Selective synthesis of organic sulfides and disulfides by the reduction of elemental sulfur with samarium diiodide

Elemental sulfur can be reduced to the corresponding thiolate anion species (S²⁻ and S²⁻₂) selectively by samarium diiodide in the presence and absence of HMPA, respectively. The subsequent alkylation of the thiolate anion species provides a useful synthetic route to dialkyl sulfides and disulfides. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 9: 581–584, 1998     

Disulfide-polyaniline composite cathodes for rechargeable batteries with high energy density

A composite cathode was prepared from a solution containing 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMcT) and polyaniline (PAn). The resulting cathode exhibits 80% of the theoretical capacity. Furthermore, an energy density of over 600 Wh/kg-cathode and a discharge voltage of 3.4 V are obtained, when it is coupled with a lithium anode. Additional advantages of the present cathode material over the conventional metal oxides are the ease in disposal by incineration, the low pollution and the low cost. Current capability of 137 A/kg-cathode is achieved by adding a polypyrrole derivative to the DMcT-PAn composite and coupling it with a copper current collector.     

Selenium-Catalyzed debromination of vic-dibromoalkanes and α-bromo ketones with carbon monoxide and water

Selenium has been found to be an excellent catalyst for the reductive debromination of some organic bromides with carbon monoxide and water: vic-dibromoalkanes and α-halo ketones can be reduced to the corresponding alkenes and ketones respectively in moderate to high yields.     

Reductive dimerization and reduction of imines using lanthanum metal

The treatment of N‐benzylideneaniline ( 1a ) with a half‐equivalent of lanthanum metal and a catalytic amount of iodine gave the reductive dimerization product of 1a , a vic‐diamine, in good yield. Various vic‐diamines were synthesized from aldimines in this manner in moderate to good yields. Our findings suggest that electrons of a zero‐valent lanthanum metal were efficiently utilized in this reductive dimerization. In the reaction of ketimines, however, a similar reductive dimerization did not take place, and the corresponding amines were formed as the sole products. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 13:131–135, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10007     

Free radical ring-opening polymerization and its use to make biodegradable polymers and functionally terminated oligomers

Since a carbon-oxygen double bond is considerably more stable than a carbon-carbon double bond, it has been possible to use this driving force to promote free radical ring-opening polymerization of unsaturated heterocyclic compounds. This process, for the first time, has permitted the introduction of functional groups, such as esters, amides and carbonates, into the backbone of addition polymers. Hydrolysis of the copolymers with common monomers produced oligomers capped with hydroxyl, amino or carboxylic acid groups. The presence of an ester group in a copolymer, such as in a copolymer of ethylene, render the copolymer biodegradable.     

A facile method for generation of carbon oxide sulfide

Carbon oxide sulfide was easily generated upon heating of amine salts of carbamothioic acids at 85°C which were produced in situ from amines, carbon monoxide, and elemental sulfur in the presence of a catalytic amount of selenium under mild conditions.