A study of aromatic three membered rings

The resonance energies (REs) of neutral three membered ring analogs of the cyclopropenyl cation, computed using block localized wave function (BLW) methods, reveal considerable variations. The RE's of cyclopropenes substituted with exocyclic double bonded groups C?X, (X = O, NH, CH₂, S, PH, SiH₂) increase with the electronegativity of X in the same row (SiH₂ < PH < S and CH₂ < NH < O). The extra cyclic resonance energies (ECREs) (an energetic measure of aromaticity based on comparisons with the RE's of acyclic models) of these derivatives range from +10.5 kcal/mol for cyclopropenone (X = O) (somewhat aromatic; the benzene ECRE is 29.3 kcal/mol) to ?2.4 kcal/mol (slightly antiaromatic) for X = SiH₂. Additional disubstitution of the C?C double bond by X′ groups (X′ = CH₃, NH₂, OH, SiH₃, PH₂, SH) increases the REs considerably, but has only small effects on the ECREs. Even the ECRE of deltic acid (X = O, X′ = OH) is only increased to +13.3 kcal/mol. The conclusion based on ECRE's, that all 12 of the three membered rings are only marginally aromatic/antiaromatic, is supported by the satisfactorily plot (R² = 0.92) of ECRE against values of NICS(0)_πzz (a superior nucleus chemical independent shift magnetic index of aromaticity), which range only from ?6.1 ppm (diatropic) for deltic acid (cf., ?35.5 ppm for benzene and ?14.2 ppm for the parent cyclopropenium ion) to +8.9 ppm (paratropic) for the silicon derivative, X = SiH₂, X′ = SiH₃. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

A new water‐soluble branched poly(ethylene imine) derivative having hydrolyzable imidazolidine moieties and its application to long‐lasting release of aldehyde

A new water‐soluble poly(ethylene imine)‐derivative having imidazolidine moieties was developed. With using branched poly(ethylene imine) (BPEI) as a precursor, it was modified by Michael addition reaction of its primary amino group to an acrylate having poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain. The modified BPEI was reacted with octanal to give the corresponding BPEI derivative having octanal‐derived imidazolidine moieties. The obtained polymer inherited the high hydrophilicity of the attached PEG chains to allow hydrolysis of the imidazolidine moieties under homogeneous conditions in aqueous media, leading to long‐lasting release of octanal. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Multicomponent Reactions of Furan‐2,3‐diones: Synthesis and Characterizations of Furo[3,2‐c]pyran‐4‐ones

Furo[3,2‐c]pyran‐4‐ones, which possess a natural‐product skeleton, are synthesized via a simple, one‐pot, three‐component reaction of furan‐2,3‐diones with dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates and Ph₃P.     

Control of degradation of polypropylene during its radical functionalisation with furan and thiophene derivatives

The traditional melt radical functionalisation of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) with maleic anhydride (MAH) and peroxide affords functionalized samples with a severe decrease of the average molecular weight (MW) due to the β-scission reaction. In this work new push-pull unsaturated molecules were investigated, consisting of a heterocyclic ring conjugated with a double bond bearing an electron attracting group. These molecules were specifically designed as MAH substitute able to limit the iPP degradation, while providing functionalisation through grafting. Butyl 3-(2-furanyl) propenoate (BFA) and butyl 3-(2-thienyl) propenoate (BTA) were comparatively tested. The analysis of the reaction products indicated that both molecules are able to graft onto the iPP backbone by prompt reaction with the macro-radicals formed through H-abstraction from iPP chains, thereby significantly limiting the MW decrease, as the functionalized macro-radicals are stabilized by resonance. Nonetheless, some of iPP macro-radicals can give a parallel chain scission before reacting with the new molecules. In the case of BFA, coupling reactions of the formed macro-radicals can lead to the formation of branched high MW architectures, whereas in the case of the thiophene derivative (BTA) only a partial retaining of polymer chain fragmentation was observed due to the reduction of β-scission.     

Furans-Maleimides Diels-Alder Reactions in Protic Ionic Liquid

The authors have studied the Diels-Alder reactions between furan derivatives and maleimide derivatives in an ionic liquid and have found that higher reactivity can be obtained in a protic ionic liquid [Mim]Tf2N than in the conventional organic solvent.Furthermore,in the Diels-AIder reactions of 2- and 2,5-alkylfurans with N-alkylmaleimide,the reactivity increases by extending the alkyl chain length of N-alkylmaleimide.In addition,it was demonstrated that endo-selectivity increases when 2,5-disubstituted furans are used.These results will be explained by comparing the stability of the Diels-Alder adduct with that of the products obtained from the reactions of 2-substituted furans and 2,5-disubstituted furans.