g)<⁴ E(⁴ T _1g). Der möglicherweise nützliche Effekt eines äußeren schweren Atoms auf die in Lösung beobachteten elektronischen ² E- und ⁴E-Banden von Cr(dtp)₃ brachte bezüglich dieser Anordnung der E-Zustände nichts Neues. Weiterhin wird gefolgert, daß die Ordnung von ⁴ T _1g und ² T _2g nicht aus O _h-Kristallfeldberechnungen entschieden werden kann, da experimentelle Unsicherheiten bezüglich der Wahl von Schwerpunkten bestehen. Außerdem liegen ⁴ T _1g und ² T _2g nahe zusammen, sodaß aus der Anordnung ² E<⁴ E nicht notwendig ² T _2g<⁴ T _1g folgt. Es kann jedoch gefolgert werden, daß das Verhältnis C/B4 nicht korrekt ist, während 7<(C/B)<8 konsistent mit den Daten aller drei Moleküle ist, da die B-parameter klein sind (0,4). Die Vokalisierung der OO-Übergänge könnten C/B und Dq etwas erniedrigen.

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Presented in part at the 161st American Chemical Society National Meeting, Los Angeles, California, March–April, 1971.

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NDEA Pre-Doctoral Fellow.     

Curium isotopes in Chernobyl fallout

In nuclear reactors plutonium and transplutonium isotopes are produced by multiple neutron capture of uranium and plutonium and are important for the energy production and their composition reflects the core burnout. Under normal operation these elements are not released to the environment in significant amounts. There are accordingly very few areas or source terms where exotic transplutonium elements, such as curium isotopes, can be studied in the environment. The Chernobyl accident provided a complex spectrum of fission and activation products in fallout while the relative amounts, compared to the core inventory, of refractory elements such as transuranium and transplutonium elements were small. The major alpha-activity consisted of ²⁴²Cm (T _1/2 = 163 d) that would have decayed after a few years. In this study we have demonstrated the presence of so called supported ²⁴²Cm from the long-lived ²⁴²Am^m (T _1/2 = 141 a) in environmental samples, following fallout from the Chernobyl accident. It has also been possible to assess the core burn up by using the data obtained for the Cm isotopes. The curium isotopes ²⁴³Cm (T _1/2 = 29.1 a) and ²⁴⁴Cm (T _1/2 = 18.1 a) cannot be resolved by conventional alpha-spectrometry. The assessment of these isotopes in environmental samples contaminated from the Chernobyl accident has been made by studying the effective half-life of the mixture of the isotopes. The data are compared with those previously obtained by high-resolution alpha-spectrometry and spectral deconvolution.     

Synthesis and in Vitro Evaluation of N-[[4-[2-(Carboxyl)-1-Cycloalken-1-yl]Phenyl]Methyl]Imidazoles as Nonpeptide Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists

A series of nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists was synthesized via palladium-assisted cross coupling of aryl stannane and cycloalkenyl triflates and subsequent alkylation of silyl-protected imidazole. Our compounds, which have a terminal five- to seven-membered cycloalkenyl ring, are compared to DuPont EXP7711, an N-[(2′-carboxybiphenylyl)methyl]imidazole, which has a terminal phenyl moiety. Physicochemical properties of the compounds, such as lipophilicity, steric bulk, conformation, and the relative spatial proximity of the 2-carboxyl and the middle phenyl, are quantitated by computational chemistry. Potency in terms of binding affinity to AT₁ receptors in rat adrenal glomerulosa and rabbit aorta is maximized when the terminal ring is aromatic.     

Transamination Studies on N-(1-Alkenylthio)phthalimides and Related Compounds. Synthesis of 1-Alkenesulfenamides and 1-Alkenesulfonamides(1)

In an attempt to develop a method for the general preparation of 1-alkenesulfenamides, some N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1-alkenesulfenamides (4) were converted to a number of nitrogen functionalized analogs through desilylation and acylation procedures. Mono- and dibenzoylated derivatives 5aand 6a did not undergo transamination reactions with simple amines. Transamination reactions could be achieved once compounds 4 were converted to thiophthalimides 7. The transamination products 8 are unstable to chromatography, but could be oxidized to 1-alkenesulfonamides 9 using MCPBA. Some of the sulfenamides 8 may be stable to distillation. 3-(Alkenylthioimino)phthalides 11, isomers of thiophthalimides 7, also react with amines, but the process of ring opening accompanies transamination. It was found that the transamination reactions of 11 probably involve the intermediacy of isomers 7.     

