Cobalt‐based metal coordination polymers with 4,4′‐bipyridinyl groups: highly efficient catalysis for one‐pot synthesis of 3,4‐dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones under solvent‐free conditions

Three new metal coordination complexes, namely [Co(BPY)₂(H₂O)₂](BPY)(BS)₂(H₂O)₄ ( 1 ), [Co(BPY)₂(H₂O)₄](ABS)₂(H₂O)₂ ( 2 ) and [Co(BPY)(H₂O)₄](MBS)₂ ( 3 ) (BPY = 4,4′‐bipyridine, BS = phenylsulfonic acid, ABS = p‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid, MBS = p‐methylbenzenesulfonic acid), were obtained under hydrothermal conditions. Complexes 1 , 2 , 3 were structurally characterized using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. All of them display low‐dimensional motifs: complex 1 displays a two‐dimensional structure; and complexes 2 and 3 exhibit a one‐dimensional tape structure. Through strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions and weak packing interactions, all of them further stack to generate a three‐dimensional supramolecular architecture. Catalysts 1 , 2 , 3 were involved in the green synthesis of a variety of 3,4‐dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones under solvent‐free conditions through Biginelli reactions. The corresponding catalytic product was obtained in quantitative yields (99%) under eco‐friendly synthesis conditions for the variety of reactions. Catalysts 1 , 2 , 3 exhibit excellent efficiency for the desired product, and their catalytic performance shows the following order: 2  >  1  ≈  3 , which can be ascribed to the hydrophobic interactions of different phenylsulfonate groups. The catalytic performance for the Biginelli reaction is not only dependent on the selected solvents, but also inversely proportional to the polarities of the solvents. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Acetate anion-selective encapsulation in the ellipsoidal cavity of symmetrical α,α′,δ,δ′-tetramethyl-cucurbit[6]uril

Four symmetrical α,α′,δ,δ′-tetramethyl-cucurbit[6]uril-based compounds have been prepared and characterised by X-ray crystallography. Their crystal structures displayed the acetate anion-selective encapsulating capability of symmetrical α,α′,δ,δ′-tetramethyl-cucurbit[6]uril. The host–guest interaction between the symmetrical α,α′,δ,δ′-tetramethyl-cucurbit[6]uril and the acetate anion in aqueous solution has also been observed by variable temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

The Synthesis and Biological Activities of [5-(4-Substituted Phenylsulfinyl/Sulfonyl)-1,3-Dimethyl-1H-Pyrazol-4-Yl]-Arylmethanones

Abstract

A novel series of pyrazole derivatives containing substituted phenylsulfinyl/sulfonyl group have been synthesized via the oxidation of intermediate pyrazole sulfoether with H₂O₂ in acetic acid. The novel compounds were characterized by melting point, ¹H NMR, FT-IR, MS, and elemental analysis or HRMS. The biological activity results showed that most of the title compounds exhibit significant fungicidal activities against Alternaria solani Sorauer, Phytophthora capsici, and Corynespora cassiicola.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements for the following free supplemental files: Additional text and figures.]     

Sulfur Precursor Reactivity Affecting the Crystal Phase and Morphology of Cu2−xS Nanoparticles

For plasmonic copper-deficient Cu_2−xS nanoparticles (NPs), accurate control of the crystal phase and morphology is highly desirable as both of which are known to determine the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength and amplitude. Here, how the sulfur precursor reactivity in the synthesis of Cu_2−xS NPs affects the resulting crystal phase and morphology is examined. Djurleite Cu_1.94S, roxbyite Cu_1.8S, digenite Cu_1.8S as well as covellite CuS nanodisks were synthesized by using 1-dodecanethiol, N,N-dibutylthiourea, and crystal sulfur 1-octadecene/oleylamine solutions and their crystal phase dependent LSPR properties were exhaustively discussed. In addition, crystal phase interconversion between covellite CuS and djurleite/roxbyite Cu_2−xS was realized in the presence of the above sulfur precursors. On the other hand, djurleite Cu_1.94S nanorods rather than nanodisks were prepared by replacing 1-dodecanethiol with more reactive tert-dodecanethiol. The structural and morphological Cu_2−xS NPs here holds great promise in the application of photothermal therapy, photocatalysis, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and many others.     

