Highly Enantioselective Asymmetric Autocatalysis of Pyrimidin‐5‐yl Alkanol Induced by Chiral 1,3‐Disubstituted Hydrocarbon Allenes

1,3‐Disubstituted chiral allenes without any heteroatoms act as chiral initiators in the addition of (i‐Pr)₂Zn to pyrimidine‐5‐carbaldehyde to afford, in combination with the subsequent asymmetric autocatalysis, chiral pyrimidin‐5‐yl alkanols with up to 98% ee. The absolute configuration of the pyrimidin‐5‐yl alkanol formed depend on that of the chiral allene.     

rac‐ and meso‐3,3′‐Bis(3,5‐di­methyl­phenyl)‐3H,3′H‐2,2′‐biindenyl­idene‐1,1′(2H,2′H)‐dione

In the rac isomer of the title compound, C₃₄H₂₈O₂, the two C—Ph_{di­methyl­phenyl} bond axes make an angle of 58.7 (1)°. There is no short contact between the two 3,5‐di­methyl­phenyl rings, although the dihedral angle between them is 4.93 (7)°. The meso isomer has a center of symmetry at the middle of the C=C bond, and the two C—Ph_{di­methyl­phenyl} bond axes are antiparallel to one another.     

Substitution‐Pattern‐ and Counteranion‐Depending Ion‐Pairing Assemblies Based on Electron‐Deficient Porphyrin–AuIII Complexes

Porphyrin–Au^III complexes, which were partially or totally modified with C₆F₅ at the meso positions, were synthesized. The highly electron‐withdrawing substituents induced electron‐deficient states and Lewis acid properties. Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis of the ion pairs revealed ion‐pairing assemblies with characteristics dependent on the number and substitution pattern of the C₆F₅ units and the geometries of the anions.     

Small-angle neutron scattering study of dynamically polarized polyethylenes

We carried out a small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study of dynamically polarized polyethylene (PE) samples doped with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO). The transmission of the PE with almost fully polarized neutrons (98.5%) increased with increasing the proton polarization, P. The incoherent scattering cross section decreased with increasing P. The effect of P on the polarized neutrons’ transmission and the incoherent scattering cross section agreed well with the theory. The q-dependence of the coherent scattering, which reflects a two-phase structure of PE composed of crystalline and amorphous domains, was kept unchanged by the proton polarization, but the intensity increased by a factor of 3 and 6 for P=+23% and −23%, respectively. The results mean that the contrast between the two phases was successfully enhanced by a dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) technique. However, the enhancement is only 1/13–1/16 of the enhancement calculated by assuming a homogeneous polarization through the PE sample. The discrepancy suggests that P in amorphous domains (25%) should be higher than that in crystalline domains (22%) by 3%, which in turn may suggest the partial depolarization of proton spins on the way of the spin diffusion from amorphous domains, where TEMPO radicals localize, to crystalline domains.     

Surface analysis of nitride layers formed on Fe‐based alloys through plasma nitride process

Nitriding phenomena that occur on the surfaces of pure Fe and Fe? Cr alloy (16 wt% Cr) samples were investigated. An Ar + N₂ mixture‐gas glow‐discharge plasma was used so that surface nitriding could occur on a clean surface etched by Ar⁺ ion sputtering. In addition, the metal substrates were kept at a low temperature to suppress the diffusion of nitrogen. These plasma‐nitriding conditions enabled us to characterize the surface reaction between nitrogen radicals and the metal substrates. The emission characteristics of the band heads of the nitrogen molecule ion (N₂⁺) and nitrogen molecule from the glow‐discharge plasma suggest that the active nitrogen molecule is probably the major nitriding reactant. AES and angle‐resolved XPS were used to characterize the thickness of the nitride layer and the concentration of elements and chemical species in the nitride layer. The thickness of the nitride layer did not depend on the metal substrate type. An oxide layer with a thickness of a few nanometers was formed on the top of the nitride layer during the nitriding process. The oxide layer consisted of several species of N_x‐Fe_y‐O, NO⁺, and NO₂^?. In the Fe? Cr alloy sample, these oxide species could be reduced because chromium is preferentially nitrided. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthetic Study of (−)‐Norzoanthamine: Construction of the ABC Ring Moiety

Throw your hat in the ring : A highly diastereoselective synthesis of the ABC rings of (?)‐norzoanthamine has been achieved starting from the (?)‐Hajos–Parrish ketone (see scheme). Three asymmetric quaternary carbon centers on the C ring were constructed by a 1,4‐addition, and an intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction provided a trans‐decalin scaffold on the AB rings.