Homolytic displacement at carbon: XI. Intramolecular homolytic displacement as a route to cyclopentane and tetrahydrofuran derivatives from hex-5-enyl- andhex-3-oxo-5-enylcobaloximes

5-Methylhex-5-enylcobaloxime reacts with carbon tetrachloride and with fluorotrichloromethane at 80–100°C to give substantially pure 1-methyl-1-(β,β,β-trichloroethyl)- and 1-methyl-1-β-fluoro-β,β-dichloroethyl)-cyclopentane. Hex-5-enylco-baloxime also gives trichloroethylcyclopentane from carbon tetrachloride, but the yield is dependent on the concentration of carbon tetrachloride. Similar cyclisation to give trichloroethyl- or fluorodichloroethyltetrahydrofuran is observed in the reactions of hex-3-oxo-5-enylcobaloxime with carbon tetrachloride and fluorotrichloromethane. However, no cyclisation was observed in the reactions of the ester, hex-2-one-3-oxo-5-enylcobaloxime, with carbon tetrachloride. These reactions are believed to take place by attack of a polyhalogenomethyl radical at the terminal unsaturated carbon of the organic ligand, followed either by an intramolecular homolytic displacement in which the carbon radical at position-5 attacks carbon-1 with displacement of cobaloxime(II), or by a halogen atom abstraction.     

Synthesis and photochemistry of side-chain liquid crystal polymers based on cinnamate esters

The syntheses of three methacrylate monomers with cinnamate ester side-chains and of a further monomer with a corresponding cinnamide side-chain are described. Two of the monomers, with isomeric structures, were thermotropic liquid crystals. Although the clearing points were very similar the crystal melting points differed by 8°C. One compound also exhibited a monotropic smectic phase, behavior not shown by its isomer. The other two monomers were not liquid crystalline. The monomers were polymerized by free radical polymerization, both as homopolymers and as copolymers with methyl methacrylate. In the case of one of the mesogenic ester monomers, copolymers with a cyanophenyl benzoate monomer were also prepared. Three of the four monomers formed thermotropic liquid crystalline homopolymers and the copolymers with the benzoate monomer were also liquid crystalline. The monomers were considered as photoactive components of polymeric liquid crystals. As a preliminary investigation of their photochemistry, copolymers with methyl methacrylate were prepared and irradiated in solution with a broad-band source. Under these conditions two of the materials show a facile photo-Fries rearrangement of the aryl cinnamate ester group. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Oxidation of alcohols by transition metal complexes—iv : The rhodium catalysed synthesis of esters from aldehydes and alcohols

Both RhH(CO)PPh₃)₃ and a catalyst made in _situ from RhCl₃·3H₂O, PPh₃ and Na₂CO₃ catalyse the reaction of a range of aldehydes with simple primary alcohols to give esters together with alcohols formed by reduction of the aldehydes. The proportion of ester can be increased by adding an efficient hydrogen acceptor. The reaction can also be used to produce 5- and 7-membered lactones from aromatic dialdehydes. Propan-2-ol and the _{in situ} catalyst reduce some aromatic aldehydes to the corresponding alcohols without concomitant ester formation.     

Dimethyldihydropyrene-dehydrobenzoannulene hybrids: studies in aromaticity and photoisomerization

The synthesis and study of dehydrobenzoannulene (DBA)-dimethyldihydropyrene (DDP) hybrids as models for the investigation of aromaticity in weakly diatropic systems is reported. Three new monofused DBA-DDP hybrids have been synthesized, and their NMR spectra are discussed with regard to quantifying the aromaticity remaining in multibenzene-fused DBAs. Nucleus-independent chemical shifts, determined at a series of locations for each compound, bond lengths, and (1)H and (13)C NMR chemical shifts were calculated and used to probe the aromaticity of these hybrids. Systems where more than one annulene/DBA is fused to the DDP core have also been obtained, and their potential use in photoinduced isomerization applications is discussed.