(2,7-Disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) as bidentate organoaluminum Lewis acids: elucidation and synthetic Utility of the double electrophilic activation phenomenon

A series of (2,7-disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) (2) has been readily prepared in situ by treatment of the requisite 2,7-disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenediol (1) with Me3Al (2 equiv) in CH2Cl2 at room temperature; this primarily relies on the successful establishment of a new synthetic procedure of 1 starting from inexpensive m-anisidine. Evaluation of 2 as a bidentate organoaluminum Lewis acid has been performed by the reduction of ketonic substrates using Bu3SnH as a hydride source in comparison to the conventional monodentate Lewis acid dimethylaluminum 2,6-xylenoxide (11), uncovering the significantly high activation ability of 2 toward carbonyl. Particularly, (2,7-dimethyl-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) (2a) exerted the highest reactivity, which has also been emphasized in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction. The structure of the bidentate Lewis acid 2 was unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of 2g possessing a bulky 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl substituent, revealing the rigid dimeric assembly in the solid state. The double electrophilic activation of carbonyl substrate by 2a has been supported by low-temperature 13C NMR analysis as well as theoretical study using the Gaussian 98 program. Moreover, unique stereoselectivity has been observed in the 2a-promoted Mukaiyama Michael addition, and highly chemoselective functionalization of carbonyl compounds in the presence of their acetal counterparts has been realized using 2a. Finally, the effectiveness of 2a for the activation of ether functionality has been demonstrated in the Claisen rearrangement of allyl vinyl ethers.     

One-dimensional ion transport in self-organized columnar ionic liquids

New fan-shaped ionic liquids forming columnar liquid crystalline phases have been prepared to obtain one-dimensional ion-transporting materials. The ionic liquids consist of two incompatible parts: an imidazolium-based ionic part as an ion-conducting part and tris(alkyloxy)phenyl parts as insulating parts. Two compounds having octyl and dodecyl chains have been synthesized. Self-assembly of these materials leads to the formation of thermotropic hexagonal columnar liquid crystalline states at room temperature. Anisotropic one-dimensional ionic conductivities have been successfully measured by the cells having comb-shaped gold electrodes. The self-organized columns have been aligned macroscopically in two directions by shearing perpendicular and parallel to the electrodes. The ionic conductivities parallel to the column axis are higher than those perpendicular to the axis. The incorporation of lithium salts in these columnar materials leads to the enhancement of the ionic conductivities and their anisotropy. These materials would be useful for anisotropic transportation of ions at the nanometer level.     

One-pot synthesis of sialo-containing glycosyl amino acids by use of an N-trichloroethoxycarbonyl-beta-thiophenyl sialoside

We describe an efficient synthesis of 2,6- and 2,3-sialyl T antigens linked to serine in a one-pot glycosylation. We first investigated the glycosidation of thiosialosides by varying the N-protecting group. Modification of the C-5 amino group of beta-thiosialosides into the N-9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl, N-2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl (N-Troc), and N-trichloroacetyl derivatives enhanced the reactivity of these compounds towards glycosidation. Addition of a minimum amount of 3 A molecular sieves was also effective in improving the yield of alpha-linked sialosides. Next, we conducted one-pot syntheses of the glycosyl amino acids by using the N-Troc sialyl donor. The N-Troc derivative can be converted into the N-acetyl derivative without racemization of the amino acids. Branched-type one-pot glycosylation, initiated by regioselective glycosylation of the 3,6-dihydroxy galactoside with the N-Troc-beta-thiophenyl sialoside, provided the protected 2,6-sialyl T antigen in good yield. Linear-type one-pot glycosylation, initiated by chemoselective glycosylation of galactosyl fluoride with the N-Troc-beta-thiophenyl sialoside, afforded the protected 2,3-sialyl T antigen in excellent yield. Both protected glycosyl amino acids were converted into the fully deprotected 2,6- and 2,3-sialyl T antigens linked to serine in good yields.     

Rate constant of the reaction of NO3 with CH2I2 measured with use of cavity ring-down spectroscopy

We have applied cavity ring-down spectroscopy to a kinetic study of the reaction of NO₃ with CH₂I₂ in 25–100 Torr of N₂ diluent at 298 K. The rate constant of reaction of NO₃ + CH₂I₂ is determined to be (4.0 ± 1.2) × 10⁻¹³ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ in 100 Torr of N₂ diluent at 298 K. The rate constant increases with increasing pressure of buffer gas below 100 Torr. The reaction of CH₂I₂ with NO₃ has the potential importance at nighttime in the atmosphere.     