     

Synthesis of a Sialic Acid Containing Complex‐Type N‐Glycan on a Solid Support

On solid ground : A new solid‐phase synthesis of N‐linked glycans featuring 1) highly stereoselective β‐mannosylation and microfluidic α‐sialylation and 2) efficient glycosylation of the N‐phenyltrifluoroacetimidate units on JandaJel resin is reported. Reagent concentration effects by a fluorous solvent are effectively applied, and the use of these methods results in the first synthesis of a sialic acid containing complex‐type N‐glycan on a solid support.

     

On the irrationality measure for certain series

Let K be either the rational number field \Bbb Q{\Bbb Q} or an imaginary quadratic field. We give irrationality results for the number q = ?_n=1^￥rⁿ/(qⁿ-r^l)\theta=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}{r^n}/(q^n-r^l), where q (∣q∣ > 1) is an integer in K, r∈ K ^× (∣r∣ < ∣q∣), and 1 ￡ l ? \Bbb Z1\le l\in{\Bbb Z} with q ⁿ ≠ r ^l (n ≥ 1).     

Synthesis, structural characterization, and catalytic performance of dititanium-substituted gamma-Keggin silicotungstate

A novel titanium-substituted silicotungstate cluster of [{gamma-SiTi2W10O36(OH)2}2(mu-O)2]8- (1) is synthesized by the introduction of titanium(IV) ions into a divacant lacunary gamma-Keggin-type silicotungstate of [gamma-SiW10O36]8-. This titanium-substituted polyoxometalate, 1, exhibits a dimeric structure. One half of the gamma-Keggin fragment of 1 contains a dinuclear titanium center bridged by two hydroxo groups, and the resulting Ti2(mu-OH)2 core connects to the other Ti2(mu-OH)2 core of the paired gamma-Keggin subunit through Ti-O-Ti linkages. The Ti2(mu-OH)2 core of 1 reacts with MeOH to form the corresponding alkoxo derivative, [{gamma-SiTi2W10O36(OH)(OMe)}2(mu-O)2]8- (2). Two of four hydroxo groups of the Ti2(mu-OH)2 cores in 1 are replaced by methoxo groups to give the Ti2(mu-OH)(mu-OMe) core, and the Ti-O-Ti linkages connecting two gamma-Keggin subunits are maintained in 2. The gamma-Keggin dititanium-substituted silicotungstate 1 catalyzes mono-oxygenation reactions, such as the epoxidation of olefins and sulfoxidation of sulfides with hydrogen peroxide under mild conditions, while the monotitanium-substituted silicotungstate, [alpha-SiTiW11O39]4- (3), and the fully occupied silicododecatungstate, [gamma-SiW12O40]4-, are inactive. The epoxidation with 1 is stereospecific; the configurations around the C=C double bonds of the cis- and trans-olefins are completely retained in the corresponding epoxides. For the competitive epoxidation of cis- and trans-2-octenes, the ratio of the formation rate of cis-2,3-epoxyoctane to that of the trans isomer (R(cis)/R(trans)) is relatively high (21.3) in comparison with those observed for the tungstate catalysts, including [gamma-SiW10O34(H2O)2]4-. The epoxidation of 3-methyl-1-cyclohexene is highly diastereoselective and gives the corresponding epoxide with an anti configuration. The molecular structure of 1 is preserved during the catalysis because the 29Si and 183W NMR spectra of the catalyst recovered after completion of the oxidation are consistent with those of as-prepared compound 1. All these facts suggest the contribution of rigid nonradical oxidants generated on the multinuclear titanium center of 1.