Convergence of Galerkin truncation for dynamic response of finite beams on nonlinear foundations under a moving load

The present paper investigates the convergence of the Galerkin method for the dynamic response of an elastic beam resting on a nonlinear foundation with viscous damping subjected to a moving concentrated load. It also studies the effect of different boundary conditions and span length on the convergence and dynamic response. A train–track or vehicle–pavement system is modeled as a force moving along a finite length Euler–Bernoulli beam on a nonlinear foundation. Nonlinear foundation is assumed to be cubic. The Galerkin method is utilized in order to discretize the nonlinear partial differential governing equation of the forced vibration. The dynamic response of the beam is obtained via the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. Three types of the conventional boundary conditions are investigated. The railway tracks on stiff soil foundation running the train and the asphalt pavement on soft soil foundation moving the vehicle are treated as examples. The dependence of the convergence of the Galerkin method on boundary conditions, span length and other system parameters are studied.     

Modeling and optimization of laser transmission joining process between PET and 316L stainless steel using response surface methodology

Laser joining parameters play a very significant role in determining the quality of laser transmission joining between PET films and 316L stainless steel plates. In the present work, Laser power, joining speed and stand-off-distance were considered as joining parameters. The parameters that influence the quality of laser transmission joining were optimized using response methodology for achieving good joint strength and minimal joint width. The central composite second-order Rotational Design (CCRD) has been utilized to plan the experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) is employed to develop mathematical relationships between joining parameters and desired responses. Based on the developed mathematical models, the interaction effects of the process parameters on laser transmission joining were investigated and optimum joining parameters were achieved. The experimental values nearly agree with the predicted values from mathematical models, indicates that the models can predict the responses adequately and optimize the key process parameters quickly.     

Synthesis of multi‐functionalized carbonyl compounds by palladium–catalysed γ‐substitution of MBH adducts with activated amides

Catalytic allylic γ‐substitution with Morita‐Baylis‐Hillman (MBH) adducts for creating a new family of unsymmetrical dicarbonyl compounds was presented in this work, in which a variety of allylated amide products were achieved in good yields and high regioselectivity with excellent linear‐to‐branched ratios. Especially, it was found that the Pd/HZNU‐Phos complex exhibited remarkably high activity (with a TON up to 16800) in this transformation between dicarbonyl amides and MBH adducts. In addition, the possibly multisite interaction between multifunctional Pd/HZNU‐Phos catalyst system and substrates might responsible for its exceptionally high efficiency in this reaction.     

Theoretical analysis of some problems in the measurement of beam divergence angle for EAST neutral beam injector

Beam angular divergence is one of the indicators to evaluate the beam quality. Operating parameters of the beam extraction system could be adjusted to gain better beam quality following the measurement results, which will be helpful not only to study the transmission characteristics of the beam and the power distribution on the heat load components, but also to understand the real-time working condition of the ion source and beam extraction system. This study includes: (1) the theoretical analysis of beam extraction pulse duration for measurement of beam angular divergence; (2) the theoretical analysis of beam intensity distribution during beam transmission for Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokomak (EAST) neutral beam injector. Those theoretical analyses could point the way to the measurement of beam divergence angle for EAST neutral beam injector.

     

Immobilization of AIEgens into metal‐organic frameworks: Ligand design,emission behavior,and applications

Aggregation‐induced emission (AIE), in which the luminophores are highly emissive in aggregate state, is one of the most unique photophysical phenomena and has shown interesting applications in many areas. The immobilization of AIE luminogens (AIEgens) into metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), which are inorganic‐organic hybrid porous materials with tunable and predictable structures, has been investigated over the past few years. These well‐defined porous frameworks cannot only provide an ideal platform for studying the mechanism of AIE phenomenon in solid state, but also show potential applications from sensing to white light‐emitting diodes. In this highlight, we will summarize the recent progress of AIEgens‐based MOFs, including ligand design, emission behavior, and applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 1809–1817     

Intermolecular Charge-Transfer Interactions Facilitate Two-Photon Absorption in Styrylpyridine–Tetracyanobenzene Cocrystals

Cocrystals of 4-styrylpyridine and 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene were successfully prepared by supramolecular self-assembly. Donor–acceptor interactions between the molecular components are the main driving force for self-assembly and contribute to intermolecular charge transfer. The cocrystals possess two-photon absorption properties that are not observed in the individual components; suggesting that two-photon absorption originates from intermolecular charge-transfer interactions in the donor–acceptor system. The origin of two-photon absorption in multichromophore systems remains under-researched; thus, the system offers a rare demonstration of two-photon absorption by cocrystallization. Cocrystal engineering may facilitate further design and development of novel materials for nonlinear optical and optoelectronic applications.