Semiconductor laser fluorimetry for enzyme and enzymatic assays

Near-infrared semiconductor laser fluorimetry is applied to assays of xanthine and xanthine oxidase. The fluorescence of indocyanine green in the near-infrared region is quenched by hydrogen peroxide. Xanthine is converted to uric acid by xanthine oxidase, in a reaction which also produces hydrogen peroxide; xanthine can be determined by measuring the decrease in fluorescence intensity of the dye added to the sample solution. The calibration graph for xanthine is linear from 5 × 10^?5 M to 5 × 10^?7 M. The enzyme activity can also be determined.     

Determination of cationic polyelectrolytes using a photometric titration with crystal violet as a color indicator

The reaction of the cationic dye, crystal violet (CV) with the anionic polyelectrolytes such as potassium poly (vinyl sulfate) (PVSK) results in a decrease of the absorbance of CV at the maximum absorption wavelength (590 nm). This change of the absorption spectra of the CV has been already applied to the determination of anionic polyelectrolytes using flow injection analysis method. In this paper, CV was applied to the indicator for the determination of cationic polyelectrolytes such as poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (Cat-floc) by photometric titration, using a PVSK solution as a titrant. The end-point of the titration is detected as the break point of the titration curve. A linear relationship between the concentration of cationic polyelectrolyte and the end-point volume of the titrant exists in the concentration range from 0 to 5×10⁻⁵ eq. mol dm⁻³ for Cat-floc, glycol chitosan and methylglycol chitosan. The effects of the concentration of CV and coexisting electrolytes in the sample solution and the effect of pH of the sample solution on the degree of the change of absorbance at the end-point were also examined.     

Analysis of organotin compounds by grignard derivatization and gas chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

The determination of organotin compounds in water using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) is described. Several organotin derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of organotin chlorides with Grignard reagents such as methyl-, propyl- and pentylmagnesium halides. After the optimization of the GC-MS-MS conditions, several derivatizations with the Grignard reagents were compared by evaluating the molar responses and volatilities of the derivatives and derivatization yields. As a result, the derivatizing reagent of choice is pentylmagnesium bromide. Calibration curves for the mono-, di- and tributyltins and mono-, di- and triphenyltins with pentylmagnesium bromide were linear in the range of 0.5-100 pg of Sn. The instrumental detection limits of six organotins ranged from 0.20 to 0.35 pg of Sn. The recovery tests from water samples (500 ml) were performed by using sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) as a complexing reagent. Except for monophenyltin, the absolute recoveries of organotins from pure water at 200 ng of Sn/l were satisfactory. The recoveries calibrated by surrogate compounds (perdeuterated organotin chlorides) ranged from 71 to 109%. The method detection limits ranged from 0.26 to 0.84 pg of Sn (500-ml sample). This method was applied to the recovery of organotins from river water and seawater. The calibrated recoveries were between 90 and 122%.     

The effect of the counteranion on the formation of mesoporous materials under the acidic synthesis process

The presence of various counteranions at the interfacial region of the silicate-surfactant mesophase introduces opportunities for manipulation of the phase structure. Well-ordered 3D-hexagonal P63/mmc, cubic Pmn, 2D-hexagonal p6mm, and cubic Iad mesoporous materials have been synthesized with the same surfactant, cetyltriethylammonium bromide, in the presence of various acids. The counteranions of acidic media have resulted in increasing the surfactant packing parameter g in the order SO42- < Cl- < Br- < NO3-, which leads to the different time course of formation of mesostructures. The effect of counteranions on the formation of mesostructures is explained in terms of not only the adsorption strength on the headgroups of the surfactant micelle but also the rate of silica condensation affecting the charge density matching between the surfactant and silica. It has been found that the mesophase is always transformed from the larger g parameter into the smaller one. The distinct morphologies of the 3D-hexagonal P63/mmc mesophases have been rationally explained by supposing this particular mesostructure. The cubic Iad phase has been first synthesized under acidic conditions.     

Chiral recognition in NMR spectroscopy using crown ethers and their ytterbium(III) complexes

Chiral crown ethers 1 and 5 are useful enantiomeric discriminating agents in ¹H NMR spectroscopy for neutral and protonated primary amines, amino acids, and amino alcohols. The presence of the carboxylic acid groups in 1 and 5 provide sites at which ytterbium(III) can bind. Adding ytterbium(III) nitrate to crown–substrate mixtures in methanol-d₄ causes shifts in the spectra of substrates and often enhances the chiral discrimination in the ¹H NMR spectrum. The enhancement in enantiomeric discrimination that occurs in the presence of ytterbium(III) allows lower concentrations of the crown ether to be used in chiral recognition studies. Several amide derivatives of 1 were prepared and evaluated as chiral NMR discriminating agents, although except for 1e, these were less effective than 1.