Homogeneous hydrogenation of ketones to alcohols with ruthenium complex catalysts

A number of ruthenium triphenylphosphine complexes catalyse the reduction of ketones to their corresponding alcohols in the presence of water. The most convenient catalyst precursors are carbonyl containing complexes which do not promote decarbonylation of the substrate. The hydrogenation of acetone with hydridochlorocarbonyltris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium is first order with respect to the substrate concentration, the catalyst concentration, the hydrogen pressure and the water concentration. Turnover numbers up to 15,000 have been achieved with this catalyst. Other ketones are also reduced by RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃ and the rate of the reaction is dependent on the nature of the substrate.     

Kinetic Aspects of Dimethylamine Hydroxyethylation in the Presence of Water

The kinetics of dimethylamine hydroxyethylation at an ethylene oxide : dimethylamine : water molar ratio of 1 : 3 : (0.1–0.5) was studied in the temperature range 20–50°C. A kinetic model of the reaction, which adequately describes the experimental data, was suggested.__________Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Khimii, Vol. 78, No. 4, 2005, pp. 687–689.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Danov, Kolesnikov, Efremov, Mezhenin.     

Reduction of Alkyl-2-amino-5,6-dialkyl-3-cyanopyridine-4-carboxylates

Reduction of alkyl-2-amino-5,6-dialkyl-3-cyanopyridine-4-carboxylates with sodium borohydride in protic solvents gave rise to 4-amino-3-imino-6,7-dialkyl-1,3-dihydrofuro[3,4-c]pyridines that at hydrolysis in acid medium afforded the corresponding lactones.__________Translated from Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2005, pp. 288–291.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Vasil’ev, Lyshchikov, Nasakin, Kayukov, Tafeenko.     

Indirect spectrophotometric determination of cyanide

A spectrophotometric method for cyanide based on its inhibition of the colour formation reaction between nickel(II) and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolylazo)-2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid has been developed, and allows the determination of down to 0.1 g of cyanide. Most of the interferences can be avoided by displacement of the hydrogen cyanide using an arsine generator.     

Thermodynamic properties of solutions of water-soluble mixed cellulose esters

The thermodynamics of the mixing of water-soluble mixed cellulose esters with water has been studied. A dependence of the affinity of a water-soluble cellulose acetate for water on the nature of a new radical introduced into the macromolecule and the competing interaction of molecules of the same and different types has been shown. Thermodynamic analysis has demonstrated the dominating role of solvation among the various factors determining the interaction of cellulose acetomaleate and acetophthalate with a solvent. A fall in affinity in the cellulose aminoacetate-water system is due to the contribution of entropy effects, leading to an increase in the Flory-Huggins parameter.Tashkent Institute of Chemical Technology. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 97–101, January–February, 1997.     

Time Positron Diagnostics of Metal β-Diketonates

The effects of the nature of the metal atom and -substituents in aluminum(III), chromium(III), cobalt(III), and iron(III) acetylacetonates on the lifetime and intensity of a long-lived component in positron and positronium annihilation were studied by the method of positron diagnostics. An addition of a positron to the -system of a chelate ring is supposed, which makes it possible to qualitatively estimate the basicities of the complexes. Annihilation of positrons and halogen-containing positronium -diketonates is accompanied by the formation of a protonated complex; for -organylthioacetylacetonates, annihilation follows the inhibition mechanism.     

Coordination Compounds of Copper(II) with Bis(5-amino-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)alkanes

Procedures for synthesis of coordination compounds of copper(II) with bis(5-amino-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)alkanes as ligands. A conclusion was drawn that the coordination polyhedron of copper(II) has different configurations depending on the structure of the ligand and on the coordination mode.     

Syntheses of a Cp'Re=S derivative and more complex products

The reaction of Cp'ReCl(2)S(3) (Cp' = Me(4)EtC(5)) with slightly less than 2 equiv of a phosphine reagent results in the formation of [Cp'Re(Cl)(2)(mu-S)](2), 2, which has been characterized by an X-ray diffraction study. Reactions of 2 with nucleophiles did not lead to monomeric derivatives of the type Cp'ReS(Cl)(2)(Nuc). The reaction of Cp'ReCl(2)(SC(2)H(4)S) with (Me(3)Si)(2)S resulted in the formation of three new products: Cp'ReS(SC(2)H(4)S), 4; Cp'Re(S(3))(SC(2)H(4)S), 5; and a tetranuclear derivative, [(Cp'Re)(2)(mu-S)(mu,eta(2)-SC(2)H(4)S)(mu,eta(1)-SC(2)H(4)S](2)Cl(2), 6. Complexes 4 and 6 have been characterized by X-ray diffraction studies. The electrochemical properties of the mononuclear Re=S derivative, 4, are compared with those of Re=O and Re=NR analogues.     

Spectroscopic, thermal and electrochemical studies on some nickel(II) thiosemicarbazone complexes

Several complexes of thiosemicarbazone derivatives with Ni(II) have been prepared. Structural investigation of the ligands and their complexes has been made based on elemental analysis, magnetic moment, spectral (UV-Vis, i.r., (1)H NMR, ms), and thermal studies. The i.r. spectra suggest the bidentate mononegative and tridentate (neutral, mono-, and binegative) behavior of the ligands. Different stereochemistries were suggested for the isolated complexes. The thermogravimetry (TG) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) have been used to study the thermal decomposition and kinetic parameters of some ligands and complexes using the Coats-Redfern and Horowitz-Metzger equations. The redox properties and stability of the complexes toward oxidation waves explored by cyclic voltammetry are related to the electron withdrawing or releasing ability of the substituent of thiosemicarbazone moiety. The samples displayed Ni(II)/Ni(I) couples irreversible waves associated with Ni(III)/Ni(II) process.     

Substitution and condensation reactions with poly(anilineboronic acid): reactivity and characterization of thin films

Poly(anilineboronic acid) thin films are treated under various conditions to achieve substitution or condensation reactions involving the boronic acid moiety. These reactions are studied with polarization modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The results suggest the single-step formation of substituted polyanilines, such as poly(hydroxyaniline), halogenated polyanilines, and mercury chloride-substituted polyaniline. A condensation reaction of poly(anilineboronic acid) with cis-diol compounds in aqueous solution, as well as with phenylenebisboronic acid and salycilamide in THF, indicates the formation of boronic esters. The latter reactions appear to be a good entry point for the formation of complex or supramolecular polymer structures.